I'm going to need to see some roster improvements before I buy the 2010 WCF. If you go off of KP's track record of only looking to improve the team through small acquisitions, organic growth and draft picks, you have to believe we have some more growing pains to go through. Now I have faith that KP can change his tactics to become a player in the trade/free agent market, but it hasn't happened yet. So the smarter bet is to believe what we know, and to me that means a slow ascension to the top, with some difficult bumps ahead. Don't forget that we'll have a target on our back for 82 games next year. There won't be any sneaking up on opponents going forward. -Pop
With the way the west is now, I think it is a big possibility to make the WCF finals next year. Hell, I think you could have gone to the WCF this year if they had been in the other half of the western bracket. Oden will make huge leaps next year if he can stay healthy. Big men need to learn footwork and angles and timing that they just cant learn outside of the NBA. It takes time. Injuries are Oden's biggest obstacle. KP will probably finally listen to everyone who said that you need a couple vets on the team and bring in a vet PG or SF. That will help. Dont get so beat up. I really think the Blazers got matched up against the one team that had their number this year. You would have beaten Utah, Dallas, Spurs and maybe even Denver.
Other then Dallas, I agree. For whatever reason Dallas is a flat out nightmare for Portland. I would add the Hornets to this list.
I also expect Portland's road record to improve by a few games. They must all realize now that the loses to OKC and Memphis cost them dearly in this post season.
That's what the Hornets said last year. The playoffs aren't a given for this team going forward. This team isn't talented enough to get complacent. There's a LOT of work to do in terms of the team's style of play on both ends of the court.
Wait a second, what? Who was saying we'd be competing for a championship in this coming season, two or three years ago? Coaches or some fans? The notion that this team would be in contention for a title in 2009-2010 when they were a bottom feeder eeking out 32 wins a couple of years ago is outright laughable. The best I remember management talking about was trying to compete for a playoff spot this year or next, the true contention window was always 5 or 6 years off from the day Roy and Aldridge were drafted.
Bingo. As they say on "Mythbusters", failure is always an option. Teams that just assume they are going to stay good/get better have a nasty habit of making a crater with their face.
I think all three are reasonable goals, but I don't think they'll be easy and I don't think they should be expectations. Even winning 60 games, which is a big deal, doesn't guarantee that the team will make the WCF. Too many things have to go right for anything short of a powerhouse team to expect to make it to the conference finals. Aldridge has a tough road to actually make the all-star team, and there's a chance he could "deserve" it without making it. I still think Oden has big things in store next year and 15/10 seems reasonable to me. Again, though, so many things can go wrong. Ed O.
My Expectations (which are close to KingSpeed's): 1 - LMA to average 20/10 for the season. I expect him to perform at his "post All-Star game" level all season. 2 - 59 wins: 34 at home and 25 on the road. We *have* to improve on the road. That's entirely mental. 3 - Roy to maintain. I can't possibly expect him to improve... that's too much to ask of anyone. 4 - Oden to average 14/9 for the season. I expect he'll become the 3rd quarter offensive focus. 5 - 6 playoff wins. Anything more is gravy for me.
I expect at least 40 wins. Anything above that requires us to not have major injuries next year. I don't guess LMA will be an all-star. I have hopes for improvement from Oden. barfo
I actually do expect him to improve. He upped his scoring average in the playoffs to 27 ppg. I expect that to continue into next season. This guy has not reached his ceiling yet.
Objectivity is good, but you might be giving the other Western teams too much credit. The West appears to be getting weaker and Portland is on the "uprise". We have some flaws, but objectively looking at the other teams reveals just as many and more. A team like the Rockets is really vulnerable to a team with low post scorers, as I think they'll soon find out against the Lakers. If we had a legitimate low post threat we would have probably won in 6. Of course, you might be right if Roy is out for any extended amount of time. We won a lot of games this year simply by outworking teams--see the number of times we fought back from deficits and also being the top rebounding team. The legs should still be there and the ability to motivate these guys should still be there for McMillian. In a few years when these guys understand the need to pace themselves better, their skill level should improve enough to offset the drop in 48 minute intensity. Thats my take anyway.
Next year will be the year we work smarter, not harder, to beat teams, saving our energy more for the playoff run. Roy's mentally prepared; he knows what's up. And the west is definitely going to be weaker: San Antonio, Utah, Phoenix and Dallas are all going to be older. New Orleans is a shambles. It's a three-team race again: Lakers, Nuggets, Blazers. Only this time, there will be a little more room between 3 and 4. Next year may be the last year the West has more moderately good teams than the East, too.
If I were the GM- I'd trade Batum/parts for G. Wallace- giving us a third scorer and better D. Then I would sign Bibby or Andre Miller with the full mid-level exception. I would pick up Outlaw's option and either let Blake go or trade him for a slightly better pick. The roster would end up being: Bibby/Bayless/Sergio Roy/Rudy Wallace/Webster Aldridge/Outlaw/draft pick Oden/Pryzbilla Aldridge would continue his improving play and come back stronger after another offseason working out. Roy would come back slightly better as well- hungrier after his first postseason. But only one of the two makes the all-star game. Greg comes back with his old explosiveness- averages 15/10/2/2 The Blazers win 60 wins and lose to the Lakers in the finals- just barely.
Who are these "parts" that you are trading along with Batum? Batum's salary is 8 million dollars less than Wallace's, and our highest paid player next year will be Joel. Bibby and Miller are going to be asking for more than the MLE (which we don't have anyway).
Well we can take back around 9mil in salary more than we give out this off-season. But I really wouldn't want to trade Batum.
And I'm an idiot, thank you! If we made that trade on draft day, and our salary cap space was less than the MLE, would we then get a MLE exception? I was under the impression that if you go into the off-season with more than the MLE, you do not get a MLE exception, but I'm unsure when the "off-season" begins.
