Good evening everybody, I have some good news. The Portland Trailblazers will win the 2010 NBA championship. Here is why: 1) We will add an important piece to the team this summer, which will, simply put, make us better. 2) Roy, Aldridge, Oden, Batum, Fernandez and Bayless will all be better NBA players than last year. 3) The level of play in the finals this year has not been very impressive, proving that we're not far off. 4) Compared to other championship contenders, Father Time is on OUR side. 5) 1+2+3+4= homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs That is all my friends. Go BLAZERS! PhxBlazer1 out!
I think we will take the next step in our maturation as a team, but win it all? I don't think so. It's unrealistic goals like this that makes a lot of people on here want to jump off cliffs when we don't go 82-0. I think we will begin to contend in the 2010-11 season.
Fuck this forum is hard to read sometimes. How about we actually get out of the first round before we crown the team champions.
the only way we win it all next year is if Oden plays like we all wanted him to play. It all comes down to the big man. I expect him to do much better as it takes a year of game play before guys get comfortable after microfracture.
I'm in the "Gee, that would be nice" category on winning it all; I would also be in the "Wow, didn't expect that THIS year" category. I'm with HCP on this: Being optimistic is great but asserting that we'll win it all next year is a bit overboard IMO. Gramps...
Oden is a big part of how far we go next year. I think we are at least a couple of years away still - at least with our roster shaped the way it is today. Think about it. How much better are Oden and Bayless going to be NEXT SEASON? Better? Sure, but they both have a long way to go. It's hard to imagine either one not having a lot more hard knock nights where they show us they are still learning their way around this league.
Isn't this almost exactly what you were telling everyone that predicted 50+ wins at the start of last season?
We all assume that we will be a much better team; that GO will be much better, Webster may be back, Bayless will grow into the PG spot and make for a much more dynamic team or trades will be made that will help the team. If all that happens (or at least a fair amount of it), we have a chance. As I've said before, I've gotten my hopes up too many times only to end up frustrated that I choose to expect less. Can the Blazers win it all next year? I think yes, we have the talent if everyone plays to their talent on a fairly consistent basis; otherwise, we have a good playoff team but still need some baking on this cake before we are ready for frosting. Gramps...
I understand you don't wanna get your hopes up too high, but I do. I'm an optimist, so even if we don't do what I know we can do, I'll find good in it somehow.
I'm not going to start hating on the team if we don't win it all next season, but I definitely think we have the team that can do it. We'll need some breaks, but every champion does. It's clear to me that we can beat the Lakers and that will be our biggest obstacle.
I'm just looking forward to getting the season started again. Too bad we can't have the draft tomorrow, a day for trades/FA signings on Tuesday, Summer League the rest of the week for experience for Jerryd, move into training camp and then get games started again!
I'll be happy to get out of the first round. That doesn't mean there's no way we'll win the championship. It all depends on if we improve through out the season like we did last year. I was just hoping to make the playoffs last season and we earn home court advantage. I wouldn't be surprise if the Blazers do better than most expect.
I don't think so. I thought we'd win around 50 I think. I might have told people who thought we were going to be division champs and have home court advantage in the playoffs that they were being a little unrealistic.(Glad I was proved wrong on that one)
No kidding. People act like it should be a matter of course for us to win a championship ... those outstanding Drexler led teams couldn't get it done, the Nowitski Mavs couldn't get it done, the whole league is littered with great teams that never got over. I'm with you, I just want to see some growth and get out of the first round next season, anything after that is gravy.
I couldn't agree more. Portland doesn't land their worst possible match up in the first round this season and anything could have happened. I'm not impressed with LA or Orlando. Portland is not far off.