Why CAN'T this team go all the way?

But winning a playoff series is attainable if things break right. That would be very satisfying for us fans, all things considered, and a great stepping stone for what is still a very young and developing team.

I think some people forget how green our guys are, aside from the 3 old-timers. In the lengthy NBA playoffs there are rarely “magical runs” by cinderella-type squads (for a series maybe, but not thru the playoffs) – it’s all about seasoning, cohesion, experience, etc…

What fun would that be? I’m not saying they WILL amount to anything… just that they COULD. And that alone…gives me hope ;)

Four reasons:

The L@kers
The Nuggets
The Jazz
The Cavaliers

You’re talking about having lost all of our interior defense, and some very easy scores there. Both players shot over 50%. At the very least, Oden commanded double teams, setting others up for shots. Given the fact that we never really had much perimeter D outside of Batum and maybe, maybe even Martell, we almost had no defensive presence prior to the trade. Camby’s going to help in this area, I agree, but nobody’s going to double him, nor is he going to post anyone up regularly.

If we weren’t already a jump shooting team before (and we were), we are forced to be one now, and some games it works, but other times, it is painful to see. Camby isn’t going to change that.

Having Camby is definitely going to help us win games to reach the playoffs, but eventually, we’ll still have to face players like Gasol, Bynum, Howard, and senior Shaq. That’s a lot of run and wear for our lone 7-footer, who hasn’t been to the playoffs in a couple years now. Once he leaves the game, who’s going to stop these guys?

spends all of his time shooting 20 footers

then i will predict a championship

It is that simple.

I think that’s an interesting question. Unfortunately, much depends on Brandon’s health and I’ve gotten a little bored of reading injury reports. With Brandon healthy, this team could be very dangerous. A first round playoff win seems possible. Unfortunately, the Lakers and Cavs look very strong—far more talented than Blazers.

There have been a few teasers here and there, but just wondering if they have any merit whatsoever? Even if he can play 15 min a game at 70% we could at least win a series. Huh anyone?

To me, it seems as if we’ve learned to win on the road. That was a big big problem last year and this year we’ve proven time and time again that we can win in hostile environments on the road. If Brandon is fine, if Marcus is acclimated, and if Rudy/Martell aren’t both in horrendous shooting slumps I think we can be a very very tough out in the playoffs.

Maybe Miller can be that player in some games. Maybe LaMarcus can be it. Maybe Jerryd has another game like against San Antonio scoring 30. Maybe Camby has a great game where he gobbles up offensive rebounds and dunks them. But in general, our problem is still the same as last year: Good teams can crowd Roy, and force the Blazers to take long jumpers while themselves getting easy penetration.

…well very few people ever had Portland raising the Championship Trophy this season.

We can’t go all the way quite simply because there are several teams with more talent and experience ahead of us.

Look at it this way, Kevin Pritchard, a man who should be as positive as possible about The Blazers thinks obtaining Camby is just giving us a chance to make the playoffs. He goes as far as to say “if” we make the playoffs he would expect us to be a “tough out”. But even he dares not mutter the word Championship…because this team isn’t a Championship team. Yet.

I think we could, make it all the way to the playoffs, maybe all the way to the second round…but neither are automatic and neither are even guaranteed. Sorry fellow Blazer fans but this isn’t the year we chalk out places for the Championship victory parade.

let’s go all the way.
let’s go all the way.
yeah yeah yeah
let’s go all the way.

I think we have a great chance at getting to the 2nd round, a fact which unsurprisingly eludes most of the MSM.

Getting to the WCF requires a leap of faith that we can avoid LA and overtake the Nuggs – tough call.

Getting to the Finals? How bad is Kobe hurt again? Oh, bummer.

Winning it all? No. This is the year of Lebron. To be followed up with the summer of Lebron.

I agree, i think their undoing will be playoff experience, but absolutely we have the talent to do it…I will be cheering my but off every night to help them there, that is for certain…

how much dough could camby make it we were to win a round. what did we sign ratliff to a few years ago off a similar trade, where he played well for a handful of games, then never again?? Lots of dough to be won here Marcus…

I think we have the talent. We might not have the health. And with the amount of time these guys have to fit it all together, it would surprise me if we have the experience as a team to make much of a splash in this year’s playoffs.

Position in this regard is important. It would be nice to start slow against a 7th or 8th seed. I mean, if we are the team to beat, position doesn’t matter. I mean, you gotta beat the L*kers sometime, so who cares when you get ’em? But if you are still finding your sea legs, a lesser light in the first round reduces your chances of finding your rhythm.

It’s silly to take some of the ESPN crew seriously… case in point:

Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy were asked to rate which teams made the “best trades” -- Jackson actually had the nerve to rank Boston as one of the teams that made the best trades (along with Cleveland and Dallas), but not Portland. Neither announcer had Portland in the top four.

I understand that it’s hard to make a case that Camby automatic propels us into an elite group, but any rational basketball fan can see that this can make a huge impact - not only because of the upgrade at center itself, but in the way that it transforms and optimizes the roles of the entire team (especially the frontcourt, where LMA and Batum go back to the spots where they excel) at both ends of the court.

I’m really excited to see what happens over the next few weeks as they figure things out.

I mean, technically it is possible, right? I have a way with words. I’m pretty suave in person…maybe even a little charismatic. She could like me, right?

The odds are about the same.

—Dave

We went from one of the best (if not the best) combo of first and second rotation centers to playing the guy we brought in as a veteran mentor…. Now we get Camby to stop the bleeding (erm I assume he will)

In getting him we lost some long range shooting
He doesnt have the same size….
We still have lost on the 2nd rotation (Camby can’t play the entire game)
Our team still needs positive playoff experience
and even before the injury’s or trade we needed a dramatic improvement to our perimeter defense in order to be a contender…(which falls on miller and bayless now)

On the plus side,
This trade gives us a real chance to have a positive playoff run and gain some of that experience we need….

and if Camby sticks around imagine the interior defense with a front court of Oden/ Pryz and Alderige/Camby…… Now that would be some intimidation…