Is Portland for real? (Playoff Team)

[HailBlazers]

The National Basketball Association has its own version of Newton’s law of inertia. Teams that win tend to keep winning. Teams that lose tend to keep right on losing. Each year, 16 of the league’s 30 franchises qualify for its playoffs, a simple and straightforward gauge of quality. For the past 15 years, on average, only about four teams that failed to make a given season’s playoffs improved enough to qualify the following season. In pro basketball, it seems, failure begets more failure.

The Portland Trail Blazers know this axiom very well. They made the playoffs every single season from 1983 until 2003—an epoch of sustained excellence by any sports standard. (Of course, as Blazers fans know all too well, none of those seasons yielded a league championship.) But once that streak stopped, it stopped hard: Portland missed the postseason for the next five years and has swung on a yo-yo of streaks ever since.

After missing out the past two seasons, a rebuilt Blazers team now enters 2013–14 with a clear goal: to become one of the lucky few that jump from the playoff scrap heap back into the league’s upper echelon. Hitting that mark could help revive the fortunes of a franchise that has suffered many turbulent times, including 13 straight losses to finish last season.

Can Rip City Be Redeemed?

 

[Natebishop3]

I think we're a playoff team, but I think it's too early to tell if we'll make any kind of push out of the first round.

 

[magnifier661]

 

[Nikolokolus]

I said this awhile back and I'll say it here again. I think we're going to be better than we were last year and finish with around 42 wins +/- 4. So that looks to me like a 9-7 seed, which means their chances are "decent." I'd call it a 55-45 proposition in their favor right now, but it's way too early to tell.

 

[blue9]

Please define "legit playoff team".
Also, based on the article linked to, there seems to be an implied question about sustained success. So, "legit playoff team" this season? Or for the foreseeable future.
Based on my personal definition of "legit", I would have to answer no. But that doesn't mean I don't think there's a reasonably good chance that we make the playoffs this season.

 

[Carlito]

No not unless they make a trade. With the current draft class.... Making playoffs bad idea anyway.

 

[Mediocre Man]

An injury away from being pretty bad. WAY too early

 

[illmatic99]

An injury away from being pretty bad. WAY too early

What team in the west isn't this true for?

 

[HailBlazers]

I think we're a playoff team, but I think it's too early to tell if we'll make any kind of push out of the first round.

Good point. To clarify, when I say legit playoff team I mean one that has a good shot of progressing past the first round.

Please define "legit playoff team".Also, based on the article linked to, there seems to be an implied question about sustained success. So, "legit playoff team" this season? Or for the foreseeable future. Based on my personal definition of "legit", I would have to answer no. But that doesn't mean I don't think there's a reasonably good chance that we make the playoffs this season.

This season.

 

[Mediocre Man]

What team in the west isn't this true for?

None. My point is it's game 7 tonight, not game 77

 

[Natebishop3]

No not unless they make a trade. With the current draft class.... Making playoffs bad idea anyway.

A trade for what? Where do you see a weakness that desperately needs to be addressed?

 

[HailBlazers]

None. My point is it's game 7 tonight, not game 77

And to further clarify, the poll is about gut instinct, based on the pieces we've added over the offseason and the potential of this team as is come playoff time. Not to be confused with facts but instead empirical evidence.

 

[blue9]

Good point. To clarify, when I say legit playoff team I mean one that has a good shot of progressing past the first round.

This season.

Thanks. With that I vote for "first round fodder". Although based on the options, and your added definition, "fat chance" could also apply - as in, "fat chance of progressing past the first round".

 

[magnifier661]

And to further clarify, the poll is about gut instinct, based on the pieces we've added over the offseason and the potential of this team as is come playoff time. Not to be confused with facts but instead empirical evidence.

I think Lopez will prove to be one of the best "off-season" moves Olshey made this summer

 

[Natebishop3]

I think Lopez will prove to be one of the best "off-season" moves Olshey made this summer

Dorrell Wright was also a solid move. It's way too early to tell if Robinson will ever be anything special. I consider him a longterm investment that could take years to pan out.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Oh, getting out of the first round is the criteria? In that case it's somewhere between

AND

 

[magnifier661]

Dorrell Wright was also a solid move. It's way too early to tell if Robinson will ever be anything special. I consider him a longterm investment that could take years to pan out.

Wright was way solid, but the difference lopez has on the team is astronomical. When you watch the game tonight. Notice when Lopez sits. Our defense becomes stagnant and we usually have way more problems defending the paint

 

[Natebishop3]

Oh, getting out of the first round is the criteria? In that case it's somewhere between

AND

It all depends on the matchup. If we got San Antonio in the first round, I would actually think we had a good chance because of how we play them. If we got Houston, I don't think we'd do well.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Exactly.
San Antonio = first picture
Houston = second picture

 

[Mediocre Man]

And to further clarify, the poll is about gut instinct, based on the pieces we've added over the offseason and the potential of this team as is come playoff time. Not to be confused with facts but instead empirical evidence.

My gut instinct says someone or a couple players will miss time due to injury and hurt our playoff chances

 

[Natebishop3]

My gut instinct says someone or a couple players will miss time due to injury and hurt our playoff chances

It all hinges on Aldridge. If he stays healthy, we've got a good chance. If he goes down, I'm not confident in Robinson as a starter.

 

[Carlito]

Backup center, power forward.

Robinson and Freeland are not very good. League will figure out Freeland

 

[mook]

It all hinges on Aldridge. If he stays healthy, we've got a good chance. If he goes down, I'm not confident in Robinson as a starter.

If either Lopez or Aldridge go down I'm pretty sure they go with Freeland as a starter. He's a natural PF (so a better replacement for LMA) and a hustle/defense guy (so a better replacement for Lopez).

Even still, your point is very valid. I'm not confident with Robinson or Leonard getting significant minutes without LMA out there.

 

[blue9]

If we got San Antonio in the first round, I would actually think we had a good chance because of how we play them.

I understand where you're coming from, and in regular season games I agree with you. But when it comes to the Playoffs you've gotta look at the coaches: Pops vs Stotts. In a 7-game series there's very little chance Stotts comes out on top.

 

[mook]

Backup center, power forward.

Robinson and Freeland are not very good. League will figure out Freeland

Freeland goes straight up for blocks, he works hard, he only takes shots when he should. He's not very good, but he's smart enough to realize that and not do more than he should. He's a puzzle that needs to be figured out in the same way toilet paper is. If you are working that hard at it you should probably get some help.

 

[Natebishop3]

Backup center, power forward.

Robinson and Freeland are not very good. League will figure out Freeland

Freeland is doing just fine as the backup center. It's the backup power forward spot that is weak right now. It could improve, as Robinson progresses, but right now it's our weakest position.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Dorrell Wright was also a solid move. It's way too early to tell if Robinson will ever be anything special. I consider him a longterm investment that could take years to pan out.

But we got him for FREE. Mo, Wright, Lopez, Robinson, Watson . . . all FREE.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

A trade for what? Where do you see a weakness that desperately needs to be addressed?

We are very thin and outside Aldridge below average at the big men positions.

 

[RR7]

It's way too early to tell if Robinson will ever be anything special. I consider him a longterm investment that could take years to pan out.

I agree and, while I like him and want to see how he develops, I can also see him being moved at the trade deadline for a vet backup to help with solidifying a roster for the playoffs.

 

[Strenuus]

I wonder if Freeland could get TRobs minutes at the 4. I think he's shown enough to at least warrant a test drive.