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I thought you were going to say we hired Lane Kiffin or something...
 
Not sure this means mediocrity. Have they moved up from last year?
 
Is this a different hell from the one we've been in for the past 12 or so years?
 
If you're not one of the glory franchises, the only paths are to be very bad or very good. Once you hit the middle, it's tough to break out either way.
 
It's not hard to imagine us leap frogging Atlanta, Minnesota, and Dallas on that list. #12 doesn't sound so mediocre, does it? An Amare-less NYK at #11 isn't uncatchable, either.
 
Lets not play the season. Lets just rely on these rankings. Is that the prudent Republican option?
 
If we were ranked #15 and knew - KNEW - this was the peak of our team's potential, I'd say we were mediocre. Right now, though, I'd say we were just passing through.
 
Have we discussed this topic here before? I could have sworn...
 
Man.... maybe I drank the cool-aid, but I think this team is going to surprise some people. I think we addressed all of our bench issues from last year, and hopefully our starters can play as well, or better, than last year.
 
Not true, max. We're on the rise. We're hardly "stuck." Were the Thunder "stuck in mediocrity" when they were the 8 seed in 2010? They made it to the Finals two years later. Do teams go from awful to great without ever being in the middle? Your logic makes no sense. Never mind the fact that the games haven't even been played yet. Preseason rankings mean nothing.
 
maxiep said:
If you're not one of the glory franchises, the only paths are to be very bad or very good. Once you hit the middle, it's tough to break out either way.
Click to expand...

How do you go from very bad to very good? Don't you have to take a trip through the middle?
 
Rockets were 8th seed last year. Now they're ranked #6. How did they land franchise changing talent? Don't you have to be very bad to do that? Confused.
 
We're #11 in future power rankings. And that's with a crappy draft outlook since we have to give our pick up to CHA.

While I'm not going to jump on Eric's sunshine-and-unicorns outlook, we're going to be decent-at-worst this year** and have tons of flexibility. Trade LMA for lots of young pieces? Re-sign him and keep filling out the roster with quality role players as Lillard becomes an All-NBAer? Package some talent in a consolidation trade? Let everyone's contracts expire and be big ballas in 2015?

We're not the Bucks, for goodness' sakes.

**-barring, well, you know.
 
maxiep said:
If you're not one of the glory franchises, the only paths are to be very bad or very good. Once you hit the middle, it's tough to break out either way.
Click to expand...

Maybe.

But I am more optimistic. We have made great strides during the off season. Dame will continue to get better. Leonard may yet develop. McCullough could end up being a baller. We have players we can trade with now to fill gaps... So here's hoping we continue to grow and make trades... and get better.
 
This team still has no long-term plan in place that Aldridge will want to stay around for. That's the worst part.
 
handiman said:
It's not hard to imagine us leap frogging Atlanta, Minnesota, and Dallas on that list. #12 doesn't sound so mediocre, does it? An Amare-less NYK at #11 isn't uncatchable, either.
Click to expand...

Top 5-7 or bottom 5-7. You want to stay away from the vast middle.
 
RoyToy said:
This team still has no long-term plan in place that Aldridge will want to stay around for. That's the worst part.
Click to expand...

Exactly. He's at his peak. Lillard may get better, but no one is thinking McCollum is anything but perhaps a nice combo guard. Does Nico make the jump to his potential? Perhaps, but a Lillard-LA-Batum triumvirate is likely not winning championships. Perhaps we can get lucky and make it to the second round.
 
KingSpeed said:
Rockets were 8th seed last year. Now they're ranked #6. How did they land franchise changing talent? Don't you have to be very bad to do that? Confused.
Click to expand...

Let me know the last time a talent like Dwight Howard selected Portland.
 
Even if the team did decide to intentionally suck to get a franchise level talent odds are it won't result in a championship. Cleveland, Orlando, Denver, New Orleans all got franchise studs in the draft recently and never won titles.

I hated the dark years when the Rose Garden was empty, I'd rather the team field competitive rosters and hope we get lucky like the '04 Pistons or current Pacers. Its highly unlikely we will have a contender in Portland in the next decade no matter what the roster building strategy so I'm all for taking the path with some good times along the way even if we don't hit the jackpot.
 
maxiep said:
Exactly. He's at his peak. Lillard may get better, but no one is thinking McCollum is anything but perhaps a nice combo guard. Does Nico make the jump to his potential? Perhaps, but a Lillard-LA-Batum triumvirate is likely not winning championships. Perhaps we can get lucky and make it to the second round.
Click to expand...

Yes we are a piece away from contending. But the problem is if we successfully tank and acquire a stud young talent we will be a piece away from contending. Cleveland, New Orleans, Orlando all had the same problem, they acquired a stud young guy but he made them too successful they wouldn't be able to easily draft another one. Those teams never were able to acquire another all-star player and their stud eventually left.

So if we tore apart the team and successfully tanked, eventually we will be at the same place we are at now. The team needs to get lucky with a trade like the Clippers being able to acquire CP3 or they need to get lucky at the end of the draft like the Spurs and Pacers did. No matter the strategy the final step to build a contender is very difficult and will take some luck.

For the ride along the way I'd enjoy it more if the team won some extra games.
 
maxiep said:
Top 5-7 or bottom 5-7. You want to stay away from the vast middle.
Click to expand...

How many teams, or how often, does a team go from the bottom 5-7 to the top 5-7 immediately, without an upward trend that includes a stop somewhere in the middle?
 
45 wins


Sent from my baller ass iPhone 5 FAMS!
 
Weren't the Blazers a team barely scrapping into the playoffs just before trading for Buck Williams?
 
Baracuda said:
Weren't the Blazers a team barely scrapping into the playoffs just before trading for Buck Williams?
Click to expand...

I believe the year before they made it to the finals, they were gifted that playoff spot out of pitty for such a shitty season.

;)
 
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