Are the Portland Trailblazers that good?

[Chris]

They're very good.

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What I don't get is why so many people like to watch them and find them a funny team. It just doesn't fit with the regular inclinations of the NBA fans, I think.

People generally prefer fast tempo teams and they play at an extremely slow tempo. People generally don't like jump-shooting team and they're almost exclusively a jump-shooting team, besides running some clearouts for Roy, I can't remember a team who relies so much on jumpers as them.

I like their game, they play good defense and have great ball movement, they're a very well-coached team. But I've heard so many times that the Spurs are boring, and that jump-shots are dull, it just doesn't connect.

Well, I actually think the Spurs are one of the most fun teams in the league to watch, when they are on.  Great passing and team offense are always entertaining for me. 

[moiso]

Pretty good now, and I agree that they have dynasty potential.  The one thing that is a conscern though is that their two cornerstones have a history of very bad knee problems.  Roy has had 3 knee surgeries so far, and we know about oden.  I hope they hold up.

[houlana]

i think they have really good young players. deep bench.
but i dont think they will be able to contend this year,
i expect them to win around fifty games. dont see them keeping up their winning pace, remember how they faded away last year.

[Who]

They're very good.

----

What I don't get is why so many people like to watch them and find them a funny team. It just doesn't fit with the regular inclinations of the NBA fans, I think.

People generally prefer fast tempo teams and they play at an extremely slow tempo. People generally don't like jump-shooting team and they're almost exclusively a jump-shooting team, besides running some clearouts for Roy, I can't remember a team who relies so much on jumpers as them.

I like their game, they play good defense and have great ball movement, they're a very well-coached team. But I've heard so many times that the Spurs are boring, and that jump-shots are dull, it just doesn't connect.

They're young, fans love young teams. I think the reason is that straight forward.

[cordobes]

They're very good.

----

What I don't get is why so many people like to watch them and find them a funny team. It just doesn't fit with the regular inclinations of the NBA fans, I think.

People generally prefer fast tempo teams and they play at an extremely slow tempo. People generally don't like jump-shooting team and they're almost exclusively a jump-shooting team, besides running some clearouts for Roy, I can't remember a team who relies so much on jumpers as them.

I like their game, they play good defense and have great ball movement, they're a very well-coached team. But I've heard so many times that the Spurs are boring, and that jump-shots are dull, it just doesn't connect.

Well, I actually think the Spurs are one of the most fun teams in the league to watch, when they are on.  Great passing and team offense are always entertaining for me. 

Well, I never found the Spurs boring, quite the contrary; but that's not the general feeling among NBA fans, I think.

They're young, fans love young teams. I think the reason is that straight forward.

Very probably, yeah. But in that case, they don't find the team enjoyable to watch; just like the age of their players.

[Who]

They're young, fans love young teams. I think the reason is that straight forward.

Very probably, yeah. But in that case, they don't find the team enjoyable to watch; just like the age of their players.

I think they enjoy the team's style of play. For many fans it's perception rather than actuality ... the difference between a young team like Portland and an old team like San Antonio. I wouldn't think too much on it, you're unlikely to find a good reason to justify it.

Also the value of something for the first time as against a team that has been doing it for several years.

[Tr1boy]

you saw it tonight and the answer is no. They are like the hawks that with the crowed behind them they are really tough to beat but otherwise aren't disciplined or intense enough to be considered a top level team.

Mcmillans starting unit should be imo

Prysbilla, Alredrige,Roy, Rodriguez, bayless

Bench = Oden, outlaw, blake, frye, batum

fernandez = garbage euro player

[Chris]

you saw it tonight and the answer is no. They are like the hawks that with the crowed behind them they are really tough to beat but otherwise aren't disciplined or intense enough to be considered a top level team.

Mcmillans starting unit should be imo

Prysbilla, Alredrige,Roy, Rodriguez, bayless

Bench = Oden, outlaw, blake, frye, batum

fernandez = garbage euro player

Gotta disagree there.  I feel confident that Fernandez is going to be one of the best 2 or 3 players from this team when it is all said and done.  But we will just have to wait and see.

I also was not impressed with Rodriguez, and Bayless looked like a ballhog.

This team needs to try to trade for a top level PG.

[orrzor]

I think they benefit a bit form all the upheaval in the WC. But that team in the end will only go as far as Oden takes them. How good a defender will he be, and how driven is he to be the best. Roy is very good, but he alone won't get them past the 1st or 2nd round when you have better players around like CP and DW or even Mayo eventually.

Also do you think Portland will be able to sign all these young guys, if they do really pan out into all-stars?

[Tr1boy]

you saw it tonight and the answer is no. They are like the hawks that with the crowed behind them they are really tough to beat but otherwise aren't disciplined or intense enough to be considered a top level team.

Mcmillans starting unit should be imo

Prysbilla, Alredrige,Roy, Rodriguez, bayless

Bench = Oden, outlaw, blake, frye, batum

fernandez = garbage euro player

Gotta disagree there.  I feel confident that Fernandez is going to be one of the best 2 or 3 players from this team when it is all said and done.  But we will just have to wait and see.

I also was not impressed with Rodriguez, and Bayless looked like a ballhog.

This team needs to try to trade for a top level PG.

fernandez was honestly the worst player tonight and i have seen him at some other games where he played like tonight playing carelessly.

I like rodriguez game better than his.

I like bayless but he had no business guarding rondo tonight. He is definitely a SG in a less than sg body.

like you said portland needs a pure pg(they have enough young talent to trade one for too)
 

[celticmaestro]

I think they're a quality team, but they wont be a threat in the West to the Lakers (but you already know that JR, right? ). In a few years they definitely will be though, I think the likes of Roy, Oden and Fernandez are perennial all-stars in the making barring injuries.

[indeedproceed]

I think their starting should be

Blake, Roy, Outlaw, Aldridge, Oden

with blake, Oden and Outlaw all averaging 25 mins or less

Major reserves:

Rodriguez, Fernandez, Pryzbilla

Batum shouldn't be starting IMo

[RebusRankin]

I think it would be interesting to see them versus the Lakers in the play-offs. They do have the bigs (Oden, Pryzbilla, Aldridge and Fyre) to match-up against Gasol and Bynum. They have several swingman to guard Kobe (Roy, Outlaw, Fernandez, Webster). I think they'd play the Lakers tough.

[Ian]

Blazers should sign J. Kidd for a season when his contract expires with Mavs, they'll have the cap space and they could just sign him for 1 year to make a playoff push.

[Chris]

Blazers should sign J. Kidd for a season when his contract expires with Mavs, they'll have the cap space and they could just sign him for 1 year to make a playoff push.

Forget signing him for a season, they should be looking to pick him up at the deadline.  If Dallas is out of the race, a deal of Raef, Outlaw, and Rodriguez for Kidd would make a ton of sense.  It may be a lot to give up for a rental, but Kidd could make them a legitimate contender in the West this year, and Outlaw and Rodriguez are absolutely expendable.