Blazers remaining schedule

[Strenuus]

Yeah which is why I'm okay with him playing at all. Vonleh wouldn't get any minutes on an actual playoff team.

Lets play him 30 minutes a night!!!!!

 

[blue9]

Vonleh should play the entire game if we're trying to stealth tank.

That wouldn't be very stealth...

 

[Spud147]

I think the Blazers win 9-10 of their games before the All-Star break. Tell me who's on the roster after the trade deadline and I'll give my projection for those games.

It'll be interesting to see what the late season injury bug does to the older teams currently in play off spots above the young Blazers (Dallas, Memphis, Houston).

 

[TBpup]

It'll be interesting to see what the late season injury bug does to the older teams currently in play off spots above the young Blazers (Dallas, Memphis, Houston).

It will also be interesting to see how the quality teams start to ramp up and play with more focus as playoff seeding comes down to the end after the All-Star break.

 

[Chris Craig]

Thing about the Blazers is they are an anomaly when it comes to the stats. Expect them to have a better second half of the season then the first half....when are people/ teams going to learn not to underestimate them?

 

[illmatic99]

according to ESPN, we're currently 5-16 vs. +.500 teams.
http://espn.go.com/nba/standings/_/view/expanded

This and point diff are great indicators of where we'll end up at season's end. And then you think about UTA getting healthier with Favors and Burks returning, I think we can rest easy about our lottery chances. Maybe...

I just don't want a situation where we're still waffling on our strategy come trade deadline because we're still in limbo. If we're hovering around .500, then go for it and see what we can get to improve our team. If we're around where we are now (5-8 games below .500), get more picks, and give extended PT to Leonard, Harkless, and Noah for a serious eval.

What really sucks this year is that 36 wins might be enough for the 8th seed in the west. A shitty team with that record NEEDS a lottery pick-- not a sweep in the first round. Just hope that Neil realizes that and can execute a clear strategy for long term, sustained success.

 

[Spud147]

It will also be interesting to see how the quality teams start to ramp up and play with more focus as playoff seeding comes down to the end after the All-Star break.

The Mavs can ramp up and focus all they want but if Dirk goes down for any length of time they are done.

 

[Strenuus]

Thing about the Blazers is they are an anomaly when it comes to the stats. Expect them to have a better second half of the season then the first half....when are people/ teams going to learn not to underestimate them?

When they have a record that shows they can't underestimate them?

 

[B-Roy]

20, has yet to play 60 games....and yet shows signs of ability that few have. He had very good handles for a PF, can shoot with either hand in the post, has a nice shot from the outside and before this year, hit that shot quite well. He is lacking confidence to start with and the Blazers offense isn't set up to get the 'Bigs' many looks, development or increased confidence. Most of the time they run around setting picks and when they do get the ball, are looking to get it back to Dame/CJ as fast as possible.

I'd like to see him with 6-8 good looks a game for several games in a row and see what happens. As of now, he gets 1 look early and that's it for the rest of the game unless he puts back an offensive rebound.

I just don't see what is so special about him. He has some tools, but I'm not optimistic about them translating into the NBA. There are plenty of bigs in the league with shaky handles, doesn't mean they know how to use them. Freaking 7'2 Salah Mejri has handles at 1:05: . Vonleh is nothing special in that regard. He can shoot with either hand, great, but he can't actually make any of his shots. Every move he makes on the post is so telegraphed, I don't know how many times this year the defender just waits and blocks him before he can even make it to the rim. He looked great in college and in summer league, but he was shooting over guys that aren't even 15th men on actual NBA rosters. From what I've seen, he's not nearly quick enough or athletic enough to get shots over actual NBA quality rim protectors. He has trouble securing rebounds against taller players because he's so grounded to the floor, and he doesn't have the brains or the technique like ZBO for example to position himself or move guys out of the way.

He's got to change the way he approaches the game. I'm not too optimistic on him because it looks like his struggles stem from his athletic ability. His game did not translate well from prep --> pro and I suspect that's also part of the reason he dropped on draft night. He's got pretty good defensive instincts though, which for such a young player is impressive. Gives me hope that he's actually a smart guy and will figure out how to be effective/find his niche eventually. But I don't project him to be a starter on a playoff team, much less a star.

 

[TBpup]

Thing about the Blazers is they are an anomaly when it comes to the stats. Expect them to have a better second half of the season then the first half....when are people/ teams going to learn not to underestimate them?

Blazers declined significantly in the 2nd halves of both of the most recent seasons. They feasted on a weak East and then stumbled against a quality West loaded schedule. This season, the West has a lot of beatable teams in it so they may pick up more wins that way in the 2nd half.

 

[Spud147]

When they have a record that shows they can't underestimate them?

I had no expectations for this season. So I'm really surprised that midway through the possibility of the post season doesn't seem so crazy.

Could KingSpeed's preseason prediction actually be right???!?!??!??????

 

[Strenuus]

I had no expectations for this season. So I'm really surprised that midway through the possibility of the post season doesn't seem so crazy.

Could KingSpeed's preseason prediction actually be right???!?!??!??????

No.

 

[Spud147]

No.

I'm just saying this season has a little early 90s Rod Strickland Blazer team vibe to it. 8th seed, mid-teen lottery pick good.

In other words... basketball purgatory.

 

[Strenuus]

I'm just saying this season has a little early 90s Rod Strickland Blazer team vibe to it. 8th seed, mid-teen lottery pick good.

In other words... basketball purgatory.

LOL. Eew.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I'm just saying this season has a little early 90s Rod Strickland Blazer team vibe to it. 8th seed, mid-teen lottery pick good.

In other words... basketball purgatory.

Basketball purgatory generally involves aging vets on big contacts that prevent the team from improving via free agency. We don't have that. We have a bunch of players 28 or younger that are still improving, and are still figuring out how to play together complementarily. Very different situation.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

I did the math in my very first post here- I'll see if I can link it, but the crux of it is this- the 8th seed looks like it's going to be ~39 wins (the exact math was somewhere around 39.2) Unless some pretty serious regression takes place or other mitigating factors arise- I'm pretty certain that holds up. When you get into that 35 win territory, at that point I feel you're just sacrificing lottery position.

We have plenty of lottery picks on the team already. Wins >> late lottery position. I think some on these boards are underestimating the tank factor late in the season. Some teams will (ahem, Brooklyn) start tanking hard about 60 games into the season. I don't want the blazers to fight tanking with tanking.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

I'm just saying this season has a little early 90s Rod Strickland Blazer team vibe to it. 8th seed, mid-teen lottery pick good.

In other words... basketball purgatory.

loco weed. Each player on this team will improve, many will improve substantially. Those earlier, caught in the 1st round and out rut, had a bunch of vets. Different situation, entirely.

 

[ripcityboy]

Basketball purgatory generally involves aging vets on big contacts that prevent the team from improving via free agency. We don't have that. We have a bunch of players 28 or younger that are still improving, and are still figuring out how to play together complementarily. Very different situation.

No that's not purgatory.... that's basketball hell.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

 

[KingSpeed]

I think the Blazers currently have 4 wins over teams with .500 or better records . . .

5

 

[KingSpeed]

And we got crushed by them at home too.

We also crushed Memphis at home (115-96) and only lost by 1 in Memphis.

 

[KingSpeed]

The season is all about development, is it not?

Nope. If it was about development, Pat, Luis, and Cliff would be playing.

I'm just saying this season has a little early 90s Rod Strickland Blazer team vibe to it. 8th seed, mid-teen lottery pick good.

In other words... basketball purgatory.

We went to the Finals twice in the early 90s. You are referring to the mid 90s and how was that basketball purgatory? By 1999, we were back in the WCF.

 

[Dan Marang]

We have plenty of lottery picks on the team already. Wins >> late lottery position. I think some on these boards are underestimating the tank factor late in the season. Some teams will (ahem, Brooklyn) start tanking hard about 60 games into the season. I don't want the blazers to fight tanking with tanking.

I've already gone into this in the basic math. a pick between 7-9 isn't anything to sneeze at. Missing the playoffs and losing an incredibly valuable asset because of some sense of bravado and a pat on the back does not make any sense.

I already counted the Nets into that equation- they won't start tanking- they're already there. The Blazers mathematically can't break into the top 5- however if they end up in the 6-8 range they have roughly a 10% chance of landing a top 3 pick. That's a tangible asset that can be quantified and used in a variety of ways. Just because a team has some lottery picks on a team means they shouldn't try to get more talent? That seems more than a little counter productive to growth and I'm nearly certain there's not a GM in the league that sees things that way. The Blazers have a brutal schedule and a young team- they have all the room in the world to actually tank if they see fit - however I feel the natural course of things will take over and the tanking will come as a byproduct of growth.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Nope. If it was about development, Pat, Luis, and Cliff would be playing.



We went to the Finals twice in the early 90s. You are referring to the mid 90s and how was that basketball purgatory? By 1999, we were back in the WCF.

Technically it was 89' and 91' we went to the finals, but we are nowhere close to basketball purgatory as some seem to think. Compare this roster to other purgatory teams of the past and as already mentioned, we are nothing like them. We are still full of upside.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Technically it was 89' and 91' we went to the finals, but we are nowhere close to basketball purgatory as some seem to think. Compare this roster to other purgatory teams of the past and as already mentioned, we are nothing like them. We are still full of upside.

Nope--it was '90 and '92.

 

[Spud147]

Basketball purgatory generally involves aging vets on big contacts that prevent the team from improving via free agency. We don't have that. We have a bunch of players 28 or younger that are still improving, and are still figuring out how to play together complementarily. Very different situation.

Uh, when I said basketball purgatory I meant we're not in heaven and we're not in hell, sheesh.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Uh, when I said basketball purgatory I meant we're not in heaven and we're not in hell, sheesh.

Sorry, my mistake. Usually when that term is used, people intend to intimate a scenario in which a team is stuck in mediocrity with no hope of improvement. My apologies for the misinterpretation.

 

[Spud147]

We went to the Finals twice in the early 90s. You are referring to the mid 90s and how was that basketball purgatory? By 1999, we were back in the WCF.

I don't recall the Rod Strickland Blazers, the team I was specifically referring to, going to the finals, do you?

 

[Orion Bailey]

Nope--it was '90 and '92.

Ahhh your right. my bad.

Sorry, my mistake. Usually when that term is used, people intend to intimate a scenario in which a team is stuck in mediocrity with no hope of improvement. My apologies for the misinterpretation.

I thought the same thing. I think most did.

 

[brendanjames]

I haven't really made my opinion known on this- but I'm all for the "stealth tank" approach. By that I mean, you're not going out to lose games- not throwing a lineup that is nowhere close to an NBA lineup (Hi 76ers!) with the sole purpose of bumping your lottery chances up. I think the Blazers made strategic moves that al but guarantee keeping the lottery pick. I've seen arguments for/against starting Meyers, the same for Plumlee and Vonleh- ideas of moving CJ to the bench.. all of which seem minimal changes at best.

What I think they're focused on is the development of players- assets even. If they mature they become a valuable commodity both to the team and the league as a whole. Currently outside of Dame and to a lesser extent, CJ- the Blazers don't have clear cut assets that are valued on the open market (that would demand a sizable return). In continually playing the younger players- you get the best of both worlds- real world exposure and playing time, accompanied with the chance at developing a player.

With all of that in mind- unless both Dame and CJ get hurt for any length of time- there's no way the Blazers can crack that top 5 record wise. The 76ers, Lakers, Nets, Suns, and Pelicans, and now Timberwolves are mixing it up down there- and of those teams we all thought the 76ers/Lakers were a train wreck so there's the 1-2 spots. The Nets are a complete dumpster fire with little to no redeeming quality- and in order to keep their pick I believe they have to finish bottom 3- I'll have to double check that one though... The Suns having lost their best player and now a petulant man child in one of the Morri (yes, Morri) twins basically packing his ball up any going home- and an owner who blames millennials (can't make this stuff up) I'd say it's safe to say they'll continue to tumble. The Pelicans have arguably (okay, not arguably) the worst coach in the league in Alvin Gentry- that alone costs them games. Then you've got the young and plucky TWolves... there's too much talent on this team for them not to go on a little bit of a run- but not enough to get out of the hole they've dug themselves (1-9 in their last 10). Right there you can see the bottom 5 pretty hard to crack... again unless something happens to Dame/CJ or mgmt decides to "rest" some of their top tier players, but I don't get that feeling from Olshey.

Honestly, I feel the 'best' the Blazers can do is hope for 6th and then get some luck with the ping pong balls (I think in that 6-8 territory they're chances of landing in the Top 3 are somewhere around 10% if I remember correctly) otherwise it's up to Olshey to work some draft magic in the 8-11 range.

When you list off that absolutely list of cluster f@#ckery and add in the revolting Kings underachievements it really makes you glad to be a blazers fan with a super young team full of nice dudes who like entertaining.

 

[Natebishop3]

The stealth tank!