S.I. Heads Up

by Dave on Oct 21, 2008 11:42 PM PDT

Just a forewarning that the print edition of the Sports Illustrated NBA Preview comes out this week and there's a ton of Blazer stuff in it. I've seen a copy of the Blazer material and it's interesting. There's a long column by Jack MacCallum on Greg Oden, including these excerpts:

"All our holes," says shooting guard Brandon Roy, a surprise All‑Star last year in his second season, "are holes that Greg is going to plug." That includes defensive rebounding (the Blazers were tied for 20th in second-chance points allowed and were last in fast-break points, which are usually triggered by rebounds) and interior defense (they were 21st in blocked shots). "We were simply overmatched by big centers like Yao [Ming] and Dwight Howard," says coach Nate McMillan.

But it's undeniable that the focus is on Oden. He doesn't have to be Bill Russell from the outset, but he sure as hell can't be Kwame Brown. After all, it's a three-story-high Oden jersey that hangs from the side of the Rose Garden, and it will be the chant of O‑DIN! O‑DIN! (conveniently, the chief Norse god) that will reverberate most raucously through the arena when the Blazers are rolling. The long wait has only increased the anticipation to see whether pleasure delayed is pleasure doubled or pleasure denied.

That's a lot of pressure . . . for a rookie.

"They'll probably make me do some rookie stuff again," says Oden. "That's O.K. I'm so eager to play, I'll carry balls, luggage, whatever." Fortunately, he's not being asked to carry a team. Not yet, anyway.

Check it out if you get the chance.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

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SI showin' the Blazer LOVE!

First!

Travis Outlaw is an alien, but in a good way.

Awesome Graphic was provided by CIC, because he felt like he should be hazed.

by Clevelander among roses on Oct 21, 2008 11:52 PM PDT reply actions

<3

Love the big man. Come in here & play your game son.

Sergio, grab the playing time by the horns.

by TheGreatDane17 on Oct 21, 2008 11:54 PM PDT reply actions

I'll definitely look for this issue...

The only “rookie stuff” the Blazers will make him do is win the ROY award.

Beaver believer!

by mannyfresh1 on Oct 22, 2008 12:03 AM PDT reply actions

I hope not

They better treat him just like any other rookie.

The most amazing thing about my amazing ego is I have amazingly little about which to be egotistical.
The pick and roll this year will emphasize "roll" followed by "dunk", followed by the wailings and lamentations of your women.

by jscot on Oct 22, 2008 1:26 AM PDT up reply actions

Thank god the mags...

and radio and tv is full of NBA news again. I can’t take much more baseball and…whats that? the NHL started? yeah…right. anyway, I think I’m the only person in america who isn’t a big NFL guy. call me crazy but I’m consumed with the opening day for the blazers right now. the only thing that sucks is seeing all the flashes of Kevin Garnett hoisting the trophy and screaming “top of the world!” Ike Diagu, if you punch KG in the face this year I will work the next 10 years to pay for your contract extension.

Too much?

Afew years ago, a broadcaster once said Pryzbilla's name is "Polish for 'personal foul.'" Ouch.

by chrischa on Oct 22, 2008 12:16 AM PDT reply actions

Your statment,

I think I’m the only person in america who isn’t a big NFL guy ……. I’m consumed with the opening day for the blazers right now. the only thing that sucks is seeing all the flashes of Kevin Garnett hoisting the trophy and screaming "top of the world!"

fits me to a tee.

by TwoDeep on Oct 22, 2008 8:50 AM PDT up reply actions

My bad. DiOgu

Afew years ago, a broadcaster once said Pryzbilla's name is "Polish for 'personal foul.'" Ouch.

by chrischa on Oct 22, 2008 12:18 AM PDT reply actions

S.I.

‘long as they’re not on the cover…

Maybe the team should watch the film from this Blazer quarter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctrCrJoEYO8

I keep wondering: Who is gonna show up and be Thor (Odin’s son) throwing down the hammer?

More sax
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqeuQJCamEg

by Sashland on Oct 22, 2008 12:36 AM PDT reply actions

Hang in there Big Fella !

You’ve got BRoy & Smooth to lead the way.
Just hit the boards, throw down & INTIMIDATE !
If so – 55-27 – Home court in the 1st Round.

It's GO time !

by walkoff41 on Oct 22, 2008 1:37 AM PDT reply actions

RooooDeeee RooooDeeeee

I still think Rudy’s name will be the one that is chanted more often than Oden’s, because Greg is the steak, but Rudy is the sizzle. Can’t wait to witness it all. The Rose Garden is going to be hot this year.

by ajinoregon on Oct 22, 2008 2:31 AM PDT reply actions

agreed

came here to post just that.
Plus ROODEEE is just more fun to say.

by Section323 on Oct 22, 2008 6:04 PM PDT up reply actions

I hope he's not on the cover

Eh, howzit, brah. You get any da kine?

by tominhawaii on Oct 22, 2008 3:53 AM PDT reply actions

Nope

You can get it with Howard, Kobe, LeBron, Durant, Brand.

Odenied: If you're given lemmings—make lemming-ade (Bow4Meow)

by Norsktroll on Oct 22, 2008 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions

So PDX fans

will have to buy SI with K*be on it?

let’s just say I hope all their Blazer-related articles are online

by two4larue on Oct 22, 2008 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions

K*be's on the cover?

and injured his knee?

by jscot on Oct 22, 2008 1:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Bad writing looks like this:

“All our holes,” says shooting guard Brandon Roy, a surprise All‑Star last year in his second season, “are holes that Greg is going to plug.”

A better tack would have been:
“All our holes”are holes that Greg is going to plug," said shooting guard Brandon Roy, a surprise All‑Star last year in his second season.

Rudyculize: The act of Rudy making others look slow, dim and generally oafish.

http://www.myspace.com/y5k

by Y5k on Oct 22, 2008 7:43 AM PDT reply actions

yes

…at first glance reading that sentence, I wasn’t positive that McCallum was talking about team deficiencies.

I don’t like to hurt people, but my roundhouse is legendary

by cic on Oct 22, 2008 8:37 AM PDT up reply actions

It made me think of the thing that all people have besides opinions.

Rudyculize: The act of Rudy making others look slow, dim and generally oafish.

http://www.myspace.com/y5k

by Y5k on Oct 22, 2008 9:05 AM PDT up reply actions

Brandon getting into innuendo?

I hope not. We’ll all have Kaz Matsui’s if he does.

Claire Redfield dunk shot: missed
Claire Redfield Off Rebound (5 REB)
Claire Redfield jump hook shot: made (26 PTS)

by rmcdougall on Oct 22, 2008 9:44 AM PDT up reply actions

Not sure if Shavik would fit in with a new team culture like that.

Rudyculize: The act of Rudy making others look slow, dim and generally oafish.

http://www.myspace.com/y5k

by Y5k on Oct 22, 2008 9:54 AM PDT up reply actions

Nate disses Joel, which isn't surprising, I suppose, since he spent half a season using him wrong...

“We were simply overmatched by big centers like Yao [Ming] and Dwight Howard,” says coach Nate McMillan.

Did the Blazers EVEN PLAY Yao last year?

Two games against Dwight Howard and that’s somehow a huge deficiency?

"It's not a joke -- it's not a game." — B-Rex

by timbo on Oct 22, 2008 8:12 AM PDT reply actions

They did play Yao

and I remember the radio announcers commenting that the Blazers did a good job on him. Yep, I noticed the Joel diss immediately.

by TwoDeep on Oct 22, 2008 8:54 AM PDT reply actions

I don't think that's aimed directly at Joel ...

Remember that Joel only played about 23 minutes a game. When he was in the game, Joel always did a good job of forcing players like Dwight Howard and Yao Ming away from the basket, and Joel always does a great job on the glass. The problem was when Joel went to the bench. For at least half of every game, the Blazers were significantly overmatched at the center position, whenever they faced a team with an elite big man.
It’s not as if Joel is being replaced by Greg this year. Greg is being ADDED. Joel will still play around 20 minutes a game, and I would expect for him to have similar production this year. The big difference is that now you can add Greg’s production on top of Joel’s.
Phil

by Philski on Oct 22, 2008 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions

Don't think about is as replacing Joel with Greg

It’s a lot more like replacing Channing with Greg, and allowing Outlaw to play his natural position.

Claire Redfield dunk shot: missed
Claire Redfield Off Rebound (5 REB)
Claire Redfield jump hook shot: made (26 PTS)

by rmcdougall on Oct 22, 2008 9:45 AM PDT up reply actions

There is a chance

it will be the chant of R-U-D-Y, R-U-D-Y that will “reverberate most raucously through the arena when the Blazers are rolling”.

This is no diss on Oden, but is simply because of the things that Rudy can do with his mind and the fact that many women in the stands will be loudest when there is spanish-sex-appeal involved.

Plus, Rudy is a highlight reel waiting to happen and the name Rudy lends itself nicely to group chanting, just ask the good people in South Bend.

(Oden vs Shaq, Oden vs Yao, Oden vs Howard and Oden vs that kid from the L*kers will be the exceptions)

I don’t like to hurt people, but my roundhouse is legendary

by cic on Oct 22, 2008 9:04 AM PDT reply actions

Odin

Just wanted to point out that Oden and Odin are not pronounced the same. The O in Odin is pronounced like “oops!” wheras the O in Oden is pronounced like “Oh no!”

by moflow on Oct 22, 2008 3:27 PM PDT reply actions