If there is one thing we should be pretty happy about given this last month is the fact that this team is playing up to the competition. Yes, they do play down to the competition as well - but they usually squeak a win out of as well - but when they do play up to the competition - they can put some real spanking on real contenders out there. I still do not think we win it all this year - but if we continue to play up to the competition - the playoffs are going to be very very interesting... Don't you think?
Yes, they play to the competition which is a nice thing in the playoffs. Unfortunately, they only play up to level of good opponents at home. That's why HCA is a requirement for advancing. If Portland can put together a great finish and somehow snag the 2 seed, they might have a shot to reach the WCF.
There is something to be said to that. However, we are (something like) 1-11 vs the other top 7 seeds in the West on the road - with the one win vs NO when CP3 went down and we erased a 20 point defecit. We're not playing up to the competition away from the RG.
Our differences in our level of play according to the opponent and location is one of the things that have frustrated me the most about this team. I see us play like we did last night and wonder why we can't bring that energy every night. We're young and we're deep. Perhaps not to that level, but with our level of talent, we shouldn't regularly fall behind by double digits.
Being young, I guess they play quite a bit on emotions...which means home crowds energize them and road crowds drop their morale. If so, they need to become more emotionally disciplined and draw their motivation purely from the game, not from the emotion swirling around them.
I see this as an experience thing. I'm guessing the home record will remain much the same over the next few years, but the road record will start moving up, including more wins over the top teams.
I agree - we do not play that well on the road - but there are enough road games against quality competition when this team still fights and makes a comeback. I have to tell you that I am encouraged - yes - there is a good chance they will not break that "win on the road" duck this year - but you know it's going to come and when it does - the floodgates are going to open. This team's occasional beating of other teams and their margin of victory tells you that they are better than their record is. That's a good thing for such a young team.
One thing I've noticed about the energy we bring (or sometimes don't bring) is that one side of the floor is related to the other. When our perimeter shots are going down, our defensive energy seems to pick up. When we are missing jumpers and having a tough time getting into our offense it seems to carry over ond defense. A team like San Antonio can shoot 38% and still win 82-79 b/c their defensive intensity is constant. That's one thing I haven't seen too much of from the Blazers - the ability to grind out "ugly" games. Denver does it, San Antonio does it, Houton does it. I was watching the game last night thinking how hard it would be to beat LA in a series for us. Our perimeter shots were falling all night, and when they didn't Joel was pounding the offensive boards. Still, EVEN in a game we had a 30 point lead - when LA turned up their defensive intensity it was hard for us to do anything but jack up long jumpers with the shot clock dwindling down. I can remember Lamarcus, Travis, Roy, and Blake all firing up long "prayers" and a few of them went in that left you thinking it must be our night. You can't expect to shoot that well for a series though. That said, our defense was as good as it's been all year last night. I just want to see us play like that (defensively) when we can't score. That's when you know you have a contender.
Plus, didn't Portland beat Orlando on the road? Not a Western conference team, so didn't help that ugly 1-12 record factoid, but one of the top teams in the L.
Our road record against the East is excellent. It's just against good West teams that we've struggled (mightily).
Yep. Great Home record. Very nice record vs. the East in general. Good record vs non top-9 west teams as well. The only problem is going on the road vs. one of the top-9 teams in the West (1-12). Huge difference in quality of play for our young team at home verse on the road.
