It's possible to win 60 in the west, for sure, but the difference between 52 wins and 60 wins is larger than the difference between 41 and 52, because when you go from winning 41 to 52, you're starting to beat medium quality teams on the road, and high quality teams at home. From 52 to 60? You have to start beating high quality teams on the road, which is a tough proposition. But yeah, it can be done. Me personally? I've got them penciled in for 57 wins. Though if Dallas and Phoenix continue to falter, and San Antonio gets too old to play well, that win total could go up.
It will heavily depend on what happens in the off-season in my eyes. 1. Oden's development (along with Batum's) 2. Roster moves? Or keep it in tact? 3. PG position... will Bayless improve and be a main contributer or will we go after a PG? I think those three things are what will decide if we can get to the 60 win mark... especially Oden's development and adressing the PG need. Edit - and of course injuries factor in.
Absolutely correct. Each step up the ladder becomes harder. To make it even more of a challenge, as you improve you no longer have lotto picks to provide cheap talent upgrades!
It'll be real interesting because a lot of teams might look to blow up their foundation. Is Cuban going to be okay with keeping Dirk, losing Kidd, and keeping the same not-going-to-cut-it core? Who will NO get rid of to not go in to bankruptcy? What's Utah going to look like if/when Boozer opts out? Are the Spurs finally going to get too old? etc. etc. West could be wide open next year.
Don't you know KP is the master of buying draft picks. We don't have to be in the lottery to get a lottery pick.
Not to be pedantic, but Rudy, Batum, Segio, Freeland, and PLayboy Pete were all non-lotto picks. Bayless was our lotto pick and change for Indy's pick. The only time KP dealt for an extra lotto pick was the LMA/Roy draft.
