I have no need to bash them to balance out all the internet blowjobs they receive from some in here.. but one thing I didnt realize until Blazers Edge today.. only 12 of their 29 wins have come against "plausible playoff teams" Just something I found interesting.
They have played a lot better then I thought this season. They are fun to watch also. I do believe they will have trouble retaining Durant though.
And how many of the Blazers wins have been against plausible playoff teams? Lets get some perspective here!
I am keeping this in perspective. This team is no more than a bottom 3 playoff seed as is. Yet The Thunder are apparently a top 3 seed basically when they play the way they have. Most of it gets blown out of proportion because some people feel the need to bitch and moan, and bring up the Oden thing over and over as if something can be done about it now.
i found 18, setting the line at New Orleans in the west and Milwaukee in the east. Houston x2 OKC SA x3 Mem NO Char x2 PHX MIA Dal x2 DEN LAL MIL ORL
Not really. Lets face it. There is LA, Denver, and the rest, with Dallas having played slightly above their heads so far. It really doesn't matter where the rest end up. 3rd through 8th = the teams that are going to lose to LA and Denver.
to take it a step further we are 14-16 against teams over .500, OKC is 10-17. so not only do we have the better record but we have played 3 more games against those teams than they have.
I'm not arguing that. I'm just talking about how some people like to play it up in here. How Great they are. And for the record I'm not saying it was you.
I don't think anybody placed them top 4. That is taking a leap. I think that some folks are saying they have passed the Blazers though. Which might be very true by end of season. But the season is long, and there are many streaks still to happen. Look at Memphis. They were doing great, and now they are on a losing streak. Young teams tend to be very streaky. When everything is clicking, it is great. When they start to go down the drain, they struggle. Sometimes one loss can start the spiral. Just like one big win can start a streak.
So just to understand correctly. The Thunder may pass the Blazers as a whole, or the team that is currently being fielded on the court?
The Blazers currently being fielded on the court. I am not so sure that is so far from "reality" of a full strength team either, because at this point I have no idea if we will ever get jack shit from Oden, and while I dig Joel as a player due to his toughness, even with him we are no better than we were last year, which is a 1 and out in the playoffs. For all the talking about potential Blazer talent, it sure would be nice if somebody stepped up on a consistent basis and showed it. Good players show up every night. I can't name anybody on the Blazers who shows up every night right now.
Gotcha. Just making sure. and While I dont agree.. I understand your opinion. As for who shows up EVERY night.. yeah Other than Roy not everyone shows up every night. But like you mentioned about young teams being Streaky.. we can forget that alot of our players still are young. (Aside from Miller who has been better with consistency lately) Bayless is just getting real minutes for the first time. Rudy and Batum have been out. Basically the guys who I am having the most trouble with are LMA and Martell.. Martell while still young.. has been in the league for a while. and LMA I dunno what has happened. I hope its just cause he has a bum wheel.
Here is my concern about Aldridge (and I have been an Aldridge supporter for a long time, only having problems with his play this year.) Look at the other PF in the western conference along who are playing better than him(in no particular order) : 1. Duncan. 2. Gasol. 3. Nowitzki. 4. Boozer. 5. Milsap 6. Stoudemire 7. Zbo Now if you also consider that some players like David West, Scola and Landry are playing in similar levels to him (but some of the drafted in the 2nd round) and that Blake Griffin is coming into Clilpperland, that is potentially putting Lamarcus as somewhere from 8th to 12th best PF in the western conference alone. Even worse if you consider Al Jefferson as PF instead of a center. Considering the western conference only has 15 teams and Aldridge was a #2 pick, I don't consider that very good. This was a guy we were expecting to play at another level. Right now I am seeing a repeat of John Hot Rod Williams.
They are basically where we were last season and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see them make a pretty strong playoff push down the stretch. They've got speed, they've got length, they've got a top 5 player in the game and they defend the perimeter pretty well. They aren't a contender and they are still a big man away from being one, but there's an awful lot to like about that team moving forward ... and counting on Durant to leave (at least after his rookie contract) is wishcasting to me; he had no problem playing for Rick Barnes in Austin, and the Thunder are going to be able to extend him and pay him more than any other team, and Presti is building a winner.
Thats what keeps popping up in my mind as well. A pretty damn good team. But still a few pieces away.
