Perhaps I've missed the previous threads with similar topics. But we've now got some sort of idea of where we stand after preseason, so this is a great time to make our calls for the upcoming season. Team: Wins: 47 Seed in west: 6th Playoff result: bounced out of first round in 6 games Key players: Dame: 21/6/3 on 44%FG, 39%3pt LA: 22/9/2 on 49% FG Nic: 16/6/4 on 43% FG, 38% 3pt Surprise player of the year that will be better than we expect: CJ Disappointment: Mo Anything else? Wes will be traded with some combo of players for another C at the trade deadline
Team: Wins: 44 Seed in west: 7th Playoff result: bounced out of first round in 6 games Surprise player of the year that will be better than we expect: Wright Disappointment: CJ Anything else? Wes will be traded with some combo of players for another SG at the trade deadline
Team: Wins: 55 Seed in the west: 3rd Playoff result: WCF (Lose to OKC in 7 games) Key players: Dame: 22.5 points, 5 dimes, 2 steals on 45% FG, 38% 3 pt LMA: 21 points, 10 boards, 2.5 blocks a game on 50.3% FG Nic: 15 points, 7 boards, 4 dimes a game on 46% FG, 40% 3pt Surprise player: Robin Lopez Disappointment: Leonard Most likely mid-season trade: 3-team (CLE, Philly and Blazers) Matthews goes to Philly, Hawes to Cleveland and Varejao to Portland
I look at the 2008 team that won 54 games, and aside from the massive caveat that we don't have a 24 PER Roy on this team, it's a better team. That Roy caveat is huge, though, so I don't see us getting 54 wins. The downgrade from Roy to Lillard probably makes Portland at 48 or so wins, or where we were in the 2010-11 season with Andre Miller and the honeymoon period with Crash and Camby (pre-Crawful and Failton). Probably a first round exit, but who knows. It's a long season, and Lillard, Batum, Robinson and LMA all have significant potential to exceed expectations.
Pain. We will lose our last game of the season, but it will thankfully not be April 16 against the Clippers.
Team: Wins: 45 Seed in west: 7th Playoff result: Win our first playoff series this century! (not counting the year 2000) Key players: LMA Damian Batum Mo Surprise player of the year that will be better than we expect: Claver Disappointment: Leonard Anything else? If we are below .500 at the trade deadline, LMA will be traded
Yes. I think the biggest issue is "He should be our back-up center" and freeland should be third string. Until he is capable of taking that back, he's a major disappointment to me.
I do think Robin Lopez will be the surprise player of the year. Portland was so atrocious last year defensively, and Lopez is going to stand out remarkably in comparison to Hickson, not just in Portland but nationally. And there's really no reason he shouldn't become an upper tier center. His genetic clone is. How often in the NBA do you have twins where one of them is an elite success and the other is regarded as a fringe starter? Twins are pretty rare, but this article brings up 5 sets. Harvy and Horace had different careers, with Horace getting the rings and the much longer career. But Harvey actually scored more at his peak, scoring 18ppg for three years. The Robin/Brook twin set seems like the real outlier among the list, and given the youth of these two and the injury history, maybe we'll see some regression to the mean here. I don't think Robin will ever have a fraction of Brook's offensive skills, but it seems like the overall quality potential is still there. It just may manifest itself on the defensive end more. He's 25, he's not living in the shadow of Shaq/Amare/Anthony Davis, and he's on a competitive playoff team that really cares about his defensive services (as opposed to Phoenix/NOH, where defense wasn't always a premium).
Team wins: 42 Seed: 9th Key player: Damian Most surprising: Mo Williams Most Disappointing: Lopez (when he misses 25 games due to injuries)
I agree with you. Actually I think Brook will be the offensive player and Lopez the defensive. And personally, I would rather my center be stronger defensively than offensively. That is of course we have a PF that can score in the low post. I think this is why Aldridge needs to live in the paint. He would absolutely dominate down there. I don't think there is a single player that can play him straight up and win the battle.
Team: Wins: 46 Seed in west: 7th Playoff result: Upsetting Clippers in first round 4-2, only to lose 4-1 to the Thunder in round two. Key players: Lillard: 23/7/3 on 46%FG, 37%3pt Aldridge: 22/10/3 on 51% FG Batum: 17/6/5 on 46% FG, 41% 3pt Surprise player(s) of the year that will be better than we expect: Crabbe & Claver Disappointment: Robinson Anything else? McCollum will comeback very strong and have Bradley Beal-like numbers.
I think thats fair and I couldn't have said it better myself. I will take it even a step further and say the surprise player will be Allen Crabbe.
