The Official Win Total Prediction Thread

I am getting excited about the trade deadline because of this. I think with the right move or two, we are a shoe in for the 8th spot.

 

I know right? Im so excited I had to go back and fix all my dumb typos. HAHA. But hey... you can join me in the excitement!
On the side Stren, how often do you get to go to games?

 

There are so many bad teams this year. Washington and Milwaukee are especially disappointing after having such a great year last season. Houston is horrible. Sac hasn't improved at all.

 

And this is why we will get the 8th seed

 

Man, I just don't think that's a good thing. In fact, I think that's the worst case scenario for me.

 

Any other year I would agree, but this is an anomaly year. 8th seed tells the league and all the stars that we are much better than everyone thought. They will see the upside and our cash to spend and I think there will be a few who will want to hop on the Blazers bandwagon.

 

Well shit, that sounds like something Kingspeed would say.

 

Like who? Who's going to sign with us? Durant? I find that highly unlikely.

 

Thats because we are on the same homer page and not gonna deviate!

Honestly, I dont think the big signing will happen this year. It will be a trade to nail down the second of a big three and then Durant will sign with us the year after when he hits free agency.

I think this trade deadline/offseason will be more about trading away who isnt fitting to find the 2nd star. NO isnt going to toss his extra cash around just to sign. He proved that this last offseason. The guy has tricks and I believe he can bring in the names in the next two years.

 

Durant is a free agent this summer.

 

And this is why you get called delusional. Not because you think we can make the POs, but because you think players are going to want to join a 1st round Playoff team. Never mind the fact that there aren't any good free agents next summer (who are likely to come here) OR that EVERY team is going to have money to spend.

 

When was the last time a top flight free agent was interested in Portland? We couldn't even convince Monroe to sign here last year.

 

We had Monroe's interest..we had Hibbert's interest..we had Kanters interest..We had Aminu's interest..there's really no more reason to think small markets can't attract free agents...Monroe ended up going to a small market anyway ..San Antonio is a small market. Sometimes as with Steve Blake, it's a question of where you want your kids growing up.

 

I didn't say we couldn't attract any free agents, I said we couldn't attract top flight free agents. Hibbert, Kanter, and Aminu are not top flight. Monroe isn't really either, but he was one of the more sought after guys this past summer.

 

Ahh, well, I dont want him anyhow. Too old for this team.

I already addressed this though and no one refuted anything. I think someone said I had some good points.

First, How do we not know that Monroe got some inside info on our team breaking apart and didnt want to be a part of a rebuild? Last year that's what EVEYRONE in the league thought Portland would be doing... a first of a three year rebuild. But then NO fit 2 years into 2 months. Things are MUCH different now than they were in the summer.
People seem to be living in the past, so lets take a glance....

Last years team was a 3-4 year old team. We didnt have money and had most of the pieces and didnt need another superstar. This means the last few years cant count with regards to trying to sign a big name player. Before that? We had a killer core from the draft and didnt need to sign a top tier.. we had Roy Aldridge and Oden. Before that? Pretty much the jail blazers era and if I was a free agent, I wouldnt have wanted to come here either. Before that? We DID sign Bryan Grant, Scottie Pippen, and a bunch other top tier free agents. The team before that? I honestly dont know. I lived in NY and CO during the early to mid 90's up until 03'.

Again. Aldridge met with two of the biggest markets in the NBA and decline them for a small market. Greg Monroe declined big offers to stay with an up and coming Detroit team in a small market.
Trends change man. Lets not get stuck in one gear and think thats all there ever will be. Remember those that say never.......usually get burnt and understand we should never say never. Everything changes in this world but two things. You are born and you die. Everything else can change... including NBA players mentality of where to go play ball and why.

Thats my ranting rebuttal to all this... NO ONE WILL EVER COME HERE...

Just like Denny, Im just not buying it.

 

Not having gone back and looked, I'd say the last quality free agent signing we've had was Danny Ainge. He was still at the top of his game when he joined us. Portland just isn't a blip on star player's radars.

 

Wes ended up being a great signing, but this place was up in arms when we gave this undrafted player all that money.