Is there a team out there that would benefit more from a shorter season then the blazers? if it gets cut down to 50 or even 40 games and we can get oden healthy...and less games would definitely help roy..AND if we keep andre i think we have a great chance next year. just wanted your guys thoughts
I largely agree with your point on health, but I worry about chemistry. We're going to have to integrate Oden and that's going to take time. A shorter season may benefit a team that already knows how to play together.
With every day that passes, Miller and Camby's value to this team goes more and more from veteran leadership and play on the court, to large, expiring deals off the court. So as long as there were still some trade deadline I would agree about our elder statesmen. Completely agree for the others. When rested, LA is now a top 3 PF in the league. A lockout would (likely) allow Nicolas, Rudy, and Patty to play overseas, at least in the short term to continue to develop their game. Don't sleep on Elliot Williams and his rehab either. While this team certainly lacks consistent outside shooting and a bigger presence in the front court, it also lacks general athleticism and slashing ability. Williams back to 100% could add that dynamic.
I think it benefits old teams that have been together longer. Boston. LA. San Antonio. Less games for their old guys to play, and, as mentioned above, no chemistry issues, or needing time to integrate new pieces.
Yes it was quite the opposite. The league cramed 50 games in to a much shorter time period and reduced the number of rest days between games. That very much hurt veteran teams like Utah and greatly helped deep young teams like Portland and the untalented Orland. Orlando was led by Darrel Armstrong and a cast of scrubs into the playoffs becuase they would play 10 guys 24 minutess a game and run around non-stop. There were back-to-back-to-back games in that season. The Blazers excelled because they had a second unit of Greg Anthony, Jim Jackson, Stacy Augmon, Rasheed, and Jermaine Oneal all playing extensive minutes whereas most teams either had to play tired starters or far less talented bench units. So no I don't belive a lockout would help this team at all, Roy needs more rest between games not playing 3 nights in a row! Sure if we had our entire roster healthy then we may be a deep team, but I'll believe that when I see it. We've talked about "if" this team was healthy for 4 years now, at a point having a few guys out with injuries becomes the expected norm not an exception.
Yet we were one Sean Elliott shot away from possibly going to the Finals, so we did work in the playoffs to, not just because games were jam packed together. (I know we got swept, but that shot killed us for the rest of the series)
The worst thing about that shot, besides that that shit never happens for Portland, is that it is still one of those 'ruin my night' things 12 years later.
