So, here we are. 20 games in.

[Strenuus]

What do you think about this team? People say 20 games is a good starting gauge to assess the team. What's going good, what can be improved? Discuss.

 

[magnifier661]

We are legit... We will be one of the best defense in the league by season's end. We have a shot at the title

 

[HailBlazers]

@TrailBlazersPR

"Portland has won at least 16 of its first 20 games for the fifth time in franchise history (2013-14, 1998-99, 1990-91, 1977-78)."

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

I dont like the fact that in our marquee games, we're under .500. Everything else is gravy.

 

[julius]

I dont like the fact that in our marquee games, we're under .500. Everything else is gravy.

Wasnt there a stretch last year where Portland had a great start against the marquee teams, and the Spurs didn't? I might be remembering wrong.

I want them to win all their games, but I think it's better to improve throughout the year. If they KEEP losing the games, it will signal an early exit.

 

[Strenuus]

I dont like the fact that in our marquee games, we're under .500. Everything else is gravy.

define marquee... because, injuries to other teams or not, we're 4-3 against marquee teams as defined by superstars + preseason expectations... now whether they have injuries to me doesn't take away that it's still a marquee matchup by name. still gotta win them.

I say OKC, gs, chicago, memphis, LAC, Dallas, and cleveland are the marquee matchups so far.

if you just take away okc, the only marquee team with real injuries, we're 3-3. Still .500. though i suppose you can count chicago in that as well... but rose never plays anyway, and gasol has never impressed me. So him being in or out doesn't matter.

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

I wouldnt count Cleveland, they were crap for the first part of the season, which makes us 2-3 and 2-2 at home.

 

[Strenuus]

I wouldnt count Cleveland, they were crap for the first part of the season, which makes us 2-3 and 2-2 at home.

why not? they had the best player in the world and we beat them. not our fault they sucked... or maybe it was. To me, they absolutely count.

 

[magnifier661]

I wouldnt count Cleveland, they were crap for the first part of the season, which makes us 2-3 and 2-2 at home.

Then by your definition, GS hasn't either. Might as well put Memphis in there too since they haven't fared well against these "so called" marquee teams.

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

why not? they had the best player in the world and we beat them. not our fault they sucked... or maybe it was. To me, they absolutely count.

They lost to the Jazz and the Knicks in their first four games.......but semantics, whether we're under .500 or .500 still bothers me

 

[BBert]

I want them to go 16-4 in their LAST 20 games.

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

Then by your definition, GS hasn't either. Might as well put Memphis in there too since they haven't fared well against these "so called" marquee teams.

Memphis is 3-2

Houston, Clips, Portland
Houston, SA

Golden State is 2-1

Clips, Rockets
SA

 

[magnifier661]

Memphis is 3-2

Houston, Clips, Portland
Houston, SA

Golden State is 2-1

Clips, Rockets
SA

Exactly! We have a better record

Cleveland, Dallas, Chicago
Memphis, golden state (which we should have won), clips

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

I want them to go 16-4 in their LAST 20 games.

I just wanna be 60-22

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

Exactly! We have a better record

Cleveland, Dallas, Chicago
Memphis, golden state (which we should have won), clips

So at best we're 3-3 which is not better (I will continue to contend that Cleveland wasn't marquee)

 

[magnifier661]

So at best we're 3-3 which is not better (I will continue to contend that Cleveland wasn't marquee)

And I will continue to contend that Golden State shouldn't have beat us. I can play this game too. And with that, Golden State would be 3-3 and we would be 3-2

 

[BrianFromWA]

I want them to go 16-4 in their LAST 20 games.

15=16

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

And I will continue to contend that Golden State shouldn't have beat us. I can play this game too. And with that, Golden State would be 3-3 and we would be 3-2

Lol you cant apply that same logic to a loss... but whatever you'd like i guess

 

[magnifier661]

Lol you cant apply that same logic to a loss... but whatever you'd like i guess

Excuse me? That makes absolutely no sense! If you nullify a win because the team sucked (having a complete healthy roster mind you), then I can very well use the robbing of our win against Golden State because the refs. They ignored Batum's time out, fouled Matthews on the inbound, then overruled the ball out of bounds call against Golden State when the ball was inconclusive.

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

I like you Mags, and your positivity, but i was trying to simply answer the OP as to where my mindset was about the team. Carry on.

 

[kjironman1]

They are winning the games they are supposed to. Playing tough and winning some of the games they are supposed to have trouble with.
They are 100% against the eastern conference. They seem to be having good luck with injuries. Chemistry is good.
This team is getting better. They are right on schedule in my book. Will they win a championship this year? Can't be certain but they are in the mix and they seem like they are poised to stay in the mix for the next few years. That says they are in the window of opportunity to me. That is where they are supposed to be right?

 

[riverman]

They are winning the games they are supposed to. Playing tough and winning some of the games they are supposed to have trouble with.
They are 100% against the eastern conference. They seem to be having good luck with injuries. Chemistry is good.
This team is getting better. They are right on schedule in my book. Will they win a championship this year? Can't be certain but they are in the mix and they seem like they are poised to stay in the mix for the next few years. That says they are in the window of opportunity to me. That is where they are supposed to be right?

yup

 

[KingSpeed]

6 game road winning streak. We don't get rattled at the end of games on the road. MSG was rocking down the stretch tonight and Aldridge calmly buried two FTs and a long jumper to get the win for us. We don't choke like the Drexler teams and Sheed teams had the tendency to do. We are mentally tough. The only point we wavered was the end of the GS game but the refs didn't acknowledge Batum's timeout and then didn't call the foul when Matthews got hacked. If that happened in a playoff series, we'd bounce back and win the series.

 

[magnifier661]

6 game road winning streak. We don't get rattled at the end of games on the road. MSG was rocking down the stretch tonight and Aldridge calmly buried two FTs and a long jumper to get the win for us. We don't choke like the Drexler teams and Sheed teams had the tendency to do. We are mentally tough. The only point we wavered was the end of the GS game but the refs didn't acknowledge Batum's timeout and then didn't call the foul when Matthews got hacked. If that happened in a playoff series, we'd bounce back and win the series.

You nailed it! That's the biggest and best thing I've noticed with this team. We don't choke and we definitely have go to clutch players to win these types of games.

You are also right about the Drexler and Wallace teams. They did choke. In fact, I remembered listening to Chuck Daily in a huddle and he emphasized how Portland chokes and keep the pressure on.

The closest team of clutch play during my view, was the Roy led Blazers. Problem with that team was the coach and the lack of the second star. Aldridge wasn't there yet...

 

[Boise Blazer]

Other people have mentioned it I think but I'm most impressed that we are winning and we can play better. I'd almost go so far as to say when our 3 point shooting is on we are nearly unbeatable with our improved defense. And the bench will get better as the season goes along.

 

[Strenuus]

Other people have mentioned it I think but I'm most impressed that we are winning and we can play better. I'd almost go so far as to say when our 3 point shooting is on we are nearly unbeatable with our improved defense. And the bench will get better as the season goes along.

Yeah. this is how i feel too! get the rust out against the east and play well enough against the good teams.

 

[KingSpeed]

Yeah. this is how i feel too! get the rust out against the east and play well enough against the good teams.

Julius was right when he said last year, for much of the season, the Spurs couldn't beat the good teams.

 

[Strenuus]

Julius was right when he said last year, for much of the season, the Spurs couldn't beat the good teams.

So we're ahead of the curve, then. haha.

 

[LameR]

Yeah. this is how i feel too! get the rust out against the east and play well enough against the good teams.

Agree with this as well. The wins don't seem as lucky, and although there have been some interesting and entertaining 4th quarters (as with any team), there's not many W's that I'd say that we SHOULD have lost. Could have? Sure, there's a few, but games we should've lost? Not so much. The difference is in the intention of what we're trying to do is right, and the execution is coming along with it. With borderline teams, oftentimes one or both of intention and execution are questionable.

Or to say it simpler: we're doing the right things and it's working.

 

[blue9]

Still not sold on our offense. It'll be good enough to be a Top 5 seeded team, but I don't buy it as a contender.
And our defense just gave up 50% shooting to the Knicks. Defensive improvement is immense, but I think it's also a bit over-hyped.
Unfortunately, I think we're seeing the same thing we saw last year - a good W/L record to start the season, but I'm less and less impressed by it as the weeks go by.