Here are the results from the first 17 (16) games of the season for what I feel are the top 3 teams in the league. Granted, with such a small sample size it is really meaningless, but interesting nonetheless IMO.
San Antonio Spurs
Record: 14-3
Opponent
Winning Percentage Score
Result
Playoff Team?
Grizzlies .500 101-94 W N Lakers .529 91-85 W Y Blazers .813 105-115 L Y Nuggets .600 102-94 W Y Suns .529 99-96 W N Warriors .529 76-74 W N Knicks .200 120-89 W N 76ers .353 109-85 W N Wizards .471 92-79 W Y Jazz .167 91-82 W N Celtics .368 104-93 W N Grizzlies .500 102-86 W N Cavaliers .294 126-96 W N Pelicans .467 112-93 W N Thunder .786 88-94 L Y Magic .375 109-91 W N Rockets .722 106-112 L Y
The Spurs are 2-3 against playoff teams this year. They are 1-3 against Western Conference playoff teams.
Spurs Wins
Points Per Game - 102.4
Points Allowed - 88.3
Spurs Losses
Points Per Game - 99.6
Points Allowed -107
Combined Win/Loss of Playoff Opponents = 63/34
Combined Winning Percentage of Playoff Opponents = .649
Indiana Pacers
Record: 15-1
Opponent
Winning Percentage Score
Result
Playoff Team?
Magic .375 97-87 W N Pelicans .467 95-90 W N Cavaliers .294 89-74 W N Pistons .375 99-91 W N Bulls .467 97-80 W Y Raptors .400 91-84 W Y Nets .294 96-91 W N Grizzlies .500 95-79 W N Bucks .188 104-77 W N Bulls .467 94-110 L Y Knicks .200 103-96 W N Celtics .368 97-82 W N 76ers .353 106-98 W N T'Wolves .500 98-84 W N Bobcats .471 99-74 W N Wizards .471 93-73 W Y
The Pacers are 3-1 against playoff teams this year. They have yet to face a Western Conference playoff team.
Pacers Wins
Points Per Game - 97.2
Points Allowed - 84
Pacers Losses
Points Per Game - 94
Points Allowed - 110
Combined Win/Loss of Playoff Opponents = 28/34
Combined Winning Percentage of Playoff Opponents = .451
Miami Heat
Record: 13-3
Opponent
Winning Percentage Score
Result
Playoff Team?
Bulls .467 107-95 W Y 76ers .353 110-114 L N Nets .294 100-101 L N Wizards .471 103-93 W Y Raptors .400 104-95 W Y Clippers .706 102-97 W Y Celtics .368 110-111 L N Bucks 1.88 118-95 W N Mavericks .556 110-104 W Y Bobcats .471 97-81 W Y Hawks .500 104-88 W Y Magic .375 120-92 W N Magic .375 101-99 W N Suns .529 107-92 W N Cavaliers .294 95-84 W N Raptors .400 90-83 W Y
The Heat are 8-0 against playoff teams this year. They are 2-0 against Western Conference playoff teams.
Heat Wins
Points Per Game - 104.9
Points Allowed -92.1
Heat Losses
Points Per Game - 106.6
Points Allowed - 108.6
Combined Win/Loss of Playoff Opponents = 66/66
Combined Winning Percentage of Playoff Opponents = .500
IMO, Warriors, Suns and Grizzlies are all playoff-quality teams, sporting a .500 or better record. The 6/7/8 seed this season in the West is shaping up to have some crazy compe ion...
Looking at SOS (Strength of Schedule), the Spurs have had so far average compe ion (#18 out of 30).
On the other hand, Pacers had the easiest schedule of all teams so far (30 out of 30), and the Heat is not far behind (28 out of 30).
So it's far from only the Spurs feasting on easy opponents.
Agree with you on the Warriors and Grizzlies..they'll figure it out by the end of the season I'm sure. Lol @ 28 and 30. A subtle gift from that ing jew I'm sure.
Once Miami starts playing Beasley more, they will run away with best record
It must be noted that the strength of schedule is based on last season's team rankings, and not this season though
Anyway RS doesn't mean .
We have the best system, a great coach, the rest is ugh...
I expect green to be traded
add splitter on that list and we are champions
"playoff teams" isn't a really useful measure of opponents when half of the "playoff teams" in the East wouldn't even make the playoffs in the West...
The Spurs will beat up Atlanta and look like they're back to their old self with ball movement etc then they'll crap the bed against Minnesota. The Indy game is a toss up but the numbers just indicate that we are getting outplayed and out coached against Playoff teams especially during crunch time.
I'm not sure that's the case on the linked ranking. On the method page it reads:
Strength of schedule
Yes, this matters in the NBA, too. It is not as profound in the pro game as in the college game, because the 30 NBA teams are more evenly matched, but it still affects a team's results.
This comes into play mainly in the early part of the season, when there can be wide disparities in the quality of compe ion, but even at the end of the season, there will be differences among teams -- particularly when one conference is far better than the other.
The last paragraph would seem to indicate it's this season data used (winning percentages vary much more wildly at the start, and consolidate towards the end).
Agreed. Which is why I included the their win/loss against the West.
pardon my english, but what I understand from those 2 paragraphs is that the first paragraph states that the strength of schedule matters.
The second paragraph was the explanation.
1) At start of the season, everyone plays different teams, so the strength of schedule affects the win-loss rates alot.
2) Nearer the end of the season, when everyone plays everyone equally, there should not be much difference, other than the fact that eastern conference teams play eastern teams more, and western conference teams play western teams more.
I dun think that means they use this season's data.
But looking at the way they calculate it, I think its possible they use this season's data. but wouldnt it be biased though? If I am winning everything, then the people that i played against will obviously have lost to me, thus their winning percentages will drop, den my strength of schedule will become easier.
Fair enough. I agree the wording is not clear enough.
Well, not necessarily. Everybody plays everybody, and while the number would fluctuate a lot at the very start of the season, where every game influences the winning percentage much more, as the season progresses it would stabilize (along with the winning percentages). I just don't think it would be very useful to calculate the SOS based on last season's rankings, as teams can change drastically from season to season (ie: Rockets, Blazers).
On a separate note, their rankings weight much more heavily the last 10 games, IIRC. Which means you get a better picture of the state of the team at that time, and perhaps overall SOS doesn't have that much of an influence.
I know this sounds crazy but I don't care about the losses to the playoff teams. The spurs just need to keep winning all the games they should win against the bottom feeders of this league. If they beat everybody that they should win against they will probably end up around 55-60 wins. I always believe the worst losses are the ones to teams that you should win against. There is nothing to be upset about losing to elite teams because those games tend to be 50-50 they can go either way. Its really about winning as many games possible to put yourself in the best position to go on a deep playoff run.
Last season
vs + .500 teams-31-17 (.645) tied for 3rd in the league behind Miami and Denver and tied with OKC
vs -.500 teams-27-7 (.794)
The Spurs need to clean up against the bottom feeders. A strong record against the east and the bottom half of the West should easily bush us up to 60 games. In other words I agree. People on ST generally think we stink against great teams but its usually the exact opposite.
The numbers are telling, but to me what matters is that those teams (Heat, Pacers, OKC, Portland I guess) have multiple guys you can throw the ball to and say "score". Until Tim/Manu can become consistent scoring options again, the Spurs only have 1 guy. Even the defensive minded Pistons and Dirk's Mavs had 2.
If Tony has an average night against a good team we're ed tbh. Boris/Kawhi/Marco/Patty won't be able to carry the load as #2 scorer deep in the playoffs. Big 3 has to put the ball through the net.
I agree with your point, but at the same time confidence is very important in the Playoffs. You don't want teams tanking to strategically get the Spurs again, it didn't end well for us the last time it happened.
They are.Just how did Miami manage to lose to Philadelphia, Boston, and Brooklyn anyway?
Last edited by DJR210; 12-02-2013 at 02:24 AM.
last year the spurs looked like crap in the weeks directly leading into the playoffs, and we did fine. i'm not going to be worried if we aren't looking our sharpest leading into december
in the meantime we are off to a great start record wise. i'll take it
After the wins against SAC and BKN, it will pretty much be another month like November..
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