Yup.l We all watch the team, that's why I'm so confused why so many arguments in here aren't about what happens on the court... We're arguing Vegas for some reason!
"Boggles my mind" makes me sound 60, doesn't it? I kinda want to see C.J. and Dame play under a different coach. I feel like they'd be absolutely unstoppable with a Steve Kerr type of coach, and shouldn't be as bad defensively as they have been. I think both of them can be average defenders under the right coach. So I'm curious on that. Powell is an easier fit with a higher floor, but I think the ceiling of Dame and C.J. is higher.
I think the point of referencing betting odds is they would provide a far less bias view of the team than the fan of said team. Betting odds on the oregon sports lottery app tend to have a the Blazers favored by more than the national number. Which to Bones' point, is a sign that the sportsbooks want even money, but also proves that local fans tend to overvalue their team. Not to mention, that it is rare for fans of a team to agree on how good their team should be, but it's much easier to find widely accepted views of teams we're not emotionally tied to. If I were living in another state with a local sports betting app, I would consider trying the strategy of betting against the local team since you could assume the odds were inflated.
Probably. Some of these guys on here follow much closer than I do though. I’m excited for this post season. More than in past years. Lots to look forward to. From reading your posts you seem to know the team could do some good things if everything works out well.
I trust a number that has real money behind it much more than fans opinions. Yes fans have a bunch of team specific knowledge, however they often have emotional bias that would skew a projection.
If all we did was play weak teams, why did you have us as 3-9?? Utah had the best home record in the league and we won there. Also- the Lakers game was the most important game of the season for both teams and we won. As for playing injured teams, all the teams are injured. Every team in the league is playing teams without their best player. 5 of the last 6 titles were won against teams missing great players. Winning is winning and we won. 5-1 road trip is impressive no matter who you play.
The Blazers have had the same coach and core over the past 3 years. What is a bigger factor to success, injuries or coaching? I think injuries play a significant part in a teams success. But how long can we wait for that mythical 'injury free' season? I'm a huge Dame fan and want to see this team maximize his value while he is in his prime. I have mixed feelings on Stotts. Will a different coach drive this team to more post-season success? Or is this a GM/team make-up issue? Or perhaps both... All I can say for sure is that it's not a Dame issue.
We didn't "dodge" them. Most of these players were out for most of the season. Every team is playing injured teams. Why did he assume every roster would be 100% healthy and rested? That's not the regular season and often, not even the playoffs. He should've been smart enough to know this when he picked us to go 3-9. And I told everybody that Utah, Phoenix, and Denver would rest starters and they did. Why should this have been some kind of big surprise.
pretty sure I'd trust Vegas NBA projections more than I'd trust ESPN NBA projections. That said, my impression is that Vegas misses the mark wider on their Blazer predictions more than they do for other teams. That could be a wrong impression though for myself, I have enough trouble recalling what I was thinking yesterday to have any accurate recollection of what I was thinking in December before the season started....but, I was probably guessing in the range of 43-46 wins. I know many were predicting the 50 win mark but I thought that was unrealistic in a 72 game season as for Portland's roster talent: I do not think the level of talent is nearly as high as many do. And whatever the level of talent, that level is degraded by questionable fit and positional imbalance. All things considered, I don't believe the Blazers over-achieved or under-achieved. I think 6th seed and 9th-10th best record is a fairly accurate gauge of the team. They are hot at the best time of the year, and have an almost perfect 1st round matchup, so I'd think they have a chance to over-achieve in the playoffs, if 2nd round is over-achievement. Advancing to the WCF only to lose with a whimper again would be meaningless IMO. Even worse is that would likely delay absolutely necessary changes and waste a couple more years of Dame's prime I'll gladly eat crow if they miraculously make it to the finals
