14 of them against sub 500 teams 13 at home The table is set and it's winning time. How many do you have us winning and will it be enough? I'm gonna hope for 13-9. I think that's realistic. At 38-44, is that enough to earn a date with the crumbling Warriors?
16-6 .500 First round Cinderellas! Second round streak stays alive! WCF 2017-18 or bust! Let's go! #RipCity
It seem much more possible now that the Blazer win enough to make the Playoffs....and thereby remain in basketball purgatory. Even if the Blazers somehow managed to upset the Warriors, it would due to injury, not due to being the better team. Getting to the 2nd round last year did nothing for the team this year.
I disagree that the Blazers will be in basketball purgatory... they have the pieces to build a great team... Nurkic and Harkless are young studs, and three 1st rd picks. As soon as Neil realizes that Dame and CJ don't work together, we will get a nice player to go with Dame, Harkless, and Nurkic and be a legit contender. Also, Id argue that increasing current rosters players value by making playoffs helps more in future trades than moving up a few spots in the draft.... unless you win lottery and get number 1 pick, getting pick 5 or 6 will not return a star in trade.
Tell that to the Eastern Conference. Just two years ago, they had two teams with losing records make the playoffs, for the second time in 8 years. That capped a decade long stretch where the Eastern Conference had at least one playoff team with a losing record 8 times in 10 years. So, what's the solution? Give the top seed a by? Do away with conferences and just take the 16 best teams? I'd start by making it harder to form super teams with your super friends. The Heatles and Whorriors have destroyed parity in the league. When the top teams are winning a record number of games, it means fewer wins for everyone else. If the playoffs were held today, the 8th seeds in both conferences would have losing records. Would the (currently 29-32) Pistons have any chance at all of upsetting the Cavs? Would the (currently 28-33) Nuggets stand a chance against the Warriors? I'd also like to see the cutoff for playoff rosters be the same as the trade deadline. I think it's bullshit that the defending champs get to add ring chasing vets lake Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut to an already stacked roster. Those teams already have an unfair advantage in attracting free agents at below market rates during the off season. Plus, they also get to add more cheap ring chasers nearly 60 games into the regular season. That's bullshit. BNM
I kind of love this idea. Just give the top seed a bye in the first round if the eight seed is a loser.
The NBA would never go for that. Too much money at stake. In the past, just doing away with the conferences and taking the top 16 teams would have solved the problem, but this year, it looks like there will only be a total of 14 teams with winning records. With CHI and IND both sitting at 31-30, that number could drop to as few as 12 teams with winning records. The NBA has become a league of the rich getting richer at the expense of the middle class. BNM
I think if your over the LT you shouldn't be able sign other players. Especially players that going make you even stronger.
What is purgatory? Rockets were 8 seed last year, added a couple shooters, and are now what, 43-19? 8 seed doesn't mean 8 seed next year.
Conferences are not equal in strength enough to do this....the Blazers would have a much better record in the eastern conference every year...competition in the west is just brutal
Injuries happen every year. Would you not take the Warriors' 2015 championship because some of the Cavs were hurt? And does the 2016 championship not count for Cavs because the Warriors' Bogut got hurt?
I for one was telling a lot my friends please do not make the playoffs last year it was pointless But I'm glad we did now, so last year can be a case study for future reasons to use as an example when making it to the playoffs is pointless
They play games. The goal is to win. We can't forfeit. Last year was fun for as far as we got. It's entertainment. If I root for them to lose, it makes no difference. If your friends root for them to lose, it makes no difference. They won't suddenly play worse for our benefit.