Portland's over/under and Their Schedule

are you really trying to say we are a better team without CJ/Nurk? Either that, or you misread my post.

 

I didn't misread it and I'm not saying that we're better. We had a much harder strength of schedule while they were healthy and they were also on the mend so they weren't at full strength when they got back but we weren't that much better with them or with Norm instead of Gary, we just weren't. So I don't see them being healthy tacking on ten extra wins or anything. The fun part is that we'll get to see (fingers crossed no big injuries).

 

Isn't that a negative itself?

I have hope for Billups in the long run - but it strikes me as unreasonable to predict there won't be a learning curve. I fully expect the team to look ugly over the first half of the season, then make a run at a play-in berth. What that means for Dame's future, only he knows.

 

This is very realistic and makes me really worried. If the team does have a rocky time between the start of the season and the trade deadline and doesn't make a major trade at that point to put a better team around Dame and then we're in the play-in and out before the second round... I think we'll see Dame ask out at the end of the season.

If it's a rough start but we acquire someone that gives the team a lot of promise and boosts us to the point we get into the playoffs and to the second round maybe Dame gives that team another shot next season.

 

that's the night the lights went out in Georgia

 

Covid!
You just never know what else they will take from us!

 

Of course getting COY is like the kiss of death. Fired by next summer.

 

I made a bunch of bets

Blazers over 44 wins
Blazers WCF 25 to 1
Blazers Champs 66 to 1
Blazers over 6ers or Bucks in finals
Billups COY about 25 to 1

I believe our odds are much higher than Vegas, they have us near the Bulls or Pelicans who don't have a chance.

If the season goes real well I think we could make the WCF... then I would put some small bets against the Blazers to guarantee profits.

Also I bet Lakers under 52 wins. They are old as shit

GSW under 49 wins. Klay will be rusty as hell. They won't be any better this year in the regular season although they might be scary when the playoffs start.

 

that might be a good bet, but I wouldn't make it

Klay could very well be rusty; but he could also come back similar to how Durant came back...with his shooting as good as ever

Warriors 'lost' Kelly Oubre, Kent Bazemore, and Eric Paschall. But they added veterans Otto Porter & Nemanja Bjelica. From what I've seen of Porter, I think he'd be a great fit in the Warrior offense; same for Bjelica. They also brought back Iggy although he looked pretty well baked last year. And they also added rookies Jonathan Kuminga & Moses Moody. If either one of those guys has a strong season, and I'd give Kuminga a decent chance of doing that, the Warriors will be stronger. And last year, they got less than half a season from Wiseman, who per36 averaged 19 & 10

and Golden State recognizes something that Portland almost seems to dismiss: the importance of having two-way wings in the 6'5-6'9 range:

Otto Porter 6-8
Damion Lee 6-5
Andrew Wiggins 6-7
Moses Moody 6-6
Draymond Green 6-6
Andre Iguodala 6-6
Juan Toscano-Anderson 6-6
Klay Thompson 6-6
Jonathan Kuminga 6-8

I'd much rather have that kind of collection than a collection of 5 or 6 guards under 6'4

* obviously, the Warriors are one of those teams that will heavily depend on good luck with injuries. Several of their players have concerning injury histories as well as the status of Klay. They, along with the Lakers, Jazz, & Suns (CP3) will be skating on real thin injury ice all year. You might add the Clippers to that but mainly it's because of Kawhi. I think the ice is pretty thin for Portland too with Nurkic, Zeller, and Nance

but I do think you're right in that there is way too wide a gulf between Portland at 43.5 and Golden State at 48.5. I think Portland is the safer bet and that way, you're pulling for your favorite team to win instead of hoping for another team to lose

 

which one of Portland's wings is actually a two-way player? Good on both ends of the floor?

for instance, RoCo would be the most likely, but he averaged 9 points in the playoffs

 

yep...that's a problem

 

Snell, Brown, Elleby….Watford!!!??? Who the hell ARE these people?

GIMME’ ME BACK MY BLAZERS!