Our record is a pleasant surprise - particularly since our method of success doesn't fit the normal model. If you break it down, Roy is the only starter who is clearly and consistently above average. OTOH, Joel, Outlaw, and Rudy have pretty consistently been above average for bench players. What games have we won this season where our bench has not been a significant factor?
These close games on the road like today, NY and Washington are going to be the difference down the stretch in the playoff race. I'll take the good and the luck. The great teams get this kind of luck or good fortune or whatever you want to call it in the regular season.
Holy crap! I completely forgot about GO being from Indy. He would have looked up to JO, and probably Reggie Miller. I guess that explains his footwork--he grew up patterning himself after Dale Davis.
in today's case i was thinking more of blake's step back line drive 3 pointer as being lucky, although you could say we might have got the rebound even if he misses. i didn't think bosh's shot was easy by any means. finley and salmons both had easier shots to beat us.
And we got screwed in Golden State. And if Rudy makes that 3 in Utah, we're tied with 20+ seconds left. And we should have won in New Orleans. These are the things that happen over the course of the NBA season. EVERY team has these types of things happen. The fact is, if every team has these types of things happen, yet we're still 15-7, we're still pretty damn good in relation to all other teams.
You know, they always say the great players find ways to always be in the right places at the right time, well we just have a bunch of clutch players.
If Steve only hit about 25-30% of his threes I'd say you have a point, but instead he was guarded by the worst defensive point guard in the league and he hits about 43% from downtown. He could have missed, but he didn't, and so we get to have an upbeat day around the forums instead of seeing "Blake sucks" or "Trade Steve" in 15 different threads.
I'll take it. You remember how many games we lost by 1 or 2 points last year compared to how many we won.
Exactly. It's about time people start to recognize the genius of Nate's coaching abilities, as well as his ability to play out the game in his mind before a play occurs.
Congratulations. He's also on my list, along with every other guy that ever existed and ever will exist.
Yep, but they'll get there. So far, the only two teams we haven't been competitive with are the Lakers in Celtics - the two teams that went to the finals last year and have the best records in the league this season. The way Cleveland is playing right now, they might also be considered an elite, or near-elite team. Other than that, there aren't any other teams in the league that the Blazers can't compete with, and beat, on a regular basis. We currently have the 2nd best record in the Western Conference - in spite of playing between 4 and 7 more road games than any of the other top 16 teams in the entire NBA. Given the difficultly of our early season schedule, I'm more than satisfied with where this team is right now. It's a long season. When the schedule came out, many were afraid we'd get off to a bad start and it would be a set back to our young players' confidence. The exact opposite has happened. This young team has had great success and their confidence has improved. They will just continue to get better over the course of the season. It's much more important to be able compete with the elite teams in May and June than in November and December. And, if we can finish the season where we are right now - as the 2nd seed in the West - the earliest we'd see one of those elite teams in the play-offs is the Western Conference Finals. BNM
