It is now safe to say we are contenders.

[maxiep]

Becasuse I didn't say that. I said once Blazers prove this style of ball can be successful in playoffs . . . which does not mean winning the championship. Winning a tough first round series might do it. ( Even losing a tough 6-7 game series to a contender)

My point I think regular season basketball and playoff basketball are different. I don't think it is safe to assume this basketball will translate into playoff contending basketball.

Hopefully it will, but you ask if it is safe to just say they are . . . Isay no, but then again I'm all about safety.

To be fair, Dallas won an NBA Championship with this style of ball.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Half way thru the season and we have the 4th best record in the league and play in the much tougher western conference. You're a knucklehead if you don't think we are contenders.

 

[HailBlazers]

To be fair, Dallas won an NBA Championship with this style of ball.

Yea well, what does our coaching staff know about that?!?

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Yea well, what does our coaching staff know about that?!?

Ha ha!

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Dallas is our receipe book. I hope we follow it step by step . . . but the Dallas model is a unique model that doesn't seem to lend to a dynasty or dominamace for a peroid of time . . . more like lighting in a bottle. Maybe this year Blazers have that lighting.

I guess everyone here thinks the Blazers are now in that elite class of contenders . . . personally I see why the national pundits aren't ready to annoit them. I also don't think it is a dis to say that the Blazers are a very good team this year but not convinced they belong with the elite teams. Half a season does not make a team like the Blazers (no recent history of palyoff success) a contender, IMO.

 

[cmeese47]

Until Blazers show that this roster and style of play can be successful in playoff basketball, I do not think it is safe to say we are contenders.

The teams playoff success will come down to two things staying healthy and defense. The offense is a motion half court offense which will work fine in the playoffs the defense on the other hand has been average at best. In addition, outside of this latest little Batum tiff we have had no injuries to our starters to overcome.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Dallas is our receipe book. I hope we follow it step by step . . . but the Dallas model is a unique model that doesn't seem to lend to a dynasty or dominamace for a peroid of time . . . more like lighting in a bottle. Maybe this year Blazers have that lighting.

I guess everyone here thinks the Blazers are now in that elite class of contenders . . . personally I see why the national pundits aren't ready to annoit them. I also don't think it is a dis to say that the Blazers are a very good team this year but not convinced they belong with the elite teams. Half a season does not make a team like the Blazers (no recent history of palyoff success) a contender, IMO.

Same could be said about Indiana last year, and they proved they were in fact contenders. I think we'll prove it also.

 

[dviss1]

Dallas is our receipe book. I hope we follow it step by step . . . but the Dallas model is a unique model that doesn't seem to lend to a dynasty or dominamace for a peroid of time . . . more like lighting in a bottle. Maybe this year Blazers have that lighting.

I guess everyone here thinks the Blazers are now in that elite class of contenders . . . personally I see why the national pundits aren't ready to annoit them. I also don't think it is a dis to say that the Blazers are a very good team this year but not convinced they belong with the elite teams. Half a season does not make a team like the Blazers (no recent history of palyoff success) a contender, IMO.

Meh, Dirk is older and got injured as well as key players left that Dallas team (Barea, Kidd, Chandler).

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Same could be said about Indiana last year, and they proved they were in fact contenders. I think we'll prove it also.

Good point. I don't follow Indy closely but did they go from not being even a playoff team to doing what thye did last year? Becuase Indy was a contender last year and I probably would have not thought it safe to call Indy a contender if they did not have prior playoff success with that roster. Hope Ptd does the same thing this year . . . I'm just not ready to say they will do what Indy did last year. Not saying they won't, just not convinced they go into the playoffs and do what they did to the first half of the regular season this year.

But I'm a Blazser fan and if Ptd ends up with the 4th best record at the end of the season, I don't need playoff games to have the opinion they are contenders. So I'm almost with the crowd, just another half season of dominace to go.

 

[BBert]

Dallas was old when they did it. We are young. We aren't going to be dismantled or washed up after this season. However we fare this season, we will be better next year. The playoff experience will be golden.

 

[Strenuus]

Dallas was old when they did it. We are young. We aren't going to be dismantled or washed up after this season. However we fare this season, we will be better next year. The playoff experience will be golden.

This, pretty much!

 

[ponderguy]

Well sort of. I think playoff basketball is a different style ball than regular season. Will be interesting to see how this high powered offense / low power defense plays out in the playoffs. To say that this roster and their style of play will automatically translate into championship contender basketball in the playoffs seems to ignore that traditionally defensive teams thrive in the playoffs.

we've seen this story a million times. Unless you have a top 10 defense OR the best player in the game you won't win a ring.

http://wagesofwins.com/2012/11/13/does-defense-win-championships/

 

[ponderguy]

Dallas was old when they did it. We are young. We aren't going to be dismantled or washed up after this season. However we fare this season, we will be better next year. The playoff experience will be golden.

Dallas was a top 5 defensive team too though

 

[cmeese47]

Dallas was a top 5 defensive team too though

They were 8th in defensive rating.

 

[KingSpeed]

A contender is a team that has a chance to win the title this year. With our record against OKC/Indy/SA (5-1) and our elite road record, that would suggest we have a legitimate chance. Whereas, the Grizzlies aren't a contender this year even though they reached the WCF last year. Atlanta has been to second round many times but has never been a contender. They don't have the record we've had on road and vs great teams. Bulls and Warrirs made second round last year, I don't consider them contenders because they haven't played on the elite level we have.

 

[KingSpeed]

Good point. I don't follow Indy closely but did they go from not being even a playoff team to doing what thye did last year? Becuase Indy was a contender last year and I probably would have not thought it safe to call Indy a contender if they did not have prior playoff success with that roster. Hope Ptd does the same thing this year . . . I'm just not ready to say they will do what Indy did last year. Not saying they won't, just not convinced they go into the playoffs and do what they did to the first half of the regulajr season this year.

But I'm a Blazser fan and if Ptd ends up with the 4th best record at the end of the season, I don't need playoff games to have the opinion they are contenders. So I'm almost with the crowd, just another half season of dominace to go.

Indy was not a contender last year. At no point during the season was it considered that Indy was one of the teams who could win a title. This year, their record suggests that they are contender.

 

[KingSpeed]

Dallas was a surprise team that wasn't even considered a contender at any point during the season.

 

[ponderguy]

They were 8th in defensive rating.

you're right, my bad, i was going off bad info. still top 10 though

 

[ponderguy]

A contender is a team that has a chance to win the title this year. With our record against OKC/Indy/SA (5-1) and our elite road record, that would suggest we have a legitimate chance. Whereas, the Grizzlies aren't a contender this year even though they reached the WCF last year. Atlanta has been to second round many times but has never been a contender. They don't have the record we've had on road and vs great teams. Bulls and Warrirs made second round last year, I don't consider them contenders because they haven't played on the elite level we have.

If you add Houston into that contenders group though then that W-L falls to 6-3. Still good but I don't really want to see Houston come playoff time with a (hopefully?) healthy team together

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Dallas was old when they did it. We are young. We aren't going to be dismantled or washed up after this season. However we fare this season, we will be better next year. The playoff experience will be golden.

OK so don't exactly follow the Dallas playbook . . . let's not wait till the Blazer players are old. Although maybe a high powered offense only works in the playoffs when you have seasoned vets????

Any young teams that made it to the NBA championship based mainly on offense?

 

[ponderguy]

OK so don't exactly follow the Dallas playbook . . . let's not wait till the Blazer players are old. Although maybe a high powered offense only works in the playoffs when you have seasoned vets????

Any young teams that made it to the NBA championship based mainly on offense?

OKC Thunder a couple years ago would be the best example. Glancing through the list of teams they're the only one that really jumps off the list to me

 

[BBert]

I don't care if other teams have done it. Doesn't mean ours can't. We're writing our own book!

 

[riverman]

I don't care if other teams have done it. Doesn't mean ours can't. We're writing our own book!

Exactly! The game has changed. That's part of the problem with having all these retired players from the 80's or 90's eras commenting on todays game. In many cases it doesn't apply. Gary Payton was right, you can't touch anybody on defense these days and free throws are boring all night. The 3 pt shot is here to stay and the dunk is taking a back seat. I prefer a great jump shooter to a highlight dunker personally. Terry Stotts has a "new school" approach to winning games and like it or not, we're winning games.

 

[Natebishop3]

One MAJOR difference between the current Blazers and the champion Mavs:

Tyson Chandler.

And then they had Haywood coming off the bench. I like Lopez a lot, but Chandler was a much better defender.

 

[blue9]

One MAJOR difference between the current Blazers and the champion Mavs:

Tyson Chandler.

Totally.
And I'm guessing BFWA would point out the difference in JS% between Dirk and LMA. But if LMA keeps playing in the paint, that difference is minimized and could potentially swing in our favor.

 

[noknobs]

Dallas was a surprise team that wasn't even considered a contender at any point during the season.

That's completely innacurate. A quick google search and I found 3 preseason rankings that had them in the 5-8 range. I imagine after they started the season 24-5 that only improved.

 

[Shooter]

Half way home and we have a better record than the reigning world champs! What a great feeling that is. Go Blazers!

 

[benh7777]

I think our chances of getting out of the first round is not great until we learn to defend the paint.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

I think our chances of getting out of the first round is not great until we learn to defend the paint.

Welcome, rook!

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I know many don't like to re-visit old threads, but this one was just about 2 weeks ago.

Straw poll: Safe to say we are contenders?