Kings Magic Number for Playoffs?

What Kings win total, w/ 29 games left, would slip them into the '19 playoffs as an 8th seed?

  • 20 wins (Final record 48-34)

    Votes: 3 3.6%
  • 19 wins (Final record 47-35)

    Votes: 4 4.8%
  • 18 wins (Final record 46-36)

    Votes: 14 16.9%
  • 17 wins (Final record 45-37)

    Votes: 37 44.6%
  • 16 wins (Final record 44-38)

    Votes: 12 14.5%
  • 15 wins (Final record 43-39)

    Votes: 9 10.8%
  • 14 wins (Final record 42-40)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 13 wins (Final record 41-41)

    Votes: 1 1.2%
  • Too unlikely to make the playoffs this year with 40 wins or less

    Votes: 3 3.6%

  • Total voters
    83
  • Poll closed .
#31
We just have to keep winning. I'm not sure what the clippers are doing but we just have to stay healthy and keep winning. With our roster there isn't a game which isn't winnable. We have top starters and depth at each position.

We just have to get our Bonzi and Artest on down the stretch and we can get it done, just like the run in to the playoffs 13 years ago
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#32
We just have to keep winning. I'm not sure what the clippers are doing but we just have to stay healthy and keep winning. With our roster there isn't a game which isn't winnable. We have top starters and depth at each position.

We just have to get our Bonzi and Artest on down the stretch and we can get it done, just like the run in to the playoffs 13 years ago
I don't want 13 years ago. I want 19 years ago. ;)
 
#34
More numbers......
The Kings now must go 15-11, the remainder of the schedule to make 45 wins. 45 wins may or may not be enough; it was the mode number in the poll. They now have a brutal 6 game stretch. against 5/6 playoff positioned team.s 3-3 would be very good.

So there are now 12 home and 14 away games. The away games are difficult while home games a biti. better. They have 9 playoff teams on the road.! 5-9 on the road would be ok , but they'd need to go 10-2 at home, not realistic. More realistic might be 6-8 on the road and 9-3 at home. They do this by going 3-6 against playoff teams on the road and 3-2 vs non-playoff teams on the road. At home assuming they falter once against a mediocre or poor opponent, they must win 4 games against the following combo - Bucks, Clippers Celtics Nets Rockets ,
 
#35
More numbers......
The Kings now must go 15-11, the remainder of the schedule to make 45 wins. 45 wins may or may not be enough; it was the mode number in the poll. They now have a brutal 6 game stretch. against 5/6 playoff positioned team.s 3-3 would be very good.

So there are now 12 home and 14 away games. The away games are difficult while home games a biti. better. They have 9 playoff teams on the road.! 5-9 on the road would be ok , but they'd need to go 10-2 at home, not realistic. More realistic might be 6-8 on the road and 9-3 at home. They do this by going 3-6 against playoff teams on the road and 3-2 vs non-playoff teams on the road. At home assuming they falter once against a mediocre or poor opponent, they must win 4 games against the following combo - Bucks, Clippers Celtics Nets Rockets ,
yikes!
 
#36
I worry about the clippers more than the Lakers and it just may come down to the three teams games against each other.
The Lakers play a team that sits in the playoffs 7 of their last 8 games.
It’s never easy to make the playoffs in the West and I can see it going either way.

Are we the young inexperienced team that played great basketball but come up a little short with a bright future. Well that’s what everyone thinks outside Sacramento. Can the NBA afford both of the LA teams not to make the playoffs and lose out with that market money.

I really hope that the above isn’t true and the Kings have their own fate in their own hands. I vote this team continues to get better and we have just started to see their potential.

If we make the playoffs it will because they earned it.
 
#38
I worry about the clippers more than the Lakers and it just may come down to the three teams games against each other.
The Lakers play a team that sits in the playoffs 7 of their last 8 games.
It’s never easy to make the playoffs in the West and I can see it going either way.

Are we the young inexperienced team that played great basketball but come up a little short with a bright future. Well that’s what everyone thinks outside Sacramento. Can the NBA afford both of the LA teams not to make the playoffs and lose out with that market money.

I really hope that the above isn’t true and the Kings have their own fate in their own hands. I vote this team continues to get better and we have just started to see their potential.

If we make the playoffs it will because they earned it.

ESPN playoff index has the Kings playoff chances at 10%.....I find that too meager especially with the Clippers and Spurs having over 80% chances
. Clippers have a difficult last 4 games. Jazz play the cLipipers the last game of the season. Also as mentioned earlier, the trailblazers have the most away game remaining, and the Kings get them the last game of the year which possibly could setup to be another playoff game if the Kings play well earlier. The spurs have the easiest schedule of the other teams especially at the end. The Jazz have a bit easier schedule getting Phoenix 3 times still. The Rockets have a fairly difficult schedule, but are playing well. Kings will need win 1 against the Rockets at least with a Back to back against them.

Behind the Kings
Pelicans have to go 20-5 to get 45 wins- that's not gonna happen. Timberwolves have to 20-7 - doubtful. Mavericks have to go 19-8 - possible but unlikely (but a threat). Lakers need to go 17-9 which is possible and a threat.
 
#39
What it comes down to is beating teams that they have not been beating to this point. Cruising along at about the same level of play with maybe a slight improvement in execution will have them falling just short. The question is whether the trade acquisitions and Bagley's continued development will raise them up to the next tier where they can win some of those games that look like losses on paper.
 
#40
I worry about the clippers more than the Lakers and it just may come down to the three teams games against each other.
The Clippers draft pick is top 14 protected this year. I think when they traded Tobias Harris and released Gortat, that was their signal that they are trying to tank and keep their lottery draft pick.

They see that they would likely be run out of the Playoffs by GSW as the 8th seed, so it would be better for them to tank and keep their pick, than lose their pick as the 8th seed.

I'm not so worried about the Clippers. The Lakers have LeBron, they will be the ones hard to keep out of the playoffs.
 
#42
The Clippers draft pick is top 14 protected this year. I think when they traded Tobias Harris and released Gortat, that was their signal that they are trying to tank and keep their lottery draft pick.

They see that they would likely be run out of the Playoffs by GSW as the 8th seed, so it would be better for them to tank and keep their pick, than lose their pick as the 8th seed.

I'm not so worried about the Clippers. The Lakers have LeBron, they will be the ones hard to keep out of the playoffs.
The Clippers trade was quite curious. Its good experience for any team to compete in the playoffs. Clippers are still in the driver seat by a hair right now. I think with the trade for Barnes, the Kings management want the playoff experience regardless of outcome.
 
#43
More numbers......
The Kings now must go 15-11, the remainder of the schedule to make 45 wins. 45 wins may or may not be enough; it was the mode number in the poll. They now have a brutal 6 game stretch. against 5/6 playoff positioned team.s 3-3 would be very good.

So there are now 12 home and 14 away games. The away games are difficult while home games a biti. better. They have 9 playoff teams on the road.! 5-9 on the road would be ok , but they'd need to go 10-2 at home, not realistic. More realistic might be 6-8 on the road and 9-3 at home. They do this by going 3-6 against playoff teams on the road and 3-2 vs non-playoff teams on the road. At home assuming they falter once against a mediocre or poor opponent, they must win 4 games against the following combo - Bucks, Clippers Celtics Nets Rockets ,
The next 6 games will be telling... they are @Denver, @Golden State, @OkC, @ Minnesota, Milwaukee and Clippers.

We have to win 2 and ideally win 3 of those games to have a realistic shot at the play-offs. Not an easy task by any means.

The Kings having the most B2B’s in the NBA and our abysmal record in those back to backs could be our undoing this year. We shall see.
 
#44
The next 6 games will be telling... they are @Denver, @Golden State, @OkC, @ Minnesota, Milwaukee and Clippers.

We have to win 2 and ideally win 3 of those games to have a realistic shot at the play-offs. Not an easy task by any means.

The Kings having the most B2B’s in the NBA and our abysmal record in those back to backs could be our undoing this year. We shall see.
Yes, they really need to go 3-3 and wins against T-Wolves and Clippers are more important. They've played the Thunder pretty well this year. Should be a good game. A win against the Warriors or the Nuggets is possible. 4-2 would lunge them toward the playoffs more. 2-4 would be poor, and 1-5 or 0-6 would be disastrous for playoffs hopes.
 
#45
The Clippers draft pick is top 14 protected this year. I think when they traded Tobias Harris and released Gortat, that was their signal that they are trying to tank and keep their lottery draft pick.

They see that they would likely be run out of the Playoffs by GSW as the 8th seed, so it would be better for them to tank and keep their pick, than lose their pick as the 8th seed.

I'm not so worried about the Clippers. The Lakers have LeBron, they will be the ones hard to keep out of the playoffs.
I don't think so. Tobias was never in their future plans and they wanted to get something for him rather than completely lose him in FA. They got a very nice haul back. The Clippers also traded Avery Bradley(terrible this year) for Garrett Temple and JaMychal Green, both of whom are very solid role players and much better than Bradley or Gortat.

It's very strange to see Bradley completely fall off a hill since leaving Boston. He's dealt with injuries, but he's still only 28 yearsold
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#46
What it comes down to is beating teams that they have not been beating to this point. Cruising along at about the same level of play with maybe a slight improvement in execution will have them falling just short. The question is whether the trade acquisitions and Bagley's continued development will raise them up to the next tier where they can win some of those games that look like losses on paper.
your post nails it. Kings have to start winning some of these tough games, whether it's on the road or at home if they are serious about competing for a playoff spot because if not, then it's just not their time to make it.
 
#47
The Clippers trade was quite curious. Its good experience for any team to compete in the playoffs. Clippers are still in the driver seat by a hair right now. I think with the trade for Barnes, the Kings management want the playoff experience regardless of outcome.
The Kings don't have their own 1st round pick this year, so we are definitely driving to make the playoffs. Tanking won't help us.

The Clippers on the other hand, their pick is top 14 protected. If they get in the playoffs at #8, they will lose their 1st round pick, which is also a good asset for any potential trades this summer.

For the Clips, its keep winning for #8 (and lose to GSW in the first round) and lose your pick OR Tank and keep your 1st round pick? The choice is pretty cut and dry, especially since Doc Rivers is both GM and coach. Doc Rivers is a smart guy, I would be shocked if the Clippers made the playoffs.
 
#50
The Kings don't have their own 1st round pick this year, so we are definitely driving to make the playoffs. Tanking won't help us.

The Clippers on the other hand, their pick is top 14 protected. If they get in the playoffs at #8, they will lose their 1st round pick, which is also a good asset for any potential trades this summer.

For the Clips, its keep winning for #8 (and lose to GSW in the first round) and lose your pick OR Tank and keep your 1st round pick? The choice is pretty cut and dry, especially since Doc Rivers is both GM and coach. Doc Rivers is a smart guy, I would be shocked if the Clippers made the playoffs.
He’s not anymore. The Clippers actually stripped Doc of his front office title, and promoted Lawrence Frank to head of basketball operations.
 
#51
I think 45 wins is enough. Spurs, Lakers, Blazers, Jazz and Clippers all have tough schedules as well; they even have game against each other, which helps us regardless of the outcome.

Nonetheless, it all comes down to us doing our part and winning games one game at a time regardless if it is against playoff or lottery bound teams.
 
#60
I think 45 wins is enough. Spurs, Lakers, Blazers, Jazz and Clippers all have tough schedules as well; they even have game against each other, which helps us regardless of the outcome.

Nonetheless, it all comes down to us doing our part and winning games one game at a time regardless if it is against playoff or lottery bound teams.
The Spurs do not have a tough schedule comparatively.