2014-2015 Raptors Power Rankings

[Nilanka]

Everybody might want to make sure they are sitting down before they read this. It's not ESPN, it's not SI, it's not NBA...but it's also not Canadian..

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/f...warriors-fall/

I want this piece to be credible, but then I see this:

They are also second in the league in points per 100 possessions (112.9) and sixth in potins allowed per 100 (101.7).

[Joey]

EDIT: Didn't notice that my Hollinger thread was combined with the general power ranking thread. Most power rankings, although informed by stats/metrics are entirely subjective.

There is no personal opinion in Hollinger's ranking. It is a math equation that a computer runs every day after all games have finished. There is some subjectivity, but that was done in the creation of said math equation. The fact that there weren't rankings until 3 days ago speaks to the idea that the computer didn't have enough data to produce an output.

Hollinger also has a computer that creates playoff odds based on his power ranking that is also fully automated. However, it doesn't post it's first data until sometime in December, because it needs a larger sample size (i guess).

I wasn't questioning Hollinger's. I get how Hollinger's is generated, and have quoted his rankings here before, thus the merge. Power Rankings are Power Rankings. And his, which accounts for schedule, had us at 3rd.

That said, I was specifically asking about "Strength of Schedule". How is it determined?

[Superjudge]

I think thats fair... toronto has only destroyed one NBA darling so far, and that was Washington.... ya gotta nail 4-5 more before you can compare yourself to the best.

[Scraptor]

How do you accurately account for Strength of Schedule when only 8 games have been played and the Conference looks nothing like it did last year though?

At some point, personal opinion still comes into play I would imagine.

Strength of Schedule that I referred to is raw opponents' winning percentage. Yeah, it's still early, but the East is already 7 games back of the West.

At 19th (18th now) it matches with a subjective appraisal of our schedule to date.

[Just Is]

Very interesting note.

Not that anyone raises banners to the rafters for power rankings issued in mid-November, but major outlets like ESPN and Yahoo have the Raptors among the five best teams in the league. And in Vegas, where Toronto opened the season as 50-to-1 long shots to win the title, they have after just two weeks of play shaved those odds down to 20-to-1. The Raptors are only 10-to-1 to win the East, a prospect that would have seemed farcical before the season began.

[Jclaw]

Not really a power ranking thing but an interesting off hand comment from Grantland's report on last night's game. Specifically, they were talking about the Hawks results thus far. Once again, make sure you are seated.

"Before last night, the team had won close games against two of the worst teams in the East, lost two close games against potential Finals contenders (Spurs, Raptors), and was beaten by a buzzer-beater from Lance Stephenson."

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nb...ll-be-winners/

[Other Scott]

Not really a power ranking thing but an interesting off hand comment from Grantland's report on last night's game. Specifically, they were talking about the Hawks results thus far. Once again, make sure you are seated.

"Before last night, the team had won close games against two of the worst teams in the East, lost two close games against potential Finals contenders (Spurs, Raptors), and was beaten by a buzzer-beater from Lance Stephenson."

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nb...ll-be-winners/

I don't know if I'm buying that just yet, but I sure like the ring to it.

[Joey]

Strength of Schedule that I referred to is raw opponents' winning percentage.

Precisely, so playing Cleveland right now would be seen as an "Easy" game?

[Other Scott]

Precisely, so playing Cleveland right now would be seen as an "Easy" game?

Cleveland's a .500 team, so it would be seen as a middling game. And the way Cleveland's been playing so far, that's pretty fair.

[ezz_bee]

I wasn't questioning Hollinger's. I get how Hollinger's is generated, and have quoted his rankings here before, thus the merge. Power Rankings are Power Rankings. And his, which accounts for schedule, had us at 3rd.

That said, I was specifically asking about "Strength of Schedule". How is it determined?

Yeah, sorry about that. I can't get any details about how Hollinger's formula determines strength of schedule because you need to be an ESPN insider to read the methodology article.

[ezz_bee]

Hollinger Ranking November 14th, 2014
Yesterday's Ranking: 3rd
Today's Ranking: 4th

Yesterday's Conference Ranking: 1st
Today's Conference Ranking: 1st

Top 5
Warriors
Rockets
Mavs
Raptors
Blazers

Toronto falls out of the top 3 for the first time season, but is still the highest ranked Eastern conference team. You don't see any other Eastern Conference teams until

9 Heat
10 Bulls
11 Wizards

Considering we are 1-2 against those teams, we won't stay in the top 5 for long unless we start playing better against playoff calibre teams.

[Nilanka]

How are the Bulls ranked so low after beating us, and having the same record?

[Just Is]

How are the Bulls ranked so low after beating us, and having the same record?

We were the first good team they beat and it was their first game really playing well (despite their record).

[Nilanka]

We were the first good team they beat and it was their first game really playing well (despite their record).

Right, but what "good teams" have we beat?

[Other Scott]

How are the Bulls ranked so low after beating us, and having the same record?

Hollinger's doesn't take head to head into account. The Raptors have played a tougher schedule and have a better overall margin, therefore they are ahead of the Bulls by a fair amount.