INFORMER wrote: ↑Sat Feb 15, 2020 2:46 pmThose records illustrate my point. It doesn't make a significant difference whether we are a .434 team or a .375 team; in either situation, we aren't good. Ayton doesn't change the fact that we still have problems at the 1 and 4. Ayton doesn't change the fact we need more production and consistency from Bridges.
That is my point.
For the .434 / 10-13 record, Rubio has been statistically half the player he was before his injury for at least 8 of those games while missing at least one of them:
Rubio, Booker and Ayton have started together for 15 games only, going 7-8.
But Rubio has been physically battling since the San Antonio game 9 games ago (although he's only played in 8 of those, going 3-5).
Up to and including the SA game he was averaging 13.5pts, 9.4ast, 4.8rbds, after it's 7pts, 5asts and 3rbs.
It's not a stretch at all to say we'd be .500% or better if Ayton played and then Rubio didn't get injured.
Whether we're playoff good I don't know - the optimist in me says we could be - but this question, and those questions around Saric, Rubio and Kelly, are surely best answered with half a season of continuity first.