Fun with Statistics

[Daniel Pelletier <dlp@philabs.research.philips.com>]

Disclaimer: The numbers used as the basis for these statistics have not
been independently verified.  Wagering based on these predictions is
strongly discouraged.

Well, there's two ways to look at things, if you ask me, just based on
the stats, just the numbers, which as we know, don't lie.

First, the Celtics are now 2-5.  This is a 28.5% winning percentage and
carried out to the end of the year would result in 23 wins.  This
represents a 1.5 percent increase in wins over last season.  If we
continue this trend for the next couple of years we see:

1997-1998   23 wins
1998-1999   34 wins
1999-2000   51 wins
2000-2001   77 wins

It would appear that 77 wins would pretty much make us the dominant team
of all time in the NBA and just about guarantees a championship in four
years.  Not too shabby, if you ask me.  Anybody willing to wait four
years for Chauncey to deliver?  I know I am.

But, that is not the most telling statistic.  I have been informed that
Rick Pitino's NY Knick team went 1-8 in their first year, then went on
to 35 wins over the year.  This (1-8) is an 11.1% winning percentage. 
The current celtics have, as I've said have a 28.5% winning percentage. 
Since we are winning games at a rate of 2.56 wins for every win the
Knicks got, multiplying 35*2.56 wins results in 90 wins.  That's right,
90 wins.  THIS YEAR!!!  But how can that be, you ask?  Haven't the
Celtics already lost 5 games and aren't there only 82 games in the
season?  I don't know about the 82 games thing, but the only explanation
for the 5 losses is that they never really happened!  I plan to send
this analysis straight to the league office for their review, but I'm
sure they'll be retroactively adjusting the Celtics record anytime soon
to reflect their true 8-0 status, even though they've only played 7
games.  

Just doing my part to support the team. 

Dan Pelletier