Re: Portland Misses and Misses and… Wins? A net +10 in win shares? Maybe that 63 or 64-win season isn't too far of. Hell, even if Andre falls off to 8 or 7 win shares, Bayless will probably go up above 0, and Oden & Batum will probably go up too. Earlier this week, I was a little shy about my swipe of 64 wins. Now, I might be firming up on that prediction.
Re: Portland Misses and Misses and… Wins? Gasol produces more wins that Kobe? That's hard to believe.
Re: Portland Misses and Misses and… Wins? I don't doubt it; I fear Pau's ability to score a little more than Kobe's on average, because Kobe can shoot himself in the foot sometimes (see his turnover against the Blazers in clutch time on 4/10). Pau just seems automatic.
Re: Portland Misses and Misses and… Wins? It's amazing to think, having improved 13 wins over the previous season, that the Pythagorean predicted win total of 56 instead of the actual total of 54 says they still managed to underachieve in some way. You could never convince me that they underachieved, but that number certainly is interesting to note. I have no problem predicting 60 wins with this group, but 57 is still what I consider a minimum contender range, and contender is always acceptable.
Re: Portland Misses and Misses and… Wins? If you count Bayless's -1.4 to the mix (since he did play more than players 12-15 combined), the Pythagorean is more like 53.7. So really, we didn't overachieve or underachieve by much at all. We were pretty much on target.
Re: Portland Misses and Misses and… Wins? Actually, I meant the team Pythagorean total: ...which had Portland rated as a 56-26 team last season.
Re: Portland Misses and Misses and… Wins? Millsap accepted the Blazers' money as well. His team decided to match that offer.
Re: Portland Misses and Misses and… Wins? Oh I see. Although, you can put those two missed wins on Hedo's bank-shot (that was lat year, right?) and Blakes missed FT's against LAC. Both last-second shoulda-won's.
Re: Portland Misses and Misses and… Wins? I'm sticking with 60+ if Oden can play 30 or more minutes. If Oden can't stay on the floor that long due to fouls, well I down grade to 57 wins. We will improve, but Oden determines if we challenge in the WCF or melt away in the 2nd round.
Re: Portland Misses and Misses and… Wins? I couldn't disagree more. Kobe did get owned by Roy in that game, but Gasol does not produce more wins that Kobe in my opinion. If the Lakers lost Kobe they would be fighting for the lives. The Lakers could still compete for HCA without Gasol.
Re: Portland Misses and Misses and… Wins? "Then again...On the other hand..." unless I missed it, the author didn't even mention Martell Webster, who should have been our starting SF last season. We will be adding Miller, Martell, an improved Oden, and heck, who on our team won't be improved from last season? Lakers beware.
Yet another season preview Might be a little old. It is from early Sept. - where I was out of the country so I might have missed the discussion about it. Anyway... http://dberri.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/portland-misses-and-misses-and…-wins-again/
Re: Portland Misses and Misses and… Wins? Who won't be improved? Blake, Joel, and Outlaw. Any or all of those 3 guys could actually regress. Joel's injury history can't be ignored, Blake has never shot the ball that well over an entire season, and Travis (even though I like the kid) is always tap-dancing on the edge of a cliff.
