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Around SBN: Cal RB Jahvid Best Seriously Injured, Carted Off Field

And In This Corner...Joel Pryzbilla!

Watching KG dunk, swat, and talk his way through the Celtics/Pacers highlights this morning was a reminder that a player with that kind of on-court demeanor is often an important part of successful teams.

 

The questions for the Blazers right now is not what can take them from a lottery team to a playoff team, its what can take them from a playoff team to a contender. A bully on the court can make a huge difference for this Blazer roster, especially when teams try and take advantage of their youth and inexperience.

 

Consider that in the Hornets game last Friday night, David West fouled Brandon with a little something extra. To his credit, Brandon got in his ear and asked, "What was that about?" It was great that Brandon didn't just walk away. He needs to stand up to cheap shots. 

 

But if teams mess with Brandon during a November game, what will they attempt in May and June games? In the bigger picture, Brandon needs a Rodman to his Jordan, a Laimbeer to his Isaiah, a Bowen to his Duncan. Also, the bruiser role often comes with foul trouble, T’s, and even suspensions, which the Blazers can’t afford to have happen to their best player and team leader.

 

Ideally Greg, who unfortunately is getting every other dunk attempt rejected by an opponent or the rim, would would bring a hard-nosed attitude to the court, but it doesn’t seem likely he’ll develop that by the end of this year. At this point, though, it’s not a strike against Greg - he may be a sleeping tiger - its hard to know right now.

 

And in Greg's defense, its worth remembering, especially for Diesel-haters like me, that even Shaq submitted to Hakeem - like lap dogs do in the presence of my German Shepherd - the first time he made it to the Finals.

 

The 1977 Blazer team was the youngest team to win the title in the history of the NBA, and after Raef gets traded, this Blazer team will be the youngest in the league. Maurice Lucas, and the KG-esque attitude he brought to the court (or should I say KG's attitude is Maurice-esque?), was necessary to that team’s playoff success.

 

Case in point: In Game 2, "The Enforcer", used some 76ers’s face as a punching bag. The Blazers would go on to lose that game and go down 0-2 in the series, but then they won four in a row and had a parade downtown.

 

So could anyone else on the current roster fill that bruiser role? Since Bayless’ attitude doesn’t come in a seven-foot frame, the best candidate seems to be Joel. He doesn’t back down from anyone in the league, which is great, but would he be willing to put in elbow in Kobe’s temple or undercut Deron Williams?

 

Let’s hope so.

 

 

0 recs  |  Comment 18 comments

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Joel is Joel

and what you already see is what you get. He won’t be rough for kicks, but he will escalate if someone is doing it to him or the team. I think he has that pick up game sense of justice. “Sure, you can play rough, but then I will too.”

He is such a hardworking player with such an average guy demeanor I don’t see him as having the overblown attitude problem of people like KG. If someone punched Rudy in the face though, you can bet he will be just waiting to obviously show them how it feels to hit the ground head first.

by staylost on Dec 4, 2008 11:26 AM PST reply actions   0 recs

"but would he (Joel) be willing to put in elbow in Kobe’s temple or undercut Deron Williams?"

I like what you’re trying to say in your post. And I can respect having players who don’t back down from the bullies of the court. However, I have no desire for such bullies on our team who would do such things as you mention in your last sentence. Giving a hard foul to stop a scoring drive is one thing but purposely trying to injure another player for the sake of injuring… No, I can’t and won’t respect that from anybody.

"...and that loud noise you hear coming is the Portland Trailblazers." - Charles Barkley

by RebelRogue on Dec 4, 2008 11:31 AM PST reply actions   4 recs

rec

Do you like asparagus?

by jscot on Dec 4, 2008 4:58 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

+1

Perfect practice makes perfect.

by Ojala John on Dec 4, 2008 5:05 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

I want to see a fight

That Greg gets seriously pissed. Like KG takes a shot at LA, then Greg chokeslams him.

by TheGreatDane17 on Dec 4, 2008 12:05 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

Try the WWF

I’d rather see KG miss every shot he takes because of LMA+Oden+Joel

by staylost on Dec 4, 2008 12:08 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

unrec

Do you like asparagus?

by jscot on Dec 4, 2008 4:59 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

This game does present something of a litmus test for GO.

We know Joel can handle haters on the other team. It seems like there’s at least one, sometimes two, players on EVERY other team in the league that hate Ghostface for whatever reason. It’s something he has to deal with game in and game out. So he’ll be fine dealing with any verbal warfare delivered by KG.

If you look at the Celtics roster, then you’d come to the conclusion that this is the kind of team Greg should dominate. There’s nobody with the size to bang with him. Also outside of KG, they don’t have anyone of even remotely close size that has more talent than Greg. But I do worry about how he’ll handle the Celtics’ “veteran” tactics. You have to be mentally tough to play against and beat a team like Boston. Greg’s mindset appears to be getting better, but this appears to be a different animal than what he’s seen before.

If Greg finds a way to be solid contributor in this game, it will go a long way towards his overall development this season.

Yes! Yes! In the face!

by LeafHawk on Dec 4, 2008 12:21 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

One point against Greg

The refs are going to have ‘rookie bias’ against Greg and ‘star bias’ for Boston’s big three. Expect the calls to not be in Greg’s favor (through no fault of his own, other than age and experience). I’m not going to discuss whether or not this is right or wrong, but just state that it does exist and it happens (example – LeBron’s stroll through the paint in the #2 play of the month on NBA.com).

My big hope is that Greg plays well and doesn’t let KG get in his head. LMA is still wrestling with this.

by DonkeyShins on Dec 4, 2008 12:51 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Perkins

Don’t forget about Perkins, he is a good up and coming big man, and at this point in Greg’s development he will be a good test for him.

by usmcr3049 on Dec 4, 2008 2:29 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

We need to turn the Buffet of Goodness into a Buffet of Badness

Channing is smart. I’m sure learning to be a ruffian would lose his “soft” label. and no oen would ever see it coming.

by NWfan on Dec 4, 2008 2:06 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

Nice comment

That would be the most unexpected thing that could possibly happen.

“Channing, hard foul KG is on the floor!”
“Technical foul for standing over and jawing at the prone Garnett!”

by staylost on Dec 4, 2008 2:48 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

Don't let Channing's finesse game fool you.

Dude is straight gangsta. He’s just more effective from the outside offensively. He has NO trouble being physical on defense when it calls for it.

Does that mean he’s gonna clobber KG? I doubt it, but I would suggest KG not provoke Frye if he can help it. Channing will give back just as good as he gets.

Yes! Yes! In the face!

by LeafHawk on Dec 4, 2008 3:03 PM PST up reply actions   0 recs

I don’t think the team needs Greg to give hard fouls and tough stuff like that …. I think the team just needs his physical interior play so that the Blazers can compete with Boston. Don’t let Perkins and KG dominate the middle. His rebounding will be particularly important, also providing a threat offensively near the rim so that his man can’t help off of him.

http://nbaroundtable.wordpress.com/

by NBR on Dec 4, 2008 4:40 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

I am happy with how the Blazers have progressed

They struggled last year with toughness inside because once Joel went out, they didn’t have a tough rebounder/defender. That has been solved by having Oden in when Joel is out. The toughness extens 48 minutes this year.

The other stuff, standing up to bullies, is being handled too. LaMarcus and Outlaw got in Odom’s face last year when he fouled Roy hard. Joel doesn’t back down in any situation. Roy stuck up for himself against West and earlier this year when Roy got pushed in the back by, I can’t remember who…Stephen Jackson? Matt Barnes?…Frye stepped in and cut him off from Brandon in seconds.

As they have gained confidence in their play on the court, they have stepped up to defend themselves and especially Brandon more and more.

PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04

by tssbro on Dec 5, 2008 6:02 PM PST reply actions   0 recs

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