Bye-Bye Division?

[MAS RipCity]

I really thought we had a shot at the division, hell just a few weeks ago I made a thread about us winning the division, but I don't like the way we have been playing lately and this game was just icing on the 5-day old cake.

We needed to beat the teams we were supposed to and the division could have been ours. Now, sure, we could sneak up on the Spurs or Houston and get this win back, or Denver or Utah could fall to a unexpected team...but I am just not as confident at home with this team than I once was. The Dallas and Sixers games were terrible and we could have easily lost to the Nets, Wolves, and Pacers all at home recently.

You can really see the toll this race is taking on the players. My goal was to win the division, and we still could, but I'm not sure I see a 2nd wind in this team (I thought the road trip after the ATL game was that, guess not). We better just hope we get into the playoffs and make a series out of it. We aren't going to win it all this year anyways, so just gain experience from the playoffs and hope the maturation process takes course with Oden and Batum. It is obvious Oden is the missing link. He is such a huge difference maker when on the court and still think he makes us better than Durant.

Pretty much, our chances to win the division went from 50 to about 25% in one fell swoop.

Here's to finishing up the homestand on a 3 game winning streak!

 

[MIXUM]

be happy if we make the playoffs. its not a lock with the way the suns are playing. the 8th seed will be tough enough to get.

if we lose the suns game... dallas and phoenix have the tie breaker

 

[MAS RipCity]

Please, shut it off ^^^^^

Why do you only post after losses? Just answer that question..

 

[Tince]

Down 1 game with 3 weeks to go...

...clearly we have ZERO shot at making up all that ground.

 

[rocketeer]

portland still has a good shot at winning the division. i think at this point it's pretty much a toss up between portland and denver and very easily could come down to the final game(denver at portland). as it is, denver has a 1 game advantage but has 4 remaining tough road games while portland only has 2 remaining tough road games. the jazz are basically out of the race to me with their 7 tough road games remaining.

 

[THE HCP]

There is NO WAY we can make up a WHOLE game in only 3+ weeks!

 

[oldmangrouch]

Utah is more likely to push past us into 2nd, than we are to push past Denver into first.

Utah is the more experienced team with a HOF coach. In a close race this late in the season, you better believe that can make a difference!

 

[alex42083]

Utah is more likely to push past us into 2nd, than we are to push past Denver into first.

Utah is the more experienced team with a HOF coach. In a close race this late in the season, you better believe that can make a difference!

Normally I'd agree, but Utah's schedule couldn't be drawn up any more brutal to end the season especially in April. They have five road games against playoff teams next month, and they're going to have a hell of a time winning 1 or 2 of them.

 

[rocketeer]

Utah is more likely to push past us into 2nd, than we are to push past Denver into first.

Utah is the more experienced team with a HOF coach. In a close race this late in the season, you better believe that can make a difference!

how? utah plays phoenix, portland, denver, new orleans, dallas, san antonio, and the lakers all on the road. and they still have a home game against the rockets.

 

[BlayZa]

its quite amazing how mixum can grab depression from the jaws of happiness in just a couple of useless sentences.

 

[KingSpeed]

Utah is more likely to push past us into 2nd, than we are to push past Denver into first.

Utah is the more experienced team with a HOF coach. In a close race this late in the season, you better believe that can make a difference!

Utah has 7 tough road games remaining and they suck on the road. The race is between us and Denver.

 

[ABM]

I don't like the way we have been playing lately.....

Very close to going 4-1 on the recent eastern swing and you don't like the way we've been playing lately?

 

[craigehlo]

If Greg can stay on the floor and play significant minutes, that's the only way we have a shot at the division. I have a feeling we might have already overtaken the Nuggs if he didn't get the knee injury vs the Clipps. Right now the team defense is pretty abysmal, but Oden covers a lot of those deficiencies with his rebounding and blocking.

 

[ebott]

Down 1 game with 3 weeks to go...

...clearly we have ZERO shot at making up all that ground.

OH SNAP!!!

 

[maxiep]

When I see doom and gloom crap like this, I just shake my head. We have 11 more games. Something tells me the division race isn't over yet. It's not like Denver is setting the world on fire.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Very close to going 4-1 on the recent eastern swing and you don't like the way we've been playing lately?

You know "lately," as in the last 12 hours.

 

[Wheels]

one game down! for a second I thought I was back at Oregon Live with all this "end of the world we lost a game" talk

 

[Wheels]

If Greg can stay on the floor and play significant minutes, that's the only way we have a shot at the division. I have a feeling we might have already overtaken the Nuggs if he didn't get the knee injury vs the Clipps. Right now the team defense is pretty abysmal, but Oden covers a lot of those deficiencies with his rebounding and blocking.

change your avatar after Rudy got 19 points? He put points in your face.

 

[hasoos]

Here is what I would point out. The Blazers have had multiple opportunities to take the division lead over the last month. Every time they have had an opportunity to step up, they have stepped down. I think this is about the 5th time the Blazers have had the opportunity, and flat out blown it.

 

[MIXUM]

people want excuses for this team. the fact of the matter is... we needed another scorer.

suns are coming.

 

[BlayZa]

not excuses, just support....

 

[hasoos]

The Blazers need one more guy to step up every night. The big 2 needs to be the big 3. Greg can become that guy. Maybe not in time for the playoffs though.

 

[Boob-No-More]

A 1-game lead with 11 games to go is virtually insurmountable. Making up that 1 game would have to be unprecidented in the entire history of the NBA. I don't think it's ever happened. Why even bother to play the rest of the games? The season is over. The Blazers are all miserable failures. Kevin Pritchard threw this team under a bus and George Karl is Ralph Kramden. The last game of the season against Denver is meaningless. We've already given then the division. We should tank now to get more ping pong balls so we have another chance to screw up the top pick in the draft.

BNM

 

[hasoos]

A 1-game lead with 11 games to go is virtually insurmountable. Making up that 1 game would have to be unprecidented in the entire history of the NBA. I don't think it's ever happened. Why even bother to play the rest of the games? The season is over. The Blazers are all miserable failures. Kevin Pritchard threw this team under a bus and George Karl is Ralph Kramden. The last game of the season against Denver is meaningless. We've already given then the division. We should tank now to get more ping pong balls so we have another chance to screw up the top pick in the draft.

BNM

It is when you choke 100% of the time when given the opportunity to move up. Every time the Blazers have had a chance to move up they have played like they did last night.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Here is what I would point out. The Blazers have had multiple opportunities to take the division lead over the last month. Every time they have had an opportunity to step up, they have stepped down. I think this is about the 5th time the Blazers have had the opportunity, and flat out blown it.

Bingo! Inexperience has made this team go through too many nights where they are mentally weak and unprepared.

A 1-game lead with 11 games to go is virtually insurmountable. Making up that 1 game would have to be unprecidented in the entire history of the NBA. I don't think it's ever happened. Why even bother to play the rest of the games? The season is over. The Blazers are all miserable failures. Kevin Pritchard threw this team under a bus and George Karl is Ralph Kramden. The last game of the season against Denver is meaningless. We've already given then the division. We should tank now to get more ping pong balls so we have another chance to screw up the top pick in the draft.

BNM

See above. Kp either has too much faith in this roster, or not enough.

 

[hasoos]

Very close to going 4-1 on the recent eastern swing and you don't like the way we've been playing lately?

Now that you have pointed out the positive, I am going to point out that the Blazers have ceased protecting home court, which is one of the only things they really had going for them. It's a mixed bag. If Portland would have beat Cleveland, they could have gone into the playoffs and held their head high on the road, no matter who they faced, they would know they have a chance.

But they didn't.

If they could have been dominating at home they could go into the playoffs confident at home. Right now Portland loses one out of every 5 games at home. If you play that way in the playoffs, you will most likely go home, even with home court advantage. That is the difference a couple of losses at home will make. You go from dominant, to "just one of the field."

It just comes down to focus. It seems like every time this team gets going good, they get cocky, come out slow, and get their teeth kicked in. That is why they can't get any momentum going past a few games this season. That is why there have been no long streaks.