It is now safe to say we are contenders.

[KingSpeed]

5-0 vs Spurs, OKC, and Indy.

2-0 on the "brutal road trip"

31-9, best record in West at near halfway point

Will we win the title? Who knows but we are a legit contender.

Go Blazers!

 

[HailBlazers]

And once again we can say...

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

And once again we can say...

Need to get out of the first round of the playoffs....

 

[Strenuus]

We are.

But it was funny that you said "Biggest comeback in NBA history" In the game thread like we'd actually lose it.

 

[KingSpeed]

We are.

But it was funny that you said "Biggest comeback in NBA history" In the game thread like we'd actually lose it.

I meant it would be if they did.

 

[RoyToy]

Need a real bench

 

[KingSpeed]

Need to get out of the first round of the playoffs....

We can't until April/May. But we're 31-9 now. We have a great chance to win title this year.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

And once again we can say...

It's a great day to be a Blazer!

 

[KingSpeed]

Need a real bench

Mo/TRob/Free/CJ is a solid bench that played well tonight before Barton and Leonard came in.

 

[Strenuus]

Need a real bench

Everyone's 3rd line sucks. Our core 8-9 had nothing to do with that 4th quarter. lol.

 

[RoyToy]

Mo/TRob/Free/CJ is a solid bench that played well tonight before Barton and Leonard came in.

It needs one more player. Someone better or at the very least as productive as Mo.

Neil has to make a move if he wants to win a championship this season.

 

[BrianFromWA]

We can't until April/May. But we're 31-9 now. We have a great chance to win title this year.

Some of us said this in October.

 

[KingSpeed]

It needs one more player. Someone better or at the very least as productive as Mo.

Neil has to make a move if he wants to win a championship this season.

CJ is.

 

[RoyToy]

CJ is.

I'm talking about someone that could make a real impact in the playoffs

CJ isn't that player. With rotations short he won't get very many minutes.

 

[julius]

once again we can say...need to worry about the next game.

 

[KingSpeed]

I'm talking about someone that could make a real impact in the playoffs

CJ isn't that player. With rotations short he won't get very many minutes.

Why won't CJ get minutes? He's doing well now as part of the 9 man rotation and he will only get better.

 

[KingSpeed]

once again we can say...need to worry about the next game.

Why worry? Focus on the next game, sure. But what is there to worry about? I doubt the players worry about games.

 

[Strenuus]

Why worry? Focus on the next game, sure. But what is there to worry about? I doubt the players worry about games.

He didn't mean worry like that. Pretty much, just go to the next game.

 

[riverman]

We are contenders, I've been saying it even before it was safe to say but CJ is not the savior of the bench as a rookie. He'll have moments but I hate to see folks build him up like he's something he's not yet. He can shoot. He can't defend well yet and he's not passing that well. He'll improve for sure. Stotts gives young players opportunities which most coaches do not in the NBA. He still has to earn it.

 

[Draco]

Need to get out of the first round of the playoffs....

Contenders doesn't mean you will win the title, just that you are one of the teams that CAN win it. Dallas and the Spurs have lost in the first round the season after deep playoff runs, they were still contenders those years.

We are definitely in that group. Of course you pick the field against any one team, and the West has ridiculous depth. But there is no doubt we have a realistic chance to beat any team in the league.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

I think so, there ain't a team playing as well as the Blazers are right now. Just two days ago I was saying that they weren't playing their best ball. But they were doing a good job managing. Two days later, they are playing the best ball of the season. They really can turn it off and on.

 

[Draco]

Why worry? Focus on the next game, sure. But what is there to worry about? I doubt the players worry about games.

Because us fans all need to concentrate on only the next single game. If not our telepathic powers are so strong the Blazer players will lose focus and struggle on the court.

 

[BigGameDamian]

We saw what the bench can do tonight.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

We saw what the bench can do tonight.

If the lineup was CJ, Wes, Nic, TRob and Freeland for the first 6 minutes. That wouldn't have happened.

 

[Strenuus]

We saw what the bench can do tonight.

That wasn't our bench except for CJ. That was our practice squad.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Contenders doesn't mean you will win the title, just that you are one of the teams that CAN win it. Dallas and the Spurs have lost in the first round the season after deep playoff runs, they were still contenders those years.

We are definitely in that group. Of course you pick the field against any one team, and the West has ridiculous depth. But there is no doubt we have a realistic chance to beat any team in the league.

On any given night. But in a 7 game series it's a different story. Right now I say we are a "dark horse" due to our lack of playoff experience. We are playing great now but these kind of teams pop up every few years out of nowhere.

I say the true contenders are the four teams in the conference finals last year still.

hoop fam

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

We are basically what the clippers were last season.

hoop fam

 

[Strenuus]

We are basically what the clippers were last season.

hoop fam

We can play a half court offense....

 

[KingSpeed]

We saw what the bench can do tonight.

Mo was a +13
Free was a +9
CJ was a + until he had to play with Barton

Tonight was one of the best showings of our bench (Mo/Free/TRob/CJ) all season.

We're just not very good with Barton and Leonard out there.

 

[TBpup]

Mo/TRob/Free/CJ is a solid bench that played well tonight before Barton and Leonard came in.

Portland's bench (minus the 3rd stringers) is still one of the bottom benches in the league. Just because it is improved over last years historically bad bench, does not mean this group is productive. In the majority of stats/advanced stats you look at, Portlands bench ranges from #28-30 in most of them.