I guess this is just the DNA of this team. Look like garbage one night, look like a top 10 team the next night.
Learn to love the rollercoaster!
Mike
Pretty much as expected actually. The only teams that win on bad nights are the top ones. This team is what it is - capable of winning somewhere between about 40 to 48 games - dependent on a lot of factors. They're about depth and coaching. And any team that relies on the 3 the way they do - without a bunch of what you'd call great shooters - is going to be up and down.
East is a little better I think than some thought so winning 47 to 48 may be a bit tougher than some of us thought.
I'll disagree. Last year Cs lost a lot of close games early and with IT coming on board they started winning those, This year they're inconsistent, but they're consistently beating good teams, They need to learn to be more consistent in their effort, especially on defense.
The best indicator of success is average margin of victory and they're 6th best in the NBA. Last year their MOV was +0.2 and this year it's +4.5 which if you look at the last 4 years gets you to 50+ wins easily. I think they'll get better, get their fair share of second half tanking gifts, and better handle the injuries every team gets given their depth. I don't know if they'll get there, but the indications are more positive than not even if the short-term rollercoaster results drive you and me nuts.
The margin of victory number is encouraging. That has me a little bit intrigued. But this team lacks consistent shooting and on the nights where the 3 isn't falling, they really struggle. No team can consistently give a max effort every night. Otherwise they burn out. And they're not good enough to win on the nights where the defense isn't there. Combine the 2 and they can lose to even the worst teams (i.e. Brooklyn and they should have lost to Philly).
I like this team a lot, but I also don't think they're a guarantee to make the playoffs. All of the teams above them save for maybe Charlotte have more talent, and the East is better overall this season.
And if you look behind them, Orlando has more star power, and Detroit and the Knicks may actually be very close. The Knicks have 2 guys who are better than anyone on our roster, so don't write them off.
I don't think they're winning 50. Maybe with this team vs last year's East - but the conference is much better overall right now.