Look on the bright side

[OneSport3]

We're in the same boat as Miami right now. We dominate the bad teams and get beat by the good teams.

It's only a 10-game sample, but it's the first 10 games of the season.

Thus far, the Miami Heat have proven they can beat bad teams, but still struggle with good clubs.

With their win over the now 2-8 Toronto Raptors, the Heat's six wins this season have come against teams (76ers, Magic, Nets twice, Timberwolves and Raptors) that are a combined 16-32.

The only team Miami has defeated that currently has a winning record is the Magic, who are 6-3.

Their four losses are against three teams (Boston twice, New Orleans and Utah) that are a combined 22-5.

 

[Natebishop3]

Except our superstar is running around on two bad knees. They've got three superstars who are all healthy.

 

[OneSport3]

Thanks for the buzzkill Nate. I was trying to look on the bright side. Now back to reality...

 

[Natebishop3]

Thanks for the buzzkill Nate. I was trying to look on the bright side. Now back to reality...

Sorry man, but no point glazing over the truth. I think this team still has a lot of talent, but losing Roy is definitely going to set them back.

 

[Minstrel]

Sorry man, but no point glazing over the truth. I think this team still has a lot of talent, but losing Roy is definitely going to set them back.

Assuming they lose him as an elite player. Which is still to be determined.

 

[Natebishop3]

Assuming they lose him as an elite player. Which is still to be determined.

Do you think Roy is still an elite player? I don't think he makes the All-Star team this year.

 

[Nikolokolus]

If Roy's pretty much done, we're basically Cleveland at this point (minus the cap room).

 

[OneSport3]

Trying to look on the bright side again, I don't think we played that bad last night. We practically got nothing from Roy and Aldridge and were able to cut the New Orleans lead down to 5 at one point. If it wasn't for some miraculous plays from Willie Green and Jason Smith, we might have cut the lead even more.

 

[Natebishop3]

If Roy's pretty much done, we're basically Cleveland at this point (minus the cap room).

Meh, I don't know if I see that. I think we have more talent overall than Cleveland.

 

[bodyman5001]

Assuming they lose him as an elite player. Which is still to be determined.

If I light the fuse on a stick of dynamite and videotape it, if I pause the video before it blows up I guess you could say it might be a dud. Chances are that the stick is going to blow up though.

Maybe Roy will develop an amazing half court hook shot that he can make 50 percent of the time, that is still to be determined too.

 

[Blazer4ever]

I'll start by saying, I didn't watch the game. From the box-score it looks like a bad game all-around. I guess we were tired and came out flat, I also wouldn't be surprised to find out we didn't play zone.
Roy should play based on production. If he isn't up-to-par, Nate should assume he's not healthy and bench him. I also haven't seen Armon for a while and from the box-score it looks like he didn't have a good game. Not to worry, though, he'll come around.
I would consider using a Camby, Batum, Roy, Rudy, Armon lineup at times during games.

 

[Nate Dogg]

Roy will not be voted in by the coaching staff to be an all star. Hes out this year and i stand by this statement

 

[Natebishop3]

Roy will not be voted in by the coaching staff to be an all star. Hes out this year and i stand by this statement

That's what I've been saying.

 

[jlprk]

It's a long season. Roy's knee will have its fluid and dry spells. I will float in and out of lucidity. You can't tell what's coming.

The zigzag on the Graph of Roy leads downward from here. There will be temporary upward zigs, outnumbered by the downward zags. Overall, Roy is toast. But he's still a viable substitute in this league for at least a couple more years. Doubtful that he'll last his whole contract.

Think of him as another Rudy. He can still shoot the long ball, but he can't defend. Roy still has his uses for a couple more seasons.

 

[Nate Dogg]

It was a nice announcement to hear (#7 all star brandon roy") that for the past 3 years for the starting lineup but that is a faded memory now.

 

[craigehlo]

We're in the same boat as Miami right now. We dominate the bad teams and get beat by the good teams.

It's been the same the story the last couple of seasons. The 50 win seasons were built on beating mediocre teams and getting soundly thumped by competent opponents.

 

[julius]

It's been the same the story the last couple of seasons. The 50 win seasons were built on beating mediocre teams and getting soundly thumped by competent opponents.

so that's why they won the season series against OKC, Lakers, Spurs, Mavs and the Suns last year, eh?

 

[MIXUM]

first of all the cavs talent vs ours..... its not close. thats the dumbest thing nik has ever said.

second..... roy could be out for season. regardless.... he will not be an all star. no chance.

third.... i think playoffs are a long shot at this point

 

[craigehlo]

so that's why they won the season series against OKC, Lakers, Spurs, Mavs and the Suns last year, eh?

Sure, we had a few quality wins. Not that many though. The sun still shines on a dog's a$$ from time to time.

 

[julius]

Sure, we had a few quality wins. Not that many though. The sun still shines on a dog's a$$ from time to time.

2 against the Lakers, 3 against the Spurs, Mavs, Thunder and Suns.

That's 14 wins against pretty good talent, including wins in LA, OKC, Dallas, San Antonio and Phoenix.

14 out of 50 games accounts for almost a 3rd of the teams wins last year.

And that was just me recounting victories off the top of my head.

 

[MIXUM]

we are fucked...

no way this team beats SA, Lakers, or even okc this year

 

[craigehlo]

14 out of 50 games accounts for almost a 3rd of the teams wins last year.

That's 28% of wins using your numbers. Plus the lackluster Spurs of last year look nothing like the Spurs that are balling this season.

Face it, this team feasts on weak opponents and folds much more often than not to talented rosters. That's the reality of life under Nate's coaching.

 

[julius]

That's 28% of wins using your numbers. Plus the lackluster Spurs of last year look nothing like the Spurs that are balling this season.

Face it, this team feasts on weak opponents and folds much more often than not to talented rosters. That's the reality of life under Nate's coaching.

The team was 22-23 against .500 + teams. take away the series that they lost (5 teams, 1-13 record) and their record is impressive. Add into account they were missing Brandon for games, Greg for games, Joel for games and Batum for about half the season, and it's impressive.

The "reality" of Nate's coaching is that certain teams can beat them, but it's not like they fail against "quality" (which imho, means above .500) teams. They failed against the team that went to the finals last year (Celtics) and had the best record in the league (Cavs) and have some kind of edge against Portland (Utah).

But they did have a strong season against their fellow .500+ teams, outside of 2 in the WC.

 

[hasoos]

There is no bright side.

 

[Nikolokolus]

first of all the cavs talent vs ours..... its not close. thats the dumbest thing nik has ever said.

second..... roy could be out for season. regardless.... he will not be an all star. no chance.

third.... i think playoffs are a long shot at this point

Look at the Cavs roster a little more closely.

Hickson is a promising young player at power forward, Varejao is a great defensive energy/hustle player, Mo Williams isn't much of a pure point guard, but he can score and is an above average shooter, Ramon Sessions is a nice reserve point guard (borderline starter).

My main point wasn't so much that we have an identical overall talent level, it's that we have a nice collection of complimentary talent without much in the way of a closer right now

 

[andalusian]

If Roy's pretty much done, we're basically Cleveland at this point (minus the cap room).

I am not sure about that. We still have Oden who was a better player than Roy last year when both were healthy - and we have hope Oden returns to health, we can say that LMA is a more mature Hickson - but Batum is better than anything the Cavs have.

We are still not sure, however, that Roy is done.

 

[Elvin Jones]

There is no bright side.

I am genuinely interested in seeing a Blazers rotation NOT with a gimpy, defensive-liability, no-ability-to-make-much-happen Roy in there for 30 minutes.

I honestly think that 5 or 6 games of not having Roy will solidify a new, faster, more uptempo lineup that could be disruptive.

Never thought I'd say this, but I really just don't want Roy on the court fucking things up right now.

 

[Minstrel]

Do you think Roy is still an elite player? I don't think he makes the All-Star team this year.

If he remains at this level, no I don't think he's still elite. There's good reason to believe he may remain at this level, and I tend toward that view unfortunately, but I don't think it's the ironclad certainty that some are suggesting.

However, Roy is actually still pretty good at this level. He and Batum are pretty even at this point (in terms of offense/rebounding...once you factor in defense, Batum may well be superior)...which is a come-down for Roy, since Batum is not elite. But that still makes Roy a good player. He's just not good enough, at this level, to build an offense around.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I am not sure about that. We still have Oden who was a better player than Roy last year when both were healthy - and we have hope Oden returns to health, we can say that LMA is a more mature Hickson - but Batum is better than anything the Cavs have.

We are still not sure, however, that Roy is done.

I think Hickson has a lot more promise than Aldridge, he plays a much more physical style in the post, rebounds better and actually plays solid on defense. Furthermore, saying, "we have Greg" is a bit like saying "I have a Jaguar." Sure it looks great, but how much use is it when it's in the shop more than half the year? And while I'm as big of Batum fan as anyone, he's still fairly inconsistent and I wouldn't call him a great first option (yet). Finally, you're right that Brandon may not be done, but I think the Brandon that we saw his first 3 years in the league is gone; there will be flashes of the old Roy from time to time, but aside from the physical pain he's enduring I think his mindset has started to drastically shift from that guy who could and would take a game over to one that is probably going to someone who is trying to preserve whatever he has left in the tank.

 

[Natebishop3]

I think Hickson has a lot more promise than Aldridge, he plays a much more physical style in the post, rebounds better and actually plays solid on defense. Furthermore, saying, "we have Greg" is a bit like saying "I have a Jaguar." Sure it looks great, but how much use is it when it's in the shop more than half the year? And while I'm as big of Batum fan as anyone, he's still fairly inconsistent and I wouldn't call him a great first option (yet). Finally, you're right that Brandon may not be done, but I think the Brandon that we saw his first 3 years in the league is gone; there will be flashes of the old Roy from time to time, but aside from the physical pain he's enduring I think his mindset has started to drastically shift from that guy who could and would take a game over to one that is probably going to someone who is trying to preserve whatever he has left in the tank.

Yeah, he has a family to think about, and I think Roy will do whatever it takes to stay in the league and collect a paycheck.