Lets face it, a 3-4 start is likely after Sunday. It feels like we are 10 games back of Denver. I dont think we are better then the lakers, mavs, spurs, nuggets. Maybe not even houston. Hell if im being honest, playoffs being a lock is starting to look doubtful. Its not the outcome of the 5 games but the look and feel of players. They aren't hungry anymore. It seems like they always are saying "next time." I dont see the same team this year. Last years team had a spirit about them. This years team seems like theres the weight of the world on their shoulders. Perhaps they figure it out but never can i remember roy saying he had no idea what was wrong. Look at freemans article on o-live. Roy is also different. That desire to win seems ho hum now. LA seems more like a 3rd option....more then a second. Im beginning to think, those 2 alone wil never bring us where we wanna go. A star PG or SF is neeeded, A pure scorer IMO. Prob a SF. Rudy looks like hes counting the days till season is over. He hit that huge 3 last night and he seemed like whatever. Last year he would have been jumping up and down getting the crowd crazy. Maybe its nates fault... coaches who ak players to change to fit them usually fail. Its the coaches who need to adjust to their players. Thats the one thing pop does with teh spurs. lets them play to their strengths. Nate will never adjust to his players they way he needs to. In closing, i wonder if we end up as the Titans did in the NFL where they were big faves for the superbowl. Kind of the trendy pick like we were. Maybe Simmons was right..... maybe not. But those who think things will just get better suddenly are mistaken. Somethings wrong and we know it, roy knows it, and im sure kp knows it. So i ask.... where are the expectations now? 45 wins and playoffs maybe 7th seed? Or 54 + wins and right where you originally thought. I say 47 and 6th seed. Overall it will be a dissapoining season getting bounced in the first round. Nate end up leaving or getting fired.
My expectation is that the team will be playing better in April than they are right now. I expected them to struggle out of the gate. I think I predicted an 11-7 start in the thread that asked about the first month or so of the season. I'm still comfortable with that, or even 10-8 .
Nope I will still hold my cards as I played them. 62 win team and 2nd in the conference. I remembered one year when San Antonio started out terribly. They were counted out that season. This was the 1998-99 season. Then they went on a tear after all their shit was sorted out and won the title. Of course I won't be claiming us winning a title this season, but things like this happen and turn arounds can happen mid-season that change everything.
I was at 54 or 55 wins and advancement to the second round. I still think that's very achievable. My expectations aren't lowered at all. Ed O.
Not at all. I stand by my prediction of 58 wins on TB's spreadsheet. That being said, I believe Nate has lost the focus of the team and there are issues needing to be addressed. You could say my confidence in Nate has dropped, but I also believe he has great character, is a good coach and is smart enough to accept and use for correction much of the criticism being voiced in the media and on the Internet. GO BLAZERS!!!
That's what I'm hoping for. Maybe Nate isn't such a hard head and is willing to think outside the box. Maybe instead of taking the guys out to breakfast and telling them what they are doing wrong, maybe in practice and run videos of last season. Show them how the team would huddle after every stoppage of play, how the players would communicate on the bench and even the coaching staff (excluding Nate, since he was so involved with the game) would make certain comments to the players during the game.
Good to see you back PapaG! What were their conditions for re-assimilation? Did they make you disavow your political loyalties and put a GPS chip under your skin?
I would my expectations for playoff advancement has been lowered. We simply cannot win in the playoffs with the current defensive and offensive schemes unless we meet a team so decimated by injuries without any advantage at all.
Yes, my expectations have lowered. I really thought this season would start out different with the Blazers being so deep they would have some games that were really not close (like the first game) . . . and win a high percentage of games (especially the first 5-10 games) I still have hope that the team will gel and the talent will all come together. But right now, this team seems to be sleepwalking through some quarters. I used to think a game against the Hawks at home was an easy win . . . now I'm very happy if they win that game and not surprised if they lose. NBA basketball is a game of runs . . . and so are my emotions about the Blazers. Right now I'm on a down swing and the team looks very medicore to me. But a couple quick 3s and a steal for a layup and I'm right back into being a fanatic NBA fan.
I have to name my first born male child Ed O. Little did they know at the time of the negotiation, we're not having any more children!
So - you only have daughters? I believe in the Muslim world this is called "Abu Il Banat" - father of girls.
I dropped all expectations after the first game of the year. This team as it is right now will not be any better than they were last year. What has been the weaknesses so far this season was the same weaknesses they had last year. And it's frustrating. So I have decided to set back and watch this play out. I have accepted the fact this won't change until we have a change at the coaching position. So no, I have no expectations.
That is where I'm disappointed too. Practically no improvement except for a couple more rebounds. If he doesn't get it together, it will be a frustrating season. That said, to offer hope.... in 2005, the Dallas Mavericks started the season 0-4. They went on to finish 67-15. Of course, they choked in the first round so maybe that's not the best example. Go Blazers
