We can agree to disagree. I think Exum is going to be very solid. Not Westbrook solid per se but a night and day difference over his rookie year (and what we had this year, especially on the defensive end), and eventually, very, very good.
Think about it. We won 40 games this year with what was basically a 3rd string point guard at the helm for 82 games, a backup 6th man at the reins for 50+ games, and significant time missed from each of our two starting bigs. All that with little depth to begin with. Add in all those close losses which, according to someone like Kicky who you respect, balance out over the course of a year except they didn't balance out this year. Oh yeah, and we were the second youngest team in the league. The way I see it, better health equates into another 4-5 wins, finishing closer to or at .500 in very close games equates to 2-3 more wins, and organic growth equates into 2-4 more wins, which puts us around 8-12 more wins. Middle that and we're looking at 50 wins. I'm not stupid enough to think this is some exact science and I recognize our teams flaws and also recognize that injuries are gonna happen. But this season was a bit of a perfect storm of little depth/youth accompanied by injuries to **** us. This year, we have more experience, more hunger (is that another 1-2 wins?), better depth (can't be worse), and better health(again, can it be any worse?), plus the decline (right?) of Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, at least a little bit.
The way I see it, if the Jazz OU is anywhere at 43.5 or lower, I am gonna bang it for as much as I can. Like literally, possibly 5-10K.
In short, I think our combination of organic growth, improved health, better depth through the draft and maybe free agency, a more desperate attitude from the players and coaching, as well as a decline from some other teams, will net much improved production. My prediction? I'll pull back a tiny bit. 48-34, the 5 seed and a forst round exit in 6 games.
This this this.
50 wins easy w Exum and health and fortified bench. Cunning you did not ever mention improvements for Hood n Lyles. They are gonna break out in 2017.
Imagine when we get Durant. Suddenly we go from 50 wins to 60-62 and op will be crying as her ex-jazz kill her new team. Next offseason Durants buddy Westbrook signs and we trade Hayward for bench pieces.
Westbrook, Exum
Hood, Burks
Someone Deng?
Durant, Favors
Gobert, Favors
Nobody will beat that team.