Is there ANY team in the West to challenge the Blazers this year?

[tlongII]

There's no question that we're the favorites to win the West at this point.

[lefty]

[djohn2oo8]

There's no question that we're the favorites to get assraped in the first round at this point.

[Spursmania]

Dammit Tlong, you're ridiculous.

[sefant77]

So since how many years the Mavs always spank the Blazers when they meet?

[mardigan]

Good thing the Hawks play in the East I guess.

[tlongII]

We got raped by the refs. Oh well.

[ElNono]

We got raped by Joe Johnson. Oh well.

[carrao45]

Denver is my favorite to come out of the West if the early-season struggles continue for the Lakers and Spurs.

Yes but once Gasol is back and the Spurs start ting on teams (End of season and Playoffs), Denver will be 3rd

[resistanze]

JJ took a steamy on Portland? What?

[tlongII]

Steve Javie took a steamy on Portland? What?

fify

[endrity]

Alright, tlong, here is how the story usually goes. Read carefully, as Mavs fan I went through it for 10 years.

First, you get a collection of young talent. You get exited!

Then the young talent engineers an amazing turnaround. You go from a 20win season to a 50 win season. And there you are thinking that if these guys can do this at this age, what can they do when they get a bit older??? They lose in the playoffs, but you don't care.

Than the team improves to high 50s, maybe 60 win team. You get your hopes up. The youth is finally producing. You start to notice that it's much harder to go from a 50 win team to a 60 win team, but you don't care for right now. You lose again in the playoffs, and a bit of doubt starts to creep in your mind but you keep it to yourself.

Than the team doesn't improve anymore in the regular season, it looses again in the playoffs, your star player doesn't keep raising his ppg by 5 points every season and the concept of ceiling becomes clear to you.

You start to look around your team and what do you see? A good wing player, legit All-Star who at best is the 4th best wing player in the league, most realistically 5th now that a certain bully down in Denver has finally got his act together. And after that? Not a single legit All-Star. One guy who was supposed to be the new Rasheed, or new Dirk but that discovered that becoming the new Dirk requires amazing talent which deep down he doesn't have. He might be an All-Star for a couple of years but that's that. After that, a bunch of good, average, players, which unless they recreate the chemistry of Detroit in 2004 are not the types to bring you the ring.

It takes a 2-3 years for people to realize that potential has a ceiling, and that ultimately you judge players on what they do and not what they might do. You are about to enter the phase. Enjoy 10 years of playoffs and decent runs, because I don't think Portland has anywhere near the star power needed to bring home a ring.

[Roxsfan]

Alright, tlong, here is how the story usually goes. Read carefully, as Mavs fan I went through it for 10 years.

First, you get a collection of young talent. You get exited!

Then the young talent engineers an amazing turnaround. You go from a 20win season to a 50 win season. And there you are thinking that if these guys can do this at this age, what can they do when they get a bit older??? They lose in the playoffs, but you don't care.

Than the team improves to high 50s, maybe 60 win team. You get your hopes up. The youth is finally producing. You start to notice that it's much harder to go from a 50 win team to a 60 win team, but you don't care for right now. You lose again in the playoffs, and a bit of doubt starts to creep in your mind but you keep it to yourself.

Than the team doesn't improve anymore in the regular season, it looses again in the playoffs, your star player doesn't keep raising his ppg by 5 points every season and the concept of ceiling becomes clear to you.

You start to look around your team and what do you see? A good wing player, legit All-Star who at best is the 4th best wing player in the league, most realistically 5th now that a certain bully down in Denver has finally got his act together. And after that? Not a single legit All-Star. One guy who was supposed to be the new Rasheed, or new Dirk but that discovered that becoming the new Dirk requires amazing talent which deep down he doesn't have. He might be an All-Star for a couple of years but that's that. After that, a bunch of good, average, players, which unless they recreate the chemistry of Detroit in 2004 are not the types to bring you the ring.

It takes a 2-3 years for people to realize that potential has a ceiling, and that ultimately you judge players on what they do and not what they might do. You are about to enter the phase. Enjoy 10 years of playoffs and decent runs, because I don't think Portland has anywhere near the star power needed to bring home a ring.

And when you get super close, David Stern calls his goons into a meeting and the rest, well the rest is history.

[endrity]

And when you get super close, David Stern calls his goons into a meeting and the rest, well the rest is history.

Damn...... you had to go there????

[Indazone]

No David Stern gives the Lakers Gasol and the rest is history.

[Roxsfan]

Damn...... you had to go there????

I don't mean that as a shot.......I just think the league refs are his puppets bro. I hate that guy nearly as much as you do!

[HarlemHeat37]

David Stern is the best commissioner in sports history..fall back..

[Roxsfan]

No David Stern gives the Lakers Gasol and the rest is history.

Before that he gave Shaq to Miami and immunity to D-whistle and KG to Boston........am I leaving anything out?

[Ditty]

rockets>trailblazers

[iggypop123]

why did he hand the le to the rockets when his selection or i mean 1st overall pick was in the finals

[Spursfan092120]