The Official We're Talking Playoffs Thread

Jokic looking like super Vlade at only 21 years old

It's not bad defense mostly (IMHO) - it's a clever, calculated decision to play a high-paced system to fully leverage the mile-high advantage Denver has.

If we checked, I actually think we'd find out, that in the last 3 DECADES of NBA bball, the Nuggets NEVER had a winning season on the road!!! (Well, OK, they may have broken 50% once or twice, but stopped at 21 wins max.).

Yet, through many of those long years of a negative record on-the-road, they managed an unbelieveable home record of 70%, 80% or even 90%!!! (Check out most of Karl's years between 2004 and 2013).

How?

Mostly by taking advantage of the fatigue-factor associated with low-oxigen heights, that would affect any non-adapted athlete (and adaptation to heights takes a few days, which you can't have on the NBA schedule... )

Naturally, the fatigue-factor advantage is more effective the faster you play (i.e. the faster you make the other team play).
That would explain how Karl's run&gun system was so effective there for years, and also why the slower pace failed there in the 3 years after Karl.

And miraculously, once they got back to a pace of about 110 points a game (this year), the Nuggets are back to winning home games again...

As of Valentine's Day:
Denver 25-30
Portland 23-32 -2.0
Sacramento 23-32 -2.0
Dallas 22-33 -3.0
New Orleans 22-34 -3.5
Minnesota 21-34 -4.0

27 games to play for everybody but the Pelicans, who have 26

Kings record at various win rates for the remainder of the season:

7-20 = 30-52
10-17 = 33-49
13-14 = 36-46
14-13 = 37-45
16-11 = 39-43
18-9 = 41-41

math is obviously the same or worse for every team still in the race except Denver, who is 2 games ahead.

Denver just won't let go of the 8th spot... I am worried.

It's going to be tough to makeup that 2 game difference with Denver but the good thing is that it is in our control as we play them a couple of times before the season ends. Win those and you give yourself a chance.

I don't expect us to make a meaningful trade but one for a key player would be welcome.

I think the Nuggets-Blazers trade might turn out as a good thing for us. Jokic somehow always manages to get in foul trouble versus Cuz. Plumlee isn't known as a Cuz stopper. Nurkic on the other hand bothered Cousins with his size, weight, suprising quickness and with his cocky attitude. When our guys decide to show up and play like they are able to, we should have a decent chance to win.

We have three games vs the Nuggets left, its safe to say two of them are must wins and if you are serious you go for all three. Also there is no more room for bad losses, which start tonight in LA.

More than anything, we need the fringe playoff teams in the east to keep winning (I'm looking at you, New York). That way if we fall short of the 8th seed, we could still end up at 10th and keep the pick.

This is key.

Winning this year, compared to last year -
(We're exactly on par with last year ATM)

Number of wins:


Percentage of wins:

This is also the time where Karl was gonna get fired, but didnt and team quit.

So we're kinda in a no man's land now. Not at the 8th spot and not at the bottom 10. Another problem I see now is our "tradable" pieces (Ben, wcs, dc) are actually playing well. So to trade them might hinder the playoff push or disrupt team chemistry. What to do, what to do?

Enjoy the ride, might be clearer which way to go in a month or so
Considering that our assets are more valuable and fitting better (WCS/Ben/DC) or gone (Rudy), I see that the pressure for the trade is lower and we can fight with what we have.

I hate to be that guy but the Kings should have at least half a dozen more wins if not for absolutely horsecrap refereeing this year

Trade deadline is Feb. 23. Have to make some decisions well before a month or so

Well, if you think about it, WCS and Ben were non-factors just a month ago and all of a sudden they are contributing and contributing very well to the team.

It's almost like we made a trade for two players, without actually making a trade.

I think Vlade and Joeger are big proponent of establishing consistency, family atmosphere and players knowing their roles.

So, unless there is a trade for player that is considerably better than what the Kings have, I don't see him pulling the trigger on anything major before the trade deadline

yep, as mentioned, I see less pressure now to do the trade than when we had talent that does not fit (Rudy) or youngsters that seems not to have any place with us (WCS/Ben).
With current roster we can stay in play with both options.
I would like trade that makes us lock in slot 8, but do not see that happening since there is no player we have that will not be missed.

what you said

Excellent point. We basically wanted to trade WCS and Ben for guys that are basically doing what WCS and Ben are doing right now. WCS has been keeping his scoring afloat despite the fact that his main man Lawson has been out.

I'd even venture to say we essentially traded Collison for Dragic with the way he's been playing the last week. I don't think he can keep it up the rest of the year but it's been a blessing in disguise. Especially with Lawson out and having to use Matt Barnes as the primary backup PG. He just needs to stay aggressive and keep pulling the trigger. He's the best shooter on the team.

I mentioned this a few days ago, in some of the threads. By now the front office and the coaching staff should have found out which players they want to keep and can keep going forward. I think it is pretty clear that we simply cannot bring back both PGs. There is a choice to be made there and we should be looking to trade the other for an asset. I could see both of them being of real interest for a contender to get on board (e.g. I think Cavs would have strong interest in both). Injuries to Temple and Lawson might have come at an inopportune time for us to trade one of the PG for an asset (maybe a pick from a contender). We always have an option of signing Farmer for the rest of the season as a back up.

Worst thing we could do is let them both walk at the end of the season and get nothing in return for them. There are rumours out there that DC is available for trade so if this is true, then it suggest that we see Lawson more as the player we want to keep beyond this season. It would be irresponsible of the front office not to cash in on the other player before the trade deadline. We shouldn't jut give him away but we should try and salvage some value in terms of picks.

Watching OKC stuggle against the Knicks right now, and they are 4-6 in their past 10 (they could use Kanter right now). Maybe they continue to slide as Denver and the Kings duke it out for the 8th spot. Wishful thinking, or maybe 'careful what you wish for'.

Might be a good night for us... Dallas lost, Blazers are well on their way to a loss, and hopefully Minny holds on for the win.

Pelicans won though but they're birds so screw them

Yea but I'm not really too worried about them. Dallas and Denver are my two biggest concerns.

3/4 ain't too shabby if it happens!

Well it DID!

A good night for the Kings, whatever we manage to pull out from our own (great!) game.

Interesting night around the #8 race. We, DAL, DEN, POR all lost. NOH and MIN both won (MIN whipped DEN in fact) So everything tightened up even more:

Going into the ASB:
DEN 25-31
SAC 24-33 -1.5
POR 23-33 -2.0
NOH 23-34 -2.5
DAL 22-34 -3.0
MIN 22-35 -3.5

I really like the composition of that Nuggets team. No superstars at this point (Jokic isn't there yet imo) but overall they are filled with good and likeable all around players. And they are young to boot. The games against them will be exciting.

Jameer, Gallo, Faried, Chandler, and the dried-up ghost of Mike Miller would like to disagree.

Not just because we're banged up right now but in general I would like the All-Star break to be longer by about a week to have all teams go into the final stretch as healthy as possible.

Nuggets with classic #Kangs move: we just ran Warriors out of this building, so we'll take care of Wolves with ease...Oops!