Keep it up.

Thanks, guys.

By the way, I like your signature, OCBlazerFan1…

Gotta hate the purple and gold.

Or actually, love the purple (I’m a University of Portland Student) but hate the Lakers.

Greg’s jump hook is killer when he’s in rhythm

Thanks for posting and I look forward to more.

I’m a big Greg fan and look forward to seeing his offensive game grow to match his defensive and rebounding skills.

I’ve never heard this mentioned before but it looks to me like Greg needs to work on establishing position and presenting himself to the passer on the wing when he’s in the block. People say we need to get him the ball in the post, get him involved, but as I watch him it seems like he flashes to the block for a second then backs out. I’d like to see him really sit down, spread out and occupy some space. As big and strong as he is he should be able to hold that position and make himself a better target.

Any opinions on that?..

GO BLAZERS!!!

3 in the key, travelling, moving screens…

What I’m talking about though is low post position… outside the key down low. I don’t see him spread out and take up space. Someday…soon I hope… he’ll demand the ball down low by establishing position, sealing off his defender and presenting an easy target for the entry pass. At least that’s what I hope for.

It doesn’t matter how many solid post moves you have if you don’t get the ball in the proper position and with the right spacing. It seems to me that is what’s lacking right now.

GO BLAZERS!!!

A little constructive criticism: your use of statistics was throughout was good but I thought you drew some broad conclusions from a very small (4 game) sample size

Some opinions:

- Blake, Miller and Bayless won’t all be here in a few years. It will be more like maybe Bayless, maybe Mills and possibly Blake. PG rotation should not be forecasted at present as it is too unpredictable.
- Projecting Martell as the starter in a few years seems dubious. Batum is the starter until he loses the job and although I know Martell has played well both offensively and defensively so far this year, again it is 4 games.
- Roy as top guard once Kobe retires? Assuming you mean shooting guard I would think it will be more like Wade surpasses Kobe this year or next (unless you think he already has) and then Roy surpasses Wade not long after as he breaks down (due to his reckless playing style and being over 30 by then).
- Oden needs to be the second offensive option for this team to win a championship, not the second leading scorer but definitely the player we are looking to after Roy to run the offense through.

Great post though, keep them coming!

You might consider telescoping two posts into one since things get hot and heavy in the sidebar and things spool off pretty fast in season.

If you’re getting fancy with the layouts, you can switch to html mode and replace the part that says “photo” with “left” or “right” to justify the photo and run text around it. Typing in “center” justifies the graphic to the center and eliminates the border that appears around it by default.

Nice job, again!!!

I used to wait on hold for 30 minutes to get on 5th quarter. I wish there had been blogs back then! thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I agree mostly. I do think the Blazers would benefit tremendously by running more offense through oden. Not for scoring, but rather for assists. He will draw lots of help defense, that means open shooters and easier driving lanes for our peremeter guys. I think you are right, don’t look for much more than a solid 12 points per game or so early career. If the offensive sets go through him more he should get assists to the tune of 4 or 5 a night. The few times our offense looked sharp so far this season has been when the ball went down low early.

Do 77% of the people really dislike my analysis? Or is it just some random dude that voted 277 times?

Keep posting.

Mike…I think you have a good perspective…the part about Oden being a key figure in the Blazer’s success is spot on…where he goes from here, depends on a lot of things, but he needs to develop into the player they thought they might get when they drafted him….
    The blazer’s have a lot of issues, but if Oden develops, a lot of that could go away….They have little flexibility (like they advertise) and must come together as a team….

It’s hustling, and fighting for every loose ball, and scrapping for every rebound that brings toughness to a team. It’s hitting the boards for an offensive rebound, and then hustling back to get on defense if you don’t the board, that truly shows dedication.

Your also spot on about the mentality a team has to have…as it is the most important part of team building…this is a quality I’d look for if I was deciding on whether this team will succeed or not……
   The Blazer’s have let minor distractions get in the way of preparing for this season, so we will see if they can come together…they are only putting a lot of extra pressure on themselves, when they assume too much, and read too many articles of concern… the coaches have a responsibility to connect the dots….fundamental basketball is essential to get you on track and will always be the most reliable source for success…..

   I think you make some good points and communicate them rationally and clearly. Good Job. Keep writing. I enjoyed reading your piece.

   The only thing I would debate is the following sentence: “But it’s defense, not offense, that wins championships.”

    I’ve heard others say similar things, but it’s my opinion that at a Championship level it’s both. I’ve never seen a championship team that wasn’t excellent at both.

    If you watch the Blazers right now you’ll see that nothing is given with offense in the N,B.A. . You must have a complete and diverse offensive game. Outside, Inside, Perimeter and Post. Defense is also critical of course, so I guess I just don’t like the “Either/Or” semantics. Championship teams are great offensive and defensive teams.

  But that’s a minor issue. Plus debate/discussion is what you want to create. Keep up the good work.