Nay, that is incorrect. The Blazers will start 1-0. They may fall to 1-4 in subsequent games but I'm fully planning on them starting 1-0. Gramps...
Here is my prediction: POR @ LAL - W POR vs. SAS - W POR @ PHX - W POR @ UTA - L POR vs. HOU - L POR vs. MIN - W POR @ ORL - L POR @ MIA - W POR @ NOH - L POR @ MIN - W POR @ GSW - L POR vs. CHI - W POR @ SAC - W POR @ PHX - L POR vs. SAC - W POR vs. MIA - W POR vs. NOH - W POR @ DET - L POR @ NYK - W POR @ WAS - W POR @ BOS - L POR @ TOR - L POR vs. ORL - W POR @ UTA - L So my rose-colored glasses have us at 14-10.
Oops! I meant to put us down for a loss at Orlando, not a win, so I have us at 14-10. I think we beat the L*kers, because we match up with them well and Nate knows more about Kobe after coaching him in the Olympics. I think we beat SAS without Manu. TP is my all-time favorite Blazer, but the PHX team is going to have to adjust to him, and I think we'll be able to take advantage of that adjustment period.
Man, Greg goes up against: Bynum, Duncan,Shaq and Stat,Yao, Al Jefferson and Dwight Howard in his first 2 weeks in the league! Welcome to the league my man! I put Duncan and Stat on the list, because I'm sure he will spend time guarding those guys.
I am still not convinced that we will be THAT far over .500 at the end of the season, so if we start off 12-12 after the brutal first third of the season I will actually be pretty pleased. Ed O.