Strength of Schedule

by wilbjammin on Jan 11, 2009 1:09 PM PST

Blazer fans, it is time for a little perspective. We're in great shape considering that we have the 2nd most difficult strength of schedule in this league thus far. Check out the overall winning percentage of teams played against for the top 10 teams, and the rest of the Western Conference teams in the playoff discussion:

1. Washington - 53.4%

2. Portland - 53.2%

3. Indiana - 53.0%

4. Chicago - 51.8%

5. Toronto - 51.4%

6. Sacramento - 51.3%

7. Charlotte - 51.2%

8. Phoenix - 51.0%

9. New Orleans - 50.9%

10. Denver - 50.9%

17. LAL - 49.7%

21. Utah - 48.9%

24. Houston - 48.7%

27. Dallas - 47.9%

30. San Antonio - 47.6%

Observations:

Comparing this with the playoff picture we have now, there's a few things we can assume unless the trends completely change:

1) New Orleans, Denver, and LA are likely going to finish near the top.

2) If Portland keeps focused and doesn't have a young team letdown, has the potential to soar into the top 4 or 5 in the West.

3) Predicting which of these 9 teams won't make the playoffs is difficult, but statistically it seems most likely to be either Dallas, Houston, or Utah. Of these three teams, only Houston has played more away games than home games at 16 home and 23 away.

My prediction for the Western Playoff picture as of now is this:

1. LAL

2. New Orleans

3. Denver

4. San Antonio

5. Portland

6. Phoenix

7. Houston

8. Dallas

And Utah missed the playoffs.

Poll

How accurate do you think my playoff predictions are?

Very accurate, I completely agree

11 votes

Portland will finish higher, but the rest looks good

6 votes

Portland will finish lower, but the rest looks good

15 votes

Portland will finish higher, and I'm wrong about most of the rest of the picture

2 votes

Portland will finish lower, and I'm wrong about most of the rest of the picture

9 votes

Playoffs!? Playoffs?? You're talking about Playoffs? Playoffs???

4 votes

47 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Its hard to put Utah away

Mr Boozier will be back, and they have too many good players to lose…..

"shaq and zach randolph have the same trainer... "

best one liner i ever heard.

by bowdown on Jan 11, 2009 1:47 PM PST reply actions

My picks

1) Lakers
2) Hornets
3) Nuggets
4) Spurs (but pay attention to these guys— their schedule is about to get MUCH tougher)
5) Blazers
6) Jazz
7) Rockets
8) Suns
9) Mavericks

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Jan 11, 2009 3:20 PM PST reply actions

This is pretty much

exactly my prediction. I don’t think Dallas is that good. I’m still stunned we lost to them in the Garden that was a truly awful effort. I pray we are able to beat the Jazz and Nuggets in our future games. Otherwise we could have trouble making the playoffs.

He's Coming! Oden Slayer of Giants

by Idog1976 on Jan 11, 2009 9:44 PM PST up reply actions

It's got to be Dallas

1. LA
2. Denver
3. NO
4. Spurs
5. Blazers
6. Suns
7. Jazz
8 Houston

OUT: Dallas

Dallas is the only team that hasn’t had any injury problems yet, and their margin of victory is the lowest anyway; they’re the only team of the 9 whose average margin is under 2 points at 1.8 (Suns the only other one under 3, right at 2 points).

It also looks like they’re going to make another panic trade, this one involving Josh Howard; and it doesn’t seem likely it will make them better (one rumor had Bargnani as the main piece they’d get back).

I think the Rockets are the other vulnerable team. It’s easy to imagine injuries just completely derailing their season.

by matthewcc on Jan 11, 2009 3:58 PM PST reply actions

I agree about

both Dallas (more injuries) and the Rockets (Chemistry and or injuries) being the likely odd teams out. We are in a surprisingly competitive division in the top 3. It’s a BIG drop off after the top 3 though..

He's Coming! Oden Slayer of Giants

by Idog1976 on Jan 11, 2009 9:45 PM PST up reply actions

Utah has had a good week

but this is a big one coming up. One home, three away. Two of those away games are games they definitely should win — but they haven’t done real well this year at winning those kinds of games. The third is at Dallas on a back to back. Tough. You don’t want to play your rivals for the last spot in those conditions.

If they win all but Dallas, it will be a decent week for them. If they drop one of the others and the Dallas game, they’ll be lagging behind again. Can the Jazz start to take care of business on the games they should win?

I know you can put admiration in bags, because admiration is real, and tominhawaii says that everything that is real is measurable.

by jscot on Jan 11, 2009 9:34 PM PST reply actions