History dictates OKC Thunder are headed for postseason via the 20 game performance theory
Five of six teams sitting under the seeded teams (and there’s an argument to make it six with the Mavericks) were all expected to be in the playoff mix. Some were even tapped to be home court seeds. Those six squads are:
- Spurs: 10-10
- Mavericks: 9-9 (with two games in hand, wins in both would jettison them to the 11-9 mark)
- Wolves: 10-11
- Pelicans: 10-11
- Rockets: 9-10
- Jazz: 9-12
They say history was made to be broken – just ask the Cavaliers who battled back to become the first team to rally from a 1-3 deficit to win the title. While that record breaking feat ranks at the upper end of achievements this 20 game predictor feels like it is about to get shattered this season. Unless you believe those six squads above are joining the Suns as your lottery teams then I think you see my point.
Strange start to season:
The Western Conference is so competitive this season I think we’ll need a half of the season in hand to get a better read. With 40 games played teams who produce a 24-16 record feels like a much stronger indicator. Many teams are overachieving early. But, how much of this is tied to catching teams by surprise versus this being who the team is in principle?
Likewise, this season has produced its share of underachievers. Both the Rockets and Wizards have seemingly turned a corner – but can they sustain the refocused level of play?