Which playoff series do you think we had the better roster and should have won but we didn't?

[julius]

1991 is a weird way to say 2000.

Thing is, 91 had HCA, and had built on going to the finals the previous year and had dominate the league (for the most part) all year.

you could argue that both teams were better than the teams they lost to, but I think it's a safer bet to say the 91 team was better.

 

[Minstrel]

Thing is, 91 had HCA, and had built on going to the finals the previous year and had dominate the league (for the most part) all year.

you could argue that both teams were better than the teams they lost to, but I think it's a safer bet to say the 91 team was better.

Yeah, I'm just kidding, 2000 was really all hindsight--being up 15 a third of the way through the fourth quarter in game 7 (and Brian Grant about to grab a rebound that Shaq eventually ripped away from him...).

 

[julius]

Yeah, I'm just kidding, 2000 was really all hindsight--being up 15 a third of the way through the fourth quarter in game 7 (and Brian Grant about to grab a rebound that Shaq eventually ripped away from him...).

I think, tho, that the 99-00 team probably was much more likely to win the title than the 91 team. Jordan and Pippen were on a different level.

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

We’ll beat any team not named the Jazz, Suns, Nuggets or Bucks.

Avoid a series with these teams and we win the Championship

 

[SharpesTriumph]

WCF against the Warriors without Durant. The Blazers had Hood Collins Curry playing well, with Dame and CJ. Aminu and Harkless were decent. Meyers even played ok as the 10th man. Yes many of the guys had limits, but the back of the warriors rotation was much much weaker.

Stotts should have won that.

I fault Dame as well for not being able to make the quick pass when traps come. CJ did a far superior job in game 5 against the Lakers than Dame has in 5 years.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

none. Portland may have had better talent (debatable) than the Pelicans, but the Pels roster was better because of how the pieces fit together

Portland's roster construction under Olshey has always been questionable. I know Stotts is in the hot seat, and he certainly deserves that heat, but Olshey is the one who should be accountable for playoff failure, especially if it happens again this season

I agree in that Neil is more at fault for the playoffs failures than Stotts.

Problem is I don't know who is going to decide to replace Neil and make an excellent hire. I fear it's more likely we end up with a worse GM than better.

Neil isn't a terrible GM, nor Stotts a terrible coach, which makes it difficult to upgrade those positions.

 

[wizenheimer]

I agree in that Neil is more at fault for the playoffs failures than Stotts.

Problem is I don't know who is going to decide to replace Neil and make an excellent hire. I fear it's more likely we end up with a worse GM than better.

Neil isn't a terrible GM, nor Stotts a terrible coach, which makes it difficult to upgrade those positions.

I don't know that it is that 'difficult', maybe, but the fear of that difficulty should not be enough to keep from jettisoning the designers of 9 years of the 'same-old-same-old-rinse-repeat-mid-level-mediority'....assuming this year repeats the pattern

 

[JoshuaHall]

Stotts is a terrible head coach
TURRIBLE as Charles would say

for me it’s about how uncompetitive we are once adjustments are made

and unlike others I completely fault Stotts for playoff failures not olshey

playoffs are a reflection of your ability to adjust and ya know, actually coach and make adjustments in real time, not just halftime or between games.

Never once have I felt like Stotts has outcoached the opponent.

 

[MickZagger]

I haven’t read all you schmucks posts. But easily the Pelicans series. The series we should have lost but got lucky with injuries was the Clippers

 

[maxiep]

1991 series against the L*kers. That one STILL kills me.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

The only series we were "supposed to win" was New Orleans. But they were only a 6 seed because Davis had been injured so much. He was healthy in the playoffs, and when he was healthy they were one of the top 2 or 3 teams in the league.

Probably should have been better against Memphis, but Aldridge was so checked out that series was over before it started.

The Pelicans were not one of the top 2 or 3 teams in the league when he was healthy lol.

 

[blazerkor]

We’ll beat any team not named the Jazz, Suns, Nuggets or Bucks, outside of LA .

Avoid a series with these teams and we win the Championship

FIFY

 

[Phatguysrule]

The Pelicans were not one of the top 2 or 3 teams in the league when he was healthy lol.

Yes, that season, they were.

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

FIFY

thanks but no thanks. Don’t need my quotes fixed or altered.

lakers won’t beat a healthy Blazer team in 7. Nor will the Clippers.

 

[blazerkor]

thanks but no thanks. Don’t need my quotes fixed or altered.

lakers won’t beat a healthy Blazer team in 7. Nor will the Clippers.

That's bold.

 

[BonesJones]

Which playoff series do you think we had the better roster and should have won but we didn't?

Memphis?

New Orleans?

One of the complaints about Stotts is that he hasn't coached a team to the finals but I don't see a finals level roster during his tenure.

What do you think?

I need to stop participating in conversations about coaching that's based on things anyone could come up with without ever watching the team play, so I'll pass.

 

[BonesJones]

Yes, that season, they were.

They werent...

 

[BonesJones]

The questions in this thread isn't meant to be loaded or in defense of Stotts.

IMO it's talent that wins in the NBA, not coaching. Especially in this current era of super teams. I think the only RECENT example of coaching beating talent is the 2011 Dallas Mavs. But it took those players playing out of their minds to achieve that.

You could argue that Pop's has consistently outcoached talent but even the rosters he's had have had HOF talent.

The Clippers and Bucks had more talent than the Nuggets and Heat last year, but those teams got outcoached...

 

[TBpup]

The Clippers and Bucks had more talent than the Nuggets and Heat last year, but those teams got outcoached...

This

 

[Phatguysrule]

They werent...

Yeah they were. When healthy only the Warriors were much better.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Which playoff series do you think we had the better roster and should have won but we didn't?

Memphis?

New Orleans?

One of the complaints about Stotts is that he hasn't coached a team to the finals but I don't see a finals level roster during his tenure.

What do you think?

The Houston series when we had a healthy Oden. But of course that was McMillan. Still, it puts a dent in the old "if those teams had been healthy we would've won X championships" narrative.

 

[wizenheimer]

I need to stop participating in conversations about coaching that's based on things anyone could come up with without ever watching the team play, so I'll pass.

are you saying Sly never watches the team play?

 

[SIeepwalker]

are you saying Sly never watches the team play?

I don't see anything in his sentence which implies this

 

[Tince]

In this century, I don't think we've beat any team in a series that was significantly better than us. Likewise, I don't we've been beaten by a team significantly worse than us. Talent has a weird way of working itself out in a 7 game series for the most part.

All the more reason to become more talented I guess.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

I don't know that it is that 'difficult', maybe, but the fear of that difficulty should not be enough to keep from jettisoning the designers of 9 years of the 'same-old-same-old-rinse-repeat-mid-level-mediority'....assuming this year repeats the pattern

I wouldn't call winning all the playoff series Lillard has done mid level mediocrity. Mid level was the 15 years of often making it to the playoffs but never out of the first round.

Fact is Neil Terry and Dame have got the Blazers more success than this franchise had since Drexler Adelman. None of those three are the best GM, coach, or player in the league but they're all much better than the worst teams have, or this franchise normally has.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Stotts is a terrible head coach
TURRIBLE as Charles would say

for me it’s about how uncompetitive we are once adjustments are made

and unlike others I completely fault Stotts for playoff failures not olshey

playoffs are a reflection of your ability to adjust and ya know, actually coach and make adjustments in real time, not just halftime or between games.

Never once have I felt like Stotts has outcoached the opponent.

Stotts outcoached Kevin McHale, Doc Rivers, and Billy Donovan.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Stotts outcoached Kevin McHale, Doc Rivers, and Billy Donovan.

And Mike Malone

 

[wizenheimer]

I wouldn't call winning all the playoff series Lillard has done mid level mediocrity. Mid level was the 15 years of often making it to the playoffs but never out of the first round..

Portland has averaged 46 regular season wins in the Olshey/Stotts era. They have a .357 winning percentage in the playoffs and haven't won a single game in the conference finals. That looks like mid-level mediocrity to me. Portland certainly isn't alone on that level, but having plenty of company on the treadmill is small consolation

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Portland has averaged 46 regular season wins in the Olshey/Stotts era. They have a .357 winning percentage in the playoffs and haven't won a single game in the conference finals. That looks like mid-level mediocrity to me. Portland certainly isn't alone on that level, but having plenty of company on the treadmill is small consolation

I'd say 6 franchises have been clearly better the last 9 years and about 20 worse, so that puts the Blazers clearly above mid level mediocrity.

These franchises have been clearly better:
Lakers
Spurs
Warriors
Cavs
Heat
Raptors

Franchises that have been slighty or much worse
Wolves
Nuggets
Jazz
Grizzlies
Pelicans
Suns
Clippers
Mavs
Kings
Bucks
76ers
Hawks
Bulls
Hornets
Magic
Pacers
Knicks
Nets
Wizards
Pistons

About the same:
Rockets
Thunder
Celtics

 

[wizenheimer]

I don't see anything in his sentence which implies this

yeah, you're probably right. I didn't follow the thread...just saw Sly ask several questions and bones say he didn't want to engage with people who never watched games. doesn't make much sense the way I first saw it