Meanings and Gleanings
by Dave on Oct 8, 2009 8:58 PM PDT
Email
Print
The inbox is abuzz about the Blazers' pre-season start. We've got everything from championship predictions to offensive schemes drawn from scratch to rotation musings. Most of all I've read e-mail after e-mail about the HUGE topic of the month: G...W...O.
What does that stand for? Multiple choice:
- Gregory Wayne Oden
- Gigantic Winning Opportunity
- Going WAY Overboard
- All of the above, wrapped into one.
Naturally it's #4. Greg's play (Greg World Order?) is lighting people on FIRE. I haven't heard people this excited since the Pippen and Smith acquisitions back in the day. Which begs the question (one that a couple people even asked): How much can we tell from these games? Is this for real?
Short answer: Yes...and maybe.
Pre-season is really good at revealing some things, not so reliable when forecasting others. The Oden topic straddles the line between the two and thus is a great springboard into the discussion.
Pre-season is usually a good barometer when used to measure players against themselves. One of the most obvious factors on display is whether a guy came in shape. Its fraternal twin is what kind of shape he came in...the same or a new look. You can instantly tell whether a guy is heavier or lighter, slower or quicker. With even a little bit of time on the court stronger also shows up. In Oden's case he clearly came with a new (or old, depending) physique which lends him more speed and makes him look exponentially better than he did entering last season or even at the end of it.
With some reasonable court time whatever facets of his game a guy worked on (or failed to work on) over the summer also start coming through. You can also tell when a player has learned something over the summer, either by drilling with coaches or assimilating last year's experience. In this case Oden's offensive game and defensive positioning provide examples.
The pre-season also reveals a fair amount about synergy and on-court chemistry, though allowances must be made for rookies or new acquisitions. Coaches really do test out lineups to see how they will function together. Even if the competition isn't as heavy as in the regular season you can still evaluate timing, style of play, and affinity for teammates and schemes. If Andre Miller and Greg Oden look good in the pre-season they're going to work decently in the regular season and vice-versa.
The pre-season is not nearly as useful when measuring individuals or teams against opponents, however. Just because a guy looks good against Kobe Bryant in a pre-season contest doesn't mean he will do the same once the games count. There's always doubt. If you're up against a star he might not be putting much stock in this game. If you're up against a scrub then you're not facing the same competition you're going to get later. That's not to say indication is absent entirely. A great performance could be replicated in the regular season. It could well be a harbinger of enormous growth and dominance. But you never know and you never will know until the actual games start. The safest thing to say is that bad performances usually indicate something is wrong but good performances don't necessarily mean all is right.
Team performance means even less, I'm afraid. All of the uncertainty is multiplied by every player who gets warmups off and then squared by the lack of consequences for the final score. You have no idea if the opposing coach was playing his best guys or evaluating marginal players. You have no idea if they were running their strongest plays or working the kinks out of variations. You have no idea if they showed all of their cards or are keeping some in reserve. You have no idea how seriously the players as a group, the coaches, or the organization value the win (as opposed to the process). There's just no analogy to meaningful wins and losses in the exhibition season. Going undefeated in the pre-season means bubkus. You still start the season with a 0-0 record. Nobody cares what the record was before opening night. Not even you.
Sum it all up and what do you have, at least in Oden's case? The speed is for real. The defensive awareness is for real. The improved offensive game is for real. Whatever skills he's mastered and concepts he's worked into his game aren't magically going to disappear when the games start counting. Yes, Greg Oden really is a better player than he was last year and, health allowing, he's likely to remain so. But two games against the Kings don't show you how productive he's going to be over the course of the season, nor do they show you that he's going to dominate games, nor do the two victories put the Blazers any closer to the division championship or a playoff series win or any other goal they have set for themselves. They aren't bad signs, of course. But they're not indicative either.
The best way to put it, from a gut level anyway, is simply, "Yay! Whee! This is awesome. I am excited. I want to see more." And more is exactly what we need to see.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
112 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Thanks Dave.
I was worrying you might be taking a day off.
Disclaimer: everything I know about basketball I learned on Blazersedge.
You had the first comment, and you didn't blurt out FIRSTFIRSTFIRST
*thunderous applause
"Everyone knows who you are; but only your friends know why."
- Rich Amato
I wouldn't stoop so low.
And believe me, I stoop pretty low.
Disclaimer: everything I know about basketball I learned on Blazersedge.
are you a limbo king?
"No disrespect to Jeff Blake"
by Eat Politicians on Oct 8, 2009 10:05 PM PDT up reply actions
"I want to see more"
Bedge is banging on again about the TV thing, I guess. :)
Yeah, me too. The things that make me happy here:
1. They are looking for Greg offensively. That’s going to be huge.
2. In the highlights I’ve seen, offensively he looks like a basketball player. Catches the ball and makes a move with it, rather than fumbling around and looking like a tall person who wandered onto a court for the first time last week. That will carry over.
3. He’s just quicker. That’s going to pay off.
4. The perimeter defensive play that led to the block in the first game. No foul, nothing easy given up. Good defense. Last year, he would have fouled.
5. Playing at less than 6 fouls per 36 minutes pace, with replacement refs who were calling a lot of fouls. This is especially good because he spent a lot of time against forwards, the kind of situation where he would tend to foul last year.
All of that probably carries over. He may not score as much or rebound as much per minute when up against real centers. Doesn’t matter. Greg Oden is going to be a much better player for us this year on both ends. And we’re going to win a lot of games as a result.
I can tell you how to make an Excel spreadsheet that proves Portland wins 62 games this year.
by jscot on Oct 8, 2009 9:10 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
And a nice/funny part
You can see in the highlights he’ll make a quick move and be surprised it worked so well, and then hesitate before finishing the move. Like on his spin on Hawes, or when backing down an opponent.
Replacement refs calling him for offensive fouls, which could be expected, but not a lot of defensive fouls or (what I expected) traveling calls. I figured they’d get him on shufflin’ footsies, but if he’s worked on planting that dang pivot foot, it should show.
He looks lots better with moves that will work on anyone with the limited amount we’ve seen, and he will still get a lot better. It’ll be fun.
Mortimer
Spinaroonie...isn't that what Booker T used to do?
Don’t know if he still does it since I haven’t watched Rasslin’ for a while.
Yah, Booker T . . .
that brings back some memories. My best friend, Domesy
used to come over just in time for Monday Night Raw, and Tues,
Wed, etc. Big wrasslin fan. He used to try to convince me 25 years
ago that it was real. After common sense arguements, he admitted
scripted sweaty ballerinas !
It's GO time !
It's Preseason, but . . .
I’ve been touting this Monster since we drafted him. I was called that
name _ _ _ _ by a rather LARGE NYC Basement dweller and that precipitated
a long war of words. The primary point is that GO was a Big, Strong, RAW post
force who was going to take some time to develop. As a long time player/coach
and 35 year Blazermaniac, I knew we had our final piece in the triumphirate. Do-it All guard & Long Smooth Inside Outside Forward and then adding Low Post/Dominant Rebounder/Defender who could control the middle (when matured & experienced). Then the delay – Tonsilitis, M-F Knee surgery, then a UP & DOWN Rookie year started with a freak foot injury, then slowed by a RAMMING speed patella collision.
Perhaps adversity has motivated GO more than some us know, but the plain and
simple fact remains; GO has all the skills to dominate. He will be RAW on offense,
get in foul trouble at times, probably have more nicks and scrapes, but continue
to improve, while supplying this team with DOMINATING rebounding and GOOD
Defense & shotblocking. It’s GO TIME !!!
Oh & by the way . . .
COINCAST SUCKS !!!! YEAR # 3 OF THE BLAZER CABLE BLACKOUT !!!!
WHAT A HORRIBLE DEAL BY BLAZER MANAGEMENT !!
It's GO time !
by walkoff41 on Oct 8, 2009 9:23 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
I got bumped of the the Edge !
Kind of like, I’ve fallen & I can’t get up !
Every password reset I tried wouldn’t work, so I just layed back,
chilled out without comment !!
It's GO time !
Back in Black !!
Wasn’t that a tune ? Should be the Blazers theme song,
but I do like the theme song intros from last year !
It's GO time !
Btw, found out more about the Comcast/DirecTV battle
Today when I heard DirecTV doesn’t carry Versus, which is a Comcast channel. Therefore they are playing chicken with each other.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Dish has Comcast Sports NW?
news to me, is that in the Silver package? Blazer games?
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I think he mean every other channel besides CSN
Disclaimer: everything I know about basketball I learned on Blazersedge.
yeah, I knew that
I suspect there will be a HUGE explosion announcement if Dish and Comcast ever get this negotiation settled
And Dish will make everyone upgrade to “Gold” to get their sport’s package
When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
True Dat
He looks like a completly different player from last year, on and off the court. To me I have seen all the proof I need to realize he has changed tremendously. He smiles, is confident, isn’t dwelling on bad plays, isn’t fouling as much, has several people looking for him now further boosting his confidence, his explosiveness is back, and he is boasting a brand new offensive repetoire. Can’t wait to see him destroy Andrew Wine-um and the Fakers this year. G.O. BLAZERS!
"They drew first blood, not me." -RAMBO
Oden, you are the man!
by J-Xile on Oct 8, 2009 9:30 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
We are going nuts over Oden
In two pre-season games against the worst team in the NBA. That being said, he still looks much better than I’ve ever seen him, and irrational exuberance is thus in order.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
he is still going to dominate your face
I don’t care what your face has to say about it….
That and give it up for Juwan Howard you haters….
"No disrespect to Jeff Blake"
by Eat Politicians on Oct 8, 2009 10:07 PM PDT reply actions
Greg will DOMINATE
Jon Brockman in the regular season just like he did in the pre-season…
.
.
(channeling fatty) Book It
Welcome to Blazers Edge. I see you're new here. please take the time to read the "If You're New to BlazersEdge"post located in the sidebar. Have a swell day
yes, but has he reached "baller" status
that’s the real fatty question…
"No disrespect to Jeff Blake"
by Eat Politicians on Oct 8, 2009 10:55 PM PDT up reply actions
One cannot reach "baller" status until one has been hated on by "real.fanboys"
there’s too much Oden love in the air for that to happen yet
Welcome to Blazers Edge. I see you're new here. please take the time to read the "If You're New to BlazersEdge"post located in the sidebar. Have a swell day
by The Arkitect on Oct 9, 2009 12:21 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
that makes sense
"No disrespect to Jeff Blake"
by Eat Politicians on Oct 9, 2009 1:15 AM PDT up reply actions
The goofs are all out again (also fatty esque).
Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave
Also: COMCAST SUCKS!
I've taken so much crap from my Rockets/Suns fan friends
for firmly remaining on the Greg Oden will be a legit baller wagon that I’m loving this. I just wish we’d played a team with a real center (or at least someone that isn’t hobbled, no offense to May, Brockman or Shock, either) so we could gauge his progress better. The Clips will be interesting with Kaman, less so with Jordan since Greg already dominated him once last year. Looking forward to the Okur and Nene matchups as well. Phoenix will be interesting since they’ll pull him so far away from the basket.
Complete confidence in him, but those games will tell us a lot more about his progress, even if it’s preseason, than embarrassing Jon Brockman has.
Still, what’s not to like?
Didn't play Brockman in Game 2
Your point is valid, and we’ve got to wait to see how he will fare against the likes of Kaman, Okur, Nene and others.
For accuracy, Greg was defended by Jason Thompson, and Sean May. Agreed that neither is a significant upgrade over Brockman, in that JT is only 1 year in the league; and Sean May is still getting back in shape after injury. However, JT and Sean May are lot of less of pushover than what undersized rookie could offer.
I still classify May as a pretty huge pushover
since he was a castoff this offseason. Shock is less so, but he’s still not a noteworthy defender and is only a 2nd year guy.
Still, we’ll get our chances soon enough. Kaman may be a bad defender, but at least he has comparable size. The rest of our preseason matchups present some more interesting matchups, too, so I’m looking forward to them.
Sean May is pretty heavy and has enough leg strength to not easily be backed down. He may not have foot speed or be in game shape to keep up — but these would test Greg’s speed and not his strength.
Sean May is just fat
not muscular. I don’t see that weight giving him a lot of advantages.
sean may is robert traylor without the hype
cash rules everything around me CREAM get tha money dolla dolla bill yaaaaallll
by staceyaugmon4HOF on Oct 9, 2009 1:22 PM PDT up reply actions
that's totally meta dude
"No disrespect to Jeff Blake"
by Eat Politicians on Oct 8, 2009 10:53 PM PDT up reply actions
G.Wayne's World?
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on Oct 8, 2009 11:14 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
The big story here is the FTs.
Small sample size, I know… However, If Oden plays 2000 minutes, ~25 minutes a game
and only draws FT’s at the rate he did last year per 48 (I think he’ll draw even more as he gets the ball more), and hits anywhere close to 80% (84% so far in a tiny tiny sample size), then he will bump his scoring average up by 3-4 points based upon that alone!
And that’s easy money! That’s bumped up scoring just off the opportunities that he was already creating last year. Our offensive potency could go up a couple points just based on this alone! I don’t care too much about jumpshots (though they are nice), it’s the high level freethrow shooting that may push us into 60 wins territory.
Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash
I care about the jumpshot
because it means more space for LMA to operate in the low post. As long as he can hit at 60% or so when he’s open (he should never shoot it except when it is open). It keeps his defender from parking under the basket and clogging things up for everyone.
I can tell you how to make an Excel spreadsheet that proves Portland wins 62 games this year.
im the opposite
i care about LMAs jumper so it gives oden room in the paint espescially if its against smaller players. even last year he had some big offensive outputs against teams that liked sized. plus i feel like aldridge could put up 16 to 18 a game from primarily outside the key because he doesent shoot a ton of free throws
cash rules everything around me CREAM get tha money dolla dolla bill yaaaaallll
by staceyaugmon4HOF on Oct 9, 2009 1:28 PM PDT up reply actions
I agree entirely
But LMA is also a nice low post scorer, and that little jumper from Greg can give him more room to operate, as well as help keep the middle more open when Brandon drives.
I think we’ll see a lot of LMA in the high post and Greg in the low post — in general, that should be the primary option. But the more weapons you have, the harder it is to defend.
I can tell you how to make an Excel spreadsheet that proves Portland wins 62 games this year.
Replacement refs were awful
Greg’s FT% is good sign. But, dont think that the volume of calls will be quite the same. [On flip side, real good news is that despite tight calls, Greg himself did not get into foul trouble].
Agreed, that to me is the most important thing that I wanted to see.
Less fouls = More PT
Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried.
by FiveOhThree-RipCity!! on Oct 9, 2009 9:29 AM PDT up reply actions
I completely agree that free throw shooting is vert important
And its predecessor – fouls on opponents – may be even bigger. Just as Greg racked up excessive fouls last year I believe he has the capacity to force most opposing bigs into a choice of foul problems or being repeatedly dunked on. The advantage of having to good centers is the ability to get the opponent to play an inferior backup to cover excessive fouls.
I see both perspectives
Greg has certainly improved and maybe as important has confidence. Will that confidence remain when the inevitable bad games come? Will he dominate against the tough centers?
My gut says yes to both. My rational thinking says it will be much better this year but still a work in progress. The important thing is that that progress is occurring and continuing. From the low camera angle on the block in game one stop frame showed his elbow almost to the rim! As far as facing tough centers Joel is as good a defender as he will encounter short of Howard in my opinion. But Greg has maybe more to learn of all the subtle tricks that Shaq and Duncan will throw at him or deal with the speed of Amare. So we have to squirm in our chair for 5 more weeks to see the season begin with the same back-to-back with Sactown, then Friday’s opponent if Camby and Kaman are ready.
I do agree with HurraKane that the free throws are so important. It has been the bane of many of the great centers in the league. and for Greg to shoot 83% and 86% in back-to-back nights shows he can avoid empty possessions and he becomes the weapon of choice because of his high percentage on FG and FT.
Also of importance is to note Greg’s good passing out of the double team so far. It will return our emphasis on shooters and Martell and Blake especially will benefit.
I don't see either perspective
omg I’ve poked out my thinking eyes!
AHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"No disrespect to Jeff Blake"
by Eat Politicians on Oct 9, 2009 1:13 AM PDT up reply actions
I don't know if he'll dominate against tough centers or not
But the good things I’ve seen (in very limited highlights of course) will be good things against tough centers, too.
He may not be able to overpower them or use his size to dominate them, but the better quickness, the smoother offensive moves, the better perimeter defense, the FTs, the less foul-prone play overall, that’s going to still be there against good centers. Which means he’ll be better than last year.
I love the passing. We can run a lot of our offense through Greg, even if he doesn’t shoot or score, and it will take a lot of pressure off of Brandon and our other scorers. Easy baskets come out of a center who demands the double-team and knows how to pass. Walton taught us that.
I can tell you how to make an Excel spreadsheet that proves Portland wins 62 games this year.
I also think the combination with Joel allows Greg to have better per 36 results
Together they provide probably the best defensive center combination in the league. With a combined 12 fouls and ~70 minutes of capacity per game – who can match that? Both should be fresh and provide for different defenses stretching preparation time and keeping opposing coaches from sleep before our games.
You are correct in thinking Brandon cannot be the sole focus of the defenses and our other scorers will also benefit from open looks.
Greg could be the #2 center in the league this season.
If for no other reason than there are a dearth of quality centers in the league:
- Dwight Howard is clearly #1.
- Yao is out this year (and who knows how long it will take him to recover when he does return?)
- Bynum is more or less at Greg’s level.
- Old guys like Shaq, Dampier, Miller, Sheed
- Youngsters like Biedrins, the Lopez twins.
- Defensively challenged euro outside shooters like Ilgauskas, Okur, Hawes, Bargnani.
- Offensively challenged bangers like Chandler, Perkins, May,
- Forwards playing center like Jefferson, Frye, Stoudemire.
- Limited-by-injury guys like Kaman, Jermaine, Okafur, and Bogut.
Who else is gonna challenge Greg? Al Horford? Samuel Dalembert?
Greg Oden makes the All-Star Team this year. He may even start for the West.
slow down
cash rules everything around me CREAM get tha money dolla dolla bill yaaaaallll
by staceyaugmon4HOF on Oct 9, 2009 1:30 PM PDT up reply actions
I’m excited to see how Oden respondes to Okur in the preseason. Okur is the only challenging center Oden’ll face in the preseason. Not only will Okur’s size and toughness be a good measuring stick, but we’ll see how Greg plays against Okur’s range. If Utah tries to draw Greg outta the post to guard Okur’s three, that’d be great. If he stays low the whole game, great. Utah’s a tough, physical team.
I love seeing Greg put up crazy numbers, I do. Seeing him move quick (and not foul out!), score variously, and dominate on D really, really gets me excited, but come on guys. It’s Sac-Town. The worst team in the league. Greg has improved, that’s a fact. It’s great for his ego to dominated the Kings. But I’m just as excited to see how he matches up against contenders. Against tough teams. Against good centers. Then we’ll know. I’m including the regular season, too. Usually, I take preseason games with a grain of salt. Look at last year’s Detroit Lions, 4-0 in the preseason haha.
After all we’ve been through with Greg, I just don’t want to get my heart broken. I know he’s going to have a much-improved year, maybe a great one. But I’m just going to be ready if he’s not.
2012
Kaman's a pretty decent center, too
If Greg dominates players like Kaman, we’re rolling.
I can tell you how to make an Excel spreadsheet that proves Portland wins 62 games this year.
I was thinking just now
I wonder how much of a test it’ll be, since I thought the same thing LAST pre-season and Oden played Kaman pretty well— clearly won the matchup in the pre-season game I went to last year. He overpowered him, dunked over him… even had one move where he backed him down and looked like (from my POV, I was courtside behind the Blazer’s basket so they were on the other side of the court) he was extending for a hook shot but then he hammered DOWN and dunked it one handed right over Kaman’s head.
It was pretty cool.
Otherwise, he looked out of shape and moved slow up and down the court. I think it was the game Bill Simmons declared him Erick Dampier “on a good day”, which he meant as a compliment.
Since he won that pre-season matchup handily, I’m going to just base my opinions on how he looks still. The numbers might indicate how he is doing, but his improvements are in how he looks— his conditioning, his speed, footwork, fouls, etc. We KNOW he can gobble up stats when he actually is on the court. He stays on the floor long enough he can back into a double double. The other stuff is what will really show where he is at.
And yeah, doing it against another big true center in Kaman (when healthy, a good shot blocker and pretty physical) is a good test, but the matchup itself mostly meaningless. If Oden is in good shape, I think he can do it against anyone, so I’m eager to see how good of shape he is in. If he looks as light on his feet as he does in those highlights.
Will be very interesting. I’m courtside center court this time, so I’ll have a better angle.
And, first game at home for Blake Griffin, so the stands should be full I hope.
Mortimer
Courtside center court?
Nice!…even if it is for the Clippers.
That’s the one good thing about living in L.A…you get double the opportunities to see the Blazers.
"I just sort of know that around the water cooler they talk of reality tv stars, and I strictly drink coffee." -- EvilKaramazov
by BlazersOrBust on Oct 9, 2009 9:33 AM PDT up reply actions
I am 7 whole rows up
So my feet aren’t TOUCHING the court but it’s nice and close and a good angle. Clipper ticket are nice like that since you can go on Stubhub and always find someone with a deal (though I actually for this one on the Ticketmaster ticket exchange thingy).
I am going to stare at Oden the whole time so he gets weirded out.
M—
I imagine it will look something like this...
Dude, what's wrong with you? Why you gotta be holding a corn dog when I go for a high-five?
I hope to see a lengthy front page post game analysis from you
Disclaimer: everything I know about basketball I learned on Blazersedge.
I'll post sumthin'!
I tend to not make fanposts and I’ll at least post it in the junk drawer and then likely re-post it into a fanpost, even though it is against my philosophy to do so.
I’ll be by myself, no distractions, just scouting.
—M
I'll make it sure it gets promoted to the FP
using my amazing powers of awesomeness.
Disclaimer: everything I know about basketball I learned on Blazersedge.
i like the kaman matchup, not so much okur
cash rules everything around me CREAM get tha money dolla dolla bill yaaaaallll
by staceyaugmon4HOF on Oct 9, 2009 1:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Okur is an odd matchup, but maybe not a good indicator
Okur isn’t very physical and doesn’t match up to Oden’s size, and he lives on the perimeter. In that sense it’ll be an INTERESTING match up, because we haven’t wanted Oden out on the perimeter (and probably still won’t, opting to switch LMA onto Okur and Oden onto Boozer/Milsap).
But inside, Oden is a lot bigger/tougher/stronger/more physical than Okur. Okur’s ability to stretch the defense is what makes it tough, so in that way it’s more similar to the Kings with Shock and Hawes than to a regular center.
To me, the only TRUE tests of allstar caliber big men is against the Nuggets and the Clippers. Nene is a great defender, physical, doesn’t block shots but moves his feet and uses his strength. Birdman hustles and blocks shots and makes ya angry. And Kenyon Martin is also very physical, tries to bully you. That will be the biggest test to gauge Oden by, with Kaman and Camby being 2nd.
So in a way it’s a nice warmup.
Going through the schedule though, there just ain’t a lot of big men who stand to stack up to Oden’s size in the West. He already did pretty good against Okafor last season… besides San Antonio and Denver, the first month and half of our schedule features no one who can match up size-wise with Oden. If he can combine his already imposing size with continued fleet-o-footness, it’ll be a great start to the season for him.
He’ll face GOOD centers… Okur, Lopez, Horford… but not guys who match up size wise to him.
If he can handle Denver, he can handle the entire West.
Mortimer
I think Okur is a good indicator
He’ll face other centers like Okur as well. We want him to dominate against EVERYONE, not be somewhat negated by some SF who grew a little too tall.
Against that type of center, will he have the mobility to be effective on defense, and will the other guy’s quickness hamper him enough on the offensive end to keep him from murdering them in the post? Since so many centers are indeed like that, he needs to wipe the floor with that kind, too.
If he’s going to be what we want him to be, at least.
I can tell you how to make an Excel spreadsheet that proves Portland wins 62 games this year.
No, I agree
I just think it’ll be more like a good version of what the Kings got, and not a good indicator if he can handle REAL centers.
But there are quite a few Okur type guys he’ll have to face, so yeah… we gotta see if he can punish them on offense if they are going to give him trouble on defense.
I imagine he’ll still have problems with less traditional centers, because that will come with experience. He should be able to get good position and muscle up Okur and Boozer, so I hope we go into him to make the mismatch work in our favor.
Morty
Recall that defense was swapped vs the Jazz
LMA played Okur quite a bit; and Joel/Greg took on Boozer/Millsap.
Nate will put LMA on Okur
Paul Millsap is gonna wish he got to come here cuz Greg is gonna stuff him!
"BEER IS LIVING PROOF THAT GOD LOVES US"
- Benjamin Franklin-
The thing about Greg Oden is...
he is not even fully healed. Every guy that has microfracture takes a good 2 yrs. to come back fully. Check out Amare’s progress. I would say January he will be better. if you want to compare him to anyone look at Bill Russel. He was great on defense and underated on offense. Just the fact he can hit free throws sets him apart from Wilt and Shaq and if he can hit that 15 ft. jumper consistently that will change his whole game. I’m not saying he will be better than them but it adds a huge dimesion to his game. Can you imagine if Shaq could hit free throws or shoot a 15 foot jumper or for that matter Dwight Howard. He has great hands for a big guy. Remeber Duckworth. Thats why he was as good as he was. Oh and did you see him block the shor where he was a foot above the square on the backboard. So all the naysayers be damned Oden is just now beginning to show his worth. As I told my son last year “son” (I called him son)," You watch and by Jauary he will be like the Greg that we saw at Ohio State but better".
Next up: Why Batum is the small forward for the Blazers future.
Greg had micro-fracture surgery
the summer of 2007, right? That was over 2 years ago and it was reportedly a smallish micro-fracture area that needed to be done. Additionally, he was brought along very slowly so as not to jeopardize the healing process. John Stockton supposedly recovered from micro-fracture surgery in less than a year. I think it’s time to put this excuse to bed. Greg says his knee feels normal.
If an explanation is needed for his seeming slow time to develop, it has been his lack of conditioning. Thank you very much Bill Bayno for your willingness to spend a summer in Columbus Ohio to fix that up for us this year. And thank you Greg for going along with his program.
Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave
Also: COMCAST SUCKS!
Yeah, I'd say it's not the knee
It’s the conditioning last year, and this year it’s getting that muscle strength back up. He couldn’t do squats allll last year until this offseason, so now that he reportedly is in good cardio shape, he will keep working on getting that explosion back like Amare did.
I think that’s what Kaisersoze is getting at. The two years means two seasons, where the first season ya suck, the 2nd season you feel back, and then after that you’re REALLY back.
Stockton was a freak, it was like he had micro in the morning and then played that night. His experience doesn’t count… he had it in the dark ages of micro, which makes it more freaky, and he came back VERY quickly. Hardly missed any time. I don’t know how the hell he did it, but he’s the only one who did it that way. He’s one of a kind.
Since he’s been playing, Oden’s knee hasn’t bugged him, which is a great sign. But all of the side affects of being out a year definitely have, plus the strict limitations the team placed on him, workout-wise.
Now that he can do squats and has lost weight, we’ll see more this year but NEXT year (I know, it’s always next year) we should see the correct amount of leg strength that he had before.
Or who knows, maybe this season. I’m fine with what he has shown us thus far, as long as he’s in shape. That makes it so he can access his still extremely nice athleticism. Just needs to be in shape, dammit. Everything else will fix itself in time.
Morty
I know you've been playing up this "being in shape" thing
a lot and I couldn’t agree more with you about it’s significance.
You say, “who knows, maybe this season”. I think it will/should be this season. Working all summer long right up to the end of October should have him well prepared physically. Then, he just has to continue to learn the game of professional basketball.
As a side note and if I recall correctly, the reason it took Amare so long is that he tried to come back prematurely and then had to sit out another period of time waiting for that inflicted damage to heal. As Norsktroll pointed out below, that certainly wasn’ the case with Oden. I’m not sure he was even allowed to wipe his own butt during that first year. On 2nd thought, I’ll take that back. He was allowed – if not encouraged – to lift weights to his heart’s content much to the later consternation of Nate and also guys like myself as we saw him growing larger and larger. So I imagine lifting TP wasn’t banned from his routine.
Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave
Also: COMCAST SUCKS!
Still, ya gotta imagine
Yeah, he could lift weights (they stopped him relatively early, but he just is one of those guys who gets huge fast), but not with his legs, and not moving his legs much for a year… you lose a lot of strength.
And STILL to not be able to do leg workouts till this offseason… it’s a lot to overcome in one summer. I don’t think we can expect his leg strength to completely return, but we can expect him to be in good cardio shape. He’s been able to run for a while now, just not to squats and stairs and lunges and stuff that will get his explosion back.
So, to me, he should definitely be in good enough shape to play 30+ minutes (we’ll see if fouls allow that of course), and be MORE explosive than last year, but likely needs more time to regain that strength he had before in his legs. A year+ of no leg workouts is a killer.
Everyone’s micro recovery has been different-yet-the-same, but a common theme is that whenever someone comes back early it causes problems down the road. I think how cautious the Blazers were is likely overboard, but better safe than sorry.
Mo—
by Mortimer on Oct 9, 2009 11:17 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Blazers reaction was likely overboard ....
I’m pretty sure of that and if he should require the same surgery on either of his knees again, I’d almost guarantee they wouldn’t pussy foot around so much with his rehabilitation.
One thing many seem to be ignoring about his slow recovery time: he is very young and as such should be capable of recovering his leg strength quite rapidly ….. like in less than 2 years. Or is he truly young? Of course you’ve heard me expound on that subject before.
I am extremely encouraged and excited that he has entered this season in shape as he is paramount to our championship dreams. Okay, maybe paramount is too strong in that we would have a chance of winning it all without him …. but it would be much more of a tenuous goal.
Jeeze, I’m really, really stoked about how good he looked in these first two preseason games, especially that he appears finally to be fit. But I remain ever so nervous about his health …. although less nervous that I was last year at this time.
Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave
Also: COMCAST SUCKS!
Have ya ever broke a bone, or been in a cast?
I broke my leg from high school football and was in a cast for 3 months. When I got it off, my leg had atrophied very badly. It took a while to build back up, and that was only after 3 months. His isn’t quite the same and he had a machine that moved his knee for him as part of the micro recovery process, but I’m sure he lost a lot of strength in his legs from the lack of movement for a year.
Oden is young, but remember— he’s only been doing leg workouts since the playoffs ended. He hasn’t been doing them for a year, or two years.
Just in case ya don’t see my fanpost, I should let ya know that Oden is still raw, but seemed to be in good shape. He ran the floor well, wasn’t huffing and puffing, moved his feet on defense very well, and was quite active.
His offensive moves weren’t as good today as the first two games, but his physical condition and defense were both very good. Like you and me agree, that means everything.
Mortimer
Yes, he still should regain some strength
And of course, he’s not anywhere near peak physical maturity. A 21 year old’s legs are not as strong as they are going to get if he keeps working, so from maturation we should expect some increased explosiveness as well, unless he puts on weight.
I can tell you how to make an Excel spreadsheet that proves Portland wins 62 games this year.
People who were at the first two games say his vert isn't back yet
Which is understandable, since at first he couldn’t put pressure on his knee to work out and then – for whatever reason – the Blazers were extra cautious and didn’t allow him to do training that helps with jumping like squats or box jumps until fairly recently. Amare worked on his explosiveness much sooner in his rehab. With Greg they seem to have taken rather the approach of Kenyon Martin, who only got his vert back a season ago.
He is quicker, and while he gets up there for rebounds and blocks it’s not as sky-high as it was in college. Once that comes back, the rest of the league really can start to worry about him becoming dominant. A 250+ pound man with a standing reach of 9’4" and a max vert reach of 12’ 2"? Only about 10 players in the league can get up there for blocks, rebounds, or oops. And one of them was a young Shaq who can’t anymore. The main opponents who can are Howard, McGee, TT, Gortat, Josh Smith, Okafor, Noah. And that’s about it. LaMarcus isn’t far behind. And while Joel can’t get that high he is crafty blocking out and was the best defensive rebounder last season. This team will gobble up rebounds like nobody’s business. If we had drafted Blair or Travis would start to rebound like he scores, the other team could just always run back after a shot goes up :)
"I think he can still play" - Kevin Pritchard on Juwan Howard
Walton?
jscot, you said:
Easy baskets come out of a center who demands the double-team and knows how to pass. Walton taught us that.
Are you trying to suggest they should try running the Walton-era high post offense with Oden? :P
I never expected any comparisons of Oden to Walton, they’re very different types of player. The only resemblance is their injury histories, and with luck that won’t continue.
No
Oden isn’t a high post player. Walton wasn’t doubled in the high post as much as in the low post. But Walton played low post and passed out of the low post as well, at times, and it was pretty awesome.
The other resemblance is passing. Walton was an outstanding passer. Oden is already a good passer, and that is what might eventually make him as effective offensively as Shaq, even though he’ll almost certainly never score the same kind of points that Shaq did. All he has to do is score enough to demand the double-team, and pass effectively, and this very good offensive team becomes an offensive dynamo which might be almost unparalleled. Not that we’ll put up the raw numbers that Phoenix did, or that 77-78 team did, but the points per possession could be out of this world.
I can tell you how to make an Excel spreadsheet that proves Portland wins 62 games this year.
Oden's ability to draw fouls is going to be a HUGE GAME CHANGER
We have all talked ad-nauseum about Oden’s problem with getting called for too many fouls. With good reason, you can’t dominate a game from the bench. Oden is showing real improvement in this area.
What we haven’t discussed is Oden’s ability to draw fouls from opposing teams. I read somewhere that he ranked second in the league in rate of fouls drawn per minute. Stop and think about that stat for a second: rookie GO, with all his problems and limitations, ranked second in the league. Given his significant (I am tempted to say dramatic) improvement, we are almost certain to see Greg shooting a ton of free throws this season. This reality is going to be a huge game changer.
Greg may not be a dominant scorer, yet. His offensive moves are still raw. He is still going to get stripped and called for travelling occasionally. His hook shot isn’t yet consistent, and his new face-up jumper isn’t field tested. However, GO is still likely to have the highest TS% of any of the Blazers. The reason is that at least half his shots come on dunks, and the only possible way to stop a guy as powerful as Greg is to foul him. If Greg can convert those foul shots at over 70%, he is going to be an extremely efficient scoring option for the Blazers.
Furthermore, those fouls and the threat of those fouls is going to be a huge problem for opposing defenses. Remember the havoc that Shaq created back in the early part of the decade? Teams would need three big men to rotate in against Shaq because their centers were in constant foul trouble. Then when the second and third stringers were on the floor, Shaq would simply feast on the usually smaller players. That is where we want Greg to be. We may only see glimpses of that this year, but I think the stat from last season is a pretty clear indication that it is coming. Combine Greg’s power with an ability to hit from the line, and you have a potential nightmare for opposing defenses.
Last season the Blazers were predominantly a jump shooting team combined with Roy’s incredible skill at getting to the rim and the line. This season with the arrival of Miller and the development of Oden, the Blazers can now beat teams in a variety of ways. I think this is going to make a big difference against good teams on the road. Jumpers are great at home: guys start hitting, the crowd starts roaring, and success is contagious. On the road it is a lot tougher: guys miss a couple, they get tight, and that tightness is equally contagious. Think about how many times the team quit hitting from outside and teams just packed the middle?
This year, if Greg can get opposing teams in foul trouble, that is going to significantly erode the opponents interior defense and rebounding. If a guy knows he has two quick fouls trying to stop Greg, he is a lot less likely to challenge Roy and risk getting called for another foul. Combine Roy and Miller with Nic starting to show a little more penetration, and you have now turned a jump shooting team into a team that can really stress an opponent’s interior defense.
Houston showed that a good defensive team could force the Blazers to struggle when we relied so heavily on just Roy and LMA. If Steve, Rudy, and Travis were not hitting, we struggled. This year, with the arrival of Miller and the development of Greg, the Blazers are going to be extremely difficult to double.
Greg needs to be getting a steady diet of offensive opportunities. Even if he has some turnovers and misses some shots, feed him the ball. Keep your eye on his TS%, and watch for how often he is able to get the opposing teams big men in foul trouble.
by upper left corner on Oct 9, 2009 6:15 AM PDT reply actions 5 recs
Excellent analysis
Only left out one factor — if Greg gets opponent centers in significant foul trouble, Joel also becomes more effective. Remember that game, two years ago, when the Clips had to play forwards at center, and Joel had 26 rebounds and 14 points?
If we keep the ball running through Greg and he’s fouling out their centers, everything gets easier. If their PF ends up trying to hold down our centers, LMA feasts on a backup PF.
And a lot of teams really only have one center.
I can tell you how to make an Excel spreadsheet that proves Portland wins 62 games this year.
Ooops, my comment below "I would even go a step further" was supposed to by a response to you.
One more in my lengthy record of failing to hit the “Reply” button before typing!
by upper left corner on Oct 9, 2009 8:29 AM PDT up reply actions
ULC
You’ve been bringing the heat all summer (and into the fall now, apparently). I can’t count the number of times I was reading on here in the dogs days, read a comment and thought, “Huh, now that’s a good insight” and saw your name at the bottom of it. Keep the good stuff coming!
"I just sort of know that around the water cooler they talk of reality tv stars, and I strictly drink coffee." -- EvilKaramazov
by BlazersOrBust on Oct 9, 2009 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions
Hey, thanks.
It is probably the result of waking up way too early most mornings and laying there obsessing about the Blazers. I haven’t been this geeked out about the team since 1989. I really love the collective wisdom of this place. Lots of people all contributing a little bit to our understanding and enjoyment as fans.
by upper left corner on Oct 9, 2009 5:39 PM PDT up reply actions
How come nobody has assessed his position on the bench?
Last year, when he sat at the end more remote than Shav from the team it was dooooooom….DOOOOOOOOOM!!!!
If he can bring his bench position up this year, say somewhere between Juwan and Rex, I’ll deem it a successful season.
The cowards never started
The weak died along the way
Only the strong survived
They were the Trailblazers
I would even go a step further
You observed that “a lot of teams really only have one center.” In fact, I think there are only a handful of teams that really have two true centers. In fact, a lot of teams are playing a glorified PF as their starting center. I don’t have the numbers at hand, but I would guess that the average NBA team has less real depth at center than any other position on the floor. Feed the beast!
Your observation about how foul trouble will make life easier for Joel and LMA is a very good one. Overall, I think this makes it almost imperative to start Greg. We want him taking as many early shots as possible. If he can get a couple of quick fouls on the opposing center, the team will be playing down hill all night. In my mind, this is also part of the reason I think Miller should become the starter fairly quickly this season. For all of Blake’s good points, I don’t think it is really arguable that Andre is going to be better at getting the ball to Greg, in position to score and get fouls on the opposing center.
I think this should be a major focus of the teams offensive strategy. In addition to feeding the ball to Greg, I would like to see Roy driving the ball early in games to see if he can also help get the opposing bigs in early foul trouble. As good as Dre, Roy, and Oden are going to be at stressing a teams interior defense, I think that will open up shots on the perimeter for the shooters. I am thinking of using penetration as the way to set up the long ball rather than the other way around.
by upper left corner on Oct 9, 2009 8:27 AM PDT reply actions
If GO becomes a dominant center...
… the Blazers will have to learn how to win games with a dominant center. Last year, they lost a game in GS, trying to involve GO (he scored 22 points).
In his first 2 games Oden looked good and I do believe he will have a better individual season. But the big 3 will have to find his rythm. In my opinion, the Blazers will have the same season than last year, winning 54-56 games and looking more impressive after the ASB. But I expect them to be more successfull during the playoffs. If Oden is able to bring 15 points, 10 rebounds and a solid defense, this team would be able to compete against the Spurs for a spot in the WC finals.
(sorry for my english)
Answer to the "Learn how to win" question? Andre Miller
Miller is the guy with the BBIQ, the court vision, and the crafty veteran moves, who can orchestrate a new look attack. It will probably result in a slight reduction in scoring for BRoy and LMA, but the team will be more balanced and more successful. Particularly on the road against good teams.
by upper left corner on Oct 9, 2009 8:45 AM PDT up reply actions
And Roy will have to learn how to play with Dre.
It’s all about chemistry. The Blazers now have a floor general at the 1 and a possible dominant center. Cards are redistributed and it will take time to reach their full potential. But in the end, I do believe this team will be much stronger.
Remember that the Blazers won 10 of their last 11 games of the RS, playing a very collective game but collapsed in the 1st round of the PO, with a game that relied too much on Roy and LMA.
Hopefully, this year is the year they learn how to win with a big man.
(sorry for my english)
If you apologize for your English
so too should 95% of the posters on here. :) It’s excellent.
"I just sort of know that around the water cooler they talk of reality tv stars, and I strictly drink coffee." -- EvilKaramazov
by BlazersOrBust on Oct 9, 2009 9:42 AM PDT up reply actions
Wrong
I’m wonderfully complimentary towards them. It’s just that they are so despicable that saying things about them above their worth would be mean if said about other people.
I can tell you how to make an Excel spreadsheet that proves Portland wins 62 games this year.
Last year we struggled to involve GO
Blake adds a lot of value, but he is NOT good at making the entry pass. We either turned the ball over, or ate up a lot of shot clock trying to involve Greg. Therefore the team really struggled to involve Greg. This year Greg is healthier/playing-better AND we have Andre Miller to get the ball in. Involving Greg will be a lot more efficient. [Was impressed with Juwan’s entry passes as well]. Very different story.
Your English is superb
A couple weird spellings you missed (for future reference).
“Rhythm” has an “h” after the “r” for no good reason at all. Lots of people mis-spell it. It is bizarrely constructed.
“Successful” only has one “l” at the end. It isn’t the only “full” word that chops off the “l”, awful, powerful, wonderful, etc. This is stupid, there is no good reason for it, but that is the way English is.
Your grammar and word usage is excellent.
Your point is sound as well. Having the talent and learning how to use it effectively are two different things. However, losing at GS is not necessarily indicative — lots of teams lose there. I’m of the opinion that we’ll learn fairly quickly, and that we have so much talent that we’ll simply overwhelm a lot of teams even if we aren’t as efficient at using our talent as we could be. Fortunately, I think Nate McMillan will not be content with just winning, he’ll keep working on fine-tuning the machine.
I can tell you how to make an Excel spreadsheet that proves Portland wins 62 games this year.
If you guys had ever bothered to conquer England, we wouldn't have this problem.
Disclaimer: everything I know about basketball I learned on Blazersedge.
At least we invaded a couple times, which is more than you've done
Of course, if you did, we’d fight against you tooth and nail. :)
I can tell you how to make an Excel spreadsheet that proves Portland wins 62 games this year.
Actually Eisenhower did just that
Pulled your chestnuts right out of the fire. The south of England had more USA troops than all of the GB combined i think. If that is not an invasion I don’t know what is. Of course England was a way station on our way to sample French wines. (We liked the Oregon wines better.)
"Either way we have two phenomenal units. I'm excited to play with either one." - Martell Webster
I think Eisenhower was invited
I can tell you how to make an Excel spreadsheet that proves Portland wins 62 games this year.
Thanx jscot. :)
I agree that a single game is not necessarily indicative but I still think that this one was, cause the Blazers tried to win involving GO instead of playing their usual game (LMA was in foul trouble all night long). For the first time, they tried to dominate inside and Roy (9 assists) was looking for GO and this has disrupted the offense (even if they scored 106 points).
Against the Celtics, the Blazers also tried to involve GO and it helped them to stay in the game during the first half (not only because GO was the 6th man on the floor)… But this time, Roy wasn’t playing.
My point is that the Blazers use to go with Roy as the first option and LMA as the second one… That’s how they win games. If Oden is dominant, they will have to find a rhythm and understand how and when to use him effectively, without disrupting the offense. And I won’t be surprised if they lose some games in which they try to involve GO.
But I’m still very confident and I do believe it’s just a matter of time before Roy, LMA and Oden all have big game the same night.
I dont see any way we dont win more road games then last year.
if we even have the same home record we improve over last seasons record.
"BEER IS LIVING PROOF THAT GOD LOVES US"
- Benjamin Franklin-
That's pretty much how I see it
I can tell you how to make an Excel spreadsheet that proves Portland wins 62 games this year.
A word of caution about irrational exuberance...
First, I will confess to being HUGELY excited about the performance of one Greg Oden. IF what we’ve seen in teh first two games is a glimpse of what we will see in teh real season, the Blazer future is indeed bright.
However we should not read TOO much into the first two games. Because if these games are an accurate predictor, then Brandon Roy will SUCK this coming season…….and frankly that just won’t be the case. Nor will Oden get to play all his games against an underweight finesse center or an undersized power forward.
I’m extremely hopeful we will see great things from GO….but I don’t think the first two games PROVE it.
"I'm a man, but I can change.....if I have to......I guess." - Red Green
Did people tell Abe Lincoln to "chillax" when he lead our armies against the Red Baron in Civil War One?
Did people tell Edison “meh that light bulb is okay, but it only lights this little corner of your room and will never light more because I don’t get how light bulbs develop”?
Some things are destiny, antediluvian (if that is your REAL name), and to caution those against their destiny is to stand against the laws of nature. I’d be careful…
Mortimer
by Mortimer on Oct 9, 2009 11:06 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Morty, Morty, Morty...
Heck yes that’s my real name…..Antediluvian “Nostradamus” Destiny-Killer.
They aren’t really LAWS of nature….it’s more what you’d call “guidelines” than actual laws. I learned that when I came across the 8th dimension. That’s where Brandon gets his mojo.
"I'm a man, but I can change.....if I have to......I guess." - Red Green
by antediluvian on Oct 9, 2009 11:28 AM PDT up reply actions
Laws, Schmaws
I’ll tell you the Laws of Nature.
1. Blazers are going to Dominate with a great big D.
2. That is DESTINY.
3. Destiny-Killers should go post on a L@ker website or something.
4. Nevermind, they don’t need a Destiny-Killer, they have Odom and Artest.
5. #1-4 is the only kind of basketball analysis that matters.
I can tell you how to make an Excel spreadsheet that proves Portland wins 62 games this year.
See my comment above
If Oden is able to get opposing centers in foul trouble, he will have an opportunity to play a lot of minutes against undersized centers and PFs.
by upper left corner on Oct 9, 2009 8:46 AM PDT reply actions
Great message Dave.
It is indeed too early to develop any meaningful judgement of how Greg will fare against competent centers. Was at game 2 and felt like Sacto was more like a summer league team. We’ve got to be measured in our take-aways from these games.
However, one point that does get me excited — Greg showed that if you dont have a decent center to defend him, he will make you regret it. Dont think that even taped highlights can convey the dominating presence. Suspect that you’ve got to be at the game. Mighty glad that my family got me pre-season tix as a birthday present.
Greg highlights a power game, the likes of which I have not seen with the Blazers (even going back to Sabas and Duckworth). It signals a sea-change for the small teams. LMA and the Blazers have not done well against these smaller line-ups. With Greg 2.0, watch-out.
No wonder Nate is no longer focussed on what other teams do, but is now focused inwardly. We still have a long way to go against the elite teams, but henceforth, the growth is from within.
Pre-Season
This is maybe part of the reason I was one of the few people not so upset about not being able to watch pre-season games on television. A statement I later revoked in my growing hunger to witness this seasons incarnation of The Blazers. But still, I’m very old school about taking too much from anything I see in pre-season. Too many variables. Pre-Season is almost like watching movie trailers, and I’ve watched enough movie trailers to know sometimes a movie can look like it’s great in the trailer and turn out to be a nightmare as a whole.
You never know, how a coach or opposing coach is deciding to use a pre-season game. You never know how a player or opposing player is approaching pre-season. Mostly it becomes something about experimentation and avoiding injury. So I think it’s dangerous to become too excited about anything you might see.
Are you waiting for the flip-flop? Because here it comes. Having said that, I do think you can see some things in a pre-season game or games. Of course I’d rather see Oden playing well, and we’ve seen that. The same with Andre Miller, I think we’ve seen that he has skills that will be very helpful to this team.
I guess when it boils right down to it, I approach pre-season like The N.B.A., on one level it’s great. It’s a great sign that the regular season is approaching. When you are a team like The Blazers, on the rise, with great expectations attached to the team and individuals it can be exciting to see the possibilities. But the games don’t really count, and so I don’t count them. I’m psyched to see Oden moving better, playing well, I’m psyched to see the possibilities and skills Andre Miller adds to this team. But I’m not attaching judgement or evaluation as a whole until the real show starts.
….and I can’t wait for the real show to start….
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
NBA Playoffs Content Module
Related FanPosts on Blazer's Edge
Related FanShots on Blazer's Edge
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recommended FanShots
Recent FanShots
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Behind the Box Score, where the Boston Celtics are moving on to the conference finals
- NBA Playoffs Fan Fiction: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
- The Indiana Pacers? Gone till November
- Shaquille O’Neal is in a Chinese beer commercial, too (VIDEO)
- ‘Deep Thoughts’ and Cheap Thoughts: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
