***OFFICIAL 2017-2018 WINS PREDICTION THREAD***

[Lipoli390]

I've reevaluated my initial assessment of this team. As a result, I'm taking my win prediction down from 51 to 45. I just don't think you can win 50 games in the West without much better 3-point shooting than we're likely to see from the Wolves. So 45 wins is my final prediction for the Wolves this season. That should be enough for the 7th seed. If I turn out to be right, I'll be disappointed. But it will be nice to see an end to our long playoff drought -- provided we don't end up finishing 8th and facing the Warriors in the opening round.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I knew someone would crack! Below is the updated set of predictions, with Lip finally joining the realists at 45 wins and below!

Big O - 38
Abe, Bleed - 41
Q, Wildwolf - 43
Logo - 44
Monster, tpoff217, Lip's final prediction - 45
Kekgeek1, Shumway, LST - 46
Khans - 47
Cool, Rocket, Jerry, Kiwi, TXViking - 48
ItsJustSoSab - 49
SP - 50
Hoops!, Lip's original prediction- 51
Drew, Doper - 52
Worldk - 53
Bloop - 54
apollotsg, Pork - 55
Tim, maelstrom - 56
Phenom - 57

[Monster]

I've reevaluated my initial assessment of this team. As a result, I'm taking my win prediction down from 51 to 45. I just don't think you can win 50 games in the West without much better 3-point shooting than we're likely to see from the Wolves. So 45 wins is my final prediction for the Wolves this season. That should be enough for the 7th seed. If I turn out to be right, I'll be disappointed. But it will be nice to see an end to our long playoff drought -- provided we don't end up finishing 8th and facing the Warriors in the opening round.

Well Lip I guess we will accept you into the 45 group. Q will likely keep you honest with the caveats. :)

Personally the reason I don't have the Wolves higher is because of their defense not offense or shooting. The SHOULD be much better defensively but I want to see it for 20 or more games to buy them even being the middle of the road in that area. This team is gonna score.

I was listening to the Dunc'd On podcast yesterday and they were doing the Miami season preview. Nate's guest who has his own website Heathoops and is a terrific cap resource pointed out a big reason the heat were so effective offensively was their ability to drive and kick. He said they led the league in drives per game. I looked it up and In 2015-2016 they were just above the Wolves in 3 pointers taken per game 18 and this year they jumped to 12th with 27. The guest said a lot of that was Waiters (who isn't that good at finishing around the basket) and Dragic driving and kicking. Obviously taking Wade out of the lineup help 3 point shooting too but still I thought it was interesting to compare that to the Wolves. They have Teague, Butler and Wiggins who are all guys that drive to the basket and 2 of them are pretty good at creating for others. If Taj becomes a corner 3 threat suddenly this teams becomes interesting if perimeter players can collapse the defense and set up players for catch and shoot 3 opportunities. Every rotation player would be some sort of threat to hit a 3 and that becomes more intruiging offensively...espcially if they take a jump defensively.

[MikkeMan]

I'll give finally my prediction. I believe that Wolves will win 50 games this season. I get that my 44 win prediction was way too high last season but I still predict that they will win more than that this season. Last year I was hoping that better coach and improvement from current young Wolves players would result a dramatic improvement in teams record and I was disappointed badly.

This year I'm not assuming that improvement would come mainly from players improving but that replacing Lavine, Rubio, Aldrich and Dunn in rotation with Butler, Teague, Gibson and Tyus Jones would result much better team. Last year team could have easily won around 38 games based on their offensive and defensive rating. So 50 wins should be just 12 game improvement for that level.

It is also same amount of wins than last Thibs coached Bulls team won. That team featured Butler, Gibson and Brooks. Gibson and Brooks are not as good now than they were at that time but improvement that Butler has made more than compensates that. In addition 2014-15 Bulls team had Rose, Noah, Gasol, Dunleavy, Mirotic, Hinrich and Snell. Personally I think Teague is better than 2014-15 version of Rose, KAT is clearly better than Gasol. Noah was better defender than Dieng is but 2014-15 Noah was already pretty horrific offensively, so I think they are pretty even. Similarly Hinrich and Snell were much better defenders than Jones and Bazz are but Wolves pair is offensively clearly better, so even they should be pretty even as well as Mirotic and Belly. Wiggins is way better than Dunleavy, so 50 wins in clearly better western conference should not require even similar overachieving than Bulls team did that year.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Adding Mikkeman. The SP should be flattered to have such distinguished company!

Big O - 38
Abe, Bleed - 41
Q, Wildwolf - 43
Logo - 44
Monster, tpoff217, Lip's final prediction - 45
Kekgeek1, Shumway, LST - 46
Khans - 47
Cool, Rocket, Jerry, Kiwi, TXViking - 48
ItsJustSoSab - 49
SP, Mikkeman - 50
Hoops!, Lip's original prediction- 51
Drew, Doper - 52
Worldk - 53
Bloop - 54
apollotsg, Pork - 55
Tim, maelstrom - 56
Phenom - 57

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I'll give finally my prediction. I believe that Wolves will win 50 games this season. I get that my 44 win prediction was way too high last season but I still predict that they will win more than that this season. Last year I was hoping that better coach and improvement from current young Wolves players would result a dramatic improvement in teams record and I was disappointed badly.

This year I'm not assuming that improvement would come mainly from players improving but that replacing Lavine, Rubio, Aldrich and Dunn in rotation with Butler, Teague, Gibson and Tyus Jones would result much better team. Last year team could have easily won around 38 games based on their offensive and defensive rating. So 50 wins should be just 12 game improvement for that level.

It is also same amount of wins than last Thibs coached Bulls team won. That team featured Butler, Gibson and Brooks. Gibson and Brooks are not as good now than they were at that time but improvement that Butler has made more than compensates that. In addition 2014-15 Bulls team had Rose, Noah, Gasol, Dunleavy, Mirotic, Hinrich and Snell. Personally I think Teague is better than 2014-15 version of Rose, KAT is clearly better than Gasol. Noah was better defender than Dieng is but 2014-15 Noah was already pretty horrific offensively, so I think they are pretty even. Similarly Hinrich and Snell were much better defenders than Jones and Bazz are but Wolves pair is offensively clearly better, so even they should be pretty even as well as Mirotic and Belly. Wiggins is way better than Dunleavy, so 50 wins in clearly better western conference should not require even similar overachieving than Bulls team did that year.

It's a different conference and, frankly, a different league from back then. It's really tough to compare the old Thibs Bulls teams and their personnel with the guys we have now without considering the broader changes that have taken place and the sheer strength of the Western Conference. 50 wins is on the high end of expectations in my opinion.

[TAFKASP]

Adding Mikkeman. The SP should be flattered to have such distinguished company!

Yes, it confirms my completely uneducated shot in the dark! That or it exposes Mikkeman as a fraud. :o

[Coolbreeze44]

Adding Mikkeman. The SP should be flattered to have such distinguished company!

Big O - 38
Abe, Bleed - 41
Q, Wildwolf - 43
Logo - 44
Monster, tpoff217, Lip's final prediction - 45
Kekgeek1, Shumway, LST - 46
Khans - 47
Cool, Rocket, Jerry, Kiwi, TXViking - 48
ItsJustSoSab - 49
SP, Mikkeman - 50
Hoops!, Lip's original prediction- 51
Drew, Doper - 52
Worldk - 53
Bloop - 54
apollotsg, Pork - 55
Tim, maelstrom - 56
Phenom - 57

Won't be long before some of you start getting passed. Big O, you're first.

[Big O [enjin:13874644]]

I hope so. But I take nothing for granted.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I hope so. But I take nothing for granted.

Agree Big O. After 13 years of futility, you never want to count your chickens.....

That being said, things really have to go off the rails for them to miss the playoffs. And they REALLY have to go off the rails for them not to surpass your 38-win prediction.

My prediction always includes an assumption of injuries that are within a normal range for an NBA team. But overall we have been remarkably healthy. KAT and Wiggins especially continue to impress with their durability.