http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerranking?season=2005&week=15 1 (2) Suns 40-12 The bench is filling out, with Wal-tuh joining Jim Jax . . . but it's starting to look as though 70 wins might be beyond them. 2 (3) SuperSonics 35-14 January (8-7) wasn't super, but Supes are a sparkling 5-1 in February . . . and 9-3 overall against .640-or-better teams even after losing at home Sunday to Dallas. 3 (4) Heat 39-14 Heat take a lot of, well, heat for their record against the West, but Sunday's win over SA makes them a passable 12-10. Better than '78 Bullets, who won it all as a sub-.500 team vs. West. 4 (1) Spurs 40-12 A rejection from Mailman won't stop Spurs' search for an extra big man. Especially after a loss to Miami . . . before Heat even have a chance to tag team Zo with Shaq. 5 (5) Mavericks 33-16 The locals are clamoring for more from Finley, but Mavs couldn't have started the toughest part of their schedule much better, winning at Sacto and Seattle. Could they, Dallasites? 6 (7) Rockets 31-21 It's a good thing Rockets are so hot -- 15-4 since Jan. 7 -- because our research staff says they have the NBA's toughest remaining schedule based on opponent winning percentage. 7 (9) Pistons 30-19 Looks like they're getting serious again, and maybe this time they'll stay serious and stay on this sudden 50-win pace. 8 (6) Kings 33-18 Sunday's win at Boston was a nice way to cap a challenging week . . . after losses to Suns, Sonics and Mavs. Kings are now 3-5 since Adelman's contract was extended. 9 (8) Grizzlies 30-22 Czar Fratello is doing just fine, even with Gasol possibly out past the All-Star break, so don't be surprised to see his lead assistant Musselman surface as a possible Wolves candidate. 10 (11) Wizards 30-20 More kudos bound for the nation's capital: Wiz lead the league with 13 victories this season when trailing after three quarters.
"toughest remaining schedule." I'm afraid our season will be a lot like our recent games. Bad start, recovery in 2nd quarter, big lead, complacency, gradual collapse. Let's hope we pull it out at the end.
I knew our schedule would be catching up to us. March is brutal with A LOT of multiple road games. April is a bit more forgiving with the HOME games but still tough. Luckily, the Lakers remaining schedule is just about as brutal and the Wolves are floundering. We might not be able to keep pace with the Grizzlies for #6 but I think we can hang on for the #7 seed.
The coming month will show us if the great team play of late is fools gold or not.... Im cautiously optimistic....The loss of focus in spots concerns me, but I think they are aware of it and will improve in that aspect. When they are all on the same page and keep their focus and intensity high, they are a match for all but the very best in the league. So. Im not gonna be fatalistic about the rest of the season....they haev surprised me so far...I feel that they will continue their winning ways. Have faith my bruthas....
we seem to raise our level of play with the tougher opponents and lower it against the weaker teams (see Knicks, Hawks). I think we'll be fine.
Of course the Blazers are going to make a second half run. It's hard to keep up the defensive intensity at the level we had in the first half. The difference is (IMO) that two years ago, if somebody came back from an 18 point defecit to take the lead, our guys would have lost their cool and the game. This team does not do that.
When it comes to the Rockets, these lists somehow always seem to turn good news into bad. We have the worst remaining schedule!? Oh, that's great. Of all the teams in the NBA!? Well, we will see what they are made of.
we can forget about Memphis, LA, and MIN, we need to focus on catching Dal and SAC... forget whats in the rear view mirror, full speed ahead
Memphis has a nice easy march schedule so there is no forgetting them. They should hold onto the 6th spot in my eyes IF not move into 5th if dallas falters.
March is definitely brutal, but the first half is the worst part. If the Rockets can survive with at least a 3-4 record through those first 7 games, they'll be fine. They may not catch Dallas or Sacramento, but the 6th seed will still be theirs to lose.
Guys, lets look at the bright side here and put things into perspective... Our main goal is to get to the playoffs, right? Well, lets examine this for a minute... We have 30 games left. Our current record is 31-21. OK, so lets say WORST-CASE scenario we go .500 the rest of the way, which means winning 15 and losing 15. What would our record be? It would be 46-36, damn good enough to get you in the playoffs as either 7th or 6th seed. That is our goal right now, so no worries at all. THAT is why our current winning streak and currently being 10 games above .500 is of IMMENSE importance, because it give us much more wiggle room for error in the post-All Star schedule. So no worries guys, we will do well, and we will be in good position coming playoff time. The only problem is I wish Pheonix would remain as #1 seed, because I believe we will be #7 when all set and done, and then hopefully we can play Spurs since we match up better with them, and since they are not going to cause the type of mismatches with their speed and agility and style like the Suns would. They just won't tire our old players as much as the Suns would, plus I LOVE the prospect of Deke playing major minutes on Duncan, he can shut him down!
Brutal Schedule?? Bunch of road games?? Sonics, Spurs, Suns, and Kings..... :.......................... BRING IT ON!!!!!!!
In the movie Death Race 2000, one of the characters (in the front seat of his car) rips off the rear-view mirror from his windshield. A guy next to him asks, "Why did you do that?" The guy answered, "What is behind me does not matter." -- droxford
There is one funny thing about these charts that show your team with the "toughest remaining schedule." Suppose you're really good. The teams you've already played a lot, you've beaten. So their records are worse. The teams you haven't played much, you haven't beaten. So their records are better. So you end up with the "toughest remaining schedule" for no other reason than that you're one of the best teams. Look at the freakin' Wizards. If we'd played them already, they'd have two more L's. Instead they're part of our "tough schedule."
That may be true, but looking at the schedule, just the team's current win-loss and reputations... it's a pretty rough road ahead. Normally I would be a lot more nervous for the Rockets, but I am very confident in the way they've been playing lately, hopefully we can use this road as a means to go from a very good team to a great one. Stuart
Lakers have a pretty tough schedule also, and, even though the Grizzlies schedule isn't as bad, they may actually be in the rare situation where they actually play worse once their "star" comes back considering how well they've played without Gasol.
I understand your logic. But don't use the Wiz. They've been very solid this year, and I anticipate the Rockets having problems with them in the upcoming weeks. Mostly because they score a lot almost all the time, regardless of opponent. Thank goodness Hughes isn't back...but I still think we just have to outscore them. Unless we catch Arenas and/or Jamison on a rare off night.
