Game 12 Recap: Blazers 116, Bulls 74

by Dave on Nov 19, 2008 10:51 PM PST Comment 145 comments

Yeah, well, we’re not going to go into any great depth about this one. It wouldn’t be polite. We’ve seen plenty of 42-point halves for the Blazers in the last few years, but 42-point wins? Odds bodkins! When your fans are getting chalupas and the other team hasn’t hit 60 yet, you know things are going right.

I know everybody will want to focus on the dunk-fest, but concentrate on the defense first in this one. We came out harrying the Chicago guards, using Lamarcus Aldridge’s length to disturb their rhythm with the press. This also forced quick shots. They couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn at that point and never recovered. We held the Bulls under 35% for the game, 13% from the three-point line.

On offense we just destroyed their interior players. I’m pretty sure they made Greg Oden scrape Joakim Noah off of his shoe before they’d let him into the locker room at halftime. When Joel Przybilla is posterizing you, you have problems. Brandon Roy got into the post a little. Lamarcus Aldridge got into the post. Roy and Rodriguez started driving too. You saw a preview of the Blazers in years to come with the offense tonight. I am not suggesting that everything is going to be so free and easy, nor that we’re going to win by 40 often. But you basically saw the Bulls have to pick their poison when one of our players broke them down. Whoever they decided to double-team with, the guy that player was originally guarding either backed up to the three-point line or cut to the rim. With our overall awareness and passing it was either a clear three or a slam-you-two. The Blazers are going to cause just that kind of overload when everybody gets comfortable with their own offensive game and their teammates. Unless you can stop Portland one-on-one five times over (try that with Oden or Roy) you’re going to be hurting. Don’t think that time will be coming soon, but it will get here. Even now, though, it’s good to know that this is what happens when you don’t defend the Blazers. In years past you wouldn’t have seen Portland being able to take advantage.

Obviously with the dominance in the paint the Bulls couldn’t hang on the boards either. How often do the Blazers win when they outrebound their opponent?

I’m not even going to do individual player reviews tonight. Most everybody played excellent. Lamarcus was struggling on offense again but he didn’t force it or disrupt the game. Oh wait… I can’t BELIEVE Sergio had 6 turnovers!!! What is up with that guy? Bench him! Bench him hard! (Just kidding.)

Here are some random notes accumulated during the game…

--Vinny Del Negro does not look right in a coach’s suit. Of course his image wasn’t helped by the proceedings. Even before the game he looked like a commercial for Tums. He graduated from that to the Bayless-having-PMS face. Finally there was the glazed, “Anyone get the license plate of that steamroller?” look.

--If you’re wondering why Oden is having problems finishing directly under the basket, remember his vertical isn’t all the way back yet. Trust me, that will come. Then he won’t get blocked on those dunks either.

--Jon Barry made a comment in the first half that the Blazers ranked 29^th in the league in rebounding and needed improvement. That ranking is only accurate if you measure by total number of rebounds. (And even then they’ve moved up to 24^th.) That’s not the best measure because raw numbers of rebounds are affected by pace. Golden State is always going to have more rebounds overall than the Blazers because they and their opponents each take over 10 more shots per game than the Blazers and their average opponent. More shots equals more rebounds. Rebounding percentage is a much better measuring tool. The Blazers are 12^th in offensive rebounding percentage and 2^nd overall in defensive rebounding percentage. Defensive rebounding can be supplemented by offensive rebounds allowed, where the Blazers rank 1st overall. National commentators can’t be expected to know all the intricacies of teams they see only a few times a year but I don’t think it’s too much to expect them to check the relevant statistics before making such sweeping claims.

--The crowd sounded like they enjoyed the game completely. It’s a sure bet the Blazers will have to ice their wrists tomorrow from all of the dunking they did. Quite the balm after last night’s stinging loss, eh?

--Somebody in Chicago needs to tell Drew Gooden that the “Hanging Calamari” went out about two centuries ago…and for good reason.

I wouldn’t advise it necessarily, but if you’re brave you can see what the Bulls fans are saying over at BlogaBull. (Be nice if you let them know you're from here.) Also you can enter Friday's Jersey Contest form here. Don't forget there's also a Saturday game that will come up as soon as Friday's is done.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

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Scoreboard, baby (Bulls)!

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 19, 2008 10:56 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Ben Gordon

The poor bastard is playing his heart out. He would be a good fit on our team if he/roy or Rudy could lock down the SF position

Time For The Spanish Guard To Step Up

by TheGreatDane17 on Nov 20, 2008 10:23 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Someone in the gameday thread asked if this was the biggest win of the year so far

I found these
L#kers 38 point win over Clippers on Oct. 29th
Phili 34 point win over the Kings on Nov. 3
Phili 29 point win over Knicks on Oct. 31st
NY 29 point win over Memphis on Nov. 12th
L*kers 29 point win over Houston on Nov. 9th
Phx 28 point win over Nets on Nov. 4th
Orlando 25 point win over Washington on Nov. 8th

I may have missed games and I hope my late night very tired subtraction worked. It looks like 42 points is the biggest win so far.

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Nov 19, 2008 11:04 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Oh

and Outlaw’s reverse dunk from Sergio’s pass was the number 1 highlight on ESPN tonight.

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Nov 19, 2008 11:06 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

It's good to see

our boys take the game out of the refs hands.

If you're paddling upstream in a canoe and a wheel falls off, how many pancakes fit in a doghouse? None! Ice cream has no bones!

by Arby on Nov 19, 2008 11:10 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

refs were quite bad

mostly in Portland’s favor, although they tried to make it up as the game went on.
I didn’t read the game thread, but I am curious if we all noted the ticky tacky fouls on Noah, after all of last night’s angst.

I thought it was funny that Aaron Gray apparently loses the “unpopular with refs white center” fouls contest to Joel.

Best quote from Bulls recap:

Aaron Gray. And Larry Hughes. Hughes at SF! Gray at a basketball position! In a regular season NBA game!

by Section323 on Nov 19, 2008 11:18 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I noticed some calls going Portland's way

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Nov 19, 2008 11:22 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

We talked about the favorable calls in the game thread, yep.

After last night, we weren’t feeling too bad about it though. Seemed almost like referees doing make-up calls for the game before.

by Timmay! on Nov 19, 2008 11:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Great quote.

I don’t disagree with the fact that the Blazers got good whistles. The fact remains, however, that there is no way to guard Greg Oden once has the ball deep. And he had the ball deep. So Noah had to foul.

One of the fouls on Channing and one of the fouls on LMA seemed questionable, but excusable in the rout.

by rmcdougall on Nov 19, 2008 11:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, one of Channing's, there was a good foot between him and the guy he fouled

But I did feel bad for Noah, he was kind of like LaMarcus last night. Everything went against him.
Although, like LaMarcus, he wasn’t playing that well anyway, so it didn’t matter that much.

by Section323 on Nov 19, 2008 11:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Never feel bad for Noah

Well, I permit you to feel bad about personal tragedies and stuff like that, I would myself. But bad things happening to him on a basketball court? I heartily approve.

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 Nov 19, 2008 11:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know enought about him to have an opinion

but he seems to elicit strong ones.

by Section323 on Nov 19, 2008 11:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Me either

Fan opinions don’t have to be based on fact.

by jscot on Nov 19, 2008 11:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

man, I've seen enough of that guy

to know he bugs me. Here are a couple of examples… (no rick rolls, i promise)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58JsDoQDzTA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ3y5hTHuP4

by shralpster on Nov 19, 2008 11:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Noah probably wishes he still had an ark

when the Blazers opened the floodgates on him.

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 19, 2008 11:49 PM PST up reply actions 5 recs

rec

by jscot on Nov 19, 2008 11:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

and one!

make it green, son. make it green

We cannot put up with this flagrant lack of accountability anymore.

by MT Suit on Nov 20, 2008 11:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Bayless got murdered with 59 seconds left

and of course they didn’t want to blow the whistle at that point.

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 19, 2008 11:48 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Though they did blow the whistle with 0.3 seconds left

What was that even about? Sergio let the ball go out of bounds?

by rmcdougall on Nov 19, 2008 11:52 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, that was funny, i guess

not really

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 19, 2008 11:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

seriously

The refs were saying, “Yes, We can get ONE call right!”

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Nov 20, 2008 12:20 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Was that one of Sergio's turnovers?

cheap…

"I believe in [Joel]. I just love the way he plays." - Nate McMillan

by jamon51 on Nov 20, 2008 1:27 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yup.

by howlingfantods on Nov 20, 2008 9:28 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I thought the refs were horrible

and in Portland’s favor. I think it vindicates my stance on the GSW game.

"I believe in [Joel]. I just love the way he plays." - Nate McMillan

by jamon51 on Nov 20, 2008 1:26 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

At the risk of repeating myself

I really,really enjoyed that

by southern oregon on Nov 19, 2008 11:14 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

A sentiment you can't over do.

Man, that was fun to watch.

hakkaa päälle !

by timg56 on Nov 20, 2008 6:35 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I learned one thing about Bayless

He likes to jump pass. Uh oh.

BINGO, BANGO, BONGO

by blzrfan on Nov 19, 2008 11:20 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

And he's not Rudy on the alley-oop, Sergio almost took his head off with a bullet pass

Free Ike! Say no to Frye! Przy for mayor!

BINGO, BANGO, BONGO

by blzrfan on Nov 19, 2008 11:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Shhhh!

(Don’t let him hear you say that! If you don’t make your saving throw versus petrification that gaze turns you to stone. Don’t draw his attention here!)

—Dave

by Dave on Nov 19, 2008 11:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

DnD reference

I can get behind that.

I couldn’t quite see what happened on that backdoor alley oop from Sergio. I’d love to see video, but I doubt there’ll be one.

3/3 from Ike? He should start! Bench Aldridge! Trade Randolph, he didn’t even score!

by rmcdougall on Nov 19, 2008 11:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

What happened on that backdoor alley-oop

What happened on that backdoor alley-oop is that Sergio tried to kill Bayless, plain and simple. B-Rex cut down the right baseline like Rudy does but instead of that perfectly-timed medium-strength pass Sergio gives his countryman…WHAM!!!!!!!!! Bayless had his hands extended but I don’t think he even got to jump. I think he ducked his head too. That thing darn near broke the backboard.

—Dave

by Dave on Nov 20, 2008 12:09 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

Sergio tried to get Bayless the ball late

I think the talk of the 2 of them having a “feud” is way overblown. Sergio was trying to get his pal some action late in the game. Rex was excited and didn’t make the most of it, but I really believe Sergio was looking to make Bayless look good.

by rmcdougall on Nov 20, 2008 12:10 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I was kidding

I just thought the image was funny. “I’m free and cutting…I wonder if Sergio sees m….WHOOOA!!! What the heck was THAT??? Next time I’m wearing a helmet!”

—Dave

by Dave on Nov 20, 2008 12:13 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Meanwhile...

(in a Spanish accent…think Puss in Boots from Shrek)

“He, he, he…try to take MY playing time, will you? Take THAT! And THAT! My name is Sergio Inigo Montoya and you killed my pre-season hype. Prepare to die!”

—Dave

by Dave on Nov 20, 2008 12:16 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Bayless /should/ play in a helmet

I think it would do well for his extra-serious attitude. I do wonder if the fact that Bayless played at the SG spot means anything, other than the fact that Nate was trying to put his 5 smallest injury risks on the court.

PS, I knew you were kidding, I recc’d for the Ben-style comic narrative.

by rmcdougall on Nov 20, 2008 12:19 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

and here I thought it was DAve style

Greg Oden, where posters happen.

by ratbastird on Nov 20, 2008 7:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

You're right

It was Dave Style before it was Ben Style.

Now, with 2 bloggers, I think it might be fair to say that more of the analytical stuff comes from Dave, and slightly more of the imaginative stuff comes from Ben. Obviously, they both give us great examples of both. We have 2 guys who are both very creative and very good journalists.

by rmcdougall on Nov 20, 2008 9:07 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Correct.

I do wonder if the fact that Bayless played at the SG spot means anything, other than the fact that Nate was trying to put his 5 smallest injury risks on the court.

Bayless is a PG or he is a washout in the NBA, and you can quote me on that.

"Sergio is clearly the MJ of 3rd string point guards!" —Mortimer Pritchard

by timbo on Nov 20, 2008 8:42 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think we saw why Bayless hasn't been getting minutes

even in a blowout he didn’t look comfortable. Ike played well at the end of the game. C’mon Rex! We know you can play better!

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Nov 19, 2008 11:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I find it hard to criticize a guy who's motor is going at 25,000 RPMs

because he’s been riding the pine all season and has such high expectations for himself.

It takes rookie guards many minutes before they can settle down and become comfortable. Rex didn’t look any worse than Westbrook, E Gordon and Augustin have looked this season, and those guys actually get to play on a regular basis. Plus, look at ROY D. Rose tonight. It takes time and Rex doesn’t get any time to settle in.

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 19, 2008 11:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Thats trash.

Plenty of guards selected AS A LOTTERY PICK should be at least comfortable going out in a blowout

Time For The Spanish Guard To Step Up

by TheGreatDane17 on Nov 20, 2008 10:28 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Is Steve Blake hurt?

I feel like this needs an answer.

by rmcdougall on Nov 19, 2008 11:21 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

agreed

any word on Blake?

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Nov 19, 2008 11:22 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

And I didn't mean to sound demanding.

That’s not my style. I was just trying to say that I think people are curious.

by rmcdougall on Nov 19, 2008 11:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'll demand for you

I NEED word on Blake right this gosh darn second! GIMMIE, GIMMIE, GIMMIE!

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Nov 19, 2008 11:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

He's got a few stitches and a big lump according to Nate/O-Live.

by Timmay! on Nov 19, 2008 11:30 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Five or six stitches

No worries

by zaruga on Nov 19, 2008 11:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the update

and Timmay, thanks.

Is he at all questionable for Friday?

by rmcdougall on Nov 19, 2008 11:34 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

They didn't say either way yet

by Timmay! on Nov 19, 2008 11:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

That won't look too good on a shaved head :)

Maybe he grows his hair back.

by Norsktroll on Nov 20, 2008 5:32 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

You can see him hit the camera

in the nba.com highlight reel. It wasn’t just sitting on the floor like Mike Rice said, it was in someone’s hands. (1:27 in). Ouch.

by jorga on Nov 20, 2008 8:20 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Did he get a close-up picture of Steve's head about to nail him?

by pualo on Nov 20, 2008 3:14 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

No, but there's a close-up

of the aftermath in a fanshot I posted here

by jorga on Nov 20, 2008 6:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

You know it was a good game

when Dave spends more time objecting to some comment by the guy on the broadcast than suggesting room for improvement in the team.

by jscot on Nov 19, 2008 11:32 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Dave had a valid point though

we can be considered the best rebounding team in the league. If that’s too much, we are certainly an elite rebounding team at this point.

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Nov 19, 2008 11:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Of course

Dave is always right.

But when you spend that much time in the game recap in analyzing the analysis, you know there was little of substance to worry about.

by jscot on Nov 19, 2008 11:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I posted in the GSW game recap thread...

… that the Blazers were doing a good job of consistently being competitive on the road (other than the LAL game), a big improvement from last year.

I wrote that the next thing I wanted to see was a convincing home victory. I was thinking something on the lines of 98-85 or 100-88. I was not expecting this, but I guess it’ll do.

Nothing like a 42 point blowout to get point differential geeks like me to be quiet about us being “fortunate” to be 7-5. Now we are right where the Pythagorean wins formula says we should be… and that is a pretty good place given the tough schedule thus far.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Nov 19, 2008 11:34 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Ha!

So are we now a better team because of that win, or is it simply that the sample size is starting to catch up to the point where the stats match reality?

Given we’ve played 8 away and 4 at home, and most blowouts come at home, I think the stat still hasn’t caught up to reality. But it is skewed by a 40 point blowout, because those are not twice as valuable as a 20 pointer, or four times as indicative as a 10 point win.

by jscot on Nov 19, 2008 11:41 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

it says a lot about the team

There is a big difference between eeking out a close home W over the Wolves and a game like this. Obviously point differential is skewed with a limited number of games… it becomes most useful as we get toward playoff time to distinguish between contenders and pretenders.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Nov 19, 2008 11:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It does and it doesn't

That game just added 0.5 to our point differential for the entire SEASON. But if we had gone out, put a pasting on them, and then their scrubs made a run in the last quarter and cut it to 25 with 3 minutes left, then 15 at the end, it would not say anything different about the team. It would still be a dominant blow-out win.

Yes, there’s a difference between the Wolves win and this one. But points differential is impacted significantly by how well the end of your bench plays against the end of the other team’s bench in total blowouts, which isn’t really indicative of anything useful.

by jscot on Nov 20, 2008 12:04 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

true

and that’s one of the reasons it isn’t perfect… but that kind of thing evens out to a reasonable degree over a season (not necessarily after 12 games though).

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Nov 20, 2008 12:07 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I suppose the absurd L@kers game

helps even it out.

by jscot on Nov 20, 2008 12:09 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Actually I think the pt diff just jumped 3.5 per game

42 pt margin / 12 games

But aside from that correction, yes, this size of a margin of victory really doesn’t say anything more than 15 or 20 points.

by shralpster on Nov 20, 2008 12:16 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think he meant

that its a 0.5 point jump over an entire 82 game season. If you played 81 games dead even and had one 42 point blowout, your point differential would be ~0.5 for the season.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Nov 20, 2008 12:21 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

What he said.

by rmcdougall on Nov 20, 2008 12:22 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh yes, now I see that it is my own reading comprehension that is suspect

by shralpster on Nov 20, 2008 12:26 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I could have worded it more clearly

like jksnake did.

by jscot on Nov 20, 2008 3:31 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

You'd have to correct for what it currently was

If we always had a 42 point margin, then it wouldn’t jump at all.

Technically, your math is only valid if we were at a neutral point after 11 games.

Though, since I think we had a negative differential going into this, you’re actually /more/ right than you think. Or something.

by rmcdougall on Nov 20, 2008 12:21 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Great

Now my reading comprehension is garbage and my math is bad. I’ll have a good excuse as soon as I think of one.

by shralpster on Nov 20, 2008 12:28 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

that's cool

I’m just plain confused.

Greg Oden, where posters happen.

by ratbastird on Nov 20, 2008 7:55 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

and 42 points can hopefully do wonders for the CONFIDENCE of these young guns

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 19, 2008 11:55 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

why do we have to play 2 more road games now?

unfair, man.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Nov 19, 2008 11:35 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I'm told this will even out

I don’t believe it though

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Nov 19, 2008 11:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

it may even out mathematically

But there’s a difference between 1 home game played between road games and a home-stand.

Like they said earlier, this feels like a road game. You fly in, get a night off, then play, then fly out.

Later in the season, we get these stretches of huge homestands with lots of rest. Someone had a fanpost about the naturally-occuring streaks in the schedule, and it was really informative.

by rmcdougall on Nov 19, 2008 11:46 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The way we're playing right now

it would be unfair if we got more games at home.

Sadly for the league, that day is coming and we’ll probably be playing better.

by jscot on Nov 19, 2008 11:44 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

pythagoras!

by Blazin' on Nov 19, 2008 11:40 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Sac won @ New Orleans

They will be tough at ARCO. Kevin Martin might be back I think and they always seem to beat us down there. It should help that Artest isn’t there any more— he always played great D on Roy as a King.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Nov 19, 2008 11:52 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Since people usually like to criticize Nate and rarely laud him

Did anyone else notice the terrific coaching in the second quarter?

Nate had the team running a full court press for a while and always trapping Rose. When you have a 20+ point lead, how many times do you see a young team go into a prevent defense and blow the lead?

Nate knowing this decided to make them full court press, which actually makes you more aggressive and active defensively. And it did the trick. That’s how you stomp out a team and put a game away.

Great coaching!

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 19, 2008 11:58 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

Nate blew it today

If Jerry Sloan were our coach, we would have won by 67. Fire Nate!

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Nov 20, 2008 12:00 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think people gave him his due,

especially when he took the TO early second quarter when the bulls got back within 21 (or was it third q, I can’t remember). That was a good TO to reset the team, and from then on I don’t think we took a single TO the whole game.

by premthegrem on Nov 20, 2008 12:01 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Nate should have taken a TO with .3 seconds left in the game

when the ball rolled out of bounds. Just to screw with the ref who thought blowing the whistle was necessary.

by shralpster on Nov 20, 2008 12:04 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs

lol

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 20, 2008 12:05 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

i think the fans might have slaughtered him!

Can’t leave… not over… WE WON!!! wait… what happened???? .3 seconds? Are you serious? A TIME OUT!!!???? NOOOOOO!!!! MUST STAY!!! Curse you nate CURSE YOOOOOUUUUU!!!!!

That’s what would have gone through my head anyway.

Greg Oden, where posters happen.

by ratbastird on Nov 20, 2008 7:58 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Ugh, it wasn't even a 20!

How long do I have to wait now for my chalupas?

by shralpster on Nov 20, 2008 9:13 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

People give him his due

but sometimes it feels like it’s his fault when we lose and it’s the players fault when we win. I think he does a very good job overall and think he should be given more credit.

I mean, the national media loves him (Redeem Team and all the nostalgia from his Sonics days), but within the Blazers community he gets ripped on a lot.

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 20, 2008 12:07 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

LMA on the trap was scary.

by rmcdougall on Nov 20, 2008 12:09 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

He was fantastic

if he suffered offensively because of the defensive effort, I can live with that

"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy

by Honka Playboy on Nov 20, 2008 1:16 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

This was the key to the game. We took the ball out of Rose’s hands and they had no idea how to get into their offense from there.

Brett Pill - Lord of the double.

by malarky on Nov 20, 2008 8:04 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

and in the same vein, did anyone notice the defensive job Steve “he can’t defend the quick PG’s” Blake did on Rose? Personally, I thought Blake taking Rose out of the game from the opening minute was a major factor in Portland dominating. Without Rose to spark the offense, they became 5 individuals going one on one each time down the court.

hakkaa päälle !

by timg56 on Nov 20, 2008 6:42 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

wow

I dont think I ever realized how much I appreciated dave until I read a game recap on another site. keep up the great work!

"Great Oden's raven!" - Ron Burgandy

by danevan on Nov 20, 2008 12:08 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

The Blogabull one was written during the second quarter

Which I think is fair in this case, considering the situation.

by rmcdougall on Nov 20, 2008 12:09 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

haha, I know, but I'm confused because he says he Tivo'd the first hour

then wrote the recap in the second quarter.

What kind of a time warp do they have going on?

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 20, 2008 12:11 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Actually ya

That confused me to. I don’t know.

by rmcdougall on Nov 20, 2008 12:11 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Ok, he Tivo'd the first hour

then fast-forwarded through that part and wrote the game recap simultaneously.

That guy is quick and efficient. He also repeated the same line about Aaron Grey and Larry Hughes 20 times and added little else. He probably actually wrote it before the game.

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 20, 2008 12:12 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Perimeter Defense

I’m surprised not one person has mentioned it so far…but one of our biggest weaknesses for the past 2 years was perimeter defense. We knew that CP3 would light us up when we played NOH…and since Rose has been putting up ROY like numbers all season so far, one would expect him to do the same against us. Well I can’t be more proud of our guards mainly Blake and Sergio for shutting him down tonight. Not only did they not give him good looks, but they shut down the passing lanes as well. Both Blake and Sergio did what they wanted to do on offense against him as well. This seemed like Blake’s best offensive game of the season only to be cut short due to the cut he got. Sergio had a good game, but once the game was out of hand he seemed to get pretty careless with the ball, but when the game was still “competitive” he had awesome energy on both sides of the ball. He did an admirable job filling in for Blake after the cut.

Honor Terry Porter

by Philthyanimal on Nov 20, 2008 12:14 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I don't know what happened

but I’ve been in love with Sergio’s defense lately. Maybe he’s always had it and I never noticed it. But he has certainly looked capable on D lately.

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 20, 2008 12:16 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

aye

Sergio looked awesome against D Williams too in preseason action. I’m not too sure but it looked like he had better luck against CP3 than Blake did as well. I want Bayless to succeed, but he looked fairly unimpressive tonight…again. I’m not writing him off, as I know he needs patience, but it’s just frustrating how well he did in Summer League compared to how he is doing in the regular season. Granted Summer League isn’t the best indicator of success.

Honor Terry Porter

by Philthyanimal on Nov 20, 2008 12:22 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think it's especially hard

for rookie guards to be successful in short minutes.

by rmcdougall on Nov 20, 2008 12:26 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

15 mins against LA

maybe…but then again he didnt play that great against LA. to be fair tho no one did.

Honor Terry Porter

by Philthyanimal on Nov 20, 2008 12:44 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

exactly, and his intensity issue (too much) will hurt him in the short term

when he actually gets his scarce minutes, he tries too hard. In the long run, his intensity will be a plus, but it’s hard for a guy like him to come in and look good for 8 minutes once every two weeks.

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 20, 2008 12:45 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

Honor Terry Porter

by Philthyanimal on Nov 20, 2008 12:49 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Trapping!

as mentioned above, BE recent favorite LMA was incredible

"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy

by Honka Playboy on Nov 20, 2008 1:18 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

love the sarcasm!

"I saw him in the face" Sergio's quote on the latest alley-oop to Rudy.

by blazermaniac32 on Nov 20, 2008 7:06 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

i like how we can build spy satellites that take decent pictures from out in orbit, yet for some reason they must fill up the entire baseline with people taking pictures right under the basket… liked how they had it in the olympics with the squishy barricade.

by contemnor on Nov 20, 2008 12:57 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Own Rebound % vs. Opponent FG %

Fellow PTB fans – I have been eves dropping on BE for a few months now and have been pondering whether I ought to join. I believe this forum has been the best source of current news and thoughtful fan insight compared to other available websites. I just thought I would make this post my debut as GO makes his P-Town Debut.

Dave’s comments regarding relevancy of statistics is a good. While the rebounding percentages are high for the Blazers (good thing), there is value to the average “own” REB/game in correlation with opponent FG%.

It appears the Blazers are among the worst in average rebounds per game. If the Blazers are rebounding well (as indicated by the REB ), but have a low number of REB/game, this would indicate the Blazers aren’t getting enough opportunities to rebound. Why would that be? Blazer opponents are making a high number of shots, leaving less opportunities to collect rebounds. The Blazers are among the worst when it comes to opponent FG (according to ESPN, bottom 3; I think that excludes tonight).

When Portland locks down on defense, the average rebounds per game will rise. The season is still young and the Blazers have been without GO for more games than they have had them. Just his presence will decrease opponent FG% as he will fill the paint instead of the opponents. Let’s see these rebounds stats in another 20 games.

Concluding, yes, Jon Barry’s statistic seems irrelevant alone, but it is not a useless stat when analyzed in correlation with other statistics.

Thanks to Dave for maintaining this site, “dropping knowledge bombs” as GD on the Game would say, and providing a site for Blazer fanatics can bounce hopes, hoops and dreams off of one another.

Glad to be a part of the gang,

-GiN

by GroverInNewberg on Nov 20, 2008 1:05 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Welcome

and nice analysis

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 20, 2008 1:23 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

heh

i grew up in newberg, silly silly newberg…

by eyeotiger on Nov 20, 2008 1:43 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

oh and welcome =)

by eyeotiger on Nov 20, 2008 1:43 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Totally agreed

The proper analysis is: the Blazers have been among the worst defensive teams by percentage and need to improve that. Barry should have left the rebounding alone.

Welcome!

—Dave

by Dave on Nov 20, 2008 2:09 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

couple of post game thoughts

First, guilty pleasure… read blog-a-bulls in game thread. My favorites:

"After the first quarter the Yahoo! box score says… Top performer
Chicago
Joakim Noah
1-1 2 pts 1 reb 0 assists

by Chicagoblooz on Nov 19, 2008 10:11 PM CST reply 0 recs "

AND

"Portland is cooling off a bit
by RogersPark Kris on Nov 19, 2008 10:24 PM CST reply 0 recs

Nevermind.
by RogersPark Kris on Nov 19, 2008 10:28 PM CST up reply 0 recs"

Sometimes I feel like I'm going in different directions...

by porterfan30 on Nov 20, 2008 1:14 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

second thought

Did anyone catch the ESPN highlights right after the game? They were talking about Oden and show a highlight of LMA swatting Rose and then comment there’s Oden rejecting Rose. The two are tall…that’s about the only physical similiarity.

Sometimes I feel like I'm going in different directions...

by porterfan30 on Nov 20, 2008 1:17 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

well...

They both have black hair too. Not sure how you confuse that Tribble growing on Odens chin for aldridge though.

Greg Oden, where posters happen.

by ratbastird on Nov 20, 2008 8:03 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

haha, yeah

I saw that “nevermind” comment too as we began to rip off that 14-0 run late in the second quarter.

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 20, 2008 1:24 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Laughter is the best medicine

Really, take some time to slog through some Bulls open thread posts and the post game thread. If you don’t laugh out loud repeatedly, you aren’t really awake. Highly recommended. A good pick-me-up.

This isn't the Lakers,...
"It's not Show time. It's GO time!"

by GameFace on Nov 20, 2008 12:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The gameflow is a thing of beauty - too bad Chicago is on top which makes it look like a decline

We had runs all over the place today: 16-3, 9-0, 7-2, 16-4, 16-1, 14-2, 8-2

Chicago just had two short runs (both times when Channing was on the floor, but maybe a coincidence since he was good in the 4th).

http://popcornmachine.net/cgi-bin/gameflow.cgi?date=20081119&game=CHIPOR

by Norsktroll on Nov 20, 2008 5:38 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Whew!

Glad you didn’t means we had “the runs” all over the place. That would have really stunk up the Rose Garden, but still not more than the Bulls.

This isn't the Lakers,...
"It's not Show time. It's GO time!"

by GameFace on Nov 20, 2008 12:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Chicago and Mr. Davy Jones Beard stumble

(Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

by Norsktroll on Nov 20, 2008 6:35 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah LMA already had a hurt neck

I don’t think this helped matters any.

Rudy for ROY
Campaign 08-09

"Rudy is not everyday a shooter." ~Rudy Fernandez

by twiggs on Nov 20, 2008 6:54 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

What an idiot

Drew Badden

by Bust a Bucket on Nov 20, 2008 3:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I kinda had a feeling the Blazers would come out and cream somebody

after their poor showing in GS.

Good stuff, builds confidence so that we can do this on the road.

Blazer Fan

by leeroyjenkins on Nov 20, 2008 6:40 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Have to like a game when the biggest criticism one can have...

… is that they shorted Greg Oden a block or two.

btw – have to call Dave on one thing. Gooden’s beard – that style went out 2 millenium ago, not 2 centuries.

hakkaa päälle !

by timg56 on Nov 20, 2008 6:49 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

my girlfriend wants to grab it and tug it

works well for me because I wanted to take some scissors and cut it.

Greg Oden, where posters happen.

by ratbastird on Nov 20, 2008 8:05 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Gooden's beard

HAS to be a homage to Dr. Zoiberg. So it ain’t all bad…

"Diplomacy is the art of saying, "Nice Doggie" until you find a rock."
Will Rogers

"Suppose you were an idiot. Now suppose you were a member of Congress...but I repeat myself."
Will Rogers

by Darth Weasel on Nov 20, 2008 9:20 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Dave, you rock

When Joel Przybilla is posterizing you, you have problems

That was hilarious.

I was at the game last night, and I seriously think the crowd was stunned. Sure, we cheered in all the right places, freaked out after that Sergio-Rudy alley oop and after every monster dunk. But the rest of the game, we were all pretty in awe of the massive lead and weren’t really as loud as you would think…it was SO great seeing them at home finally, and to have a game like that is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Rudy for ROY
Campaign 08-09

"Rudy is not everyday a shooter." ~Rudy Fernandez

by twiggs on Nov 20, 2008 6:56 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

No respect.

"Sergio is clearly the MJ of 3rd string point guards!" —Mortimer Pritchard

by timbo on Nov 20, 2008 8:43 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Poor Vinny

Vinny Del Negro does not look right in a coach’s suit. Of course his image wasn’t helped by the proceedings. Even before the game he looked like a commercial for Tums. He graduated from that to the Bayless-having-PMS face. Finally there was the glazed, "Anyone get the license plate of that steamroller?" look.

Bill Simmons (through one of his reader emails) said Vinny’s look on the sideline is exactly like Shooter from Hoosiers when Gene Hackman gets kicked out of the game and he has to be the head coach. Could not possibly appear more in-over-his-head.

5-7 is a decent start for them, though. Watching that game, anybody else baffled by how they possibly won five games already? I know they didn’t have Larry Hughes before, and that alone (as a pseudo-Cavs fan, I know) may explain it. And yeah, Aaron Gray didn’t help the cause.

Loved watching Noah get abused. He was so, so, so cocky at Florida. With a lot of luck and hard work, he MAY develop into a poor man’s Varajeo. Andy’s solid, don’t get me wrong, but that’s not what you’re looking for out of your lottery pick…

Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.

by KP Corleone on Nov 20, 2008 7:12 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Joel P.

Please forgive me for taking one sentence out of context and focussing on it- I simply think this would be as good a time as any to air what I think about Joel. You say, “When Joel Przybilla is posterizing you, you have problems,” which offhandedly (and perhaps unintentionally) suggests that Joel is not a topflight player- that being posterized by him would be espcially humiliating because he is not good enough to achieve that against someone else.

I have to say that Joel is one of the high spots on this team and has been for several years now. His professionalism, modesty, grace under pressure, downright toughness, and fantastic rebounding have lifted the level of the entire organization. His willingness to do the hard work without receiving .headlines bespeaks a true athlete- the kind our grandfathers would have respected.

Many NBA players, some of them egotistical and shallow, get better press, shoe deals, numerous after-game interviews, and the adulation of uninformed and hero-worshipping fans. Przybilla gets bruises, scratches, rebounds, and wins for his team. In my opinion, that makes him a star whose substance exceeds his glitter.

Joel, thanks for your classy, no-nonsense approach to basketball and life. You’re a great player and a great example for young folks who are looking for decent ways to live.

Where’s the love for Joel?

If you say "basically" at the beginning of a sentence, you probably also put ketchup on everything you eat.

by CosmoPlavix on Nov 20, 2008 11:41 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

Well it's really nothing against Joel, though

Because despite his tough defense and outstanding rebounding, Joel was never much of an offensive threat. The fact that he was having a field day suggested how atrocious the Bulls’ interior was. That’s not to say nobody appreciates what he’s done for this organization, especially during Oden’s absence, but c’mon, it was a humorous statement that was partially true.

by Eventine on Nov 20, 2008 1:47 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Joel is NOT

a top-flight offensive player.

Joel is a top-flight rebounder, a good defender, a blue-collar guy, and he’s willing to scrap, all of which are valuable to this team.

But since they make posters of dunks and fancy offensive plays and not rebounds, solid stops, lunch-pail pick-setting, or stare-offs with jerks from the opposing side, the statement is accurate. When Joel Przybilla is posterizing you, you have problems.

—Dave

Side note: In the other part where I talked about teams not being able to guard the Blazers because there are too many threats and they overload you, Joel’s recent offensive production should be seen as Exhibit A. They have to commit so heavily to other people even Joel Przybilla is starting to light it up. However it’s to Joel’s credit that he’s pursuing those opportunities, catching the ball, and delivering.

—Dave

by Dave on Nov 20, 2008 2:15 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Ooops!

Didn’t mean to

—Dave

twice.

by Dave on Nov 20, 2008 2:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

But you did mean to NO RESPECT twice, it would seem...

“[Oden] is a big target with soft hands as opposed to, say, Joel Przybilla, where if you pass to him you’re gonna end up on one of those Southwest ‘Wanna Get Away?’ commercials.” (32:55 mark)

"Sergio is clearly the MJ of 3rd string point guards!" —Mortimer Pritchard

by timbo on Nov 20, 2008 9:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

.......... from the 11/19/08 podcast

"Sergio is clearly the MJ of 3rd string point guards!" —Mortimer Pritchard

by timbo on Nov 20, 2008 9:34 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

That's not NO RESPECT

That’s just MOTIVATION.

by jscot on Nov 20, 2008 11:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Joel is becoming famous enough to be featured in comics (they spelled his name wrong, but still...)

Ball Don’t Lie “Garbage Time All-Stars”

by Norsktroll on Nov 20, 2008 4:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

I have to say that Joel is one of the high spots on this team and has been for several years now. His professionalism, modesty, grace under pressure, downright toughness, and fantastic rebounding have lifted the level of the entire organization. His willingness to do the hard work without receiving .headlines bespeaks a true athlete- the kind our grandfathers would have respected.

"Sergio is clearly the MJ of 3rd string point guards!" —Mortimer Pritchard

by timbo on Nov 20, 2008 8:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Wow

Did timbo just +1 a quote talking about professionalism, modesty, and grace under pressure? Was there an earthquake there or something?

by jscot on Nov 20, 2008 11:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

A coouple of thoughts.

I have heard it said by some announcers that Portland is one of the best teams at executing plays after a time out. I started to pay a bit more attention and observed some truth to that. One argument to use to give Nate some kudos. Not really sure why some are so critical of Nate when things go wrong. He is a good coach.

Hollinger’s ranking seem out of touch with other analyst doing ranking. I looked at his a few days ago and compared it to Marc Stein’s. I pretty much agreed with Stein, but Hollinger’s was highly suspect. I just didn’t get why he had some teams rated so high and other so low. Chicago and Indiana were pretty high. Oh, I forgot the exact rankings, but suffice to say that from about 7th to 15th it was all messed up.

I read through a lot of the Bulls open thread last night right after the game. I am surprised at the overall ire focussed on Larry Hughes. I always thought he was a decent player, a journeyman. Aaron Gray on the other hand… The fans were angry and I don’t blame them, but this was a clear example of posting when in a sorry state of mind. I’m surprised there wasn’t a plethora of TKOs from all of the knees striking chins. Yes, I laughed out loud so many times that I had to stop reading. There were some amazingly funny posts.

Well anyway, wasn’t that fun. I still like Greg off the bench for now. I like seeing Sergio getting more good minutes. I saw Channing playing some good basic defense and hold good position several times. He didn’t go for a lot of fakes. Very nice. Ike looked nice, and Jarryd would have had a monster dunk if it weren’t blocked by Tyrus Thomas. Just be patient and work hard Jarryd, you will get time eventually. Keep thinking you have to earn, not that you deserve it.

This isn't the Lakers,...
"It's not Show time. It's GO time!"

by GameFace on Nov 20, 2008 12:02 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Anyone else

gag every time they heard Barry call him “Gerald” Bayless?

—Dave

by Dave on Nov 20, 2008 2:17 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It's why teams provide pronunciation guides in their game day notes

Many announcers have problems with a bit unusual names, foreign or homegrown. The great Marv Albert can murder names.

by Norsktroll on Nov 20, 2008 4:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Hollinger's rankings

are done automatically by computer.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Nov 20, 2008 3:34 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Computers are stupid

Why would anyone want one?

by jscot on Nov 20, 2008 11:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Someone, dave or one of the wiser posters here said it the other day....

the agressiver team usually gets the calls…

warriors game, we were pushed around..and didn’t get the calls

bulls game, we did the pushing around, and we got the calls

I dig smarter people!~! good call whoevers it was.

The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out burns out farms and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.

by faith on Nov 20, 2008 1:39 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I think Dave actually said it was the "most aggressiverest team" that got the calls...

"Sergio is clearly the MJ of 3rd string point guards!" —Mortimer Pritchard

by timbo on Nov 20, 2008 8:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The future is now

New to posting, but have been reading the site for years. Always enjoy Dave’s intellectual thoughts. I totally missed his “Individual thoughts” on this game, though. This game was what all of us fans have been waiting and hoping for since last year’s draft. Pretty much every player clicked, and played TEAM BASKETBALL! It was truly a thing of beauty, and on offense and defense.

The perimeter defense was aggressive and exceptional, and we finally have a HUGE presence in the paint with the combo of Greg and Joel’s numbers.

Holy backboards!

by Holybackboards on Nov 20, 2008 1:53 PM PST reply actions 0 recs