From an outsider

Too bad you can’t make it down to Pioneer Square today. It is going to be the start of something very special that is our teams virgin playoff run.

Yeah, that Channing Frye fellow probably would start on quite a few teams in this league. The Blazers just happen to have a dude named LaMarcus Aldridge, who’s been known to be decent from time to time.

Also, we can’t really start everybody, and right now you’ve got, let’s see: Channing, Rudy, Sergio, and Outlaw. That’s four of five, and it kind of ignores a little known fellow on the Portland roster: Brandon Roy. You may have seen his name somewhere sometime. Now, I am going to say that a roster featuring those guys plus either Oden or Przybilla could make the Playoffs in the east. Then again, this year I think a team of dead guys qualified for the 7th seed, but I digress.

Some of your comments relate to small sample size: one game is hard to tell.

Frye played his best game of the year. If he played like that every game (that is, actually got into position to do power forwardy things like rebound and play defense and shoot putbacks in addition to the downy-soft jumpers, he would play and stay. But usually we just get the 20 foot jumpers, which may or may not go in.

Similarly, Sergio Rodriguez was………………… very challenging to watch for much of the year. He’s a passing savant and can shoot from about 15 feet in, but Blazer-style basketball relies an awful lot on the ability of the guards and the SF to hit the open 23 footers… Which is…………………. not his strongest suit.

Travis Outlaw, on good days, resembles a slightly out of control Kobe Bryant. On his worst days……………….. not so much. But he can get his shot against anyone since he can leap tall buildings in a single bound. He’s a perfect fit in the 6th man role — and has been the #3 scorer on the team this year.

The Blazers lost 28 games, yes, but they’re 10-1 in their last 11 — the one loss being to Houston, sadly.

Denver is indeed a freak parade. Too bad they traded A.I. — then they could have been a 10th place freak parade.

Przybilla is a tough guy and we love him. One thank you post I could live one is a thank you to the Milwaukee Bucks for being dumb enough to ditch him.

Blake is tough, too.

Aldridge and Roy didn’t have particularly big games. You missed that. Keep watching, you’ll see it.

Priz said it best: we’re peaking at the right time. Hopefully “big mo” keeps pushing our way through the playoffs. Once we make it to the finals, games on the east coast will be earlier and you can follow more!

This was a classy post.

Got my attention with “Frye should start”. Hahaha, humor wasn’t dry at all.

that has doomed them to early exits in previous seasons.

and I watched 85% of the games this year.

To see the second (and third) players absolutely dominate at their respective positions was an absolute treat, but you need to keep in mind a few things:

 1. Playoff rotations typically get 7 or 8 players involved; the Blazers have three point guards, two shooting guards, presently two small forwards, two power forwards, and two centers who could all start on many NBA teams. That is 11 players, and who knows what Nate is going to do with all of them. I think this is one of the deepest playoff rotations in the history of the NBA, but it seems doubtful at best that all of the guys who are deserving will see significant minutes this post season (I am thinking about Bayless, and Channing primarily)

2. Channing Frye played out of his mind last night, and I have no doubt that was a combination of (1) the Blazers riding high on a dominant last few games of the season, and (2) The nuggets not playing for a dang thing last night.

3. Travis Outlaw is currently in the midst of a rather long happy stint in what can only be described as a love hate relationship between him and the Portland fans. His success has been directly a result of the teams general cohesiveness at any given time, and almost certainly not the other way around.

4. Finally, go Blazers: if I had watched only one game this season, I would have been happy with this one as well, but I urge you to keep watching, and getting to know this wonderful team.