Ride the tank

[tester551]

Anyone happen to remember the 1977 Blazers?

No. Sorry, that was before my time.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Anyone happen to remember the 1977 Blazers?

I don't think we quite have any Bill Waltons on this team though.

 

[blue9]

... just think about what a championship caliber team actaully looks like. We haven't seen one here in Portland since the Drexler days and even they were never good enough.

Were you in a coma in 2000?

 

[Draco]

Which is why I just don't feel excited. Ill give them this. Damian is playing his ass off and Stotts has found a way to generate offense and everybody is playing hard. Win, win, win right? Short term for sure. In the long run it feels like the kind of preliminary moves in a game of chess that locks you into a stalemate and hinders the ultimate goal of a championship.

Yeah, yeah. I can already hear the wing of the forum that thinks we're set and just needs to let it ride. But as good as it feels to watch a team move from "shitty" to "OK" just think about what a championship caliber team actaully looks like. We haven't seen one here in Portland since the Drexler days and even they were never good enough.

Even with our youth improving I do think we likely need another big addition to contend for a title someday. But that addition can happen at any spot in the draft, in a trade, or in a free agent signing. All roads to build a contender are unlikely to succeed and at some point need a few lucky moves. The spot the Blazers are now in is better than nearly all the teams in the bottom of the lottery. Look at Phoenix; yeah they might even get the #1 pick; but their still going to be multiple pieces away from a contender if that pick pans out.

If CJ didn't have a breakout year; Crabbe was ineffective, Lillard took a step back, yeah maybe we'd have a chance at a real good lotto pick. But then your talking about three key players being worse than they are now. Its still a gamble that we get a pick developing into at least a starter. If that pick pans out it would take a few years and we'd basically be right where we are today, still a move from contending.

The great thing about Neil's moves is he built this team to either get a great pick or have great young players exceeding expectations on cap friendly deals. There would've been some excitement with a high lottery pick but I'm glad the second alternative has played out. It's a faster road to contend and a hell of a more scenic drive along the way.

 

[PDXFonz]

Making the Playoffs gives the guys something to buy into. Guys like Gerald Henderson may be willing to take a bit less to stay in what they feel is a good situation. I had been thinking all about how big of an impact the playoffs could be for recruiting from the outside, hadn't thought about how big of a deal it would be for retaining. At the end of the day retaining is the important thing. One has to assume great things are possible with how much this team has grown together in this short amount of time.

 

[blue9]

Eh...... I don't know if I'd call it a Porsche.... maybe a Camry.

How about a Porsche 924? Not all Porsches are 911s!

 

[Nikolokolus]

Were you in a coma in 2000?

Lol. That's funny, I did completely forget about that team. Not a coma, but I was living overseas. I didn't get to watch those teams. So mea culpa.

 

[riverman]

People always say the Spurs are built for the playoffs or such in such is a playoff tested team....you don't become that unless you do battle in the playoffs. No rookie we sign is going to come in to the league playoff ready. The guys we have are closer to that and if the Blazers can win a first round series and compete in the second round....sure they're not going to win the West this season but the experience will carry over to the next couple seasons and get us closer to where we want to be down the road. CJ is a perfect example of a player that used the playoffs (even in a loss) to take the next leap in his career. I see no downside to being in the playoffs this season

 

[BrianFromWA]

I don't think we quite have any Bill Waltons on this team though.

but if we did...

 

[noknobs]

I don't think we quite have any Bill Waltons on this team though.

 

[PCmor7]

Our Porsche ran out of gas halfway through the road trip.

 

[KingSpeed]

Our Porsche ran out of gas halfway through the road trip.

3-3 is a great trip. Let's go home and beat Washington.

 

[Tunchi]

3-3 is a great trip. Let's go home and beat Washington.

Hell no it's not. You started 3-0 and now face losing 4 straight come Tuesday !

How's that a great trip? You beat a bulls team with no Rose and butler, then beat Indiana without their 2nd best player, then beat a trash Knicks team.

Quite frankly not winning just 1 of the Boston, Toronto or DET game was sorry

Disappointing road trip

 

[Natebishop3]

3-3 is a great trip. Let's go home and beat Washington.

We got smoked by three best teams on the trip.

 

[Sinobas]

Meyers Leonard has spirit fingers!