***OFFICIAL 2023-24 WINS PREDICTION THREAD***

[Q-is-here]

I have to join Wildwolf and go with 45 wins. I think we can be a top 10 defense this season, but the offense I'm a bit more unsure about. I love Ant, but he is one of the least efficient volume scorers in the NBA. Unless he parlays his gravity into more easy baskets for others (e.g. be able and willing to find Rudy when he actually is open near the rim), he needs to significantly increase his free throw rate to raise his efficiency as a scorer. Or may be he'll do both!

[Lipoli390]

I have to join Wildwolf and go with 45 wins. I think we can be a top 10 defense this season, but the offense I'm a bit more unsure about. I love Ant, but he is one of the least efficient volume scorers in the NBA. Unless he parlays his gravity into more easy baskets for others (e.g. be able and willing to find Rudy when he actually is open near the rim), he needs to significantly increase his free throw rate to raise his efficiency as a scorer. Or may be he'll do both!

Q - You’re going to regret not joining me at 44. So close but yet so far from joining me in the circle of winners.

[Q-is-here]

Here is the run down of predictions as of today. 1-0 in the pre-season, yes!

Tim - 60
Carlos - 54
Kekgeek - 53
LongGame - 52
KG4Ever - 51
Coolbreeze - 50
KiwiMatt, FNG - 49
Doper - 48
Sundog - 47
Drew - 46
Wildwolf, Q-is-here - 45
Lipoli - 44





[placeholder for Abe] - 32

[Lipoli390]

Here is the run down of predictions as of today. 1-0 in the pre-season, yes!

Tim - 60
Carlos - 54
Kekgeek - 53
LongGame - 52
KG4Ever - 51
Coolbreeze - 50
KiwiMatt, FNG - 49
Doper - 48
Sundog - 47
Drew - 46
Wildwolf, Q-is-here - 45
Lipoli - 44





[placeholder for Abe] - 32

I think that’s a typo, Q. I’m sure I predicted 54 wins, not 44.

[Q-is-here]

Here is the run down of predictions as of today. 1-0 in the pre-season, yes!

Tim - 60
Carlos - 54
Kekgeek - 53
LongGame - 52
KG4Ever - 51
Coolbreeze - 50
KiwiMatt, FNG - 49
Doper - 48
Sundog - 47
Drew - 46
Wildwolf, Q-is-here - 45
Lipoli - 44





[placeholder for Abe] - 32

I think that’s a typo, Q. I’m sure I predicted 54 wins, not 44.

[Phenom]

I'll take 51. Kevin Pelton is projecting the Wolves to finish 2nd in the West FWIW.

[Lipoli390]

I thought this was a telling comment by Coach Finch:

"First of all you got to nail the high notes, to be an efficient offense you still have to get to the right shots," Finch said about creating a gameplan for the Wolves. "Now, the distribution of the shots are different ... I believe, right now, as we head into this next year, which is hopefully a complete season with KAT and Rudy, we need more structure, just because the structure is going to provide us the right spacing for the two bigs to stay out of each other's way. I think that at times they got into each other's way. Offensively we weren't great. We were pretty medium last year as a result of not taking enough threes, probably. We were a pretty low volume 3-point shooting team, so we got to get some guys to take a few more threes."

Finch recognizes they still haven’t figured out how to make this two big experiment work. Finch’s latest theory is “more structure” so “the two bigs stay out of each other’s way.” If they figure that out, the Wolves could win 54 games. If they don’t, then I’m feeling pretty good about my 44 win projection.

[Q-is-here]

I thought this was a telling comment by Coach Finch:

"First of all you got to nail the high notes, to be an efficient offense you still have to get to the right shots," Finch said about creating a gameplan for the Wolves. "Now, the distribution of the shots are different ... I believe, right now, as we head into this next year, which is hopefully a complete season with KAT and Rudy, we need more structure, just because the structure is going to provide us the right spacing for the two bigs to stay out of each other's way. I think that at times they got into each other's way. Offensively we weren't great. We were pretty medium last year as a result of not taking enough threes, probably. We were a pretty low volume 3-point shooting team, so we got to get some guys to take a few more threes."

Finch recognizes they still haven’t figured out how to make this two big experiment work. Finch’s latest theory is “more structure” so “the two bigs stay out of each other’s way.” If they figure that out, the Wolves could win 54 games. If they don’t, then I’m feeling pretty good about my 44 win projection.

Yes, it will be interesting to see if the added structure leads to more efficient shot attempts (corner 3s and dunks). I've said this a bunch in prior posts, but Utah was a top 10 offense in the three seasons prior to Rudy's trade to the Wolves. And Conley was his PG in those years! If you think of Ant as a proxy for Mitchell, we basically have 3/5ths of the Utah starting 5 during those years + Jaden + KAT for God's sake! I mean, if Finch and his staff can't figure out how to be an above average offense with that group, then it's on them.

[Crazysauce]

I am going take 55. Ant takes a leap this year. Jadrn gets better. Rudy seems better. Probably too optimistic but I will go with it.

[Leado01]

I like that we have some tougher match-ups earlier in the season.

I didn't feel like there was any sense of urgency early last season in part because we played a lot of crappy teams in those first 10 games.

I also kind of agree with Lip on "identity," but disagree in that I do see a physically tougher defensive team on the floor this year lead by ANT.

The West will be tough, but I do see 48 wins and at least a series win in the playoffs.

48