Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Merganzer
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by Merganzer »

The last two games point to the aggravation level of the Blazers. Utah blew them out, but the next game they beat Golden State. Now, Utah is hot, 11 in a row. But still. I am surprised to see that Portland has improved their record. At the midway break, 41 games, not the All Star break, I looked at the remaining schedule and thought 35 would probably the final win total. Now, with 24 games left they are 32-26.
That has them 6th in the west, 2 1/2 out of 4th, 3 out of 3rd. behind San Antonio and OKC. Can the Blazers keep this up? Of the 24 games left, 11 are on the road, 13 at home. Making it tough though, 7 of the last 10, 4 of the last 5, are on the road.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Merganzer wrote:The last two games point to the aggravation level of the Blazers. Utah blew them out, but the next game they beat Golden State. Now, Utah is hot, 11 in a row. But still. I am surprised to see that Portland has improved their record. At the midway break, 41 games, not the All Star break, I looked at the remaining schedule and thought 35 would probably the final win total. Now, with 24 games left they are 32-26.
That has them 6th in the west, 2 1/2 out of 4th, 3 out of 3rd. behind San Antonio and OKC. Can the Blazers keep this up? Of the 24 games left, 11 are on the road, 13 at home. Making it tough though, 7 of the last 10, 4 of the last 5, are on the road.
Those games also felt like the team was focused in one game and not so much in the other. Damian has been on fire and if the team plays with some determination they look like they'll once again lose in the first round!
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Duck07 wrote:
Merganzer wrote:The last two games point to the aggravation level of the Blazers. Utah blew them out, but the next game they beat Golden State. Now, Utah is hot, 11 in a row. But still. I am surprised to see that Portland has improved their record. At the midway break, 41 games, not the All Star break, I looked at the remaining schedule and thought 35 would probably the final win total. Now, with 24 games left they are 32-26.
That has them 6th in the west, 2 1/2 out of 4th, 3 out of 3rd. behind San Antonio and OKC. Can the Blazers keep this up? Of the 24 games left, 11 are on the road, 13 at home. Making it tough though, 7 of the last 10, 4 of the last 5, are on the road.
Those games also felt like the team was focused in one game and not so much in the other. Damian has been on fire and if the team plays with some determination they look like they'll once again lose in the first round!
:lol:

I have been amused to listen to both Lillard and Olshey touting the fact that they regularly make the playoffs to show how successful they have been. In the NBA, 16 out of 30 teams make the playoffs. When a team is flirting with the luxury tax every year, the playoffs are more or less expected.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Phalanx wrote:
Duck07 wrote:
Merganzer wrote:The last two games point to the aggravation level of the Blazers. Utah blew them out, but the next game they beat Golden State. Now, Utah is hot, 11 in a row. But still. I am surprised to see that Portland has improved their record. At the midway break, 41 games, not the All Star break, I looked at the remaining schedule and thought 35 would probably the final win total. Now, with 24 games left they are 32-26.
That has them 6th in the west, 2 1/2 out of 4th, 3 out of 3rd. behind San Antonio and OKC. Can the Blazers keep this up? Of the 24 games left, 11 are on the road, 13 at home. Making it tough though, 7 of the last 10, 4 of the last 5, are on the road.
Those games also felt like the team was focused in one game and not so much in the other. Damian has been on fire and if the team plays with some determination they look like they'll once again lose in the first round!
:lol:

I have been amused to listen to both Lillard and Olshey touting the fact that they regularly make the playoffs to show how successful they have been. In the NBA, 16 out of 30 teams make the playoffs. When a team is flirting with the luxury tax every year, the playoffs are more or less expected.
Yes, that is the biggest part of spin Olshey, through Allen puts out to the fans. "We always make the playoffs!" As you pointed out that is how this stay in NBA purgatory is perpetuated.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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oregontrack wrote: i think this has about run its course?
Are you sure? I feel certain you could come up with more synonyms for 'weak' or 'meek' to apply here if you spent some more time thinking about it.

In any case, McCollum and Lillard both had good games last night, but the playoffs are usually won by teams that know how to play defense. I think the Blazers will struggle to stay ahead of Utah and Denver down the stretch.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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ha

i actually enjoy these encounters. your quick wit is appreciated.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Phalanx wrote:
oregontrack wrote: i think this has about run its course?
Are you sure? I feel certain you could come up with more synonyms for 'weak' or 'meek' to apply here if you spent some more time thinking about it.

In any case, McCollum and Lillard both had good games last night, but the playoffs are usually won by teams that know how to play defense. I think the Blazers will struggle to stay ahead of Utah and Denver down the stretch.
https://stats.nba.com/teams/defense/?so ... ING&dir=-1

They are 11th in the NBA defense rating wise, a little behind Utah but well above Denver. They are actually worse offensively than defensively this year per the metrics. Although the defense was better early, I think that had to do with Mo playing more.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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I feel like I should clarify that my statements regarding winning in the playoffs with defense, and regarding struggling to stay ahead of Utah and Denver were independent ideas. I don't expect either of those teams to go far in the playoffs either. All three teams are likely first-round exits if they make the playoffs at all.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Phalanx wrote:I feel like I should clarify that my statements regarding winning in the playoffs with defense, and regarding struggling to stay ahead of Utah and Denver were independent ideas. I don't expect either of those teams to go far in the playoffs either. All three teams are likely first-round exits if they make the playoffs at all.
The poor defense is what will do the Blazers in, and the main reason that its so ridiculous to keep the Lillard & McCollum, "untouchable". Last night was a game where D had no affect in the game. The Blazers won a shootout, but are calling it the 'Win of the year'., using it as more "evidence" that the team is on the right track. Auuuuughhhh!
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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I will say that the game seemed to have augmented my belief that you keep Dame but trade CJ next year as part of the eventual reconstruction that needs to happen.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by oregontrack »

?

we're talking trail blazers in a trail blazers thread.

anyhow, it was my belief that they drafted zach collins to play the 4, and -- at the time -- i really think the FO thought nurk was going to be more of a defensive presence. he certainly seemed like one at the tail end of last year. so the plan seemed to be to shore up the defensive inefficiency of our guard play with two defensive-minded big men and a 3&D wing.

it wasn't the worst plan, but then the more we saw of nurk the more we realized he wasn't quite the big man we had thought/hoped, and moe harkless completely forgot how to play basketball in the offseason. honestly, it's kind of a wonder we're as good defensively as we are considering.

missing the playoffs may ultimately be the best thing for this franchise (and a real possibility). i'm looking hard at a few wings who look like they'll be excellent two-way players at the bottom of the lottery. a miles bridges would be fantastic alongside dame and cj.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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oregontrack wrote:?

we're talking trail blazers in a trail blazers thread.

anyhow, it was my belief that they drafted zach collins to play the 4, and -- at the time -- i really think the FO thought nurk was going to be more of a defensive presence. he certainly seemed like one at the tail end of last year. so the plan seemed to be to shore up the defensive inefficiency of our guard play with two defensive-minded big men and a 3&D wing.

it wasn't the worst plan, but then the more we saw of nurk the more we realized he wasn't quite the big man we had thought/hoped, and moe harkless completely forgot how to play basketball in the offseason. honestly, it's kind of a wonder we're as good defensively as we are considering.

missing the playoffs may ultimately be the best thing for this franchise (and a real possibility). i'm looking hard at a few wings who look like they'll be excellent two-way players at the bottom of the lottery. a miles bridges would be fantastic alongside dame and cj.
Agreed. I advocated a week or so ago that the only way for the Blazers to get out of mud, was to be so bad for two or three years in a row, like Golden State and Milwaukie were, that they can build a team through the draft. Right now, they are 7th in the west, 3 games out 3rd, but also 3 games better than 10th. The worst they could realistically finish this season is 12th, so probably not a lottery pick, but there's always next year!
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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It's not just getting into the lottery but also allowing those young players the opportunity to play so you find out what you've got with them. Portland doesn't like to play those young guys traditionally because they're afraid of falling out of the top 8 so they play the vets instead. Lots of bench players have never gotten consistent and extensive minutes to really find out what they've got because we believe we're a playoff team that "can" contend and therefore we can't afford to develop guys on the court. Collins should be getting some serious minutes right now to the point he's either playing a full night or fouling out but he's getting the Meyers treatment.

We need a Stealth Tank but instead we're going to miss out on the lottery, draft a European PF with our 1st who can shoot but not defend and end up paying the Tax for a team that will be in the same spot as it is this year and will continue to be.
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

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Duck07 wrote:It's not just getting into the lottery but also allowing those young players the opportunity to play so you find out what you've got with them. Portland doesn't like to play those young guys traditionally because they're afraid of falling out of the top 8 so they play the vets instead. Lots of bench players have never gotten consistent and extensive minutes to really find out what they've got because we believe we're a playoff team that "can" contend and therefore we can't afford to develop guys on the court. Collins should be getting some serious minutes right now to the point he's either playing a full night or fouling out but he's getting the Meyers treatment.

We need a Stealth Tank but instead we're going to miss out on the lottery, draft a European PF with our 1st who can shoot but not defend and end up paying the Tax for a team that will be in the same spot as it is this year and will continue to be.
Yes, that's the master plan. The Front Office keeps playing the fans like suckers, "We make the playoffs" The Moda Center is full. I'm now thinking that the situation with Free Agency is very similar to what we were conditioned to think recruiting Oregon football was. Yes, there are geographical obstacles. But, more than that is the nature of the team. Why would a talented NBA player want to come to the Trail Blazers when a little investigation will reveal the dead end it is for his career?
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Re: Portland Trail Blazers 2017-18 Thread

Post by greenyellow »

Nice to see we've course corrected away from the politics stuff. I'll try splitting it off into it's own thread but it'll take some time.

Edit: Did the best I could to move the political stuff out but some posts included both Blazer talk and political talk so those got moved to the political thread.
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