IMO, This stretch of games will ultimately make or break the Blazers' regular season: 2/23 @ NJ 2/24 @ Toronto 2/26 @ Chicago 2/27 @ Minnesota 3/1 @ Memphis 3/3 Indianapolis 3/7 @ Denver 3/9 Sacramento 3/11 @ Golden State 3/12 @ Sacramento 3/14 Toronto 3/19 Washington They're all very, very winnable.
I'm not sayin'. My point in all this, though, is this stretch is riddled with games against sub-par teams. IMO, these are those "should win" games which could very well end up revealing what type of (playoff?) team we really have. Considering there are a bunch of road games, I would hope to expect nothing worse than 8-4
I just hope we can contain Peyton Manning on March 3rd. We've never faced anybody like him that I can remember!
this season comes down to defending our home court. if we can win our home games and grab a few here and there on the road we will be fine. beating minny, NJ, wiz, kincks, warriors, and pacers are must wins IMO for playoffs. You just cant let those games slip away. you know we will lose 1 but thats all we can afford. also how soon roy comes back and can he stay healthy is the major question.
I was thinking the same thing. 14 Home Games and 16 Road Games left. If we can go 8-8 or 7-9 on the road, then we are going to need to win 10 or so out of 14 at home to finish with 47 wins, which is probably around what it's going to take to get in.
and okc on tuesday is like a playoff game imo. its a big big game we need. cant lose that game at home esp if we lose to the lakers.
With Roy, neither game worries me. At home, even without Roy neither game worries me. We match up well with both teams.
Seems like this post is deja vu.... Seems like we've had a whole season of "important stretches". So far we've hung in. It's going to be a Qyntel Woods* down to the end! *dog fight
2-0 thus far. I said it back then, I'll say it again: I still believe this is the critical stretch. The Blazers "appear" to be playing a bit better. If they do very well here, there's no reason to believe they can't shoot for the 5th or 6th spots.
I'd like to be positive, but I can't get too excited about a win against New Jersey (the worst team in the league), and against Toronto without Bosh. Even so, two wins is certainly better than two losses . . .
what I'm hanging my positive hat on is that key players (Roy, Nic, LA, Rudy) are getting healthy and playing well. Even without GO and Joel, if the rest of this team is healthy they are a load regardless of who they are playing STOMP
Wins are bonuses. We committed to the young players when we moved Blake and Outlaw. My main goal for this stretch, is to see those players start developing some confidence, and last night, a very bad defense from Toronto gave them some of that. It doesn't matter if it is a bad defensive team. Confidence can grow from any good game.
Kind of my point. This stretch is loaded with MANY winnable games. Wins beget confidence which begets wins............
