Portland Trail Blazers' cushion over the Thunder

I think it's ridiculous to assume they will miss the playoffs. I just don't want them to win the division. They will be one helluva scary team in the playoffs though. Could you imagine working so hard to get the best 2 records in the West, only to face a healthy OKC team in the first round? That would suck!

 

Dame doesn't play anything like Westbrick or Rose. What Dame is doing is more like Westbrick developing a 3 point shot. Dame uses explosiveness in spurts, not throughout the game. It also helps that dame is smart enough to know there are other very capable players on this team. Westbrick thinks even Durrant is less than him.

Did you see that look on that asshole's face during the MVP speech? He wasn't happy for Durrant. He wanted it for himself

 

Yeah shit it could be rough. If it's anything like last year you won't even be able to avoid it, you might just have to deal with the unlucky draw. I'd approach it with confidence, but I'd much rather see it happen to another team.

 

The highlight reel guys like him leap higher than necessary and land further and harder from something like a slam dunk. Lillard doesn't do that. It's a risky style of hoops. Lot of force on impact. Those guys usually have short careers or recurring injuries.

 

Wow Durant coming back tonight! Too soon?

 

Westbrook and Rondo don't play similarly, at all. Maybe on the defensive end, but not on offense. Rondo is much more like Steve Nash without a 3-point shot, but with tremendous defense and rebounding abilities.

 

This is the hardest its ever been for me to not root for another player(s) to get injured but part of me feels like having both of them come back so soon is them feeling entitled or something. It just feels .... insulting or something. I cant really explain but hopefully we play .700 the rest of the season and it really wont matter what they do as far as the division title goes.

 

You are overthinking it. There's no reason to be insulted that KD is coming back tonight. Entitled? Dude take a step back.

 

I'm gonna have to disagree. It shows me why Durant was the MVP. He doesn't want to miss the playoffs and he knows waiting too long would almost insure they do.

This is no different than Aldridge coming back earlier last season when we had that mid season skid. Good players want to win and will play through pain to do it.

 

Yeah but both of the team's star players rushing back early feels a little like they dont think there is much of a risk, especially for Durant, and thats what feels odd to me. I understand the stars wanting to get back. Im just surprised that management is letting both do it.

And if this was Aldridge AND Lillard this place would be going NUTS right now.

Im not overthinking anything I was just giving my thoughts on how it felt to me. Maybe I didnt communicate that very well. I personally wouldnt risk my teams future for one season where they are going to have to play amazing ball just to get back into the playoff picture. Especially with Durant possibly leaving.

 

That makes more sense... I agree that it's too early IMO, but who knows what their training staff saw.

I don't wish injury for any player, so I won't go that route. I just hope it's too early and Durant isn't as "explosive" as he has been.

 

And that's where I should have picked my words more carefully. Perhaps I should have said although I wont wish for injury I will say that if it does happen then, "You get what you get and tough shit."

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/okc-thunder/post/_/id/69/thunder-can-see-positives-in-struggles

[TWEET]539895724407017474[/TWEET]

 

Wasn't Stockdale the insane guy Ross Perot chose to be his vice president?

 

Is this guy fucking serious? IT'S BASKETBALL! NOBODY IS BEING TORTURED. FOR EIGHT YEARS. BRUTALLY. TORTURED. FOR EIGHT YEARS. ITS FUCKING BASKETBALL.

 

Yeah, if it applies to anyone, it's the Blazers!

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200504200POR.html