The only thing that matters is if we get out of the first round of the playoffs. If we get swept out, its a disaster. If we get past the first round, its a success.
I've been pleasantly surprised at how well the team has done. I was expecting 45 or so wins, and scrapping for the 8th seed in the playoffs. The Blazers have exceeded my expectations and, if not for the injuries to LA, would probably be looking at least at home court advantage in the first round. At this point, I'm not all-in on their chances for this season. I would be thrilled if they win a series, but won't be too bummed if they don't. It's generally a process in the NBA learning how to win in a playoff atmosphere and I think we'd all agree that the roster still needs some tweaking in the off-season. OTOH, I can picture this team getting hot and pushing farther than I'm expecting. I don't think that there's any team out there that is so dominant that the Blazers couldn't hang with them in a seven game series.
Everyone here knows they won't make it out of the first round and they are trying to be reasonable about it, so the homers are getting testy.
There's nothing in my opinion that will take the bloom off the rose of this season. Not since 1976-77 have I so underestimated this team.
The funny thing is those who look at it as a disaster only do so if we don't make the 2nd round, but in reality every season you don't win the title should be considered a failure. 18 game jump in wins (Probably 20 when all done). Huge improvement, move in the right direction. Most of the people I see that are calling it a disaster preach doom all year long, and it benefits their dismal view on things to have the team come up short... So they constantly adjust their "failure" bar to account for their own negativity. Teams looking good guys, enjoy it.
Its all about Baby Steps. If we get into the playoffs and lose in the first round, we might as well have tanked in a really good draft class. I don't get excited over a whole season of good basketball play and remain happy if we get bounced out of the first round. We haven't made it out of the first round in like 13 years. That's the cherry I want to pop with this team this year, that's always been my personal yardstick. If we get out of the first round, then the next year we raise the bar higher to get to the WCFs.
The 14 teams that wont make the playoffs called and would like to talk to you about your definition of "disaster". Making the playoffs and losing in the first round in no way is a "disaster". We sit at 51 wins with 3 games to go and we had two All Stars this season. A good season IMO, regardless of what happens in the playoffs.
These 14 teams have a decent shot of getting a franchise changing player in what looks to be a very promising draft in the first 5 or 6 picks. Losing in the first round would suck, we've done that every single time we've made the playoffs ever since that Game 7, 2000 collapse and I'm not content with making the playoffs. I want to win and I want to win now. I'm sick of getting a promising team together, getting excited that we finally made the playoffs, then we lose in the first round, the team then loses players or something bad happens and we repeat the cycle again. Its groundhog day with this attitude that "yay, we made the playoffs, we don't need to win to make this season a success!".
I said before the season that it is 2nd round or bust. I still feel that way. Now what the bust means is anyone's guess at this point but we have to show progress when and where it matters.
