Suns overachieving even with tough SOS

grumpysaddle · Post #1 » by **grumpysaddle** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 6:33 pm

Just took a look at this list:
http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/powerrankings/_/sort/sos

And the Suns currently have had the 6th hardest Strength of Schedule in the league. They currently have the 9th best record. I was surprised that their SOS was one of the harder ones in the league, with only the Thunder having a tougher schedule and better record.

(It's also funny that only 3 of the top 15 teams according to SOS are from the Eastern Conference. What a joke that conference is this year).

The Suns also have a 76.9% chance of making the playoffs now, according to Hollinger's playoff odds:

http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/playoffodds

phx#7 · Post #2 » by **phx#7** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 7:16 pm

grumpysaddle wrote:Just took a look at this list:
http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/powerrankings/_/sort/sos

(It's also funny that only 3 of the top 15 teams according to SOS are from the Eastern Conference. What a joke that conference is this year).

Interesting that the Blazers have the easiest SOS in the West, but are only 18th overall.

Ring_Wanted · Post #3 » by **Ring_Wanted** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 7:20 pm

Another top team that has had a pretty easy schedule so far is Indiana.

Anyway. We are legit.

Maystack · Post #4 » by **Maystack** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 7:23 pm

Minnesota with second highest SOS. Maybe we shouldn't be counting them out of the playoffs yet. Might end up with their pick after all.

Ring_Wanted · Post #5 » by **Ring_Wanted** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 7:27 pm

I wish, but they'd need to finish with a better record than the Warriors, Nuggets or Mavs (assuming the Lakers are not in the fight for the playoffs).

Having consecutive picks could be a hell of an asset come draft night. The best case scenario involving Was and Min would be brutal with #13 and #14.

McD for MVP · Post #6 » by **McD for MVP** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 8:00 pm

I'm not expecting to finish there, but if we could at any point of the season sit at the 4 seed that would be snazzy

thamadkant · Post #7 » by **thamadkant** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 11:38 pm

SOS is a live feedback rating though...

At the start of the season Blazers and Jazz wouldn't been thought of to be this good or bad. Also Suns being this good affects other teams SOS. Example Blazers would of been ranked heavily favourites against the 3 Suns games because Suns was predicted to be a bottom 3 team.

At the start of the season I thought the suns was middle ground.
Then someone posted on the trade forums that Suns was 8th hardest...
Now suns are 6th hardest...
I bet due to Blazers being a top 3 west team and Suns have played them 3 times.
The schedule would show... 3x Blazers, 2x Spurs, Nuggets, 1x Thunder, Rockets, Warriors, Heat.

Wannabe MEP · Post #8 » by **Wannabe MEP** » Tue Dec 24, 2013 3:53 pm

The Suns jumped in Hollinger last night: big positive point differential, but also the loss to Utah fell off the "recent," more heavily weighted set, which gives us a jump in point differential and SOS.

Now we're ranked 7th in the NBA, but not much of a gap to the teams right behind us.

Very different formula, but Sagarin also has us at 7th: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nba/sagarin/2014/rating/