After dropping down to 9th seed last night, I think it’s time to move on from the McLillard experiment and start the rebuild process. Sitting at 9th after having the easiest schedule in the NBA to this points, with a healthy roster and full training camp for Nurkic, there are no more excuses. We have seen a big enough sample size to know this will not work. We need to sell high on Lillard and CJ before it’s too late. Build around Collins, Nurkic, Pat... get some lotto picks in what should be a very talented group in the top 10. I don’t want to have to rebuild but it’s the sad reality. We have the toughest second half schedule and will not keep up with teams ahead of us. I don’t see a trade that can turn the season around. And even more so than just record, they just don’t play well... I mean dead last in NBA in assist?! This is a failed experiment.
After reading your first post in the thread, I immediately dismissed it as not worthy of response. Not because I disagree with your opinion. Differing opinions spur discussion, which is the whole point of this forum.
For me, you immediately lost all credibility by stating things as facts, that aren't:
"Sitting at 9th after having the easiest schedule in the NBA to this points"
Not true and easily verified. At this point in the season,
we are ranked 24th in SoS. We had had an easier than average (average = .500) schedule, but there is really very little difference between the 8th toughest schedule (.508) and the 26th (.488). Stating, as fact, that we have had the easiest schedule immediate makes you lose credibility with me.
"We have the toughest second half schedule"
Again, not a fact. First, as they say on Wall Street: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All forward looking SoS calculation are projects based on all teams' records to date. But some teams will get better and some teams will get worse. There will be trades, there injuries, teams will rest their veterans, teams will tank, etc. All that said, I have not seen a single projection showing the Blazers have the toughest second half schedule. If you're going to make such a claim, state (or better, link to) your source.
To me, this is your most egregious transgression:
"will not keep up with teams ahead of us"
This is a faulty conclusion, based on inaccurate data, stated as fact. You claim we have had the easiest schedule in the league, which we have not, and then conclude we
will not be able to keep up with the teams ahead of us. Of the four teams we are battling with for the 5 - 8 seeds, all have had slightly easier than average schedules to date. Three of the four have had comparable schedules to the Blazers.
Here are the SoS ratings for those four teams, compared to the Blazers:
NOP = .499
LAC = .491
POR = .489
OKC = .488
DEN = .486
So, if we've kept up with them so far, why exactly will we not be able to keep up with them going forward? When you state an opinion as fact, you better be able to back it up.
I'm not trying to be a dick, I'm trying to help you understand why people are being so dismissive of your opinions. For me, its the way you immediately undermined your own credibility. Your first post came across as an emotional reaction to losing three games in a row. You had come to a conclusion and then made up #alternatefacts to support it.
Your post came across much more this:
than this:
BNM
