Analysis of the schedule ahead

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

True, but the Loves and the Wilsons couldn't be any more different. The Wilsons are crazy too, for sure, but in a much nicer way than Papa Stan and Uncle Mike. The combination is probably what made the Beach Boys so successful...Brian's genius combined with Mike's drive to succeed. Kevin is a Love through and through, and it contributes to his success and his quirkiness.

[JasonIsDaMan [enjin:7981157]]

I'm not arguing. I'm just saying that when you have a cousin who doesn't get out of bed for 5 years, you would expect him to be the top of the list instead of barely cracking the top five.

One of the things that shaped the Wilsons is the daddy of Brian/Dennis/Carl was an absolute maniac. There are tapes of him screaming at the Beach Boys during recording sessions. No idea if posted online.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

So the tough 10 game stretch that Mstermisty posted here has actually become 9 since the San Antonio game was rescheduled. We are now 2-1 in the first three games. Here are the next six:

@SAS
@MEM
@Bos
vs. Port
@LAL
@LAC

I think the only two games I give us no chance in are @SAS and @LAC. I know we have traditionally played both teams tough, but I don't care, I'm just going to assume those are losses. @MEM, @BOS, @LAL, and vs. Port are all winnable. Not easy, but winnable. If we can even take just two out of those five, I will be happy, because then we enter a 13 game stretch that might be the softest of our entire season. Plus Bud and Turiaf should be back and near full strength by then.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

So the tough 10 game stretch that Mstermisty posted here has actually become 9 since the San Antonio game was rescheduled. We are now 2-1 in the first three games. Here are the next six:

@SAS
@MEM
@Bos
vs. Port
@LAL
@LAC

I think the only two games I give us no chance in are @SAS and @LAC. I know we have traditionally played both teams tough, but I don't care, I'm just going to assume those are losses. @MEM, @BOS, @LAL, and vs. Port are all winnable. Not easy, but winnable. If we can even take just two out of those five, I will be happy, because then we enter a 13 game stretch that might be the softest of our entire season. Plus Bud and Turiaf should be back and near full strength by then.

I think we beat Memphis, the Lakers and Portland. If we do, we finish this segment 5-4...much better than my expectations.

Portland is playing really well, but their game against us will be their 4th in 5 nights, all on the road in cold weather cities. They'll be exhausted and thinking about getting home for Christmas. Schedule finally works in our favor!

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Yeah, I almost put Portland in the "no way will we win that" category along with LAC and SAS. Portland has our number over the past couple of seasons, so I'm not real confident about that one. But you bring up a good point about their schedule.

[maelstrom11 [enjin:6599701]]

I am curious as to how many of you feel a slightly above .500 record will be enough to convince Love to stay in Minny. My personal thought is that he is leaving unless this team shows that it has a chance at a top 4 seeding. I don't see that as a possibility anymore.

The expectations have clearly dropped significantly as many were predicting 50 wins for this team. I think low 40's is now our upside.

Crazy statement SJM about only getting low 40s for wins. I'd love to see who we are losing games too once the schedule turns easy. I'm predicting we still hit 50 wins.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I am curious as to how many of you feel a slightly above .500 record will be enough to convince Love to stay in Minny. My personal thought is that he is leaving unless this team shows that it has a chance at a top 4 seeding. I don't see that as a possibility anymore.

The expectations have clearly dropped significantly as many were predicting 50 wins for this team. I think low 40's is now our upside.

Crazy statement SJM about only getting low 40s for wins. I'd love to see who we are losing games too once the schedule turns easy. I'm predicting we still hit 50 wins.

I don't understand why SJM's statement is crazy.

They are a .500 team. They have not shown any ability to be better than that for a decade. The promise of hope era is over. I have to see actual on-court results before I give this organization the benefit of the doubt. So, making an assumption that the team can win at a 65% clip for an extended stretch, which has only happened a couple of times in franchise history, seems like the "crazier" prediction to me.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Me:

Good post. I see us going 6-4 during the next 10. Wins against Det, Phi, Mem, Bos, Por and Lal. If we could steal another somewhere in there (San Antonio? Maybe we get hot from 3) and go 7-3, that would be brilliant. Those of you that are looking at who I picked us to beat, let me break down the two you're probably questioning. Memphis will be without Marc Gasol more than likely. If you don't think that's a big deal, you're wrong. Portland will be playing the second game of a back to back and it's in Target Center. Have to give the Wolves the edge in both games. Obviously the games still have to be played and even though it looks decent on paper, we know how that goes.

Next 10 could be real, real nice. Possibly win all of those except San Antonio. On the other hand, I could see us losing a couple games due to poor shooting or fatigue. I'll look more closely when the time comes.

So far, I'm right on the money. Hopefully we cap off the B2B sweep tomorrow against Boston.

[mjs34]

So the tough 10 game stretch that Mstermisty posted here has actually become 9 since the San Antonio game was rescheduled. We are now 2-1 in the first three games. Here are the next six:

@SAS
@MEM
@Bos
vs. Port
@LAL
@LAC

I think the only two games I give us no chance in are @SAS and @LAC. I know we have traditionally played both teams tough, but I don't care, I'm just going to assume those are losses. @MEM, @BOS, @LAL, and vs. Port are all winnable. Not easy, but winnable. If we can even take just two out of those five, I will be happy, because then we enter a 13 game stretch that might be the softest of our entire season. Plus Bud and Turiaf should be back and near full strength by then.

I think we beat Memphis, the Lakers and Portland. If we do, we finish this segment 5-4...much better than my expectations.

Portland is playing really well, but their game against us will be their 4th in 5 nights, all on the road in cold weather cities. They'll be exhausted and thinking about getting home for Christmas. Schedule finally works in our favor!

I may be wrong, but didn't Portland come into target center last year at the end of a ridiculous stretch of games and beat us? I don't think we match up against them very well, and for some reason Mathews usually destroys us, so I think that is almost surely a loss. Boston should be a win, but I think it is likely we drop the next three.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Dammit, sjm...stop destroying my perfect logic! I just looked it up , and they beat us last year on January 5 in the same scenario...4th road game in 5 nights. I will add though that our starting five that night was Pek, Dante, AK, Shved and Luke, and they still only beat us by 5. I still say we blow them away on Wednesday.

But I got admit...good rebittal :thumb: