[jjgold]

will have a lot to ground to make up

I say they get maybe 7th seed this year

[beerman2619]

Blazers win this division kids. Did someone say nuggets lmfao.

[beerman2619]

Denver is built for regular season look at roster boys 5 above average starters and maybe the best bench in the league

[lakerboy]

at some point this season okc will win 10 straight games

[Seto]

Seto, read the previous posts in this thread. No one believes the blazers will win the division

That wasn't the point of your post though. You said "Thunder may not win the division, I don't know who will" implying that there may be a team better than Portland in this division that isn't OKC. Most people that didn't believe Portland could win this division said that because they didn't see them above OKC, not because they liked some other team except a couple of guys maybe who said Denver.

The Westbrook injury obviously somewhat makes me consider Portland winning the division a possibility but I still have OKC at this point.

[Conqueror]

OKC will still win the division. OKC will go something like 15-5 at some point in the season. Plus Portland won't win more than 25% of their road games.

[Eagles73]

OKC won't make the playoffs unless they win the divison

[Seto]

OKC won't make the playoffs unless they win the divison

So only one team in the Northwest is making the playoffs?

OKC gets in easily unless Durant has a setback.

[UntilTheNDofTimE]

So only one team in the Northwest is making the playoffs?

OKC gets in easily unless Durant has a setback.

they are 3-10. Will probably be 5-15 when both return. That means they'd have to go 45-17 to sniff the 8 seed. That's a 72% winning clip. That what they usually do in stride. Both will be sluggish when they return. I'm not saying they won't make it but it's not a guarentee.

[Seto]

they are 3-10. Will probably be 5-15 when both return. That means they'd have to go 45-17 to sniff the 8 seed. That's a 72% winning clip. That what they usually do in stride. Both will be sluggish when they return. I'm not saying they won't make it but it's not a guarentee.

Every season is different. They won't necessarily need 50. They might though. They will win whatever is required, as long as there are no setbacks, have zero doubts about that. And then nobody will want to play them in the first round as a 6-7-8 seed.

I don't get the whole "they will be sluggish" thing. Was Westbrook ever sluggish when returning from his injuries the last couple years?

It's not like either guy has been out for a year or whatever.

[NBA Maniac]

Every season is different. They won't necessarily need 50. They might though. They will win whatever is required, as long as there are no setbacks, have zero doubts about that. And then nobody will want to play them in the first round as a 6-7-8 seed.

I don't get the whole "they will be sluggish" thing. Was Westbrook ever sluggish when returning from his injuries the last couple years?

It's not like either guy has been out for a year or whatever.

Durant and Westbrook breed and live the ball game every night, they just love it...
So as you said, if there no setbacks, they will make it to the playoffs.

[seaborneq]

So has everyone already counted out the Thunder for the winner of the division? Less than 15 games into the season? Who thinks the Thunder still win the division?

[Seto]

So has everyone already counted out the Thunder for the winner of the division? Less than 15 games into the season? Who thinks the Thunder still win the division?

I do.

I'm not guaranteeing it anymore as I was before the Westbrook injury but I'm still pretty sure it's theirs.

[beerman2619]

Rip city winning this division clowns. Your portland trailblazers.

[beerman2619]

I do.

I'm not guaranteeing it anymore as I was before the Westbrook injury but I'm still pretty sure it's theirs.

[beerman2619]

Blazers really playing well. 3 and 0 on this road trip.

[Seto]

Blazers really playing well. 3 and 0 on this road trip.

Yeah they just played the 3 Eastern powerhouses that are the Celtics (4-8), the Sixers (0-15) and the Hornets (4-12). That's so fukking impressive man. Give them the NBA title already.

[seaborneq]

I'm throwing a couple of units on the blazers. I'm using the tortoise and hare mentality here. Figuring blazers get of to a better start and the thunder won't have a 10 game winning streak during the season and KD's minutes will be monitored in a contract year coming off of surgery.

Westbrook and Durant are back. Blazers have an 8 game lead with 65 games to play for each team. Now the race begins. Let's see how this thing goes.

[Seto]

While we're laying all out there...

Let's not forget Portland has had an easier schedule so far playing 11 games at home and only 6 on the road (OKC has 9 home and 8 road). Which is even more important when we're talking about these 2 teams since both play quite a bit better at home.

However Portland have one advantage being that they have already won one vs OKC, however that game was at home. OKC will need to win at least 2 of 3 to have a chance to hold the tiebreaker.

My bets are (booked last week)

OKC 1000/4150
OKC*Chicago 250/2000

both divisional bets obviously.

[beerman2619]

Westbrook and Durant are back. Blazers have an 8 game lead with 65 games to play for each team. Now the race begins. Let's see how this thing goes.

Make that a nine game lead blazers have. This team is running away with the division. Aldridge and lillard just as good as durant and westbrook. Blazers better all around team. Rip City!!!!

[beerman2619]

While we're laying all out there...

Let's not forget Portland has had an easier schedule so far playing 11 games at home and only 6 on the road (OKC has 9 home and 8 road). Which is even more important when we're talking about these 2 teams since both play quite a bit better at home.

However Portland have one advantage being that they have already won one vs OKC, however that game was at home. OKC will need to win at least 2 of 3 to have a chance to hold the tiebreaker.

My bets are (booked last week)

OKC 1000/4150
OKC*Chicago 250/2000

both divisional bets obviously.

Blazers now 17 and 4 son

[Seto]

Yeah congrats on beating the powerhouse 3-19 Pistons and 4-18 Knicks. That's just so damn impressive man.

Weren't the Blazers 22-4 at one point last season? How did that work out?

Let's revisit this whole thing at the All Star break shall we?

Not particularly aimed at you (more at Ratzz), but let's stop bumping these prediction threads every fukking couple games.

[beerman2619]

Ok my bad take care man

[Seto]

Ok my bad take care man

I obviously could be wrong here but we don't need to have a reevaluation after every game especially when both the Thunder and Blazers are playing awful Eastern teams.

Portland is gonna have a tough stretch after the gimme tomorrow in Minny until Christmas. If they don't lose at least 3 of those 8 games I might start getting worried. I know they won't be playing .500 ball the entire 2nd half of the season like last year unless they have an injury. They didn't have any injuries last year except Aldridge for 7 games or so. They have historically been a bad luck type franchise so I guess we'll see. Obviously not counting on that though lol.

[Seto]

You know what, fuk it. I still feel like OKC is gonna win a lot but Portland is better than I'm giving them credit for and they just never lose close games. This might be a knee jerk reaction which I typically hate but I'm buying out a bit here. Still have some on OKC.

New situation:

OKC/Bulls win their divisions : +5025
OKC/Cleveland win their divisions : +1183.33
Portland/Bulls win their divisions : +835
Portland/Cleveland win their divisions : -1847.92

Bulls should be ok.

[seaborneq]

Blazers up 10 games with 50 games to play. Thunder probably have to go 40-10 to beat me.

[seaborneq]

Thunder play 8 of the next 11 on the road. Probably decides this division early.

[TwoWays]

go get yourself a pau gasol type and then the thunder can talk about contention for championship. without that type of player they will never win a chip. sorry, bigofa

[UntilTheNDofTimE]

Nice call. If Blazers go 23-23 rest of way OKC needs to go 35-11 to win division.

[seaborneq]

Nice call. If Blazers go 23-23 rest of way OKC needs to go 35-11 to win division.

It would take a serious breakdown to lose this ONE

[seaborneq]

It would take a serious breakdown to lose this ONE

Blazers 2-8 last 10 games. 8 game lead with 34 games to go. I guess if Blazers win at least 20 games or the last 34 I win this easily.

[seaborneq]

Blazers 8 game lead at the All Star Break with 29 games to go. Still no out of the woods yet.

[seaborneq]

A Portland Win tonight and they win the season series and a 7 game lead with 23 games to go. Lets go blazers

[Seto]

If the Thunder lose tonight they are done. Having to lose 9 less games than Portland the rest of the way is gonna be basically impossible. However if they win tonight they only have to lose 6 less (assuming they win the game in OKC and get a better divisional record to hence win the tiebreaker) which does seem doable given the Blazers' tough schedule.

I bought out entirely of my original bet (at a profit too), but then put some back on OKC when I thought Aldridge was sitting out 2 months. I rehedged a bit but not everything. Had I waited to get the official word I wouldn't have a horse in this race. I'd even be cheering for Portland not to regret buying out the bet I made in November. FML.

[seaborneq]

It think the hare will outlasts the tortoise this time. Blazers should be able to hold on to a 7 game lead with 25 games to play.