Mid Season Analysis - Blazers will not make it past first round

They are in the bottom 3 for Western Conference teams in the last 10 games. But...I still kind of think based on what I had seen from them earlier this season, they are coasting into all star break to prevent burn out later in the season. Which would show signs from a group with a pretty big bbiq. Which I think they have starting with LA.

1 Oklahoma City 41 12 .774 - 23-3 18-9 8-5 24-8 105.1 97.5 +7.5 Won 1 8-2
2 San Antonio 37 14 .725 3 18-8 19-6 8-3 22-9 103.9 97.3 +6.5 Won 1 5-5
3 Portland 36 15 .706 4 19-5 17-10 8-2 19-11 108.0 103.5 +4.5 Won 1 5-5
4 LA Clippers 35 18 .660 6 21-4 14-14 5-4 19-9 106.4 100.8 +5.7 Won 1 6-4
5 Houston 34 17 .667 6 21-7 13-10 9-4 19-14 105.3 101.4 +3.9 Won 5 8-2
6 Phoenix 30 20 .600 9 ½ 17-8 13-12 7-3 19-13 105.1 101.8 +3.3 Won 1 7-3
7 Golden State 30 21 .588 10 15-9 15-12 7-4 19-16 103.1 99.1 +4.0 Lost 1 5-5
8 Dallas 30 21 .588 10 18-8 12-13 8-4 17-15 104.6 102.3 +2.4 Won 4 6-4

 

Yes, lack of a scoring center.

 

Just thought I'd let you know to get to Miami's fan site, you go down the hall, turn left, third door on the right! Go Blazers!

 

I have a feeling if a trade exists that makes the team better this year, but also in the future, Olshey would pull the trigger. I don't think you'll see something idiotic like trading Batum for Deng (an UFA after the season), which may or may not make the team better this year, and who knows what would happen next year.

 

Plus, Portland has played 9 out of their last 13 games on the road.

They now hit a stretch where 8 of the next 10 are at home. This is the time for them to get on another roll.

 

Pacers lost to Magic. Guess they won't make playoffs either.

 

Teams usually have their worst stretch right before the break, or right after.

Considering our schedule, and the fact our worst was better than most teams' best, I'm very optimistic about our playoff chances provided the bench gets more minutes between now and then.

 

So, the world is ending because we struggled in the second night of a back-to-back, at the end of a 4-game road trip - but won the game? How about taking the team with the league's best record to OT on the road the night before? Does that not get considered at all?

 

Just noticed this.

Then quit playing the starters so many minutes and putting them at risk at season and career ending injuries.

Needless to say, I don't agree with this.

 

You've been saying this for a long time, funny though, after a summer of dissing the ownership, the coach, the roster, you were nowhere to be found until now. The Blazers are contending. Must be hard to swallow, but there it is! What happened to iamatrailblazerfan? Everyone left finally after constant team bashing. Now you've posted here twice, it's not going to be pretty. To the regulars here, this is the old fansites Carlitos.

 

Blazer Maniac, might I suggest you visit the basketballforum msg boards, there's a guy there Mixum, you're going to be great friends.

 

I agree with you; I think he is out there looking in his own quiet way (mostly talking with agents). He may see that there might be some better opportunities at the trade deadline than there will be next summer. there are teams out there that have guys with expiring contracts, guys that they may not be able to resign this summer (for one reason or another). If the Blazers see one of these guys who will help them now and get some assurances they will stay with the Blazers, i think Olshey will do it. Two guys that are in this situation are Hawes and Ariza, those would be my targets.

And yes, despite the fact i sometimes provide scenarios how something could happen, that doesn't always mean I think it should happen. to trade a much younger
Batum who is signed up for several years and fits with what the team is doing so well, would be a very bad idea.

 

Playoffs are all about matchups. We've gotten some very unfavorable matchups in the past against Houston and Dallas. I still think we should have beaten Phoenix, but Roy wasn't healthy and Nate couldn't figure out how to exploit a matchup of a 6'8 guy against Steve Nash.

It all depends on who we get in the first/second/etc etc etc

 

I don't know what the stats say, but our defense has been markedly improved the last few games, and Mo being out has opened up CJ's game. Most teams will have a lull around this time of the year. Both OKC and IND lost to ORL, GS is in a far worse slump than us. We'll bounce back.

I like our chances in the first round no matter who we play as long as we have HCA.

 

Well, according to your post history, you have been "quite" on this board since the dawn of creation. Unless, of course you previously posted under a different username, got banned and then came back and made your first post a negative one after a win on the road on the second night of a back-to-back at the end of a 4 game road trip. Gee, that sure sounds familiar.

Let's see... We used to have a poster here with the username Carlito, who was formerly known as Mixum. Said Carlito went conspicuously "quite" after the Miami game you referenced, until he popped up in the Boston game thread and got banned due to his incessant trollish behavior. Any of this sounding vaguely familiar?

The team has "slumped" to 10-6 in their last 16 games, arguably one of the toughest stretches of the schedule for the entire season (9 of the last 13 games have been on the road, including at SAS, at DAL, at HOU, at OKC, at GSW and at IND). Yet, as Kingspeed pointed out, even if the team continues to win at the 12-10 pace you sited, they would still finish with 53 wins, or if they play .500 ball, they finish with 51 wins. In either case, they most certainly will not miss the playoffs.

All teams go through rough patches. It's a LONG season. I know, based on your past behavior, that's gotten you banned twice already, you rejoice in the team failing. Must suck to be you this (or any) season.

Too much actually. Why don't you crawl back under your bridge and leave these nice people alone. They come here to talk about the team they love. This isn't your group therapy session. Take your trolling ways elsewhere. You've been banned twice. Sheesh, some guys just can't take a hint.

BNM

 

Thread turned into a great read.

 

I don't disagree with this at least. I would love to see them get some more points inside, play better defense and bolster the bench scoring. It won't happen with the current roster though.

 

The way we're playing, I don't think it matters who we get matched up with - I think we'll have a hard time beating anybody in a 7-game series.
I reserve the right to change my opinion if we start playing better basketball as we head into the Playoffs. But currently I don't see this team being able to respond to the adjustments made throughout a 7-game series.

 

Boy, just imagine how some Spurs fans must be wringing their hands. Since Jan. 17th they're only 6-6 and their wins have only come against non-contending teams. Atlanta and Washington (25-24 and 25-25) are their best wins in that time period. Meanwhile, they've lost to us, Miami, OKC, Houston, Chicago, & Brooklyn. Anybody ready to write them off as easily as you're willing to write off the Blazers?