Out of interest, let's say a completely healthy Blazers team made it to this finals series - do you think they could have competed with either a banged up Cavs or the Warriors? As much as I love the team this year, I think we get beaten well by both. I think Lebron would dominate against Wes and Batum, and the thought of Curry dancing around the screens on the pick and roll makes me sick.... What say you?
Until Dame or our offense learns how to pass out of the trap/double that Curry gets out of often. CLE and 'bron would destroy us. Against the Warriors, I think we'd hang, until our second unit came in. Then their depth would propel them.
About the only team I see beating the Warriors (much as it pains me to say it) is a completely healthy OKC. With a better coach.
I think neither Golden State or the Cavs has an answer for a healthy LMA. That said, the Blazers have no answer for James or Curry. I see the Blazers winning a couple of games but losing the series against either.
I think we could hang/beat the Warriors. Not the Cavs though. Too much size and LeBron would average 70 playing this way against us. BATUM WOULD GET WORKED AND WES IS WAY TOO SMALL.
If we were magically given a bye to the Finals, we would have beaten Cleveland. Any of the eight playoff teams in the West could have beaten Cleveland. It's too bad we had fucking Golden State busting the grading curve when we had the weakest Eastern Conference in the history of the NBA.
If LA had both thumbs, Wes had both legs, Afflalo had a good shoulder, Kaman had a good back and DWright was healthy I think last season we could beat any team in the league even if they were healthy. A healthy bench of CJ Meyers Kaman Afflalo and Wright would have been able to keep momentum. I think the team was primed to win it all but injuries shackled the chance. We'll never know. The Warriors would have been a tough series but not unbeatable.
A completely healthy Blazers team is on a par with either of these teams. We should have beaten the Warriors at the very start of the year and whenever both the Blazers and Warriors were both reasonably healthy for the last couple of years, those games have been very competitive.
Completely healthy, their ceiling was losing the WCF to the Warriors. I would have called that a successful season. Not a championship - but moving in the right direction.
You're not the only person I've heard say this-- and it's just bullshit. People keep forgetting (a) how dominant the Hawks were against the West, and (b) that the Cavs just destroyed the Hawks. Also: the Cavs were one free throw away from going up 3-0 on the Warriors.
I believe we could beat the Warriors but over a stretch of seven games we would lose to the Cavs especially since Wes is not in it.
The Hawks were swooning post-ASG with the same number of losses (11) as before the all star break. Cleveland benefitted from injuries to Kevin Love removing his sorry ass from their lineup. But regardless, Cleveland was pretty poor against the West, all told. I think we might have had the hardest time against them, but SA, Dallas, LAC, Memphis, GSW? All are locks to beat Cleveland.
To arrive at a berth with the Warriors we had to beat Memphis. If that happened, and the confidence was solid, my feeling was towards the Blazers over the Warriors.
It's a team issue not Dame. This has been a pet peeve of mine for two seasons. One reason why I like Dame and CJ in at the same time. Those two plus Nic may be able to handle it. We need three ball handlers who can attack the basket at all times and that is not Wes' strength. Phoenix (two years ago) and Memphis, GS and the Clippers this year all exposed it. Terry needs to prepare the team a little better for it.
