Comments on: BBR Rankings: 2010-01-08 http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380 NBA & ABA Basketball Statistics & History Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:56:04 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6 By: Jake from Jump Higher http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380&cpage=1#comment-14063 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:21:05 +0000 http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380#comment-14063 Wow, New Jersey is so bad this year ... maybe without Vince Carter. Hope Cleveland and Lakers will meet in the finals.

]]> By: Rich Rifkin http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380&cpage=1#comment-14039 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:05:45 +0000 http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380#comment-14039 Neil, I understand that and don't question your list. The Kings' mounting losses (including a lot of them at home) necessitated a drop in the rankings ... by the numbers. (By the way ... I love your blog entries. Great job.)

My lone point is that, watching Sacramento lately play very competitively with the best teams in the NBA, I think going forward they will start winning and thus earn a higher spot in the rankings (say in the next 5 weeks).

After a home game tomorrow with Orlando, which I suspect will be yet another close, could go either way contest, the Kings hit the road for 6 games.

Two of those road games will be against Atlanta and Orlando, both in your top 8; two are against Miami and Charlotte, middle-rung team ranked better than Sacramento; and two are with Philly and Washington, both now lower-ranked than the Kings.

The Kings have been bad on the road, 3-13. That is not too surprising for a young, below-average ballclub. Yet, if my contention that the Kings have really improved, despite losing a lot lately, is true, they should start winning some close games, including road games. If they go 0-6, 1-5 on their road trip, I would take that as evidence that my contention is wrong or premature. But I think they should win at least 3 of those games, doubling their road-win total for the season in a week and a half.

]]> By: Neil Paine http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380&cpage=1#comment-14037 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:36:50 +0000 http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380#comment-14037 Rich, these rankings aren't meant to be predictive. The team is being judged here primarily on past wins and losses, with adjustments made for who they played and the location of the game. The Kings fell three spots because they lost 3 times between Jan 1 and Jan 7, twice at home (albeit against 3 top-5 teams). It has nothing to do with whether they're on the precipice of getting better, or how many young players they're playing. These rankings are retrodictive, and only concerned with whether you won or lost in the past.

]]> By: kevin http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380&cpage=1#comment-14035 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:53:43 +0000 http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380#comment-14035 "Incidentally, we should probably do a post on that sometime -- "most injured teams ever"... "

That's easy- the Clippers. Pick any year you want.

]]> By: Rich Rifkin http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380&cpage=1#comment-14033 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:55:21 +0000 http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380#comment-14033 I'm sure the numbers, when you're not watching them play, back up your contention that the Kings are falling. However, oddly enough, seeing them play every game, the Kings are really on the precipice of getting much better and winning a lot more. They lost every close game for a few weeks, 3 of them going to overtime, one to double OT. But they finally won one of those last night, beating Denver. My sense is that when Kevin Martin comes back in a week or two, they will be able to play above .500 ball the rest of the season. I'm not saying Sacramento will be world beaters. I don't think they will sniff the 8th seed, this year. But wins should start coming for them, including more road wins. They must be the youngest team in the NBA, based on minutes played. Look at the age and years in the league of their 5 players getting the most minutes:

Jason Thompson, 23, 1
Tyreke Evans, 20, R
Beno Udrih, 27, 5
Omri Casspi, 21, R
Spencer Hawes, 21, 2

Does any other NBA team start 4 players 23 and under? Does any other team start 2 rookies? Does any other team start a frontline as young as the Kings?

Beyond the youth leading them in minutes, the Kings are giving more and more time of late to a third rookie, Jon Brockman. Part of the reason it seems to me the Kings will win more as the season progresses -- besides just getting back their best two returning players from last season, K-Mart and Francisco Garcia -- is that all of these youngsters are learning. In Paul Westphal, the Kings have a decent coach who is teaching them.

]]> By: Neil Paine http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380&cpage=1#comment-14021 Sat, 09 Jan 2010 18:20:49 +0000 http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380#comment-14021 Incidentally, we should probably do a post on that sometime -- "most injured teams ever"... Tough to find man games lost to injury, though.

]]> By: Ian http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380&cpage=1#comment-14018 Sat, 09 Jan 2010 10:27:25 +0000 http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380#comment-14018 It's amazing how well Portland is hanging in there in spite of all of their injuries. I'm just hazarding a guess here, but this version of the Blazers may be one of the most injured teams in recent history!

]]> By: Dave http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380&cpage=1#comment-14017 Sat, 09 Jan 2010 07:53:37 +0000 http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380#comment-14017 Aren't the Nets on pace for the worst season ever?

]]> By: Neil Paine http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380&cpage=1#comment-14007 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:27:52 +0000 http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380#comment-14007 I'll have to run them for older seasons as well. I wonder just how historically bad the Nets are. Right now they have the 6th worst SRS in league history.

]]> By: DSMok1 http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380&cpage=1#comment-14005 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:18:13 +0000 http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=4380#comment-14005 These rankings are really rounding into shape now. Looks good, top to bottom!

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