While I do agree Denver had an easy road to the WCF last year, that doesn't make them not better. I think Denver would have rolled Houston, personally, if nothing else. Denver is just a better team than Portland right now. The facts are, there is getting it done, and not getting it done. Denver nearly got it done last year. Portland hasn't even approached getting it done yet.
Denver was 1-3 against Houston last season, so not sure what is there to show they would have rolled them. Right now, they are a better team. I attribute that primarily to the health of our Cs. There is getting it done and not. And I think if the schedules were reversed, the results would have been different. Just an opinion. I understand all of that doesn't necessarily matter. But the great success can be attributed to the road they traveled to get there. All things being equal, in the regular season, where the schedules were the same, we showed that we were just as good as they were.
I think Denver and Portland were equivalently good last year, which is why they finished with identical records. The difference in playoff results were due to the difference in quality of opponents. Houston was a MUCH tougher draw than the Hornets. This season, I think they would have been equivalently good again...both contenders for the Western Conference title. But Portland losing Oden/Przybilla all season and Roy/Batum for large chunks of the season put an end to that. So, considering Warkentien started with a solid group of talent and Pritchard started with arguably the worst roster in basketball, I think Pritchard has done a much more impressive job.
When an organization shits all over a valuable employee, they really have no right to bitch when he takes the chance at a little payback. The only argument I have with Warkentien, is that he picked the wrong target. KP isn't the one who hosed him.
I disagree completely. The difference is the two stars on the team that get it done from night to night. Denver has 2 guys who are pretty much guaranteed for 20 and 29 points a night apiece, like machines. Portland on the other hand, has one guy who hits above 20 regularly, and a bunch of role players. Let me see the choices being: 1. The team that has 49 points pretty much guaranteed so their role players only have to chip in 50+ to win. Or 2. The team that has 20+ points guaranteed, and depending on their role players to put down 80 a night. (A crapshoot IMO). No brainer.
And yet they couldn't win more games with all their "guaranteed" pace-unadjusted scoring. I think this will actually require a brain to analyze. Your choices are silly. It's not like only the top two players' scoring averages can be counted on. Why is Batum's scoring average any less reliable than Anthony's? His scoring average is lower than Anthony's, of course, but the team can count on that lower scoring average just as much. You can count on Portland for their average team offensive output and their average team defensive output. You can count on Denver for the same things. Last year, those things led to identical records. Ergo, similar teams.
Except that KP has never had to deal with a situation like losing Camby just to balance the budget. KP started with less talent, but a whole lot more financial flexibility and resources.
You disagree, but the biggest difference in those scoring averages, besides you choosing to include Billups and ignore Aldridge, is that Carmelo, who averages 29 a night, was inherited by Wark. So how does inheriting a guy who scores in bunches make what he has done better? And that's ignoring the faster pace that Denver plays at. Or the risk that, when one of those guys goes cold, they are screwed, because such a high percentage of their points are determined on those two.
So this year not similar teams . . . Denver the far better team because they have a much higher win percentage.
Yes. I said that in my original post on this subject: "This season, I think they would have been equivalently good again...both contenders for the Western Conference title. But Portland losing Oden/Przybilla all season and Roy/Batum for large chunks of the season put an end to that." Had Denver lost Billups and Lawson for almost the entire season and Anthony and Andersen for large chunks of the season, I don't think they'd be higher in the standings than Portland.
So last year they were equal teams but the Nugggets out perfomed the Blazers in the playoffs because of the match ups. This year the Blazers and Denver would have been similar teams if not for the injuries. And you still would pick Oden over Durant Do I have all that right?
Ok, but you can't fault KP for those resources. He used them, and used them well. Could Wark do better? Possibly, but why the fuck find out when we already know that we have one of the better GMs in the league at this point. Seriously though, the problem isn't our GM. You could put the wandering wizard, Gandalf in the position and the Vulcan'ts would fuck it up. I never thought I'd say this but it's Paul Allen that's the problem. There are too many meddling fingers connected to this man's money and ears. There's no one-team, one-vision. Until then, he will fail. The Blazers will fail. The Hawks will fail. You just can't operate a business without a clear goal, a way to get to it, and the fortitude to follow it. Shit, I've become a concoction of kingspeed and mixum. I'm blaming the shitheads up north for that as well!
What parts of that aer you putting an argument against? Portland and Denver had identical records last season, did they not? Portland performed poorly versus Houston in the regular season, as did Denver. Denver had the easier of the two matchups in the postseason. We are currently 5.5 games back of Denver. Do you think the value of a Oden/Przybilla combo over old man Juwan Howard doesn't equal 5 wins? Try to think of games where we needed a stop inside, or a block, or a rebound that coudl have helped. I think Oden/Przy over Juwan is good for roughly 5 wins in a season.
We can sit here and play with stats, injuries everything else. I'm with hasoos, I tend to look at what team gets it done. So yes they had identical records last year, but most NBA fans would say that Denver had a better season and was the better team . . . and I would agree. This year, I think fans think the same thing. Blazer fans could sit here and make up excuses/reasons, but I think the reality is Denveer has a better team and most NBA fans would agree with that. But hey playoffs have yet to begin. As far as five more wins, sure I guess. Did Denver lose games when Anthony or Billups was hurt or now that Martin is out? Is it really that much of a debate who has been the better team the last two years . . . I guess so.
Yup. As RR7 said...which of those assertions would you argue with (other than the Oden/Durant one, which isn't relevant here)?
Just sounds like a bunch of excuses to me. The only part that is relevant about Oden Durant is one must consider the source.
If your analysis is unable to go any further than the standings and/or playoff round reached, then I see how you'd feel that way.
"You're not coming in to work because you were hit by a bus? Aren't you just full of excuses? All the rest of your coworkers were able to get in here without a problem." Some "excuses" are actually valid explanations. Try differentiating between the two.
