Good thread topic. I was thinking exactly the same thing the other day when looking at the standings. For all of Oden's injuries, we're still almost neck-and-neck with the Spurs, one of the best teams in the league. Pretty impressive.
How about looking at it this way, we are only two games out of 2nd place in the conference. No team in the west, aside from the Lakers, is more than a couple games better than we are.
Remember the first two weeks of the season when people were saying that SA would not make the playoffs? Then they got healthy? When they have the big 3 they are a different team. Losing Gianobili is like losing Roy except you still have Parker and Duncan. Manu makes a huge difference and he will be back. (Won't he?)
you do realize this is an odd year right? With Bynum sidelined, once again they are looking like at least a co-favorite from the West to me STOMP
Manu's health isn't secure either. I think they max out at the WCF, if they get the second seed at least.
who's health is a given? [/rhetorical]... and you aren't really comparing Manu's chances of being good to go for the playoffs with Bynum's are you? By chance are you a L*kers fan? here's the yahoo fantasy update on EG's status... Sat, Mar 21 G Manu Ginobili is back at practice and the hope is to get him back in the next week or so. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich expressed optimism that the super sixth man is on the right track. "He's progressed each day," Popovich said Friday. "A different part of his body has been sore. He's trying to get back into shape. Other than that, the progression has been steady. Hopefully in the next week or so we'll see him." Ginobili joked before the game against Boston that he plans to push his coach. "I'm already asking for permission to be around more," he quipped. Ginobili then added that his return is, "Soon, soon." Ginobili has already missed more than a month, and he's talked with Popovich about the plan to finish the season healthy. "We're just trying to make an intelligent decision, so we have him for the playoffs at 100 percent," Popovich said. STOMP
I'm very VERY happy with the season we're having. I thought it was a great road trip. We beat the three teams we were supposed to beat. The Atlanta game was in the morning and Cleveland has only lost once at home all year and we took them to OT without two of our starters! This is the most I've been satisfied with a Blazers team in a long long time. Those Bonzi-Sheed teams were entertaining as hell but I'm not sure I was very satisfied with how those teams performed to their potential. This current team is maximizing its potential at this stage in its development and I think we will be a very good playoff team. Can't wait to see Outlaw hit game winners when everyone's watching.
Hollinger's Simulation Farm places us slightly higher to reach the finals than SA, too (12.4% vs 12.2%). Their two losses also helped us leapfrog them in his Power Ranking Fun stuff! My expectations have been blown away.
That odd year thing is WAY overplayed. Pure coincidence. Ginobili will be just getting back from an injury, Duncan has chronic problems with his knees, and Parker has been over-worked at this point in the season. They have no depth at point guard, they're old, and they don't have much size. Actually I'm amazed they've hung around the 2 spot as long as they have. I don't see any way they make it past the 2nd round.
So he hasn't been injury prone recently? I think they're too banged up and old to make it through, I don't even expect Bynum to contribute greatly to the Lakers but I don't even think that will matter anyway. The competition in the West is still a bit off to me. The East will give us a fight but the Celtics have lost some of their edge this season, and the Cavs have struggled against the real elite teams. No offense to the Blazers, I see them with some nice potential but they are a couple of years away from title contention, imo.
I don't think there are many fans here who believe that Portland is a serious title contender this year. The Blazers have too many players that have little to no play-off experience. I think they have a shot to make the 2nd round if they continue to play as well as they have been lately, but not much farther. I think the point here is that Portland is pretty much on track to grow into a contender. Having only 2 more loses then the Spurs proves that point.
thanks for answering none of my questions. Manu's coach is publicly musing on him being back this week and 100% by the playoffs... what is Phil saying about Bynum? the only mentions of a Blazer championship this year is for shock value laughs... you're in the vast majority here. Down the road the optimism runs a bit higher. STOMP
I don't trust his health in the playoffs or not. I could be wrong, I don't think they have enough to make it either way. Your question was ridiculous, what does Bynum have to do with anything? I don't put my hopes into him like other Laker fans, I could care less if he comes back or not. I already said the Spurs could get into the WCF with the right seeding, I think that's more than enough respect. Well, good to know. I'm not a huge fan of injury prone players, including Bynum, but Greg has a shot at turning it around down the road. Who knows what happens with him in a few years? Maybe the Blazers go after someone else and become contenders in another fashion, I think you guys have enough pieces to make that a possibility. If these injured guys prove me wrong I'll take back my pejorative statements.
