every team in the playoffs this year had to play us with 3 starters out and one key reserve aka Roy, Batum, Oden and Joel How would we do against them then?
It would certainly make me more confident about this team's chances in the playoffs ... maybe that's why there was so much talk about every team in the West licking their chops at the prospect of playing the Blazers in round one.
I think you've hit upon the crux of our problems. It's not Nate's ability to solve the Suns, it's that we simply have too many pieces missing. And it's not just missing the starters; it's that we have to deplete our bench to fill our starting roles and that crushes our bench. I think we beat the Suns simply with a healthy Roy and Batum, much less a healthy GO and Joel. It's a tough season and an even tougher way to end it.
To flip it around, I'm not sure there's a single team in the playoffs that I feel confident the team, with all these injuries, could beat in a series. MAYBE Milwaukee (who are also missing their starting center and shooting guard). PERHAPS the Bulls. Nobody in the West.
I agree with maxiep.....this team is a shell of what it should be with all those Starters out. I think that IF Portland had it's starters we'd be in a far better place right now. With this series going the way it is, I'd hope that we could trade Joel's contract for a outside shooter that shots a very high percentage. If Portland could hit from downtown LaMarcus would have more of an impact. I'd think that the Blazer Management is paying attention.
