Will the Blazers win the le NEXT YEAR?

[SpursFan0728]

no ...

[JamStone]

Blazers playing very strong, but just the same way people have criticized the Celtics for having a soft schedule, the Blazers have had a very favorable schedule during this 13 game win streak:

-10 of the 13 games were at home
-only 5 of the 13 games were against teams with currently winning records
-7 of the 11 teams they played are currently not playoff teams
-5 of the opponents have bottom 8 records in the entire league (Minn, Miami, Memphis, Seattle, Milwaukee)
-combined record of the 11 teams in the 13 game win streak: 141-192 (.423 winning %)

A 13 game winning streak is still very impressive, but some perspective on it doesn't hurt. They did have a couple very solid wins like road wins at Utah and Denver. And, they did have two back-to-back sets in the streak. Kudos to the Blazers.

[atxrocker]

Kevin Durant will have a le before Greg Oden.

agreed.

[SenorSpur]

Love this roster. This team is stacked with a plethora of good, solid, talented players, who, by the way, are ALL VERY young. All this without Greg Oden. Are you kidding me?

While they'll need some time to mature, they are indeed primed for a sustained run of championship contention. I'd be very surprised if this team doesn't win the le within 3 years.

[SpursDynasty]

Portland is playing impressive, but they'll never been anything more than a first round elimination team until they land a reliable #1 pick in the draft - oh, and one who doesn't flake out on them and get injured before even playing an NBA game.

[m33p0]

Love this roster. This team is stacked with a plethora of good, solid, talented players, who, by the way, are ALL VERY young. All this without Greg Oden. Are you kidding me?

While they'll need some time to mature, they are indeed primed for a sustained run of championship contention. I'd be very surprised if this team doesn't win the le within 3 years.

i wouldn't be surprised if they don't. there has been alot of really good teams that contended but never won a championship. and to say that simply adding oden into the mix, they become instant contenders is lazy. there is a steep learning curve to become a champion. talent, chemistry and great coaching aren't the only ingredients in making a champion. you have to bake them first. they have to experience losing badly in the playoffs first to learn how to win consistently.

this isn't the miami heat '05-06 or boston celtics '07-'08 that was slapped together to win 1 then fade away to become one of those fluke champions. this is a team built from the ground up. they have to learn and suffer the growing pains.

making a champion, a true champion, is like how rocks are made. you have to have the right stuff, then add pressure and time. some crack, some turn into flawless diamonds.

[SpursDynasty]

The Blazers are building a great chemistry right now. They did have a 13-game winning streak.

Greg Oden will just ruin all that. And he's already an injury problem and he hasn't even played in a game yet!

They should trade Oden for a 2nd round draft pick or something.

[mavs>spurs2]

The Blazers are building a great chemistry right now. They did have a 13-game winning streak.

Greg Oden will just ruin all that. And he's already an injury problem and he hasn't even played in a game yet!

They should trade Oden for a 2nd round draft pick or something.

SpursTalk is a great site with many intelligent posters who have good takes. Spursdynasty just ruins all that.

They should trade Dynasty to Mavtalk for an Amarelooms or something.

[Tippecanoe]

SpursTalk is a great site with many intelligent posters who have good takes. Spursdynasty just ruins all that.

They should trade Dynasty to Mavtalk for an Amarelooms or something.

that may be the greatest post of your SpursTalk career

[SenorSpur]

i wouldn't be surprised if they don't. there has been alot of really good teams that contended but never won a championship. and to say that simply adding oden into the mix, they become instant contenders is lazy. there is a steep learning curve to become a champion. talent, chemistry and great coaching aren't the only ingredients in making a champion. you have to bake them first. they have to experience losing badly in the playoffs first to learn how to win consistently.

this isn't the miami heat '05-06 or boston celtics '07-'08 that was slapped together to win 1 then fade away to become one of those fluke champions. this is a team built from the ground up. they have to learn and suffer the growing pains.

making a champion, a true champion, is like how rocks are made. you have to have the right stuff, then add pressure and time. some crack, some turn into flawless diamonds.

You bring up some very valid points and I agree with some of them. I will, however, take you to task on a couple of points. First, did anyone expect the Cavs to get the NBA Finals last year? How about the Heat winning the le two years ago with a roster that was revamped roster that same season? I know the first notion is to say, "yeah, but that was in the Eastern Conference". Doesn't matter.

As much as those examples are aberrations that have short lifespans, the fact is they do occur. My point is the path to a le is often littered with many breaks along way - both good and bad.

Why haven't the Spurs repeated before now? It's not as though they've given it any less effort than in other years. The fact is some bad breaks have occurred along the way. A Derek Fisher buzzer-beater with 0.4 secs left or an ill-advised Manu foul that leads to a 3-pt play in a crucial Game 7. As important as a learning process or an "incubation period" is to making a le run, breaks can sometimes affect or clear obstacles from the path.

Didn't the Spurs get the worst possible break of all back in the 1996 season (Robinson's season-ending injury) that led to the best imaginable of all good breaks (#1 lottery pick) and eventual arrival of Duncan? In case you forgot, the Spurs won a le in only Duncan's second season. So don't tell me the presence of a formidable, franchise-type big man, can't instantly turn a team's fortunes into championship contention. It doesn't happen very often, but it can happen.

This new version of the Blazers team would have been on a upward swing even if Oden hadn't fallen into their lap. With him, their talent, development and on-court cohesion should be accelerated. To what extent, no one knows. Even if they never win a le ever, his presence should ensure they are in the Western Conference mix for many seasons to come.

The Blazers organization is committed to building a team with talented, hungry, young players who are playing for one another rather than themselves. Something you don't generally see from a young team. Factor in solid coaching and competent management and you've got a wonderful recipe for success. This team and the organization are primed for a sustained "baking" period of growth. There's nothing lazy about that notion.

[m33p0]

You bring up some very valid points and I agree with some of them. I will, however, take you to task on a couple of points. First, did anyone expect the Cavs to get the NBA Finals last year?

The Cavs.

This new version of the Blazers team would have been on a upward swing even if Oden hadn't fallen into their lap. With him, their talent, development and on-court cohesion should be accelerated. To what extent, no one knows. Even if they never win a le ever, his presence should ensure they are in the Western Conference mix for many seasons to come.

The Blazers organization is committed to building a team with talented, hungry, young players who are playing for one another rather than themselves. Something you don't generally see from a young team. Factor in solid coaching and competent management and you've got a wonderful recipe for success. This team and the organization are primed for a sustained "baking" period of growth. There's nothing lazy about that notion.

that is why i like the blazers. they built this team from the ground up. no slapstick stuck to them. unlike the heat who traded away their future to win it all in '06 and the celtics who has to win in the next 3 years or that will be it.

hopefully the blazers wouldn't trade for a superstar in the future in order to win. i'm old school. i like things that are built. not put together overnight. but they have to be baked in adversity and withstand the pressures of the playoffs against tough teams. the last team that did this was the bulls team that won the first 3-peat. how many years they had to suffer first before they became successful?

they have to learn what it means to lose together so they can win together as well. to me, that is one of the reasons why our beloved spurs had failed to win back to back. when duncan was drafted, robinson was already there. prior to the robinson-injury, the spurs was already a perennial 50+ win team. after winning '99, they failed to win again til manu and tony arrived. when was manu and tony brought in? and how long before they won it all in '03? the time span was relatively short. all we remember about the '04 playoffs was fisher making that .04 jumper and forgetting how duncan was alone in most of that game. noone else was making plays. noone else could because the spurs have failed to properly grow together. we have an excuse in '06. TD and manu were saddled with injuries. and still they managed to push the mavs to 7. and that is why i have all the confidence in the world that the spurs will repeat this year. they've grown together. they've lost together and they've won together. and they will be champions again.

[SenorSpur]

The Cavs.

that is why i like the blazers. they built this team from the ground up. no slapstick stuck to them. unlike the heat who traded away their future to win it all in '06 and the celtics who has to win in the next 3 years or that will be it.

hopefully the blazers wouldn't trade for a superstar in the future in order to win. i'm old school. i like things that are built. not put together overnight. but they have to be baked in adversity and withstand the pressures of the playoffs against tough teams. the last team that did this was the bulls team that won the first 3-peat. how many years they had to suffer first before they became successful?

they have to learn what it means to lose together so they can win together as well. to me, that is one of the reasons why our beloved spurs had failed to win back to back. when duncan was drafted, robinson was already there. prior to the robinson-injury, the spurs was already a perennial 50+ win team. after winning '99, they failed to win again til manu and tony arrived. when was manu and tony brought in? and how long before they won it all in '03? the time span was relatively short. all we remember about the '04 playoffs was fisher making that .04 jumper and forgetting how duncan was alone in most of that game. noone else was making plays. noone else could because the spurs have failed to properly grow together. we have an excuse in '06. TD and manu were saddled with injuries. and still they managed to push the mavs to 7. and that is why i have all the confidence in the world that the spurs will repeat this year. they've grown together. they've lost together and they've won together. and they will be champions again.

[remingtonbo2001]

I like Portland's F.O.- Remember they have Pritchard

I like there coach- Nate is a solid coach. Don't forget the Sonics of 05. He will do a decent job of getting these guys to man up and play physical. I'm intrested to see what he can do with Oden after seeing what he did with Fortson and James.

And lastly, they have a good young core of talented players. If I were the Blazers I would look to sign a couple of veterans next year.

If they can do that, then I could easily see the Blazers contending for a le in 2010.
They're going to need to go through a year of a difficult struggle together as a team
(that means with Oden)
Maybe a second round loss to the Spurs.
Something to motivate them for the following year.

[m33p0]

I like Portland's F.O.- Remember they have Pritchard

I like there coach- Nate is a solid coach. Don't forget the Sonics of 05. He will do a decent job of getting these guys to man up and play physical. I'm intrested to see what he can do with Oden after seeing what he did with Fortson and James.

And lastly, they have a good young core of talented players. If I were the Blazers I would look to sign a couple of veterans next year.

If they can do that, then I could easily see the Blazers contending for a le in 2010.
They're going to need to go through a year of a difficult struggle together as a team
(that means with Oden)
Maybe a second round loss to the Spurs.
Something to motivate them for the following year.

i hope steve blake would turn out to be the right point guard for that team. it would be hard to compete for chris paul or deron williams. and if they finish the year on a high note (playoff appearance where they play hard instead of just being happy to be there), they wouldn't need to bring in a veteran free agent. they would already be veterans themselves.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

one word.................................... NO!!!!!!!!!

[101A]

What kind of playoff squad will they be?

No one knows.

Regular season is almost meaningless in terms of who survives and thrives in the playoffs.

The last two seasons (and many before that) have taught as much.

The Spurs are going to be an absolute juggernaut when the playoffs get here - they should begin to build toward that in about 40 days. Next season, if I had to bet right now, would be for the three-peat. I would put several other teams ahead of the Blazers for next season, as well.

[nickdakoolkat]

I love Roy, and Aldridge is finally coming around....but I have never been high on Oden in the first place. I thought he was way overrated in college, with the lack of big men talent he should have dominated offensively as well as defensively. And on top of that the guy is as brittle as . If they would have grabbed Durant then I would deem it more likely. But honestly, it is still going to be a battle for them to even make the playoffs this season. You would expect the Jazz to get together, and the Rockets could likely get their together if TMac could ever get healthy. That leaves all these good teams competing for 8 spots:

Spurs
Mavs
Suns
Warrirors
Lakers
Jazz
Blazers
Rockets
Hornets

....its tough to be in the west.....

[m33p0]

I love Roy, and Aldridge is finally coming around....but I have never been high on Oden in the first place. I thought he was way overrated in college, with the lack of big men talent he should have dominated offensively as well as defensively. And on top of that the guy is as brittle as . If they would have grabbed Durant then I would deem it more likely. But honestly, it is still going to be a battle for them to even make the playoffs this season. You would expect the Jazz to get together, and the Rockets could likely get their together if TMac could ever get healthy. That leaves all these good teams competing for 8 spots:

Spurs
Mavs
Suns
Warrirors
Lakers
Jazz
Blazers
Rockets
Hornets

....its tough to be in the west.....

the spurs, suns and mavs are almost a lock to get the top 3. and either the nuggets or the jazz will take the northwest rounding up the top 4. either way, the nuggets or the jazz are too talented not to make it to the playoffs. the same thing goes for the lakers and the rockets (if they could ever be healthy and be on the same page). if the rockets can't get it going, it would leave the warriors and hornets, and quite possibly the blazers 2 spots to fight over. but you've got to believe that the rockets are gonna be in it near the end.

that's 10 teams! 10 freaking teams all will legitimate hopes of reaching the post season!

and of the next 3 teams, kings, clippers and grizzlies, who's to say they can't make noise down the stretch? kings is streaky but plagued with injuries right now. same thing with the clippers (is this like the kennedy curse? did they open a pharaoh's tomb or sumthin? its been happening for decades.) grizzlies is puzzling. they have talent, but somehow, they are a mismatched bunch. but the key word for memphis is "could".

with that said, it would be interesting to see if this young blazers crew can respond in a game where are fighting for a playoff spot against a team that is likewise fighting for a spot in the west.

March Opponent Time Local TV Nat TV Radio
Sun 02 @ Golden State 6:00pm KGW 750am KXL
Tue 04 vs Phoenix 7:00pm CSN-HD ch. 788 , SCORE 750am KXL
Fri 07 @ Milwaukee 5:30pm CSN ch. 37 750am KXL
Sat 08 @ New York 4:30pm KGW 750am KXL
Mon 10 @ Cleveland 4:00pm CSN ch. 37 750am KXL
Tue 11 @ Minnesota 5:00pm CSN ch. 37 750am KXL
Thu 13 @ Sacramento 7:00pm CSN ch. 37 750am KXL
Sat 15 vs Minnesota 7:00pm CSN-HD ch. 788 750am KXL
Tue 18 vs Phoenix 7:30pm CSN ch. 37 750am KXL
Fri 21 vs LA Clippers 7:00pm CSN-HD ch. 788 750am KXL
Sat 22 @ LA Clippers 7:30pm KGW 750am KXL
Mon 24 @ Seattle 7:00pm KGW NBATVHIGHDEF, RTV 750am KXL
Tue 25 vs Washington 7:00pm CSN-HD ch. 788 750am KXL
Thu 27 @ Golden State 7:30pm 750am KXL
Sat 29 vs Charlotte 7:00pm CSN-HD ch. 788 750am KXL

April Opponent Time Local TV Nat TV Radio
Wed 02 @ LA Lakers 7:30pm KGW 750am KXL
Thu 03 vs Houston 7:30pm RTV, 750am KXL
Sun 06 vs San Antonio 3:00pm CSN ch. 37 750am KXL
Tue 08 vs LA Lakers 7:00pm CSN-HD ch. 788 750am KXL
Fri 11 @ Sacramento 7:00pm KGW 750am KXL
Sat 12 vs Dallas 7:00pm CSN-HD ch. 788 , RTV 750am KXL
Tue 15 vs Memphis 7:00pm CSN-HD ch. 788 750am KXL
Wed 16 @ Phoenix 7:00pm KGW 750am KXL

as you can see, the homestretch for the blazers is and would make their bid for a post season spot alot more complicated.