http://espn.go.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/por/seasontype/2/portland-trail-blazers Home in bold: 1.) Philly 2.) Sacramento B2B 3.) Denver 4.) Clips 5.) OKC 6.) Lakers 7.) PHX - B2B 8.) Cleveland 9.) Clips 10.) Orlando - B2B 11.) SAS 12.) Houston - B2B 13.) NOLA 14.) ATL 15.) TOR 16.) Detroit - B2B 17.) Sac 18.) mem - B2B 19.) GS - B2B2B 20.) PHX What's your guess on our record? I think 17-3 (only losses to OKC, SAS, Clips on road). Maybe 16-4. The Golden State B2B2B game maybe a toss up too.
Getting the Clippers twice in the first 9 games might be a big benefit. MIA took a long time to gel last year, and we could be getting LAC's post-Opening Night hangover mixed with unfamiliar faces. Other than OKC, the first 8 games don't scare me. We could very easily go 0-4 in games 9-12, but I doubt it. The L*kers home/PHX road back-to-back has potential to have us run off the floor. It kind of sucks that at this point we've had one full practice with our entire team playing (minus Oden, of course)...and now we're supposed to make predictions? I can't believe I'm saying this. 16-4 would be unbelievable...but also maybe a disappointment.
OK, I'll bite: 1.) Philly--W 2.) Sacramento--W 3.) Denver--W 4.) Clips--L 5.) OKC--L 6.) Lakers--W 7.) PHX - B2B--W 8.) Cleveland--W 9.) Clips--W 10.) Orlando--L 11.) SAS--L 12.) Houston--W 13.) NOLA--L 14.) ATL--W 15.) TOR--W 16.) Detroit--W 17.) Sac--W 18.) mem--L 19.) GS--L 20.) PHX--W Looks like I'm putting us 13-7. 5-5 on the road, 8-2 at home.
I think Memphis is better than people think--I predicted them 3rd in the west. As for NO, I had to pick an upset somewhere. I could see that as a let-down game in the middle of a long road trip. I almost picked the TOR game as a loss too. I also think that Phoenix game (2nd half of home-road back-to-back) is going to be very tough.
To be honest even the 12-8 could be just as real as 10-10 or 17-3. It all depends on how our team can rebound on this tight schedule. Also, we must take care of the games we are supposed to win. Something I've been a little worried about the past 3 years.
Sounds right to me. I don't see anybody getting off to a really hot start with the condensed schedule, shortage of practice time/preseason games, and guys not being in the best shape. "Parity" is such a buzz word in the NBA these days, but I can't think of another word to describe what I think we'll see given the circumstances.
