FanPost

The January Championship Stumble

As a pessimist, depending on how you want to look at it, the Blazers are:

* 0-2 in their last 2 games
* 2-4 in their last 6 games
* 4-5 in their last 9 games

Does this mean the Blazers are coming back down to earth?

Do Championship quality teams have these types of 'slides'?

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NBA Champions since the 1990-91 season:

1990-91 Bulls: 3-4 (Jan 18-Feb 3, 1991), 1-3 (Nov 15-21, 1990), 0-3 (Nov 2-6, 1990)
1991-92 Bulls: 2-4 (Jan 28-Feb 5, 1992)
1992-93 Bulls: 1-4 (Jan 22-30, 1993), 1-3 (Jan 5-9, 1993), 3-4 (Nov 28-Dec 11, 1992),
1993-94 Rockets: 1-5 (Jan 10-20, 1994), 1-3 (Dec 23-28, 1993), 2-3 (Jan 29-Feb 8, 1994),
__________________2-3 (Feb 26-Mar 8, 1994), 2-4 (Apr 16-24, 1994)
1994-95 Rockets: 2-5 (Jan 14-26, 1995), 0-5 (Feb 28-Mar 7, 1995), 2-5 (Nov 22-Dec 6, 1994),
__________________2-4 (Dec 10-23, 1994), 2-6 (Mar 21-Apr 4, 2005), 0-3 (Apr 19-23, 2005)
(Skipping the 2 crazy dominant Michael Jordan years)
1997-98 Bulls: 1-3 (Nov 7-15, 1997), 2-3 (Nov 20-Nov 28, 1997), 1-3 (Apr 9-Apr 15, 1998)
1998-99 Spurs: 4-8 (Feb 8-28, 1999) *lockout year, equivalent to a late Dec-early Jan stumble
1999-00 Lakers: 1-4 (Jan 22-Feb 1, 2000) or 3-6 (Jan 14-Feb 1, 2000)
2000-01 Lakers: 5-6 (Jan 7-31, 2001), 1-4 (Dec 6-13, 2000), 2-4 (Mar 19-28, 2001)
2001-02 Lakers: 2-5 (Jan 11-23, 2002), 1-3 (Dec 21-28, 2001), 0-3 (Feb 15-19, 2002)
2002-03 Spurs: 2-4 (Nov 24-Dec 3, 2002), 1-3 (Nov 9-15, 2002), 1-3 (Dec 27-31, 2002)
2003-04 Pistons: 5-11 (Jan 22-Feb 20, 2004), 2-7 (Dec 6-26, 2003), 0-3 (Nov 11-14, 2003)
2004-05 Spurs: 3-5 (Mar 9-23, 2005), 1-3 (Apr 15-20, 2005), 3-3 (Feb 9-28)
2005-06 Heat: 2-3 (Dec 29-Jan 6, 2006), 1-3 (Nov 3-9, 2005), 1-3 (Nov 20-26, 2005),
_________________0-4 (Dec 3-9, 2005)
2006-07 Spurs: 0-3 (Jan 2-5, 2007), 1-4 (Jan 31-Feb 11, 2007)
2007-08 Celtics: 1-3 (Jan 9-14, 2008), 0-3 (Feb 19-22, 2008)
2009-10 Lakers: 1-3 (Jan 6-12, 2010), 1-4 (Mar 29-Apr 8, 2010), 0-3 (Mar 4-7, 2010)
2010-11 Mavericks: 2-9 (Dec 28-Jan 17, 2011)
2011-12 Heat: 0-3 (Jan 10-13, 2012), 3-4 (Mar 2-14, 2012), 2-3 (Mar 25-Apr 1, 2012),
________________1-3 (Apr 6-12, 2012), 1-3 (Apr 21-26, 2012)
2012-13 Heat: 2-4 (Jan 4-14, 2013), 2-3 (Dec 4-12, 2013)

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Basically every Champion has this January Stumble. Some worse than others (see 2010-11 Mavericks winning just 2 out of 11 games from Dec 28-Jan 17, 2011).

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For a comparison of teams statistically similar to this year' Blazers team(offensive rating of 113.5 and defensive rating of 107.5) and how their postseasons went: http://www.blazersedge.com/2014/1/7/5285472/the-2013-14-blazers-showtime-and-seven-seconds-or-less

Go Blazers!