Let's Make the Playoffs! & The State of the Opposition

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#1
Time to lift those eyes up off the ground a bit.

Here is the rarest and most unlikely of all Kingsfans threads -- a let's make the playoffs thread past the midpoint of December. Normally we're a couple of weeks from talking draft picks and having people drift off from the board about this time of year. Instead, this is happening:



-- Of the bottom 11 teams in the Western Conference, only 1 team, Houston, has gained ground on us in the last 10 games, and we just beat Houston.

-- We've gained ground on every one of the bottom 7 teams in the Conference in the last 10 games,

-- Of the 9 teams within shouting distance of the #5-#8 spots, we are one of only 2 teams that won its last game. The other? Mike Malone's Denver Nuggets, who are also riding a 3-game win streak, and who are currently sitting in the #8 seed spot that we want.

-- Dallas and Memphis are old and mediocre, Houston is a mess who have already fired their coach and may have Howard problems again, Denver's a mediocre team lacking stars, Portland only has 2 guys, both guards, Phoenix's Markieff problem has jumped up and bit them, Minnesota is young or decrepit, with little in between, Utah is struggling to win without Gobert, and New Orleans dug itself a huge hole and is still teetering on the edge of done.

-- While I wish Coach Malone nothing but the best in most of his endeavors, unfortunately for him because of the actions of a couple of idiots, we've got one of these, and he does not:




NEXT 5 GAMES:
DEN: @UTH, NOH, LAL, @PHX, @SAN
UTH: DEN, PHX, @GSW, LAC, PHI
PHX: NOH, MIL, @UTH, DEN, PHI
POR: @ORL, @MIA, @ATL, @NOH, CLE
SAC: @MIN, @TOR, @WSH, @IND, POR
MIN: SAC, @BKN, @BOS, SAN, IND
 
I

Im Still Ballin

Guest
#2
NEXT 5 GAMES PREDICTION:
Denver: L, L, W, L, L (1-4)
Utah: W, W, L, L, W (3-2)
Phoenix: L, W, L, W, W (3-2)
Portland: L, L, L, W, L (1-4)
Sacramento: W, L, W, L, W (3-2)
Minnesota: L, W, L, L, L (1-4)

Denver, Minnesota and Portland will fall back, Sacramento, Phoenix and Utah will go forward

This is on my belief that the Pelicans are playing up to their capabilities, and the eastern conference maintains their early season reputation

Also that picture is the condition of leanness we need Cousins in. Should get there as the season goes on.
 
#6
If I understood the game rules correctly from the previous posters, then I should now say that we're going to go 6 W, -1 L in the next 5 games and we'll be 16-14 afterwards, 2 games above .500, right?
 
#7
NEXT 5 GAMES:
DEN: @UTH, NOH, LAL, @PHX, @SAN
4-1 (12-18 overall)
UTH: DEN, PHX, @GSW, LAC, PHI
1-4 (11-18 overall)
PHX: NOH, MIL, @UTH, DEN, PHI
3-2 (14-18 overall)
POR: @ORL, @MIA, @ATL, @NOH, CLE
1-4 (11-16 overall)
SAC: @MIN, @TOR, @WSH, @IND, POR
5-0 (15-15 overall)
MIN: SAC, @BKN, @BOS, SAN, IND
1-4 (10- 20 overall)

That would put their standings like this (if my win percentages are correct):
8th Kings
9th Suns
10th Nuggets
11th Blazers
12th Jazz
13th Timberwolves
 
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#9
Just for fun and because they are only 1 game ahead of Denver in 7th, I am putting the Rockets schedule on here:
@LAL, LAC, CHA, @ORL, SAN

I could see them going 3-2 or even 2-3
That would make them 14-17 or 13-18.

Therefore, with a 4-1 or 5-0 road trip, the Kings could even move to 7th much less 8th.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#10
Cousins said it perfectly in his most recent post game interview. The Kings have been down this road too many times before where they win 3 or 4 games in a row and then falter right away as soon as they hit the road or something of those sorts. This road trip will be telling for us fans because they have some games they should and CAN win and there will probably be a game or two in there where they will lose and we didn't expect it. I can't believe Denver is the 8th seed right now...my oh my how times have changed.
 
#12
We honestly need to start winning some Western Conference games.. 4-11 is freaking horrible.

If we tied someone for 8th seed, we'd lose out.

This works the same way as the NFL correct? If a tie happens, conference wins will determine who goes forward..
 
#15
Crazy that .500 probably gets you into the 7th seed this year. With the exception of Houston who I think will do a combination of figuring it out/bailed out by the NBA I'm not too worried about anybody under the 4 seed.
 
#18
There's no way in hell Denver and Dallas gets in. IMO, its going to be a dog fight for the last two spots between Sacramento, Utah, Pheonix, and New Orleans. IMO, we have the better players and coach, but that doesn't mean crap on paper.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#20
If we do get in...

that means our team figured it out. It also means that some unlucky bastards are facing DMC in the first round of the final year of Arco Arena. Good f'ing luck.
I think more than anything it means that you no longer need to win 50 games in the Western Conference and that's a good thing for the Kings since they haven't done so in a very long time. If they want to make the playoffs, this is the season to do it...who knows how long before the West will be back on top again.
 
I

Im Still Ballin

Guest
#21
Kings will make the 8

Cousins will lose 5-10 pounds

We'll take the Warriors to 6 games

We'll resign Rondo
 
#25
We'll v the Spurs taking the 7th seed. I'd be fine with the Warriors and the 8th seed. We can beat them but in both instances Karl will need to tweak his philosophy for us to do so which may be an issue in itself.
 
K

KingMilz

Guest
#26
Everytime we have made one of these type of threads (hope threads) they normally backfire so hopefully doing this does the reverse jinx
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#28
Everytime we have made one of these type of threads (hope threads) they normally backfire so hopefully doing this does the reverse jinx
A trend I have noted myself, and why I have (wisely as it turned out) held off on making this one. Just once I would like this team to seize the bull by its horns, say "hey, we're really a good team' and go out on a trip like this and serve notice. Just once. Not squeak out a win, or come close, but just once make it happen the way that every other team in the NBA does from time to time.
 
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