We've all heard Wheels say it.

by Kampeska on Feb 20, 2008 1:05 PM PST

"If (insert player's name) played against Portland every game he would be an all star."

I think Wheels has lurched uncontrollably into something resembling the truth. It happens with the Blazers. I remember Martel lighting up the same team a few times. The reason why I was never concerned about losing Jermaine O'Neal was because he didn't seem to be able to play well in Portland...even when he came back. Whether it is a couch a player wants to impress, or a girl, or family, or food, or climate, some players just play better in certain places or against certain teems.

How is this relative to the present? Well I saw that Denver was considering trading Klieza. I don't think they will. And the article said as much, but he really plays well in Portland. Perhaps we have a player that plays well in Denver. That trade might make sense. Or maybe it doesn't.

Who are the players that play well in Portland and which of our players play unusually well in other cities.

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Frye

likes the mile-high city, he plays well in Denver

by porterfan30 on Feb 20, 2008 1:16 PM PST reply actions

matchups and coincidences

sometimes players like certain.

sometimes patterns show up simply because so many games are played, inevitably some strange patterns will happen.

it has nothing to do with the Blazers- every team has random guys who seem to do well against them.

by jksnake99 on Feb 20, 2008 1:27 PM PST reply actions

Let's say Frye for Klieza.

What do you think?

"I was in the neighborhood, feeling a little daffy, so I thought I would stop in for an aperitif." Tom in Miller's Crossing.

by Kampeska on Feb 20, 2008 1:31 PM PST reply actions

Ooh

I'd do that. I've liked Kleiza ever since we've drafted him (although this has nothing to do with his game and everything to do with the mere fact that he was once briefly a Blazer).

Speaking of guys who were once briefly Blazers...pop quiz time! Match the Blazers washout to his current squad!

Erick Barkley
Sergei Monia
Veektor Khryapa
Qyntel Woods

Olympiacos
BBC Sion-Herens
Dynamo Moscow
CSKA Moscow

--------------------------------------------------

Barkley: BBC
Sergei: DM
Виктор Владимирович Хряпа (aka Veekor): CSKA
Qyntel: Olympiacos

by BlazersOrBust on Feb 20, 2008 2:03 PM PST up reply actions

Tyrone Lue...

seems to play well against us. Sucks otherwise.

Come to think of it, any PG who has a quick first step and who can get to the rim tends to play well against us; no passing ability or outside shot required.

by EngineerScotty on Feb 20, 2008 1:38 PM PST reply actions

It's almost a given that some scrub is going to

have a career night vs. Portland. That said, I'll let those respective teams keep their scrubs, I don't want any.

by leeroyjenkins on Feb 20, 2008 1:45 PM PST reply actions

Some "Scrub"?

What the hell are you talking about? Do you have any idea of the talent it takes to even make an NBA roster?

Every player that makes the NBA grade was a star player on his previous team, and a star player on his team before that. Do you think GMs like KP select players who are "scrub" as you say?

The NBA is made up of the absolute cream of the basketball crop, and you have the arrogance to call players "Scrubs?".

Holy crap dude, check yourself and your inflated ego.

by t jay on Feb 21, 2008 6:06 AM PST up reply actions

Whoa, dude

It's early yet, but this post is definitely hot in the hunt for the coveted Overreaction of the Day Award. I'm not quite sure how you'd prefer for Leeroy to refer to a player like Tyronn Lue, who is currently averaging 6.8 points and 1.8 assists while playing for his fifth team in ten years. Perhaps "It's almost a given that some player who was a star in high school and a star in college and one of the best basketball players on earth despite being slightly less good than other amazing basketball players is going to have a career night against Portland" is better? A little verbose, don't you think?

Leeroy wasn't saying he could wipe the floor with Tyronn Lue in a game of one-on-one. He was saying that Tyronn Lue/Speedy Claxton/etc are, in the scheme of the NBA, mediocre to subpar basketball players. Not much inflated ego to it.

by BlazersOrBust on Feb 21, 2008 6:30 AM PST up reply actions

Scrub

TLC defines a Scrub as:
a scrub is a guy that can't get no love from me
hanging out the passenger side
of his best friend's ride
trying to holler at me

"Darkness warshed over the Dude - darker'n a black steer's tookus on a moonless prairie night. There was no bottom." The Stranger from The Big Lebowski (1999)

by tominhawaii on Feb 21, 2008 10:31 AM PST up reply actions

Wheels usually whines this line

when the other team is ahead and a non-star is having a decent game against us. It's almost like a little kid saying "why does all this bad stuff always happen to me?". Sometimes I wonder if the poor fellow is ready to start crying.

It's also amusing to hear him describe a 3 attempt by the opposition during one of his whining runs. "And there goes Anthony for ANOTHER THREE........no, Outlaw the rebound."

I can't stand to listen to the guy when the team is not playing well. You'd think the world as we know it, is falling apart.

by t jay on Feb 20, 2008 5:40 PM PST reply actions