donemilio21 wrote:clipperlover wrote:donemilio21 wrote:Looking at the schedule of us and other west teams, there is a very real possibility of us entering April as a play-in team.
Players and Lue downplaying regular season and saying "they'll turn it up in playoffs" has no bearing if you put yourself in situation of "lose one game and you are out".
If you are looking at the win column, then you are looking wrong. You have to look at the loss column. Clip are up 3 wins in the loss column. Over our last 10 games, we have gone 5-5. The Kings have went 7-3. There are only 12 games left in the season to make up 3 additional games.
Based on Phoenix's remaining schedule, they have a better chance ending up #9, #10 or out of the playoff/playin than #6.
Kings and Mavs have 2 games against each other, so either they both move back 4 losses from us or one of them moves back 5 losses. Kings also have a difficult road trip on the horizon while still having to play us and the Pelicans.
We have to beat a team with a winning record for the first time since the All-Star break though. We are getting opponent's best shots, but I don't think we have been giving our best shot.
Looking at the loss column. Dallas and Kings have only 2 losses less than us. Our last 5 wins came against Rockets, Bulls and Blazers. We have one game against a team of that level in the next 5. Finishing the season 6-5 seems doubtful to me, which is theoretically minimum what we would need to stay at least 6th seed. It is far more likely we'd go 4-7 and go into playoffs 8th seed. It is concerning.
We aren't falling into the play-in. You have to look at the schedules those teams are playing also. SAC has to make up 3 losses and 2 wins in 10 games while facing Dal, @Knicks, @Celtics, @Thunder, NOP and Clips
GS, Hou, Phoenix and the Lakers will be fighting for 8-10.
GS and Hou both have to play Dallas 2 times each as well as each other once. GS has 7 of 10 left on the road.
Phoenix has a brutal end to the season. Playing all Top 5 WC teams + Cleveland
Houston has 7 of 11 on the road where they have 10 wins all year. Their remaining home games are Dall, GS, Miami and Orlando.
Lakers road is no picnic. In the media, it appears they are looking strong and ready to complete for the title, but let's peel back that onion:
1. Prior to last night, they played 11 of their last 15 at home (including a 6 game homestand, @Sac and 4 game homestand stretch)
2. Prior to last night, they played 13 of their last 15 at Crypto
3. Prior to last night, they played 15 of 15 in the Pacific Time Zone (CA and AZ, so short flights)
4. Since Feb 5, Lakers haven't had to spend more than 1 night away from their homes. Makes for a lot of access to their facilities and practice time.
5. Lakers were 9-6 during that very favorable schedule stretch
6. Until tonight, they haven't played a back to back since @Clips and then Wiz on 2/28-2/29.
7. They haven't played an away back to back since the end of January.
8. They have 7 of their last 10 on the road where they are 13-20 on the season.
Clips last 15:
1. Central Time Zone twice (3 game trip, then 2 game trip)
2. Both Central Time Zone trips had games in the top of the timezone and bottom of the timezone causing late arrivals
3. After the 3 game Central trip, we were presented with a Daylight Savings Time matinee back to back
4. 4 Back to Backs
Just a brutal stretch of games. Despite all of that, Clips went 7-8.
At least, our upcoming road trip has no back to backs. We also don't come back to a matinee home game.