FanPost

34. Hangin' On: The View from Los Angeles +2009 INDEX

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Well, another year is drawing to a close. I congratulate you all on having survived it. In fact, we're wrapping up the stupid Decade With No Name at the same time — and thank goodness for that. First came the Y2K frenzy and the massive money dump that was. Then a couple dozen murderous jackasses with packing knives manage to take down a couple skyscrapers with hijacked jets and the next thing you know we're embroiled in two wars with no end in sight, the economy is in shambles, unemployment numbers are through the roof, and the government is broke but still hasn't figured it out yet.

Have a happy day.

Here's an earnest wish for Peace Now.

But I'm not here today to rant about Republocratic politicians and their short-sighted and dysfunctional policies — I wanna talk about Blazers Edge. This thing that we love so well is still a baby, not quite 5 years old. It's outstanding as a discussion forum, the essays by Dave are first rate, we're fortunate to have our own Big League journalist in Ben Golliver, the podcasts that are produced are entertaining and informative.

The sidebar continues to perk with activity, unequal in quality though it may be. The establishment of moderators seem to have greatly reduced the percentage of chaff, making it a little easier to find the many delicious kernals of wheat. The FanShots seem to break news faster than the combined Twitter accounts of the entire Portland media pack.

There's lots of good stuff, in other words, and the blog would remain a sensational success even if not a whit were changed. This should not be taken to mean that further improvement is impossible, however.

Wherein lie the shortcomings and the potential for further improvement in the coming year?

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I have a few ideas.

1. There seems to be a need for delegation by the editors. Blazers Edge is basically a two-person blog with a freewheeling sidebar. Much like a bumblebee or a helicopter, it's a bit miraculous that the thing flies as well as it does. Most NBA blogs that update multiple times over the course of a day have multiple writers doing their thing in unison. Some examples would include CelticsBlog, the TrueHoop main site, and Silver Screen & Roll. The list is doubtlessly a lot longer than that; blogs run by 1 or 2 people, on the other hand, generally just barely manage to cover basic functions. The Bedge is exceptional, not typical, in being able to provide the quantity and quality of coverage that it does with such a short staff.

Certainly, both Dave and Ben have demonstrated themselves to be more than capable plowhorses. But it seems to me that they are grinding harder than necessary. The delegation of certain tasks might make for a less stressful and less laborious existence for our beloved Clydesdales.

I see two areas where Dave and Ben could stand to delegate: Gameday Open Threads and Daily Links.

Dave has handled the former task, opening the threads either in real time (even though he doubtlessly has his attention elsewhere) or by putting the threads on the SBN timer, set to open up at specific intervals (a system which leads to unsatisfactory breaks in the middle of quarters, more often than not).

My proposed solution: Turn the task of opening the threads over to the moderators, who can rotate the chore amongst themselves. At least some of the 6 mods are already reading these threads in real time anyway, they already have the software tools to start a new thread on the main page. Let them. Step back and relax a bit, Dave. Delegate. Use your people a little.

Ben is taking multiple jobs upon himself. He's gotta be burning the candle at both ends to churn out the tonnage of quality material that he does. But why is he attempting to do links pages, I ask? Doing links right is a full-time daily job for somebody (preferably a person living on the east coast or in Europe with a time jump over the Pacific Time Zone every morning). Finding the person to take over a mainpage Daily Blazer Links column wouldn't be hard — there are many thousands of readers of the blog and there are no doubt dozens who would be capable and willing.

My proposed solution: Add a "beat writer" to compile a Daily Blazer Links article for the front page, which could be done with a small "footprint" and a large "jump" so that it doesn't impact the readership of the mainpage articles by Dave and Ben. One less thing for Ben to worry about and something that might singlehandedly double his hours of sleep each night from 1 to 2.

2. There needs to be a journalistic presence for BE for road games. We've all seen and rapidly come to love Ben's work on "media row" for Blazer home games. Unfortunately, that is where it starts and ends — home games. The next great leap forward for the blog would seem to be a media presence, either by Ben or an associate of Ben's, on the road. Obviously, this is an expensive proposition, but something that many loyal readers would support financially, even if Ben (or his colleague) were to be sent out on only one or a couple road trips a year during the initial phase.

My proposed solution: Look to the model successfully employed by certain political publications, based upon a system of donations to a non-profit educational auxiliary. Magazines such as The Nation, In These Times, and The Progressive — among many others, I'm sure — make use of "sustainers' funds" to finance the investigative journalism and overhead expenses of each. I have no doubt that among BE's readers there is an accountant that would be willing to donate their time to help with the paperwork needed to establish such a fund. I have absolutely no worries that there would be a steady stream of cash donations (and the potential for profit-generating enterprises, such as t-shirt sales) that could make a "Road Reporting Fund" a reality this very season, 2009/10. All it takes is the decision by Ben and Dave to move forward along this path.

3. Howzabout a baseline photographer? The Oregonian has one — why not Blazers Edge? It seems highly likely that a photographic genius in the Portland metro area is out there that would be willing to donate their services in exchange for the best seat in the house. Why settle for lame random AP images when an intelligent photographer might be out there to point the camera at people and events that matter to fans?

In any event, these are a few of my ideas — for what they're worth, which may not be much.

I'd be interested in hearing what others think in the comments section below. And don't forget to vote in the poll.

Channel Surfing

Tuesday, Dec. 29.

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Golden State Warriors (9-22) at Los Angeles Lakers (24-6).

Just because the Los Angeles Lakers are 18 games on the plus side of .500 doesn't mean that there aren't rainclouds in Inglewood. Here's a little quote from Silver Screen and Roll Associate Honcho Chris Clark prior to this one to get you up to speed on the emotions of the purple-clad horde that Blazer fans love to hate:

"Since returning from their cold-weather road trip, the Los Angeles Lakers have logged four straight performances that fall somewhere between 'shaky' and 'humiliating.' Against up-and-coming greenhorns Oklahoma City and Sacramento, the individual badassedness of Kobe Bryant was just enough to steal the W. Against Cleveland and now Phoenix, not even Kobe could make it close."

Mark this game down as another "shaky" performance for the Lakeshow, bailed out though they were by Kobe's season-high 44 points coupled with his season-high 11 assists. The speedy Warriors vaulted to a 21-11 lead in the 1st Quarter and expanded the margin to 14 early in the 2nd, nailing everything they flung at the rim. It took a supreme effort by Mr. Kobe and Mr. Pau to cut the GSW advantage to 6 points at the half.

In the 3rd Quarter the Laker starters dropped a 15-3 run on the skulls of the Warriors, who kept running and slinging, as they are wont to do. Laker D was spotty throughout the evening and the Warriors remained in the hunt for most of the 4th Quarter, before LAL hit the accelerator and pulled it out at the end. This contest could as easily have gone the other way, I note.

Corey Maggette had 24 off the bench and Monta Ellis added 22 for Oakland in the losing effort, with the Warriors going down in flames despite shooting a most impressive 56% from the field. Pau Gasol had a sneaky quiet 27 points for the Lakers, who improved their December record to 12-3 with the win. Lakers 124, Warriors 117.

Wednesday, Dec. 30.

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Los Angeles Clippers (13-17) at Portland Trail Blazers (20-13).

Steve Johnson talked about Chris Kaman during the pregame. This might be a word or two off here, but it's a pretty close quote: "He's the kind of dude you think you can take lunch money from, but then you play the game and you wind up going hungry." Kaman was averaging 20.0 points and 9.1 rebounds prior to tonight's game, which means that he has not only been snorking out on his own lunch but gobbling others' too. Compare and contrast to other top bigs in the West, like Pau Gasol (17.4 & 11.8), Marc Gasol (14.9 & 10.0), and Greg Oden (11.1 & 8.5). Pick another, I don't care. Kaman is putting up All Star offensive numbers is the point and there is no reasonably arguing that, even though Stern's schmucks in the league office didn't even list him on the ballot!

First Quarter.

You know the drill: Clips pulled down an offensive rebound and Kaman started the game out with a jam. LMA hit a light, fluffy jumper on the other end. Clips drew a foul and drained 2. Marty threw up a brick from the corner. Blazers got the ball back and LMA hit a light, fluffy 3-ball. Clips pounded it low, got the offensive rebound and jammed... The long Clippers represented a bad matchup for the undersized and undertough Blazer bigs.

At the 6 minute mark of the 1st Quarter, give or take, LMA turned his ankle and it was time for the small team to get even smaller. Rookie Pendy came in on the injury and the Clips smelled blood down low. It was only the drunken sloth tempo and the drunken sloth ballhandling of LAC that kept Portland in the hunt. With 3:30 remaining the score stood at Portland 14, Clippers 13. And yes, the 24 second shot clock was still functional.

Then real competence reared its handsome head: Portland dropped an 13-2 run on the Clips, with Juwan Howard scoring 3 buckets and adding a pretty no-look assist to Pendy at the rim. Rasual Butler dropped in a bomb just ahead of the horn and the Blazers led 25-20. Astoundingly, Portland outrebounded LAC in the quarter, 11 to 7.

Second Quarter.

As the 2nd Quarter opened, Nate inserted The Inferno at the 4, moving Pendy to "Center," along with Rex, Roy, and Blake. Then Roy got pulled for Marty. The Mikes claimed it looked like a Summer League lineup, and there would little dispute from anyone in the building. Pendy looked good rucking for rebounds, while the shot-blocking Clips made Rex into a passer, as he quickly racked up two assists to Inferno and Marty, both of whom drilled open looks.

At the 8 minute mark Binky took advantage of a wide open lane to the ring and he easily laid one in for a 7 point Portland lead. Rex found Inferno again for his 5th assist of the evening, to go with his zero points in the last 6 or so quarters. At 6:54 Rex hit a jumper from the top of the key and our long national nightmare was at an end. The make gave Rex the same exact number of points for the evening as Brandon — 2.

Midway through the quarter, the Blazers held a 9 point lead, when Rex drove too far under the standard and threw up a Kobesque airball, which Pendy grabbed like an oop pass and jammed home. Despite the lead, the game in no way felt like it was in Portland's pocket — too many kids, not enough bigs. Then again, Pendy had 8 rebounds in his first 12 minutes of action, so stranger things have happened.

Clippers started to pound the ball again, pulling down rebounds on both ends of the floor and cutting the lead to 2, as Portland clanked away with perimeter jumpers. After a bucket each way, Roy got picked clean for a fast break layup, and the game was tied with a little over 2 minutes remaining in the half.

Down the home stretch Roy went to the rack shrieking like Lamar Odom for an AND ONE, pushing the lead to 5. Blazers closed on a 9-0 run when Marty was fouled at the horn rucking for a rebound on the defensive board. Marty calmly drained a pair (interrupted by a harassing 20 second time out called by Clip coach Mike Dunleavy). PDX was up 9 at the break.

Third Quarter.

Pendy got the second half start in the absence of LMA, who was out for the night with his sprained ankle. Blazers played a tough zone D to open the quarter in an attempt to reduce Kaman's effectiveness, a strategy which had some success.

Of course, jumpshooting teams like Portland surrender big leads and 11 became 4 quicker than Mike Rice can squeeze a lime. Blazers went into penalty just outside the 6 minute mark and Ricey started bitching about traveling calls, never a good sign for the astute Portland fan. Baron hit 2 free throws to cap an 11-2 Clipper run and Nate called time with 6:09 showing. The Blazer lead was down to 2.

After the break, the Blazers pulled themselves together. Marty hit a trey and scored two FTs when he was fouled on a Portland fast break (!!!). But LAC answered in kind when a defensive breakdown allowed Eric Gordon a free pass to the rim followed by a smooth trey on successive possessions and things tightened up once again. Kaman scored again and again, with the Blazers unable to match his size and strength in the paint.

Blazers committed 9 fouls to 2 in the quarter trying to stop the Clips in the paint and lived to tell the tale. Finishing the quarter with 3 guards and 2 rookies, Pendy blocked a shot at the horn, preserving a 5 point Blazer lead — which felt like zero. Clippers were shooting 51% and trailing at the end of the period.

Fourth Quarter.

Rasual Butler opened the 4th frame with a dead-on trey — bye bye lead — but Blake one-upped him on the other end, drilling a three-ball AND ONE. Of course, Blake missed the extra FT, which everyone knew was coming... Rex finally kicked it into gear, scoring at the rim AND ONE before swishing an 18 footer shortly thereafter and the Rose Garden started getting rowdy.

Brandon came in for Marty at 7:38, having witnessed Rex's career-high 8th assist from the scorer's table. If the dude was a PG, he'd be dangerous, eh? Unfortunately for the home team, Eric Gordon got red hot for the Clips, cutting Portland's 12 point lead to 7 twice and forcing Nate to call a time out.

Blake nearly got nicked for a 5 second violation at the 4:00 mark but he somehow found a free Juwan Howard at the last instant for a thunderous dunk. The Clips split a pair on the other end, their 11th miss from the line on the evening. Brandon went left hand for chalupas and a 10 point lead. He also made Clipper broadcaster Ralph Lawler poop his pants with the shot, completing the rare trifecta. Kaman picked up an offensive rebound and a putback bucket and the Blazers spent all 24 seconds before Inferno bricked a 15 footer.

Roy dribbled like a spaz, giving up the ball to a Clipper break that cut the lead to just 4 points with 1:08 remaining. Nate called time out. "Portland trying to hang on," Blazer commentator Mike Barrett intoned as the telecast cut to commercial. Portland was in a severe drought, not having scored for over 2 critical minutes. Brandon was money on a long jumper at the 56 second mark, pushing the lead to 6. Clips called time. Portland played tough D, with Kaman posting up Howard with 42 seconds. Blazers worked clock but Blake's 3 pointer was off the mark and at 18.4 the Portland lead was just 4, with Dunleavy calling another time out to advance the ball.

Clips inbounded with 18.4. Baron shot a quick 2 from the elbow — and missed! Howard sucked up the rebound and the Clippers committed their "foul to give" on Rex with just 10 seconds remaining. Nate inserted Andre for his ostensible key FT clutchiness. Blake for some reason freaked out and threw the ball away, getting Rice yelling, "THEY TOUCHED IT INBOUNDS!" at the ref. Only 1.1 seconds was burned and the Clips called their last time out. Lead was 4 points. The pass came to Baron Davis, who shot one from about 4 feet beyond the 3 point arc — missing again. Blazers rebounded, Rex was fouled with just 1.5 seconds remaining. Rex missed a pair, but no matter. Blazers 104, Clippers 99. Pendy (14 rebounds in 25 minutes!) got face time on TV with Rebecca at the end, proving conclusively that he has a better job than you do.

The End.

Now please crack open your little red toolbox and wind up the Popcorn Machine GAME FLOW SUMMARY, if you'd be so kind. Just give that link a little click...

Observation 1: Really even 1st Quarter until Portland laid a 11-0 whupping on the Clips. The run got going right after LMA went down with his ankle and was replaced by Jeff Pendergraph.

Observation 2: Despite missing some shots and getting capped at the rim more than once, Jerryd Bayless looked good during his run for the entire 2nd and 4th Quarters.

Observation 3: Despite Los Angeles getting it back even on several occasions, Portland took a lead in the 1st period and more or less maintained it throughout.

Observation 4: LMA had 7 points in just over 6 minutes. Too bad he didn't play 48...

Ordinarily, this would be the time that we pay a little visit to our favorite Canucks, but Skeets and Melas are out living La Vida Loca until January 4. Pity. In the meantime, here's a snippet of a BBC interview with the great Hunter S. Thompson to keep you thoughtfully engaged.

HST shot himself on Feb. 20, 2005.

Now it's time to take a spin around cyberspace to hear what the long-suffering Clipper masses have to say about their disheartening defeat in Portland...

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(1)

Short-Handed Trail Blazers Beat Clippers: Clippers get outhustled and fail to build on momentum of victory over the Celtics.

by Lisa Dillman, Los Angeles Times

* * *
Perhaps the most perplexing team in the NBA continued its trend of bizarre results. Not only did the Clippers (13-18) fail miserably to build on the momentum created by Sunday night's last-second victory against the Boston Celtics, they stumbled and fell against Brandon Roy and a largely undistinguished supporting cast.

The undermanned Trail Blazers turned into the undersized Blazers when their only legitimate post player, LaMarcus Aldridge, went out because of an injured left ankle early in the game.

Aldridge, the Trail Blazers' second-leading scorer, sprained his ankle with 5:40 remaining in the first quarter and did not return. He became the seventh Portland player to go down because of an injury this season. Even Coach Nate McMillan is on crutches on the sideline. * * *

"There were two areas, obviously: the efficiency they had on offensive boards," Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy said in his postgame television interview. "They had 12 offensive rebounds for 26 points -- that's more than a bucket per offensive rebound. That killed us, and obviously the free-throw line really hurt us." * * *

(2)

Embarrasingly Soft Bigs

posted to Clips Nation Gameday Open Thread


Aldridge hurt his ankle???
Lets kick them while they are down!

by big0lbad on Dec 30, 2009 7:22 PM PST


Can't believe they even have a lead we have the two most soft ass bigs in the league
This is not acceptable

by KillaClip on Dec 30, 2009 7:31 PM PST


It's too bad that we're without Griffin in this one...
We'll probably lose this game because of his injury

by CLiPPz WeRD 12 on Dec 30, 2009 7:33 PM PST


Pitiful so far
Portland's playing hard, the Clips are waiting until next year

by Mike Wr on Dec 30, 2009 7:55 PM PST

(3)

Baron Davis Sucks

posted to Clips Nation Gameday Open Thread

I am serious when I say this.

Baron Davis is in the bottom 5 point guards in the NBA! If he was any type of a point guard like Nash, CP3, D-Will, or even Billups, he would know that when his shot isn't falling pass the damn ball and or if a player is going and hot, give him the ball.

by NBAFAN8 on Dec 30, 2009 9:38 PM PST


Calm down
Where were you last game?

He had a bad game tonight. Bottom 5? Go lay down.

by madglove on Dec 30, 2009 9:39 PM PST

Bro, I watched the game
I watch every game. Baron if it was his choice, would shoot the ball everytime. He holds the ball way too much, he takes bad shots, he pushes the ball when the Clippers dont have a man advantage. Just watch his game and then go watch another top 10 point guard. I would take so many guards over BD. Here is my list. Nash, D-Will, CP3, Billups, Brooks, Evans, Jennings, Felton, Rondo, Duhon, Harris, Rose, Bibby, Kidd the list goes on.

by NBAFAN8 on Dec 30, 2009 9:43 PM PST

(4)

Dump the Roster or Ditch the Coach

posted by "TB" to ClipperBlog Gameday Open Thread

We win the games players are motivated for (Denver and Boston). Games against less exciting teams we are outhustled night after night after night....

Getting outhustled and losing to the Portland Summer League team is simply embarrasing... We are lousy.... Either trade the entire roster or get rid of the coach. DO SOMETHING....!!!

(5)

Hello Lottery

posted by "Formerly Section 113" to ClipperBlog Gameday Open Thread

Ok, no Oden, no Pryzilla, no Aldridge, no Outlaw, missing a couple of others and still no W... Nice coaching DUNCE.... WTF is Baron - 2-12 at that time - doing taking the key shot down 4 with a half minute to go? Kaman has been unstoppable to that point and you don't at least get him a look and at minimum a pass back out to an open shooter if they double him...this is why coaches have hated Baron, he is a selfish fat pig, who doesn't give a crap about winning. Lawler and Smith raving about another double-double for him... Damn, he shot 2-15, he is why they lost...

As for their Celtic victory, the Celts have now lost 3 straight, so it looks like the DUNCEheads just caught them at the right moment...

So we're 13-18, 51 games to go, benchmark for playoffs is 45 wins in the west...that means 32-19 the rest of the way. I ask this question, have they ever gone 32-19 at any point in the team's "storied past". Hello Lottery.

(6)

Dunleavy Did It

posted by "BBCLIP1" to Clippers TopBuzz message board

Just truly a pathetic performance by the Clippers. How do we lose to a team without half of their players?

Let me get this right. The Blazers are missing Nicolas Batum, Travis Outlaw, Joel Pryzbilla, Rudy Fernandez, Greg Oden, and LaMarcus Aldridge and yet we still get outplayed by guys like Jeff Pendergraph, and Dante Cunningham?

I am beyond pissed and frustrated with this team right now. We come off a big win against the Celtics only to follow it up with a stinker against a team that isn't even at 50% health wise. But then again, I'm not surprised because I'm reminded who the coach of this team is.

(7)

Missed Opportunities

posted by "MKWest" to Real GM Clippers message board

We had opportunities but wasted them. This is a disturbing and disheartening loss. There is no way we should have loss this game. We should not have been outrebounded.

Portland is a good team, but this team's depth has been obliterated by injury. We couldn't even capitalize.

(8)

Chris Kaman's All-Star Hopes May Be Tied to Clippers' Performance: Coach Mike Dunleavy says team probably has to 'get to contention' before All-Star voters notice Kaman.

by Lisa Dillman, Los Angeles Times

Ballot-Gate. * * *

That would have meant Clippers center Chris Kaman's name was actually on the Western Conference All-Star ballot. It never got there, surprisingly.

Kaman wasn't surprised by the oversight. He knew he didn't play enough last season, just 31 games, and also noted that there were questions about his future and durability, and that there are "politics" involved in the process.

"There's nothing I can do about it," he said after practice Tuesday. "There's a lot of good players. It's a tough thing to be an All-Star. You've got to make the right moves, a team has to win.

"If I get there, I get there. If I don't, I don't. I don't fault anybody. I don't really care." * * *

(9)

The Clippers: Where Amazing Happens

posted by "Rhy1244" to ESPN Clippers message board

Out rebounded by a team that doesn't even have a center.

Amazing.

(10)

Clippers 99, TrailBlazers 103 — I Don't Get It

FanPost by "LJ Hahn" to Clipper Blog (SBN)

We lost.

No, we were embarassed.

Not only were we embarassed, but we lost against a team that was ultimately without 7 of their key players. * * *

  • Kaman: Chris had a normal game tonight, by all means. 25 and 9. What we have come to expect. One problem. He was guarded by freaking Juwan Howard!! No disrespect to Juwan, but Chris could have had 40 tonight. I can back that up because he had only 9 in the first half, when he is normally strongest. If he had exploded against Howard, as he should have, he could have had 20 in the first half, maybe more.
  • Rebounding: Kaman had 9, Camby had 11 for LAC. For Portland, however, Pendergraph had 14, Juwan Howard had 9, and Roy had 7. Portland won the overall battle, 40-33 (12-7 offensive), despite not having anyone over 6'9" in height.
  • Why I Don't Get It: The Clippers beat the Boston Celtics, but lost to the aformentioned, depleted Blazer team. Chris Kaman and DJ topped Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett, and Rasheed Wallace, but lost to a front line of Juwan Howard, Jeff Pendergraph, and Dante Cunningham. I dont get it. I just don't understand how this happens. How do you beat a team with Garnett, Rondo, Perkins, Ray Allen, and Rasheed Wallace but lose majorly to a team with Brandon Roy, Juwan Howard, Martell Webster, Steve Blake, and Jeff Pendergraph. Do you get it? I don't. * * *

* * * A D D E N D A * * *

(11)

Portland 103, Clippers 99

by Kevin Arnovitz, ClipperBlog (TrueHoop)

The Clippers post an efficient offensive game - one that would have been exceptional if not for the bevy of offensive miscues, sloppy interior passes, a series of botched shots at the rim, missed free throws, and offensive rebounds that tip off the Clippers' fingertips. Still, they use their length and side-to-side movement to create plenty of shots for themselves. It's their atrocious defensive effort against a Portland team without a legitimate center, and that loses LaMarcus Aldridge midway through the first quarter, that produces one of their least satisfying losses of the season.

Trying to examine the reasons why they couldn't defend a frontcourt featuring Juwan Howard and rookies Dante Cunningham and Jeff Pendergraph for 90 of its 96 minutes is an exercise in frustration. Chris Kaman, despite a monster offensive game (25 points, 12-19 FGs, 1-2 FTS, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist, 1 turnover), shares some of the blame. Marcus Camby seems slow on rotations and frequently a couple of feet from where he'd be more useful. Al's working, but he's in the wrong places at the wrong times. This poor defensive execution and timing result in a slew of wide open elbow jumpers for the Trail Blazers' big men. Cunningham demonstrated in Summer League that he's not going to embarrass himself on an NBA floor. Give him enough space to work, and he'll get two points. * * *

(12)

Zombies!

posted by Vilos Cohaagen to ClippersBlog reader feedback

I live in Portland and was amazed at poorly prepared the Clippers were this evening. The Blazers had a pretty poor outing, used several NBDL quality players for 25 minutes apiece and never were challenged by a veteran team.

The Clippers should rename their team the Zombies. They play like zombies that want to eat their coach. The Clippers have some real talent that don't seem too motivated. Someone better step in soon or this will continue throughout the remainder of the season.

Bear in mind, the Blazers were missing Oden, Pyzbilla, Batum, Aldridge, Fernandez, and Outlaw from their regular rotation. Couldn't the Clippers coaching staff figure out a way to take advantage of Pendergraph and Cunningham, two marginal players who don't even have their timing yet due to a lack of playing time?

By the way, I just signed the fire Dunleavy petition. I'd really like to see the Clippers become competitive.

The Bottom Line:

1. You've GOT to be kidding us! We just beat the Celtics. THE CELTICS!!! The Blazers are not the Celtics even when they're healthy... The Blazers, as they currently sit, are a bunch of Summer Leaguers — rookie second round draft picks, old guys that had trouble moving their feet 10 years ago... There is NO WAY that we should be losing this game to you all. PERIOD!!!

2. Baron Davis? Good god — what an overpaid overstuffed burlap bag of organic fertilizer... Count on him to fire the clutch bricks!

3. Blazers had no answer for Chris Kaman down low. The failure to get the ball to him lies squarely upon the shoulders of Coach Dunce.

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Time for some video of "The Only Band That Matters" — THE CLASH. Another huge favorite of mine...

First up is a terrific live view of the band doing their thing in 1977, when they were babies...

"London's Burning" (live, 1977)

Here's a mainsteam UK television interview from 1976, which originally aired on the "London Weekend Show."

Left to right are guitarist Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon, and guitarist Joe Strummer.

fragment: "Anarchy in the UK" by the Sex Pistols (live 1976).

Video from a show in Japan in 1982. The band was a bit long in the tooth by this point, but it's a cool version of an early tune.

"Safe European Home" (Live, 1982)

Here's a pro-shot live festival somewhere, big Norwegian flag over the stage. NLF chic, I'd guess 1982...

The song is a cover first recorded by Sonny Curtis and the Crickets in 1959.

"I Fought the Law" (Live, c. 1982)

2009 Index

Feature Articles

Przybilla: Part 2 [Aug. 17] — Biographical study of Blazer Center Joel Przybilla. Part two covers the story during his third contract, more Portland years. Extensively footnoted.

Przybilla: Part 1 [Aug. 16] — Biographical study of Blazer Center Joel Przybilla. Part one takes the story from his birth to his free agency at the end of the 2005/06 season. Extensively footnoted.

The Journey of Andre Miller, Point Guard: Part 2 [Aug. 9] — Biographical study of Blazer free agent acquisition Andre Miller. Part one takes the story from his Denver to Philadelphia to Portland. Extensively footnoted.

The Journey of Andre Miller, Point Guard: Part 1 [Aug. 8] — Biographical study of Blazer free agent acquisition Andre Miller. Part one takes the story from his birth through the end of his rookie contract as a Los Angeles Clipper. Extensively footnoted.

Lamar Odom: From Mean Streets sans Mean Streak [SS&R, July 30] — Biographical study of Laker free agent Lamar Odom. Extensively footnoted.

A Ron Artest Review: The Soap Opera So Far [SS&R, July 4] — Biographical study of new Laker SF Ron Artest. Extensively footnoted.

Columns

Blazers Edge columns

34. You're reading it now, baby! [Dec. 31]

33. Andre for Dinner: The View from Philadelphia [Dec. 29] — Convergence of newspapers on the net and NBA blogs as a reason players will be reading the latter soon; long video highlights of the "Little Christmas Miracle" game against the Nuggets; a rumination and a fun fact; Channel Surfing: Lakers/Kings, Mavericks/Nuggets, Sixers/Blazers; snippet from The Life of Brian; Philadelphia clippage; punk rock videos: JILTED JOHN x2, REZILLOS x2.

32. Little Christmas Miracle: The View from Denver [Dec. 26] — Liveblogging the Christmas helliday, including glimpses of Heat/Knicks, Magic/Celtics, Cavs/Lakers, Clippers/Suns, Blazers/Nuggets; video of Snowball the cockatiel as he dances at Birdman; Denver clippage; a group of punk rock Christmas videos: GREEDIES, TRANSEXPISTOLS, RAMONES, MATT BLACK AND THE DOODLEBUGS, random Italian chicks.

31. ROWWWRRRRR!!!: The View from San Antonio [Dec. 24] — Review of the basketball blogs of SBN and ESPN: Part 2: Eastern Conference; Channel Surfing: Blazers/Spurs; San Antonio clippage; punk rock video: X x2.

30. A Win and a Loss: The View from Dallas [Dec. 23] — Now it's Joel Przybilla out for the year; review of the basketball blogs of SBN and ESPN: Part 1: Western Conference; Channel Surfing: Cavaliers/Suns, Kings/Bulls, Blazers/Mavericks; Basketbal Jones 489/490; Dallas clippage; punk rock video: SEX PISTOLS.

29. Do Over: The View from Miami [Dec. 21] — Essay on Assists as an overrated statistic; video of Top 10 Assists of the 2008/09 season; Channel Surfing: Lakers/Nets, Blazers/Heat; 20 year old video of Marv Albert on Letterman; Basketball Jones 488; Miami clippage; punk rock video: RAMONES (deleted).

28. So They Lost: The View from Orlando [Dec. 20] — Losing at basketball isn't as bad as losing your life in a terrorist attack; old video of Steve Blake at the time of his free agent return; old video of Rex in awe after Brandon's 52-pointer last season; Rex Watch — liveblogging Bayless' game against the Magic; brief analysis of Blazer/Magic game; a visit to the very first Basketball Jones video, no. 330; punk rock video: DICKIES x2.

27. Rack 'Em: The View from Phoenix [Dec. 18] — Musings about the ebb and flow of NBA games and first statement of Timbo's Rule of Leads for 7SOL Teams; old video of Rex and his brother; Phoenix news coverage of Channing Frye; Frye called a chicken with AD Chicken Dancing Remix; Compendium of Eldrick Woods jokes; Channel Surfing: Lakers/Bucks, Wizards/Kings, Suns/Blazers; Basketball Jones 486/487; Phoenix clippage; more Chicken Dancing videos from Arrested Development.

26. Lifeboats Averted: The View from Sacramento [Dec. 16] — A further foray into offensive efficiency statistics, with the Blazer guards compared with similar players around the league; Video revealing why Steve Blake gets 113 minutes per game (he's an MVP candidate!); Junk Drawer mockings of Eldrick; Video of Trevor Ariza throwing a flagrant elbow; Channel Surfing: Thunder/Nuggets, Lakers/Bulls, Kings/Blazers; Basketball Jones 484/485; Sacramento clippage; Arrested Development silly song video.

25. I Need More Beer: The View from Milwaukee [Dec. 13] — Frustration with Nate for playing Blake over Bayless and some offensive efficiency numbers showing why this is dumb; Levis/Arrested Development "Never Nude" commercial video; Channel Surfing: Lakers/Jazz, Blazers/Bucks; video of baby Rex at Nike Hoops Summit; Milwaukee clippage.

24. King Incorporated: The View from Cleveland [Dec. 12] — The Eldrick Woods School of Driving (with map); A first look at Western Conference All-Star votes with special attention to Tracy McGrady; Flintstones selling cigs in an old commercial; a pot-shot at "Peace Prize" winner Obama; Channel Surfing: Nuggets/Pistons, Magic/Jazz, Blazers/Cavs; Basketball Jones 483; Cleveland clippage.

23. Plodding On: The View from Indianapolis [Dec. 10] — Blazers injuries as TV reality show, "Last Man Standing"; advanced stats for Blazer surgeries; "REHAB WITH US"; Mark Cuban on WWE video; Channel Surfing: Suns/Mavericks, Nets/Bulls, Jazz/Lakers (with video), Blazers/Pacers; Basketball Jones 481/482; Indianapolis clippage; Video of Steve Blake's most embarrassing moment; Blazer surgery poll, with Przybilla presciently the leading vote-getter.

22. Them's Breaks: The View from New York [Dec. 8] — Lamentation of the Oden injury; the rehabilitation of A.I.; Channel Surfing: Suns/Lakers, Blazers/Knicks; Basketball Jones 479/480; New York clippage.

21. Gut Check Time: The View from Houston [Dec. 6] — The Blazers' injury woes are likened to WWI British infantrymen going up over the top; Mockery of Eldrick Woods begins; Channel Surfing: Rockets/Clippers, Civil War football, Heat/Lakers, Rockets/Blazers; video of the Oden injury; Basketball Jones 477/478; Houston clippage.

20. Struggle Bunnies: The View from Miami [Dec. 2] — Essay on the loyalties to teams and a potshot at "garbage stats" like Quarterback Rating and PER; George Carlin video; November Western Conference Power Rankings; Channel Surfing: Nets/Lakers, Wolves/Nuggets, Suns/Knicks, Heat/Blazers; Basketball Jones 475/476; Miami clippage.

19. Thin Air: The View from Utah [Nov. 29] — Part 3 of the "How Laker Fans are Different than Blazer Fans" series; Shannon Brown dunking propaganda video; Channel Surfing: Lakers/Warriors, Blazers/Jazz; Red State Update video; Salt Lake City clippage.

18. Jumpers Kill: The View from Memphis [Nov. 28] — Part 2 of the "How Laker Fans are Different than Blazer Fans" series; Iverson retires — premature dancing ensues; Channel Surfing: Magic/Hawks, Jazz/Bulls, Grizzlies/Blazers; Red State Update videos; Memphis clippage.

17. Oh-for-Annum: The View from New Jersey [Nov. 26] — Part 1 of the "How Laker Fans are Different than Blazer Fans" series; Channel Surfing: Warriors/Mavericks, Knicks/Lakers, Mavs/Rockets, Nets/Blazers; Basketball Jones 474; New Jersey clippage.

16. We Have Liftoff! : The View from Chicago [Nov. 24] — After parting company with Silver Screen and Roll on Nov. 20 over an unshared editorial vision, "The View" column is relaunched here on the BE sidebar. Introductory essay; rehash of the singling Chicago Bulls video; analysis of the Blazers v. Bulls game; Basketball Jones 473; Chicago clippage.

Making Sense of Nic Batum's "Creepy" Injury [Oct. 27] — The shoulder injury of starting SF Nic Batum is examined and its ramifications explored.

And the winner is.......... [Oct. 23] — The Blazers' final 15 man roster for the 2009/10 season, now set, is explored player-by-player with snarky commentary. Injuries soon made this moot.

The Andre Miller Signing: The View from Philadelphia [July 27] — "The View" column is Blazerized for the first time here so that Philadelphia commentary and clippage may be collected relating to the high-profile signing of free agent PG Andre Miller.

What I learned from the 2008-09 Los Angeles Lakers [June 22] — Just because you hate the Lakers doesn't mean you can't learn anything from their world championship run. The meaning of life illustrated.

Blazer Workout Player Links: Episode 5 [June 17] — I cruise YouTube so you won't have to... A compilation of video and stats links for: Darren Collison (6-1, 165 lbs., PG, UCLA, Age 21), Dante Cunningham (6-8, 230 lbs., PF, Villanova, Age 22), Tyler Hansbrough (6-9, 230 lbs., PF, UNC, Age 23), and Jeff Pendergraph (6-9, 230 lbs., PF, ASU, Age 22).

Blazer Workout Player Links: Episode 4 [June 15] — I cruise YouTube so you won't have to... A compilation of video and stats links for: Terrel Harris (6-5, 190-205 lbs., SG, Oklahoma State, Age 21), Joe Ingles (6-8, 194 lbs., SF, Happy Valley, Australia, Age 21), Jonas Jerebko (6-9, 210 lbs., SF, Sweden, Age 22), Jermaine Taylor (6-4, 210 lbs., SG, Central Florida, Age 22), Garrett Temple (6-5, 176 lbs., SG/SF, LSU, Age 23), and Marcus Thornton (6-4, 198 lbs., SG, LSU, Age 22).

What will the #24 pick get ya? [June 9] — If one examines enough mock drafts, one can reasonably estimate a small range of players that are rated to be "worth" a given pick. Eighty-four mocks were examined to generate this list, which includes Ganai Lawal, Omri Casspi, Sam Young, Austin Daye, and Darren Collison.

Blazer Workout Player Links: Episode 3 [June 8, 2009] — I cruise YouTube so you won't have to... A compilation of video and stats links for: Osiris Eldridge (6'3"SG, Illinois State, age 20), Wayne Ellington (6'4" SG, North Carolina, age 21), Danny Green (6'5" SG/SF, North Carolina, age 21), Damion James (6'7" SF, Texas, 21 years old), Dior Lowhorn (6'7" PF/SF, San Francisco, 22 years old), and Josh Shipp (6'5" SG/SF, 24 years old UCLA).

Blazer Workout Player Links: Episode 2 [June 5] — I cruise YouTube so you won't have to... A compilation of video and stats links for: Omri Casspi (6'8" SF, Israel, age 20), Micah Downs (6'7" SG/SF, Gonzaga, age 22), Chinemelu "Junior" Elonu (6'10" PF/C, Nigeria/Texas A&M, age 22), Chris Johnson (6'11" PF/C, LSU, age 23), Jerel McNeal (purportedly 6'3" SG, Marquette, age 21), Greivis Vasquez (purportedly 6'5" PG, Venezuela/Maryland).

Blazer Workout Player Links: Episode 1 [May 12] — I cruise YouTube so you won't have to... Links page for stats and video for: DeMarre Carroll [6'8 " F, Missouri], Cedric Jackson [6'3" G, Cleveland State], Joe Krabbenhoft [6'7" F, Wisconsin], Wes Matthews [6'5" G, Marquette], Garrett Temple [6'6" G, LSU], A.D. Vassallo [6'6" G, Virginia Tech], Jeff Adrien [6'7" F, Connecticut], Josh Carter [6'7" G, Texas A&M], Alonzo Gee [6'6" G, Alabama], Chris Johnson [6'11" F, LSU], Jeremy Pargo [6'2" G, Gonzaga].

Stupid. Obnoxious. Annoying. The All-NBA Top 5 [April 4] — Picks for the All-NBA Obnoxious Team include PG Stephon Marbury, SG Allen Iverson, SF Ron Artest, PF Rasheed Wallace, and C Chris Andersen. How Kevin Garnett was missed is a mystery...

The Chemistry thread — Is it real, does it matter, and do KP and his number crunching cronies believe in it? [April 3] — Discussion starter on whether chemistry off the floor generates positive results on the floor.

Silver Screen and Roll columns

Lakeshow Episode 12: The View from Chicago [Nov. 20] was completed but spiked and erased by me. It was more of the usual, nothing shocking or out of the ordinary...

Lakeshow Episode 11: The View from Detroit [Nov. 18] — Love those Grizzlies!; hilarious Bulls karaoke video; Channel Surfing: Blazers/Hawks, Pistons/Lakers; Basketball Jones 468/469; Detroit clippage.

Lakeshow Episode 10: The View from Houston [Nov. 16] — More mocking of the Grizzlies, this time for signing Jamaal Tinsley; Tinsley video from YouTube; Channel Surfing: Blazers/Bobcats, Thunder/Spurs, Clips/Thunder, Rockets/Lakers; Basketball Jones 467; Houston clippage.

Lakeshow Episode 09: The View from Denver [Nov. 14] — Comments on the Lakers' "Friday Flop"; first Western Conference Power Rankings; Denver linkage.

Lakeshow Episode 08: The View from Phoenix [Nov. 13] — The real Iverson story revealed and contrasted to official lies coming from Memphis; Channel Surfing: Magic/Thunder, Suns/Sixers, Jazz/Knicks, Blazers/Grizzlies, Blazers/Timberwolves, Hornets/Suns, Suns/Lakers; Basketball Jones 463/464/465/466; Phoenix clippage.

Lakeshow Episode 07: The View from New Orleans [Nov. 9] — Bashing the Grizzlies' owner and GM; Channel Surfing: Raptors/Mavs, Kings/Jazz, Grizzlies/Clips, Suns/Whizz, Timberwolves/Blazers, Hornets/Lakers; New Orleans clippage.

Lakeshow Episode 06: The View from Memphis [Nov. 7] — Watching basketball with my wife; Channel Surfing: Spurs/Jazz, Spurs/Blazers, Grizz/Lakers; Basketball Jones 462; Memphis clippage.

Lakeshow Episode 05: The View from Houston [Nov. 5] — Going to a SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS show; Channel Surfing: Jazz/Mavs, Lakers/Rockets; Basketball Jones 461; Houston clippage.

Lakeshow Episode 04: The View from OKC [Nov. 4] — Laughing at silly Clipper coach Dunleavy, who thinks he has a playoff team; Iverson introduced to Memphis video; Channel Surfing: Grizz/Kings, Hawks/Blazers, Lakers/Thunder; Basketball Jones 460; Oklahoma City clippage.

Lakeshow Episode 03: The View from Atlanta [Nov. 2] — My declaration of NBAdom; Onion video on the great relief of Clipper fans killed in collapse of Staples Center; Channel Surfing: Magic/Raps, Blazers/Thunder, Hawks/Lakers; Basketball Jones 458; Atlanta clippage.

Lakeshow Episode 02: The View from Dallas [Nov. 1] is missing. This seems to have been accidentally deleted somehow or other.. Would have included Basketball Jones 457, Dallas clippage.

Lakeshow Episode 01: The View from -ummm- Clipperland [Oct. 28] — Starting the season in a basketball frenzy: Celts/Cavs, Whizz/Mavs, Rockets/Blazers, and Clips/Lakers; Basketball Jones 456; Clips clippage.

Pre-Season Hijinks, Episode 3: The View from Sacramento [Oct. 17] — Gettin' grumpy about marked-up books and League Pass Broad Band; Sacramento clippage.

Pre-season Hijinks, Episode 2: The View from Oakland [Oct. 10] — The Lakers do battle again with the Warriors and fare better this time; Oakland clippage.

Pre-Season Hijinks, Episode 1: The View from Oakland [Oct. 8] — A new season begins as the Lakers take on the Warriors in pre-season action; Oakland clippage.

And the next coach of Your Los Angeles Lakers is... [Aug. 14] — With Kurt Rambis gone to the T-wolves, who is heir apparent to take over for PJ when he retires as coach of the Lakers? The Kamentzky Brothers know: Brian Shaw.

Trevor Ariza and Ron Artest: The View from Houston [July 3] — Assessment of the recently-completed de facto trade of Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza via free agency through Houston clippage.

Draft Views from all over the Wild West: Part 2 [June 27] — Clippage from 7 NBA Western Conference cities on the just-completed draft; Analysis rankings of their efforts: 1. Warriors, 2. Nuggets, 3. Rockets, 4. Spurs, 5. Thunder, 6. Suns, 7. Timberwolves.

Draft Views from all over the Wild West: Part 1 [June 27] — Clippage from 7 NBA Western Conference cities on the just-completed draft; Analysis and rankings of their efforts: 1. Kings, 2. LA Clippers, 3. Blazers, 4. Mavericks, 5. Jazz, 6. Hornets, 7. Grizzlies.

St. Kevin's Day 2009: The Agony and the Ecstasy [June 26] — Review of trades completed and live-blogging Round 1 of the 2009 NBA Draft.

Finals Game 5 Recap: The View from Orlando [June 15] — Lakers win: THE END; random observations about the finals; Basketball Jones 455; Orlando clippage.

Finals Game 5 Preview (pt. 2): The View from Orlando [June 14] — The end to the 2008/09 season is near so it's time for a big recap of favorite highlights of the year; Orlando clippage.

Finals Game 5 Preview (pt. 1): The View from Orlando [June 13] — Divine revelation that Pau Gasol, "best #2 player in the NBA," is a Center, not a PF; Orlando clippage.

Finals Game 4 Recap: The View from Orlando [June 12] — Extensive game analysys of the Laker win; Basketball Jones 454; Orlando clippage.

Finals Game 4 Preview: The View from Orlando [June 11] — "The teams are pretty evenly matched, we'll see what happens. We're done."; Wayne Ellington could be a Laker and here are his links; Orlando clippage.

Finals Game 3 Recap: The View from Orlando [June 10] — Kudos to SVG for making a winning substitution by benching himself; game analysis; Basketball Jones 453; Orlando clippage.

Finals Game 3 Preview: The View from Orlando [June 9] — Who is really favored in Game 3?; link to a mock draft database; Laker Fun Facts; Orlando clippage.

Finals Game 2 Recap: The View from Orlando [June 8] — Lakers win ugly in overtime thanks to SVG's disastrous rotations; Orlando clippage.

Finals Game 2 Preview (pt. 2): The View from Orlando [June 7] — Moaning about the NBA's weird Finals scheduling; Orlando clippage.

Finals Game 2 Preview (pt. 1): The View from Orlando [June 6] — Other teams are working out draft prospects but the Lakers are still playing; Orlando clippage.

Finals Game 1 Recap: The View from Orlando [June 5] — "Kobe & Co. won by 25 but weren't so much better"; Orlando clippage.

Game 1 Preview: The View from Orlando [June 4] — Trash talking with Magic Fan Marie (Mucho Kobe Jokes!!!); Orlando clippage.

Why the Orlando Magic Are Tougher Than You Think They Are [June 3] — Position-by-position analysis of the Orlando Magic; Orlando clippage.

24 Hours to go, I wanna be sedated: The View from Orlando [June 3] — Time moves slowly so series requests are passed on to Santa; Orlando clippage.

Loitering in the parking lot two days before tipoff: The View from Orlando [June 2] — The original intro ripped SBN a new orifice for their buggy and seemingly untested revision of the basic software. It was deleted by The Boss at SS&R in the name of graciousness and maintaining warm relations with the code-writers. The Orlando clippage survived.

Eastern Conference Finals Game 6: The View from Orlando [May 31] — A silly intro and pre-series investigation of what those sneaky Magic followers are saying is underway with Orlando clippage.

Game 6 Recap: The View from Denver [May 30] — The stunning Game 6 blowout of the Nuggets in review; Denver clippage.

Game 6 Preview: The View from Denver [May 29] — An attempt to detail the flora and fauna of the NBA blogging world in hopes that other blogs will develop similar columns to this; Denver clippage.

Game 5 Recap: The View from Denver [May 28] — Reverse engineering the conspiracy behind the Orlando victory over the Cavs — it's all Disney! — and Denver clippage.

Game 5 Preview: The View from Denver [May 27] — Moaning about having to be creative writing about a Laker team seemingly capable of only half a good game; Denver clippage.

Game 4 Recap: The View from Denver [May 26] — Some games are in doubt and others aren't, this was the latter for LAL; Denver clippage.

Game 4 Preview: The View from Denver [May 25] — Another NBA dream, this time with PJ in an elevator; "Timbo's Subjective Guide to Lakers' Player Heights; Denver clippage.

Game 3 Recap: The View from Denver [May 24] — Negative comments in game thread as concrete proof that Lakers had lost Game 3 before winning; Denver clippage.

Game 3 Preview: The View from Denver [May 23] — An emotional reaction against Cleveland's last second victory leaves no doubt which team is favored in series; Denver clippage.

Game 2 Recap: The View from Denver [May 22] — Lamentations on the Nuggs having "broken serve" on the Lakers; Denver clippage.

Game 2 Preview: The View from Denver [May 21] — Nugget strategy vs. "The Bitch Goddess," home court advantage; Denver clippage.

Schadenfreude: A quick visit to Cleveland [May 20] — A smirky commentary on the status of the Cleveland "juggernaut" in the aftermath of having lost home court advantage to Orlando; Cleveland clippage.

Game 1 Recap: The View from Denver [May 20] — "Grumpy McSourpuss" proclaims the Lakers' Game 1 victory a "bad performance" with a "lucky result"; Denver clippage.

Game 1 Preview: The View from Denver [May 19] — Initial dose of Denver clippage regarding the upcoming series with the Lakers.

Why the Denver Nuggets Are Tougher Than You Think They Are [May 18] — Timbo the Enchanter says "Neener Neener" about the Rockets near upset; position by position breakdown of the Denver Nuggets prior to their playoff series with the LA Lakers.

Game 7 Recap: The View from Houston [May 18] — Rocky Balboa didn't beat Apollo Creed either and the Rockets lost it in Game 3; Houston clippage.

Game 7 Preview: The View from Houston [May 16] — Setting the table for a decisive Game 7; Houston clippage.

Game 6 Recap: The View from Houston [May 15] — Everything proceeding according to the Rockets' plan; Houston clippage.

Game 6 Preview: The View from Houston [May 14] — On teams moving the bar in a 7 game series; Houston clippage.

Game 5 Recap: The View from Houston [May 13] — A 40 point beatdown of the Rockets draws comment; Houston clippage.

Game 5 Preview: The View from Houston [May 12] — Basketball Murder; Houston clippage.

Game 4 Recap: The View from Houston [May 10] — Lakers lose and suffer stinging rebuke; Houston clippage.

Game 4 Preview: The View from Houston [May 10] — Yao Ming out and Rockets "in doo doo of maximum deepness"; Houston clippage.

Game 3 Recap: The View from Houston [May 9] — Party declared over for the Rockets; Houston clippage.

Game 3 Preview: The View from Houston [May 8] — Commentary on the Fisher suspension and Kobe's "elbow"; Houston clippage.

Game 2 Recap: The View from Houston [May 7] — Hooting about the Derek Fisher "decleater" of Luis Scola; Houston clippage.

Game 2 Preview: The View from Houston [May 6] — Initial impressions of the difference between Laker fans and Blazer fans; Houston clippage.

Game 1 Recap: The View from Houston [May 5] — Basketball dreams and Houston clippage following Rockets' game 1 victory over LA.

Why the Houston Rockets Are Tougher Than You Think They Are [May 4] — Position by position breakdown of the Rockets prior to their playoff series with the LA Lakers.