You know what feels good? (Utah)

[Pinot love]

That for a decent portion of the season Utah fans have been and will be seriously worrying about if they will make the playoffs... and it's our doing.

[Yadadimean]

Any bad news for Utah is great news for me!!!!!!!!!!!

[PDXKnight]

I believe that the Jazz will make the playoffs this season but will really have to turn things around. They have a nice core and shouldn't be taken lightly (regardless of where they stand in the playoff picture right now).

[UGotThrilled]

I am pretty sure that at least one team is going to have to drop out of the playoffs to make room for the Jazz and/or the Rockets. I think it will be Golden State, but the key is that we need to keep winning, and let everything else take care of itself.

[Yangsing]

It's crazy to think that a team would need around 48 wins just to make the playoffs in the west. Those same number of wins would net you the 4th seed in the east.

Golden State does seem to be the odd team out. I don't think Houston can make the playoffs either. They seem to lack any cohesion.

[Andre 2999]

It's crazy to think that a team would need around 48 wins just to make the playoffs in the west. Those same number of wins would net you the 4th seed in the east.

Yeah, seriously. I was looking at the standings yesterday and it was then that I realized that the West is still that much stronger than the East (even with Garnett, Allen, Lewis, and Randolph changing sides).

[listerine]

Utah and Golden State are still hanging very close to us. And Houston seems to be coming around. It doesn't take a stretch of the imagination for Portland to find themselves out of the playoff picture. One bad week is all it would take.

[Billy]

Utah and Golden State are still hanging very close to us. And Houston seems to be coming around. It doesn't take a stretch of the imagination for Portland to find themselves out of the playoff picture. One bad week is all it would take.

Bingo. A bad week or two was all it took for the Jazz to go from Western Conference elite to outside looking in. Portland certainly has weathered this road trip very well which helps a TON. Being in first place in the Northwest Division is huge with only 1 game left on the trip. But all it would take is a rough spell, some bad luck or both and Portland could be lotto bound out west.

[mojomarc]

-= original quote snipped =-



Bingo. A bad week or two was all it took for the Jazz to go from Western Conference elite to outside looking in. Portland certainly has weathered this road trip very well which helps a TON. Being in first place in the Northwest Division is huge with only 1 game left on the trip. But all it would take is a rough spell, some bad luck or both and Portland could be lotto bound out west.

The nice thing is that while I would rather we were a playoff team, being a lotto team with a franchise pick and a guy who, if his contract hadn't been in the way, would have been a top 10 pick last year coming in isn't the worst thing in the world. This is especially true if we end up with 44 or 45 wins but miss by a game--we'll have still won the majority of our games and the team will have grown but will get one more young stud who can fill a slot that will be vacated by McBob and Green (or Jack or Webster if they are traded) and Jones. It certainly would open up draft-day possibilities for KP that he wouldn't have with us drafting 18th or 20th.

Still better to have us in there and make the playoffs interesting instead of having to watch a Lakers-Utah series (talk about your meteor games!).

[listerine]

It's more important for Roy, Aldridge, and Outlaw to get a taste of playoff basketball than it is for the Blazers to get a late lotto pick.

[Billy]

I really would love to see Portland in the playoffs this year, and I know Marc does to. But I agree with both marc and listerine .

I don't think it would kill Portland if they wind up with the 14th pick rather than the 20th. Who knows what KP could turn that into? There are a few players in that range that would look pretty darn good in red and black.

But on the other hand I'd hate to see everything the Blazers fought for this year come down to just missing the playoffs. Could certainly serve as motivation for the rest of their careers, but I think getting Roy, Aldridge and the rest a taste is pivotal to them being able to take their games to the next level.

I felt at the beginning of the year after Oden went down that Portland would be in a terrific position no matter what. Either you miss the playoffs, get another lotto talent to add into the crop with Oden and Rudy coming over while becoming a soon to be contender. Or, you surprise everyone, go to the playoffs and become a big time contender the following year. Either way I think Portland is sitting pretty.

[Tiggo Bitties]

I dunno...

We're almost finished with our longest road trip of the season and are still sitting in first place. We've got a ton of games left with the worst teams in the West(Minni, Seattle and Clippers). We've got one of the deepest rotations in the league, much deeper then some of our playoff competitors, so fatigue shouldnt be a factor. We hold the tie breaker on Utah and currently lead the season series with Denver and GS.

I see a lot of reasons to be optimistic about our playoff chances.

[sabi]

I'll get me some nice, first level seat if they make it.

[The Emcee]

We've got one of the deepest rotations in the league

That's the key. In the Hawks forum last game they kept sayin how they wish they could go 10 deep. Sure makes a difference when you can confidently bring 5 or 6 guys off the bench instead of 1 or 2.

[Tiggo Bitties]

^Yup. Look at Denver. They have more experienced talent then us but are very thin and have been using a VERY short rotation. It makes them very vulnerable to injuries, especially to players like 'Melo. If he's out for any extended amount of time it could really hurt them both now and in the long run with increased minutes for guys already playing 38+ minutes.