Okay, I admit that teeing up this thread is probably an overreaction to coming off two road wins against top 4 West teams, but the West will be tight again and we have some talent on our roster...so let's evaluate where we are.
Until Luka got hurt, it certainly seemed like OkC, Memphis, Dallas and Houston were the likely top 4. But despite Dallas winning last night (a let's try harder reaction to losing Luka), I think Dallas is going to rapidly fall out of the top 4 in the next two months...leaving an opening for a team that wants that coveted home court advantage. The Wolves are currently 6th...only 3 1/2 out of 4th, but also only a game out of falling out of the play in. You could make a case for almost any of the teams currently 5th through 11th ending up 4th (well, perhaps not the Spurs), but I would argue the Wolves have almost as good a chance as any of them. A win Sunday against the Spurs is critical with OkC and Boston coming after that, but then the schedule gets easier. The Wolves need to stay healthy and build on what we have seen the past two games, and prove that we are contenders for the top 4.
Playoffs discussion
Re: Playoffs discussion
Umm.. Yeah. You are getting ahead of yourself, FNG!
We really need to get past the trade deadline. Then we'll see what team rosters look like, and some separation in the standings will have a chance to congeal.
But as long as you brought it up - Memphis and Houston have the toughest remaining strength of schedule! OKC will be tough for anyone to catch, but the rest of the field is wide open for any team that gets their act together and starts winning consistently. And, yes, the Wolves need to continue showing their improvement is real. That means beating San Antonio at home, and maybe even winning one of those game against OKC and Boston.
The Wolves defense came around as we approached the 20-game mark. Hopefully the 30-game mark brings an improving offense.
We really need to get past the trade deadline. Then we'll see what team rosters look like, and some separation in the standings will have a chance to congeal.
But as long as you brought it up - Memphis and Houston have the toughest remaining strength of schedule! OKC will be tough for anyone to catch, but the rest of the field is wide open for any team that gets their act together and starts winning consistently. And, yes, the Wolves need to continue showing their improvement is real. That means beating San Antonio at home, and maybe even winning one of those game against OKC and Boston.
The Wolves defense came around as we approached the 20-game mark. Hopefully the 30-game mark brings an improving offense.
Re: Playoffs discussion
Aha, I got you to participate even though I'm getting ahead of myself!60WinTim wrote: ↑Sat Dec 28, 2024 10:23 am Umm.. Yeah. You are getting ahead of yourself, FNG!
We really need to get past the trade deadline. Then we'll see what team rosters look like, and some separation in the standings will have a chance to congeal.
But as long as you brought it up - Memphis and Houston have the toughest remaining strength of schedule! OKC will be tough for anyone to catch, but the rest of the field is wide open for any team that gets their act together and starts winning consistently. And, yes, the Wolves need to continue showing their improvement is real. That means beating San Antonio at home, and maybe even winning one of those game against OKC and Boston.
The Wolves defense came around as we approached the 20-game mark. Hopefully the 30-game mark brings an improving offense.
Yeah, the next three games are critical. Win 1 out of three, and we are what we thought we were. Win zero out of three, and this board might go dormant (except for KG
).But win 2 out of 3, and I predict this thread will become active!!!
Re: Playoffs discussion
I just took a peek at the standings and the west teams seeded 3-8 are all 6-4 in their last 10. Last year was a dog fight in the West and this year is shaping up to be that X10. Teams that can avoid the play in and go into the playoffs healthy will be happy about it.
Re: Playoffs discussion
It is indeed a dogfight, but OKC seems to be the class of the West. And they have been without arguably their 2nd or 3rd best player in Chet Holmgren! Just amazing.
We learned last year from Boston that when a team has this dominant of a regular season, then it's pretty likely they are the favorites to win their conference. I don't really see anyone taking down OKC in the West, barring injuries.
As for the Wolves, I think we need to just keep hanging around and staying healthy. I don't see us being good enough to beat OKC in a 7-game series, but it would be nice to win at least one playoff series this year. May be Finch finally found some lineup combinations that can produce enough offense to compete against the big boys. We just have to play better on our home floor and that starts tonight!
We learned last year from Boston that when a team has this dominant of a regular season, then it's pretty likely they are the favorites to win their conference. I don't really see anyone taking down OKC in the West, barring injuries.
As for the Wolves, I think we need to just keep hanging around and staying healthy. I don't see us being good enough to beat OKC in a 7-game series, but it would be nice to win at least one playoff series this year. May be Finch finally found some lineup combinations that can produce enough offense to compete against the big boys. We just have to play better on our home floor and that starts tonight!
Re: Playoffs discussion
Don't look now but the Wolves have won 9 of their last 13... and every team they beat is .500 or better
Re: Playoffs discussion
But we are not out of the woods! The tough stretch was 15 games, not 13. 2 more to go against the Thunder and Celtics. If we don't think the Wolves are a top 4 team in the league just, yet, then we'll wind up 9-6 over those 15 games, which still isn't bad, and above expectations after the home loss to the Kings and ANT's "soft" comments.
Re: Playoffs discussion
I guess it's good that most West teams are .500 or better!
