Game Thread The Official 2018-2019 Regular Season Prediction Thread

[Orion Bailey]

Bump. Only a few days left to cut off time.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

44 wins - 38 losses. 39.6% on 416 attempts

 

[HailBlazers]

48 wins

 

[Reep]

38 wins. Upheaval in the organization and ownership issues become too much of a distraction. PA was the real glue guy.

I wish I could believe they would play this season in his honor, and I think they will try, but how can this not be the ultimate distraction.

 

[LayneStaley]

35 wins during a season of turmoil centered mostly around trade demands and possible relocation.

.......But then we win the lottery and draft a guy who has a leg 8 inches longer than the other one.

 

[Cippy91]

Yikes. Zach Lowes new article on his predictions...



Portland and Washington implode
The implosions would come after the season; I have both these teams in the playoffs, though Portland's spot (see below) is contingent on the Wolves trading Butler.

At some point, expensive 45- to 50-win teams that bump against the same second-round ceiling tend to break up. The results don't justify the salary outlay. Relationships fray, or grow stale. People get bored.

Implosion here doesn't necessarily mean dismantling. It means that at least one central figure -- player, coach, general manager -- won't be around when the next season starts.

The Wizards would have reached this point if not for their geographic location. The East: Delaying tough decisions since the late 1990s! Will another first-round loss put Ernie Grunfeld at risk?

Rejiggering the roster is tougher. John Wall's supermax kicks in next season, with a Year 1 salary of (avert your eyes) $38 million. Given his injury history, no smart team should trade for him. There are still a couple of dumb teams left.

Washington won't want to move Bradley Beal just for the sake of shaking things up. He's an All-Star on a fair contract. That leaves Otto Porter Jr., a fine player who might be a hair overpaid thanks to hitting free agency amid the cap spike. He'd be easy to move; he can fit any lineup, on any team.

If the Wizards sputter, smart teams will sniff around Beal. Is he unhappy? Would he ever flex his muscle, even with two-plus years left on his deal?

Washington has been one the league's angstiest teams for years. This is the year the angst boils over.

Portland has a more stable internal dynamic thanks to no-frills on-court leadership from Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, and Terry Stotts. Neil Olshey, their GM, has fought to maintain a competitive homegrown nucleus in a market with zero history of drawing free agents. They will be reeling for a long time, on both a personal and professional level, from the tragic death Monday of longtime owner Paul Allen. They remain a youngish team. If Durant leaves, why wouldn't they keep it together and dream big?

They might! But last season's first-round humiliation rattled Portland. It's hard to imagine every main character sticks around if this season ends in the first round -- or sooner.

The most enticing mega-trade on the board not involving Anthony Davis: Lillard to the Lakers for a package centered around Lonzo Ball. Lillard is a perfect fit next to LeBron, and LeBron respects Lillard's game, per sources familiar with the matter. The Lakers could absorb Lillard into cap space this summer without sending out giant matching salaries -- salaries they don't have on the books.

That feels like a reach now. Lillard loves Portland. The Lakers are optimistic about how their young players will mesh with LeBron, and they should be. Unless a deal for Davis falls into their lap during the season, I'd expect (bonus prediction!) the Lakers to hold their cards into the summer.

But that is just one fake Portland-centric trade -- one endgame. This could be a pivotal season for the Blazers.

 

[illmatic99]

Zach is really pissing me off this year. Seems so clickbaity and unlike him

 

[ripcityboy]

There's no way Dame will let this team fall apart, esp. wirh Allen gone. He wont let this team go down the toilet. I cant believe some of the things the media are saying.

 

[hoopsjock]

53-29

CJ 39.9% on 465 attempts

 

[THE HCP]

^53 wins???/ Damn!

 

[ripcityboy]

I still stick by 43 and say we just miss the playoffs. But given how stacked the West is, and the inner turmoil we might be facing, it will essentially be just a growing year.

 

[BlazerBeav]

51-31, with an improved home record.

 

[Lukee]

49 wins

 

[Orion Bailey]

I say 48-36. But even a 50 win season will be a challenge to make the playoffs in the west this year.

This is an invalid entry. You have until tip off Thursday night provide a valid entry.

How much does this cost? How late in the season can i do this?


Intended as a joke but kinda serious in a joking manner.

How muchmoney do you have? I might work a sliding scale if your loaded. If not its a set fee to be provided in private.

 

[MARIS61]

57-25, .400, 389 attempts.

 

[kjironman1]

This is an invalid entry. You have until tip off Thursday night provide a valid entry.




How muchmoney do you have? I might work a sliding scale if your loaded. If not its a set fee to be provided in private.

Don't really need to change it. I'm good with 42-40. If they beat it then i'll be happy they played well. But to answer your question. I have enough to keep me out from under a bridge and off the corners telling you "anything helps" "God Bless".

 

[Orion Bailey]

Don't really need to change it. I'm good with 42-40. If they beat it then i'll be happy they played well. But to answer your question. I have enough to keep me out from under a bridge and off the corners telling you "anything helps" "God Bless".

Okay, you have been approved for the sliding scale if needed.

 

[blue9]

44 wins
466 attempts
40.6%

 

[kjironman1]

Okay, you have been approved for the sliding scale if needed.

I'm pretty sure i can make more on the corner without a sign if you know what i mean.

 

[Orion Bailey]

I'm pretty sure i can make more on the corner without a sign if you know what i mean.

Then you shall be taxed accordingly

 

[kjironman1]

Then you shall be taxed accordingly

Sin tax?

 

[Orion Bailey]

Sin tax?

$yntax

 

[Orion Bailey]

Bump. Only about 36 hours left to make any changes/updates or get your prediction in.

@BigGameDamian yours is invalid. You had too many games listed. You will need to update to have a valid entry.

 

[Orion Bailey]

@KingSpeed
@SlyPokerDog

Your predictions are invalid. Please provide a realistic prediction prior to tip off tomorrow night.

We are also missing some vets around here.

No predictions for the following?

@SportsAndWhine
@theprunetang
@BLAZINGGIANTS
@HomerLovesKoolAid
@BlazerWookee

And anyone else I may have missed.

 

[hoopsjock]

@KingSpeed
@SlyPokerDog

Your predictions are invalid. Please provide a realistic prediction prior to tip off tomorrow night.

We are also missing some vets around here.

No predictions for the following?

@SportsAndWhine
@theprunetang
@BLAZINGGIANTS
@HomerLovesKoolAid
@BlazerWookee

And anyone else I may have missed.

Just curious, why is an 82-0 prediction invalid? If that is what they want to do shouldn't it count?

 

[Orion Bailey]

I am trying to upload the excel spreadsheet as a file, but I have never done this in a forum. I am getting the error message below. Is there a better way? Id like to have it show up like my spreadsheet with the grid for easier readability than how I did it in years past. Can someone help me with getting it loaded into a post?

 

[Orion Bailey]

For now I have this update:

Forum Member W/L CJ 3pt% CJ Total 3pt Attempts
1EyeJack 42-40
42N8Bounce 39-43 40.50% 462
BlazerBeav 51-31
Blazerkor 52-30 41% 450
Blue9 44-38 40.60% 466
Bones Jones 47-35 40.60% 385
Calvin Natt 43-39 41.60% 494
Chris Craig 53-29 42% 452
HailBlazer 48-34
HCP 40-42 42% 400
HoopGuru 51-31 40.50% 465
HoopsJock 53-29 39.90% 465
James Lamphear 46-36 39% 470
KeepOnRollin 44-38 39.60% 416
KJIronman 42-40 39% 484
Layne Staley 35-47
Lukee 49-33
Maris 57-25 40% 389
Orion Bailey 50-32 41% 424
Platypus 45-37 38.70% 455
Propagandist 41-41 41% 485
Reep 38-44 40% 435
RickyJoe 45-37 40.10% 202
RipCityBoy 43-39 39.50% 425
SleepWalker 50-32 41% 440
Strenus 46-36 40.50% 282
Titan 48-34 39% 450
Tlong 47-35
TorturedBlazerFan 44-38 42% 470
Trailblazer18 47-35 40% 450
Yuyuza 46-36 41% 509

I copied and pasted from my spreadsheet and it comes out like this. Ugly.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Just curious, why is an 82-0 prediction invalid? If that is what they want to do shouldn't it count?

I can count it, but really not much of a point. Was hoping they would get serious.

 

[hoopsjock]

I can count it, but really not much of a point. Was hoping they would get serious.

I may be wrong but maybe Kingspeed is serious, lol.

 

[Orion Bailey]

I may be wrong but maybe Kingspeed is serious, lol.

He is, but we all know, including him, he isn't really. But he really is.

did I get that right @KingSpeed ?