2014-2015 Raptors Power Rankings

[S.R.]

that record is against winning teams. obviously NONE of the wins we've gotten in our own division count towards it.

Exactly. "We're 33-15, there's nothing wrong with the coach/defense/players" is a problem when you're the only +.500 team in your division.

The Raptors are good, they're better than last year, they have a bright future, they have a good GM. All beside the only point being raised here, that the nice W/L record is a limited counter-argument to criticisms because it's inflated a bit in the same way Mike James getting 20 ppg on a bad team means less than Lowry getting 20 ppg on a good team. Both 20 ppg, but context changes everything.

Also, it's one thing to say the Raptors are fine in the current stage of their development (which I think is what you're saying) while acknowledging there's a lot more development to come to get to the next level. It's another thing to say the Raptors are fine just because they're 33-15.

[S.R.]

unless you think we're supposed to be good as golden state, the stat is FINE.

we're a team that made the playoffs just ONCE in the past forever, and all of a sudden we're supposed to be some elite team that should be able to beat all the best teams in the league? come on.

the best team in the east thats performing against greater than .500 teams is atlanta who are basically playing like the best team in the league right now.

outside of that, its chicago and they're only 13-10. thats not exactly elite looking. we have a better record against winning teams than washington and cleveland.

out in the west, there are ONLY 2 teams who have a winning record against .500 teams and thats golden state and memphis, who are both obviously considered contenders. everyone else has a losing record (vs .500 teams).

not sure why thats such a huge concern right now for the raptors.

My quote you used to start should answer the question you used to finish.

[iblastoff]

I don't think this really changes the point of East vs. West. It's easier to be a weak team and be above .500 in the East than it is in the West. East teams are playing each other more, so you're building a similar or worse W-L record against weaker 0.500 teams. If anything, this makes the argument stronger that the Rap are feasting on dregs.

I mean, you only need to look at the Atlantic division. It's been horrible for years, but it seems to be reaching historic levels of ineptness, except for the Raps, this season. And the Raps are the only "elite' team that gets to play each of those guys 4 times. That's a pretty nice advantage that no other winning team in the league can boast.

that record is against winning teams. obviously NONE of the wins we've gotten in our own division count towards it.

[Uncle_Si]

I posted this in another thread where this was referenced, but it belongs here too: After Atlanta and Golden State, the next 11 teams all have a mediocre record against teams above .500.

Memphis is 13-10.
Chicago is 13-10.
San Antonio is 13-12.
Clippers are 11-12.
Toronto is 10-11.
Cleveland is 11-12.
Phoenix is 11-12.
Washington is 10-12.
Houston is 10-12.
Dallas is 11-13.
Portland is 10-13.

Ya which makes sense. Just because your team is above 500 doesn't mean you're automatically better than all the other teams that are above 500. For the elite teams it comes down to match ups and execution. For example, we match up well with Washington but not Chicago but Washington had a better match up against Chicago.

It's not like we're 10 games under 500 against the better teams. And for 21 games we didn't have DeMar so who knows what that record could be.

[iblastoff]

What it relates to is more and more comments that are using the W/L record as a counter-argument for criticisms of the coaching, the defense, and individual players.

unless you think we're supposed to be good as golden state, the stat is FINE.

we're a team that made the playoffs just ONCE in the past forever, and all of a sudden we're supposed to be some elite team that should be able to beat all the best teams in the league? come on.

the best team in the east thats performing against greater than .500 teams is atlanta who are basically playing like the best team in the league right now.

outside of that, its chicago and they're only 13-10. thats not exactly elite looking. we have a better record against winning teams than washington and cleveland.

out in the west, there are ONLY 2 teams who have a winning record against .500 teams and thats golden state and memphis, who are both obviously considered contenders. everyone else has a losing record (vs .500 teams).

not sure why thats such a huge concern right now for the raptors.

[golden]

I posted this in another thread where this was referenced, but it belongs here too: After Atlanta and Golden State, the next 11 teams all have a mediocre record against teams above .500.

Memphis is 13-10.
Chicago is 13-10.
San Antonio is 13-12.
Clippers are 11-12.
Toronto is 10-11.
Cleveland is 11-12.
Phoenix is 11-12.
Washington is 10-12.
Houston is 10-12.
Dallas is 11-13.
Portland is 10-13.

I don't think this really changes the point of East vs. West. It's easier to be a weak team and be above .500 in the East than it is in the West. East teams are playing each other more, so you're building a similar or worse W-L record against weaker 0.500 teams. If anything, this makes the argument stronger that the Rap are feasting on dregs.

I mean, you only need to look at the Atlantic division. It's been horrible for years, but it seems to be reaching historic levels of ineptness, except for the Raps, this season. And the Raps are the only "elite' team that gets to play each of those guys 4 times. That's a pretty nice advantage that no other winning team in the league can boast.

[octothorp]

I was reading the Bucks newspaper preview for tonight's game and I was a bit surprised to see that the raps are 10-11 against teams with a winning record. On the plus side, it means they are 23-4 against teams less than .500 and many have said a reasonable goal is to beat the bad teams and play .500 against the good ones. Still, that 10-11 mark is a bit disconcerting.

I posted this in another thread where this was referenced, but it belongs here too: After Atlanta and Golden State, the next 11 teams all have a mediocre record against teams above .500.

Memphis is 13-10.
Chicago is 13-10.
San Antonio is 13-12.
Clippers are 11-12.
Toronto is 10-11.
Cleveland is 11-12.
Phoenix is 11-12.
Washington is 10-12.
Houston is 10-12.
Dallas is 11-13.
Portland is 10-13.

[S.R.]

I don't understand what's disconcerting about this. The Raptors are not an elite team expecting to compete for a Championship, so I don't know if you were expecting a winning record against playoff teams. I think that record demonstrates that the Raptors are better than sub-500 teams and competitive with good teams, which is fine for where they are at in their development. I would be more concerned if they had a losing record against .500+ teams, but they don't really.

What it relates to is more and more comments that are using the W/L record as a counter-argument for criticisms of the coaching, the defense, and individual players.

[iblastoff]

wait a minute, raptors play in the east? NO WAY.

[CNinja26]

I was reading the Bucks newspaper preview for tonight's game and I was a bit surprised to see that the raps are 10-11 against teams with a winning record. On the plus side, it means they are 23-4 against teams less than .500 and many have said a reasonable goal is to beat the bad teams and play .500 against the good ones. Still, that 10-11 mark is a bit disconcerting.

I don't understand what's disconcerting about this. The Raptors are not an elite team expecting to compete for a Championship, so I don't know if you were expecting a winning record against playoff teams. I think that record demonstrates that the Raptors are better than sub-500 teams and competitive with good teams, which is fine for where they are at in their development. I would be more concerned if they had a losing record against .500+ teams, but they don't really.

[S.R.]

I was reading the Bucks newspaper preview for tonight's game and I was a bit surprised to see that the raps are 10-11 against teams with a winning record. On the plus side, it means they are 23-4 against teams less than .500 and many have said a reasonable goal is to beat the bad teams and play .500 against the good ones. Still, that 10-11 mark is a bit disconcerting.

This this this this this this this! For everybody who says Casey and the Raps are fine because the W/L record looks good, they need to realize how much the Raps are benefitting from being in a terrible, terrible Eastern Conference right now. This conference basically has 5 good teams only, and a couple of those would be fighting for an 8th seed in the West. If the Raps were in the Western Conference, playing .500 against winning teams, they would not have a 33-15 record. Heck anywhere other than the Atlantic, where they're 9-0, they'd likely lose a couple wins.

The record is not an excuse for the defensive flaws this team has.

[Jclaw]

back up to 6th spot!

http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/powerrankings

I was reading the Bucks newspaper preview for tonight's game and I was a bit surprised to see that the raps are 10-11 against teams with a winning record. On the plus side, it means they are 23-4 against teams less than .500 and many have said a reasonable goal is to beat the bad teams and play .500 against the good ones. Still, that 10-11 mark is a bit disconcerting.

[iblastoff]

The Hollinger rankings now have us at 12, behind the Pelicans, and Stein has us at 13. We need to tighten up pretty much everything.

back up to 6th spot!

http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/powerrankings

[Scraptor]

insane how fast things can slide.

The Hollinger rankings now have us at 12, behind the Pelicans, and Stein has us at 13. We need to tighten up pretty much everything.

[iblastoff]

How are the Hawks better than the Raps when we've beat them twice already? The ignorance is astounding...

insane how fast things can slide.