The Test: Back to back to back

[HailBlazers]

For all this talk of rebuilding (unnecessarily IMO), the commish brought some good prospective into the current level of play in the NBA.

"I think that the quality of play is probably — how do I say this? — about the same, more or less, of where it has been after the requisite period of practice and time. For our teams 3½ weeks in, in some measure it's like they're finishing training camp on a timing basis. So they're catching up to their potential."

http://www.oregonlive.com/nba/index.ssf/2012/01/nba_high-5_146.html

That said Blazer Fans, it's a bit premature to start dissecting this team and it's players. If you truly believe this is a team of role players (many do), than don't you think it's even more important to give them time to gel?

While it's still early in the season, IMO this back to back to back thing will be a fair barometer of where we stand:

Portland will be the 10th team to play a three-in-three, and the previous nine teams have done pretty much what you expect -- the league's best have swept, others with winning records have gone 2-1, and so forth.

Here are results for the teams:3-0 - Chicago (current record 15-3): Beat Detroit, won at Minnesota, beat Washington.
3-0 - Oklahoma City (13-3): Beat Houston, won at Houston, beat San Antonio.
2-1 - Atlanta (12-5): Lost to Miami, won at Charlotte, beat Chicago.
2-1 - L.A. Clippers (9-5): Beat New Jersey, lost at Utah, beat Dallas.
2-1 - Orlando (11-4): Won at New York, beat Charlotte, lost to San Antonio in OT.
1-2 - L.A. Lakers (10-8): Lost to Chicago, lost at Sacramento, beat Utah.
1-2 - Minnesota (7-9): Lost at Washington, lost at Toronto, beat New Orleans.
1-2 - Sacramento (6-11): Lost at Memphis, lost at Denver, beat Milwaukee.
0-3 - Charlotte (3-14): Lost at Atlanta, lost to Detroit, lost to Golden State.

 

[Boise Blazer]

Very interesting. Nice info Hail. Thanks. Tonights game should be interesting. The Griz are playing their asses off right now but they are playing 4 games in 5 nights and coming off a huge comeback win last night. This is a game that a "good" team should win at home but this season is just unpredictable.

 

[ABM]

In regards to OKC's 3-0 record, I see Houston had to travel, as well, on day 2.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Three games in three nights isn't a test of anything except endurance and depth. It has nothing to do with measuring talent and it has nothing to do with predicting how a team might perform in the playoffs. Win or lose there appears to be almost nothing to learn from the next two games.

 

[ABM]

Three games in three nights isn't a test of anything except endurance and depth. It has nothing to do with measuring talent and it has nothing to do with predicting how a team might perform in the playoffs. Win or lose there appears to be almost nothing to learn from the next two games.

These 3-game records do appear to be reflective of the respective teams' overall records, though.

 

[Eastoff]

In regards to OKC's 3-0 record, I see Houston had to travel, as well, on day 2.

That's a good point.

 

[Eastoff]

We will be playing memphis who won 91-90 last night against golden state. P.s. we play golden state tomorrow.

 

[magnifier661]

That's why we better sweep this shit! Get some son!

 

[illmatic99]

A loss @GSW is sort of a given.

 

[magnifier661]

A loss @GSW is sort of a given.

History, our record on the road, and the fact that it's Golden States definitely go in your favor. Hope it's all wrong!

 

[Draco]

Three games in three nights isn't a test of anything except endurance and depth. It has nothing to do with measuring talent and it has nothing to do with predicting how a team might perform in the playoffs. Win or lose there appears to be almost nothing to learn from the next two games.

You could actually apply that logic to the entire regular season. It may have little to do with eventual playoff success, at least obviously for the teams that make the playoffs. We could have a #8 seed in the lockout finals again, but playing against a #5 seed or something.

 

[Nikolokolus]

You could actually apply that logic to the entire regular season. It may have little to do with eventual playoff success, at least obviously for the teams that make the playoffs. We could have a #8 seed in the lockout finals again, but playing against a #5 seed or something.

Extrapolating anything from a small atypical sample probably gives you nothing.

 

[THE HCP]

I do think we win tonight and shit our pants @ Golden State.

 

[ABM]

I do think we win tonight and shit our pants @ Golden State.

That's never happened before.

 

[magnifier661]

So far so good! Let's win tomorrow night to start a great 10 game run please.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

A very winable game tonight! A sweep of this back to back to back would be awesome!

 

[ABM]

A very winable game tonight! A sweep of this back to back to back would be awesome!

If we win tonight, then Friday's game against the Suns will be a "trap" game?

Oh, my.

 

[Brock]

blazers win tonight...

 

[Mediocre Man]

We caught a break with an easier than not back to back to back. Tonight's game is very winnable.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Has any team swept their back to back to back so far this year?

 

[magnifier661]

Has any team swept their back to back to back so far this year?

Yeah OKC and Miami. No one else has

 

[Mediocre Man]

Has any team swept their back to back to back so far this year?

I believe OKC did. I am sure there have been others

 

[magnifier661]

I believe OKC did. I am sure there have been others

Only those two. They were talking about it on NBA.com TV after the game.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Yeah OKC and Miami. No one else has

Have the Heat had one?

OKC had an easy back3 home and away with Houston and home vs SA

 

[e_blazer]

A very winable game tonight! A sweep of this back to back to back would be awesome!

Winnable, yes, but not a gimme. When have the Blazers ever had an easy time playing there, let alone in a back-to-back-to-back situation?

 

[magnifier661]

Winnable, yes, but not a gimme. When have the Blazers ever had an easy time playing there, let alone in a back-to-back-to-back situation?

I think 2002-03

 

[Eastoff]

Yeah OKC and Miami. No one else has

WRONG! read the first post, he quotes that chicago, not miami has done it. OKC has sa you pointed out.

 

[TripTango]

Three games in three nights isn't a test of anything except endurance and depth. It has nothing to do with measuring talent and it has nothing to do with predicting how a team might perform in the playoffs. Win or lose there appears to be almost nothing to learn from the next two games.

You say "endurance and depth" as if they are insignificant factors...

 

[magnifier661]

WRONG! read the first post, he quotes that chicago, not miami has done it. OKC has sa you pointed out.

LOL okay cool thanks for the correction. And that is absolutely right. I had Miami and Chicago mixed up. NBA.com T.V. said it was the two best teams in the NBA. I assumed Miami was one of them; from memory.

 

[Nikolokolus]

You say "endurance and depth" as if they are insignificant factors...

I'm saying that the playing 3 games in a row is an extreme situation that has almost zero predictive power as a "test for where we stand." This situation has zero carry-over to the playoffs for instance.