This time last year Portland was 9 - 9. At the end of November Portland was 10 - 10. 10 games on the road.(12 teams +Nuggets(40-42) who finished the year above .500) At the end of December Portland was 14 - 21. 19 games on the road.(25 teams + Nuggets(40-42) who finished the year above .500) Portland bringing back the same roster sits at 12-8 with one road game left in Nov. Which is a better start than the past two years. Portland is 8-4 in the supposedly stacked Western Conference. Portland will have played 17 road games out of 35 total at the end of December. Portland will have played 20 games against the West at the end of December. People say the schedule SoS is swapped for Portland this year. Spoiler After the break, which Portland for the last two years has made some hay to get a playoff spot. Portland has 19 of 24 games against teams who were playoff teams last year, were 40-42 last year, or are currently above .500 11 of those 19 games are at home. Portland currently has played 13 of their 20 games this year. Against teams who were a playoff team last year, were 40-42 last year, or are currently 1-2 games under .500 or better.(Memphis, Magic, OKC, Lakers) As long as Portland doesn't shit the bed in December, and early Janurary like the have the past couple of years. Making the playoffs isn't a question. Just a little perspective. I've said for a couple years now, if Portland can be a .500 road team. With as good as they are at home, they'll be fighting for a top 4 seed.
Last year at this time Portland had played 10 road games.(which is the total they played in November) So far Portland has 9 road games. The 27th when you're in NY will be Portland's last road game in November and their 10th of the year.
Well it show good signs if you can win on the road. We are 3-1 and good chance 4-1 on Monday. Sometimes on the road the team comes together especially when your struggling. Are we there no but every win give you more confidence for the next game and the the way we won coming from behind tonight could be a turning point for this team.
This is true, but not if they relax at home. The key for the Blazers IMO is to continue to play every game as an under dog. They are not good enough to coast in any game. The league is so balanced this year that they should be in almost every game. And also could lose almost every game. At some point when the rotation gets figured out maybe they can reduce the stupid turnovers. They can't afford to waste any possessions. But this was a big win considering they were down 15 with 9 to go. (7 with 3 to go)
You two ghosts are aware that the favorable early Blazers schedule has been a topic of discussion around here since the NBA released the schedule, right? You still have to play and win the games.
I think what used to be considered favorable doesn't apply so much this season...Philly used to be on the favorable schedule...Wolves...etc...there is a log jam in the middle of the win loss column across the NBA....only really Boston and GS have stayed on top...it's a new landscape out there.
During the regular season I'm always more concerned with HOW they play, than the final score. This team is shit. That doesn't mean I don't think they'll make the POs - they will. But Tater Totts' playbook is BASIC, and he clearly doesn't have the team ready to play most nights. We need at least one major roster move and a new coach before this team can take another step forward.
Oh, sure. You’d miss me as much as I’d miss you if we ignored each other. So, yeah, I guess it is believable.
Outside of the 6 games against the Nets, Suns & Kings. Who are the other teams you'd favor Portland to be considerably better than, therefore favored in the match up? I'm curious because frankly I've said over and over again Portland isn't any better nor are they worse than the other 9 teams who will be battling for the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th seed.
Well we are 3:1 on this road Trip, but the reality is, Portland has been Incredibly lucky on this road Trip with the injuries from the opponents. Memphis missed Conley and it was a close game, the nets missed russell and Lin and the Blazers still almost lost and now against the wizards they didn't had their best player in John wall and the Blazers where down 17 in the 4th and again almost lost. So without all these injuries maybe the Blazers would have lost all 3 games and the Trip would be 0:4. I know we missed Aminu to, but he is not a game changer like Conley, Russell and Wall
This strength of schedule thing is way out of hand. The difference between 5th and 20 is like a couple percentage points. and even less between 20 and 32nd. It changes daily as teams win and lose. Then there is a little thing about the Blazers being .666 winning percentage right now so they make other teams strength of schedule tougher than a .500 team. It's a very limited stat and there is way way too much talk about it. Just My opinion.
Oh here we go. The reality is the Blazers have been playing without Aminu and pretty much without Harkless for weeks so there goes that theory.
