Is This Becoming A "Special" Team?

[Boise Blazer]

Im very comfortable in saying that when we are healthy this will the most complete team I have seen in a long time. From there it will be dedication and heart. If healthy there is no reason this team couldnt be special. Will they? We shall see.

 

[ABM]

We have won games against the Suns, Clippers, Knicks and Bucks, and lost against the Bulls. The teams we have beaten have a combined record of 4-13. The one team we have lost to has a winning record. Please stop with the special team crap. Let's wait until they actually do something other than come back to beat teams they should absolutely crush.

Hard to say, sometimes you can just "sense" stuff upstream about teams. I'm getting that type of feeling. Or, perhaps, it's from the sushi I devoured last night.

 

[Mediocre Man]

And the Celtics barely beat the Bucks, in Boston, and the Clippers just kicked the shit out of the Thunder.

I am not saying they aren't good wins. I am saying this team has shown nothing to indicate it is special.......at this point.

 

[ABM]

I am not saying they aren't good wins. I am saying this team has shown nothing to indicate it is special.......at this point.

The way I look at it, any win at this point without Joel and Greg in the lineup is a good win.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

I think Rudy plays alot better with a true point guard and the bench play has been much better. I am not counting on LA making the All-star team anytime soon.

We still need someone to score in the low-post.

 

[Mediocre Man]

The way I look at it, any win at this point without Joel and Greg in the lineup is a good win.

Again, our wins have come against teams with a combined 4-13 record. Our team with Brandon and LaMarcus is easily good enough to beat those teams.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I think Rudy plays alot better with a true point guard and the bench play has been much better. I am not counting on LA making the All-star team anytime soon.

We still need someone to score in the low-post.

I have always been a little down on Aldridge's overall game, but this year, he is playing at an all-star level

 

[ABM]

Again, our wins have come against teams with a combined 4-13 record. Our team with Brandon and LaMarcus is easily good enough to beat those teams.

I hear ya.

BTW, when reading your posts, I simply gaze at your avatar and pretend he's the one talking. Everything crystallizes at that point.

It's all good, man.

 

[Shooter]

Now that I've had a small dose of Johnson, I'm like.....oh, man.

My sentiments exactly. Johnson is the player Bayless was trying to be . . .

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

I have always been a little down on Aldridge's overall game, but this year, he is playing at an all-star level

Boozer and Amare leaving helps, but it is still a fight. It is still early and I do not expect those steals and block numbers to stay that high. Hopefully they do.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Boozer and Amare leaving helps, but it is still a fight. It is still early and I do not expect those steals and block numbers to stay that high. Hopefully they do.

I agree with you.

 

[hasoos]

So we win one game in a row vs Milwaukee and now were a special team? I am glad that win made you feel so good about the team

 

[mook]

Well, Milwaukie was a 46 win team last year, so they aren't exactly cream puffs. And it was on their court.

 

[mook]

Again, our wins have come against teams with a combined 4-13 record. Our team with Brandon and LaMarcus is easily good enough to beat those teams.

Pointing out the bad collective record of the teams we played this early in the year is a little misleading.

4-13 could easily be 8-9 if each team had beat the Blazers. If the Blazers were 0-5 right now, would you take much solace that we lost to a bunch of teams that were basically .500 so far? I wouldn't.

In another week or so I think our wins/losses vs collective records of our opponents will be more indicative of how our team is playing.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

Well, Milwaukie was a 46 win team last year, so they aren't exactly cream puffs. And it was on their court.

And on the road they took Boston to overtime last night. The Clips beat up on the Thunder. Part of being a better team is taking care of the games we are supposed to.

 

[Mediocre Man]

And on the road they took Boston to overtime last night. The Clips beat up on the Thunder. Part of being a better team is taking care of the games we are supposed to.

We are certainly a better team than those teams, but that doesn't make us special

 

[Mediocre Man]

Pointing out the bad collective record of the teams we played this early in the year is a little misleading.

4-13 could easily be 8-9 if each team had beat the Blazers. If the Blazers were 0-5 right now, would you take much solace that we lost to a bunch of teams that were basically .500 so far? I wouldn't.

In another week or so I think our wins/losses vs collective records of our opponents will be more indicative of how our team is playing.

Our team is good, no doubt. I was arguing the "special" comment.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

We are certainly a better team than those teams, but that doesn't make us special

Agreed. Just to clarify my point, even if LA puts up numbers to make himself an all-star, I do not think we are truly special until we find a consistant low post scoring option.

 

[mook]

My own opinion on whether this team is special or not is how do you define "special." 57 wins and a loss in the WCF is where I see them. That's basically what our team did in 2000. If you consider that team special, then this one is too.

Also, it depends on if you define "team." If the team is just the collection of talent exactly as it is now, or if you project how the nucleus will be for the next several years plus this year. It's going to be much better a year from now as Batum matures, Armon takes on more responsibility, and Oden (hopefully) plays a full season. At that point it'll be undeniably special by pretty much any definition.

 

[Minstrel]

I am not saying they aren't good wins. I am saying this team has shown nothing to indicate it is special.......at this point.

I think you're confused. He's asking if it's a special team...which means you have to evaluate it before it's proven. Once it's proven to be a special team (like if it won a championship) the question wouldn't need to be asked.

Had he said "This IS a special team," your comments would make a lot more sense. As it is, they really don't. No one's saying that they've already shown that they are special/elite/etc.

 

[Ed O]

The true measure of a "Special" team lies in the length of the team bus.

It's more the way that they use the bus than its length.

Ed O.

 

[ABM]

I think you're confused. He's asking if it's a special team...which means you have to evaluate it before it's proven. Once it's proven to be a special team (like if it won a championship) the question wouldn't need to be asked.

Had he said "This IS a special team," your comments would make a lot more sense. As it is, they really don't. No one's saying that they've already shown that they are special/elite/etc.

Thank you. Took the words out of my mouth. Also meant to say that my OP was more the heart of the matter. People in here should know by now that I often use hyperbole and teases within my thread titles.

 

[THE HCP]

Everybody here is making great points. We kill Suns, Suns killed Jazz, so on and so on. It's too early to know anything I think. Camby is not Capt. Health by any means. He goes down, we are dead. Lets wait for awhile and see !

 

[ABM]

Everybody here is making great points. We kill Suns, Suns killed Jazz, so on and so on. It's too early to know anything I think. Camby is not Capt. Health by any means. He goes down, we are dead. Lets wait for awhile and see !

Dude, I'm the same person who, last season, called for an 18-0. Cut me some slack, Jack!

 

[mook]

Camby is not Capt. Health by any means. He goes down, we are dead. Lets wait for awhile and see !

No doubt. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed until Przybilla comes back. Joel isn't as good a passer or scorer, but he's a bigger body and a better man-on-man defender in the post. If he comes in just as Camby goes down, it'll be a downgrade but not a massive one. If Camby goes down before then, well, we're basically fucked.

This team kind of reminds me of that 2000 squad. We had all these really nice big men back then too (Sabonis, Brian Grant, Jermaine) but the only consistently healthy, reliable starter was Rasheed (much like Aldridge is now).

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

I have always been a little down on Aldridge's overall game, but this year, he is playing at an all-star level

Tonights game was what I expect (but always want more) from LA.

No blocks or steals, 4 rebounds (had some tapouts early though), dominate when his outside shot was falling but providing little down the stretch.

I figure there are going to be 7 All-Star spots available for F anc C.

Dirk, Duncan, Camelo, Durant, and Pau seem virtual locks for five of those spots.

I would trade LA for Blake Griffin in a NY second.

That leaves one spot. LA's numbers are closer to Jeff Green's than they are to the top players.

Maybe he gets in as an injury replacement, but that is really not the kind of All-Star we need.

Looking back, I wish we could have traded RLEC and LA for Pau.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Tonights game was what I expect (but always want more) from LA.

No blocks or steals, 4 rebounds (had some tapouts early though), dominate when his outside shot was falling but providing little down the stretch.

I figure there are going to be 7 All-Star spots available for F anc C.

Dirk, Duncan, Camelo, Durant, and Pau seem virtual locks for five of those spots.

I would trade LA for Blake Griffin in a NY second.

That leaves one spot. LA's numbers are closer to Jeff Green's than they are to the top players.

Maybe he gets in as an injury replacement, but that is really not the kind of All-Star we need.

Looking back, I wish we could have traded RLEC and LA for Pau.

I appreciate you pointing my Aldridge posts out instead of the one's where I said this team has struggled against good teams and shouldn't be considered special.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

I appreciate you pointing my Aldridge posts out instead of the one's where I said this team has struggled against good teams and shouldn't be considered special.

ABM said becoming and not considered.

Can we atleast agree that the team is making improvements?

I do not see this huge improvement in LA's game that Barrett and all of the other Blazer media was claiming. I do like what Mathews brings off the bench along with Rudy playing without JB. I like Armon. I like Batum's improvement.

Add a low post scoring option and then we can throw around the special term.

 

[ABM]

I appreciate you pointing my Aldridge posts out instead of the one's where I said this team has struggled against good teams and shouldn't be considered special.

I appreciate you disregarding my saying this team "becoming" special upon Joel and Greg's return.......IMO, the only missing ingredient.