Can The Celtics catch Golden State for best record?

[droopdog7]

Can they?  I mean, of course they CAN.  People need to ask the question right.  The  real question is WILL the Celtics catch GS for the best record.  My answer is no.

[celticsclay]

It might depends on GS.   Do they keep their foot on the gas or do they cruise for parts of the seasons like many past champs.  (SA, Cleveland...)




p.s.  Not talking about Cleveland current dysfunction.   Past seasons.

This.

Completely depends on how Golden State decides to handle the rest of the season. Everyone and their mother knows the Warriors don't need home court to win a title, so it's entirely possible they coast throughout the rest of the season and rest guys periodically.

That being said, there is just so much talent on that roster that they can choose to rest one of their stars every game and still blow the doors off their opponent. Plus, the Warriors are a VERY prideful group, so they may want the best record.

The Warriors are 41-12 (53 games).  Curry has missed 15.  Durant has missed 8.  Green has missed 7.  ZaZa has missed 10.  Klay even missed a game.  Their bench isn't much different.  Iggy has missed 9, Livingston 8, McCaw 6, West 4, Casspi 13, Bell 15.  Even Young has missed 2 games.

In other words, the Warriors have the best record in the league when the vast majority of their players have missed more than a nominal amount of games.  And they missed those games as a result of injury (mostly), which means some of the games they played were shortened or not at full strength. 

That isn't to say they can't be caught, especially by the Rockets, but it will take long periods of multiple players missing games for them to fall much below their current win% pace.  So to realistically catch them you are going to have play at a 70 win or better pace for the rest of the season.

The rockets, one game back, haven't had great health themselves with harden missing 7 and Paul missing a lot of games. Also things like Casspi missing games isn't really relevant. He is barely in their rotation when everyone is healthy

[liam]

I'm really surprised that only 3 people think it's possible. This Celtics squad is full of surprises.

[keevsnick]

I'm really surprised that only 3 people think it's possible. This Celtics squad is full of surprises.

Its simply a math problem at this point. We are 3 back in the loss column with 28 games to go. Thats not an easy number to make up, let alone the fact that GS is really good.

[droopdog7]

NM.

[saltlover]

I'm really surprised that only 3 people think it's possible. This Celtics squad is full of surprises.

Its simply a math problem at this point. We are 3 back in the loss column with 28 games to go. Thats not an easy number to make up, let alone the fact that GS is really good.

Yeah.  If we assume Golden State continues to win at the same rate, we would have to go 24-4 over the final 28 games to catch them.  That’s a 71-win pace over the final third of the season, and even better than our first-third of the season when we went 23-5.  So we’d need a combination of the Celtics playing their best ball of the season while the Warriors simultaneously play below their season to date.

I suppose the question is a bit up to semantics.  “Can” they?  Technically yes.  Will they?  Most probably not.  It’d probably require Curry or Durant missing about 3 weeks while the Celtics both getting immediately healthy (beginning tomorrow night in Toronto) AND playing as well as they have all year.  And so most people said, “No, that will not happen”.

[liam]

I'm really surprised that only 3 people think it's possible. This Celtics squad is full of surprises.

Its simply a math problem at this point. We are 3 back in the loss column with 28 games to go. Thats not an easy number to make up, let alone the fact that GS is really good.

Yeah.  If we assume Golden State continues to win at the same rate, we would have to go 24-4 over the final 28 games to catch them.  That’s a 71-win pace over the final third of the season, and even better than our first-third of the season when we went 23-5.  So we’d need a combination of the Celtics playing their best ball of the season while the Warriors simultaneously play below their season to date.

I suppose the question is a bit up to semantics.  “Can” they?  Technically yes.  Will they?  Most probably not.  It’d probably require Curry or Durant missing about 3 weeks while the Celtics both getting immediately healthy (beginning tomorrow night in Toronto) AND playing as well as they have all year.  And so most people said, “No, that will not happen”.

Thanks for the cold splash of reality...