Next 16 Games (12/19 - 1/20)

[Capt. Factorial]

I've closed up the previous "Next 8 Games" thread, as we're past that. 5-3 was a really nice result for that one, and I think as @sactowndog suggested, it did say a lot about our team.

Now we've got a very different stretch coming up.

In our next 16 games, there are 12 home games, and only three against teams currently with a better record than us. To run it down:

Date    Where   Who                      Record (on 12/19)
12/19   HOME    Charlotte Hornets        7-23  (.233)
12/21   HOME    LA Lakers                13-16 (.448)
12/23   HOME    Washington Wizards       11-20 (.355)
12/27   HOME    Denver Nuggets           18-11 (.621)
12/28   HOME    Denver Nuggets           18-11 (.621)
12/30   HOME    Utah Jazz                17-15 (.531)
1/1     Road    Memphis Grizzlies        19-10 (.655)
1/3     Road    Utah Jazz                17-15 (.531)
1/4     HOME    Atlanta Hawks            15-15 (.500)
1/7     HOME    LA Lakers                13-16 (.448)
1/9     HOME    Orlando Magic            11-20 (.355)
1/11    HOME    Houston Rockets          9-20  (.310)
1/13    HOME    Houston Rockets          9-20  (.310)
1/15    Road    San Antonio Spurs        9-20  (.310)
1/18    Road    LA Lakers                13-16 (.448)
1/20    HOME    Oklahoma City Thunder    12-18 (.400)

As you can see, with the exception of the 6-game stretch between 12/27 and 1/4, we don't face a single .500 team (and two of those are the Jazz, in whom I do not believe). Over the next 16 games we only face three teams currently holding a better record than we have.

So this stretch is going to say a lot about our team, too. Can we win the games we're supposed to win? I think in this stretch 10-6 would be a disappointment. We need to take care of some business and light some beams in the next month.

 

[The_Jamal]

This is where we make our push for an actual playoff spot. I think it's a very different test as my guess is we're going to be favored in 10-12 of these games (including 10 point favorites tonight vs CHA!) The Kings have been outstanding this season at winning games they're supposed to, so it'll be real interesting to see if we continue to take care of business

 

[Insomniacal Fan]

Yeesh, we play the Nuggets @home on Tuesday and then Wednesday, and then the Rockets @home on Wednesday and Friday? Is NBA scheduling algorithm optimizing for boredom?

 

[QWERTYLICIOUS]

I've closed up the previous "Next 8 Games" thread, as we're past that. 5-3 was a really nice result for that one, and I think as @sactowndog suggested, it did say a lot about our team.

Now we've got a very different stretch coming up.

In our next 16 games, there are 12 home games, and only three against teams currently with a better record than us. To run it down:

Date    Where   Who                      Record (on 12/19)
12/19   HOME    Charlotte Hornets        7-23  (.233)
12/21   HOME    LA Lakers                13-16 (.448)
12/23   HOME    Washington Wizards       11-20 (.355)
12/27   HOME    Denver Nuggets           18-11 (.621)
12/28   HOME    Denver Nuggets           18-11 (.621)
12/30   HOME    Utah Jazz                17-15 (.531)
1/1     Road    Memphis Grizzlies        19-10 (.655)
1/3     Road    Utah Jazz                17-15 (.531)
1/4     HOME    Atlanta Hawks            15-15 (.500)
1/7     HOME    LA Lakers                13-16 (.448)
1/9     HOME    Orlando Magic            11-20 (.355)
1/11    HOME    Houston Rockets          9-20  (.310)
1/13    HOME    Houston Rockets          9-20  (.310)
1/15    Road    San Antonio Spurs        9-20  (.310)
1/18    Road    LA Lakers                13-16 (.448)
1/20    HOME    Oklahoma City Thunder    12-18 (.400)

As you can see, with the exception of the 6-game stretch between 12/27 and 1/4, we don't face a single .500 team (and two of those are the Jazz, in whom I do not believe). Over the next 16 games we only face three teams currently holding a better record than we have.

So this stretch is going to say a lot about our team, too. Can we win the games we're supposed to win? I think in this stretch 10-6 would be a disappointment. We need to take care of some business and light some beams in the next month.

Date Where Who Record (on 12/19)
12/19 HOME Charlotte Hornets 7-23 (.233) W (1-0)
12/21 HOME LA Lakers 13-16 (.448) W (2-0)
12/23 HOME Washington Wizards 11-20 (.355) W (3-0)
12/27 HOME Denver Nuggets 18-11 (.621) W/L (4-0/3-1)
12/28 HOME Denver Nuggets 18-11 (.621) W/L (4-1)
12/30 HOME Utah Jazz 17-15 (.531) W (5-1)
1/1 Road Memphis Grizzlies 19-10 (.655) L (5-2)
1/3 Road Utah Jazz 17-15 (.531) L (5-3)
1/4 HOME Atlanta Hawks 15-15 (.500) W (6-3)
1/7 HOME LA Lakers 13-16 (.448) W (7-3)
1/9 HOME Orlando Magic 11-20 (.355) W (8-3)
1/11 HOME Houston Rockets 9-20 (.310) W (9-3)
1/13 HOME Houston Rockets 9-20 (.310) W (10-3)
1/15 Road San Antonio Spurs 9-20 (.310) W (11-3)
1/18 Road LA Lakers 13-16 (.448) W (12-3)
1/20 HOME Oklahoma City Thunder 12-18 (.400) W (13-3)

To provide a quick breakdown of my predictions above...We start off strong, winning our next three contests. We will then split both home games against Denver (I am not quite sure in which order, but my guess here is whoever comes out on the wrong end of the stick after game 1 will come back the very next night and get some revenge. I think we then go on to beat the Jazz at home, before our quick two game road trip, on which we will struggle, and come back having lost both. The rest of the schedule then becomes VERY favorable for us, and I see us winning out.

I see us, VERY REALISTICALLY, ending this stretch of games having gone 13-3. I will settle with 12-4 at the end of the day, but 11-5 or worse, in my honest opinion, will be a disappointment.

 

[Sac.Kings]

Man, you guys are on this train and sitting in the first class car huh? 11-5 a disappointment? We have sucked so hard for so long, if we went 11-5 I’d be ecstatic. Yes, 12-4 would be ridiculous but that’s a 75% win rate. That’s a 62 win team throughout an entire season… asking for a lot there I think. 10-6 is realistic, we are still a new team. 11-5 or better and I’m calling my Laker fan brother in law and talking smack for a month straight.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

16-0 or treadmill.

 

[gunks]

16-0 or treadmill.

This + a shaka shake

 

[QWERTYLICIOUS]

16-0 or treadmill.

...or we all riot. And demand our money back. And demand our insanity back.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

This + a shaka shake

I just talked to Gina over in corporate, and if we win the next 5, we can have an early dismissal on Friday the 30th to get an early start on New Year's*.

-Monte

*FTE only. Players and essential game-day personnel excluded. No makeups. Personnel may leave at 3pm and take up to 2 hours LWP.

 

[iowamcnabb]

Man, you guys are on this train and sitting in the first class car huh? 11-5 a disappointment? We have sucked so hard for so long, if we went 11-5 I’d be ecstatic. Yes, 12-4 would be ridiculous but that’s a 75% win rate. That’s a 62 win team throughout an entire season… asking for a lot there I think. 10-6 is realistic, we are still a new team. 11-5 or better and I’m calling my Laker fan brother in law and talking smack for a month straight.

yeh even if we go 9-7 and then .500 the rest of the season we would finish 44-38. That would be a pretty substantial improvement over last season and this year’s projection. I can still hope for more but that would be a great start

 

[kingsfan101]

I've closed up the previous "Next 8 Games" thread, as we're past that. 5-3 was a really nice result for that one, and I think as @sactowndog suggested, it did say a lot about our team.

Now we've got a very different stretch coming up.

In our next 16 games, there are 12 home games, and only three against teams currently with a better record than us. To run it down:

Date    Where   Who                      Record (on 12/19)
12/19   HOME    Charlotte Hornets        7-23  (.233)
12/21   HOME    LA Lakers                13-16 (.448)
12/23   HOME    Washington Wizards       11-20 (.355)
12/27   HOME    Denver Nuggets           18-11 (.621)
12/28   HOME    Denver Nuggets           18-11 (.621)
12/30   HOME    Utah Jazz                17-15 (.531)
1/1     Road    Memphis Grizzlies        19-10 (.655)
1/3     Road    Utah Jazz                17-15 (.531)
1/4     HOME    Atlanta Hawks            15-15 (.500)
1/7     HOME    LA Lakers                13-16 (.448)
1/9     HOME    Orlando Magic            11-20 (.355)
1/11    HOME    Houston Rockets          9-20  (.310)
1/13    HOME    Houston Rockets          9-20  (.310)
1/15    Road    San Antonio Spurs        9-20  (.310)
1/18    Road    LA Lakers                13-16 (.448)
1/20    HOME    Oklahoma City Thunder    12-18 (.400)

As you can see, with the exception of the 6-game stretch between 12/27 and 1/4, we don't face a single .500 team (and two of those are the Jazz, in whom I do not believe). Over the next 16 games we only face three teams currently holding a better record than we have.

So this stretch is going to say a lot about our team, too. Can we win the games we're supposed to win? I think in this stretch 10-6 would be a disappointment. We need to take care of some business and light some beams in the next month.

While I hope (and dare say, expect) a better result than 10-6, winning consistently is not easy. Teams will not be taking us lightly, and will get up to prepare for us and play us. Hope we don't fall into the trap of taking games easy.

Both Denver games and the Grizz game will be tough. Grizz one is also on the road. Nuggets have the Joker who is not only a deserving two time MVP again playing like one, but also one of the few who can totally dwarf Sabonis. Jazz have severely outplayed expectations, and are still playing good. Winning both against them will be tough. Similarly, Lakers still have Bron, and winning three will be really really tough (they have an 11-6 record since their 2-10 start, though Davis is out for an extended period now).

That's 8 challenging games. We should win some of these, but might also sputter somewhere else. That's just the nature of the regular season.

Hope the roster stays healthy. I would be ecstatic with a 12-4 record, but will accept 11-5/10-6.

 

[Woot!]

As you can see, with the exception of the 6-game stretch between 12/27 and 1/4, we don't face a single .500 team (and two of those are the Jazz, in whom I do not believe). Over the next 16 games we only face three teams currently holding a better record than we have.

So this stretch is going to say a lot about our team, too. Can we win the games we're supposed to win? I think in this stretch 10-6 would be a disappointment. We need to take care of some business and light some beams in the next month.

The Jazz are real. I've seen them play.

 

[See_Hanks]

Took a chunk out of my 17-7 prediction for this thread date range.. 13-3 as QWERTYLICIOUS said above.

 

[kingsboi]

teams under .500 really has no relevancy here. if the Kings are Playoff bound, they will get the best from these sub .500 teams and they need to be ready for it and not let them hang around and gain confidence

 

[steelevt]

Have we not learned from these kinds of threads? I was wondering why we were down to the worst team in the league. Then went here and saw this thread up

 

[KF8]

It's going to be rough without barnes who is arguably our best defender. Hopefully his injury isn't too serious.