Game Thread GAME# 1: JAZZ @ BLAZERS - DECEMBER 23, 2020 - WEDNESDAY, 7:00 PM, NBCSNW

Well said! To expect anything else would be uncivilized!

 

There may be some stuff we don't know about but what 3 games are you talking about... preseason shit does not count. This game was horrible and a bit alarming but it is still just one game and the first of the season. To draw any long term conclusions from the first game of the season is absolute idiocy.

 

Who knows? Guys could be on the trade block in a 3 way trade for Harden.....would explain the lack of hunger out there.

 

Too late (for some)...

 

No, I agree. We're loaded.

I'm quoting the Stotts apologists who will always say we don't have enough to get past the first round in the playoffs.

 

Dude please don't say "if you know basketball" to anyone in here. Seriously, you still can't get over a number 10 pick being a miss. If you knew anything about this league you would never mention that shit. Also if you knew anything about the game you would know that none of us know anything about this team besides what the players on it have done before this season. It's too damn early to make big assumptions.

Edit: I want to be clear that Zach (who you still can't get over as a tenth pick) is a miss not a bust... not even a bust. We just missed on some much better players.

 

Yeah if Stotts can't win with this collection of guys then he's got to go. I still think anything short of getting past the second round has to result in Stotts being fired. The only way that he gets out of those expectations is another season filled with catastrophic injuries.

 

Do you think this is a top 2 team in the West?

 

It is among the rosters that should compete for the second through sixth seed. So yeah I wouldn't be surprised if this team ended up with the second seed in the league. I think it's far more likely that we end up the fourth seed. I do think with this collection of talent that Stotts needs to get this team either through the second round or have an extremely competitive second round to keep his job.

 

"It's one game - relax." 7th season in a row.

 

Respect your opinion. My logic is that if you expect them to get past the 2nd round, that should mean you think they're a top 2 team in the West. I don't think we've had a top 2 roster in the West for a LONG time.

I would be shocked if the Blazers lost 4-1 in the 2nd round and we make a coaching change, but I've been wrong before.

 

I just think he should be fired if we don't make it past the 2nd round or have an incredibly competitive series, not that he will get fired. If Olshey had common sense he would have moved CJ a long time ago since CJ and Dame are completely redundant and both would be more successful without the other. So yeah Stotts might keep his job if we get swept out of the first round again... I doubt it but the shock wouldn't kill me with Olshey's overly loyal ass. Loyalty is a great quality in a player but it's a terrible quality in a GM.

 

"It's only a pre-season game."
It's only a couple of pre-season games."
"It's only 3 pre-season games."
"The pre-season didn't matter."

"It's only one game."
"It's only.....

 

Remember that "one game" attitude last season ve put us in buuble fight situation. Blazers had to fight in the bubble because of lack of effort earlier in the season. There are some teams that can let the games go sometimes, but after almost ten years of Blazers playing under Stotts it's obvious this team should play with the chip on the shoulder constantly. This team needs someone like Pat Riley and Pop would quit his job after 3 games like this.

So, I've got this new theory why free agents don't come here. Not "small market" theory. Imagine Butler after this game. Blazers plays like better Minnesota but it is still just Minnesota.

 

It is only all of those things. You've watched enough seasons to know that you can be worried right now but you can't know a damn thing about what this team is going to do based on the first game of the season.

 

Or that could have been the catastrophic run of injuries that had us starting Melo at PF. I don't think it was effort from the guys who are now starting... just saying.

 

Quite right....but I can certainly make a more informed projection based on season after season after season of seeing the same thing and of being swept out of the Playoffs over and over and over with the same things cropping up no matter what the roster is.

 

Right, we haven't performed as well as we should expect. We will make the playoffs with this roster but we might get disappointed again once we're there... I'm totally on board with that. If you think the lack of preparation that was shown tonight could be a symptom of the same problem that has got us swept in the past, I have no problem with that.

 

Putting Gilles on garbage time looked like dejavu somehow, so there are things that you can imagine can go with old pattern. Hero Melo iso as well. And teams records on 3s on us are almost booked again.