Where Do The Raptors Rank In The East?

[Demographic Shift]

Well, obviously, the Raptors are maybe a little better for 10-12 minutes a game when Middleton sits. But the Bucks are better (and probably more than a little better) for the other 36-38 when he plays... so hard to call that a draw.

Again.. mileage will vary by poster...

I see them as better than what the Bucks put on the floor for those 14 minutes when Kris sits than you and others do. . and I see the gap not being as wide between the Raps and Bucks on the wings when he is on the floor with Hill or Bledsoe..

In aggregate its closer for me than yourself or golden see it...
Fair..
We can point fingers when the games get played.

EDIT... Still on MarnerWatch.

[DanH]

Again.. mileage will vary by poster...

I see them as better than what the Bucks put on the floor for those 14 minutes when Kris sits than you and others do. . and I see the gap not being as wide between the Raps and Bucks on the wings when he is on the floor with Hill or Bledsoe..

In aggregate its closer for me than yourself or golden see it...
Fair..
We can point fingers when the games get played.

EDIT... Still on MarnerWatch.

For the math to work out in your favour, the Raptors' bench wings need to be better than the Bucks' bench wings by 3 times the amount the Bucks' starting wings are better than the Raptors' starting wings.

[G__Deane]

For the math to work out in your favour, the Raptors' bench wings need to be better than the Bucks' bench wings by 3 times the amount the Bucks' starting wings are better than the Raptors' starting wings.

[Quirk]

There are actually 10 kinds of people in the world.
Those that understand binary, and those that don't

[G__Deane]

There are actually 10 kinds of people in the world.
Those that understand binary, and those that don't

But there's only one NBA Champion!

[Shaolin Fantastic]

If we had Middleton at the 2 instead of Norm, McCaw, etc (whatever assortment of players we will use at that position), I'd be pretty damn confident about us getting a top 3 seed. The guy isn't a star but he's elite at what he does, would be a way better version of Danny Green, and the Raptors were a pretty nasty regular season team without Kawhi with Green at the 2 (and no OG).

Lowry-Middleton-OG-Siakam-Gasol with FVV, Ibaka and co. off the bench would be nasty.

4 quarters don't equal a dollar in the NBA.

[golden]

[slaw]

Shorter ESPN: We emailed a survey to hundreds of NBA coaches, executives and scouts and 20 (?!) got back to us by our deadline. Here is a list of the boxes checked by the 20 random respondents in the 8 seconds they thought about this while they walked their dogs.

[Demographic Shift]

For the math to work out in your favour, the Raptors' bench wings need to be better than the Bucks' bench wings by 3 times the amount the Bucks' starting wings are better than the Raptors' starting wings.

Its not all about math when assessing sports Dan...
If it was.. there would never be an upset....math as pure science would preclude it.

Sports... all of them... are simply littered with upsets.


Still no news on Marner Watch.. though the Leafs just bought another 5M in cap sapce by reacquriing David Clarkson.... who will do more for the Leafs on Long Term IR than he did on the ice while he was here.

[Demographic Shift]

The Magic

The Magic fought their way into the playoffs last year by going 22 and 9 ( 700 ball) in a post January epiphany. That is pretty damn good by anyones standard. They took a haymaker to the temple from the Raps in the first round but the Magic will pop back up this coming season.

The band is back intact. Their two prize rooks Bamba and Issac are a year more into the league. Ross and Vuc can will still score and Aaron Gordon can hit jimmys now as well as win dunk contests. So why are they at 7 ? Well they still haven’t fixed the hole at PG. DJ Augustine will again start on the point for the Magic…. Except… wait for it.. there is a rustling in the brush line by the camp fire … Will Markele Fultz come out of witness protection and turn the Magic into this years where the fuck did those guys come from team .

Time will tell but Fultz has been working on his game and at least at this writing is expected to open camp with the Magic. This corner is really pulling for Markele to show on at the NBA level what made him a consenus top 3 pick in his draft year.

The Magic look good at the 5 spot with Vuc back and Bamba learning the ropes. The incredibly serviceable Kehm Birch is 3 on the depth chart but if Bamba struggles can provide more than enough backfill.

At the 4 they sport Aaron Gordon and NBA vet Al Farouk Aminu who gives them depth and bona fide rotation player.

On the wing the now veteran Evan Fournier of the bad man bun haircut is back as is TRoss. Ross is a bona fide rotation player who can hit 3’s at a respectable rate. They drafted an athlete out of Auburn Chuma Okeke who is unlikely to play till late in the year as he blew his knee out in the NCAA tourney this past March. Still they look good here too.

On the point is DJ Augustine.. The Magic did nothing in the off season to bolster this position so maybe they are just waiting to unleash Fultz or they are as dumb as rocks as the backup is Micheal Carter Williams.

The man with the baton conducting the orchestra is the very good and respected Steve Clifford.

This is one of my choices as a team to come out of nowhere. Jeff Weltman much like his former running mate in Toronto Masai Ujiri has built a deep team. No super stars yet but a deep team with the possibility of a star emerging in Fultz.

Watch these guys....

Next up: The Heat. .. The Heat have been tabbed by 538 to finish 4th in the East this year. Yet another reason why pure math and analytics still have a bit to go.

[DanH]

Its not all about math when assessing sports Dan...
If it was.. there would never be an upset....math as pure science would preclude it.

Sports... all of them... are simply littered with upsets.


Still no news on Marner Watch.. though the Leafs just bought another 5M in cap sapce by reacquriing David Clarkson.... who will do more for the Leafs on Long Term IR than he did on the ice while he was here.

That's just... literally how the world works. I'm not making any predictions here - you are the one saying the Raptors bench wings will be so much better than the Bucks bench wings that it will completely wash out them having Middleton as their best wing.

Clarkson doesn't really buy the Leafs any more cap space. Just lets them use it after the season starts, where before they had to have Marner signed beforehand.

[DanH]

Next up: The Heat. .. The Heat have been tabbed by 538 to finish 4th in the East this year. Yet another reason why pure math and analytics still have a bit to go.

Using 538's methods doesn't mean math and analytics have to go, it means your choice of whose math and analytics to pay attention to is a problem.

[G__Deane]

All I see is recency bias....except for the Raps of course

[golden]

All I see is recency bias....except for the Raps of course

Lebron and Steph went to 4 & 5 straight NBA Finals and yet they are nowhere in sight.

[G__Deane]

Lebron and Steph went to 4 & 5 straight NBA Finals and yet they are nowhere in sight.

I just don't see the Clippers as the overwhelming favourite to rep the West. At least 5 teams have a shot there.
I said early last season that GS wouldn't win the finals despite being massive favourites and actually figured someone somehow would knock them off before the finals. All dynasties must end.

I'm hoping the Nuggets or Jazz or Blazers rep the West this year....just because. Toronto or Pacers in the East