RealGM

43 Fri, Jan 25, 2008 Milwaukee Bucks
44 Tue, Jan 29, 2008 @ Washington Wizards
45 Wed, Jan 30, 2008 Washington Wizards
46 Fri, Feb 1, 2008 Los Angeles Lakers
47 Mon, Feb 4, 2008 @ Miami Heat
48 Fri, Feb 8, 2008 Los Angeles Clippers
49 Sun, Feb 10, 2008 @ Minnesota Timberwolves
50 Mon, Feb 11, 2008 San Antonio Spurs
51 Wed, Feb 13, 2008 New Jersey Nets
52 Wed, Feb 20, 2008 Orlando Magic
53 Fri, Feb 22, 2008 @ New York Knickerbockers
54 Sun, Feb 24, 2008 New York Knickerbockers
55 Mon, Feb 25, 2008 @ Indiana Pacers
56 Wed, Feb 27, 2008 Minnesota Timberwolves
57 Fri, Feb 29, 2008 Indiana Pacers
58 Sun, Mar 2, 2008 @ Charlotte Bobcats
59 Tue, Mar 4, 2008 @ Orlando Magic
60 Wed, Mar 5, 2008 @ Miami Heat
61 Fri, Mar 7, 2008 Washington Wizards
62 Sun, Mar 9, 2008 Seattle Supersonics

20 VERY winnable games. We play the tough teams at home, except for 2 games @Orlando and @Washington. This is a good stretch to go 15-5 and make a push for 3rd spot in the East. Also, TJ should be back before the midway mark of that stretch, and the bench should be rejuvenated again.

Basically, don't despair if we lose against the Pistons tonight and the Celtics next Wednesday.

Defence is getting better, we are adding more offensive sets, we're finally getting healthy, CB4 is getting on track, roles have become fairly well defined.

It's all coming together.

Actually, we play Philly on Saturday and Boston next Wednesday on my schedule.

This week is tough: four games in five nights, only two games are at home and the travel is nothing like what we experienced out West in December.

Question - I don't want to start a new thread. My wife and I want to make the trip up and catch a couple playoff games. I need to clear the dates through work, does anyone have a good idea as to the when the first round will take place?

I already noted this a while back in a thread where I was one of the few positive voices after our loss to the Cavs... and I added this info to my sig below.

But, yes, we DO have an easy schedule ahead of us.

The six games against New Jersey, Washington and Orlando are important; it's those 50/50 games against relatively equal opposition that will determine playoff seeding. 15-5 is definitely possible; losing to the Lakers/Spurs, going 3-3 in the above games, and plowing through the mediocre to awful teams would do it (though no one wins all of the easy ones, nor loses all of the hard ones).

I'd settle for 13-7, though; add three wins over the next five and we'd go into the home stretch at 36-26.

Shaazzam wrote:Defence is getting better, we are adding more offensive sets, we're finally getting healthy, CB4 is getting on track, roles have become fairly well defined.

It's all coming together.

Most importantly, we finally finished that murderous 5 week schedule from December through to early January.

We looked worse because we were playing elite teams every night. And we still managed to get through December 8-8.

The magic from last Jan is back....well I hope so!

Schadenfreude wrote:The six games against New Jersey, Washington and Orlando are important; it's those 50/50 games against relatively equal opposition that will determine playoff seeding. 15-5 is definitely possible; losing to the Lakers/Spurs, going 3-3 in the above games, and plowing through the mediocre to awful teams would do it (though no one wins all of the easy ones, nor loses all of the hard ones).

I'd settle for 13-7, though; add three wins over the next five and we'd go into the home stretch at 36-26.

The Lakers should be a winnable game. They will be without Bynum. The Spurs might actually be a 50/50 game. We always give them trouble.

yeah every game is winnable...7 away games in that stretch..
I think we can be 15-5 or a lot better
I agree with Schadenfreude the games against Washington Orlando and New Jersey are important and will define our playoff seeding but the away games mean the most

I hope and think we will do well over this stretch of games, but without being negative, I don't think we can consider any of these 'easy' games with the exception of the Minnesota and Knicks games.
Those are games that they must and should get wins.
But we can't expect Washington, New Jersey, Indiana, and even Charlotte to be pushovers. They've shown that they all can play this season.
We seem to be rounding into form a bit though, so hopefully we can put a couple streaks together.

holy crap, that is an extremely easy schedule , go raps go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

there is no excuse for Raps do horrible. I expect to see Bargnani start playing like an all star, otherwise he is gonna be out of Toronto by end of next season. Count on it!

Schadenfreude wrote:The six games against New Jersey, Washington and Orlando are important; it's those 50/50 games against relatively equal opposition that will determine playoff seeding. 15-5 is definitely possible; losing to the Lakers/Spurs, going 3-3 in the above games, and plowing through the mediocre to awful teams would do it (though no one wins all of the easy ones, nor loses all of the hard ones).

I'd settle for 13-7, though; add three wins over the next five and we'd go into the home stretch at 36-26.

I have to agree on that. Every game we have these next few months are winnable, but those three teams we face will determine our seeding. So if we win all those we have put ourselves in 3rd spot, I believe in till March Orlando, Washington, even Cavs and us will be fighting for that 3rd spot. Since we are so close to one another, either above .5 or below .5 or lead by 2 games. If New Jersey can get it together then they will be right there (I wouldn't hold it against them). So we have to win those games, and maybe steal one of the Lakers/Spurs game, or even Boston/Detroit this week & next week.

hope for 13-7, things don't always go as planned...

This is the type of scedule where Portland won 15 of 17 or something like that.

Now yes everyone says there record was only because they played weak teams but the fact is they did what was needed and won the games they were suppossed to and that is what the raps have to do.

Go Raps Go

bongmarley wrote:This is the type of scedule where Portland won 15 of 17 or something like that.

Now yes everyone says there record was only because they played weak teams but the fact is they did what was needed and won the games they were suppossed to and that is what the raps have to do.

Go Raps Go

Yes and as far as I am concerned Raptors>blazers,

Raps should do really well with this schedule.

I fear Washington. Butler is havaing an amazing year. I think that Orlando will continue to fall, and it is Washington we will have to target if we want a 3 seed.

BasherMan wrote:I fear Washington. Butler is havaing an amazing year. I think that Orlando will continue to fall, and it is Washington we will have to target if we want a 3 seed.

Off topic but do you have any idea when Arenas will be back?

No I do not, but I honestly think that they do not need him to continue their success.