Win total guesses: Money in Mouth Time

[jove9]

We'll fight for about 42, get the ninth seed, and narrowly miss the playoffs.

We'll only make the playoffs if PHX, NOH, or UTA implode.

[Ribalding]

Well, fellers.

Have a look at your predictions. (Most were accurate. Some are now, in hindsight, hilarious.)

[moofs]

Here were some more of mine:

Record: 44-36 (expect +/- 3 games)

Tmac is throwing a massive wrench in this for me, since I'd expected him to be out most of the season, but...
Leading Scorer: Luis Scola (Silly me expecting a postman in a guard/wing league to lead the team, though he did end the season at 16, mind you...)
Leading Scorer Average: 18.7 (19.6 - Martin doesn't count in 24 games)

(if leader is injured or traded for > 65% season)
Backup Scorer: Tracy McGrady (my opinion at the time was: have to pick somebody. Was expecting him to come back jacking up loads of bad shots to prove he could still do it. Still feel stupid for it)
Backup Scorer Average: 20.5 (it was Scola at 16.2)

Leading Rebounder: Luis Scola
Leading Rebounder Average: 9.2 (8.6)

(if leader is injured or traded for > 65% season)
Backup Rebounder : David Andersen (WAG, hadn't really seen him play... He did end up with 3.3 in just 14 mpg)
Backup Rebounder Average: 6.5 (but Hayes was 5.7 - in 21 minutes)

[Guy986]

33 wins

This team will have trouble scoring day in and day out. Will and determination can only take you so far.

What can i say. I'm naturally a pessimist. I wish we had only won 33 games. More ping pong balls.

[number 11]

Question 1: 43 wins. (10th seed.)

Question 2 (why?): The 1st two months of the Rox schedule is essentially a Herculean rape fantasy. It's nasty and un-winnable and even closing your eyes while you think of England isn't going to help. The rotation won't have to time to gel, they're catching hell right out of the gate, and they'll have less time to get their bearings than Britney at a Toby Keith concert.

No time to develop chemistry + nightly beatings = slow start.

...and to add insult to injury....

White rookie + Battier = Overly-intellectual fixation on 3 point shooting.

PLUS, in the 1st 3 months of the regular season, every Tom, Dick, and Memphis thinks they have a shot. Those sh****y teams sneak up on people. Meanwhile, every crappy coach in the league is going to tape "Took The Lakers To Seven" on the locker room wall of every Rockets opponent. So Our Beloved Rox ain't sneakin' up on nobody.

Not good.

But...the good news is DA and MENSA have profound upside. Brooks has crazy skills. And Scola's going to finally destroy the "pansy-Euro" meme. Basically, they'll compete every night. With not much "paid" talent and a world full of hustle, they'll Out Work most teams. It's appealing. Morey's put together the best cheap team since McGovern in '68.

PLUS they'll run a bit. That's nice.

The depressing, realistic news is 70% of the salary cap is in street clothes. (It's a credit to nerds that the Rox are even in the playoff discussion.)

Disagree?

Agree? Whadayagot? Bring it, people.





(But beware: this thread's getting resurrected at season's end...much like Tom Delay and/or herpes. Your sins will find you out on this one.)

wow awesome call

[tisbee]

Three things.
1)Fisterkev..."My money: 42 wins." Ka-ching!
2)We all thought McGrady was going to come back.
3)We all underestimated just how tough the West was going to be.

[M4P]

Likley - 40 wins
Possible - 44-45 wins
Somewhat more likely than possible - 38 wins

In short, 38-45 wins. No, that's not exactly going out on a limb... But there's too much uncertainty to tell when you factor in TMac.

Without TMac at all I think they're a 40W team. With a good TMac they are 44-45W, possibly better than that. With a crappy TMac they will be a little worse than 40W.

I think this was a pretty good preseason. Everyone got a good workout, coach got a decent chance to see what he's got to work with. The only real surprise for me was the backseat that Scola took, which leaves me to wonder how good they can be with him fully active.

I was pleasantly surprised that this team appeared to be competetive even without Scola on the floor most times. I did not expect that to be the case. I know, it's preseason, the other teams are playing around with their mixes too, but I am still encouraged.

What will Brooks do? What will Scola accomplish? Will Anderson be a legit C? Was Ariza a bust or a steal? There are LOTS of questions surrounding these guys.

None bigger than this: Which Tracy McGrady will show up this season? Secondary to that: When?

My money: 42 wins.

Somebody give this guy a medal.

[TMU]

Cookies for fisterkev and jove9.

[Guy986]

Likley - 40 wins
Possible - 44-45 wins
Somewhat more likely than possible - 38 wins

In short, 38-45 wins. No, that's not exactly going out on a limb... But there's too much uncertainty to tell when you factor in TMac.

Without TMac at all I think they're a 40W team. With a good TMac they are 44-45W, possibly better than that. With a crappy TMac they will be a little worse than 40W.

I think this was a pretty good preseason. Everyone got a good workout, coach got a decent chance to see what he's got to work with. The only real surprise for me was the backseat that Scola took, which leaves me to wonder how good they can be with him fully active.

I was pleasantly surprised that this team appeared to be competetive even without Scola on the floor most times. I did not expect that to be the case. I know, it's preseason, the other teams are playing around with their mixes too, but I am still encouraged.

What will Brooks do? What will Scola accomplish? Will Anderson be a legit C? Was Ariza a bust or a steal? There are LOTS of questions surrounding these guys.

None bigger than this: Which Tracy McGrady will show up this season? Secondary to that: When?

My money: 42 wins.