Lopez is going to surprise you. I've been keeping up on this guy for three years. He maybe raw offensively; but the dude loves contact and alters shots. Playing next to Aldridge will up his numbers. Trust me
I think this is true. I don't think he's great, but the guy really hasn't ever played with a post scoring threat anybody doubles onto. The post options in Phoenix and New Orleans have been non-existent. Aldridge is constantly doubled and a much better rebounder than Lopez is used to playing with. I think that he'll be perfect as a big body next to Aldridge for 15 minutes a night, in during the 10-15 minutes Aldridge isn't in, and Aldridge can work in the post next to a scrappy Robinson the other 20 minutes he's in. I just wish we had someone on the team better at feeding Aldridge. Lillard and McCollum need to learn quickly.
Batum was that guy last season. As long as batum has range; he's going to get the ball in easier. I really would love to see more double screens with Aldridge setting the first pick and Lopez setting the hard one. Lillard would really get free'd up and Aldridge could roll for the dunk or Lillard would be in a good position to finish around the rim.
Well looking at the west there are 3 teams ahead of the pack in the Thunder, Clippers, and Rockets. Then a cluster-fuck of teams on par with each other that include the Spurs, Grizzlies, Blazers, Nuggets, Mavs, and Warriors. Then of course the bottom feeding Lakers, Timberwolves, Jazz, Pelicans, Kings, and Suns. I like our chances of making the playoffs.
There are a lot of things that seem "little" that if they fall in place, we could shock a lot of people. If Lillard takes that next step... If CJ comes in and is game-ready from day one and contributes serious minutes... If Sideshow Bob stays healthy and replicates next season... If having a deeper bench (and them playing effectively/efficiently) elevates the wear-and-tear so Batum and Wed can stay healthy and not fade down the stretch... None of these seem out of the realm of possibility. If several of these happen, or things that seem less likely (like Barton, Crabbe, T-Rob or Leonard really growing and making an unexpected huge impact - which, BTW, I expect at least 3 will be contributors, but if one or more really advances...), we'll have a good season.
Houston, LA Clippers, and Memphis should be locks. Have not heard about Westbrook's progress, but it should be safe to say OKC will be there. They lost Martin too. I have been writing SA off and they keep defying their age. So five teams with significantly better odds. Golden St. and Denver both had major roster changes. Not so sure the W's improved after losing Jack and Landry. Denver changed coaches and have not improved in free agency. Two with better odds, but not overwhelming. Would not be surprised if one finished below us. On paper Minnesota improved. Seems they have been doing that for awhile with nothing to show. Dallas also played well late. Two with the same odds. The Hornets improved, but think they are still not a 500 team. The Kings will probably remain the same. The Suns and Jazz are definitely tanking. The Lakers should be awful. Five teams with lower odds. For us, Robinson, Lopez, CJ, and Wright should be an improvement over Hickson and Maynor. Would like to see one more significant player added with our exception though.
In no particular order OKC,SA,Memphis,LAC,GState,Houston are shoe ins for the playoffs. I'd prefer me miss em than get the 8th spot.
Making the playoffs will be more beneficial to the Blazers imo. It sends the message to LA that we are making moves to compete and we are giving the young guys needed experience for the future. I like to think about it like when the Thunder lost to the Lakers in 2010 in the 1st round, that gave Durant/Westbrook/Harden playoff experience and they pushed the Lakers to their limits. Plus I doubt we will retain our draft pick next year with the roster constructed.
Barely miss them or miss them badly. Barely missing them means we don't get our 1 st round pick. So we have to really suck for it to be worth while.
Bulletin...Nuggets will not make playoffs...you heard it here first...Blazers will...simple method...don't tank, for first time in years, to keep Aldridge...
Sometime around the All Star break, there are going to be a whole host of teams who look at their position, realize they're not going to compete for a deep playoff run and there are going to be a rash of "injuries" like we haven't seen in years. If we're healthy and we still have Aldridge, we're likely a 6-8 seed playoff team, losing in the 1st round. If we're injured, then we tank and likely move LA.
I feel like people are being unreasonably pessimistic about this season. Really, our starters are all above average, with Aldridge and Lillard being close to elite. This team fits together well, has depth now, has role players. Last season we started out well out of the gate and plenty of people thought we had a chance at the playoffs then. Injuries can happen sure, but with the way Batum played early last year, and Lamarcus not having to play out of position, and improved interior defense I don't see why we wouldn't be considered a playoff lock. I really don't see any teams (other than Heat) we couldn't make a competitive series with on talent. There are some big ifs w/McCollum & Lopez, but the rest of our guys we know fit together and compliment well. I really think we're a 4-5 seed.
Dame needs to take the leap. If he can go from 19/7 to 23/8 or so with better efficiency, he's gonna be an all star and we will win ~ 50 games. If he stagnates a bit or hits a sophomore slump, we will win ~40 games and miss the playoffs while losing our pick. Our newly acquired depth should result in fewer mins so he can be more aggressive in the mins he plays. Biggest improvements I want from him are his D and more FTA.
