I need to come up with something different..... Game 1: Portland Game 2: Houston Game 3: Houston Game 4: Portland Game 5: Portland Game 6: Portland I never hope for an injury, but if Harden came down with a case of Pneumonia, I wouldnt be too upset.
Your Predictions for the Blazers Rockets series What do you think Blazer fans??? I'm surprised so few of the national media are picking the Blazers. Is this similar to the pundits picks before the season when so many picked us well out of the playoffs? Or am I a Blazers homer with rose colored glasses? Well what are your picks for this series?
Re: Your Predictions for the Blazers Rockets series Here are the ESPN experts picks 4 HOU game5 Doolittle, Haberstroh, Illardi, Strauss 5 HOU game6 Adande, Pelton, Stein, Thorpe, Windhorst 6 HOU game7 Abbott, Arnovitz, Broussard, Ford, Shelburne, Wallace 3 PDX game6 Elhassan, Gutierrez, Morris So 15 of 18 ESPN analysis picked Houston. Nobody picked a sweep, and the only Blazer picks were in 6 games to close out at home.
Re: Your Predictions for the Blazers Rockets series The problem is that the Rockets have the big guys to wear Aldridge down we need Aldridge to win the series. Blazers fans will fault Aldridge for not going in the paint every time down court. So I hate to say it but the longer this series goes the longer it will be for the Blazers I'm afraid.
Re: Your Predictions for the Blazers Rockets series I picked the Blazers in 5. I think this Houston team is very overrated. Harden is not a superstar on the level of Durant, LeBron, CP3, Curry, Paul George. He cannot put a team on his back like those superstar players. He is very good on offense but you can game plan around him and live with his 25 points. He won't go nuts and hang 40+ on us. Then at the other positions Houston has a lot of players who are one dimensional, Beverly is a great defender but so so offensively, Lin is good offensively but terrible on defense, Asik is terrible on offense. Jones can't hit a shot past the free throw line. Who do the Rockets put on the court? If they go with the better defenders they won't be able to space the floor on the other end. If they go with offense as they did much of this season they'll get burned on the perimeter. Terrance Jones is a joke as a starting PF matched up across from Aldridge. Comparatively look at the Blazers starters; Wes, Batum, Lopez and Aldridge can each play on both sides of the ball at a high level. The starters will play a ton of minutes and have rest days after every game. Houston's roster has talent at a few positions but there isn't the synergy and fit that a playoff team needs. Asik should've been dealt for a starter. He might be their third best player but he can't play alongside Howard and that makes him an 8mpg player in the playoffs. So that is the reasoning behind me picking the Blazers in 5 games. Houston is a great matchup for us. They don't have a physical SF that gives Batum problems on defense while being taller than Matthews. They don't have an all-star PG that will burn by Lillard and collapse our defense. Matthews and Batum are great defenders to alternate on Harden. Even if Harden scorers on them the rest of the team won't have to help out and that will limit their role players from going wild. The concerns I have is first if Howard plays out of his mind as when he was in Orlando. I don't think its likely; but if he turns back the clock could his quickness be too much for Lopez to handle? Lopez anchors our defense and is excellent when opponent guards get to the rim. But against teams like Phoenix with a quick center he struggles to recover and gave up easy dunks. Howard was able to dominate him in Houstons early season win in Portland this year. If Howard is way too quick for Robin and scoring 30+ ppg it could create opportunities for his Houston teammates. The second concern I have is Nic Batum. Is he going to be able to take advantage of defenses cheating off him? In the playoffs against Phoenix the Suns had Steve Nash guard Nic, and Nic did nothing to take advantage. Houston will have to help defend our other starters, especially Aldridge, and Nic needs to capitalize on those opportunities when available. So to recap, I think the Blazers are being vastly underrated by the national media, just as in pre-season, and will cruise to a comfortable series victory. But if Dwight really elevates his play to when he was in his prime, which I doubt will happen, then they could cause us, and everyone in the league, problems. Enjoy the series Blazer fans, and if you want to be a doubter just as so many were in the pre-season I don't blame you. But this is the end of the 14 year drought!
Re: Your Predictions for the Blazers Rockets series As much as I would love to see the Blazers win, I think the Rockets will take it in 6. I hope I'm wrong.
Re: Your Predictions for the Blazers Rockets series You do realize your boy Godfather is picking the Blazers in 6 right?
Re: Your Predictions for the Blazers Rockets series Thanks for the guarded optimism Draco. It's good to hear.
Re: Your Predictions for the Blazers Rockets series Well I hope he's right. The Blazers are going to need around a good 20 mins from TRob.
Re: Your Predictions for the Blazers Rockets series Blazers in 6. Wish I could be in the rosegarden for that win
Re: Your Predictions for the Blazers Rockets series We need to win in 6. Home cooking in a game 7 would be epic.
