Portland Trailblazers 22-13 VS. Toronto Raptors 19-17

[Theta64]

Well were alot better than Toronto so we should win this one. I just hope the early start doesn't throw us off our mojo.

If your only point in a post is to make fun of other posters, don't bother posting on this board.

[The Duke]

Great and exciting game

Portland has a bright future, but the jury is still out on how they wil fair the rest of the way this season, as with the raps.

I dont see the point in complaining about refs... some calls went your way in the game, some calls went our way. [Delfino fouled on a 3point attempt with no call, and the game wouldnt have even gone into OT]

Great and exciting game

[Kosta]

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As I told Pete--you're entitled to your opinion, I'm entitled to mine. Mine, however, happens to coincide with that of basically every basketball analyst who watches the NBA, and yours doesn't. Oh well.

O.k then, let's pave the way for the Blazers already, they're the next great winning franchise of the NBA. One winning streak with a bunch of young guys playing good team ball and playing basketball like it should be played and they're a lock to win 3-4 championships in the next decade now.

Matter of fact I see a lot of the Raptors of last season in this year's version of the Blazers. A good young nucleus, winning ball games off good chemistry and cohesiveness. Raptors also went on a ridiculous run the second half of the season, they won 13 of 14 at one point IIRC. Similar to this latest Blazers run.

Winning championships and becoming a dynasty doesn't happen in half a season.

[BigOrangeBalls]

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O.k then, let's pave the way for the Blazers already, they're the next great winning franchise of the NBA. One winning streak with a bunch of young guys playing good team ball and playing basketball like it should be played and they're a lock to win 3-4 championships in the next decade now.

Matter of fact I see a lot of the Raptors of last season in this year's version of the Blazers. A good young nucleus, winning ball games off good chemistry and cohesiveness. Raptors also went on a ridiculous run the second half of the season, they won 13 of 14 at one point IIRC. Similar to this latest Blazers run.

Winning championships and becoming a dynasty doesn't happen in half a season.

It would be pretty easy to poke a hole in predicting ANY team will be a future dynasty.

They could get injured.
They could lose a player in free agency.
They have a hole at X position.
So and so is overrated and won't get better.
They are too young.
They are too old.
They don't have enough superstars.
They have too many superstars.

The Blazers have a great chance of being a future dynasty. Of course, the percentage of teams that become dynastys are pretty minute, so the Blazers could easily not become one too.

I'm enjoying how well they are playing now, and I'm looking forward to Oden playing with them next year. This is a fun team, dynasty or not.

[mojomarc]

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O.k then, let's pave the way for the Blazers already, they're the next great winning franchise of the NBA. One winning streak with a bunch of young guys playing good team ball and playing basketball like it should be played and they're a lock to win 3-4 championships in the next decade now.

Matter of fact I see a lot of the Raptors of last season in this year's version of the Blazers. A good young nucleus, winning ball games off good chemistry and cohesiveness. Raptors also went on a ridiculous run the second half of the season, they won 13 of 14 at one point IIRC. Similar to this latest Blazers run.

Winning championships and becoming a dynasty doesn't happen in half a season.

I think you totally misunderstand where Blazers optimism comes from, Kosta. It doesn't come from a "half season." Instead, it comes from a belief that the players we have and will soon have on the court marks the best collection of young talent in the NBA. This optimism has been here all season, even before the streak. What the streak has shown, however, is that on top of the mix of talent there is also a great team chemistry--the best player that we currently have playing is tremendously unselfish, and that has spread like a fire through this team.

As for the talent, our team looks like this next year:

Greg Oden (potentially the Western Conference equivalent of Dwight Howard)
Lamarcus Aldridge (a better offensive player than Bosh was at this stage in both careers)
Martell Webster (a player who has made a big leap this year, and seems to only get better and better)
Rudy Fernandez (currently the best player in Europe, the MVP of is team and voted as a better player than Bargnani was)
Brandon Roy (being compared favorably to Dwyane Wade by even the Raps announcers)

and then the bench four of our five main reserves have started significant portions of their careers:

Jarrett Jack
Travis Outlaw
Steve Blake
Joel Przybilla
Channing Frye

That's why people are sold that Portland, barring season-altering injuries, will grow into a contender very, very quickly. Just read my location and you'll find John Hollinger's opinion, and his is hardly unique.

Is there risk? Sure. Of course. Without question. As BOB pointed out, all predictions of this sort carry risks. But since we're assuming when we're figuring out which teams will be good in the future based on what we think players will realistically do if healthy and all other things progress as they currently are, you have to assume that Portland will only get better with both experience and the addition of significant talents like Oden and Fernandez.

Like I said--feel free to not be sold yet, but I'm extremely confident that you will be within the next few years.

[ghills88]

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Winning championships and becoming a dynasty doesn't happen in half a season.

well perhaps you should realize that this "half of a season" is not what is creating the dynasty, but rather the results of the past several years of careful crafting to put pieces together with a chance to succeed. This team wasn't put together in half a season, and ultimately it is the development of this team that is going to make them great.

[Klinky]

Was checking out the highlights on espn and found what could be the worst game recap narration ever. Late on plays & then he totally fudges it at the end. Time to get a new narrator!

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/vid ... Id=3194857

[The Sebastian Express]

Oh man I remember Kosta last year always bringing down Roy in the rookie thread.

[Kosta]

Optimism is good guys, enjoy your good young and exciting team. Not trying to downplay their recent success, good luck trying to pay the next Dwight, Bosh and Wade a few years from now.

T.S Express, that was more so me standing up for Bargnani and making a case for him during his rookie season. There isn't a doubt anymore that Roy is the better player.

[Spykes]

Optimism is good guys, enjoy your good young and exciting team. Not trying to downplay their recent success, good luck trying to pay the next Dwight, Bosh and Wade a few years from now.

With Paul Allen as our owner, we wont need luck.

[mojomarc]

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With Paul Allen as our owner, we wont need luck.

With the current CBA, no owner needs luck. He just needs a willingness to open the ol' pocketbook. Luckily, we have the richest owner in all of pro sports. His pocketbook may not be bottomless, but he still pays less for our entire roster than he pays for just the annual maintenance costs on his yachts.