2015-16 NBA Thread (feat. the Wives)

Wait, so you don't think breaking the Lakers 33 game win streak record would be "memorable"? Seriously? You know, this isn't some obscure meaningless record, instead it's been one of sports' most hallowed and revered for 44 years. The longest team winning streak ever in any of our major professional sports. It'd be a huge deal if someone ever broke it.

Your post reminded me of back in 09 when the Colts took all that heat for resting Manning and other starters when they had the chance to go undefeated and challenge the 72 Dolphin perfect season. Their reasoning, much like yours, was that a Super Bowl title was more important than going undefeated. Well, guess what, they ended up getting neither that year.

IMO, any time you have a chance to make history you go for it hard. No guarantee that other thing'll even still be there.

 

(By the grace of) God forbid anyone ever try to break hallowed records.

 

The Lakers' streak was ended with a road loss to the Bucks, who had Kareem and Oscar. So if the Cavs with James don't get them on Christmas, I don't know who will until they play San Antonio or the Thunder. Takes superstars.

 

Largely depends on Thompson's ankle. I'd say Boston has a great shot if Klay can't go or is still gimpy. Wasn't Brad Stevens known as Mr. Big Game Coach at Butler?

 

I'm just trying to be realistic. I thought of two different outcomes, of which there are really 3 as you point out:
1. Win 34 straight, do not defend title;
2. Lose before 33, win title;
3. Do neither.

Well obviously 3 is not wanted. I just think 2 is better than 1.
The Pats went 17-0 in 2009, then lost to the NYG; memorable but they did not win the Super Bowl. As a fan, I applauded their perfect season and wanted to see it.
I just think trying for the record at the expense of reducing your chances to win the title is not the right move (of course, no guarantees of winning the title).

 

They should just throw the ball away tonight and intentionally commit 30 turnovers so the pressure will be off.

How is trying to win every game reducing their chance to win the title? Curry is averaging 34 minutes a game, barely more than last year, and sits out the fourth quarter half the time. They aren't rushing Barnes back and they are giving Bogut time off too. They don't have a player in the top 25 in minutes played. So I am not sure what exactly they're doing right now that is reducing their chances of winning the title.

Also of note, once this streak ends the Warriors are going to be somewhere between three and five games up on the Spurs. Not like they can coast into that top spot in the West.

 

You know, there is a fourth outcome you're still neglecting:

4. Do both.

Shoot for the stars, baby. For crissakes, it's not like it's April, if they kept winning the record would be broken by mid-January, so why not go balls out until then? Plenty of time between January and May to rest your studs and recover.

 

Klay Thompson out tonight. Barnes has been out the whole trip.

It's long long odds for the streak to survive the next two nights.

Of course, now watch Curry go for 60.

 

They're playing the 2015 Celtics, not the 1986 Celtics.

 

Yeah, but those guys aren't bad. I haven't done a Whitmanesque analysis or anything, but I'd bet a team missing two of its top four players is at least 6.2 percent more likely to lose when favored by five or more points on the fifth game of a six-game trip than a full-strength team would be as a six-point favorite on the fourth game of such a trip.

 

Was the over 218 or 184?

 

Heard this one today, in NBA history there have been 290 7 game road trips. No team has gone 7-0 on a 7 game road trip. Ever.