The 2015/16 Eastern Conference Predictions Thread

[magoon]

The issue is the number of teams Raptor can not count on to go 3-1. Most Eastern teams now are likely 2-2 or 1-3.

Rough prediction of potential win ranges against other Eastern teams:

Cleveland 1-3 to 0-4
Miami 2-2 to 1-3
Chicago 3-1 to 1-3
Washington 3-1 to 2-2
Milwaukee 3-1 to 2-2
Atlanta 4-0 to 3-1
Boston 4-0 to 2-2
Charlotte 3-1 to 2-2
New York 4-0 to 2-2
Indiana 4-0 to 3-1
Orlando 4-0 to 3-1
Detroit 4-0 to 3-1
Brooklyn 4-0 to 3-1
Philly 4-0 to 4-0

After dividing down to 52 games against the East (since we'll only play three games against some of the non-Atlantic teams), that's a range of 44 wins (high end) to 28 wins (low end) against the East. (It's probably a bit higher than that since we're guaranteed to play four games against all of the Atlantic division teams, who are generally worse.) If you want to split the difference and assume the middle range, that's 36 wins against the East. At that point we would only need 14 wins against the West (out of 30) to hit 50 wins.

Anybody saying "we're a .500 team at best this year" is being overly pessimistic. We have better perimeter defense and better perimeter shooting, which were two of our biggest issues last year, and we still stack up favourably against most of the East.

[magoon]

I find it amusing that on all these lists no one has Atlanta higher than third and one poster has them out of the playoffs. I thought the Hawks were the optimal NBA team with their motion offense and the genius Mike Budenholzer as the coach? Is he not a genius anymore? LOL.

Atlanta's still going to be good, but the word is out on them: they can be out-rebounded to death, they lost their second-best shooter (to us) and have to play Thabo Sefolosha as a starting wing, and if you just keep Kyle Korver from shooting threes the rest of the team isn't good enough at distance that you have to worry so much. Plus, Korver's 34 and coming back from injuries.

[raptors999]

Rough prediction of potential win ranges against other Eastern teams:

Cleveland 1-3 to 0-4
Miami 2-2 to 1-3
Chicago 3-1 to 1-3
Washington 3-1 to 2-2
Milwaukee 3-1 to 2-2
Atlanta 4-0 to 3-1
Boston 4-0 to 2-2
Charlotte 3-1 to 2-2
New York 4-0 to 2-2
Indiana 4-0 to 3-1
Orlando 4-0 to 3-1
Detroit 4-0 to 3-1
Brooklyn 4-0 to 3-1
Philly 4-0 to 4-0

After dividing down to 52 games against the East (since we'll only play three games against some of the non-Atlantic teams), that's a range of 44 wins (high end) to 28 wins (low end) against the East. (It's probably a bit higher than that since we're guaranteed to play four games against all of the Atlantic division teams, who are generally worse.) If you want to split the difference and assume the middle range, that's 36 wins against the East. At that point we would only need 14 wins against the West (out of 30) to hit 50 wins.

Anybody saying "we're a .500 team at best this year" is being overly pessimistic. We have better perimeter defense and better perimeter shooting, which were two of our biggest issues last year, and we still stack up favourably against most of the East.

Except the W-L estimation only has Raptors with losing record to three teams and winning record against teams like Celtics, Hawks etc.

Raptors won't be chucking games into huge blowouts this year. In close games Casey's magic will shine

[Snooch]

I find it amusing that on all these lists no one has Atlanta higher than third and one poster has them out of the playoffs. I thought the Hawks were the optimal NBA team with their motion offense and the genius Mike Budenholzer as the coach? Is he not a genius anymore? LOL.

I also find it interesting that everyone is so high on the Bucks. Monroe is a solid add but he changes philosophically what they are doing offensively and he will definitely take touches away from Po, Parker and MCW. That might be a good thing or a bad thing but the implication that there's a straight line to climb in Milwaukee (not to mention having to re-integrate Parker after the injury) is not really warranted at the moment.

As for everyone being high on Indy I don't get that. If the Raptors added Ellis and Stuckey this board would be going on about how the Raps were the worst team in the world run by idiots. But Indy does it and they're a playoff team again.

I will give you the indy one, but Bucks added what they needed in Monroe.

Thats gonna be seemless imo

[Scraptor]

Rough prediction of potential win ranges against other Eastern teams:

Washington 3-1 to 2-2

This is an example of the optimistic/pessimistic divide on this forum. At worst we'd go 2-2 against a team that just swept us out of the playoffs? The gap between the two teams didn't change that much.

Anybody saying "we're a .500 team at best this year" is being overly pessimistic.

I'd agree with you, but nobody actually said this.

[Euro Slow Car]

*Beep beep*

Uros's picks are in. He sees the East shaking out as follows...

1. Krka
2. Zlatorog Laško
3. Maribor Nova KBM
4. Helios Suns Domžale

...but says there's no way Krka or any of the EC teams are taking out Šentjur (Tajfun). His explanation: "Too many lousy Croats on Krka. This no good, no good."

While I can't say I condone what can most generously be described as ethnocentrism underlying this prediction, readers should know that Uros is right about these things more often than he's wrong. Putting your Euros on anyone other than Krka in the East and Šentjur (Tajfun) for the Slovenian title is basically throwing your Euros away. Uros never throws away his Euros!

*Vrooooooooooooooom*

[MACK11]

*Beep beep*

Uros's picks are in. He sees the East shaking out as follows...

1. Krka
2. Zlatorog Laško
3. Maribor Nova KBM
4. Helios Suns Domžale

...but says there's no way Krka or any of the EC teams are taking out Šentjur (Tajfun). His explanation: "Too many lousy Croats on Krka. This no good, no good."

While I can't say I condone what can most generously be described as ethnocentrism underlying this prediction, readers should know that Uros is right about these things more often than he's wrong. Putting your Euros on anyone other than Krka in the East and Šentjur (Tajfun) for the Slovenian title is basically throwing your Euros away. Uros never throws away his Euros!

*Vrooooooooooooooom*

Who are these teams?

[Euro Slow Car]

Who are these teams?

*Beep beep*

The Slovenian League's Eastern Conference.

Wait, what Eastern Conference were you guys talking about?

*Vrooooooooooooooom*

[raptors999]

Košarkarski Klub Krka*(English: Basketball Club Krka), commonly referred to asKK Krka*or simply*Krka, is a professional*basketball*team that is based in*Novo Mesto,*Slovenia. The team currently competes in the*Slovenian Telemach League, the*Adriatic League, and the*FIBA EuroChallenge. The team's home arena is Leon Štukelj Hall. The team is currently named*Krka-Telekom*due to sponsorship reasons.

[007]

Who are these teams?

Are you saying you didn't want to know about the Slovenian League?

[slaw]

Atlanta's still going to be good, but the word is out on them: they can be out-rebounded to death, they lost their second-best shooter (to us) and have to play Thabo Sefolosha as a starting wing, and if you just keep Kyle Korver from shooting threes the rest of the team isn't good enough at distance that you have to worry so much. Plus, Korver's 34 and coming back from injuries.

But they've got a genius for a head coach. Why should that matter? He'll just make some adjustments. Not a big deal. Cause Spurs and motion offense and stuff and Golden State and passing and things.

[S.R.]

A lot of uncertainty in the East this year. After Cleveland, I almost won't be surprised if any of the next crop of teams finish anywhere from #2 to #8. The Hawks lost a bit, a lot of young teams could take a step through internal development (that can cause a big W/L jump any given year, if it happens), Dwayne Wade, Derrick Rose, and Paul George are huge health wild cards that could swing things in either direction, etc.

The Raps played .500 ball for a lot of last year because of issues with their core players and coach, not because of their bench. If those issues are not sorted out, there's no reason to believe the shit show won't continue. If those issues are sorted, and the new guys can ramp up the defense, then the Raps could have a better year than last year. I'm sure hoping for a better year, but I won't be surprised if they muddle along and we see a mid-season coaching change.

[raptors999]

A lot of uncertainty in the East this year. After Cleveland, I almost won't be surprised if any of the next crop of teams finish anywhere from #2 to #8. The Hawks lost a bit, a lot of young teams could take a step through internal development (that can cause a big W/L jump any given year, if it happens), Dwayne Wade, Derrick Rose, and Paul George are huge health wild cards that could swing things in either direction, etc.

The Raps played .500 ball for a lot of last year because of issues with their core players and coach, not because of their bench. If those issues are not sorted out, there's no reason to believe the shit show won't continue. If those issues are sorted, and the new guys can ramp up the defense, then the Raps could have a better year than last year. I'm sure hoping for a better year, but I won't be surprised if they muddle along and we see a mid-season coaching change.

If Lebron misses any time due to injury that's not a good team.

[psrs1]

My Predicfions.

1. Cleveland
2. Chicago
3. Atlanta
4. Toronto
5. Washington
6. Milwaukee
7. Miami
8. Detroit.
9. Boston
10. Orlando
11. Indiana
12. Brooklyn
13. Charlotte
14. New York
15. Philadelphia

[planetmars]

I'll participate but only if this thread gets bumped in October. Need to see a few preseason games and what some other teams do to round out their rosters first.