http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/41939 Evan (PDX) - - - Admit it, Chad. You and everyone else at ESPN were so down on the Blazers... but for the wrong reasons. A more uptempo offense works, and Brandon Roy would've mucked that up. Chad Ford (1:28 PM) I was pessimistic, yes. They've played much better than expected. I had serious doubts about Nate McMillan's pledge to play faster. Every coach says that in the pre-season. Few make good. He has. If Blazers play like this all year, he's hands down the Coach of the Year in my opinion. Few coaches can adjust their system the way he's been forced to over the past few years.
The season is still way too early. Absolutely nothing has been proven out at this point. Obviously, assclown is still a work in progress.
HOLLINGER: Nate (Portland) Is Portland's start an aberration, or do you see them remaining a contender throughout this shortened season? John Hollinger (12:33 PM) Depends on how we're using the word "contender", but I do think they can get a top-4 seed.
Nate has made adjustments this year, and like Chad said, if it continues then we will be fine. If Nate goes back to what he has done his entire coaching career then we are in trouble
Kobe won't let the Lakers be a bottom-half seed. Bynum's playing well enough to make it work. I see the top 4 as OKC, LAC, LAL, and PDX in any order. It's just so up in the air right now. MEM is going to have some trouble without Z-Bo, SAS will have some trouble with Manu, DAL will have some trouble without Chandler, and DEN will have some trouble without Melo (and with a hobbled Nene). One of them might not make it to the playoffs if MIN really lights it up. The west is so ridiculous right now. But we knew three years ago that this would happen. Remember, this was going to be our first major championship run year in a world where Oden and Roy were both healthy. Man, we would have had it in the fucking bag. Still might have a good shot though.
I see this in the same perspective. It's just one game, but what he forgets is this is against the Lakers. Beating them when we are supposed to hasn't really been our forté. We usually choked against them for some strange reason. If we blow them out, then it will be a huge confidence boost for our team.
Agreed. I just dont think lal has the depth this year. Im penciling in a bynum injury though. I think we end up third seed.
We haven't had any injuries and we haven't played any back-to-backs. If this keeps up all year, we can definitely finish with HCA. Ed O.
Mon 26 vs Philadelphia W 107-103 Tue 27 vs Sacramento W 101-79 But you're right in principle -- our schedule has been a cake walk compared to some others...
If we get an emotional win tonight it will be really hard get up for PHX in 24 hours, so either way that will be a test sort of. It's a good thing that game is also late thanks to ESPN schedule.
On "The Fan", they predicted a win tonight and a let down game tomorrow in Phoenix. Would be nice to win both. I know it could be hard though. It will be a true test on just how "posied" this team is and their drive to be the best.
agreed with the sarcasm. The big test is coming SOON - a 6-game road trip with 2 back-to-backs starts Jan. 13. For now, I'm cautiously optimistic. http://www.nba.com/blazers/schedule/index.html
And Oden doesn't count because he never plays, yeah yeah. What I'm really trying to say is that "we haven't had our big injury yet" isn't a reason to be skeptical of a new system. "We're only 5 games into the season" is legit; even Windows doesn't update its time remaining prediction bar until 10% of the task is done. And that thing is notoriously inaccurate.
