http://rubechat.kfan.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=256368 They went from saying we were lame with a cake schedule, to wanting to trade rosters with us. Hahaha
Based on Minnesota's points differential so far (and assuming it holds) I fully expect them to be right in the mix for a top 4 seed when it April rolls around. That's not a prediction per se, just an observation of the predictive power of that particular data point.
That differential is skewed because of the home vs. road. On the road, they are terrible. I'm talking bad. At home, they blow out. So since there is just as much road as home games, that difference will change.
http://espn.go.com/nba/standings BTW… We are #2 in differential in the Western Conference. And #4 in the entire league.
Most teams aren't great on the road. If you finish .500 there you're usually considered a "good" team.
If you feel that way about Minnesota's point differential, then we have to be a top 4 seed too.....right?
No I am debating your "means to why they will be a top 4 team", using the differential. And since that is skewed, it really doesn't tell the entire story. They are 2-6 on the road. They aren't even close to .500. That trend shows they won't even be a .500 ball club on the road. That also means the Point differential will change as well.
Thanks. Wow, it really highlights just who the good teams are. Spurs, heat and Pacers are the only teams ahead of the Blazers in differential, but they are ahead by 3 to 6 points. This needs to be our goal.
If you want to look at SoS, they had a much easier schedule then we did, with the exception of the Spurs.
I swear to god you people never actually read. I NEVER SAID THEY WILL BE A TOP 4 SEED. All I'm pointing out is that despite Minnesota's current record and their fans "panicking" there's a decent chance things will turn around and even out over the course of the season. Will their points differential hold? Will ours? I have no idea. But if they do, then you'll eventually see records for teams reflect it.
Could be Mags, but I've watched the Heat, Spurs and Pacers play this season, and the eye test also puts all three of those teams in another level. Especially the Pacers, they swarmed on D in a way I never get to see, it was crazy exciting to see how stifling they can be. Blazers are in the tier right below those three teams, and that's pretty cool.
Minnesota will be contending for a playoff spot, assuming they can stay healthy (staying healthy is no lock, though). They kind of remind me of the Blazers of last season. They've beaten a lot of pretty crappy teams and have only beaten two teams that would be in the playoffs if they were to start today (OKC w/out Westbrook and Dallas, both home games for Minne). They've played a lot of tough teams very close. They have blown teams out when they win (margins in 5 of their 8 wins: 19, 23, 29, 18, 30). But they have also lost three games I would have expected them to win, albeit on the road. On the road, they are one of those teams that they play to the level of their opponent, whether it's Indy or Cleveland. Tells me they don't know how to close out games. Overall, I see signs they could end up being a quality team this year. Other signs tell me they might be worse than I was expecting. I don't really know what to expect from them at this point, as they are just completely inconsistent, and that's what I remember about last year's Blazer team.
"In the mix" Mags doesn't mean "exactly." They might end up with an 8th seed for all I know, but assuming any team (Minnesota or anybody else for that matter) can maintain a +5.5 points differential then that's a pretty good indicator they're going to win around 48 to 52 games if history is any guide.
