Is Portland for real?

[Nikolokolus]

We're on pace to win 62 games. We have the 2nd highest scoring Big 3 in the NBA (behind Cleveland). We are already great. Some of you just have a problem admitting we have a great team. Last season, we opened the season strong with wins against Indiana, OKC, Chicago (with Rose), and GS and you still wouldn't believe. We have the fourth best record in the NBA. Enjoy it. We are for real.

We're not really on pace for 62 wins though. Factor in strength of schedule, home-away balance and then just the plain ol' eyeball test. Do you really see a 62 win team on par with the Drexler-Porter teams from the heyday of the late 80s - early 90s? I don't. If I look around the league, there's probably just one team that looks the part of a 60 win squad and that's the Warriors. There's no shame in that, it just means they need to get quite a bit better before you can pencil them in as a true title contender.

 

[magnifier661]

I think this team is 2 bench scorers away from being real. Maybe the return of CJ will help with one of them, but I would like to see another one.

Yeah it's a real shame CJ got injured. We would have a better evaluation of what we truly need. The advantage of CJ is his ability to create his own shot and distribute. Obviously he is not a PG type distributor, but he definitely is good at finding the open man when the defense collapses on him.

But this injury did have a positive! Allen Crabbe has become the legit back-up to Batum. I also believe that CJ and Crabbe, combo'd with Blake could work out nicely. It could be that we really don't need anything and still be a legit contender. That's only if CJ comes back healthy and does what we was doing, Crabbe developing more confidence and cuts to the basket more, and Blake learning the system and sweet spots for our players.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

We're not really on pace for 62 wins though. Factor in strength of schedule, home-away balance and then just the plain ol' eyeball test. Do you really see a 62 win team on par with the Drexler-Porter teams from the heyday of the late 80s - early 90s? I don't. If I look around the league, there's probably just one team that looks the part of a 60 win squad and that's the Warriors. There's no shame in that, it just means they need to get quite a bit better before you can pencil them in as a true title contender.

Our home-away balance is even now (10-2 home, 8-4 road). However, because we played the Least a bunch, our SOS is now one of the softest in the league (Only SAS, ATL, and BKN have easier schedules).

HOWEVER! All the western playoff teams have weak SOS's - Here's the list from hardest schedule to softest:

Suns -0.49 (16th strongest)
Clippers -0.50 (17th)
Thunder -0.59 (19th)
Grizzlies -0.77 (20th)
Rockets -0.77 (21st)
Warriors -0.81 (22nd)
Mavericks -0.84 (24th)
Trail Blazers -1.01 (27th)
Spurs -1.22 (28th)

So EVERYBODY will have a tougher schedule coming up as they play each other more... so SOS isn't as big a deal as it sounds; the west has feasted on creampuff eastern teams so far.

Everyone looks on pace to win a bunch, but it's going to come down to playing each other and the result of those fistfights.

 

[BigGameDamian]

They have to show it in the playoffs first just like GSW do to. You just can't go off of regular season records.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Had Lillard not made an off balanced 30 footer we may not have made the 2nd round. Its not like we killed them or anything

We can play this game all day...

If the refs had made the right call on the out of bounds play, we wouldn't have needed Lillard's dramatic series winning shot.

Of, if the ball had not bounced right into Chandler Parsons' hands to score the go ahead FG with 0.9 seconds left, we wouldn't have needed Lillard's dramatic series winning shot.

Or better still, if Troy Daniels had not come straight from the D-league to hit the winning shot in overtime of Game 3, we would have swept the Rockets in 4 games - and not needed Lillard's dramatic series winning shot.

Yeah, the games were close, but we never trailed in that series. We were up 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2 and 4-2. We may not ave killed them, but it's not like we were ever on the brink of elimination. We knocked them back on their heels in Game 1 and kept them there until Lillard delivered the knock out punch.

BNM

 

[magnifier661]

We can play this game all day...

If the refs had made the right call on the out of bounds play, we wouldn't have needed Lillard's dramatic series winning shot.

Of, if the ball had not bounced right into Chandler Parsons' hands to score the go ahead FG with 0.9 seconds left, we wouldn't have needed Lillard's dramatic series winning shot.

Or better still, if Troy Daniels had not come straight from the D-league to hit the winning shot in overtime of Game 3, we would have swept the Rockets in 4 games - and not needed Lillard's dramatic series winning shot.

Yeah, the games were close, but we never trailed in that series. We were up 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2 and 4-2. We may not ave killed them, but it's not like we were ever on the brink of elimination. We knocked them back on their heels in Game 1 and kept them there until Lillard delivered the knock out punch.

BNM

Such a wonderful illustration! Ripped!

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Boob-No-More again.

SHIT SOMEONE GET MY BACK!

 

[e_blazer]

Such a wonderful illustration! Ripped!

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Boob-No-More again.

SHIT SOMEONE GET MY BACK!

Done.

 

[magnifier661]

Done.

Thanks and I present a representation to you!

 

[Boob-No-More]

Such a wonderful illustration! Ripped!

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Boob-No-More again.

SHIT SOMEONE GET MY BACK!

Thanks, some people look for the negative in everything - even WINNING. Basketball is a game of inches and seconds (or in this case 0.9 sec). There are a lot of close games in the playoffs and a lot of close series. "Luck" flows both ways, but in the end the FACT is we beat Houston 4-2 without HCA and advanced to the second round. Well, guess what, that had nothing to do with luck. It was skill, talent, effort and teamwork.

Was it luck that allowed LaMarcus Aldridge to score 89 points in the first two games for us to grab a 2-0 lead on the road? No, it was skill and talent and his coaches and teammates recognizing his advantage and getting him the ball. Was it luck that James Harden shot 8-28 and 3-14 from 3-point range in Game 1 and shot .376 FG% and .296 3FG% for the series and saw his PER drop from 25.4 in the regular season to 18.3 in the playoffs? No, it was great game planning and Wesley Matthews working his ass off make Harden work for every single point. Was it luck that Damian Lillard hit that shot. No, it's not the only game winner he's hit. It was skill, talent and a well designed play that won that game even after Portland got "unlucky" on a bad call and an unfortunate bounce.

Our guys won that series fair and square, anyone who thinks they just got "lucky" either has an incredibly pessimistic world view, or don't know what the hell they are talking about. I watched every second of that series and have watched the replay of Game 6 multiple times. The right team won, and it had nothing to do with luck.

BNM

 

[KingSpeed]

Miami wouldn't have won the 2013 title with Ray Allen's clutch 3.

 

[KingSpeed]

We're not really on pace for 62 wins though. Factor in strength of schedule, home-away balance and then just the plain ol' eyeball test. Do you really see a 62 win team on par with the Drexler-Porter teams from the heyday of the late 80s - early 90s? I don't. If I look around the league, there's probably just one team that looks the part of a 60 win squad and that's the Warriors. There's no shame in that, it just means they need to get quite a bit better before you can pencil them in as a true title contender.

I think we're better than the Drexler team. That team choked too much. Fell apart when they had to think. I think there could be 3 or 4 teams with 60 wins this season. We are one of them.

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

Yes, and here's why: I don't think there is a team out there that we can't beat in a 7-game series, HCA or not.

 

[magnifier661]

Yes, and here's why: I don't think there is a team out there that we can't beat in a 7-game series, HCA or not.

That deserves a huge rep!

 

[riverman]

We play better when more people doubt the team. I'm used to it. This is all Raymond Felton's fault