Reality.

[MickZagger]

We have a young team with two key players injured and we lost to 3 of the best teams in the league on their home court. Two of those games we were up by a decent margin and we lost. That's what is expected when you have a young team (youngest in the league) that isn't healthy and were playing great teams in their house. Give them time, we'll catch up. Two other teams in the league that made the playoffs above us last year have the same record as us with a much easier schedule thus far. Its a long season. People need a little perspective around here.

 

[andalusian]

Nicely said. This team is going to kick some rear. It is just a question of how long it will take. Will it be a month, 2 or 3...

 

[Boob-No-More]

+1 to that.

We have the youngest team in the league, are missing two of our starters, and open the season against five teams that won at least 54 games last season (most brutal opening 5 game stetch in the 60+ year history of the NBA).

Did people really think we were going to have a winning record after 5 games? Even with Oden and Webster, 2-3 would have been about right, and 1-4 a definite possibility.

Without those two, 1-4 (or possibly 2-3) actually isn't bad at all and only about game behind the most reasonable expectations.

Young or not, injured or not, our early season schedule is just flat out brutal.

We started last year 5-12 with a MUCH easier schedule. Yes, the team will be better this year. Stick with them, let them get healthy, cheer your fool head off at all home games, and help them get through this nightmare of a schedule and everything will be fine. We'll make up ground in the standings later in the season when these guys have more experience under their belts and the schedule is more favorable.

It's a long season people. Be patient. It will get better.

In the meantime, I hope nobody suffers a season ending injury jumping off the bandwagon before it comes to a full stop.

BNM

 

[The_Lillard_King]

+1 to that.

We have the youngest team in the league, are missing two of our starters, and open the season against five teams that won at least 54 games last season (most brutal opening 5 game stetch in the 60+ year history of the NBA).

Did people really think we were going to have a winning record after 5 games? Even with Oden and Webster, 2-3 would have been about right, and 1-4 a definite possibility.

Without those two, 1-4 (or possibly 2-3) actually isn't bad at all and only about game behind the most reasonable expectations.

Young or not, injured or not, our early season schedule is just flat out brutal.

We started last year 5-12 with a MUCH easier schedule. Yes, the team will be better this year. Stick with them, let them get healthy, cheer your fool head off at all home games, and help them get through this nightmare of a schedule and everything will be fine. We'll make up ground in the standings later in the season when these guys have more experience under their belts and the schedule is more favorable.

It's a long season people. Be patient. It will get better.

In the meantime, I hope nobody suffers a season ending injury jumping off the bandwagon before it comes to a full stop.

BNM

Don't worry about the season ending injury stuff . . . who do you think these bandwagon jumpers are, a bunch of Odens.

 

[blazerboy30]

I think the biggest key here is that the losses have been on the road, against 50+ win teams. If all those teams played each other, it is very likely one of them would have 3 losses as well. Would that mean they are a bad team? Nope.

It seems as though we have played poorly, but we have still been in a position to win 2 of the 3 losses, on the road.

This should not be discouraging. We have seen glimpses of the talent and potential with this team. When they learn how to sustain it, at home and away, we will be scary. Sure, it would be even more encouraging to have won all these games, but nothing has shown that we will not become a very good team.

 

[The Sebastian Express]

Technically it is the 2nd youngest team I believe.

 

[AgentDrazenPetrovic]

No excuses for losses. That's for losers. We played shitty in many of our games this year. Unacceptable.

 

[MickZagger]

Technically it is the 2nd youngest team I believe.

I'm pretty sure were the youngest.

 

[MickZagger]

No excuses for losses. That's for losers. We played shitty in many of our games this year. Unacceptable.

Fickle?

Gain some kind of understanding between the words excuse and reason.

 

[AgentDrazenPetrovic]

Fickle?

Gain some kind of understanding between the words excuse and reason.

So you tolerate poor performance with the qualifier that we play good teams at their home court with injuries?

 

[The Sebastian Express]

I'm pretty sure were the youngest.

We were the youngest last year, yes. Third youngest in history, actually.

However, this year we are 23.9. Golden State is 23.6

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/roster?team=gsw&sort=null

 

[Masbee]

I'm pretty sure were the youngest.

During the Golden State vs Denver game the other night, the announcers kept referring to the Warriors as the youngest team in the NBA.

 

[MickZagger]

So you tolerate poor performance with the qualifier that we play good teams at their home court with injuries?

This is our toughest stretch of the season, it just so happened to be at the beginning of the season. If in your mind the team was going to go 82-0 or something you set yourself up to be disappointed. I mean you can bitch and whine all you want, or you can be a realist and realize sure we haven't played our best, but we've played tough teams without key pieces to our team.

I mean the turds in your pocket. Feel free to be miserable all you want I really don't give a shit.

 

[THE HCP]

During the Golden State vs Denver game the other night, the announcers kept referring to the Warriors as the youngest team in the NBA.

G State is the youngest, by a couple months. Once we dump Raef, we'll have it!

 

[Todd]

This is our toughest stretch of the season, it just so happened to be at the beginning of the season. If in your mind the team was going to go 82-0 or something you set yourself up to be disappointed. I mean you can bitch and whine all you want, or you can be a realist and realize sure we haven't played our best, but we've played tough teams without key pieces to our team.

I mean the turds in your pocket. Feel free to be miserable all you want I really don't give a shit.

We should've beat the Jazz last night, there really is no excuse for giving that one away. I'll give the Lakers game a pass, they were going to smoke us anyway. But, with that said, they didn't play anywhere up to the level we all know they can.

 

[AgentDrazenPetrovic]

This is our toughest stretch of the season, it just so happened to be at the beginning of the season. If in your mind the team was going to go 82-0 or something you set yourself up to be disappointed. I mean you can bitch and whine all you want, or you can be a realist and realize sure we haven't played our best, but we've played tough teams without key pieces to our team.

I mean the turds in your pocket. Feel free to be miserable all you want I really don't give a shit.

So why don't we just lose all of the games and put the actual performance of the team to aside. Don't even watch, just wait until the stretch is over, right? Our play has been sub-par, competition being "50+ win teams" or not. If we expect to make the playoffs, we can no longer just throw games casually to the wayside.

So go ahead and "be a realist" and just expect to get our ass kicked and not showing up for games. Losing is unacceptable, as is playing poorly. I am disappointed in the start of the season.

 

[AgentDrazenPetrovic]

We should've beat the Jazz last night, there really is no excuse for giving that one away. I'll give the Lakers game a pass, they were going to smoke us anyway. But, with that said, they didn't play anywhere up to the level we all know they can.

nah man, chill. the jazz...they're so much better than us anyways, so don't even pay any attention to it!

just chill brah! even if we shoot 20% who cares? Reality!

 

[drexlersdad]

everyone is forgetting how brutal our early schedule was/is. if we can get through the first 20 games 10-10 it will be a huge win for us.

 

[AgentDrazenPetrovic]

everyone is forgetting how brutal our early schedule was/is. if we can get through the first 20 games 10-10 it will be a huge win for us.

yeah, we don't even need to be concerned if they play well or not!

Reality!

 

[Ed O]

So why don't we just lose all of the games and put the actual performance of the team to aside. Don't even watch, just wait until the stretch is over, right? Our play has been sub-par, competition being "50+ win teams" or not. If we expect to make the playoffs, we can no longer just throw games casually to the wayside.

"Sub-par" relative to what? Relative to what the team is capable of, or relative to the rest of the NBA?

If the latter, I disagree. I don't think that most teams would have played the Jazz as well as we did last night.

If the former, I disagree, as well. This team finished at 41-41 last year, and while Batum and Rudy and Bayless are all nice additions in the long run, with Webster out our team is arguably no better right NOW than it was last year.

Put Oden in there, with Webster returning? Then we're an improved team. Fortunately our schedule will lighten up at about the same time...

Ed O.

 

[AgentDrazenPetrovic]

I didn't catch the Utah game. The Laker game was pure crap. They didn't even show to play. The Suns game sucked because they just blew a lead. The spurs game was good, naturally. I've seen good things out of Batum and Rudy. Roy is playing more solid, desipte a horrendous first game. LMA has been inconsistent at best.

We shouldn't just "relax", now is the time we have to push guys to STEP UP. We'll be fine, but this culture of losing and expecting losses is shit. Expect to win, have some f'n confidence in your team and if they don't win or play well, criticize.

 

[Ed O]

We shouldn't just "relax", now is the time we have to push guys to STEP UP. We'll be fine, but this culture of losing and expecting losses is shit. Expect to win, have some f'n confidence in your team and if they don't win or play well, criticize.

Us getting our panties in a bunch doesn't impact play on the court one bit.

I'm not saying you (and others) ought not have high expectations and/or feel disappointed, but don't expect many of us from reminding you it's irrational

Ed O.

 

[craigehlo]

I'm not stressed about the 1-3 start against some tough opponents.

BUT I'm worried about quality of play that I see from the Blazers on the floor. It looks like a absolute continuation of the disappointing end of the season the Blazers limped though in 07-08. While there are new players, the returning ones are showing the same poor perimeter D we've come to expect and make excuses for.

 

[AgentDrazenPetrovic]

I'm not stressed about the 1-3 start against some tough opponents.

BUT I'm worried about quality of play that I see from the Blazers on the floor. It looks like a absolute continuation of the disappointing end of the season the Blazers limped though in 07-08. While there are new players, the returning ones are showing the same poor perimeter D we've come to expect and make excuses for.

Reality!

 

[KingSpeed]

I'm pretty sure were the youngest.

Nope. He's right. We're the second youngest now. Can't remember who the youngest is. Golden State maybe.

 

[Entity]

Now Portland is 2-1 against teams they couldn't win a single game against last year (San Antonio, Phoenix, Houston), with a loss to a team with the best home record last year (Utah) and one to the WC champs in their building (Lakers). 2-3 is not a terrible start against these teams. They had their chances to be better, but nobody's ever had a first five games like this.

 

[MickZagger]

So why don't we just lose all of the games and put the actual performance of the team to aside. Don't even watch, just wait until the stretch is over, right? Our play has been sub-par, competition being "50+ win teams" or not. If we expect to make the playoffs, we can no longer just throw games casually to the wayside.

So go ahead and "be a realist" and just expect to get our ass kicked and not showing up for games. Losing is unacceptable, as is playing poorly. I am disappointed in the start of the season.

Is there no gray area with you? Everything just black and white?

I'm not sure what your labeling of "throwing games to the wayside" means, or maybe you just typed that out to make your lousy post seem more dramatic. We didn't throw any games to the wayside. We went up against a better team (right now at least) in the Suns and were hanging with them until Amare caught fire and we lost it in the second half. Amare believe it or not, hate to break the news to you, does that. That's a team with likely 3 maybe 4 future hall of famers and we lost to them at their place early in the season with injuries to key players. That's expected.

The Jazz game was one that we should have won. Like a young team on the road we got rattled when the Jazz locked down on D in the 4th quarter. These are road games early in the season against playoff teams from last year. Sure they were missing Deron Williams, but they're better than us (right now) anyways so it doesn't really matter whether he's there or not. As long as Boozer and Millsap abuse LaMarcus on the boards thats going to happen.

You can be miserable and type your usual irrational drivel if you want, or you can look at things with a broader scope.

But reality is, this team isn't a 60 win team (yet).

I know its part of your schtick to try and ruffle feathers on message boards with your completely irrational garbage (your infestation of one line threads that were intended just to piss off a particular party on the old board is the reason we don't have a couple old posters around anymore). Its a very odd hobby IMO, but hey whatever floats your boat its all good. I guess maturity isn't your strong suit.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

We had the toughest first 5 games in NBA history and we finished 2-3 and didnt have Greg or Martell. I'll take it!!!

 

[TehChad]

For all intents and purposes, we are the youngest team in the NBA. IIRC, Golden State is younger by like 0.1 of a year...but if you not include 32-year-old Raef LaFrentz (who's injured and rarely plays when he is healthy, plus will very likely be gone next year), then we're much lower than the Warriors.

And the Blazers are doing well so far. Last night was a huge victory. Even if Roy's shot missed and we ended up losing the game, I would be proud that we played such a good team as hard as we did, especially it being the second of a back to back. And this is indeed without two of our stars, who will only make us better when they return.

Other than a rough first game, this season so far has been a great start by the Blazers. The thing I'd like to see most in the coming weeks is some solid road wins, and god knows there will be plenty of chances for that to happen.