Yeah I thought of that the other day too. We didn't want to play the two time champion Lakers at all in round 1. All the analysts picked Dallas as the worst HCA team and the Lakers as the favorites. Well it would've been an epic year to beat the Lakers and they were a mess as Dallas proved in easily sweeping them in round 2. Would have been so sweet to end the Kobe-Phil 5 time title era ourselves even if we'd lost a round later. One big concern with the Clippers is CP3; he has totally dominated Lillard on both ends basically every game we've played. He is an elite mid range shooter which we struggle to defend. We have the big forwards to defend Durant, and are athletic enough to get back on defense to stop Wesbtrook fastbreaks. Westbrook is poor in the half court midrange where our defense is susceptible.
DAMN! Gonna come down to the last night again! I'm sure Memphis is like us and don't want to play any of the top 3! Whatever happens, I can't believe this is even happening. So proud of our guys this season!
Blazers 39-36 BOS - a must win to have a chance at #5. Payback due as well. MIA - opponent b2b 3in4 - should be a win against a tired, road weary MIA squad. @GS - b2b - Loss. GS going for a historical record with Portland on a b2b. @SAC 3in4 - Another 'must win' game even though POR struggles there. Possibly depends on who is in the lineup for SAC OKC - b2b 4in5 opponent b2b 3in4 - Have to win your home games. Both teams will be tired. MIN - Win...it's MIN DEN - Win...better be a win. That gives POR a 45-37 record but I'm not sure I see them going 6-1 down the stretch so with wiggle room, 44-38. Memphis 41-34 TOR - Loss. Raptors still chasing CLE. Glad this game isn't any later in the season when it might be a lost cause. @ORL - Magic out of the Playoffs so it's about how MEM plays. Should be a win. CHI - Battle of the injured lineups. Pick 'em game. @DAL - Loss. Mavs fighting for that last Playoff spot at home. GS - b2b - Loss. Warriors on their quest helps us when it hurt us a few days earlier. @LAC - Clippers likely in a 'no-win' scenario and may rest their starters. Pick 'em @GS - b2b Should be a loss but GS may have the record wrapped up by then and might sit starters against a hungry MEM team. That gives MEM somewhere between 43-45 wins depending on other teams spots in the Playoff race. This is going to be very close and we may all end up regretting some of those total meltdowns in games like HOU even more than we did at the time.
How Stotts doesn't win Coach of the Year is beyond me. He has done MORE with LESS than anybody else in the league!
See, I don't look at it like that. I look at it like we are lucky to even be in this position. We won so many games we didn't even deserve being in.
Yeah, but nobody is going to remember this team in ten years. The Warriors may very well break the win record. If that happens, you can bet that Kerr gets the nod.
I hear ya. Thing is you or I could coach a team loaded like that. I think the real coaching is when you are a middle of the road team and kick ass when nobody expects you to.
Just like MOST improved. Look at Curry's numbers and you might make an argument that he is even better than LAST season.
Outside of Blazer fans, I suspect Stotts is highly respected. Blazer fans don't appreciate him because they have convinced themselves that Olshey has put together a roster of future super-stars. Everybody else recognizes that he has made chicken salad out of chicken shit! Stotts has made Olshey look good.
I believe Stotts has the respect and backing from his superstar. That shit goes a LONG way in the locker room!
You're right, but it's Klay beating Dame for an All-Star spot. Or Aldridge for that matter. They get the nod even though their numbers aren't better because of their team achievements. That's just how the league works.
One could make a pretty good argument ( and the East coast will for sure) that Boston's Brad Stevens has done even better with less. They have no one of Dame's caliber and they are sitting at 12 games over .500 currently in a tie for HCA in the 1st round.
A lot of coaches are in difficult situations where any critics can argue against them and be right. If they lose you can critique what they did because you know when they did didn't work so any alternative has a chance of being better. It's super easy to point out flaws in hindsight. Look at Monty Williams last year on the Pelicans, got fired while getting that wreck of a roster to the playoffs. They had many injuries last year too; he started Luke Babbitt when Anthony Davis was injured and won games to get in the playoffs. They were very competitive with the Warriors in a couple of the round 1 games.
They were picked by Vegas to have a winning record. They had many proven rotational players when the season started. They have an allstar which we don't have. I do think he's an excellent coach but Stotts team has far more unexpected success.
