2017/18 Raptors Power Rankings thread

[planetmars]

Those three winnable road losses to SAS, GS, and BOS are starting to look less like "Shit, something is wrong with the Raptors" and more like a few made buckets away from as good as a 12-2 start.

Yeah.. those were all winnable games. The Denver and Washington games can be erased from our memories though.

[S.R.]

I know it's not a power ranking per se, but after the win in New Orleans, the 538.com projection has us as 5th best overall, 2nd in the east and closing in on Boston:

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com...ex_cid=rrpromo

Those three winnable road losses to SAS, GS, and BOS are starting to look less like "Shit, something is wrong with the Raptors" and more like a few made buckets away from as good as a 12-2 start.

[Nilanka]

I know it's not a power ranking per se, but after the win in New Orleans, the 538.com projection has us as 5th best overall, 2nd in the east and closing in on Boston:

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com...ex_cid=rrpromo

Projections seem very generous for OKC.

[Chefff]

I know it's not a power ranking per se, but after the win in New Orleans, the 538.com projection has us as 5th best overall, 2nd in the east and closing in on Boston:

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com...ex_cid=rrpromo

[KeonClark]

Despite the doom and gloom today, ESPN was kind to us, and kept us in 6th in the power rankings, 2nd in the East.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...ankings-week-5

CBS was not so kind, in fact they're pretty mean, they've sat us down at 13th (but up from 18th, gee thanks) and 6th in the East behind Boston, Detroit, Orlando, Philly and New York, and roasted our ISO at the end of yesterday

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/n...-jazz-plummet/

USA Today has us in 7th(improving from 10th), 3rd in the East behind Boston and Detroit and correctly points out that Lowry has been playing good lately

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...hot/855824001/

Sports Illustrated has moved us from 12th to 9th, 4th in the East behind Washington Detroit and of course Boston

https://www.si.com/nba/2017/11/13/nb...ggets-warriors

Overall: the flux in teams shows just how early it still is, but on average we moved up in every ranking are seated at 9th in the NBA, 4th in the east, behind Boston, Detroit and "miscellaneous"

[S.R.]

I miss Stein.. he was the best NBA reporter out of ESPN and I enjoyed his power rankings more than others.

Same.

#6 on ESPN today - http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...ankings-week-4

Important to remember Toronto is not the only team with a few underwhelming performances to start the year. Only GSW/HOU/BOS have really gotten off to a strong start in the W/L column. Minny and Detroit looking pretty good too, but they won't be challenging for the top of their conferences all year.

[planetmars]

I miss Stein.. he was the best NBA reporter out of ESPN and I enjoyed his power rankings more than others.

[Puffer]

Technically it's the longest, tied with one other East team (and one West team who goes East for a 6-gamer)...

I like how they play each of three teams twice, although it does mean back tp backs. On the plus side, air travel is only a couple of hours for each trip, and for those three stops they get to stay in the same hotel for a couple of days, minimizing packing up and relocating. In addition the game plan for the first night against each team should be similar the second night, with a chance to tweak. One can hope they take care of business with Portland and the Lakers and come away with 4 W's there.

[DanH]

So refreshing to hear that the Raptors have the 3rd longest West Coast road trip of any team. Thanks Silver.

Technically it's the longest, tied with one other East team (and one West team who goes East for a 6-gamer).

I don't mind it at all - get that swing out of the way early in the season, find a way to tread water, bond as a group on the road, and it's all downhill from there.

[Nilanka]

Up to 6th at ESPN:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...ankings-week-2

So refreshing to hear that the Raptors have the 3rd longest West Coast road trip of any team. Thanks Silver.

[DanH]

Up to 6th at ESPN:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...ankings-week-2

[Scraptor]

Also probably makes sense to track us leaguewide, OP.

Our rank in the eastern conference is illusory and shouldn't really be how we gauge our success.

[S.R.]

The sad part is I see this year as really an unwinnable situation in regards to getting media respect. Worst case scenario, we do end up a lower seed, and everyone goes "haha raptors told ya so, they're done." Best case scenario is what? We take first seed, conference finals and get stomped by the cavs, and everyone goes "haha stupid raptors, just Lebron's bitches like always"

And I don't even disagree with that, the Raptors are still a country mile behind the Cavs, personally I think they could beat the Celtics but acknowledge that's debatable, but even that is moot as now any victory over Boston will be received with "Yeah, but Hayward..." National media has been waiting for Wall and Beal to become a superstar tandem for something like 4 years now, and I'm a Giannis fan but his roster has no flexibility and he still has no jump shot. I think Lowry/DeRozan/Ibaka is a stronger core than any team other than the Cavs and that the Raptors have more depth than most teams in the East. I don't think it's just a fan perspective to say that. I can understand people putting them #3, but putting them #4-6 is idiotic. This team has been a second or third round team for three straight years, that alone is top 4 in the conference.

[Scraptor]

Pretty harsh for a team that spent most of last season in the top 5 of the overall Power Rankings to be demoted to 4th-6th in just the East. Damn, Patrick Patterson and PJ Tucker must have been really good.

Hey, remember when the Raps punted the Bucks in 6 games in the first round last spring? Apparently nobody else does.

How anyone has the Bucks over us is beyond me. Unless Thon Maker turns into KG 2.0 we are heads above them imo.

[KeonClark]

The sad part is I see this year as really an unwinnable situation in regards to getting media respect. Worst case scenario, we do end up a lower seed, and everyone goes "haha raptors told ya so, they're done." Best case scenario is what? We take first seed, conference finals and get stomped by the cavs, and everyone goes "haha stupid raptors, just Lebron's bitches like always"