Q-was-here wrote:lipoli390 wrote:The Kings are ahead of Dallas by 19 points late in the 2nd quarter. Let's hope the Kings can hang on. We've been focused on Denver as the team to pass to avoid the play-in tournament. But Dallas is only a game ahead of Denver. Luka's out tonight with a sore toe. That team really drops off a lot when Luka's out. Apparently, he's not expected to be out long. But every game he misses is an opportunity for the Wolves to gain on Dallas and enhance our chances of climbing a notch in the standings.
Welp.
Every damn team from 1 thru 8 is red hot right now except for Golden State and that's despite having key guys out. Our chances are not looking good to move up.
You're right Q. It's really all about holding on to 7th while hoping for a break or two that can propel the Wolves to 6th. It's interesting to see which teams are surging and which ones are faltering down the stretch. This is the point in the season when teams find their true level. Golden State is faltering, which is something I've been expecting. I know Golden State's been missing Green and Thompson. But I've thought all along that they've been playing over their heads this season. Green is still good, but he's not the player he once was and no telling what Thompson is now after what he's been through. I'm not surprised to see the Bulls and Cavs struggling because I've thought all along those two teams, while good, have been playing over their heads. It's interesting to see the Wolves doing well now so far down the stretch. It confirms what I've thought from the beginning when I predicted 46 wins. This is a talented team with KAT, DLO, Edwards at the core and surrounding pieces like Beverley, Beasley, Prince, Naz and others. It's not a great team, but it's a very good one. Interestingly, the Wolves have not been defending as well the last half of the season as they were in the first half. But that's consistent with my view that teams ultimately find their level as the season wears on. This team's personnel is skewed towards the offensive side of the ball with some serious weaknesses on the defensive side. We've seen that fact play out down the stretch in games like last night's. But we're still better defensively than we've been in a long time.
Bottom line is that I think we can expect the trends we've seen recently to continue. And that takes us back to Q's point. With Dallas and Denver likely to continue their winning ways, it's unlikely the Wolves will finish higher than 7th. Meanwhile, the Clippers remain a mystery to me. With Paul George and Kawhi out, they should not be doing nearly as well as they have been. Will it continue? My prediction is that the Clippers will cool off considerably for the remainder of the season unless and until Paul George and/or Kawhi returns. If either or both of those guys come back, then I'll worry a lot more about the Wolves ability to hang onto the 7th spot.
