When you stop caring, you start losing ball games. The last 6-8 of those were like preseason... going through the motions. Everyone was saying they tanked the last 2 weeks, so how can that be a quantifiable argument for this year?
I am under the belief of this year and this year only, so that's why I made the qualifier of "if healthy"... because they are as of now.
Benchm players usually don't perform as well on the road . . . I think the starters are going to have to show up and and play big minutes for a successful road trip (earn their pay). If starters can avoid logging big minutes at home, they are in prime position to earn some key victories on the road.
Well, since you put it so nicely (and since you're paying for a good seat for me at a Blazer game) I have repped you. Wait, it may have been the report a post button. I get so confused by this Internet thingy.
I don't believe in the most relevant sense this is true. Basically, we had 4 guys on the team last year, this year we have 8 (with CJ waiting in the wings). So, an injury to 1 guy last year is like having injuries to 2 guys this year. In the last 13 games we basically had 2 guys injured which is like having 4 guys injured this year or having 4 guys injured on a good team. Take 4 guys from the rotation of any team and they'll "suck hard." How we finished last year has no bearing on this year.
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Yeah that has been my whole point you articulated it very well. The regular season is unpredictable and teams can easily have 9 wins more or less than they probably should. I agree those 5 teams are more likely to be a top3 seed, but lets figure one or two of those five teams will have some big injuries. Sure we also have a 1/6 chance of it being our team. But since injuries to 5 teams help us and only injuries to one team hurts us chances are much more likely than not we benefit from injuries.
http://www.playoffstatus.com/nba/westernsospg.html if I'm reading it right (which I might not be, so someone smarter...BrianFromWa for example...can confirm what I'm guessing here)..Portland has had the 15th hardest schedule so far.
Well I thought BBReference rated our schedule as the worst before the Pistons game but now its rated as above average.
And according to that, Detroit's record maybe a reflection on just how hard their schedule has been. They are a quality team!
Cool. I hadn't looked at SOS until today. Seems difficult to imagine on their ranking, that we'd be able to be lower than the Bulls -3.33 yesterday, and jump all the way to .68 today after a game against a then 2-3 team. Even with their tough schedule.
I'd guess the other teams we've played, Suns, Spurs, Rockets; probably increased in the rankings strength thus helping our strength of schedule.
I don't think anyone should be concerned about Miami until late February, and really only if they are injured. But Miami does have the #1 offense in the league in ORTG (offensive rating) at 112.8. #2 is our Blazers at 112.7!!! Somehow Miami has the 27th ranked defense at 108.2 while our Blazers are ranked #28th at 108.6
