Post#17 » by ImNotMcDiSwear » Mon Oct 24, 2016 3:53 pm
I project a Portland-esque season for this squad. Cutting down on turnovers and being more physical on defense should increase our win total. It appears to me that we have more of a game plan than we had going into last season, with players understanding their roles and being put in a position to excel. The vibe is obviously totally different without Tank Commander Morris on the roster. We have better depth than a lot of teams in the west, but we will also rely on Chriss to provide valuable minutes up front, and even with his offensive gifts, we should expect to lose a few points with him on the court. The positive difference in coaching in the preseason has been noticeable, timely TOs and scoring possessions out of TOs and a generally positive vibe. Overall, I think a regression toward the mean on injuries is likely. If that's the case, I expect we'll start slow but come on strong in the middle/end of the season as injuries pile up for our thinner competition.
Moreover, I don't think the west is nearly as strong as it's been in years past. I'm half inclined to think Dallas will finally plummet, with its loss of Felton and Pachulia and the substitution of the woeful Harrison Barnes for Chandler Parsons. I think the Clips are weak, and that San Antonio, Houston, OKC, Memphis and Portland are all vulnerable. I also don't see any pushovers in the west, with the Lakers losing Kobe, Sacramento hiring Joerger, Denver having solid young talent, though New Orleans could once again serve as a turnstile. I see the Timberwolves and the Jazz blowing up, pushing into the middle and top of the western conference standings if all goes well. I think we're primed to be able to win games against each of these teams, aside from perhaps Utah because of their defensive strength. I also don't expect we'll win a game against the Warriors unless those guys have a truly terrible game. Other than those two, I think we can get wins over any of the others, and that should be enough to get us into the 40-win range, IMO.