Tanking to avoid the Jazz

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maxiep said:
Besides, I think we're more like the team that went up 25 on the Jazz than the team that gave up that 25 point lead.
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+1.

Also, that was only Camby's second game with us, and Batum was not yet starting. We're a different team now, IMO, and slowly starting to gel together. We have vets on the court the entire game, with Howard, Camby and Miller that help us get through tough stretches. Especially Miller. I'd prefer to face Dallas over Utah, but at this point, I'm not scared to face anyone in the playoffs. I think the Lakers are the only team right now where I wouldn't expect to win the first round. Homerism, perhaps, but it's true. We've done well with Dallas. Their thing against us in previous seasons started and ended at the PG position. That's fixed. I think Denver is slipping, and Billups is possibly a little tired. Wouldn't mind seeing him and Miller go at it for a 7 game series. Have no problem facing Phoenix in the first round, and am ok with seeing Utah as well. Bring them all on. I guess at this point, the benefit of being 6th over 5th is not having to face the Lakers in the second round.
 
RR7 said:
Their thing against us in previous seasons started and ended at the PG position. That's fixed.
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Agreed. Without Dre, I doubt we'd be in the playoffs right now. He brings quite a bit of legitimacy to our team at his position.
 
noknobs said:
Tanking to get a favorable matchup is stupid. It's a message to yourself and to your teammates that you don't believe you're good enough to beat someone. It's a defeatist attitude and that will get you nowhere. You've already lost at that point.
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This.

It reminds me of the Patriots-Colts game earlier this year when Belicheck went for it on 4th down from his own 26 yard-line--while leading late in the 4th--rather than punt. He essentially told his defense that he had no confidence in their ability to stop Peyton Manning. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.
 
PtldPlatypus said:
This.

It reminds me of the Patriots-Colts game earlier this year when Belicheck went for it on 4th down from his own 26 yard-line--while leading late in the 4th--rather than punt. He essentially told his defense that he had no confidence in their ability to stop Peyton Manning. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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Couldn't that be seen that he had supreme confidence in his offense to get 1 yard?
 
noknobs said:
Tanking to get a favorable matchup is stupid. It's a message to yourself and to your teammates that you don't believe you're good enough to beat someone. It's a defeatist attitude and that will get you nowhere. You've already lost at that point.
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+1 It'll only come back to bite ya in the butt.
 
OddEnormous said:
No. Can't you just tell me what it said?
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sorry was just hoping you would read that, before assuming we thought that.

"I personally think the talk on MSP is jumping ahead of itself. There is no way that we even think about resting our guys to avoid the Jazz.. when we are still so close to the Lakers bracket."
 
RR7 said:
Couldn't that be seen that he had supreme confidence in his offense to get 1 yard?
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Agree. I'm no Pats fan, but when you have the opponant's neck under your foot and you have the opportunity to end it once and for all, you do. You don't let them back up and hope that they don't knock you out.

I think all of the "no confidence in his defense" talk was bullshit. He made the call to go for 1 yard and win the game. It didn't work. Shit happens.
 
Wheels said:
sorry was just hoping you would read that, before assuming we thought that.

"I personally think the talk on MSP is jumping ahead of itself. There is no way that we even think about resting our guys to avoid the Jazz.. when we are still so close to the Lakers bracket."
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You offered up an idea you heard on the radio and I responded.

Your 2nd post doesn't change my opinion.

Maybe this would be easier if you just tell me what you want me to type.
 
OddEnormous said:
You offered up an idea you heard on the radio and I responded.

Your 2nd post doesn't change my opinion.

Maybe this would be easier if you just tell me what you want me to type.
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so who were you referring to when you said "Now we think we're good enough to pick our opponent?" Most of us largely agree to your point. I guess that was my confusion.
 
"THE" said:
Max, do you want us to play the Nuggets so you can catch a couple games?
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I'll probably fly back to Portland for the playoffs and use my season tickets. If they play the Thuggets, I'll fly back and forth to see every game in person.
 
With the parity of good teams in the West, I don't think it matters who the Blazers play, any one of 8 teams will be tough. But the Blazers are playing well and I give them good odds to beat anyone in the West, including the Lakers. That's not being a homer, that's looking at the state of the West race right now and realizing that EVERY team has a shot.
 
Wheels said:
so who were you referring to when you said "Now we think we're good enough to pick our opponent?"
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I was referring to the concept. Those are pretty general terms.

We = Zers

My god. This has become very tedious.
 
I like the option of moving up to avoid them. 5th and facing PHX is looking pretty cushy.
 
yuyuza1 said:
Agreed. Without Dre, I doubt we'd be in the playoffs right now. He brings quite a bit of legitimacy to our team at his position.
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Even better. Andre actually tends to elevate his game in the playoffs. There are certain things I look for in players to bring on board this team. One of the key things I look for, is players who elevate their game to another level come playoff time. Andre Miller is one of those players. He has only had one playoff appearance where he didn't eclipse his season average fairly easily.
 
e_blazer said:
Just win, baby. Playing to dodge a prospective opponent is a loser's mentality. Right about now, the statement the Blazers should be looking to implant in the rest of the West is that they should be afraid of playing Portland.
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+1

Couldn't agree more.
 
OddEnormous said:
I was referring to the concept. Those are pretty general terms.

We = Zers

My god. This has become very tedious.
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sorry to bother you. Hope you have a good day then. I guess I was referring to what we Blazer fans think.. not really what the Zers think.
 
Last edited:
I agree with those who feel you just do your best to win games and let the chips fall where they will. You do want to promote a culture of winning, I think. I couldn't say how much that's worth, but I think it's better to have that than not. A team like Portland should be viewing itself as someone who can compete with anyone, not as a team who needs to try to play angles in hopes of eking out a victory.

If they didn't have Camby, or Batum, and were still the team "scrapping" in the wake of being gutted by injuries, I could better see trying to "find" the favourable matchup. But Portland's starting five is now, IMO, about as talented as anyone's. If the bench can provide just one or two contributors per night (doesn't have to be the same one or two every night), Portland is as good as anyone in the conference, especially if LA doesn't have a healthy Bynum, Denver doesn't have a healthy Martin and Utah doesn't have a healthy Kirilenko.
 
Minstrel said:
I agree with those who feel you just do your best to win games and let the chips fall where they will. You do want to promote a culture of winning, I think. I couldn't say how much that's worth, but I think it's better to have that than not. A team like Portland should be viewing itself as someone who can compete with anyone, not as a team who needs to try to play angles in hopes of eking out a victory.

If they didn't have Camby, or Batum, and were still the team "scrapping" in the wake of being gutted by injuries, I could better see trying to "find" the favourable matchup. But Portland's starting five is now, IMO, about as talented as anyone's. If the bench can provide just one or two contributors per night (doesn't have to be the same one or two every night), Portland is as good as anyone in the conference, especially if LA doesn't have a healthy Bynum, Denver doesn't have a healthy Martin and Utah doesn't have a healthy Kirilenko.
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read my 2nd post ;)
 
Wheels said:
read my 2nd post ;)
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No. Can you tell me what it said?

And I did read it...my post applies to it. Play Roy the same minutes you planned to anyway. Win that game. Then go beat the Jazz. That should be the mentality.
 
It seems fairly obvious to me in the NBA that teams that lose their focus are easy prey in the playoffs. Right now you are starting to see the results of playoff basketball approaching. Games are slowing down. More fouls are being committed. More games are important so there are TV timeouts. All things that aggregate towards the strengths of Portlands game. Control the pace/tempo. Execute. Don't turn over the ball. If you stop doing that, you lose your edge. So don't stop doing that.
 
Another point I would make, is that the Blazers do not have complete control, even if they did chose to lose games. Hell at the rate Denver is losing games, they are going to find a way to be 8th. Now wouldn't that be funny. The two western conference finalist from last year meeting in the first round.
 
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