How confident are you this Blazer team will make the post season?

[Brock]

Looking at the standing we are currently 7th. Houston and Memphis are playing much better and coming strong. The Jazz are the 2nd seed destroying the clippers. I don't see them going away even though their schedule was very easy so far. However they did implode last year after a hot start. Maybe it will happen again?

As for the Blazers obviously health is huge but not sure how I feel now after these last few games. Maybe Felton doesn't fit? We don't rebound well and rely as always on the jump shot. I think 5th seed is the ceiling for this group. There's nobody else to challenge for the playoffs except Grizz and Houston so it really comes down to Portland, Utah, Memphis and Houston.

What do all of you think? Confident in playoffs?

 

[Nikolokolus]

I'm confident we'll get in at 5-8 ... missing the playoffs or a higher seed would be a little bit surprising (both about equally so).

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I think you'll start this same thread at least 5 more times this season.

 

[Brock]

IDK... its gonna be a heck of a race. Are the Blazers that much better then anyone I listed?

 

[Nikolokolus]

IDK... its gonna be a heck of a race. Are the Blazers that much better then anyone I listed?

We don't know yet.

 

[magnifier661]

We don't know yet.

THIS... I agree with Nic on this. It seems we lack energy on the road. For an experienced team; you would think we would be much better. But watching the games; it seems our players just run out of gas. I really can't put my finger on it.

But I will say that I was concerned about our road performance at the beginning of the season; and I'm still concerned now. If we are going to be a sub 500 team on the road; we are in for a long season. Almost like "Why even watch the away games?"

 

[HailBlazers]

Thing is, it's going to be a long season for a lot of teams. I think we've barely begun to see how these schedules will affect the league. That said, the Blazers depth is much better than years past so I think we'll slowly rise near the top as other teams fall.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

VERY confident.

 

[Ed O]

I started off the season not very confident--I thought that the team would be battling for a 7th or 8th seed. After their hot start, I'll admit that I thought HCA was not only possible, but likely.

I think I was wrong. In terms of HCA, I mean.

This team is just not very good. Few upper-tier players and poor depth. No young players (other than Batum) who can help. IF the team stayed healthy all year, HCA was possible. That "if" was never going to happen, and we've been fortunate that Camby's been the only injury so far.

Ed O.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Based on the way the team has played to date, these are my thoughts:

• I think that we'll win 5 of our next 8 games, putting us at 13-8 at the end of January.
• I think that by the end of the season, we will have won about 80% of our home games (26-7) and about 40% of our road games (13-20).
• I think that would put us at 39-27 (.591), which would be the equivalent of the 48-34 we put up last year.
• I think that would be good enough to garner a low playoff seed once again.

Last of all, though, I think that if Felton and Crawford actually begin shooting like NBA players again, then we'll outperform every one of the afore-mentioned thoughts.

 

[Blazinaway]

52.5% that we will make playoffs, my confidence is not high at all, some guys really need to pick it up

 

[bigbailes]

i'm still not sure why everyone thinks we have so much depth. i guess the quality of guys 6-8 is better, but in a season like this we are going to have play guys 9-11 at some point and there seems to be a huge drop off at that point.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

i'm still not sure why everyone thinks we have so much depth. i guess the quality of guys 6-8 is better, but in a season like this we are going to have play guys 9-11 at some point and there seems to be a huge drop off at that point.

Because many of us think that Craig Smith (#9) has already demonstrated that he is perfectly solid, that Nolan Smith (#10) is as likely as any late-1st-round pick to be NBA ready, and that Elliott Williams (#11) has top-notch NBA athleticism and the confidence necessary to perform well if given an opportunity.

 

[GriLtCheeZ]

Playoff team, but there is not enough outside shooting in the starting lineup to be serious contenders.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Because many of us think that Craig Smith (#9) has already demonstrated that he is perfectly solid, that Nolan Smith (#10) is as likely as any late-1st-round pick to be NBA ready, and that Elliott Williams (#11) has top-notch NBA athleticism and the confidence necessary to perform well if given an opportunity.

I like Craig Smith just fine as a competent scoring power forward who I don't think has gotten his due over the years because he doesn't look the part ... as for Nolan and Elliot, I don't think there's any hard evidence either guy is ready for prime-time (and probably almost no chance either gets a substantial opportunity).

 

[oldguy]

I have it on good authority that the season is over (from Chicken Little.)

Go Blazers

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Haven't we covered all of this in Kingspeed's "Season over" thread?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I have it on good authority that the season is over (from Chicken Little.)

Go Blazers

LOL! Bastard, you beat me by 1min.

 

[e_blazer]

I'm confident that the Blazers will make the playoffs (with the usual weasel clause added about injuries).

One question, for those of you saying that the Blazers aren't an upper tier team, I'd ask: Who is? The Thunder look like a lock for home court advantage, but other than that, the West looks pretty wide open to me.

 

[Brock]

i think it depends on health and if crawford/felton turn things around.

ed-o.... was that a yes or a no in making the post season?

 

[Mediocre Man]

Unless they are smart and trade some pieces for the future, they will make the playoffs

 

[MickZagger]

I started off the season not very confident--I thought that the team would be battling for a 7th or 8th seed. After their hot start, I'll admit that I thought HCA was not only possible, but likely.

I think I was wrong. In terms of HCA, I mean.

This team is just not very good. Few upper-tier players and poor depth. No young players (other than Batum) who can help. IF the team stayed healthy all year, HCA was possible. That "if" was never going to happen, and we've been fortunate that Camby's been the only injury so far.

Ed O.

What does having young players that can help (other than Batum) have to do with anything?

 

[Ed O]

i think it depends on health and if crawford/felton turn things around.

ed-o.... was that a yes or a no in making the post season?

Yes, but not a confident "yes".

Ed O.

 

[Ed O]

What does having young players that can help (other than Batum) have to do with anything?

They have younger and fresher legs. On a compressed schedule like this year, with such an insane number of games that come in clusters, having good young players would be very helpful.

Ed O.

 

[MickZagger]

They have younger and fresher legs. On a compressed schedule like this year, with such an insane number of games that come in clusters, having good young players would be very helpful.

Ed O.

I certainly don't consider Aldridge, Matthews or Felton old.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Unless they are smart and trade some pieces for the future, they will make the playoffs

Hehe. Bingo.

 

[blazedanugz]

very confident...watch when we beat atl tonight...people will be back on the bandwagon

 

[MickZagger]

very confident...watch when we beat atl tonight...people will be back on the bandwagon

I have that same feeling. We take care of business on the rest of this trip and go 4-2 on the trip and we come back to the RG for some cake home games. Blazermania hysteria will be back again. Then we'll lose to a .500 team and we should blow it up and have a firesale.

 

[Ed O]

I certainly don't consider Aldridge, Matthews or Felton old.

Are they young? "Not old" is not the same as "young".

Ed O.

 

[THE HCP]

I said it before and I'll say it again...... 36 wins, 6th seed.