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Believe it or not, our Last 10 shows us as one of the top 5 teams in the league

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  • Believe it or not, our Last 10 shows us as one of the top 5 teams in the league

    In the last 10 games, only 3 teams have had a tougher schedule. Our average Opp. winning % has been .574

    Our margin of victory has been +7.10, which, for teams with an Opp. winning % above .500, is second only to the Spurs, who's Opp. winning % has been .529.

    Are we legitimately a top 5 or 6 team, or do the New York teams, and some other Western conference teams, just have to catch up?

  • #2
    I think after years of losing everyone is having a hard time committing themselves to beleive this team might legitimately good. I'm enjoying the winning now, but it's going to take until after the all star game for me to beleive this team could possibly contend anytime in the near future.

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    • #3
      Unfortunately still not sold. That's the problem with a .500 team. If you forget when they went 2-13, the stretch when they go 13-2 is amazing. They still, however just wind up at .500. We forget the bad and enjoy the good. Too many wins against good teams that were not at their best. Then again, it does feel odd as a raptor fan to complain about any wins not being good enough. Just still jaded by the stretch at the end of last year that gave birth to "the best five man unit in the league".

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      • #4
        I'd say a combination of both. Like they all say it's a game of runs. They are currently making a pretty convincing push over the past month. But the Raptors do this to us every year and every year we hope it'll be something more than the years prior. So is this year any different? They eye test would say so. They are just playing beautiful basketball. But will it last, that we don't know. Like Mediumcore said, we won't be able to make a sober opinion on this team until late February. Really hope it lasts. I think the Raptors will cool down a bit (like 0.750 winning percentage (after tonight) since PP and the gang came is outrageous!), question is how much.

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        • #5
          I think it just shows that many teams are capable of a great stretch. The numbers don't lie to you - if the season was 10 games long, they would be nearly elite level the way things are going. In reality, its more so that the truly elite teams have more elite stretches (and probably longer runs) than the lessor teams.

          So to answer the question, I think it tells you were this team's ceiling is in terms of short term performance.

          An additional note though on strength of schedule so far; TO has had the third hardest schedule, ATL has had the second easiest (Chi 4th easiest, Wash 13th easiest). So if it wasn't obvious that TO is in a great position to claim that third spot in the east, it should become very clear as the schedule strength gets starts to approach the middle ground for those teams.

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          • #6
            i dunno about top 5 in the league

            top 5 in the east definitely

            we had a nice run there when we beat OKC and Indy but if you think we'd beat most of the western conference teams in a best of 7 series you've got a sad reality coming
            @sweatpantsjer

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            • #7
              Are we a legitimate a top 5 or 6 teams? Personally, no.

              - in no specific order Indy, Miami, OKC, SAS, LAC, Houston, GS should all be considered 'better' teams. Atlanta and Phoenix probably fit in that boat or close to this team to.


              I think after years of losing everyone is having a hard time committing themselves to beleive this team might legitimately good. I'm enjoying the winning now, but it's going to take until after the all star game for me to beleive this team could possibly contend anytime in the near future.
              I don't personally question that this team is good. I question how good they can be long term - even just next season. How sustainable is this, and whats the ceiling?

              Given the state of the east and Atlantic right now, that its been a month worth of games, the youth and potential assets (and future assets) some of the eastern conference teams have, given certain expirings contracts this team has to deal with, the out of the ordinary play (above historic norms) some of these players are playing at, and then most of the elevated play is not coming this teams young 'core' players (Ross/Jonas are the two worst starters right now)..... I find it tough to get behind this is/will be the new normal.

              I'm also concerned with how heavily Casey is relying on a short bench, especially early in a season. That can have some significant consequences as the season wears on, and into the playoffs.

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              • #8
                Yeah, Craiger brings up a really good point.

                This team is winning and it's a lot of fun, but a lot of it has to do with most of the players playing out of their mind and the team's weirdly good luck with injuries. What happens when everyone comes back down to earth? When Lowry gets paid? When half the team has their rights renounced? I hate to say it but at that point we're a 7th/8th seed.
                @sweatpantsjer

                Comment


                • #9
                  ceez wrote: View Post
                  Yeah, Craiger brings up a really good point.

                  This team is winning and it's a lot of fun, but a lot of it has to do with most of the players playing out of their mind and the team's weirdly good luck with injuries. What happens when everyone comes back down to earth? When Lowry gets paid? When half the team has their rights renounced? I hate to say it but at that point we're a 7th/8th seed.
                  The thing about this though is I'm not sure anyone really is playing 'out of their mind'. For the most part, everyone is playing at a relatively maintainable pace, in my opinion. Its just that there are all the parts working together, so no one has to do anything they're not actually capable of, which is the beauty of this team.

                  It should also be noted, that we've had the Toughest Schedule in the East up to this point as well, so that initial bad run will ikely level with a solid run in the closing months. I'm optimistic about this team.

                  HOWEVER, a top 5 team they are not.

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                  • #10
                    We are a top 10 team. Which was crazy 6 weeks ago.
                    9 time first team all-RR, First Ballot Hall of Forum

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                    • #11
                      Out of their mind was probably a poor choice of words. Everyone having career years? Everyone Wang Chung?
                      @sweatpantsjer

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        ceez wrote: View Post
                        Yeah, Craiger brings up a really good point.

                        This team is winning and it's a lot of fun, but a lot of it has to do with most of the players playing out of their mind and the team's weirdly good luck with injuries. What happens when everyone comes back down to earth? When Lowry gets paid? When half the team has their rights renounced? I hate to say it but at that point we're a 7th/8th seed.
                        That's ridiculous. Lowry has played like this in the past. DeMar has just gotten better just like a 24 year old is suppose too. Ross is doing what he was advertised to be able to do with he got drafted. No one is really playing out of their minds. This level of play is sustainable


                        Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                        @Chr1st1anL

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                        • #13
                          ceez wrote: View Post
                          Out of their mind was probably a poor choice of words. Everyone having career years? Everyone Wang Chung?
                          Career years? Everyone is pretty much averaging their per 36. As was mentioned, Derozan is 24 and Ross and Valanciunas are also obviously going to have an arc in statistics. Lowry is playing better than last year but not much higher than his career averages per minute, and his first stretch of games without Bargnani and Gay are obviously producing better results in both assists and shots taken aka points.

                          I think you need to finally see this team for what it is: one of the "best of the rest". We are a second tier team, a playoff team, a 2nd round playoff team quite possibly, a 45-50 (plus?) win team, and hell if that isn't encouraging after one trade, I don't know what is.
                          9 time first team all-RR, First Ballot Hall of Forum

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                          • #14
                            KeonClark wrote: View Post
                            Career years? Everyone is pretty much averaging their per 36. As was mentioned, Derozan is 24 and Ross and Valanciunas are also obviously going to have an arc in statistics. Lowry is playing better than last year but not much higher than his career averages per minute, and his first stretch of games without Bargnani and Gay are obviously producing better results in both assists and shots taken aka points.

                            I think you need to finally see this team for what it is: one of the "best of the rest". We are a second tier team, a playoff team, a 2nd round playoff team quite possibly, a 45-50 (plus?) win team, and hell if that isn't encouraging after one trade, I don't know what is.
                            I think the bold part is a fair assessment.

                            The million dollar question is, given that this team would be capped-out next season after re-signing Lowry/Vaszuez/Patterson/Hansborough and adding a 1st round pick, does MU equate "best of the rest" to "no man's land" or not?


                            I think it's safe to say that there are 7 teams looking like the class of the NBA: Miami, Indy, SAS, OKC, LAC, Houston and Portland (a healthy GS would make that an elite-8).

                            There are several teams in the next tier (along with Toronto), who are:
                            - dealing with significant injuries
                            - stockpiling young talent
                            - stockpiling draft picks
                            - ****ing to improve 2014 draft pick
                            - underachieving

                            Even if just a couple of those teams take a big leap forward next season (or return to form when healthy), Toronto will be in tough to compete for even top-12/15. We can all assume all we want, and point to 'evidence' to support our opinion, but I'm very curious what MU's own definition for "no man's land" truly is. I'm sure we'll find out between now and the start of next season!

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                            • #15
                              KeonClark wrote: View Post
                              Career years? Everyone is pretty much averaging their per 36. As was mentioned, Derozan is 24 and Ross and Valanciunas are also obviously going to have an arc in statistics. Lowry is playing better than last year but not much higher than his career averages per minute, and his first stretch of games without Bargnani and Gay are obviously producing better results in both assists and shots taken aka points.

                              I think you need to finally see this team for what it is: one of the "best of the rest". We are a second tier team, a playoff team, a 2nd round playoff team quite possibly, a 45-50 (plus?) win team, and hell if that isn't encouraging after one trade, I don't know what is.
                              so you agree everyone's playing better than they have before?
                              @sweatpantsjer

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