Food for Thought

[PHXBlazer1]

Good evening everybody, I have some good news. The Portland Trailblazers will win the 2010 NBA championship. Here is why:

1) We will add an important piece to the team this summer, which will, simply put, make us better.

2) Roy, Aldridge, Oden, Batum, Fernandez and Bayless will all be better NBA players than last year.

3) The level of play in the finals this year has not been very impressive, proving that we're not far off.

4) Compared to other championship contenders, Father Time is on OUR side.

5) 1+2+3+4= homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs

That is all my friends. Go BLAZERS! PhxBlazer1 out!

 

[THE HCP]

I think we will take the next step in our maturation as a team, but win it all? I don't think so. It's unrealistic goals like this that makes a lot of people on here want to jump off cliffs when we don't go 82-0. I think we will begin to contend in the 2010-11 season.

 

[tlongII]

I expect us to win the title next year. There is no reason not to.

 

[BTOWN_HUSTLA]

No more "moral victories". Time to man up!

 

[Mediocre Man]

Fuck this forum is hard to read sometimes.

How about we actually get out of the first round before we crown the team champions.

 

[craigehlo]

No more "moral victories". Time to man up!

Amen to that.

 

[BTOWN_HUSTLA]

the only way we win it all next year is if Oden plays like we all wanted him to play. It all comes down to the big man. I expect him to do much better as it takes a year of game play before guys get comfortable after microfracture.

 

[GrandpaBlaze]

I'm in the "Gee, that would be nice" category on winning it all; I would also be in the "Wow, didn't expect that THIS year" category.

I'm with HCP on this:

I think we will take the next step in our maturation as a team, but win it all? I don't think so.

Being optimistic is great but asserting that we'll win it all next year is a bit overboard IMO.

Gramps...

 

[Kaydow]

the only way we win it all next year is if Oden plays like we all wanted him to play. It all comes down to the big man. I expect him to do much better as it takes a year of game play before guys get comfortable after microfracture.

Oden is a big part of how far we go next year. I think we are at least a couple of years away still - at least with our roster shaped the way it is today. Think about it. How much better are Oden and Bayless going to be NEXT SEASON? Better? Sure, but they both have a long way to go. It's hard to imagine either one not having a lot more hard knock nights where they show us they are still learning their way around this league.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I believe we can and I don't think any Blazer fan should believe otherwise.

 

[oldguy]

I think we will take the next step in our maturation as a team, but win it all? I don't think so. It's unrealistic goals like this that makes a lot of people on here want to jump off cliffs when we don't go 82-0. I think we will begin to contend in the 2010-11 season.

Isn't this almost exactly what you were telling everyone that predicted 50+ wins at the start of last season?

 

[GrandpaBlaze]

I believe we can and I don't think any Blazer fan should believe otherwise.

We all assume that we will be a much better team; that GO will be much better, Webster may be back, Bayless will grow into the PG spot and make for a much more dynamic team or trades will be made that will help the team.

If all that happens (or at least a fair amount of it), we have a chance. As I've said before, I've gotten my hopes up too many times only to end up frustrated that I choose to expect less.

Can the Blazers win it all next year? I think yes, we have the talent if everyone plays to their talent on a fairly consistent basis; otherwise, we have a good playoff team but still need some baking on this cake before we are ready for frosting.

Gramps...

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I understand you don't wanna get your hopes up too high, but I do. I'm an optimist, so even if we don't do what I know we can do, I'll find good in it somehow.

 

[tlongII]

I'm not going to start hating on the team if we don't win it all next season, but I definitely think we have the team that can do it. We'll need some breaks, but every champion does. It's clear to me that we can beat the Lakers and that will be our biggest obstacle.

 

[alex42083]

I'm just looking forward to getting the season started again. Too bad we can't have the draft tomorrow, a day for trades/FA signings on Tuesday, Summer League the rest of the week for experience for Jerryd, move into training camp and then get games started again!

 

[Haakzilla]

...as I have been saying for the last couple of years now, THE DYNASTY BEGINS IN 2010!!!

 

[mgb]

I'll be happy to get out of the first round. That doesn't mean there's no way we'll win the championship. It all depends on if we improve through out the season like we did last year. I was just hoping to make the playoffs last season and we earn home court advantage. I wouldn't be surprise if the Blazers do better than most expect.

 

[THE HCP]

Isn't this almost exactly what you were telling everyone that predicted 50+ wins at the start of last season?

I don't think so. I thought we'd win around 50 I think. I might have told people who thought we were going to be division champs and have home court advantage in the playoffs that they were being a little unrealistic.(Glad I was proved wrong on that one)

 

[Nikolokolus]

Fuck this forum is hard to read sometimes.

How about we actually get out of the first round before we crown the team champions.

No kidding.

People act like it should be a matter of course for us to win a championship ... those outstanding Drexler led teams couldn't get it done, the Nowitski Mavs couldn't get it done, the whole league is littered with great teams that never got over.

I'm with you, I just want to see some growth and get out of the first round next season, anything after that is gravy.

 

[The Professional Fan]

Good evening everybody, I have some good news. The Portland Trailblazers will win the 2010 NBA championship. Here is why:


3) The level of play in the finals this year has not been very impressive, proving that we're not far off.

I couldn't agree more. Portland doesn't land their worst possible match up in the first round this season and anything could have happened.

I'm not impressed with LA or Orlando. Portland is not far off.

 

[oldguy]

I don't think so. I thought we'd win around 50 I think. I might have told people who thought we were going to be division champs and have home court advantage in the playoffs that they were being a little unrealistic.(Glad I was proved wrong on that one)

Actually, I didn't remember it quite right. My bad.

You did predict 50 wins, but this is a little more than saying we were 'a little unrealistic':

See, you guys lose all credibility with me with predictions like this! You really think we are going to win more games then Utah?

That quote was in response to a prediction of winning the division.

 

[Shooter]

Oden is the key.

 

[adrenalize74]

I think we "can" win it all next year. Oden, Roy, LA, Bayless, Rudy and Batum will all improve and I expect more than we have ever seen from Webster, so our SF position is gonna be much better. Even with ZERO roster changes, we are going to be a better team next year.

NBA Champs? Highly doubtful

WC Champs? Hopfully

2nd Round? Definatly <---- whoever we face in 1st round.

 

[LittleAlex]

How about we all wait to call them a dynasty until they prove they can beat a decent WC team on the road? By my count, they went 2 out of 13 last season against quality western conference teams, with one of those coming after CP3 went down with an injury. Prior to the hurting his hamstring, Portland was getting blown out in that one.

If and when they prove they can get it done on the road against a good wc team they can be considered a contender. Until then, it's one and done in the playoffs.

 

[Mediocre Man]

By the way people, Las Vegas just put out their odds for next season and Portland came in at a respectable 20/1 to, as Jake Taylor so elequantly put it, win the whole fuckin thing.

http://scoresandodds.tekgroup.com/s...Odds to Win&sporttype=524&startdate=6/13/2009

I point this out for those of you who think we should just buy the rings now and not even play next season. Western conference teams that Las Vegas thinks have a better chance of winning.

L*kers
Nuggets
Rockets
Spurs

Then comes Utah and Portland at 20/1


So having some fun with numbers, and seeding the teams as Vegas has for it's odds to win it all. Portland would get the 5th or 6th seed and play either Houston or San Antonio without HCA.

Now I realize that these odds have nothing to really do with playoff seedings, but it does go to show you how people who know more than most anyone about this kind of stuff feel about the Blazers as they are constructed right now.

Without a major upgrade at pG and back up PF we will be lucky to get out of the 1st round again.

 

[alex42083]

Don't Las Vegas odds generally follow where the money goes to, rather than actual analysis of who they think will win it all?

 

[Mediocre Man]

Don't Las Vegas odds generally follow where the money goes to, rather than actual analysis of who they think will win it all?

It's certainly a factor.

 

[Minstrel]

Don't Las Vegas odds generally follow where the money goes to, rather than actual analysis of who they think will win it all?

Yup. Odds makers aren't doing analysis on the games, they're moving the odds based on where the majority of the bets are to ensure that they make money regardless of who wins.

So odds are really telling you what the gamblers think.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Well clearly I am wrong on this. The Blazers should go 82-0 and win the the championship sweeping every opponent.

Now my real answer. If no major PG upgrade is made Portland will finish 6th and lose in the first round. That might get Nate fired though, so I hope to hell that happens.