Projection explanation in my Sched Ahead Threads.

Yesterday

Projections

No April Fool -- we are a very, very good team.

No April Fool -- lack of playoff experience is not going to be a major issue, because we are getting used to playoff-type pressure and handling it well.

No April Fool -- we start April one game behind the Spurs and Rockets, and only 1 1/2 games out of the #2 seed, in a season where our starting SF has missed the entire year, our starting PG was down for a key stretch of games, and Oden has missed a bucketful of games as well.

Good things that happened yesterday:

1. Turn out the lights on Utah's chances of finishing ahead of us -- not happening.  Top six seed nailed down.
2. We are now 20 games over .500.  Two years ago, we finished 20 games under .500.
3. We were facing a tired team and we didn't give them a chance, we put them to the sword from the start.
4. Greg Oden scored a point a minute, got a rebound every minute and a half, and blocked a shot every six minutes.  If we can cut the fouls and extrapolate that production to, oh, maybe 30 mpg, I think I could live with that for a while.  Like, say, maybe 15 years.
5. We sent another message to playoff opponents not to expect a win in Portland.
6. HA!  And HAHAHA!!!  Nice game in Texas last night.  Ha, ha!  A win in either place in Texas now gives us a reasonable shot at a top 3 seed.
7. We got a reminder not to take OKC lightly.
8. N.O. is likely to face a tougher game in the last game of the season -- now there is a good chance that final game in S.A. will matter very much to the Spurs.
9. HA!  And HAHAHA!!!  Nice game in Charlotte last night.  Ha, ha!  If someone else knocks us out of the playoffs, I hope the L@kers make it to the Finals -- and meet Charlotte, who by some miracle make the playoffs and go all the way through to the Finals.  Then, L.A. could have the embarrassment of losing the Finals to a team with a losing record.  There must be some voodoo expert in Charlotte who has their number.  Tonight, on a back to back, the L@kers could lose their third straight, matching our longest streak this season.
10. L.A.'s loss increases the chance that their last few games could be dead games for them -- behind Cleveland, ahead of Orlando/Boston.  That could help us when they come to town, but also help Denver when they go there, and Utah in the last game of the season.  Very likely, they will badly want to beat us and Denver, though. 

Credit to the Knicks for coming back and making Denver earn it.  Has to be hard to do that at altitude on a back to back.  Credit to the Kings -- they stole that one from you.  But we appreciate the effort, and you burned up some of their luck -- maybe it will fail them in their next game.  Credit to the Timberwolves for something or other, but I can't really think of anything right now.  It's funny, I said it wouldn't be surprised if we got a gift, but it came in the most unlikely place. 

Is there any life left in Phoenix, or did the Kings kick it out of them?  A Suns win tonight would delay our "qualified for the playoffs" celebration -- and every Blazer fan who understands seedings hopes they win anyway.  Losses in Phoenix tonight and L.A. on Friday (both very possible), combined with a Portland win in OKC (possible but not easy), would put us ahead of the Rockets when we arrive on Sunday.

Also watch Hornets at Clippers.  It's a back to back for the Hornets, and their depth is really hurting right now with all the injuries.  West, Paul, and Butler all played very long minutes in Sacramento.  Chandler and Stojavic are still out.  A N.O. loss would be no shock in this one at all.  Lose this, and you can stick a fork in them -- they are done as far as a high seed is concerned.

One more "No April Fools".  This may be the last projections update this year.  Over the next month I'll be working 6 days a week, 12-14 hours a day.  That may continue for 3 months.  This happens from time to time, and then I get bucketloads of free time when the project is done.  But until then, it is brutal.  I may pop back on Sundays, but unlikely to happen any other days.

It's been fun.