At what point will you believe this team is for real?

[magnifier661]

Seems this board is mixed, so I want to know what it would take for you to finally believe?

I was a believer since most the acquisitions. I just knew that Lopez would help Aldridge in such a big way. From day one I thought we are a top 4 team.

I'd be shocked if we fell lower than the 4th seed.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Assuming everyone stays healthy, after the all-star break. I however don't think everyone will stay healthy

We are ridiculously this up front

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I'll probably need about a five-game stretch where our backcourt defense is better than bad. Or a similar length stretch of continuous good play from Williams and Robinson.

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[magnifier661]

Assuming everyone stays healthy, after the all-star break. I however don't think everyone will stay healthy

We are ridiculously this up front

Yeah our bigs rotation is incredibly thin, but I believe we will see brilliance from t rob soon enough!

 

[magnifier661]

I'll probably need about a five-game stretch where our backcourt defense is better than bad. Or a similar length stretch of continuous good play from Williams and Robinson.

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I was hoping some would say after this road trip. Previous years, even when we made the playoffs, we were a dismal road team. If we could sustain an above .500 road record is a telling tale

 

[GrandpaBlaze]

I am excited about how things are going now and the possibilities, but being a Blazer fan since their inception, I am also relatively jaded when it comes to quick starts.

When we hit 20 games and are still doing very well, I'll allow myself to truly hope. If we hit the halfway mark and are still doing well, that is when I'll probably start truly believing.

Early season success can too easily be similar to pre-season success, all a chimera.

Gramps...

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I was hoping some would say after this road trip. Previous years, even when we made the playoffs, we were a dismal road team. If we could sustain an above .500 road record is a telling tale

The combined records of our opponents on this trip is presently 12-20. Portland could play poorly and still go 3-1.

I'm more interested in the specifics aspects of our team performance which have been lacking in recent years.

 

[magnifier661]

I am excited about how things are going now and the possibilities, but being a Blazer fan since their inception, I am also relatively jaded when it comes to quick starts.

When we hit 20 games and are still doing very well, I'll allow myself to truly hope. If we hit the halfway mark and are still doing well, that is when I'll probably start truly believing.

Early season success can too easily be similar to pre-season success, all a chimera.

Gramps...

I think it's very reasonable to wait until after the all star break. Usually by that time, we get an idea on where many teams stand. There are some late bloomers that do make march and April pushes, but for the most part, the teams in the playoff hunt usually stay there.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I was hoping some would say after this road trip. Previous years, even when we made the playoffs, we were a dismal road team. If we could sustain an above .500 road record is a telling tale

This road trip is pretty easy, for a road trip

Boston, Toronto and Milwaukee all suck

Brooklyn has been struggling, but they are a good team. Should be the only test.

 

[magnifier661]

This road trip is pretty easy, for a road trip

Boston, Toronto and Milwaukee all suck

Brooklyn has been struggling, but they are a good team. Should be the only test.

No I totally understand these games should be easy wins, but we've all been fans for quite some time. And we should all have memory that the team just 7 years ago until present lose in these types of situations. If we come out really smoking, it will definitely not be normal historic team behavior.

 

[Mediocre Man]

No I totally understand these games should be easy wins, but we've all been fans for quite some time. And we should all have memory that the team just 7 years ago until present lose in these types of situations. If we come out really smoking, it will definitely not be normal historic team behavior.

Agreed.

I don't want anyone to think I'm not excited for how the team is playing. They are playing pretty damn well. I just don't think that has anything to do with how good they will be in March and April

 

[magnifier661]

Agreed.

I don't want anyone to think I'm not excited for how the team is playing. They are playing pretty damn well. I just don't think that has anything to do with how good they will be in March and April

I can respect that...

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

I believe now. I believed before the season started, after we got Lopez, Wright, and Williams... a bench!

 

[magnifier661]

I believe now. I believed before the season started, after we got Lopez, Wright, and Williams... a bench!

Same here... It's amazing what having a semi decent bench and true decent center will do for this ball club

 

[Blazinaway]

Seems this board is mixed, so I want to know what it would take for you to finally believe?

I was a believer since most the acquisitions. I just knew that Lopez would help Aldridge in such a big way. From day one I thought we are a top 4 team.

I'd be shocked if we fell lower than the 4th seed.

I like what I see so far, after 20-25 games and let's talk and see what our record is, I'm optimistic and I forecasted 48 wins in the preseason Poll, I think that is easily doable but uno step at a time

 

[magnifier661]

I like what I see so far, after 20-25 games and let's talk and see what our record is, I'm optimistic and I forecasted 48 wins in the preseason Poll, I think that is easily doable but uno step at a time

48 wins will be an 8th seed in the west. I hope we beat your spread by 6 games!

 

[Eastoff]

I think after we've played every team once, would be my gauge.

 

[Paxil]

I think they are real now. Not winning 75% of their games obviously... but 60-65% is a possibility.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I really hate when we underestimate the other teams on a road trip. They all need wins badly and they all have talent.

I look at this upcoming schedule as a 6 game road trip. We always play poorly the first home game back. And you can pretty much mark the GS game as a loss right now. If we go 3-3 in that stretch I would be satisfied.

When will I believe this team is for real? When we consistently compete on the road and dominate more games at home. Teams need to fear playing in Portland. Right now our D is not quite there to do that.

I am happy with our start, but I will feel better when we win a few more ugly games against good teams. The Phoenix game was both good and bad. Good that we won when we shot poorly, and bad because they took us out of our offense so easily. By mid January we should know which of those two is a pattern.

Right now I think we are a playoff team if we stay healthy. And that is a good step forward. But the D needs to improve and Lillard needs to show he can continue to get us a basket down the stretch. (By passing or shooting)

Batum has to continue to show he is a playmaker too. We need at least two! Mo can score, but I do not trust the ball in his hands right now in crucial moments. There has to be another guy who can attack the basket at the end of games. It has to be a guard or wing. Until then it will be too easy to focus on Damian. The better teams have at least two. But to be fair, there is not many of those teams.

 

[oldmangrouch]

When they win a play-off series.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Already believe mags. This team looks special this year. All aboard the mags homer train!

 

[Reep]

There is still a lot that has to happen. Teams will figure out a way to defend against our Plan A (see Phoenix), then Stotts has to figure out how to counter. Also, there is still room for the bench to grow. These counterbalancing factors will play out through the season.

In the short term though a 3-1 road trip would be pretty solid.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I think 20 games into the season we'll know if they are headed in the right direction for a playoff appearance and by 40 games if that trend is real or just a fart in the wind. If Lillard, Lopez or LMA go down for any extended period of time (10+ games) then forget about it.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Default Re: At what point will you believe this team is for real?

For me, it's the opposite. I come into the season happy and full of optimism. So, the question for me is when will I believe that they're NOT for real. Easy, I'll believe they're not for real if we ever lose enough to see .500.

 

[e_blazer]

For me, it's the opposite. I come into the season happy and full of optimism. So, the question for me is when will I believe that they're NOT for real. Easy, I'll believe they're not for real if we ever lose enough to see .500.

Same.

 

[e_blazer]

I think 20 games into the season we'll know if they are headed in the right direction for a playoff appearance and by 40 games if that trend is real or just a fart in the wind. If Lillard, Lopez or LMA go down for any extended period of time (10+ games) then forget about it.

Pretty fair assessment, but the part I've bolded would be true for the top 3 players of any of the contenders so I'm not sure what it adds to the discussion.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Assuming everyone stays healthy, after the all-star break. I however don't think everyone will stay healthy

We are ridiculously this up front

CJ is out, so as far as I'm concerned we've never been healthy and we're doing well. Yes, if any of the following goes down for a significant time we're in trouble: Lillard, La Marcus, Lopez. Of course, that's true about most teams.

Frankly, IMHO this team is about as injury proof as we're ever likely to get.

That being said, yes, I'm with you in that I would feel more comfortable it we got another big.

 

[donkiez]

Im sticking with my preseason prediction that we challenge for home court and fall somewhere 4-7th seeds. The last few games make me feel like we are firmly in the second tier of this conference. I'd rank San Antonio, Golden State, LA Clips, and OKC all better than us but if things go well we beat out one or two of them. If things go bad I could see Phx, Dallas, Minnesota, or Memphis passing us up.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Pretty fair assessment, but the part I've bolded would be true for the top 3 players of any of the contenders so I'm not sure what it adds to the discussion.

Not all of them at the same time, any one of them for 10+ games.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

If Lopez goes down, here a sample conversation between coach and GM:
"You want me to activate Leonard?"
"No, he destroys our entire defense."
"But, he's a lottery pick."
"No, he destroys our entire defense."
"He needs experience."
"No, he destroys our entire defense."
"You want Leonard you don't want some random 6'10" 250 lb. guy from the D-League."
"No, he destroys our entire defense."
"I'll see what I can do."