Hmm ... 8-3 in my predictions is a pretty accurate record. All my win predictions were correct and my losses were 6-3. I challenge anyone to predict a stretch of 11 Rockets games and get 9-2! Of course, we always want our Rockets to win, but sometimes one needs to inject some realism! BTW, I would have predicted the wins over the Knicks and Wiz too, so 10-3!
And nobody would have batted an eye, and probably would have said good call if you had just posted it once or twice. "So certain are you" -- Yoda.
the current lakers and NO team will not fall out of the top 8 because of kobe and cp3 running the team and each have improved players and chemistry in bynum, chandler, or west Denver is in a weak division unlike the rockets with 3 teams infront and mavs are not even in the top 4 GS is winning enough games to maintain their 8th spot and they are 2-0 against rockets So currently in the top 8, only portland's spot looks shaky and there's utah also fighting for it. Sad for a team that going into the season has the expectation of becoming western elite and now are desperately fighting for the playoffs with mclady in and out of games...
Kobe was in last year Lakers team that started hot and then fall they still young, and CP3 have a history of getting hurt as well as Peja, same thing with Baron Davis, we just saw a team in the Spurs son unbeatable now loosing a lot lately, Portland is a to young a couple of loose in a row can set them back big time. You never know, Houston now the easiest schedule and their superstar coming back and finally play some RA basketball with now a set rotation. Now Houston got a Identity.
The remainder of this month is pretty tough, but the Jan schedule is really easy. If we finishes strong by the end of Jan, we will make the playoff. I dont care who will fall out, if we win 47+ games, we will make the playoff. Injury bugs will hit any team any time.
Have you all noticed how the 5th best record in the East is equal to the 10th best record in the West: Cleveland 18 17 .514 Houston 18 17 .514 Wow...it is so amazing how competitive the West is compared to the East.
Hollinger's predictor currently has us winning 48 games and making the 7th seed of the playoffs. Alarmingly, the top 10 teams in the West have 47 wins or more, indicating it's going to come down to the wire unless we really tear it up and end up winning 50.
I just looked through the schedule for all teams in January, day by day. We won't be gaining many games in our playoff hunt this month. There aren't as many fratricidal games (at least in January) as people are hoping. A few teams stand to pick up some losses, like maybe Denver, but no one in the top eight (West) is going to take major damage this month and we do have a couple games withe teams like the Hornets and Portland. It's going to be a slow climb.
It only takes one hot streak to move on up in the standings......and maybe an injury or complaceny or lack of confidence from one or more teams. This thing is FAR from over. DD
if we hover around 3 games over .500 by february, we will gain enough ground to make the playoffs. february is where we will make our big push.
GS doesn't have a firm hold on the 8th seed at all. They lost again. They are only a game ahead of the Rockets and the Jazz. Either one of those teams could go on a hot streak and overtake GS. A one game lead in the 8th seed is nothing witth 46 more games left.
GS has lost 3 of their last four games. They are slumping right now. If they keep playing like this, they could lose their 8th spot in two more games.
HTML: Phoenix 25 10 0.714 San Antonio 23 10 0.697 Dallas 24 11 0.686 Portland 22 13 0.629 L.A. Lakers 23 11 0.676 New Orleans 23 12 0.657 Denver 21 13 0.618 Golden State 20 16 0.556 Houston 19 17 0.528 Utah 19 17 0.528 this race could get very interesting if these teams continue to do well beating up on the east. Only 6 games between the 1st and 10th spot! East... for comparison HTML: Boston 29 4 0.879 Detroit 26 9 0.743 Orlando 23 14 0.622 Washington 17 16 0.515 Toronto 18 17 0.514 New Jersey 18 17 0.514 Cleveland 18 18 0.500 Atlanta 16 16 0.500 Indiana 16 21 0.432 Milwaukee 15 20 0.429
I think GSW is still not very consistent. I don't think Lakers will slack off unless there are some major injuries. It would be difficult for us to chase SAS, Phoenix and Dallas. We have to win long stretches to get a chance to pip out NOH and Denver.
Real honestly, as long as we can avoid the top 3 WC teams and the GSW, I feel we could beat any of the other playoff hopefuls in a 7 game series (Lakers, Hornets, Blazers, Nuggets).
