So the majority of posters thus far believe Kyrie's going to play somewhere between 7 and 12 games more than his 6-year season average. Seems like every other year he plays 50-55 games, so why are we assuming the best? Or is it more that we're hoping for the best?
I don't think it is unreasonable to assume that a relatively healthy basketball player will play more than 70 games in a season. Of course injuries do happen - Horford only played a total of 68 games after that ghastly hit on the head from Zeller - but the expectation here is that Kyrie will be our starting PG for the vast majority of games.
Frankly, I probably would have voted 76-82 if the option was there.
I hope you're right, but that projection seems overly-optimistic. 76-82 games contradicts 6 years of evenly-distributed data (3 years in the 50s, 3 years in the low 70s). What factors do you think will attribute to him having his healthiest season in 7 years (incl. college)?
I went with 63-69. Doubt that would compromise our standings, and would prefer he rest as much as necessary to ensure he's at his best for the playoffs.
63-69 is probably right, and 76-82 doesn't seem reasonable, but I'd point out two things.
1) His 51-game season was in the lockout year, so it should be looked at in the context of a condensed 66-game season.
2) In one of his other shortened seasons, he started off the year injured (having been hurt in the prior post-season). Since he's currently healthy (we assume), one could argue it shouldn't be included in the sample. In his five seasons in which he has started the season healthy, he's played in 71-75 games three times, 51 games in a shortened season in which there were few off-days, and 59 games.
If there were a 68-74 option, that would be my choice.