Is this the best Blazer team ever assembled?

[jlprk]

at the end of Juwan's enlistment, he ran off to the Iranian army for minimum wage so that he could win WWIII.

That would be John Brisker. I was a Sonic fan here in Bellingham when Coach Bill Russell sent him down to the Eastern league for being uncoachable. A couple of years later, he died on a secret mission in Africa.

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

I said yes, but with a qualifier: I think it can be as good as the '77 team and the '90-91 team but we have to gain experience and get lucky injury-wise.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

It's it the best, yet? No.

Could it be the best, once everything has gelled? Possibly.

Remember, the 77-78 team was almost indisputably better than the title team before Walton went down. Cohesion matters.

 

[Natebishop3]

I think a lot of it hinges on staying healthy and young guys developing. If CJ can keep scoring 10-12 points off the bench, that will be HUGE.

 

[Kaydow]

I think we have to really consider that this could be the best team ever assembled. I haven't seen a Blazer team ever look this good, feel so confident they will win, than any other years I've watched as a Blazer fan. I've been a fan since 1988, so I missed the championship team from the 70's.

What's your vote?

Mags, you're killing me. My goal was to be more even keeled this year. We're not as bad as the 1st half of the Hornets game, and we're not as good as the 1st half last night vs Nugs. It's a long, grueling season in a loaded Western Conf. But man did we look good last night! I liked what I saw from Crabbe and CJ. Crabbe had a 3 go in/out then almost had the dunk of the season when he followed that missed shot with thundering dunk attempt (he was fouled!) I answered I don't know yet. A lot of it depends on the bench play. The Dec schedule is brutal! 5 game & 4 game road trips. I think there are 4 back to backs. Depth is going to be a factor for sure. But if our young guys continue to improve, this has a chance to be the best Blazer team I've seen.

 

[magnifier661]

Mags, you're killing me. My goal was to be more even keeled this year. We're not as bad as the 1st half of the Hornets game, and we're not as good as the 1st half last night vs Nugs. It's a long, grueling season in a loaded Western Conf. But man did we look good last night! I liked what I saw from Crabbe and CJ. Crabbe had a 3 go in/out then almost had the dunk of the season when he followed that missed shot with thundering dunk attempt (he was fouled!) I answered I don't know yet. A lot of it depends on the bench play. The Dec schedule is brutal! 5 game & 4 game road trips. I think there are 4 back to backs. Depth is going to be a factor for sure. But if our young guys continue to improve, this has a chance to be the best Blazer team I've seen.

I think we finally have a bench we can be proud of. Crabbe will be an excellent back-up for Batum. Blake has shown he is a defensive specialist off the bench. And we all know Kaman.

 

[Schilly]

If Walton and Lucas could handle Erving and McGinnis, they could sure shut down the lesser Aldridge and lessee Batum. Walton owned the paint, which Lopez, Kaman, and especially Aldridge do not.

Different Eras, very few players "own the paint" anymore.

 

[jlprk]

Different Eras, very few players "own the paint" anymore.

That's because there are no Russells or Waltons around.

Same reason for why music sucks compared to the 60s.

 

[Schilly]

That's because there are no Russells or Waltons around.

Same reason for why music sucks compared to the 60s.

And because the rules have changed too.

 

[magnifier661]

That's because there are no Russells or Waltons around.

Same reason for why music sucks compared to the 60s.

No it's because the league has changed their rules. You can't camp in the paint, use your hands to hold a player back and the NBA won't allow guards to be touched

 

[KingSpeed]

The best Blazers team ever (and possibly the best NBA team ever) was the 1990-91 Blazers. Yes, we lost in WCF but that team was DOMINANT in the regular season. Barkley and Reggie Miller said during the season that we were the best team ever.

 

[noknobs]

Best we won't know for awhile, but they're definitely one of my favorites. Fun likeable guys with talent and no big egos. Basically picture the exact opposite of the jailblazers.

And they might be the best Blazer team as far as nicknames:

British Bulldog
King Crabbe
The People's Champ
Batum and Robin
Sasquatch / Caveman
Sub Zero / Killard / etc
And every time Lopez rolls in for a dunk it's Rolo Thunder.

 

[tlongII]

Too soon to tell. The 77 team will always be my favorite, but we have a VERY good team this year. We definitely have a shot at the LOB.

 

[jlprk]

No it's because the league has changed their rules. You can't camp in the paint, use your hands to hold a player back and the NBA won't allow guards to be touched

Camping in the paint was always against the rules.

 

[riverman]

This is the least selfish and maybe best coached team in the last decade for sure but they have to get further in the playoffs to compare accurately. This is my personal favorite team based on the system they play but the 99-2000 team had a much deeper bench

 

[BlazerBeav]

The best team I've seen was definitely the '90-91 squad. I still can't believe they didn't win the title. They absolutely CRUSHED Chicago twice in the regular season - think we curb stomped them by 20 on NBC in Chicago.

 

[KingSpeed]

The best team I've seen was definitely the '90-91 squad. I still can't believe they didn't win the title. They absolutely CRUSHED Chicago twice in the regular season - think we curb stomped them by 20 on NBC in Chicago.

Yep

 

[riverman]

The best team I've seen was definitely the '90-91 squad. I still can't believe they didn't win the title. They absolutely CRUSHED Chicago twice in the regular season - think we curb stomped them by 20 on NBC in Chicago.

I would have to agree with this too...I forgot about those guys.

 

[HailBlazers]

The best team I've seen was definitely the '90-91 squad. I still can't believe they didn't win the title. They absolutely CRUSHED Chicago twice in the regular season - think we curb stomped them by 20 on NBC in Chicago.

Bulls got some serious home cooking in that series.

Best team ever assembled? Hard to compare era's, this team could certainly beat any team that's come before them though.

 

[magnifier661]

Bulls got some serious home cooking in that series.

Best team ever assembled? Hard to compare era's, this team could certainly beat any team that's come before them though.

They had league cooking the entire series

 

[DaLincolnJones]

the appropriate response was to pick "Are you high?"

The 1999-2000 team had guys off the bench that would have started for most other teams..so very deep, and so very good. Also as BFW has pointed out, the 77 teams was some of the very best players that have ever played..cant compare a few good games with a few league leading careers

 

[Kaydow]

The best Blazers team ever (and possibly the best NBA team ever) was the 1990-91 Blazers. Yes, we lost in WCF but that team was DOMINANT in the regular season. Barkley and Reggie Miller said during the season that we were the best team ever.

Everybody remembers Game 6 - Cliffy fumbling that pass out of bounds that would have given us the lead, & of course Magic's heave as the clock ran out. I remember Game 1 when we lost home court in that series. Adelman jacked up that game. Up 12 at the start of the 4th quarter, he sits Clyde & TP & the Lakers go on a 13-0 run to take the lead with our bench in there. We just never recovered & it was a shocking loss. That was a great team & it would have been an amazing series with Chicacgo, who we would have had HCA against.

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

the appropriate response was to pick "Are you high?"

The 1999-2000 team had guys off the bench that would have started for most other teams..so very deep, and so very good. Also as BFW has pointed out, the 77 teams was some of the very best players that have ever played..cant compare a few good games with a few league leading careers

I just figured 'are you high?' was a given.

 

[Schilly]

I think you could make a case for the starters...

LA / Lillard Vs Drexler / Porter
Batum Vs Kersey
Wes / Lopez vs Buck and Duck

I think I give the edge to the 91 team there, and I think the 91 bench was better.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

Since I have been watching, I feel from a talent, character, chemistry standpoint, The 90-91 team was. But it's still early for this team. Ask again at the end of season.

 

[maxiep]

Best Blazer teams ever:

1. 1990-1991
2. 1977-1978
3. 1989-1990
4. 1976-1977
5. 1999-2000

 

[OneLifeToLive]

Best Blazer teams ever:

1. 1990-1991
2. 1977-1978
3. 1989-1990
4. 1976-1977
5. 1999-2000

Interesting, the one team that did win it all you don't have in the top three.

 

[Hobbesarable]

I think we have to really consider that this could be the best team ever assembled. I haven't seen a Blazer team ever look this good, feel so confident they will win, than any other years I've watched as a Blazer fan. I've been a fan since 1988, so I missed the championship team from the 70's.

What's your vote?

I'll be willing to revisit this thread after our current squad has a couple of NBA finals appearances.

 

[magnifier661]

Don't you guys remember how that Drexler led 90's squad were notorious for giving up bigs leads? I remember even Chuck Daily and Phil Jackson were mic'd during the game and they even told their team.

They weren't as clutch as you seem to make them be. Neither was the 2000 team.

Those two teams were damn good, but I never felt safe until the final buzzer against the elite teams

 

[maxiep]

Interesting, the one team that did win it all you don't have in the top three.

That's right. And that team was amazing. I remain convinced that if we would have made it to the NBA Finals in 1991, we would have beaten the Bulls in 6. And the 77-78 team put the 76-77 team to shame. It was unbelievably dominant.