RPM is garbage.
It is though the actual order of teams in the standings seems fairly reasonable.
The order (from your OP) doesn’t seem crazy, although fifth seems a bit low. I’d be shocked if we only went 39-33, though. Give me the over.
They had Boston at 39.3, Philadelphia at 39.4, and Miami at 39.9 such that with the adjustment due to Kemba missing time, Boston went from 3rd to 5th. They only had Milwaukee winning 44.5, which seems really low for a team that has won at a 60 win pace for two seasons and seemingly got better. They had Toronto at 43.7. The other East playoff teams were Brooklyn and Indiana both at 38.9 and Atlanta at 36.
Here is what they say about Boston.
5. Boston Celtics
Average wins: 39.3
Playoffs: 89%*
The Celtics surely will miss Gordon Hayward, whose departure leaves the team with just one reserve (young center Robert Williams III) with an RPM projection better than league average. Still, Boston's starting five is strong enough to lift the Celtics to the top of a crowded second tier in the East projections.
*Update: The news that Kemba Walker won't return to game action until January at the earliest cost Boston a little more than a projected win and dropped the Celtics behind Miami and Philadelphia on average. This update is not yet factored into simulations, and Boston's playoff probability will drop when it is.
The West didn't seem to crazy either for the projected order either. The playoff teams (in order) Lakers, Clippers, Rockets, Jazz, Nuggets, Mavericks, Pelicans, and Suns. The Blazers were in 9th but very close to the Suns. They had the Warriors at 14 out west (though at 31.2 wins), which seems low even for someone like me that thinks the loss of Klay was devastating for them.
Topic: ESPN's RPM based standing projection (Read 1767 times)