It would keep us at 8 games over .500 and it is a tough schedule. If we can pull that off I think we have a shot at a top seed in the West.
Yeah, we gotta get these two against the Clips and Memphis on Monday-Tuesday. That Laker game next Friday is going to be really interesting.. hopefully LA is back by then.
My theory of why the Blazers are winning is that they aren't supposed to be. No one gives them a chance, so they go out and bust their asses 130% and out hustle and work the other team. What did we see earlier in the year? High expectations, not only from the fans but from the team. They believed their own press clippings that they were great, the deepest team in the league, the best 2nd unit in th NBA, yadda yadda yadda, and they didn't put the effort into playing as a team, defining roles, or working hard on the court. This includes the coaching staff. Oregon sports teams do their best when they aren't expected to win. As soon as they become "favorites", they lose focus and expect to win without having to work hard. I've seen it a million times living in this state, both on the professsional and college levels. I don't know if it's an inferiority complex, something in the water, or just the way things work in this state, but that's the way it is.
Let's see... 1/2 - vs. Golden State - WIN (check) 1/4 - at LA Clippers - win 1/5 - vs. Memphis - win 1/8 - vs. LA Lakers - loss (I think this is the time the Lakers break the jinx) 1/10 - vs. Cleveland - loss 1/13 - vs. Milwaukee - win 1/15 - vs. Orlando - win 1/18 - at Washington - win 1/20 - at Philly - loss (the Sixers are a bad matchup for Portland) 1/22 - at Boston - loss 1/23 - at Detroit - win 1/25 - vs. Hornets - win 1/27 - vs. Utah - win 1/29 - at Houston - loss 1/30 - at Dallas - loss That would be a 9-6 January, and while it's expecting the Blazers to basically win the games they should win, and beat a couple of good teams (I'm thinking of Orlando, New Orleans, and Utah), I don't think it's at all unreasonable. For the last two of those - Hornets and Jazz - I'm expecting that Rudy will be back, and able to contribute. If not, those two are iffy.
1/2 - vs. Golden State - WIN (check) 1/4 - at LA Clippers - lose 1/5 - vs. Memphis - win 1/8 - vs. LA Lakers - loss 1/10 - vs. Cleveland - loss 1/13 - vs. Milwaukee - win 1/15 - vs. Orlando - loss 1/18 - at Washington - win 1/20 - at Philly - win 1/22 - at Boston - loss 1/23 - at Detroit - win 1/25 - vs. Hornets - loss 1/27 - vs. Utah - loss 1/29 - at Houston - win 1/30 - at Dallas - loss thats 7 and 8, and I think that is a stretch. I hope they can pull that off.
I'd like to see this discussion on the day following a loss... 1/2 - vs. Golden State - WIN (check) 1/4 - at LA Clippers - win- and I don't feel really good about this..can't bank on winning again w/o LA and Blake) 1/5 - vs. Memphis - loss- I think LA will still be out for this game and ZBo will kill us. 1/8 - vs. LA Lakers - loss 1/10 - vs. Cleveland - loss 1/13 - vs. Milwaukee - win 1/15 - vs. Orlando - loss 1/18 - at Washington - win 1/20 - at Philly - loss 1/22 - at Boston - loss 1/23 - at Detroit - win 1/25 - vs. Hornets - win 1/27 - vs. Utah - loss 1/29 - at Houston - loss 1/30 - at Dallas - loss This team is exceeding my expectations regularly, hopefully it happens again in Jan... 6-9
This month is no harder then December where I (and many others) thought they would only win 2 games. That said, I don't feel the team will have a loosing record in January. They will probably have a very surprising record. And they will beat the Lakers. The Lakers haven't won in the RG since Roy came into the league and that isn't going to change.
I don't think you guys are giving this team enough credit. There is absolutely no reason why Portland can't go on a tear with the team they had on the floor last night. No Blake means Miller can actually RUN the team and obviously did a great job of that last night. He is so much better than Blake it's incredible to me that he hasn't played more. Roy is playing incredible. Our bigs have stepped up in absence of Oden, Joel and LMA. This team can play with anybody on the league and they have showed it. I'm not trying to be a homer but I think you guys are giving opposing teams way too much credit.
If you take 4 starters off any team in the NBA they are going to be a .500 team 99% of the time. I don't care about giving this team credit because they are playing with house money now. As Martell put it last night, they have nothing to lose. This team is doing something special, but they are also getting the benefit of teams taking them lightly. I mean if you are an opposing player and you see the roster there is a natural inclination to assume that you are going to kick the crap out of the Blazers.
Really? Take 4 starters of the Spurs and they would play .500 ball? Take 4 starters off the Nets and they would magically play .500 ball? I think there are only three teams in the entire league that would have a chance to play .500 ball or better without 4 of their starters. The Lakers. The Cavs. And us.
