So, here is who made the playoffs in the West—

Lakers
Hornets
Mavs
Spurs
Suns
Nuggets
Rockets
Jazzes

Really, all of those teams could realistically do about the same as they did this past season and make the playoffs. The Suns are really old and might die before the season starts, but I don’t think they’ll be bad enough to miss the playoffs next season. If Yao isn’t completely healed and his foot still bugs him, the Rockets might be on the outside looking in (even though they tend to do well without him). The Nuggets might blow that team up and concede defeat, and that’d probably be the quickest and easiest team we could drop out of the playoff picture.

The Mavs won’t be as good as they have been, but they STILL should be good enough to make the playoffs.

When you factor in a healthy Clippers squadron and a mostly-same-and-still-good Warriors basketeering team, there are 11 teams who think they will make the playoffs next season.

12, if the Kings think they are there too. I don’t think they are, but they’ll still be good enough to beat ya.

We can’t count on any Western playoff teams to fall off steeply enough to easily miss the playoffs, so we just gotta make sure we win 50 games and break the hearts of someone else.

The Nuggets aren’t great, but all of their main players are either in their prime still (AI, Camby) or hasn’t even entered it yet (Melo). A first round sweep is sad and their fans seemed to have turned on the team a bit (judging from how many Laker fans were at the Nugget home games), but they DID win 50 games and that was a disappointing season… even though I’d say it sounds about right for them. They could do it again.

So, while the shortsighted/panicky moves of Dallas and the Suns will help hasten their demise and bring our dynasty round about quicker, it won’t majorly hurt them yet this next season and only the Nuggets might be in a position to overreact to what happened in the playoffs.

I really don’t know who won’t be in the playoffs next season, but it sure as hell ain’t gonna be us on the outside.

Mortimer

That is a recipe for lots of internet fodder…

it’s pretty obvious that the Nuggets, Suns, and Mavs are the prime candidates to drop off. Phoenix may have the same team, but they won’t have D’antoni, and that’s huge. The Nuggets are a ticking bomb, and one of these days they’re going to implode. The Mavs will still be good, and might even be better with an entire year of Jason Kidd at the helm.

It all depends on what happens in the next couple months, and then who gets injured next season. Heck, if Kobe goes down the Lakers might miss the playoffs. The lesson here is that it’s not going to be easy for us to get in.

For all the reasons or arguments rather that can be made for why it wont be easy for the Blazers to make it this year, the same can be made as to why they WILL make the playoff. It wont be easy , clearly . but several reasons stick out, that are obvious

1. Brandon will have improved 3 j and free throw b/c he is going to spend all summer shootting millions and millions of those.
2. LA will gain more muscle and working on his post moves. He is gonna be a major force to deal with.
3. RUDY!
4. RUDY!
5. ODEN
6. ODEN

The past seasons have revealed that the lakers wont be successful w/o a powerful force in the middle. Several questions arise when I think of the lakers Such as Kobe’s health his loving attitude and team spirit – will their chemistry issues come to the surface etc.. also BYNUM is having surgrey(sp?) that is huge at least in my mind.

The suns and dallas are just plain old. Dallas is gonna b a difficult team but each year their chances of winning or making the playoffs lessens b/c Marc “irrational” Cuban wont mess w/ his lineup just his coach. The suns are not going newhere specially w/ that overpriced/overrated center/policeman

So basically the Blazers are stock full of money and young players and cap space andthe TIGHTEST spaniard ever w/ nice hair that shouuld be here shortly

We are gonna make the playoffs

:)

Sophia

Pineapples are called “pineapples” because back in they day, they called pine cones, “pineapples.” Once the fruit took over, they renamed the pine tree seed thingy to “pine cones.” Source

Interesting pineapple fact found here: Pineapple juice is taken as a diuretic and to expedite labor, also as a gargle in cases of sore throat and as an antidote for seasickness. The flesh of very young (toxic) fruits is deliberately ingested to achieve abortion (a little with honey on 3 successive mornings); also to expel intestinal worms; and as a drastic treatment for venereal diseases.

I think the Blazers will replace Denver in the playoffs next year. Something is going to go down over there. George Carl does not seem to enjoy coaching anymore.

I could see us hopping over all of these teams next year, with both us and GS taking two teams out (most likely Mavs and Nugs).

What if Bynum doesn’t come back strong, and what if K**e were to sustain a major injury early next season? (Not that anybody here would hope to see that happen ;)

Could Phil get them to the playoffs?