GrandpaBlaze
Predictions Game Master
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2008
- Messages
- 8,163
- Likes
- 9,227
- Points
- 113
Interesting to see the confidence in predictions game players on the win/loss predictions. Here are the percentage of predictors who picked the Blazers to win through the first five games (game five for predictions thus far):
Game 1 vs. Lakers: 45.8%
Game 2 vs. Spurs: 52%
Game 3 vs. Suns: 51%
Game 4 vs. Jazz: 59.1%
Game 5 vs. Rockets: 22.2%
I think last night's game had a HUGE impact on the fan confidence factor. The Rockets are not that much better than the other teams so it is not the team, it is the confidence we have in our team. I didn't calculate the average margin of victory/defeat for those games but at least in the early running, not only are significantly more people predicting against the Blazers, there also seems to be a notably larger margin of defeat in those predictions.
Sure missing Oden and Webster makes a difference and having a rough beginning schedule makes a difference but I think there is more than that. These more experienced and "better" teams are exposing the Blazers weaknesses; our defense is marginal at best, with rare exception we are a soft team, we are generally not an aggressive, attacking team, but rather a passive, jump-shooting team.
We have the talent, or at least we'd like to think so, but for all his verbal "defensive" coach blather, the Blazers are NOT a defensive team nor do they exhibit the characteristics of becoming one.
The offense is a predictable and non-threatening. The Jazz likewise have a predictable offense but they run it with precision and skill. Unfortunately, either the coaching staff doesn't know how to coach offensive execution or they haven't yet designed an effective offensive strategy for this group of players. However, as the group of players has changed notably over the past three years but the offense hasn't, it would appear that the coaching staff is not adjusting things to match the players, but rather, trying to force the players to adapt to what the coaching staff's demonstrably inept offense.
I've never been a Nate apologist but neither have I really been a Nate detractor. However, after looking at the team to start the year, I don't think Nate has them prepared nor really has a plan for getting them to function properly. Rather than altering the offensive strategies to fit the players we DO have, Nate keeps changing lineups to try to find a combination of players that can play an offense not necessarily designed for them. In the end, it will lead to occasional wins but no significant or lasting success and ultimately result in frustration on the part of fans and possibly the players.
Gramps...
Game 1 vs. Lakers: 45.8%
Game 2 vs. Spurs: 52%
Game 3 vs. Suns: 51%
Game 4 vs. Jazz: 59.1%
Game 5 vs. Rockets: 22.2%
I think last night's game had a HUGE impact on the fan confidence factor. The Rockets are not that much better than the other teams so it is not the team, it is the confidence we have in our team. I didn't calculate the average margin of victory/defeat for those games but at least in the early running, not only are significantly more people predicting against the Blazers, there also seems to be a notably larger margin of defeat in those predictions.
Sure missing Oden and Webster makes a difference and having a rough beginning schedule makes a difference but I think there is more than that. These more experienced and "better" teams are exposing the Blazers weaknesses; our defense is marginal at best, with rare exception we are a soft team, we are generally not an aggressive, attacking team, but rather a passive, jump-shooting team.
We have the talent, or at least we'd like to think so, but for all his verbal "defensive" coach blather, the Blazers are NOT a defensive team nor do they exhibit the characteristics of becoming one.
The offense is a predictable and non-threatening. The Jazz likewise have a predictable offense but they run it with precision and skill. Unfortunately, either the coaching staff doesn't know how to coach offensive execution or they haven't yet designed an effective offensive strategy for this group of players. However, as the group of players has changed notably over the past three years but the offense hasn't, it would appear that the coaching staff is not adjusting things to match the players, but rather, trying to force the players to adapt to what the coaching staff's demonstrably inept offense.
I've never been a Nate apologist but neither have I really been a Nate detractor. However, after looking at the team to start the year, I don't think Nate has them prepared nor really has a plan for getting them to function properly. Rather than altering the offensive strategies to fit the players we DO have, Nate keeps changing lineups to try to find a combination of players that can play an offense not necessarily designed for them. In the end, it will lead to occasional wins but no significant or lasting success and ultimately result in frustration on the part of fans and possibly the players.
Gramps...
