Game 47 Recap: Blazers 97, Hornets 89?!?
by Dave on Feb 2, 2009 11:55 PM PST
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PrintSo sad for everyone who turned the game off in the third quarter...
General Observations
This is definitely a comeback the Blazers will remember. It's one the Hornets would prefer to forget but I have a hunch that after losing three in a row and this last in crushing fashion, they're not going to be able to shake it easily.
Let's get this out of the way right now (and this is part of why tons of people come to read these recaps, because we're honest): the Blazers don't win this game if Chris Paul doesn't get injured. He just owned us with a capital "OW" all night. From a Blazer fan's perspective what Paul did to Sergio Rodriguez at the beginning of the game should have been rated MA for "masochistic audiences only". And then the dirty two-timer turned around and did the same thing to Jerryd Bayless when he came in. No wonder he had a groin strain by the second half. Don't be fooled by the lack of scoring on Paul's part. He knew he had scored a bundle in the last two games and the Hornets had still lost. He knew he needed his teammates and he wanted to get them involved. Besides that Portland's collapsing help defense forced him into the pass. But those passes got there and his teammates hit left and right which was just what the Hornets wanted. The only thing that gave him pause even slightly was Portland's bigger, no-PG lineup but then the Blazers' offense didn't look crisp and their transition defense faltered.
Then the basketball gods decided enough was enough and reached down and tweaked his groin.
Everything that happened from that point on was all Blazers. And you have to give Portland credit.
For much of the game the Blazers had been beaten on the boards. The offensive rebounds New Orleans got in the first quarter were obscene and disgusting. The Hornets are not a good offensive rebounding team but they looked like giants playing against middle-schoolers the way they worked the glass. Portland looked lethargic and ended up a step behind. All of a sudden, though, the Blazers started gang rebounding. Lamarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw...they all got into the act, helping out Joel Przybilla in limiting New Orleans to one shot. Meanwhile the Blazers collected multiple attempts on their end.
For most of the game Portland coughed up turnovers and failed to force any from New Orleans. Now all of a sudden the Blazers were poking balls away and streaking down the court while taking care of the ball themselves.
For much of the game the Blazers were stagnant in their offensive sets, walking the ball up and dumping it to somebody to try and score. The vast majority of those shots were jumpers. Portland took no advantage of its size and put no pressure on the Hornets' lane. Suddenly we saw fast breaks and passing in the halfcourt. Point guards who had been abused were doing the abusing. Centers once woefully out of position now found themselves in the thick of the play getting hands on rebounds and finishing with chip shots. Those elusive points in the paint started coming thick and fast, which freed up our jump-shooters for clean looks which then fell.
Most of all without Chris Paul carving up the defense like the Grinch carves roast beast the Blazers finally got a hand in the faces of the Hornet shooters and in the passing lanes. Antonio Daniels looked lost setting up the offense. Shots that had been free and easy for David West and Peja Stojakovic earlier now came one-on-one, defended, and without any other Hornets moving.
In short, the only thing missing was a voice coming over the arena speakers saying, "In the fourth quarter the part of the Blazers will be played by the New Orleans Hornets." They were understudies for most of three periods, now it was their time to take the lead role. They played it to the hilt, too. The result was a 38-15 fourth quarter in Portland's favor, a bunch of high fives as time expired, and a New Orleans crowd sent home in stunned silence.
If you add that all up you see that while the catalyst was the Chris Paul injury, Portland had to do a ton of things right to make this happen. Full marks to them for that. Also as we mentioned in the pre-game New Orleans has had a habit of drifting south in the fourth quarters of games lately. They just have to work too hard to defend without Chandler anchoring them. So this was not entirely unprecedented even if the magnitude was shocking.
The take-away points for the Blazers are these:
1. Never give up on a game.
2. Playoff teams, let alone eventual championship hopefuls, learn this lesson early: it doesn't matter why you won, it matters THAT you won. Opponent got injured? Sad. Give us the W. Refs acting quirky? Someone should look into that. Now give us the W. Seven masked Oompah-Loompahs rushed the court and gang-tackled the opposing off-guard just as he was driving unopposed for the game-winning layup and he was so shaken that he missed both free throws with no time left on the clock? Wow...that's unusual! Now give us the W. Thank you. Have fun. See you next year.
Were we to have a speculative, philosophical argument about which team is better right now I think you'd have to go with the Hornets for a variety of reasons. But this game wasn't played for speculative, philosophical bragging rights. It was played for a "win" mark in the ledger. Portland got it, New Orleans didn't. And that's the only thing that will last from this game.
3. Well done.
Individual Observations
--Brandon Roy scored a season-low 6 points on 2-10 shooting and looked out of sync out there. He was slower than usual and almost looked unmotivated, could I believe that. I doubt that was his mental state, but something wasn't firing right. Even his eyes looked flat. 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 turnovers.
--Lamarcus Aldridge was also flat as a pancake until the run that provided the victory. He was taking fall-away jumper after fall-away jumper...classic Bad Lamarcus offense. Neither he nor the centers could keep a lid on David West. With all of the other things going wrong for the team this game would still have looked winnable had Lamarcus and Brandon played normally. It just wasn't happening. But LMA came alive during the endgame. He started pursuing boards and he sank some of those jumpers he had missed earlier. He ended up with 22 points on 9-21 shooting with 11 rebounds (5 offensive) and 2 assists.
--What is it with Greg Oden and the Hornets? Even without Tyson Chandler in there he looked like he was trying to solve a Rubik's Cube every time he moved his feet. A nice jump hook and a couple of putbacks aside, it was painful to watch him out there. It was one of those, "I've blown the play, so I will fix it by fouling!" nights. Late...foul. Let a guy get by him...foul. Saw a cute girl in the stands...foul. Poor ref looks like he's getting bored...foul. When he committed his fourth with 8:37 left to go in the third period Nate just tucked him in for the night. Joel Przybilla was on the floor for the entirety of the run. Oden finished with 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 fouls.
--Nic Batum had about the usual game. 15 minutes, 5 points, 4 rebounds, a couple of defensive lapses and a couple more good defensive plays.
--Sergio got 19 minutes of run. We've already mentioned the defense. He did make some shots (3-6) but he looked a little wild out there tonight. The Hornets announcers remarked on it as well. 6 points, 1 assist, 2 turnovers.
The bench players were the true stars of the game tonight.
--Travis Outlaw was the only guy whose offensive game remained consistent throughout. He hit some shots in the first half to keep the game close and drilled some key shots in the fourth quarter, breaking the Hornets' backs beyond repair. It's not like they forgot to defend him. They forced him into 4 turnovers and frequently threw multiple defenders at him. He just kept coming back and stroking it anyway. 7-11 shooting, 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 1/3 of the game ball.
--Jerryd Bayless had a rough first half but as soon as Paul went down and the game opened up he just took a sledgehammer to the Hornets. Say whatever you want about him--and there's plenty to say both ways--but this guy can finish. That's actually a semi-rare commodity on this team. Only Roy really has the same ability to score at the cup no matter what. In any case, when the game got rolling Bayless ran the floor, attacked the rim, and had the Hornets praying to Jesus. Jerryd was responsible for most of the quick points (as opposed to those scored in the more traditional sets) and when down like we were, quick points are exactly what you need. 7-9 shooting, 19 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and he was the guy playing the fourth quarter minutes. 1/3 of the game ball here as well.
--The last 1/3 of the game ball goes to Joel Przybilla, who finally managed to get through a Hornets game without squaring off with Tyson Chandler. When Oden went south Przybilla rode to the rescue again. Like the rest of the team his game transformed in the second half when he was allowed to stay home and set up for rebounds instead of being forced to chase guards all over kingdom come. As soon as he got his feet planted in the paint he started dominating the boards which was a key to the Blazers' comeback. 10 rebounds in 29 minutes.
--Like Travis, Rudy had a fairly steady game throughout. He shot 4-8 for 15 points and provided 8 rebounds, which we sorely needed. He was the only Blazer who could hit from three and thus one of the few reasons for New Orleans to extend the defense. He was 3-6 from distance and we only hit 4 threes the entire game. His energy helped make up for the lack of same from the starters. However as a side note I will say this. Those between-the-legs passes are really neat, but the next time Rudy attempts one into traffic with less than 6 minutes to go in the fourth quarter of a tied game I sincerely hope Coach Lucas calls him to the bench, turns him over his knee, and paddles him until he can't sit for a week. You have to know the time and place. I'll forgive it because of that nifty reverse lay-in off of the alley-oop from Sergio though. We don't have another player who could catch those passes, let alone finish the play like that.
--Neither Frye nor Diogu nor Randolph played tonight. During a lull in play I did see Frye make a fist, slap it downward and into a loop, and land it right smack dab on Randolph's head though.
Final Thoughts
That was an unexpected and very welcome win. What if we could bag another one in Dallas? This trip could get pretty exciting. Let's not attempt it the same way though...
It ought to be plenty interesting over at AtTheHive tonight.
Check out the Jersey Contest results and enter the next game right here.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
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Dave..
you’re killing us with these future-posted midnight recaps, especially when the game ends at 7:30.
you know how many hours of sleep BE denizens lost toninght endlessly refreshing this page awaiting your recap?
Rule #1 of nitpicking is to get it right.
My apologies
It’s harder with a kid now. There’s the tucking in and the Sandra Boynton reading-fest. Plus then I have to at least say hello to my wife. By the time all that’s done it’s 10:00. Even if I have the game half-watched already it’s 11:15 before I get typing…
This is why I prefer West Coast games.
—Dave
as a father of two young ones, I understand
you are forgiven. It seems I falsely assumed you wrote the recap up hours ago and had it setup for future posting.
Rule #1 of nitpicking is to get it right.
Rhinoceros Tap?
Barnyard Dance? The Belly Button Book? Hippos Go Berserk (my favorite)? Pajama Time?
Thankfully, my kids have outgrown this and are on to Mo Willems and other authors, but the Boynton books stick with you for a long time.
we memorized The ABC Book by Dr. Seuss
so we could “read” it in the dark. Both kids usually got to Z before we did. – Elgin
You don't have to wear a clock around your neck to know what time it is at Bob's. Meals cooked with real religious fervor! Thousands of empty seats in the back, for the lonely set. At Bob's you don't have to leave your loved one out in the street - your car is as welcome as you are! - Firesign Theatre.
You should look into one of these
nima told me to tell you to please stop using "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".
Is that how you keep your
nephews and nieces busy?
"Only dunk and go to the defense." Rudy Fernandez
Amen Brother
There is probably no more terrible instance of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man — with human flesh.
Paul Muad'Dib - Dune (Frank Herbert)
My Translation: My Dad is a dude just like me, and my sons are dudes like me also. I love that.
Season Tix: Section 315, with my sons
and a funny story
I have a firewall/software etc. to block bad websites for my kids. I type in keywords and if a web page or URL has that word in it then my firewall blocks it. You can imagine what words I put in there… One of them is “porno”. So, tonight I keep trying to view the stats/boxscore from the game and my firewall keeps blocking it. I was stumped. Then I realized that in the page address they had it titled “PORNOH” for Portland / New Orleans Hornets and my firewall was blocking it because it had PORNO it it. Haha.
There is probably no more terrible instance of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man — with human flesh.
Paul Muad'Dib - Dune (Frank Herbert)
My Translation: My Dad is a dude just like me, and my sons are dudes like me also. I love that.
Season Tix: Section 315, with my sons
same thing has happened with
Portland / NY and Portland / NY. It’s actually blocking the word PORN.
There is probably no more terrible instance of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man — with human flesh.
Paul Muad'Dib - Dune (Frank Herbert)
My Translation: My Dad is a dude just like me, and my sons are dudes like me also. I love that.
Season Tix: Section 315, with my sons
Portland / NJ
There is probably no more terrible instance of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man — with human flesh.
Paul Muad'Dib - Dune (Frank Herbert)
My Translation: My Dad is a dude just like me, and my sons are dudes like me also. I love that.
Season Tix: Section 315, with my sons
LOL
So THAT’S the scam!
No…no…wait! My REAL recap will be coming sometime between now and 4 a.m.!
—Dave
exactly! good news guys, media row report is coming just as soon as i can find a power outlet here at the NO airport… what a win… you’re definitely going to want to stick around and wait for this one
by Ben Golliver on Feb 3, 2009 12:47 AM PST up reply actions
hahaha!
i noticed frye do that thing with his hands too, but it didn’t fully register with me because that game was a heck of a roller coaster ride. anyways, bayless is the man and that dunk where he touched the ball to his name and dunked it was a thing of absolute beauty,
Say what you like about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos.
how bout when he "touched it " to that dudes face?
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
Your ambivalence is showing
Dave, I don’t really get your attitude toward Bayless. You seem to be damning with faint praise. A couple of weeks back you said that he needed to show you a lot more before you were even willing to say that he belonged in the rotation.
By my count, that is the third game that Bayless has turned around since Blake went down. I get that the offense does not always run smoothly when he is in the role of distributor. That being said, he has had 16 assists in the last three games. He definitely seems to be improving although he is clearly at his best as the aggressive spark plug off the bench rather than when he is rather passively bringing the ball up and flipping it to Roy.
Am I right about your ambivalence? Care to elaborate?
by upper left corner on Feb 3, 2009 12:13 AM PST reply actions
Not going overboard
is not the same as ambivalence. Ask Sergio fans…they’ll say I’m short-changing him. Batum fans said the same earlier in the year, as did Rudy fans. All of these guys have had ups and downs and will continue to do so. None of them have arrived but all still might and at least a couple certainly will.
I’m not sure what more you’re looking for other than comparing his finishing to Roy’s (which is excellent and one of the things that makes Brandon special), saying he had the Hornets praying for divine intervention, mentioning his 7-9 shooting, his 19 points, and awarding him part of the game ball along with Outlaw and Przybilla.
—Dave
Guess I would be interested in a your more general assessment of his game at this point.
Do you still think he hasn’t shown enough to earn a place in the rotation when Blake returns?
He is clearly working on his decision making; he seems to flip back and forth between “scoring” mode and “assist” mode. To me, it appears that he hasn’t quite figured out how to pick his spots to try and score while being the distributor. It also looks to me that he and Roy are trying to figure out how to play with each other. I hope Bayless finds his outside shot, if he can combine his ability to drive with an outside shot, he is going to be extremely difficult to defend.
by upper left corner on Feb 3, 2009 12:41 AM PST up reply actions
I agree
that decision making will be a challenge. He’s already come quite a ways from his debut a couple weeks ago. I think Nate is going to like his defense, physicality, and finishing ability. I’m not sure the coaching staff even expects that much great point guard play from him yet, but I am sure that if he can’t show a decent outside shot once opponents force him into it he’s going to have trouble staying on the floor consistently just like Sergio does for the same reason.
My take is that once Blake comes back he will assume the true point guard minutes again and Bayless will get the call when Nate needs a change of pace. Sergio and Bayless are so dissimilar that I have a hard time saying one is “better” than the other but I think Bayless will continue to receive minutes precisely because his gifts are wholly different than Steve’s.
—Dave
In the final minutes it was again as usual: Roy had the ball, Bayless was the point guard only by name
It’s a role Blake can play really well (since Roy is the one driving to the rim in that scenario), Bayless can play it when the game is moving fast and he can attack as well, Rudy can play it, and Sergio just can’t.
Free Bayless
Eventually Nate will let him play his game. First Nate told Bayless that he needs to learn how to defend before he will get playing time. Now he is probably telling him that he needs to learn how to distribute the ball. Nate knows he can score. But I think he wants him to work on the other aspects of his game so he can become a great player. But sooner or later Nate will let him play his game – and then he is going to be totally awesome to have on our team. Book it.
I agree with this. It seems like Nate is keeping him on a leash most of the time and training him, which will be good for his development. But every now and then it seems like Nate let’s go of the leash and says “sick em!” and Bayless goes wild for a bit.
For what it’s worth I like how Nate is developing him and while he won’t get rookie honors this year I think he’ll look back and be very thankful for Nate for pushing him to have a complete game.
by danielfarrell on Feb 3, 2009 5:09 AM PST up reply actions
Every night there should be a 6 minute stretch where Nate insults Rex's mama, his taste in clothing, and his tattoos and then unleashes the beast with his 4 best running mates...
Pryz and Travis and Nic and Rudy, probably. And just let ’em go bongo bananas in attack mode, full throttle, all out.
Then bring in grandmama Roy to slow the pace back down to Spurs tempo for the finish.
It would drive opposing teams NUTS.
The cilantro in your tapioca pudding since 2007.™
by timbo on Feb 3, 2009 9:18 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Bayless reminds me of the Tazmanian Devil from Bugs Bunny fame.
Spanish Main: The point of departure for enormous wealth in the form of gold, silver, gems, spices, hardwoods, hides, alley-oops, assists and three pointers.
He's Vinnie Johnson's illegitimate child
Anybody else see a little microwave in Jerryd?
Microwave had a jumpshot
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Feb 3, 2009 1:23 PM PST up reply actions
Reportedly, so does Jerryd
He showed signs of it in summer league.
But yeah: Vinnie could shoot as well as bulldoze to the hoop. He didn’t have JB’s hops, tho.
"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla
What is really going to be effective
is when Roy and Bayless are together, and Bayless runs at you hard and exploits any weakness, so EVERYONE has to work their tails off to get back in transition — and then, if you do get back and there’s no opening, he pulls back, hands it to Roy, and you have to work your tail off in the halfcourt defense, too.
It’s one thing to play slow pace half the time and fast pace half the time, but when you have to be able to defend both paces at the same time, you’ll really cause trouble for the bad guys.
When I rule the world, everyone will know how to use Excel.
I think part of the success between Nate and Jerryd is ...
Nate sees a lot of himself in Jerryd, maybe not their play styles respectively, but Jerryd is a tireless worker, viciously competitive and gives supreme effort (even if the results aren’t always spectacular).
I’ve often wondered just how awesome this current team would be with Nate MacMillan in his prime as a player?
I see the positives, but...
I’ll be honest, I still have a lot of doubts about our team right now. We weren’t just looking bad before CP3 went down, we were getting murdered. And it wasn’t just the typical, miss jumpshots/let the other team drive to the hoop. Once again, our defense against any kind of pick and roll was terrible, but added to that was the inability keep NO off the offensive glass.
No matter what we want to say about how we looked in the 4th and how Paul doesn’t play defense, the truth is that the NO offense was so bad without him that they couldn’t put any pressure on our defense at the other end. It’s a lot different for Jerryd and the rest of the team to go on a run when they actually have to worry about the other team scoring. It affects your rhythm just a bit.
While I will gladly take the win, and I love Bayless’ fire, I think we can’t overlook that we are still showing many of the same problems that have plagued us all season. Until we can play some legitimate defense and learn to pound it inside early and often, these kind of wins are going to be hard to pull off consistently.
Like I said though, I’ll take the W. Especially considering that for half of that game I had to listen to the worst pair of commentators I’ve ever heard. Thankfully, I muted the TV for the other half. Seriously though, it’s hard to believe that those guys get paid to talk about basketball.
Oppy
Yeah, I think the defense is concerning
Like you say, the pick & roll D was terrible tonight. You just can’t have GO and Przy constantly getting switched onto Chris Paul. ANYTHING would seem preferable to that scenario, and it happened time & time again. And I think there was a CONNECTION between that and the other problem you point to: the Blazers’ rebounding woes. The Blazers were out of position on D, and so no one was home to rebound. Balls kept caroming off the rim and getting picked up in the lane by Hornets.
"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla
Agreed about the defense issues and the connection between that and rebounding.
Still I’m not sitting here doubting the team or it’s potential. You have to expect a certain level of defensive incompetence when there are multiple rookies on the floor pretty much at all times. I’m sure these things will iron themselves out over time. It’s not like the coaching staff doesn’t see what we see.
Dunk
by Billy Ray Bates on Feb 3, 2009 8:21 AM PST up reply actions
Yes, the Oden guarding Paul on the perimeter thing makes me want to scream
every time I see it.
Several of Oden’s fouls were because of the uncontested penetration allowed from the perimeter. It looked like Oden might have been chipping his gums a bit at his team mates about it. If so, it’s a good thing.
the Oden guarding Paul on the perimeter thing makes me want to scream every time I see it.
You and every other Blazer fan I’m sure. Still, I’m willing to sit patiently and see if this changes by this time next year (hopefully sooner), rather than harp on it too much now.
Dunk
by Billy Ray Bates on Feb 3, 2009 9:24 AM PST up reply actions
It's disturbing
That not only did we switch on what seems every pick and roll and leave Greg out to hang by himself against Chris Paul, but we missed him when he was completely wide open under the basket multiple times at the beginning of the first quarter.
Way to help your rookie big man, people.
Absolutely
I’m not worried about this long term. I’m sure Nate doesn’t like seeing GO guarding point guards any more than we do.
"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla
I thought Oden did a good job on Paul
If he keeps practicing, he’ll be so good that no one can complain about it.
nima told me to tell you to please stop using "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".
At 30-17 its hard to feel too "plagued"
but it’s nice to know that there’s alot of room for improvement
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
Here's the estimated pace for each game using b-ref.com's formula.
Team Pace
at New Jersey: 86.1
at Charlotte: 87.3
vs Milwaukee: 90.3
vs Cleveland: 87.2
vs Washington: 89.0
at L.A.Clippers: 83.2
vs Charlotte: 83.2
vs Utah: 89.4
at New Orleans: 85.2
Weighted Average: 86.8
Before Injury Pace: 85.8
Season Pace: 86.0
It’s a small sample size. The answer is likely no IMO. However, the teams that the Blazers have played since Blake’s injury are on the slower side. Only Milwaukee and Utah are above average in pace.
I'm ashamed
I actually turned my computer off in the third. It was three o-clock in the morning though!
totally unleated
ESPN is showing a replay of the Cav’s game right now. LeBron just did his chalk dust throwing thing. Am I the only one who completely hates that?
Rule #1 of nitpicking is to get it right.
I hate it too
LeBron comes across as a self-absorbed knucklehead. Don’t know if he actually is a self-absorbed knucklehead, but that is how he comes across.
I noticed at the Super Bowl one of the receivers mimicked the LeBron chalk dust gimmick after he caught a touchdown pass. He pretended that the football was the chalk dust bottle and shook it; then he tossed the football into the air with both palms up. It was kind of amusing.
Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
the worst part
I think it was in Truehoop awhile back, but LBJ explained that the maneuver is a gimmick he “designed with Nike” in order to solidify his brand.
It’s corporate-invented boy bands. It’s scripted reality TV shows. Rehearsed spontaneity.
I didn't know
we were shouting out IQ points.
159!!!!!
There.
—Dave
by Dave on Feb 3, 2009 12:22 AM PST up reply actions 14 recs
By the way
did you figure yours out on one of those “See if you’re smarter than your favorite NBA player” sites? Because I think you can pick up a lot of spyware from those. Just sayin’.
—Dave
by Dave on Feb 3, 2009 12:24 AM PST up reply actions 12 recs
Don't feed the trolls
Unless, of course, you are planning on shoving a bucketful of peeps down their throat.
Well played, sir!
by EngineerScotty on Feb 3, 2009 10:41 AM PST up reply actions
Well played, indeed.
But, I have to say I feel a little bit sorry for the guy — about as sorry as I would for the Lakers if we beat them in LA 120 to 60, with Kobe going 0 for 30 before breaking down and sobbing uncontrollably at center court just prior to being dragged away in ’cuffs by LAPD on account of $10,000 worth of unpaid parking tickets.
However, if you take a peek at pslakerfan’s profile, he seems to be an honest troll, not pretending to be what he’s not, and he seems to be fairly polite.
Not to say that he didn’t deserve to be Dave-slaved for harshing the mellow of our little post-comeback kumbaya moment. Not at all. Just that he’s definitely not the worst sort of troll. Maybe he’ll heed his better (los) angels and not resort to hateful gloating should the opportunity present itself later this season.
I guess I should have looked at his profile
I just assumed he was a drive-by L*ker troll. In any case, he was off-topic with a L*ker comment in a Blazer thread on a Blazer site and for that he deserved a little ribbing.
But if I was unjust with my whole “61 IQ” thing, psl*kerfan, I am sorry. If it’s any consolation, I myself looked up one of those IQ sites and as it turns out 61 does indeed beat Kobe Bryant. So cheers to you.
—Dave
by Dave on Feb 3, 2009 2:20 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
+1
Travis Outlaw is an alien, but in a good way.
Awesome Graphic was provided by CIC, because he felt like he should be hazed.
by Clevelander among roses on Feb 3, 2009 2:40 PM PST up reply actions
I looked at the box score for that game
Kobe had 0 rebounds.
"Only dunk and go to the defense." Rudy Fernandez
You guys are all rude
He was saying how many wins the Blazers will have this season.
nima told me to tell you to please stop using "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".
10th
There is probably no more terrible instance of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man — with human flesh.
Paul Muad'Dib - Dune (Frank Herbert)
My Translation: My Dad is a dude just like me, and my sons are dudes like me also. I love that.
Season Tix: Section 315, with my sons
Frye, Diogu and Randolph were all going nuts....
on the bench during the comeback. That’s awesome to see that the bench warmers are still gettin up for their teammates (especially in Frye’s case).
How good is N.O. really if they’re going to completely collapse when Paul goes out. They got scared and threw up the white flag. It was good to see that this young team smelled the blood and put those Hornets away.
They were especially pumped up for JBay
They have spent many a minute on the bench with him, and I would guess they are real happy to see one of “their own” go off again..
There is probably no more terrible instance of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man — with human flesh.
Paul Muad'Dib - Dune (Frank Herbert)
My Translation: My Dad is a dude just like me, and my sons are dudes like me also. I love that.
Season Tix: Section 315, with my sons
You'd have to be a real downer not to get up for those huge dunks.
I love J-Bay’s passion. I don’t see it as an inflated ego at all. He just seems told hold some of that killer instinct.
Most of the bench was up for the good plays
It really looked like those guys just wanted to win and didn’t care how it happened. Plus I don’t detect any sulking from them when they actually get on the floor, even if it’s for two minutes. That’s a great combination of qualities from your bench.
—Dave
They need a theme song ...
Rudyculize: The act of Rudy making others look slow, dim and generally oafish.
http://www.myspace.com/y5k
by Y5k on Feb 3, 2009 2:07 AM PST up reply actions
I think it's called "Three Blind Mice"
Spanish Main: The point of departure for enormous wealth in the form of gold, silver, gems, spices, hardwoods, hides, alley-oops, assists and three pointers.
I differed with your pregame assessment of the Hornets as a "great team"
I felt that they had a great player in Chris Paul but were otherwise unremarkable. I said the Blazers were behind the Hornets in toughness and experience, but ahead in talent.
By mid-third quarter tonight, it seemed obvious you were right. At least, the Hornets’ defensive intensity put them a solid notch above the Blazers, who wilted under that heat.
But considering the way the game played out, I think we were both right. The Hornets are pretty darn good (if not exactly "great") when they crank up their defense and Paul does his thing at both ends. But (even with Chandler) that’s a very one-dimensional squad. One great player—OK, one AMAZING player—doesn’t a great team make.
"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla
Chandler makes a huge difference for them too
He’s the one who really transformed the franchise, allowing those perimeter players to look good even on defense.
If you read back to last spring you’ll find I was one of the people saying that the Hornets were not at the super-elite level many were placing them on. I still don’t believe they’re championship caliber. However they do belong in the general grouping with the Spurs and Jazz in that second tier just below the L*kers. They’re very well put together and play well. Considering there are maybe 3 really excellent teams in the East, that puts them in the Top 7 or so in the league. That’s enough “great” for me.
The Blazers are doing very well but despite their slightly better record I’m not ready to put them in that same discussion until they’ve won a playoff series at least.
The Blazers did what they had to do in the last 1.5 quarters of this game though and the Hornets definitely did not. They looked like they just got hit by a truck.
—Dave
Unless they manage some unexpected deal or get a crazy lucky draft pick
The Chandler/West/Paul triumverant will be the current version of the Kings or Suns… very good, possibly win 60+ games, but never win it all even while Paul is clearly the best PG in the game.
I would say the same thing about us, if we didn’t have what Oden will become.
They’re good, not great.
Mortimer
Peja had a wide-open three attempt in the 4th
that he missed. I knew he would. Peja has a history of not hitting the Big Shot. He’s one of the reasons why I think these Hornets are as good as they will get.
he had More than One
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
Paul's absence exposed the Hornets big-time
If you take out Roy, the Blazers still function. But the Hornets sans Paul are terrible—and I’m not sure Chandler changes that equation significantly. LMA can pass the ball; David West simply can’t. Chris Paul makes him look good, setting him up for those open 15-foot jumpers or post-up plays (as he does Chandler for alley-oops). But like the rest of that crew we saw in the 4th quarter last night, West is a basket case without Chris Paul.
“Great teams” aren’t like that. They have depth & poise, and they can at least function when a couple starters are out. Without Roy, the Blazers are still a .500 team. Same with the Lakers sans Kobe. The Hornets sans Paul don’t appear to even be close.
"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla
Frye Randolph and Diogu
It took me a second to picture what you were talking about, but then the mental picture made me almost die. Your reference to them as the three stooges is one of the funniest things I have ever pictured, both the one tonight and the other remark about the two finger eye pokes and blocking them…
When the Paul went down the Blazers smelled blook and attacked
I was amazed at the aggression we showed. We looked like grown men going to work.
This game was the return of the White Unit. Our bench destroyed the Hornets.
"Only dunk and go to the defense." Rudy Fernandez
I'm not so sure about basketball,
but I know that in tennis it is not as easy as you might think to beat an opponent who develops an injury during the match. It can throw-off your game as easily as his. I give the Blazers credit for being aggressive when they smelled Chris Paul’s hamstring in the water.
Oh, and what is it about comebacks vs New Orleans?
Was it two years ago, towards the beginning of the year, when we were down 25 after the first quarter, I think 37-12, and came back and won? I drove to Corvallis that night literally singing and laughing in my car the whole way… that was when wins at all, let alone amazing comeback wins, had been rare for a while…
Is it too early to get excited about the standings?
Sole possession of fourth place. Except for the Texas Trio we have a easy February. 10 home games in March. A difficult April, but 3 of the 8 games are gimmies. We are 8 games behind the lakers (who have to come to Portland twice) #1 SEED LETS DO IT
"Only dunk and go to the defense." Rudy Fernandez
I feel
like we’re right on track to make the playoffs.
I have a hard time getting juiced about the standings until the beginning of March. Then I watch them like a hawk.
—Dave
The Blazers should pass Denver in February
Third seed in the West if they can hold it down the stretch.
I started watching intensely in December
After a couple of years we will all get used to it and what not. I want to say I can’t wait until we don’t worry about the regular season as much and start determining yearly success by playoff results. But I can wait, this team is amazing to watch grow and play better. When the expectations start piling on it could be a blessing and a curse. Right now I love Blazer basketball for all the ups and the downs.
"Only dunk and go to the defense." Rudy Fernandez
by Sabonis4Ever on Feb 3, 2009 1:45 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
+1
"His name is Jeremiah Johnson and they say he wanted to be a mountain man." -Neil Everett
by SabonisBonus on Feb 3, 2009 10:21 AM PST up reply actions
generally not a fun of +/- but...
CP3 was +19 for the game, the next best hornet was +8 and their backup PG was at -27.
That really puts the game and the hornets as a team in perspective. It seemed like people were saying that we rely to much on Roy but we would not have blow a 20 point lead if Roy went down in the 3rd
Great comeback
It’s funny because the one and only Blazers game I attended was the one where they had that monster comeback against New Orleans a few years ago and they have one again against this team.
Great post on Mike Barrett’s blog up right now, he talked about the last time the Blazers cameback from 20 on the road, and he said it happened in 91, which is funny because I remember a game in Phoenix in 2000 where Rasheed got ejected and the Blazers had a big comeback.
by neutroticblazerfan on Feb 3, 2009 2:14 AM PST reply actions
I remember that PHX game too
And I actually thought about it today, randomly, before tonight’s game. Dunno why!
I was watching that PHX game at a friends house, and we were down big and playing awful, so my friends left to go run errands or whatever and I stayed behind to finish the game, having faith we would come back.
We did come back and win that one, so, yay me.
Morty
I don't understand turning the game off when the Blazers are behind.
I just don’t get that. Does the same fan boo his own team if he’s at the game? That’s just low.
ignacio
by ignacio on Feb 3, 2009 2:35 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
The correct way to do it is shut 'er off. Go get something to eat and a beer, and check back again in 15 minutes. Then you'll know for sure...
The cilantro in your tapioca pudding since 2007.™
nope.
I never boo my own team. But at the end of the third, I was getting cranky and I got this sense that my whole night would go better if I just accepted the Blazer’s loss with some grace and helped my wife make dinner.
I can accept a loss, but I didn’t see the value in watching my team be the victims of a snuff film.
Believe me, I’m kicking myself.
I'm an Ohio State Football Fan
And I had to shut off the two national championship games and the USC game. It’s not because I no longer supported the team – just the opposite. If I no longer supported them, I could objectively enjoy the sport of football. But because I care about the success of a particular team, it becomes painful to watch them get their butts whipped.
I have never booed my team (and as a Browns fan I’ve had plenty of opportunity), and I consider myself a true fan, but that doesn’t mean I have to sit through every second of every game when watching the game is making me upset. At that point, it’s best for me to turn it off and do something else.
Travis Outlaw is an alien, but in a good way.
Awesome Graphic was provided by CIC, because he felt like he should be hazed.
by Clevelander among roses on Feb 3, 2009 2:50 PM PST up reply actions
I stuck it out and I was tired
“Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” – Jim Valvano
People who gave up on that game must hate Coach V. Makes you wonder what else they hate.
nima told me to tell you to please stop using "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".
This was still a frustrating game
First off, I can’t believe we won that game. Incredible.
I hope Paul is okay. I got a feeling we’re gonna face this team in the playoffs as like a 4th/5th seed battle, so it’ll be interesting.
We need to give Oden the damn ball more. He’s got great position, or better yet wide open, and we continue to miss him. Ya get the ball into him against Hilton Armstrong (or most anyone), and good things will happen.
And dammit Greg, stop bumping people with your stupid hips. Let the guard go by you, and block his shot from behind. Or, ya know, let the dumb guy score! It’s one bucket, you can’t stop them all, and after getting your 3rd you can’t get the 4th in such unnecessary fashion.
His energy looked low, as well. I think getting him the ball on offense will help that, but I also hope the Blazers and Oden really examine his day to day rituals and diet to see why some games he looks bouncy and alive and some games he looks low energy at times.
I know LMA is comfortable with his turnaround, but on smaller defenders he HAS to go straight up. Use your height, don’t force yourself into a harder shot! C’mon!
When Sergio is bad, he’s bad. To me, the highs ain’t all that high to make up for the lows. He had no flow to his game tonight, and he’s still not adept at running an offense. Not like Bayless is Captain Steady at the helm, but he at least offers other benefits.
This is easily the most bitching I am doing after any game, let alone a win.
Rudy, what were you thinking? The inbetween the legs pass is awesome, but is it as awesome on the road, even in a non-important moment? No, it isn’t. It isn’t gonna make the fans go crazy like it does at home. Maybe it can be demoralizing, but the effect just isn’t the same on the road. And to do it then… I don’t blame Nate for pulling ya. I admire the guts, but you gotta be smarter than that.
Did anyone else want to MURDER the Hornet’s announcers? I could not believe how completely AWFUL and ignorant the color commentator was. He didn’t know who players were, relevant and correct stats (we’re a bad rebounding team now? And prone to turnovers? Huh?), and could barely string a sentence together with Chris Paul’s member in his mouth. “Maybe Brandon Roy is struggling because he’s on the same court as Chris Paul, and Paul is so amazing and his boogers taste like cotton candy?” What?
He was TOMMY HEINSON level bad— and that’s awful. At least Heinson is a former star, a champion many times over. He is awful but has earned the right to coast and not watch any players on the west coast. Whoever the Hornets guy was could not have possibly earned the right to not watch any NBA basketball and be able to coast during games.
I can’t believe how much he made that game unenjoyable, even when we made that amazing (and undeserved) comeback.
If any Hornets fans are reading this, I apologize for bitching so much, when I know you got much more to be angry about. We didn’t deserve that win, but stuff like this happens in a long season. I hope Paul is okay. Like Dave says, there is no way we win that game if Paul doesn’t go down.
30 wins, 13 games over .500, a .500 record on the road… I really got nothing to bitch about.
It’s only gonna get better.
Mortimer
by Mortimer on Feb 3, 2009 2:49 AM PST reply actions 2 recs
Me too,.
My girlfriend and decided to call the game instead. She did play-by-play, I did color. It was fun.
by PoliSam on Feb 3, 2009 9:04 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Well Morty, a new high in bitterness for you, but not your best stuff...
Point one:
He was TOMMY HEINSON level bad— and that’s awful. At least Heinson is a former star, a champion many times over. He is awful but has earned the right to coast and not watch any players on the west coast. Whoever the Hornets guy was could not have possibly earned the right to not watch any NBA basketball and be able to coast during games.
Tommy Heinson is a homer’s homer’s homer, but if you listen to him, he KNOWS what winning NBA basketball is all about — unlike the Special people doing the games for the Hornets, who are clueless.
If any Hornets fans are reading this, I apologize for bitching so much
Minus one for that line alone!
Like Dave says, there is no way we win that game if Paul doesn’t go down.
And this utterly ignores the fact that the Blazers STARTED TO PLAY THE GAME RIGHT at the same moment. It is more coincidence than causation, I think.
The cilantro in your tapioca pudding since 2007.™
Er, um, timbo
We started to play the game right >on offense< at the same moment. Our defense improved some, but not that much, it is just that they no longer had anyone who had a hope of exploiting it.
Do you really think WE made New Orleans fold that badly on offense? Really? Us? OUR defense?
We started moving the ball better, and shooting better (perhaps because Brandon stopped even trying to shoot, mostly). We’d have made it respectable if Chris Paul stays in that game. But there’s no way we would have won, because there’s no way they would have been so horribly incompetent on offense with him in that game.
Just accept it, we were handed a gift, and we played well enough to take advantage of the gift. But we didn’t deserve that win, any more than the Clips or Magic deserved their wins in Portland. We take it, just like we took those losses, and say, “Thank you very much,” and get out of town.
They got the breaks when they came to Portland, with Roy out and Joel just having been injured. We got a big break last night.
When I rule the world, everyone will know how to use Excel.
Adding some thoughts
1. They had 5 turnovers that led to at least 4 fast breaks that I can remember. Those don’t happen if Paul is in.
2. Paul isn’t a defensive God, but he’s not Daniels. Bayless just did what he wanted with the old man.
3. Paul makes this team score enough that even putting up 35 or whatever in the 4th wouldn’t have been enough.
The only thing we did that Paul couldn’t have affected was Outlaw/LA having their way with NO defense. It WASN’T coincidence that Bayless went off the instant Paul was gone.
I agree it ain't my best stuff :-(
But I disagree with one thing— even if we started playing that well with Paul in, I don’t see us suddenly having an answer for him being able to do whatever he wants, and the deep dark depression the other Hornets sunk into after Paul went out doesn’t happen if… Paul doesn’t go out. That helped us too.
We deserve a lot of credit for turning that around— 38 to 15 in the 4th quarter against any team at home is awesome.
And the apology for my bitching… well, you know I don’t like it when people are big whiny baby butts. I felt like I was acting like one, constantly whining even though we performed a miraculous comeback. Plus, actually caring about the other team’s homer announcers when we got our own to annoy people with.
I wasn’t adding anything new except “WAAAH, WAAAH, WAAAH” and so forth.
Mortiferous Q Imer
Yeah
I live in Los Angeles unfortunately, so I watch our games on NBA League Pass, and tonight’s game was actually on NBA TV— and they just pick one of the team’s feeds and broadcast it. Instead of going to the local broadcast’s commercial breaks and halftime shows, it goes to the NBA TV studios, but otherwise it’s just the regular local feed.
And the announcers, in particular the color commentator, were really bad.
I totally see and agree how The Mikes could get on an outsider’s nerves, especially Mike Rice, but Mike Rice at least follows basketball and knows who players are and what they do. Announcing wise, nuthin’ burns my britches more than listening to people who clearly don’t follow the game outside of their own team.
It’s just lazy.
I can handle homeriness, but homeriness and ignorance equals the Hornet’s color commentator winning major Tommy Points in the category of awful announcing.
Mortimer
That whole thing was inexcusable
Flat out lazy and disrespectful. I have never heard such blather in my life. Well maybe a time or two but not for two and a half hours. I spent the first three quarters yelling at the tv both at the Blazers and the announcers, but mostly the announcers. Simply horrible.
"I saw him in the face" Sergio's quote on the latest alley-oop to Rudy.
by blazermaniac32 on Feb 3, 2009 5:20 AM PST up reply actions
You did it again!
I can handle homeriness, but homeriness and ignorance equals the Hornet’s color commentator winning major Tommy Points in the category of awful announcing.
Tommy Heinson is a wise, wise, wise, sage, savant guru. He HATES jumpshots and goes nuts when the Celtics start “settling” for them. He KNOWS it takes toughness to win in the NBA. Just ignore his green blood and the clouds of stale green breath that he emits and LISTEN to him!!!
The cilantro in your tapioca pudding since 2007.™
maybe so
but I can’t concentrate with all the green air going around in the room. – Elgin
You don't have to wear a clock around your neck to know what time it is at Bob's. Meals cooked with real religious fervor! Thousands of empty seats in the back, for the lonely set. At Bob's you don't have to leave your loved one out in the street - your car is as welcome as you are! - Firesign Theatre.
My problem with Tommy
And again, he has EARNED the right to be so bad— is that he doesn’t know who other current NBA players are.
And every call against the Celtics is ants at a picnic. Ants at a picnic, Timbo!
I can’t stand when an announcer is yay yay home team we the best, oh who is this other team, why do we even play other teams? They are a bunch of nobodies.
The Hornets guy is a nobody as far as I can tell (if he’s a former player, I ain’t done heard of him). Tommy Heinson is at least a Celtic legend. He can be old and clueless about other players (not the game, but other players) and it can be charming to someone who doesn’t hate the Celtics.
Morty
Yeah, that pissed me off
No free Comcast Sportsnet coverage up here in the Seattle area for this game. Grrr.
richardb where you been bro?
Blazers have fans worldwide…..ya know?
"The match in Los Angeles is a good opportunity to begin to demonstrate that we want to make war." Rudy Fernández (translated)
The Hornet’s announcers were great going into details with their Blazers scouting. They nailed it about 30 times.
Just the 30 times a Blazer scored and they said the same “That´s what he does”. That´s accurate, not very specific tough, but really accurate.
They were also unbiased commenting the refeering, specially when Bayless went to the basket for a dunk on a fast break, the defender moved into the restrict area 0,1 second before and the refs called an obvious offensive foul on Bayless.
They also have mind control powers, or a great sense of humor, or both, who knows. They said Rudy was frustrated because CP3 destroyed the Spanish team in the Olympics and that´s why he was fouling CP3.
It was a much more great win thanks to the Hornet’s announcers. Thank you very much, guys.
Sergio + Rudy = 16
Sergio + Bayless = 16
Batum 8+8=16
by amlmart1 on Feb 3, 2009 4:57 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
LOL
That last line is great.
Those guys were worse than worse than worse than bad. Probably the three most egregious statements (but it’s tough to choose):
1. The Blazers are the worst defensive rebounding team in the league. (Hello?)
2. The stupid comment about Rudy fouling CP3. Oh, yeah, Rudy is upset about a game six months ago so he’s going to foul in this one to try and lose it, too. That makes sense. I never thought about that possibility before. Seems to me that Rudy did more destroying than CP3 in that game last August, anyway, and it isn’t as if it was a blowout.
3. Roy was having a bad game because he was intimidated by being on the same court as CP3. I mean, how stupid can you get? Last time we played in N.O. he had 21 points and 6 assists. When we beat them in Portland he had 25 and 10, and CP3 had 16 and 6. Yeah, when they held you to 25 and 10 last time you played against them, you’re going to be intimidated.
Yes, it was much more enjoyable for hearing those guys in the last quarter.
When I rule the world, everyone will know how to use Excel.
I'm glad it wasn't only me
I am relieved that Amlmart1 and Jscot agree with me, because I thought maybe it was my bad mood going into the game coloring my judgement. They really felt like the worst announcers I could remember in a looooong time— and I know everyone always complains about everyone’s announcers, but they felt especially bad.
If I was a Hornets fan, I’d blame the loss and Paul’s injury on them. They were asking for it from every divine entity and karmic payer-backer in the universe (forgive me for using the word “karma”, which is about to be as bannable a word as “goof” or any curse).
We also learned from the broadcast that our own Michael “Tell them what they won only gets funnier and funnier” Holton is actually doing studio work for the Lakers, and not the Blazers, which I think is tantamount to high treason.
I’ll never get over how bad the color commentary was. It was probably the worst thing to ever be a thing, to ever exist, to ever happen, in the history of mankind.
Mortimer
by Mortimer on Feb 3, 2009 5:39 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs
history of mankind
Is correct and thus deserves a rec.
"I saw him in the face" Sergio's quote on the latest alley-oop to Rudy.
by blazermaniac32 on Feb 3, 2009 5:59 AM PST up reply actions
Yes, if amlmart1 and I agree with you
then you must be correct. Even if you are wrong.
We, the leaders of the European Bedgers (Norsktroll too, I think) have the ability to bend reality to our will. So if you got something wrong, just ask us to change things so you are right, and if we’re in a good mood, we might do it for you.
But this time, you were correct before we agreed. Rather presumptuous of you, you should always seek our approval first. But we’ll let it go this time.
Because, in fact, the color commentary may well have been the worst thing ever to be a thing.
When I rule the world, everyone will know how to use Excel.
Well you can't really LIVE in Europe.
As I understand it, they’ve managed to eke a kind of dreary existence, subsisting on crumbs of unleavened bread and a deciliter of thin gruel once every fortnight. They have to wait in lines stretching for blocks, braving the subzero temperatures overnight in order to buy the few items that may be on the shelves in the store — a roll of toilet paper this month, maybe some Scotch tape or a People magazine next month. They sleep huddled up in rags and newspapers, awakened regularly by tubercular coughing and the incessant itching of fleas. With the dawning of the bleak morning sun, the lorries arrive to take every man, woman, and child over the age of 6 out to the work sites for another 16 hours of back-breaking labor. There are no breaks, no holidays, no sick days. If you don’t work fast enough, the bosses dock you and berate you in English or some other language you can’t understand.
Unless there’s a Blazer’s game on, in which case everybody kicks back, orders some Thai food, and logs in to BE.
Scotch is a beverage, not a "tape"
Other than that, I won’t disagree with anything you said.
When I rule the world, everyone will know how to use Excel.
They were bad -- IF you aren't a Hornets fan
But you don’t think the Blazer announcers are gigantic homers too?
Sticking up for Travis Outlaw since 2008.
Yes
But they are not ill informed nor ill prepared. Nor do they laugh at others (they do laugh at themselves quite a bit however).
"I saw him in the face" Sergio's quote on the latest alley-oop to Rudy.
by blazermaniac32 on Feb 3, 2009 8:35 AM PST up reply actions
You're right
The Blazers crew do generally know what they’re talking about and do pretty good analysis. What really annoys me is when they announce calls that weren’t made. “Nowitzki fouls Aldridge, no call…” “Williams travels with the ball, no call, he drives the baseline and puts it up …”
The Hornets’ announcers sounded like they had never seen Brandon Roy before but they were just handed a memo saying he’s a good player. The spent the whole game mocking him.
Sticking up for Travis Outlaw since 2008.
Don't mind the no call comments
They don’t make a big deal out of them they just announce them as part of the game. Last night the guy did shuffle his feet before the dunk, Mike was right. As long as they don’t harp and bitch, they’re just announcing what they see.
It cracks me up
when Barrett casually throws that stuff into the broadcast. He says it so nonchalantly, like the other teams players are always putting stuff over on the refs, and it’s to be expected by now.
The Mikes are an entertaining duo.
Dunk
by Billy Ray Bates on Feb 3, 2009 9:00 AM PST up reply actions
"Oden blocks the shot....but a foul is called"
Everything is a block first, then a foul called. Funny
"Only dunk and go to the defense." Rudy Fernandez
How about calling out every assist that Paul made
I hate it when the game becomes about stats.
The color guy also called Oden clumsy so often that it was disrespectful. Sure, Greg is a little clumsy, but to say it 10 times in a minute ? Dude was a jerk. I loved that he called the Blazers the worst defensive rebounding team in the league, so I can call him a dumb jerk.
Did he also said that LA is so soft that his teammates also call him soft?
Sergio + Rudy = 16
Sergio + Bayless = 16
Batum 8+8=16
He did
11 rebounds.
When I rule the world, everyone will know how to use Excel.
And an inside game
He settled for some jumpers, but not as many as West. Also, LA can do something without his starting PG, West looked miserable once Paul was gone.
Paul had 13 points and 5 assists in the Gold Medal game
I wouldn’t call that destroying the Spanish team.
"Only dunk and go to the defense." Rudy Fernandez
A Hornets fan agrees with you...mostly.
I think ALL the local commentators are bad. For one thing they don’t know or care that you are listening. They are talking to the home team fans and they are “homers”. Jerry V , one the local Hornets commenters is actually extremely popular here.
I’m going to be moving to Tacoma soon so I was really torn both ways last night.
I’m trying to become a Blazer fan. I love their depth. I can’t wait to watch the development of all the young talent.
I had a couple of observations and questions.
Does Greg Oden always have trouble with mush smaller bigs keeping him off the blocks?
I thought he would rip Hilton Armstrong a new one. But instead Armstrong and the even smaller Melvin Ely kept Oden away from his sweet spots all night long.
Does Rudy always make such bonehead fouls?
I don’t mean overly aggressive D, I’m talking about totally unnecessary, easily avoided fouls at a point where the Hornets were in the bonus and it was like giving them two.
Bill Gish the Nolaman ( New Orleans Louisiana Man)
Yes and no
Greg is still learning and sometimes doesn’t know yet how to properly use his strength to get the proper leverage.
Rudy’s fouls were something I haven’t seen before. He rarely fouls and when he does it usually is going for a steal.
"I saw him in the face" Sergio's quote on the latest alley-oop to Rudy.
by blazermaniac32 on Feb 3, 2009 6:01 AM PST up reply actions
So it was boneheaded
Rudy doesn’t realize he’s still a relative nobody in the NBA. He needs to get his David Stern NBA Star Secret Decoder Ring™ first before he can run over opponents and get the steal.
Yeah his logic was off
He assumed that being in the Olympic Gold Medal game meant he got to do the same. He was wrong!
Greg's best games have come against smaller bigs
We rarely ever give him the ball though.
"Only dunk and go to the defense." Rudy Fernandez
Announcers
I really think they may have been drunk.
They were condescending and uninformative to say the least.
I loved the announcers
They were so bad that it made me laugh. When they suck like that, I makes me think of Bob Uecker in Major League. It was pert near comical. They said stuff about Bayless that made me laugh out loud. I don’t normally do that.
nima told me to tell you to please stop using "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".
I don't ever remember a Blazers team
which had this many players who might dramatically impact the game from one night to the next. Someone might get 11 pts — but it’s a CRUCIAL 11 pts, because of WHEN they are scored. And nobody from outside looking at boxscores has any idea how great Joel has been. Sometimes he has big rebound numbers, but tonight, for instance, his defense on David West — and just the emotional stability he gives us. In different circumstances whenever Oden has a bad night with fouls we’d freak out, and the team itself would definitely be concerned. Here, it’s like ‘No problem. Joel’s here. Greg has his ups and downs.’
Anyone else notice that Outlaw really seems to at least be considering driving more? It doesn’t always work out perfectly, but he’s been trying it a few times a game lately. He’s listening to the coaches.
And now we’ve got Bayless coming on. Whoa! This is a fun team.
ignacio
by ignacio on Feb 3, 2009 3:25 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Yes, yes, I did notice that Outlaw drove all the way to the hoop several times rather than pulling up.
I’m really surprised that Dave didn’t mention this in his game wrap up/summary. This really jumped out at me when I was watching the game last night. This is potentially a huge development. First, if Travis can add getting to the hoop and to the line consistently, with his great pull up J and his nice spot up 3 ball shooting; he’s going be really, really tough to stop. Second, this would really help alleviate the one of the Blazer’s main problems in the recent past: relying too much on the jump shot.
It’s OK Dave. You can’t catch everything…
Outlaw has been driving more in 2009 than he did in all of 2008
He could be turning his game in the right direction.
"Only dunk and go to the defense." Rudy Fernandez
Radio
I had to meet someone for dinner at 6.30. I must of turned the radio off 20 secs before Paul went down.
I was GLAD to have a reason to not listen to the rest of the game . Even the radio commentator ( who is usually very very Homey said, " This is getting embarrassing, if it were a boxing match, they would stop the fight " . It was a classic line that summed up the game.
Fast forward 3 hours, .. I get home and pull up the scoreboards to see if we had managed to keep it to a 20 point decifit.
……… Portland 97 New Orlenes 89……. That cant be right……..
We won,,,, I scratch my eyes in disbelieve, I refresh the page…… No ,,,, Nooo. Noooooooooo.
I started laughing and making strange noises that caught the attention of my house mates.
I have never been more shocked and surprised at seeing a final score.
Wonderful.
If Paul hadn’t gone down this would have been our biggest loss this season, I have no doubt about it.
We were so bad in every area.
But he did, and we took off and did EVERYTHING right from then on.
It’s nice that we could do this with Roy and Oden having bad nights.
I love it.
Illiad (Homer)
"The match in Los Angeles is a good opportunity to begin to demonstrate that we want to make war." Rudy Fernández (translated)
Your experience was similar to mine
I was at school. I switched the school’s TV to KGW to see the third quarter score: NO 74, POR 59. Oh well I said, and went back to class.
Next break there is about 3:45 left in the game and the score is tied! Whoo! I watched the rest – what fun! – Elgin
You don't have to wear a clock around your neck to know what time it is at Bob's. Meals cooked with real religious fervor! Thousands of empty seats in the back, for the lonely set. At Bob's you don't have to leave your loved one out in the street - your car is as welcome as you are! - Firesign Theatre.
Bayless is a keeper!
A couple more games like this one and Bayless will be UNTOUCHABLE.
Too much talent to throw into a trade. Don’t cut Bayless pt when Blake returns. Go Blazers!
I agree.
He’s got some real talent, and his ceiling seems to be really high. Reminds me a lot of Rodney Stuckey.
Bayless had a good night
But keep in mind that 8 of his points were given to him by other Blazers defense. (LA, Outlaw, Rudy, and well I guess one was himself.)
Dave's Final Thoughts
All messed up:
That was an unexpected and very welcome win. What if we could bag another one in Dallas? This trip could get pretty exciting. Let’s not attempt it the same way though…
That’s just wrong. Didn’t you see what happened just before CP3 went down? He made a cut, and Bayless reached out and just touched his back, and CP3 crumpled to the floor.
Last game, against Utah, they claimed it was when Williams bumped with Oden, but I bet that’s just because they don’t want people to know about the Bayless Touch. Anyway, Deron Williams missed at least one game after playing against us when Bayless was supposedly guarding him. The Bayless touch hits, getting us a win and assuring we’ll finish ahead of Utah. Top Eight wrapped up.
Now, in this game, the Bayless Touch knocks Chris Paul out for several games, and virtually assures N.O. will finish behind us. That guarantees Top Seven. Two games, two top PGs down, two teams eliminated from our concerns.
Next up, Dallas and Jason Kidd. If the Bayless touch does its work, we’ll have a Top Six seed wrapped up by Wednesday night.
Won’t be that long before we go to Houston and San Antonio, either.
When I rule the world, everyone will know how to use Excel.
kidd doesn't need the bayless touch
that team got the cuban touch when they traded for him in the first place!
They've looked really good recently
This will be a tough game.
When I rule the world, everyone will know how to use Excel.
We are winning in all kind of different ways, andt´s bringing
Sergio + Rudy = 16
Sergio + Bayless = 16
Batum 8+8=16
B-Rex knows kung-fu
My guess is that the Bayless Touch is either the Wuxi Groin Hold or the Five Point Palm Exploding Groin Technique.
by DonkeyShins on Feb 3, 2009 9:49 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Gives a little bit of a twist
to “Mixed Martial Arts”.
When I rule the world, everyone will know how to use Excel.
haha
The Bayless touch. If it happens again then I’m going to really wonder…
There is probably no more terrible instance of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man — with human flesh.
Paul Muad'Dib - Dune (Frank Herbert)
My Translation: My Dad is a dude just like me, and my sons are dudes like me also. I love that.
Season Tix: Section 315, with my sons
I hear he mind-touched Andrew Bynum the other day
Something about revenge for his boy Gerald Wallace.
—Dave
Maybe the nickname
Predator is actually correct….
There is probably no more terrible instance of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man — with human flesh.
Paul Muad'Dib - Dune (Frank Herbert)
My Translation: My Dad is a dude just like me, and my sons are dudes like me also. I love that.
Season Tix: Section 315, with my sons
by johnv59 on Feb 3, 2009 4:45 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Some PG for the Magic went down, too
Coincidence? I think not.
Jerryd starts to get time on the court, and other players (especially PGs) start dropping right and left.
When I rule the world, everyone will know how to use Excel.
Where is Ben in this discussion, anyway?
I would have thought he’d be all over this Bayless Touch phenomenon. Just seems like right up Ben’s alley. Maybe he’s still investigating….
When I rule the world, everyone will know how to use Excel.
Ben???
Frightened???
Unless….
Perhaps Jerryd didn’t want the word about the Bayless Touch to get out. Urgh.
Now, even I am afraid.
…
Jerryd? That you? Jerryd, I’m the future ruler of the world! You can’t do that to me! Jerryd!!! You aren’t listening!!!!
Aaaaagggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!
When I rule the world, everyone will know how to use Excel.
from the picayune
“With less than a minute to go, the crowd in the New Orleans Arena starting filing out. It was a less-than-subtle hint at what they thought of the Hornets fourth quarter performance. The ones who stayed booed.”
I don't understand booing your own team
Especially since Paul got hurt and the loss was directly related to that injury, and it wasn’t like the refs stole the game from the Hornets (I think the Rose Garden has boo’d the refs after a game).
Even if we had won with Paul not getting hurt (not bloody likely, but still), booing your own team that is normally really good doesn’t help the team any. Just makes them annoyed at your fickleness.
Mortimer
I think they booed out of frustration about the meltdown. And especially they booed coach Scott, who obviously had no plan how to compensate for the loss of Paul
People are starting to think that he might not be that good after all. Could having Jason Kidd (in his prime) and Chris Paul now have something to do with his success? Could those guys be good enough to cover up the flaws in his coaching?
um...
I think it’s more like when Chandler and Paul are out the team just sucks. It’s not Byron Scott’s fault that they have no depth.
Dunk
by Billy Ray Bates on Feb 3, 2009 8:42 AM PST up reply actions
(I think the Rose Garden has boo’d the refs after a game).
During, after, before. You name it.
"Only dunk and go to the defense." Rudy Fernandez
seemed like the refs were pulling FOR the hornets
Jerryd’s “offensive” foul? really? paul running over sergio…LMA fouled twice on the way to the rim (good thing he made it anyway)…those are just the couple I remember…
Officials always root for the home team….think it’s a league thing to help keep seats full
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
POW
I didn’t get to watch the whole game cuz I had some stuff going on, but I saw flashes of the second half and stopped what I was doing to watch the end.
Thing was, I knew the Blazers were going to win once the momentum shifted. You could see it in their eyes. There was no doubt. In the fourth quarter! On the road! Against a very good WC team (albeit w/o their best player)!
At that moment it struck me that this team is greater than the sum of its parts. I think the chemistry that is developing is pretty awesome and should not be tinkered with. Therefore even though certain players do not always endear themselves to me individually, I really don’t want to see KP mess with this team. Raef and a bit player for a fringe vet? Sure. But I want to keep Rudy, Travis, and Sergio ..at least for now.
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Feb 3, 2009 7:08 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Yes because
even though each of our players sometimes has a truly stinky performance, someone always picks them up. Joel for Greg. Bayless for Sergio. Travis for Batum. Vice versa on all of those. That’s what eventually makes a great team. Stand pat and continue to grow.
"I saw him in the face" Sergio's quote on the latest alley-oop to Rudy.
by blazermaniac32 on Feb 3, 2009 7:13 AM PST up reply actions
I think last night was a hump game, at least for me
The Blazers aren’t a playoff bubble team anymore, they are a playoff team. And they are a playoff team with potential to go past the first round.
Things became clearer to me last night for whatever reason.
For example, I still don’t think Sergio can defend or shoot…but if he and Rudy are good for 3 or 4 free baskets – 3 or 4 crowd-pleasing baskets I might add – a game just by being on the floor together that seems awfully valuable.
This team is really good, I guess is what I’m saying, and it’s really starting to sink in.
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Feb 3, 2009 7:34 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I think it's great
when we play a few inferior teams, or teams with injuries, and get a little winning streak going.
Everyone’s disposition tends to improve. – Elgin
You don't have to wear a clock around your neck to know what time it is at Bob's. Meals cooked with real religious fervor! Thousands of empty seats in the back, for the lonely set. At Bob's you don't have to leave your loved one out in the street - your car is as welcome as you are! - Firesign Theatre.
I think the chemistry that is developing is pretty awesome and should not be tinkered with.
So – don’t want to trade Outlaw any more? – Elgin
You don't have to wear a clock around your neck to know what time it is at Bob's. Meals cooked with real religious fervor! Thousands of empty seats in the back, for the lonely set. At Bob's you don't have to leave your loved one out in the street - your car is as welcome as you are! - Firesign Theatre.
I file this under
Every season there are a percentage of games you lose that you probably deserved to win, as well as the converse, games you win that you deserved to lose. I consider this one an example of the latter. Not very often on the road will we be able to spot a playoff caliber team 20pts and then expect to win. Yes, I give The Blazers credit for not giving up and coming back. Honestly however, The Hornets losing Chris Paul was the key. Right, we take the “W” but we better realize it’s not often the basketball gods will smite the opposing teams star for us, as well as have the opposition seem to freeze up like stone statues.
Also it seems this season that from an attention standpoint all our Rookies have gone through a cycle. First Rudy, then Oden now Bayless but if anyone isn’t really getting the accolades I think it’s Batum. He looked so lost in Summer League you could of stamped “D” league on his forehead. Then he is thrown into a starting role under the strange circumstances of Webster being unavailable and wanting to preserve the rotation of Outlaw. I’ve really seen improvement. Definently a case of the side affect of adversity. The cliche that the misfortune of a lost Webster has accelerated the development of Batum. Anyway, people loved Rudy from the moment he got of the plane at PDX. Oden is Oden and he certainly isn’t going to be forgotten. Even when Bayless wasn’t playing there was this undercurrent of support, this idea that Bayless was just waiting for a chance to “arrive”. Meanwhile all Batum has done was act as starting SF on the team that is currently 4th best in the west. Don’t we have to give Batum a little more credit. Credit for what he has brought to some games, credit for growing up quickly, and credit at the least for allowing The Blazers to keep Outlaw in what seems to be his most comfortable role—-Super Sub!?
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
by Krang on Feb 3, 2009 7:33 AM PST reply actions 2 recs
yeesh
just have to shake my head at that one
1. you’re right when you say a W is a W, dave and it doesn’t matter how.
2. both teams have something to be concerned about: NO is LOST without Paul. Blazers seem to not get up for big games on the road (LA, Boston, NO)
3. if these two meet in the playoffs, the difference could be home court.
I don't want to face NO in the first round healthy
They are a tough matchup for the Blazers.
Dunk
by Billy Ray Bates on Feb 3, 2009 8:46 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Not necessarily...
the Blazers don’t win this game if Chris Paul doesn’t get injured.
They CERTAINLY needed to figure out how to stop him without triple-teaming him. But I wouldn’t preclude the possibility.
The cilantro in your tapioca pudding since 2007.™
I ban myself from Blazersedge.com for one day because I commited the sin of turning off the game when the odds seamed insurmountable.
shame on me
Sophia
Though patience be a tired mare, yet she will plod. - William Shakespeare
Roses are red
violets in bloom
Sophia’s in love
with Nicholas Batum
-Bow4Meow
Can she keep her word
like fatty did? Or will one day be too much?
Probably her computer broke down so she couldn’t post anyway, or something.
Everybody insult Sophia, it’s safe for 24 hours. You’ll pay when she gets back, but have your fun while you can.
When I rule the world, everyone will know how to use Excel.
You could make a "Why Batum needs to be traded asap" fanpost
The problem is, I have no idea why he should be
He's French!
I don’t want to have to add a 4th thing from France that I like! (Okay, I’ve already added him, but if he got traded he’d be off the list!)
Car accidents
Watching that game was like watching two car accidents; like driving a Chevy Blazer into a tree, crawling out, jumping into an abandoned Dodge Hornet to get to the hospital only to drive it off a bridge, letting it slowly get sucked into a murky bayou.
Honestly, the Blazers looked like they had sand in their shoes for the first three quarters. They couldn’t get a bucket, a rebound, a loose ball or a call. They looked like 9 rookies playing, not four. Huge kudos to Nate for keeping his cool. I couldn’t have done it.
Rudy was the ONLY one showing any energy and fire until Paul went down. Even Joel was getting out worked on the boards and didn’t look good until he was placed on West.
I’m not one who thinks LMA is soft but I was really disappointed by his lack of fire and effort in keeping West out of the lane.
Their ought to be an investigation on who slipped a Mickey into Roy’s gatorade before the game. Maybe a Bourbon St. voodoo hex was the cause.
Good job not giving up though. They could’ve easily still mailed it in when Paul went down but the young fellas are not experienced enough to know to quit when down that far that late. Good on ’em for being a character team..
Spanish Main: The point of departure for enormous wealth in the form of gold, silver, gems, spices, hardwoods, hides, alley-oops, assists and three pointers.
Schedule For February
Nugget’s Schedule
Tue, Feb 3 San Antonio
Wed, Feb 4 @ Oklahoma City
Fri, Feb 6 @ Washington
Sat, Feb 7 @ New Jersey
Tue, Feb 10 @ Miami
Wed, Feb 11 @ Orlando
Wed, Feb 18 @ Philadelphia
Fri, Feb 20 @ Chicago
Sun, Feb 22 @ Milwaukee
Mon, Feb 23 Boston
Wed, Feb 25 Atlanta
Fri, Feb 27 LA Lakers
Blazer’s Schedule
Wed, Feb 4 @ Dallas
Fri, Feb 6 @ Oklahoma City
Sun, Feb 8 NY Knicks
Wed, Feb 11 Oklahoma City
Thu, Feb 12 @ Golden State
Wed, Feb 18 Memphis
Fri, Feb 20 Atlanta
Sun, Feb 22 LA Clippers
Tue, Feb 24 @ Houston
Wed, Feb 25 @ San Antonio
Fri, Feb 27 @ Minnesota
Comparing schedule it appears that we could pull out the division lead by the end of the month with only 3 tough games to their 4. Combine that with their 8 game road trip…. What you guys think?
G.O. Blazers
You could say that the blazers would have lost if chris paul didn't go down
But he did. He had already scored 12 and dished out 13 assists. He had already contributed enough to win the game, all the hornets needed to do is play defense, but obviously Paul, with his stealing ability and long rebound ability, is the catalyst for them on the defensive side too. It was really a sight to see, a team fall apart like that.
CP3 for the first 2/3 of the game: Blazers watch in awe.
NO w/out CP3 for the rest: Blazer’s remember they are playing a basketball game, Hornet’s forget that there is no one left on the team that create their own shot.
Don't Redeactivate Shavlik Randolph
Their problem wasn't just defense
The fact is, when guys start firing, we’re pretty hard to stop. Travis was hot, Jerryd was getting penetration, Rudy was hitting from outside, LMA was a threat inside and on his jumper. When all those things are clicking, a defense is going to be under a lot of pressure — and they were missing Chandler.
Even so, all they needed to do was actually run a few plays, pass the ball a little bit, and get open shots — they have guys that can hit them, and our defense isn’t going to lock anybody down entirely. I think they lost it primarily on the offensive end, both by failing to score anything and by giving up turnovers that led to easy buckets. That’s why we lose if Paul is still in there — their offense wouldn’t have become entirely dysfunctional.
When I rule the world, everyone will know how to use Excel.
The take-away points for the Blazers are these:
1. Never give up on a game.
2. STOP SHOOTING STUPID JUMPSHOTS WHEN THEY AREN’T FALLING AND CRASH CRASH CRASH CRASH CRASH!!!
3. Foul ‘em hard or not at all. BODY BLOW — BODY BLOW — BODY BLOW — HE’S DOWN!!! (This absolutely NOT a reference to Paul, who went down untouched, but to the really good hard fouls in the 2nd half of the 3rd and the 4th).
Really a nice performance and pinning it all on Chris Paul going down, whereas it was a Jumpshooting Jekyll and key-crunching Hyde offensive performance completely misses the point of that game.
It was a small part opportunity and a BIG part execution.
The cilantro in your tapioca pudding since 2007.™
by timbo on Feb 3, 2009 9:07 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
I said it the other night, Rudy has got his second wind. His 3 point stroke is back. Roy looked
out of it and it was a big time disappointment. Fortunately we have a freshman Brandon Roy on the team, Bayless. I’ve heard Bayless couldn’t coexist on the Blazers because he was too much like Brandon Roy, but what about if Brandon Roy doesn’t show up? He filled in perfectly. Although only when Chris Paul got hurt.
Well, Bayless and Roy both attack the hoop so they have that in common. They certainly operate at different speeds though. Roy is steady and controlled and Bayless is full speed ahead.
by danielfarrell on Feb 3, 2009 11:35 AM PST up reply actions
In the forth quarter we went to a 152-60 pace per game, while in the whole first three quarters we were to a 79-99 one.
No way we win with CP3 playing the forth quarter.
Sergio + Rudy = 16
Sergio + Bayless = 16
Batum 8+8=16
Oden on perimeter & our guards
Yes Oden makes some dumb fouls, but I swear he needs to slap Sergio, Travis, Rudy, & every other player that just lets their man into the middle for Greg to take care of.
Also, can we please figure out a way NOT TO HAVE GREG GUARDING CHRIS PAUL BEYOND THE 3pt LINE??? Jeesh. No wonder he gets fouls. I swear I rarely see teams get as confused by simple screens as the Blazers do. Seems like every pick is perfect on us, and our bigs always end up on a guard. We must get this fixed.
Your telling me Town and Country is the place to get my new ride??...hehuha
Yeah, I heard of them.
It isn't that they let their man into the middle
It’s that Greg is switching out on picks and getting hung up on the perimeter guarding somebody who’s too fast to be guarded by a center. It’s the picks.
Greg only needs to take a second to stop the opposing guard while our guard gets through the pick and back on his man. He should not be switching — just shading over for a second to block the lane, but staying on his man.
Sticking up for Travis Outlaw since 2008.
JB4
JB4 is the man. I love his energy that he brings. With Rudy, Travis, and JB4 coming off the bench there is no reason we shouldn’t be able to score on any team. Each one brings a different element off the bench.
On Greg "guarding perimeter".
We all see him do this and we see him switch everytime. They guy can’t be that dumb can he? I have to believe that “coach” Nate is the one telling him what to do on the pick and rolls. Why on earth would our 7 footer go out and guard the 3 point line? I don’t remember seing Prez do it much. Do you think that Greg’s being told not to do it but he keeps doing it? It just seems stupid and until I hear otherwise I"m blaming Nate for putting Greg in no-win situations on D.
Greg doesn't know yet
how far he needs to go and how fast, and more importantly when to just give up on a play.
—Dave
you know..
i saw him, unfortunately, very little because i turned the game on about half time. but it seemed like the one pick and roll they ran with oden that caught my eye, he wanted to fall back on his guy but the guards had switched and he had no choice. i forget who he switched with but that was entirely the guards fault, oden tried to get on his player and there was plenty of room, it wasnt a hard pick or anything. i agree with Dave though, he is learning, and once he figures out EVERYONES adaptive defense on this team, he should be fine. it’s not really hard, but he just has so many possible guards to switch with.
Oden wanted this one.
I think everyone is being a little rough on Oden tonight. So he got some ticy-tack fouls, big deal. He came out to start the second half on a mission. If anyone DVR’d the game, just watch Oden’s first few minutes of the third quarter. He had energy, he was establishing himself in the post, attacking the boards. And then the hard foul on D.West. I know it was his 4th, but I’ll take that “send a message” foul anyday over these blocking fouls on CP3 that he kept pickin up.
You could tell he had the mindset to really make a difference, I just wish Nate had stuck him back in in the 4th.
That foul did send a message
The message was: Do that two more times and I’ll be out of the game.
Sticking up for Travis Outlaw since 2008.
Why stick him back in?
Zilla was dominating. Same reason he left Bayless in. They turned things around (granted thanks to CP3 going down) so Nate kept them rolling.
I could only wish the Hornets had a reliable bench. That is the one thing I will give to the Trailblazers.
That and an 8 point victory. That was a nice gift.
Spanish Main: The point of departure for enormous wealth in the form of gold, silver, gems, spices, hardwoods, hides, alley-oops, assists and three pointers.
by LaughingJon on Feb 3, 2009 12:12 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
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