Yah, the identity seems to be whatever anyone feels like at the moment. Which of course, leads to inconsistency and mediocrity. As a team, we have a Nic Batum/Jusuf Nurkic bi-polar identity - sometimes we are really good and look like we could be championship contenders, often we just look like mediocre play-off fodder and sometimes we look like bumbling idiots out there. Of course, that leads to tons of frustration for fans and sagging support. That is also a knock I would, to a degree, put on Lillard. As the team leader, you should impose your identity/ethic on the team. The Drexler-era Blazers were pretty darn consistent. Sure, they had occasions where they were less-so but in general, they were pretty consistent. The Walton-led Blazers were consistently good while their leader was healthy. We see more good games now that Lillard is back but at times, we still look like last-year's tank-a-thon team.
Our identity is under the “to be determined” category. Right now, the roster is just about split between first string vets and a second string development squad. Before the deadline, Cronin needs to make the call on which direction he wants to commit to. Make some painful moves to trade a mix of expendable vets and promising young guys for the seasoned players needed to put around Dame and try to make a deep playoff run, or commit to a full rebuild and likely trade Dame, Grant and others for as many assets as possible to make a rebuild likely to succeed. This fence-straddling is annoying and very unlikely to have any major success.
The teams is just devoid of the talent it takes to be a good team. We rely too much on hot shooting and if that’s not falling we’re going to lose.
But shouldn't these people on here have acknowledged this 4 months ago? This didn't JUST happen FAMS.
Hold up the victory lap a minute there, Mr. Blazers Pessimist. Let’s not overlook the fact that Dame’s missed 12 games this season and that’s had an impact on the Blazers’ place in the standings. Nobody who was expecting the Blazers to do better was anticipating that Dame would be out that much. I don’t know how many of those 12 games the Blazers lost, but I do know that flipping just 5 losses for wins would have the Blazers tied for first in the West.
The Blazers went 5-7 in games without Lillard. But, also there is the fact the Blazers have yet to be fully healthy at all this season. They have been missing several players and there keeps being more and more injuries. Games missed: Dame: 12 Simons: 2 Hart - 2 Grant - 2 Nurkic - 5 Gary Payton II - 36 Nassir Little - 16 Justice Winslow - 8 Drew Eubanks - 2 Trendon Watford - 10 Keon Johnson - 20 Shaedon Sharpe - 1 Jabari Walker - 16
There a middle road team there good enough to be play-in team but bad enough not to be top 5 team in the west. There enough teams bad enough to accomplish the play-in at the end of the season. There 8-10 seed team and think otherwise your fooling yourself.
and who should push the ball hard every chance they get but don't, what a boring fukkin offense, back to watching them (Dame mostly) walk it up the court and then our guards dribble, dribble, dribble, I was hoping for change - what I fool I am
I'll break this down as I read your post....So now I'm a PESSIMIST? Had to look that word up. I wouldn't consider myself negative at all. When have you ever seen me cussing and fearing out on here after a game. Never my friend. I'm not negative, I look for the positive. So for example when this roster was put together last fall, I saw a .500 team. Thats being a PESSIMIST? I'd say the guys on here every time we lose freaking out about how Dame is washed up/Billups can't coach...I would consider them more PESSIMISTIC than I. I didn't "overlook" Dame missing 12 games in the first half of the season. I PLANNED on it. Thus my 40 game win prediction. Maybe the people on here who claimed HCA should have taken a tick and added that scenario into THEIR predictions, like why in the world would you NOT expect him to miss games? What do you think? What's your take on my reply. Kinda makes sense a little bit right?
What if I told you the Pelicans top 3 will only have played 10 games together around all star break. Are we factoring in health when judging all teams or just our Pinwheeled Brothers?
One person’s “realist” is another person’s “pessimist”. It’s all a matter of perspective and what factors you concentrate on and which you leave out in forming your opinions. You say you planned on Dame missing 12 of the first 41 games in making your mind up that the Blazers would just be a .500 team. Really? So who did you see as being the top teams at the midway point? Boston? Milwaukee? The Nuggets? The Pelicans? Did you also operate under the assumption that their top stars would miss 12 games in the first half of the season? If not, why not? I’ve never said that the Blazers as currently constructed are contenders to win it all. I’d probably give them a few games over .500 by season’s end just because I expect Dame to do what Dame always does and go supernova at some point and drag his team into the playoff picture. That said, my bigger bone to pick with you over your position is who gives a rats ass what the record is or the roster is at the midpoint of the season? I’m all in on the assumption that Cronin isn’t going to allow the roster to remain as is after the trade deadline. He’s either going to make some major deals or he’s going to blow it up. I just don’t know which way he will go.
A top 6 team playing very well one game and then like garbage the next. If we don't start being more consistent on both ends of the floor, the rest of this season is gonna be a slog and requiring several trips to the liquor store....or a shrooms dealer, whichever works.
We’re only 14-11 with Dame and we had some impressive wins without him. I don’t think we’re much better if he played all 37. Sad but true.
