Lmao at Rube chat

Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Register Log in
...

That was a quality win on the road against Golden State. Portland is making me look like a chump. I still think eventually I'll be right about them, but my confidence in that prediction is going down exponentially.
Click to expand...

Ya. I would take their big 3 over ours. Aldridge, Batum, and Lilliard over Love, Pek, and Rubio. And I overvalue Rubio to the extreme.
Click to expand...

Geez maybe Portland IS for real. I expect them to regress for sure, but it would have to be a pretty long @ss fall for them to fall out of the playoffs entirely. Yikes.
Click to expand...
 
Pretty much every national media person had their team ahead of us as well.
 
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.
 
Nikolokolus said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Nikolokolus said:
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.
Click to expand...

Where do I find point differential?
 
magnifier661 said:
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.
Click to expand...

Most teams aren't great on the road. If you finish .500 there you're usually considered a "good" team.
 
Nikolokolus said:
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.
Click to expand...

If you feel that way about Minnesota's point differential, then we have to be a top 4 seed too.....right?
 
Nikolokolus said:
Most teams aren't great on the road. If you finish .500 there you're usually considered a "good" team.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Further said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Nikolokolus said:
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.
Click to expand...

Huh?

Nikolokolus said:
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.
Click to expand...
 
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.
 
Nikolokolus said:
"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.
Click to expand...

So what does 6.3 net you? Top 3?
 
Nikolokolus said:
If it holds? Yeah, maybe.

In any case I'm not making predictions here, I was just trying to start a conversation about some predictive indicators to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
Click to expand...

I'm down with that… Repped…
 
I still think Minnesota has a pretty good team and great coach, will definitely make the playoffs. They don't have Kahn anymore, so the world is their oyster.
 
Nikolokolus said:
If it holds? Yeah, maybe.

In any case I'm not making predictions here, I was just trying to start a conversation about some predictive indicators to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
Click to expand...

You did, though. You "fully expect" the Wolves to be in the mix for a Top 4 seed. That's a prediction.

Based on point differential, do you also "fully expect" Portland to be in the mix for a Top 4 seed? If not, why?
 
I remember a few years ago people, we were ~7 or 8th seed. People were saying how we were much better than our record because of our good point differential. They never did end up close to a top 4 seed and ended up getting bounced in the first round. Turns out beating the Bobcats by 30 really skews your point differential, but it doesn't really make you an elite team.

Looking at the Timberwolves schedule right now, they've beat the Lakers by 23, Boston by 18, Brooklyn by 30, Cleveland by 25 and OKC by 19. Outside of OKC, none of those are exactly world beaters....but that point differential though. :dunno:
 
noknobs said:
I still think Minnesota has a pretty good team and great coach, will definitely make the playoffs. They don't have Kahn anymore, so the world is their oyster.
Click to expand...

Minny is like the Blazers last year, they have a good starting 5 but their bench is a big liability.

They have Chase coming back but one key injury and they are out of the playoffs. I don't think they make the playoffs this year.
 
I can't figure Minnesota out. They started out really well, but have lost 4 of their last 5 and now sit at .500 (8-8).

Kevin Martin is playing way better than I thought he would for them. I haven't check lately, but his PER has been hovering around 21 and his shooting percentages have been excellent. And, SG has been a position of weakness for them forever. So, that should be a huge upgrade.

They are healthy and Love is once again putting up monster stats. Rubio still can't shoot for shit from 2-point range, but has made 12/28 3FG for .429 3FG%. Yet, there they sit at 8-8 having lost 4 of 5 and currently at 9th in the West. Granted, 3 of their last 4 losses have been to good teams, but they have also lost to WAS, DEN and CLE.

So, can anyone who follows them more closely provide some insight into why they are underachieving? In the past, it was injuries. What's the excuse this time?

BNM
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back
Top