Good points, but then why will those two teams win 55+ games and we won't? Just curious. My reason is, they have more talent.
Because you showed me disrespect and I pulled some strings. Be careful in the future or I can make it where I can post FOR you.
ESPN thinks we'll have the 14th pick next June....... http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/sto...michael-porter-marvin-bagley-luka-doncic-more
Once again I forgot I picked the same as Vegas with that one. Totally overlooked that team. But what about LAST season Denny? You seem to forget that one. Closet prediction out of all the "experts" on this forum.....remember? Shouldn't bring up one without the other. Better than #64Wins
I was using those as reasons why it's impossible to even hope to predict how we would do against either team in a 7 game playoff series. The series would be far different if both teams were at 100%, than if the Spurs were missing two or three starters, like they were against GSW, or if the Rockets are missing Chris Paul, like the Clippers were against us two years ago. Likewise for us, we need all of Nurk, Dame and C.J. to be 100% to stand a puncher's chance against either of those teams. Also, at this point we don't know how well HOU will do with all their roster changes. Will Harden and Paul be a good fit. They are both at their best when they have the ball in their hands, but there is only one ball. HOU also lost a lot of their depth in the CP3 trade. How will their replacements fair? And, the elephant in the room - will they get Carmelo, and if they do, what will they have to give up to get him? Will Neil use the $12.9 million TPE to shore up our bench. Will we be the ones to get Carmelo? Or maybe someone else via trade? There are just too many variables at this time to predict what will happen in a 7 game series 8 or 9 months from now. I really look forward to seeing a full season of Nurkic in a Portland uniform. He had such a huge impact at both ends of the court in those 20 games after the trade. I want to see if that is sustainable over the course of an 82-game schedule, and even more so, how this team, at full strength looks in the playoffs. The only bright spot in the entire GSW series was that we were +8 when an obviously less than 100% Nurk was on the floor. Even though he only scored 2 points and was visibly limping, his presence had a huge impact in that game (11 rebounds and 4 assists in only 17 minutes). I'm not predicting we would beat HOU or SAS in a 7 game series, but I'm also not ruling out the possibility. BNM
Back to back playoffs. The second even after having regressions from some key players. I don't think 4th in the division makes playoffs. I do think we're a team proven to make the playoffs. We added rookie depth in the right positions, but we lost a key player in exchange for a TPE that I don't see getting used unless we're on the verge of a special season. I do agree with BNM that NO isn't likely finished. In spite of the so-called cap hell we're supposedly in, we're in the mix for one of the biggest trades in the offseason. The Melo deal might still go down.
No, you didn't. The consensus Vegas preseason prediction was 28 wins. You missed it by even more than the "experts". BNM
They do have more talent, but I don't think either wins 55 games. Houston will always be a better team in the regular season. I'm not saying we'll be the favorite, just that we'll have a realistic chance of beating either team.
Even if it doesn't, we still have that $12.969 million TPE along with the $5.192 tax payer MLE we can use to beef up our bench. Those exceptions can be split among multiple players. We also have a couple very movable contracts in Davis and Aminu that could be used to offset any incoming salary. If we stretch Nicholson before 8/31 (which I believe we will), we will get down to about $122.4 million in total salary. If we cut Pat C. loose that gets us down to $120.7 million in guaranteed salary - which is still about $1.5 million over the luxury tax threshold. I suspect Plan A is Carmelo (luxury tax be damned), Plan B is using the TPE to shore up the bench (replace Crabbe) and Plan C is to make a trade (or trades) that gets us just under the tax threshold. Of course, B and C could both happen in parallel. In any case, Neil has a lot of flexibility. I think Paul's first goal is to improve the team, and if that fails, a secondary goal is to dip just under the luxury tax threshold by the trad deadline. BNM
BNM sharing his pick up lines! Gotta love it!.....What's that rubbing against my leg.....it's....repeat the moh's scale is a scale for measuring.....hahaha...love it BNM!!!!
La escala de Moh es una escala para medir la dureza de los minerales. El diamante tiene una calificación de 10 en la escala de Moh, el mineral natural más duro.
Or if you'd prefer: Skala Mohsa to skala do pomiaru twardości minerałów. Diament ma ocenę 10 na skali Mohsa, najcięższych naturalnie występujących minerałów. You're welcome.
