Friday, February 8, 2008
And to think......
I used to like Rasheed Wallace, what a turd. All I have to say is that the Blazers are in contention for a playoff spot in the west, in the east, even with their current record, they would be in fourth place, probably better since they would have an easier schedule. C'mon Sheed, you guys are second in the east, which is like saying you would probably be eighth in the west. What an ass.
Weighing in
The Shaq trade. Like I said this is such a small story compared to when he was traded a few years ago. My oh my how things have changed. The bottom line for this deal though is that Miami gets some cap flexibility because I really doubt the Matrix will sign there in the offseason, and I'm not even sure Miami really wants him to.
For Phoenix, the trade makes sense, they got rid of the horrible Marcus Banks contract, and he never really fit in with their team, and they also got rid of a huge dissenter in the locker room. Marion wasn't happy there, he and Amare didn't get along, either on the court or off of it, and it was just a huge clash of ego. Although I think Amare's head is about as large as an NBA arena anyways, and that isn't due to his brain, which is, like cats, probably the size of a pea. I mean talk about a dumb kid, he didn't come out after high school solely for his basketball skills, colleges were probably going to have a hard time figuring out how he was going to get a good grade in anything.
As far as Shaq not fitting in there, I dunno, the trade does make sense. One reason Phoenix traded for Kurt Thomas is that they wanted interior defense, and Amare definitely wasn't giving them that. I mean he will kill at PF I'm fairly sure, and Shaq gives them the big body in the middle they have been craving. So to me the trade does make sense for them. Also Shaq is at the point of his career where his ego has been deflated, and he knows he isn't the player he used to be and is able to defer to others. I think it will be good for him.
And really Phoenix can use a lot more Boris Diaw now, who is almost always a triple-double threat. He is versatile, a great passer, a decent scorer, and a good rebounder. He isn't as athletic as Marion, but I feel the points and rebounds Marion provided will be split between Diaw and Shaq. Not to mention Grant Hill coming off the bench, I think this trade suits Phoenix a lot better than people think. There was talk of a Marion for Kirilenko trade, but that is like swapping two very similar players, and Phoenix is on the hook with Diaw for awhile, so they might as well give him some playing time and get the big man they covet. Overall, a decent trade for both teams. Now if only Miami would shut down Wade for the season and let him heal....
For Phoenix, the trade makes sense, they got rid of the horrible Marcus Banks contract, and he never really fit in with their team, and they also got rid of a huge dissenter in the locker room. Marion wasn't happy there, he and Amare didn't get along, either on the court or off of it, and it was just a huge clash of ego. Although I think Amare's head is about as large as an NBA arena anyways, and that isn't due to his brain, which is, like cats, probably the size of a pea. I mean talk about a dumb kid, he didn't come out after high school solely for his basketball skills, colleges were probably going to have a hard time figuring out how he was going to get a good grade in anything.
As far as Shaq not fitting in there, I dunno, the trade does make sense. One reason Phoenix traded for Kurt Thomas is that they wanted interior defense, and Amare definitely wasn't giving them that. I mean he will kill at PF I'm fairly sure, and Shaq gives them the big body in the middle they have been craving. So to me the trade does make sense for them. Also Shaq is at the point of his career where his ego has been deflated, and he knows he isn't the player he used to be and is able to defer to others. I think it will be good for him.
And really Phoenix can use a lot more Boris Diaw now, who is almost always a triple-double threat. He is versatile, a great passer, a decent scorer, and a good rebounder. He isn't as athletic as Marion, but I feel the points and rebounds Marion provided will be split between Diaw and Shaq. Not to mention Grant Hill coming off the bench, I think this trade suits Phoenix a lot better than people think. There was talk of a Marion for Kirilenko trade, but that is like swapping two very similar players, and Phoenix is on the hook with Diaw for awhile, so they might as well give him some playing time and get the big man they covet. Overall, a decent trade for both teams. Now if only Miami would shut down Wade for the season and let him heal....
Trade Machine
All right all there is a new and improved, revamped, easier to use ESPN Trade Machine, and this thing is addictive, seriously play with it for a bit, it's like NBA 2k8, except you can't override a trade. Good times!
Good little article by Jason Quick in the Oregonian here. My thoughts, as it is about finishing, is that in a year or two a lot of these games that the Blazers are in control of in the fourth will start becoming blowouts more often than nought. I mean of course teams can always come back, and usually do, unless the game is way too out of hand, but with the experience of these close games, both the wins and the losses, there is a huge learning curve with how to execute late in a game to ensure victory. And really does anyone think we would be this much better late in games than the last couple of years if this team hadn't suffered all of the close defeats and last minute heartbreaks over the last couple of years. Jack, Outlaw, Webster, Przybilla, as well as Roy and Aldridge to some extent, had to suffer a LOT of late game bungles over the past two previous seasons. Our team might be young, but they have already had a LOT of mistakes to learn from, always a good thing, as tough as it was to watch as a fan. Like Nate said in the article, it just goes to show the kind of growth and improvement these players have had to endure. Anyways I say watch all of this to change over the course of the next few years.
I guess this could bring up bad memories for some Blazers fans, but a funny side note about the Jermaine O'Neal trade on TrueHoop today.
Mike Barrett gives us an update on Roy on his blog. He also talks about the Indiana game on Saturday and talks about how many back to back games we have had against teams who have had a night off. Interesting stuff, apparently the last team we played who was coming off a back-to-back was Chicago on January 3rd, and the next time it happens for us will be on February 29th, thanks schedule gurus of the NBA, thanks a lot!
Great, great, great, great, great, great, great video here, candid interview of Brandon Roy by ESPN's LZ Granderson, once again it just goes to show you who we have with this guy, even if he wasn't our best player he would be our cornerstone.
Good little article by Jason Quick in the Oregonian here. My thoughts, as it is about finishing, is that in a year or two a lot of these games that the Blazers are in control of in the fourth will start becoming blowouts more often than nought. I mean of course teams can always come back, and usually do, unless the game is way too out of hand, but with the experience of these close games, both the wins and the losses, there is a huge learning curve with how to execute late in a game to ensure victory. And really does anyone think we would be this much better late in games than the last couple of years if this team hadn't suffered all of the close defeats and last minute heartbreaks over the last couple of years. Jack, Outlaw, Webster, Przybilla, as well as Roy and Aldridge to some extent, had to suffer a LOT of late game bungles over the past two previous seasons. Our team might be young, but they have already had a LOT of mistakes to learn from, always a good thing, as tough as it was to watch as a fan. Like Nate said in the article, it just goes to show the kind of growth and improvement these players have had to endure. Anyways I say watch all of this to change over the course of the next few years.
I guess this could bring up bad memories for some Blazers fans, but a funny side note about the Jermaine O'Neal trade on TrueHoop today.
Mike Barrett gives us an update on Roy on his blog. He also talks about the Indiana game on Saturday and talks about how many back to back games we have had against teams who have had a night off. Interesting stuff, apparently the last team we played who was coming off a back-to-back was Chicago on January 3rd, and the next time it happens for us will be on February 29th, thanks schedule gurus of the NBA, thanks a lot!
Great, great, great, great, great, great, great video here, candid interview of Brandon Roy by ESPN's LZ Granderson, once again it just goes to show you who we have with this guy, even if he wasn't our best player he would be our cornerstone.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
I am a slacker.....
Once again I have been slacking on my blog, for some reason I just haven't gotten to it, hell I haven't even watched a game since parts of the NY game. In my absence my friends Nat and Jimmy have been emailing me quite a bit of thoughts and articles they read and what have you. Lemme put it this way, Nat hates LaMarcus more and more, but before we touch on this, how about some links.
"There's actually some great LaMarcus-hating content in Quick's blog! First Abbott, now Portland's "finest" - people are starting to take note of how much LaMarcus sucks! (I noticed that last night he scored 10 of his 18 in the 1st quarter. And he didn't do anything - not score, rebound, or block - in the 4th quarter. And he only got 6 rebounds in 35 minutes - I think Martell got 5 in 20 minutes. Beating the Bulls by 3 points without Hinrich, Deng, or Gordon is hardly a win to be proud of.) Nice to see Jack put the pressure on the defense and get to the line for 7 of 8 shooting! Anyway, here's part of Quick's blog post:
The starting lineup isn't the only thing being looked at right now. McMillan said he has spent the past several days analyzing his fourth-quarter rotations, and has reached a point where he is leaning toward playing center Joel Przybilla more if LaMarcus Aldridge continues his struggles.
"The thing is, we gotta get some production there,'' McMillan said of the center position in the fourth quarter. "It will be a read on my part, but we have to look at that, no question. ''There has been so much clamoring about Przybilla's lack of play in the fourth quarters this season, but what people don't understand is that if Przybilla plays, then either Aldridge or Travis Outlaw has to sit.
And if one thing has become certain in McMillan's mind, it's that Outlaw is no longer a small forward - he is strictly a power forward."That's where he gives us an advantage,'' McMillan said.That brings us back to Aldridge, who I think has been very sporadic and at times a liability for this team, particularly down the stretch of games. His jumper has been decidedly off, and his defense has been less than inspiring.
Earlier this year in a double-overtime loss in Toronto, Przybilla did not play in the fourth or in either overtime, even though Aldridge was struggling through a 5-for-17 shooting day and getting killed by Chris Bosh on defense. After the game, McMillan said he stuck with Aldridge because he is one of the franchise's foundations, and he is going to have to learn to play through those types of games. However, those types of games for Aldrdige have become increasingly more common. He enters tonight with a season-low 16.9 scoring average which comes on the heels of some unsightly shooting nights (2-for-9 vs. Denver, 5-for-14 vs. Houston, 3-for-12 at Atlanta, 6-for-21 at Orlando, 5-for-17 at Toronto and 6-for-17 at Chicago).
What is making it worse is that Aldridge has been out of position (LeBron James' game-winning drive) or merely shoved out of the way on defense too many times lately - and at times when the game is on the line.Doesn't there come a time when the coach has to say foundation or not, part of your learning experience will be being benched if poor play persists?"I would have to agree,'' McMillan in respondng to that notion. "And we will have to look at that. It's not out of the question.''"
He has been pestering me to write an anti-LaMarcus post for a few days now, but you know what, the dude is young, could he stand to be tougher, yes, could he stand to be a better defender, of course, does that mean that I hate him, NO! But Quick ends his article just saying he is expecting more from LaMarcus, and I agree, we should be seeing more from him, I think he needs to muck it up, get on people on defense, get a freaking post game. On the other hand, it is his second year in the league and I don't think anyone expected him to be doing what he is even doing NOW before he had been in the league for a few years. So really I don't begrudge him, he is still learning and I think he is in a mental slump as well, so come on lets go easy on the guy!
Anyways I want to write more so I will get to that later, discussing the Shaq trade (does anyone else feel like this is almost no news? I mean I wasn't that shocked/surprised/or cared about this trade in any aspect. Well, more on that later. Also I am going to do a story on what it is really like in the Trail Blazers home office, I will compare my own experiences, and try to contact some folks to get some current insider info. More on that later.
- Here is Joe Freeman's blog post about the Chicago game.
- Mike Barret writes about it in his blog here.
- Here is some post-game audio from Nate, as well as some quotes from coaches and players here, I think Nat will read LA's quote, and then he will laugh and throw up at the same time, but that is just a guess!
"There's actually some great LaMarcus-hating content in Quick's blog! First Abbott, now Portland's "finest" - people are starting to take note of how much LaMarcus sucks! (I noticed that last night he scored 10 of his 18 in the 1st quarter. And he didn't do anything - not score, rebound, or block - in the 4th quarter. And he only got 6 rebounds in 35 minutes - I think Martell got 5 in 20 minutes. Beating the Bulls by 3 points without Hinrich, Deng, or Gordon is hardly a win to be proud of.) Nice to see Jack put the pressure on the defense and get to the line for 7 of 8 shooting! Anyway, here's part of Quick's blog post:
The starting lineup isn't the only thing being looked at right now. McMillan said he has spent the past several days analyzing his fourth-quarter rotations, and has reached a point where he is leaning toward playing center Joel Przybilla more if LaMarcus Aldridge continues his struggles.
"The thing is, we gotta get some production there,'' McMillan said of the center position in the fourth quarter. "It will be a read on my part, but we have to look at that, no question. ''There has been so much clamoring about Przybilla's lack of play in the fourth quarters this season, but what people don't understand is that if Przybilla plays, then either Aldridge or Travis Outlaw has to sit.
And if one thing has become certain in McMillan's mind, it's that Outlaw is no longer a small forward - he is strictly a power forward."That's where he gives us an advantage,'' McMillan said.That brings us back to Aldridge, who I think has been very sporadic and at times a liability for this team, particularly down the stretch of games. His jumper has been decidedly off, and his defense has been less than inspiring.
Earlier this year in a double-overtime loss in Toronto, Przybilla did not play in the fourth or in either overtime, even though Aldridge was struggling through a 5-for-17 shooting day and getting killed by Chris Bosh on defense. After the game, McMillan said he stuck with Aldridge because he is one of the franchise's foundations, and he is going to have to learn to play through those types of games. However, those types of games for Aldrdige have become increasingly more common. He enters tonight with a season-low 16.9 scoring average which comes on the heels of some unsightly shooting nights (2-for-9 vs. Denver, 5-for-14 vs. Houston, 3-for-12 at Atlanta, 6-for-21 at Orlando, 5-for-17 at Toronto and 6-for-17 at Chicago).
What is making it worse is that Aldridge has been out of position (LeBron James' game-winning drive) or merely shoved out of the way on defense too many times lately - and at times when the game is on the line.Doesn't there come a time when the coach has to say foundation or not, part of your learning experience will be being benched if poor play persists?"I would have to agree,'' McMillan in respondng to that notion. "And we will have to look at that. It's not out of the question.''"
He has been pestering me to write an anti-LaMarcus post for a few days now, but you know what, the dude is young, could he stand to be tougher, yes, could he stand to be a better defender, of course, does that mean that I hate him, NO! But Quick ends his article just saying he is expecting more from LaMarcus, and I agree, we should be seeing more from him, I think he needs to muck it up, get on people on defense, get a freaking post game. On the other hand, it is his second year in the league and I don't think anyone expected him to be doing what he is even doing NOW before he had been in the league for a few years. So really I don't begrudge him, he is still learning and I think he is in a mental slump as well, so come on lets go easy on the guy!
Anyways I want to write more so I will get to that later, discussing the Shaq trade (does anyone else feel like this is almost no news? I mean I wasn't that shocked/surprised/or cared about this trade in any aspect. Well, more on that later. Also I am going to do a story on what it is really like in the Trail Blazers home office, I will compare my own experiences, and try to contact some folks to get some current insider info. More on that later.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Ahhhh Classic Z-Bo!
So Zach Randolph returned to the Rose Garden, and in a hail of boos from the crowd, puts together one of his better performances of the season. But seriously, did anyone think he wouldn't? But unfortunately for Zach, it is the same scenario he has had his entire career, sure he had a great game, but who won? It was the stellar second half performance from Brandon Roy that woke up the Trail Blazers and led them on a mission in the second half to win this game. How often last year would we put the ball in Zach's hands and give him the shot at this, to let him lead our team. Well, I hate to say it as a former Zach supporter, but the guy is not a leader, he is selfish, and while he may say things about wishing it had been a victory for his team, does he really? I don't think so, I think he is selfish and just wants stats for himself. He was on a mission last night as well, a mission to have a great game, he wanted to come back and say, "Fuck you for trading me." Well I don't think one Blazer fan missed him at all last night, and in the shining performance of our resident All Star and the TEAM we pulled out another gritty, gutsy, come from behind win.
I am not going to link to the Oregonians article, it says basically what I just have. But I do want to share Martell Webster's quote from last night:
"This is something amazing, something special," Martell Webster said. "It is history in the making, a sign of a new era. A team that has totally changed, that has gone 180 (degrees) from where it used to be. Everything is looking up now, the future is bright. We have two great players on our team who are representing us in All-Star weekend, and that is something the fans have been wanting. Something positive, something to go home and talk to their friends about. That's what we want to bring, and that's what we have been doing."
I think that is one of the most profound and clearest ways to describe this franchise I have ever read. Martell summed up everything surrounding Portland this basketball season. Ladies and gentlemen I feel he has finally 'gotten' it. We can talk about the play of Roy, we can talk about the late game heroics of Outlaw, we can talk about Aldridge, Blake, James Jones, Joel Przybilla, and they are all very key pieces in all of this and worthy of praise (or boos depending on who you talk to..... Nat!). But I think one of the most underrated players on this team and in the league is Webster. He doesn't necessarily have flashy stats, he is not always an offensive juggernaut, but as I discussed in my earlier piece about Roy, Martell brings a lot of intangibles to this team. He is a solid rebounder, great shooter, mucks up the passing lanes, plays good team D, but most of all I have seen so much growth in his defense over the past couple of months.
I am becoming more and more impressed with this kid, and think he will blossom into a wonderful all around player. He is kind of looking to me like Udoka did last season, with one major difference, Martell has all the tools to become an absolute stud in this league, and it looks like maybe the biggest question mark about him is finally coming out, his mind.
And last but not least, congrats to Roy for his first NBA triple double, mark my words, it will not be his last.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Big trade
Hours after Henry Abbott wrote about it as a good trade, it happened. The Lakers are trading the expiring contract known as Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, the rights to Aaron McKie (it will be a sign and trade to make money work), and the rights of Marc Gasol, Pau's brother (weird, wonder if brothers have ever been traded for one another?) and a couple of draft picks to the Grizzlies for Kung Pau Gasol. Wow. When the Lakers get Bynum back, that team will be scary.
Getting his due
I think my friend Jimmy said it best in an email to me and Nat, "that's right-- respect for roy". Brandon Roy made it to the All Star team at an insanely crowded position in the Western Conference. I mean the starters are Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson, then of course CP3 with the season he's having, and Steve Nash, arguably the best true PG in the league are going to get in. After that however, you have Baron Davis, who is having a stellar year, Tony Parker, Deron Williams, Manu "Skunk-Stripe-Balding-Pattern" Ginobli, and a slew of other forwards and centers as depicted here. Which I mention the other positions, because for the reserves, coaches pick 2 guards, 2 forwards, one center, and 2 wild cards. Roy was a wild card along with New Orleans PF David West. So of all the deserving players in the NBA's Western Conference, why Roy?
If you look at Roy's year, the story cannot be told by stats alone, he is averaging 19.3 points per game, 5.6 assists per game, and 4.5 rebounds per game, good numbers sure, but not the greatest. And that is one reason I think this story is so important. Roy didn't get in based on his numbers alone, John Canzano wrote about intagibles in a column I linked to below, and he was right. Roy is the leader of the Blazers, in the locker room and on the court. He plays the game with such respect, that any time he receives any honor, he deflects credit to things like his coach, his teammates, or his desire to give his team a chance to win. Truly unselfish you can just tell he doesn't care about stats, he cares about making his team better. And he does make his team better but not for the obvious reasons, not only will he take a game over when he has to, but he can also recognize when someone else on the team has the hot hand and lets them do it instead.
Early in games, you might see him hit a couple of shots, but then he starts to defer to his teammates, I think this is because he wants to know who is going to help him on any given night, he wants to see which teammates are on and which ones are off. He also does it because he wants his team to win just as that, a team. Now Blazer fans have seen Roy take games over when it mattered most (see the Atlanta victory last week), but I think almost as important is that we have seen Roy pass to teammates that were 'on' in clutch moments many times as well. He is clutch in every sense of the word, he has an uncanny ability to find the open man, and the silent confidence to trust him as well. This is a rare quality, and one that I think has propelled him to new heights in the NBA.
Yet the most endearing quality of Brandon Roy is something we do not see very often in the NBA. He is humble. He is also becoming a superstar. And these are two qualities rarely, if ever, seen in professional sports. He never seems to put himself above anybody, coach, player, anybody. He accepts blame, takes responsibility for his actions, good or bad, and always has praise for his coaches and teammates. He doesn't seem to have an ego, just seems like a very down to earth guy, and one who respects, the NBA, the game of basketball, his coaches, his teammates, his town, and his fans, these are who Brandon always gives credit to. Because of this I will tell Brandon, it is time for you to get the credit you deserve Brandon, you have earned this All Star berth, not just by how well you play basketball, but also by the kind of person, player, and teammate you are, soak it up and enjoy it, because you are our superstar, because of your play, but more so because of your person. As long as you hold this town up, we will hold you up. Finally a class act in sports, and of all places, he landed in Portland, the one city that needed him the most.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
