Game Thread 2022-23 Game #18 - BLAZERS @ CAVALIERS - NOVEMBER 23, 2022 - WEDNESDAY - 4:00 PM (PDT) ROOT

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Chris Craig, Nov 21, 2022.

  1. THE HCP

    THE HCP NorthEastPortland'sFinest

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    You’re crazy son! They have so outplayed what I was expecting. This is fabulous!
     
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  2. THE HCP

    THE HCP NorthEastPortland'sFinest

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    Get mad if you want, but it seems like the only people all upset and disappointed are those who thought this team was the best team
    In the west. We are ahead of my predicted pace and I’m very happy and proud of what this team
    Has accomplished so far.
     
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  3. TBpup

    TBpup Writing Team

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    From #1 to #9 in the span of a week. Sigh....
     
  4. wizenheimer

    wizenheimer Well-Known Member

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    lol...yeah, they just got buried. they are 1 game out of 2nd and 1.5 games out of 1st
     
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  5. blazerfan11

    blazerfan11 Well-Known Member

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    They need to run more offense in general with Dame not playing. Running some plays for Sharpe would be nice.
     
  6. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    uh..sorry to break it to you but this team WAS the best in the West and is now 1 game or 1.5 games behind best of the west. The west is a total crap shoot except for the purple and piss puddle down south
     
  7. RR7

    RR7 Well-Known Member

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    Seriously! Sigh? What a shit take. We're 18 games in. Oh dear, look how far we've fallen! Shit takes galore!
     
  8. Fairly-Hard

    Fairly-Hard Former Member Gone New!

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    9 is about what a bunch of us expected. Now can Chauncy Billups and the team stay at 500 through the next quarter of the season and keep some players healthy doing it. Now the question is where will they be when they are at the halfway point?
    This has been a huge stretch that very well could have had them in the bottom of the conference. They lose 3 or 4 of those close games and this team is tanking. They very easily could have dropped a few more games.
     
  9. Fairly-Hard

    Fairly-Hard Former Member Gone New!

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    Yeah but standing at this point? Look at what you are watching in the games. They need to work on things and they will for sure. They need to stay healthy and they need to find some offense.
     
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  10. wizenheimer

    wizenheimer Well-Known Member

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    sure...worrying about standings 18 games into an 82 game schedule is foolish, especially considering there is more context to reality in the current standing since variance is so wide for different teams.

    how about SOS; strength of schedule:

    upload_2022-11-24_8-20-31.png

    upload_2022-11-24_8-21-12.png

    that certainly may have a much bigger impact at this point in time when the separation between teams is so small. I mean, compare the Blazers SOS to Sacramento. Blazers have played a top-2 toughest SOS and Kings have played one of the easiest. Yet the Kings are only a half game ahead and the Blazers own the tie-breaker, at this point. Which team is really in a better position right now?
     
  11. AldoTrapani

    AldoTrapani Well-Known Member

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    We have the same record as last year at this time lol
     
  12. AldoTrapani

    AldoTrapani Well-Known Member

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    Ant Simons smh
     
  13. Fairly-Hard

    Fairly-Hard Former Member Gone New!

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    Did you expect much better results than having CJ, Rocco, Powell Dame and Nurk, Nance? Seriously?
     
  14. Tince

    Tince Well-Known Member

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    That's not his fault. That's on the GM. Money doesn't make you more talented.
     
  15. Tince

    Tince Well-Known Member

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    It's fair to having higher expectations, but if Ant being paid more is causing you to think he will be better, I think you're setting yourself up to be disappointed. If Cronin paid me $1k/year of $100m/year, I'd be an equally unqualified NBA player.

    Ant had never produced as a top 4 player on a winning team in the NBA prior to his contract extension. In my opinion there was no reason to think he'd magically turn into a top 2 player on a .500ish team because of the amount of 0's in his contract.
     
  16. Tince

    Tince Well-Known Member

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    I agree with the first part. Of course, strength of schedule metrics after 18 games are also somewhat meaningless. I would've taken 10-8 after 18 games with a healthy team. I'm certainly going to take 10-8 with Dame missing 7 of those games.

    I believe this was a play-in team heading into the season and I haven't seen enough to change that stance, yet.
     
  17. HailBlazers

    HailBlazers RipCity

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    Ants contract was an investment. These things take time to pay off.
     
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  18. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    I've been a die hard fan since 77 my friend....I never set myself up for disappointment ...I react to the current state of play and call it like I see it...whether highly paid or a rookie...if they only produce for a qtr of a game, they shouldn't be a starter regardless of the paycheck...that's a Jamal Crawford role to come in and chuck late in a game you're losing. I've said several times...shooting 16.7% for a half is not a rotation players stat. I'm not a huge Ant fan as some here are....I ate crow about Ant after that great road trip and since then I've sort of thrown it all back up. I hope he wakes the fuck up...as a fan for sure. Right now the kid has taken seveal steps back and he's stopped attacking the rim...doesn't get to the line and throws the ball away...I put an address on it.
     
  19. Tince

    Tince Well-Known Member

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    Sorry, I thought you said one of the reasons you had higher expectations was because of the money Ant makes. If I read that (direct quote) wrong, I stand corrected. I know you say you've never set yourself up for disappointment, but your post reads of disappointment. I'm certainly not questioning how many years you've been a fan and I'm happy to hear you've been one for 45 years.

    To me, he looks slightly improved over his average production in the previous 3 years. I strongly disagree he's taken several steps back. He does have a lot of the flaws he's always had. I don't try to gauge improvement over 5 game stretches and like to allow the law of averages to work themselves out.
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2022
  20. Strenuus

    Strenuus Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

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    In November. No one should care about standing slides.
     
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