Do the first 20 games matter?
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A common debate among NBA fans is how much the early regular season matters. Lots of hopeful fans maintain optimism amidst slow starts with the belief that a hot streak is just around the corner and "they'll peak at the right moment."
Correlation isn't causation, but it looks like in the last 10 years, if your team is shitty after the first 20, a ring is unlikely. Certainly, we could see a team break this pattern, but the pattern seems solid.
Miami 2011-2012 15-5
Miami 2012-2013 14-6
Spurs 2013-2014 16-4
Warriors 2014-2015 18-2
Cavs 2015-2016 13-7
Warriors 2016-2017 17-3
Warriors 2017-2018 15-5
Toronto 2018-2019 16-4
Lakers 2019-2020 17-3
Bucks 2020-2021 12-8 -
@quantumkat This is so unnecessary. We already have 1 "blow up the Lakers" thread how many more do we need? We get it yall think they're headed for the lottery.
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Disguised shot at Lakers me thinks.
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@kobe6rings this isn't just about the Lakers. There's a lot of underperforming teams. The Lakers are just the most obvious.
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The East already has so many teams with 7-8 losses compared to this list
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@quantumkat Another obvious thing was the best player on the team (LeBron) missed 11 out of the 21 games. He's kind of good at basketball. Lakers have been dealing with a laundry list of injuries. But yall know that lol have fun man.
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I mean people do have a point to throw shit at the lakers lol the clippers best player is out for maybe the season and have a better record than the lakers lol
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@errolzzz said in Do the first 20 games matter?:
I mean people do have a point to throw shit at the lakers lol the clippers best player is out for maybe the season and have a better record than the lakers lol
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Beyond the Lakers... What's up in Boston. Holy shit.
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@quantumkat not enough shooting kills their offense. Defense is fine most nights
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The top of the West is loaded this year. Warriors and Suns, barring injuries, hold those two spots all year.
It’s like taking a test at the start of the school year, and failing. It’s harder for one to climb out of that hole than if they do good on that test.
Is it possible to get your grade back up? Yeah. But you gotta put in more work than the people that started off strong.
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Lakers have had the easiest schedule in the league as well.
LeBron has been out but aren’t they supposed to be stacked? 10-11 with that roster and the easiest schedule in the league isn’t nothing. It may not mean anything come playoffs but it means something until they fix whatever’s wrong.
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@jdealla yeah no excuses lakes been playing straight bums and every game has been close af and we still lose
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#TankforChet
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Obviously ,
Teams need to build a wining culture
20 games is 1/4 of the regular season is important to develop wining habits -
@pedronqneves said in Do the first 20 games matter?:
Obviously ,
Teams need to build a wining cultureThey also need to have a great soundtrack to become a dynasty.
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@quantumkat the east and the west have reversed. The 6th seed in the west is the 11th seed in the east
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But to the question it’s subjective still. Some teams start hot and get swept the first round (Mavs) some break records and lose in the finals (Warriors) some start slow and finish strong (Rockets).
Yeah of course you’d want early signs of winning culture but I think ultimately if it works out when it matters you don’t care.
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@nd13 said in Do the first 20 games matter?:
@quantumkat the east and the west have reversed. The 6th seed in the west is the 11th seed in the east
Yeah isn’t this the first time in 2 decades?
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@508 Westbrook & Deandre Jordan for Jalen Brown and Marcus Smart.
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@hollygrovemikey lmao
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@jdealla said in Do the first 20 games matter?:
10-11 with that roster and the easiest schedule in the league isn’t nothing.
And this is my main concern with the Lakers. The schedule was one of the easiest schedules in basketball. They shouldn’t be below .500. Lakers have only beaten 1 team by 10 or more points and that team is the worst team in the league. (Houston Rockets) surprisingly Westbrook has turned it around, but AD has still been a shell of himself and the coaching is still piss poor.
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@hollygrovemikey said in Do the first 20 games matter?:
@508 Westbrook & Deandre Jordan for Jalen Brown and Marcus Smart.
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@quantumkat Bulls
13-7
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@nd13 y'all have embiid back don't worry too much
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@hollygrovemikey im happy for Hield to not be a laker
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@pedronqneves let’s not get crazy now anything is better than playing for the Kings
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@rodsquad this wasn’t what I mean ,
Hield on the lakers would make that team
Really good IMO
Lebron with a sniper like that on the backcourt -
@pedronqneves ahhhh you right
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Yeah I think the first 20 games is too early unless it’s a blatant basement team
Atlanta Hawks last year really turned their regular season around iirc
E-40 - Choices (Yup) **WARRIORS VERSION**
