The Blazers with 60 wins?

[tlongII]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/news/story?id=4434705&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba %2finsider%2fnews%2fstory%3fid%3d4434705


A young 54-win team that kept all its parts and added a veteran point guard, Andre Miller, to the mix means the Rose Garden may finally be ready to live up to its name. Assuming Brandon Roy and Greg Oden stay healthy -- no small assumption -- the Blazers could flirt with 60 wins this season. A fantastic regular season, though, is only going to heighten expectations to get out of the first round, a pressure the Blazers blanched under last spring. And if Roy, Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge are truly a championship-caliber triumvirate, getting out of the first round is a must.

[cherylsteele]

In one season?

[z0sa]

:lol

[tlongII]

The way I see it, there is no way in hell the Blazers can beat any of the top four teams in the West to survive whats going to be another brutal first round beating. Roy could be taking TMACS place as the first round virgin.

Fortunately you're as blind as a bat. The only team in the West with a chance at beating the Blazers is the Lakers. It's too bad for the Lakers fans that it's just a very small chance.

[23LeBronJames23]

West:
Portland 54-28
San Antonio 54-28
Denver 54-28

btw

[DPG21920]

I can see the Blazers being better than the Nuggets.

Lakers
Spurs
Mavs
Blazers
New Orleans
Utah

Then a toss up for the last two spots.

[Lars]

I don't see them being all that much better than last year.

[23LeBronJames23]

Dallas, Lakers, Spurs, and Nuggets would all hand stomp the Blazers.

portland beat LA twice last season

[eisfeld]

I don't see them being all that much better than last year.

They added a non-selfish point guard. This means less pressure for Roy and the frontcourt. If they click and Oden improves they are a very deep scary team. Right now I'd rank them behind Lakers, Spurs, Mavs - pretty much tied for fourth place with the nuggets.

[tlongII]

There's no way anyone can legitimately rank them lower than #2 in the West.

[DPG21920]

Yes they can. An injured Spurs team won the same amount of games at the Blazers last year. Spurs got healthy and added RJ and Dice.

[tlongII]

Yes they can. An injured Spurs team won the same amount of games at the Blazers last year. Spurs got healthy and added RJ and Dice.

The Spurs are a year older. In fact, Dice may have increased their average age. :lol Parker looks real healthy too. :rolleyes

[DPG21920]

Is Parker sitting out games? He looks healthier than Oden.

Yes, replacing Finley with RJ and KT with Dice raised the age. Same with Hill replacing Vaughn and Ian replacing Oberto and Blair coming in.

I guess Andre Miller is younger than Blake as well....

[tomtom]

They added a non-selfish point guard. This means less pressure for Roy and the frontcourt. If they click and Oden improves they are a very deep scary team. Right now I'd rank them behind Lakers, Spurs, Mavs - pretty much tied for fourth place with the nuggets.

Basically where I stand as well. There's definitely a lot of uncertainty, what with Oden as well as Batum's progression but also the return of Webster. Anyways they should definitely be fun to watch.

[Spursfan092120]

The Spurs are a year older. In fact, Dice may have increased their average age. :lol Parker looks real healthy too. :rolleyes
The Spurs have gotten younger, douchebag...with Oberto, Thomas, and Bowen gone, we're younger and more athletic with RJ, Blair, and McDyess...he's not as old as KT...And in his last game with the French NT, Parker scored 16 points in 26 minutes...I'd say that's pretty damn healthy...

[Spursfan092120]

60 wins for Portland? Sure....
















in 2 seasons

[Ghazi]

I can see the Blazers being better than the Nuggets.

Lakers
Spurs
Mavs
Blazers
New Orleans
Utah

Then a toss up for the last two spots.

You forgot the Nugs... I think they're better than Hornets/Jazz for sure and maybe Blazers/Mavs.

[Spursfan092120]

There's no way anyone can legitimately rank them lower than #2 in the West.
http://www.threadbombing.com/data/media/15/Never_go_full_retard.jpg

[TDMVPDPOY]

even with 60 wins, i dont see roy winning mvp....

[KSeal]

If they improve from the mediocre road team they were last year and then with Miller and if Oden stays healthy I think that could get them 6 more wins. Definitely not out of the question. I still think they win one playoff series at the most though.

[Lars]

They added a non-selfish point guard. This means less pressure for Roy and the frontcourt. If they click and Oden improves they are a very deep scary team. Right now I'd rank them behind Lakers, Spurs, Mavs - pretty much tied for fourth place with the nuggets.

I don't like Miller on that team at all, I thought it was a bad signing. They need a shooter at point. Roy is gonna dominate the ball and setup all the plays, while Miller plays off the ball, which he is awful at. They would of been better off pursuing Bibby or even Sessions, who despite not being a great shooter, could of grown with the team.

Oden may get better, but from what I have seen he looks to be very far away from even being servicable. What they need is a few players who have a heavy commitment to defense. They won't get better than they are now without better defense.

[Sdayi135]

Damn dude, I was sleeping. Utah would take care of the Blazers as well.

Utah is irrelevant. The only thing good for them these days are Stockton and Sloan going in to the HOF.

[Sdayi135]

Denver is still the class of the Northwest division.

[Chieflion]

60 wins? Be happy you have the chance to crack 55.

[Ghazi]

I think there's a good possibility they won't match last years 54 wins, even with the acquisition of Miller.

The Blazers went a ridiculous 8-2 last year in games decided by 2 points or less. Such luck usually isn't replicated. There's also a concept known as Plexiglass Principle, where teams that have breakout years usually have a dip the year after (sort of evident with Rays this year, Hornets last year, probably quite a few more examples that I can't think of :lol).


I don't think they'll crack 55.

[DxB]

Utah is irrelevant. The only thing good for them these days are Stockton and Sloan going in to the HOF.

Yea coz Deron Williams is just fuckin pathetic.:rolleyes

[mountainballer]

There's no way anyone can legitimately rank them lower than #2 in the West.

yeah, Spurs are at least #2.

[Sdayi135]

Yea coz Deron Williams is just fuckin pathetic.:rolleyes


You're talking about a team that can't win a road game to save their sorry lives, here.

[Strike]

The Spurs are a year older. In fact, Dice may have increased their average age. :lol Parker looks real healthy too. :rolleyes

That's right, the Spurs are the ONLY team in the NBA that ages. Every other team, including the Blazers, are ageless. Funny you crack jokes about Parker. Let us know when Bowie v2.0 pans out there, douchebag.

[WildcardManu]

There's no way anyone can legitimately rank them lower than #2 in the West.

Seriously, it's Lakers and Spurs in the West then the rest are a shuffle. Greg Oden still needs to play a full season healthy.

[JamStone]

Well if they play the best they can possibly play all season long, stay healthy, get a few lucky breaks here and there, and everything falls in line perfectly for them, I can see the Blazers winning about 58 regular season games. So, then they would probably win 60 games since they'd probably win 2 more games in the first round of the playoffs before getting eliminated.

[Ghazi]

Denver is still the class of the Northwest division.

:rolleyes Denver/Portland had the same record last year and it came down to tiebreaker. Quite frankly, if Denver played Houston in the 1st round I believe Houston would have won.

[carrao45]

Fortunately you're as blind as a bat. The only team in the West with a chance at beating the Blazers is the Lakers. It's too bad for the Lakers fans that it's just a very small chance.

Just look at the two teams, it's obvious which team is better. Let me give you a hint: The Team with the Better 1st Option, Better 2nd Option, Better 6th Man, Better Defense, Better Offense, Better Coach and More Experience.

That's the LA Lakers, just thought I'd clarify in case your homerism compelled you to say that was the Blazers

[carrao45]

portland beat LA twice last season

Yes they did, and the Lakers won twice as well. Neither beat the other on the road, however in the playoffs the lakers have shown that they can win on the road.

[tlongII]

That's right, the Spurs are the ONLY team in the NBA that ages. Every other team, including the Blazers, are ageless. Funny you crack jokes about Parker. Let us know when Bowie v2.0 pans out there, douchebag.

The Blazers aging is a good thing. The Spurs aging is not. Just thought I'd point that out for you.

[iggypop123]

the blazers didnt even beat a playoff team on the road. their pathetic road record was just beating up on non playoff teams

[DPG21920]

The Blazers aging is a good thing. The Spurs aging is not. Just thought I'd point that out for you.

Even with an old ass Andre Miller? I mean, at least RJ is younger than Bowen. At least Hill is younger than Vaughn. Ian+Blair are younger than Oberto. Even Dice is younger than KT.

[tlongII]

Even with an old ass Andre Miller? I mean, at least RJ is younger than Bowen. At least Hill is younger than Vaughn. Ian+Blair are younger than Oberto. Even Dice is younger than KT.

:lmao

[DPG21920]

Are you laughing at Oden vs Durant?

[DPG21920]

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/juice/assets_c/2008/12/grumpy%20old%20men-thumb-400x627.jpg

Starring

http://www.mkrob.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/andremiller.JPGhttp://jasportsblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/go3.jpg

[Morg1411]

The Blazers aging is a good thing. The Spurs aging is not. Just thought I'd point that out for you.

You're a genuine homer fucktard with a hard-on for a team that, while good, is nowhere near to being a championship caliber team. Just thought I'd point that out to you.

[TJastal]

IMO, everything for the blazers hinges on how well Andre Miller gels into the blazers starting lineup.

People are saying he's not going to play well unless the offense runs through him, that he can't "play off the ball". This might be true to a certain extent. But I also think he is a saavy veteran who will find a way to make his presence felt on the court, regardless of whether he's controlling the offensive tempo or Roy is, or a combination of the two.

And once he finds the right niche (and I think he will) I believe he will elevate them to another level of championship caliber, up with the spurs/lakers.

[Mel_13]

Their real chance for dramatic improvement is Greg Oden and only Greg Oden. I think he should start, and I think Nate is handling this guy wrong. Pryzbilla is going to produce no matter when he enters the game. Go to Oden, tell him... we're going to allow you to make mistakes, and you're the starter... for the entire season. No matter what. Let him play his game.

Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story. Oden was the starter last year, starting on opening night and in 39 of the 61 games he played. The games he did not start were in the two periods following his two layoffs due to injury.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/odengr01/gamelog/2009/

[Chieflion]

Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story. Oden was the starter last year, starting on opening night and in 39 of the 61 games he played. The games he did not start were in the two periods following his two layoffs due to injury.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/odengr01/gamelog/2009/
I thought we missed Oden vs Duncan on opening night.

[Mel_13]

I thought we missed Oden vs Duncan on opening night.

Portland played in San Antonio on opening night 2007. (Oden missed the entire season)

Portland played in LA on opening night 2008. Oden was injured in that game and missed Portland's home opener three nights later against the Spurs.

[hater]

wow. talk about delusional. blazerfan takes the trophy from sunfan

[Fpoonsie]

In one season?

:rollin

Zing!

[Hornets1]

Blazers have a lot of talent, much of it is young and still progressing. They are a very good team again; However, they have to walk the walk now...........

BTW, I'm not doubting them, I just need the season to start to judge them. Miller is a very smart and efficient PG, but it's going to be tough for him to get comfortable running the team when almost every player runs though Roy.

[WildcardManu]

The Blazers remind me of the baby Bulls.

[Culburn369]

The Blazers remind of the Blazers= reading their press clippings & enjoying their ESPN hand-jobs.