But none of those other teams are the Portland Trail Blazers, and the only way I see the Portland Trail Blazers finishing below 5th in the west is because of a serious injury.
MM, I guess what's the point in not just waiting till the season is over first before you decide if the team is above average? I mean, you say the all star break, well that's after 65% of the games have already been played, so not much analysis needed from that point. I'm fine with your waiting, im not trying to pester you about it, I just don't understand how you can be a fan of this team(which you are) and this far into the season still not believe that this team is above average. Almost nobody, even Mags, thinks the Blazers will have the best record at seasons end, but it seems to me there is plenty of evidence that this team is good. They win on the road. check They beat teams they should beat. check They have won the majority of games against good teams. check They have the PG who is tied for most game winners in the NBA since he was drafted and the most this year. check They have an all star PF who is generating MVP buzz his play has been so amazing. check They have a very well rounded starting 5 who compliment perfectly. check They have the number one offense in the NBA. check Yet they still win on bad shooting nights. check Their D in third quarters is a drtg drop of double digits over the first half, they learn at halftime and get after it. check Their bench is not the worst in the league anymore. check (this is the one real issue I see. a better bench and I would be looking for championship) The team wins back to backs like a motha skunt.
I think this team is above average right now. It;s not the way I think they will end up, and I am not changing that opinion until after the break....if I change it at all.
What do you think will cause the bubble to burst? Injury? The bench can't possibly play worse than it is, and I don't think the starting five are playing that high above their heads. Wes has come back to earth a bit.
I said at the beginning of the year that I thought it would be injury. Our starters play a ton of minutes. That being said, we a a jump shooting team, and against good teams, if we are off, we are really vulnerable. Also, if Lopez goes down for even a few games, our front court depth is so inexperienced.
Stubborn mule is another word for jackass, so that's a personal attack. had you said stubborn goat, you would have been fine.
If history has shown us anything, the injuries (especially to Aldridge) don't come until much later in the season. The long minutes won't take their toll until later in the year, so it's difficult to predict something like that.
Then you are a stubborn goat. The mule reference has been used for a hundred years. I was unaware that it meant "jackass". I'm not that old
It's pretty much impossible to predict something like that. That's why I don't see the point in thinking that way, especially for a fan, but hey, to each his own. If a guy wants to be a stubborn mule of a fan, he can.