Just a handful of elite teams

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Hoopguru, Feb 5, 2018.

  1. Hoopguru

    Hoopguru Well-Known Member

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    everyone else is posturing and building for 2-4 years out when GS POSSIBLY on the decline? The cycle of change is just to great in sports!
     
  2. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

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    Houston has been working on becoming a true contender for quite some time. Things have to come together. The only thing you can do is keep trying and hope things gel. Winning a championship is about working through the tough times and getting lucky. Right now GS is pretty much one Steph Curry rolled ankle away from not winning it all. Houston looks mediocre at best if Chris Paul breaks his hand again.
    Right now it looks to me like those two teams will be in the Western Conference Finals. But in the end who knows?
     
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  3. Hoopguru

    Hoopguru Well-Known Member

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    agree...there are a few new teams (Minnie/Boston) that are close to the next rung. You are correct in that the planets must line up and some luck on top of that.
     
  4. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

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    The biggest thing i have seen over the years is that teams that stay together and grow. Plugging pieces in and making small adjustments begin to get better over time. Those teams are the ones that become contenders. Blowing things up every 4-5 years is not the way to go. This is why i always say trust the process.
     
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  5. Lukee

    Lukee Well-Known Member

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    Houston can do it this year, they won both games against GS this year, and they have better role players. We'll see.
     
  6. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

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    The Pelicans were also getting things going very well before the Cousins injury. They were working toward the top. Maybe not this year but definitely getting in the mix. Looks like the Twolves are getting things going. You just never know by the end of the season what things will look like.
     
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  7. Minstrel

    Minstrel Top Of The Pops Global Moderator

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    The Warriors are mailing in the regular season. Also, I disagree that Houston has better role players--especially when Jordan Bell returns from injury, Golden State is the deepest team in the league on top of having the most stars, IMO.
     
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  8. cmeese47

    cmeese47 Well-Known Member

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    Houston has built a tremendous starting core, but they are not nearly as deep as Golden State and Paul's injury history has to be concerning.

    For the next couple years it is Golden State's world and we are all just living in it. We should blow it up and try and collect a super star we have an all star but Dame and CJ are two very solid players but neither of them will lead us to a title. The draft can generate a star and it doesn't have to come from the top pick see Kobe, Kawhi, The Greek Freak, etc.

    But that is just one man's opinion
     
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  9. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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    Problem is, we haven't been getting better over time.
     
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  10. ripcityboy

    ripcityboy Well-Known Member

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    Baseball and football are the only major sports where you can built a championship team in a small market. The labor is cheap and controllable enough through league rules that you can project for a window of opportunity. The only thing you can do in basketball is have an occasional All Star and sell sportswear.

    Sorry, I don't follow hockey.
     
  11. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

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    Or the NBA could change the rules on defense and let teams put a hurt on the warriors.
     
  12. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

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    C'mon. Sure they are. If you are trying to go back before Aldridge you are wasting your time. This team is two and a half seasons in the making. they are much improved from last year. No question. And yes they are better than two years ago also.
     
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  13. Nikolokolus

    Nikolokolus There's always next year

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  14. LayneStaley

    LayneStaley Well-Known Member

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    The talent on this team can NOT compete with GS this year, next year, or the year after. We should be taking advantage of the teams like cle who still think they can win a championship this year by selling off our parts for their picks, the next 2 drafts will be very good, get as many elite prospects as possible and hope they are ready as GS starts to decline, with any luck we are the next dynasty.
     
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  15. LayneStaley

    LayneStaley Well-Known Member

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    If only we could have gotten PG, my attitude would be a lot different and this team would be a contender, I believe we would be top 3 right now and if he resigned in 2 seasons when Nurk/Collins were more developed our starting 5 might be the best in the league. Man that’s depressing
     
  16. stampedehero

    stampedehero Make Your Day, a Doobies Day Staff Member Moderator

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    Evan Turner needs an epiphany so he can play professional basketball again.
     
  17. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

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    Still don't know what you are looking for? Are you trying to add a team that was together on 1990 to this conversation? Building a team doesn't depend on what was done 27 years ago? It depends on what is done last year and the year before. 6 years in this league is an eternity. Look at what the roster was 6 years ago? They had Luke Babbit, Nolan Smith, Patty Mills, Elliott Williams, Marcus Camby, Greg Oden, Raymond Felton, Kurt Thomas, Nic Batum, Rudy Fernadez, Joel Pryzbilla, Jamal Crawford and Brandon Roy.
    That team has absolutely nothing to do with the team they have today. Different Coach, different GM, Absolutely different Team altogether.
    In the last two years this team has gone from what everyone expected was going to be a 20-25 win season to people expecting the 4th seed. They will most likely win 43-45 games and make the playoffs for the third time since this team has been created. They have a winning percentage of .537 even with a three game losing streak. At this rate it actually has them winning 44 games. But i would venture a guess at 45-46 by season end.
    Just not sure what your expectations are in the third year of a total rebuild?
     
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  18. Propagandist

    Propagandist Well-Known Member

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    Follow this trajectory and Dame is in the grave by the time we turn the corner.
     
  19. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

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    Your doom and gloom makes me think you are reading the stock report?
    What corner are you looking for? Curry to retire? James?
    The team needs to get another quality 3&D type player and they are a 50 win team. 50+ win teams are in the hunt. Right now they are 45. This is 2 1/2 years into a total rebuild. Where did you expect them to be? Maybe it's not the team or the GM but your expectations.
     
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  20. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    nonsense...Chauncey Billups was just finding his game at Dame's age...Dame is way ahead of the curve
     

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