Somebody had to start this thread...Playoffs?

[Monster]

When I watch this team it feels like I am watching a playoff team. They can finish in the 4th quarter that's what separates the playoff teams form the others. They just sorta ho hum beat a very good vet team in Atlanta with mostly the bench including Rudez. I don't know how Sam and his staff don't deserve some credit for how these guys have played. Martin is playing D guys come to play and there is a feeling that guys are really pulling for each other. It's been a long time I felt the Wolves had this sort of thing going for them. It's really great. I hope they keep it up its been fantastic.

[thedoper]

When I watch this team it feels like I am watching a playoff team. They can finish in the 4th quarter that's what separates the playoff teams form the others. They just sorta ho hum beat a very good vet team in Atlanta with mostly the bench including Rudez. I don't know how Sam and his staff don't deserve some credit for how these guys have played. Martin is playing D guys come to play and there is a feeling that guys are really pulling for each other. It's been a long time I felt the Wolves had this sort of thing going for them. It's really great. I hope they keep it up its been fantastic.

I guess its been since KG left. Such a great mentor.

[Porckchop]

I do feel like the mockery of mentorship has subsided quite a bit.

[Tactical unit]

I do feel like the mockery of mentorship has subsided quite a bit.

I think the mockers from last year realize mentorship is a real thing and of extreme value when you have good mentors.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Mentoring exists, sure, but the amount of value and credit this board gives it is still ridiculous. On-court production is what matters.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

20% of the season behind us now and still in the playoff hunt...currently tied for the 6th spot and just a game out of home court advantage! And unlike previous years, this squad is learning to win without Rubio...Ricky has missed 5 of the first 16 games (and half of the Atlanta game), but the team refuses to fold. As Tim mentioned in the GDT, yesterday was the first of 12 consecutive games against teams with losing records (although the Clippers are in their twice and they are .500 now), and only 1 BTB in that stretch. That said, there are some tough matchups in the next month and a .500 record may be the result...I'll tee up another poll after we get finish the 18-game poll.

With 20% of the season completed, we're beginning to see the true nature of our competition. It's clear that the East is much stronger than it has been recently, and that's going to make a playoff run more likely. It's also clear that some teams are not as strong as we thought they were going to be (Pelicans, Rockets and maybe the Clippers). I now see us competing with 7 teams for the final 5 playoff spots...a much more attractive position than my last update. Here are my three tiers right now:

Sure playoff team: Warriors, Spurs, OkC

In the hunt: Wolves, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Rockets, Jazz, Clippers (something's wrong in LA), and Suns

Little to no chance: Nuggets, Trailblazers, Kings, Pelicans, Lakers.

Tough matchup Sunday in LA, and I'm thinking we most probably lose that one...but I think we will know a lot more about who we are after that game.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Utah is one of the teams I see us battling with for the final playoffs spots, and they got some very bad news today...Gobert sprained his MCL in practice and is out indefinitely. Tough break for the Jazz, but helpful for the Wolves.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

With almost a quarter of the season completed, it's becoming more and more clear that there has been a massive power shift since last year from the west to the east. If the Cavs hold on to beat the Pelicans, the East will be 10 games ahead of the West. And it's trending even worse for the West...only 3 teams in the West (Warriors, spurs and Grizzlies) have a winning record in the past 10 games, while 9 of the 15 East teams have winning records.

For the past several years, Western teams needed a win total in the mid to upper 40s to make the playoffs, while Eastern teams were getting in with less than 40 wins. This year the situation is reversed, and the current 8th place Rockets project to win only 37 games (the Wolves are on a 36-win pace). The much weaker West plus the probability that the young Wolves should improve more than other more veteran teams as the season progresses are two reasons this thread should be alive for a long time, and perhaps the entire season. The Wolves need to stay healthy and learn to win at home, but there is compelling evidence that we have a playoff contender for the first time in a long while.

[TAFKASP]

With almost a quarter of the season completed, it's becoming more and more clear that there has been a massive power shift since last year from the west to the east. If the Cavs hold on to beat the Pelicans, the East will be 10 games ahead of the West. And it's trending even worse for the West...only 3 teams in the West (Warriors, spurs and Grizzlies) have a winning record in the past 10 games, while 9 of the 15 East teams have winning records.

For the past several years, Western teams needed a win total in the mid to upper 40s to make the playoffs, while Eastern teams were getting in with less than 40 wins. This year the situation is reversed, and the current 8th place Rockets project to win only 37 games (the Wolves are on a 36-win pace). The much weaker West plus the probability that the young Wolves should improve more than other more veteran teams as the season progresses are two reasons this thread should be alive for a long time, and perhaps the entire season. The Wolves need to stay healthy and learn to win at home, but there is compelling evidence that we have a playoff contender for the first time in a long while.

The only thing surprising about the East overtaking the West is that the Wolves weren't moved to the East before it began!

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Just three weeks ago we voted in a poll about the Wolves' playoff chances, but the team has been awful ever since. I would guess everyone except the one guy who voted "no chance" would downgrade their vote today. And yet 30 games into the season we still find ourselves just 2 games out of the playoffs, and the (maybe) 7 teams battling for that final playoff spot are all terrible. Utah currently owns the 8th spot, but they are struggling without Gobert and project to end the season with 35 wins. I expect them to be very cautious with Gobert's knee, so he may not help them much this year. And then there's Phoenix, who lost at home last night to a Philly team playing without Okafor. There are no good teams in the hunt for the 8th spot, and the "no good" Wolves fit right in!