We started the season 22-13 and we were playing great basketball. So why did we play 19-28 the rest of the way? James Jones missed some games there. I also think that a big turning point in our season was when Roy missed games for a death in his family. I don't blame him but we needed those wins to stay afloat. Any thoughts as to how we completely crashed and how we can avoid that this season?
The schedule was harder during the second half imo. Also, we just came back down to earth. We weren't REALLY as good as a 22-13 team.
We had no interior defense whatsoever last year, we allowed teams to offensive board until they scored and we weren't that great of an outside shooting team since James was out a lot. Now, we're in the top 10 in blocks, we outrebound our opponent nearly every game out, and we're one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the league. Helps to have a Greg and a Rudy, too.
But we beat good teams during our run. We beat both Utah and Denver in their buildings. We beat Utah 3-1 over the whole season.
The 13 game win streak was an aberration. There was no implosion... the team just wasn't very good. Ed O.
+1....The way you put it doesnt give the full story Kingspeed...There are different ways to get to 22-13 and the way the Blazers did it you knew (or at least I did ) they wouldnt keep it up at that level the full year. Hence, you were owned
Agree.......Plus the season really starts after the all star break. Teams start playing at a different level as the playoffs get closer and we were simply not a good team.
A 7 game win streak might be an aberration. But a 13 game win streak? It was all luck? I don't buy that. We were playing good basketball. Why did we suddenly stop?
And houston had a what... 16 game win streak? What did they do in the playoffs? Nothing. Win streaks don't necessarily mean anything. We had some really lucky wins in that streak. It could have ended much earlier.
Houston had a 22 game win streak and they made the playoffs. If Yao, who was there for the first 10 games of the win streak, had played, they probably would've gotten out of the first round. We didn't even make the playoffs. I believe that's never happened before to a team that wins 13 in a row. The reason I bring it up is because I want it to not happen this year.
I'd argue that Jones's impact on the 1st half of the season was substantial. Dude had an absolute money jumper from everywhere, shooting well over 50% from deep and played a smart all around effective game. I thought he was much more effective then Travis or Martell and felt a bit teased by what might have been if hadn't tweaked his knee in preseason. Not only did that injury limit his availability and ultimately shut him down, but it had to limit his on court abilities too. I'd rate losing one of their better players at least as high as any other reason for Why did we implode last season? given so far. Lucky for us that Rudy has stepped into that void big time. STOMP
Too young and inexperienced. Also, the 13 game win streak made the team look better than actually were.
Very true....he was on a tear during that winning streak I believe (or at some point during the season at least)...I remember you guys giving him crazy love in threads last year
The reason they won those games is because the bench was hitting all their shots. Jack was playing way above his head and Outlaw couldn't miss. That's luck and/or streaky and never lasts in the NBA. The team started losing again once the second unit fell back to earth.
+100 If anything the team exploded for a month and then settled right back to where they belonged (~.400) for the rest of the year.
The team was about a .500 team last year. They simply played at extremes...they weren't as good as 13-0 (obviously, no team is) and they weren't as bad as their worst stretch. Breaking the season down into mini-records isn't too useful (unless there was some structural difference, like with and without a star). They didn't implode, they simply got to around .500, their true level, in an odd way.
I'd say "where they belonged" was ~.500...which is where they finished. Ignoring the winning streak isn't any more valid than looking at it as the team's true level and then assuming they imploded.
Portland had to play their absolute best to win most games last year, and they had a stretch of games where they managed to play that well about 18 games straight. That isn't going to last in the long run and it didn't. This year, Portland has rarely played their best, yet they are winning games. When they are at their best, they have blown teams out. Our bench got better this year. Some players made strides in their games. That is why they will make the playoffs this year as opposed to last year.
