This blazer team has been decent but don't forget they still need major work to get in the playoffs next season. We are at moment the fifth worst team in the western conference. That is somewhat telling. Lillard and LA obviously can't carry the blazers alone. They aren't at that superstar level. So without 2-3 new upgrades next summer u have to think this team will only be 3-6 wins better. As for maynor the blazers will have no choice to resign him unless they want to take another step back. Kills the cap though and this draft won't help with impact player. Bench upgrade will have to be through trade. My point though is it will be tough to improve enough in one summer to become a playoff team. Yes lillard is bright spot but I can tell expectations are already through the roof for him and this team who is fifth worst in west. It's a process guys remember that.
They are stuck in the worst place possible - the mediocre middle. Add in that they have no 1st round pick and seem determined to dump their best rebounder for "cap space".....and it is tough to see any improvement anytime soon.
That's a load of shit. First of all; Lillard is a rookie and you have no idea how good or bad he can be in a couple years. Then you have Leonard developing; which may turn out to be a solid center for us. Then you have batum injured again and still finding his groove offensively. But most importantly; stotts just came in. There are teams with far less talent with better defensive numbers than us. We up our defense and we add an additional 10 wins to this club. Probably a 5th seed. So you say we are 5th worst in the west, yet with maynor; we've been an above .500 team. Imagine how good we could have been if we just had maynor all season? Imagine that we have 4 rookies playing on this team. The sky is hardly falling. In fact we are much closer than you think.
we are 2.5 games out of the playoffs, don't think we need major work to make the playoffs next year. Lots of work to do to make it to the 2nd round, but making the playoffs is not that major of a step next year.
Our bench was god awful for most the season. Aldridge was coming in recovering from hip surgery. Lillard was finding his game. Stotts was feeling out his players. Batum was injured for most te season. Matthews was nursing injuries too. All this and we are only 2 games in the loss column for a playoff birth.
teams dont go from absolute crap to title winners you generally have to work your way up, and might be in the middle for a year or two on your way there this whole "NBA PURGATORY!!!11!" this is way overhyped IMO
Ok so u guys really think that we won't lose a starter next year for weeks or months? We were very fortunate to have the starting 5 play almost every game this year. That won't happen too often. U have to factor that in ya know. Without big upgrades and resigning maynor this team is around 38-42 wins on fringe of playoffs. That's also assuming lillard doesn't have dreaded sophomore slump!
In mixum's world, any dark cloud event could happen. Yes if things were according to gloom and doom; all could take place.
It's a process. As Dame and Meyers continue to progress, if we resign JJ and hopefully gain a decent free agent and maybe draft a player that can contribute I easily see us in the playoffs next year. From there we continue to add pieces here and there as we are able and hopefully younger players improve and who knows where we will be in 3 or 4 years or so.
Agreed. Stating it would also assume absolutely no development and improvement from anyone else on the roster.
Was going to rep you for saving me the time to post the same thing, but got a msg I have to spread the rep around before I can rep you again.
You've been here a month longer than me and 7K+ more posts than me! Guess I just believe in quality over quanity.
magnifier- we have 5 rookies Carlito- perspective: Blazers are 2 losses out of playoffs with 8 of our next 12 at home after today Lillard is playing sensational basketball in the last 14 games. He will be superstar level next year. Aldridge is the highest scoring big man in league. If he was in LA, Boston, or NY, he would be considered a superstar. Truth
Curious, how many teams in the history of the league have played 5 rookies? And what were their records?
