I tell ya ...

I can't believe it!  Of all the people who've worked hard and bring gutsy intensity to the game, why does Joel go down.  As if the gods wanted to soften up the Pillsbury doughboy by cutting a hole in his stomach.  Come on!  There is absolutely no stopping an opponent with an attacking offense (make that about 97% of the NBA) without his presence.  That is unless someone, make that some people, on this team take full ownership.  I'm not talking about, "of course this is my car, dad bought it for me 'coz I studied hard," but rather "you're darn straight this is my ride, and I saved and sweat for the last three years fixin' it up!"  This is where the notion of being a contention caliber team must make its way from the head to the heart of its players.

I hate to even utter this, but this horrible stretch of misfortunes might be what the doctor ordered (yikes).  Nate obviously can't coach this team into exhibiting any semblance of toughness.  I'm not knocking Coach McMillan.  He's done more to instill solid basketball fundamentals and character than one could have imagined.  But pulling players, like Aldridge, aside one more time to chide him on his absence in the paint won't provoke a lasting change in his play.  Let's face the facts ... there is nobody on this team that you'd choose to send out nightly to defend against the likes of the D.Howard or Shaq and we have the most ephemeral offensive low post presence in the NBA.  I'm sure Juwan will deliver with intensity, but maybe one of the rookies will fight shamelessly for their chance to be worthy of time on the NBA court.  The Blazers will likely move to pick up a center position on a hardship waiver or the like, but this team's style and capabilities are critically changed for the rest of the season ... for better or for worse.

I'm hoping for the former.  It's heart-wrenching that so many talented and respectable guys have gone down this year, but I feel that we're forced to see the limits of what coaching can do for younger players.  There's nobody to catch you ... you gotta fly or face that pavement of the street below.  Oh, and there's also a flock of chicken hawks that just sprung from that tree over there and they look like they're hungry.  At some point, the Blazers players have to own this team.  A team doesn't depend on a single player for victory.  A team doesn't rely upon excuses to ameliorate their performance.  A team doesn't whine its way into a favorable 4th quarter finish.  Its time to take the keys, scuff the knuckles working under the hood, and really earn the right to take a spin around the town.  This type of team ownership probably won't result in a season for the record books.  But I'm willing to bet that they'd be able to look their fallen teammates straight in the eye and say that they gave it their all.