Just curious, if everyone is ultra-concerned about sprinting downcourt, does this leave us a little more vulnerable to a press? Is that something only college teams worry about?

this is a brilliant move by Nate. These past four games have shown me a type of basketball that is as beautiful as it is dominant. I especially like how it feels we’ve kept our conservatism while still aggressively advancing. We’re looking for the big play, but we’re not forcing it and we’re still running our set offense effectively too. What more could you want offensively?

but as of right now, the Blazers now have the most efficient offense in the league with 113.7 points/100 possession on the season.

“Show me.”

Yes, it is an incredible development. Nate is such a good coach. He has uploaded pieces that helped make these young guys into a team that plays the right way. That starts on D, rebounding, ball handling, AND in offensive efficiency. The Blazers are one of the elite offensive efficiency units in the league.

To see this new piece, uploaded into these guys right before the playoffs, makes me think of an alcohol fueled dragster. Do it, but do it faster, and reset it and do it again!

As Rebecca’s interview showed, the team is working through different set plays on offense until something works. That’s great. But the most exciting and perhaps telling aspect is the unbelievable passing. These guys know each other, and the ball is just showing up where the shooter can be successful. Besides the fastbreak points, so many back-door cuts, and completely open shots in the shooters wheelhouse!

It is difficult to understand how these guys can lose a series if they are healthy and continue playing like this. (Okay, so I am a homer.)

Such beautiful basketball!

what’s great about this new rule is that we are finally getting those easy buckets.

In the past, the blazers became very efficient in the half court but got nothing easy. Now we are getting 5-10 free buckets a game in the fast break. And, more importantly, we become THAT MUCH BETTER at the half court game when we run the floor and create mismatches.

So we’re not only getting those easy buckets, but we’re making it even easier on our half court game.

And after training in the hardest of situations (walking the ball up the court, starting with no mismatches) we’re slicing up the defense like a hot knife through butter.

Although that may not be pretty or exciting to the casual fan watching ecstaically at home, it does the job.

and finishes like a beast!!

Basically get a high percentage fast break shot in under 7 seconds or be patient and wait for a good look at the basket with only 7 seconds left on the clock.

The fact that Nate has instilled a slow pace is a dramatic benefit in my eyes. It enables them to learn the game, learn to play together at a comfortable level. Now that they’re gelling, they’re able to effectively speed the pace up and run the offense as a fast-forwarded version of the same style of play. The problem with OKC is that they run a super fast offense with a group of relatively inexperienced guys. If they learned to slow it down as Portland has, I feel they would be a tad more effective. But thats just me.

the second unit doesn’t seem to be coming along as well as the first unit. We are going to need these guys to hold their own in the big dance. And to me it doesn’t feel like Nate is going to trim down to an 8 man rotation. I’m not sure we want too, part of grinding down the other team is bringing in fresh legs off the bench.

This might necessitate shorter shifts.

I’ll be happy once we start playing this efficient against GOOD teams on the road. We can beat the crappy teams just fine and beat pretty much any team at home just fine. We need to fix our road woes… and they are getting there.

But I was delighted to hear about it from our sideline reporter. Most of the time you only get fluff from those folks.

26.4 points
10.8 rebounds

Coincidence?

This strategy is meant to either get a shot up in 7 seconds or in 21 if the FB isn’t there. I love this philosophy because the most agonizing thing to watch in the early part of the season was Blake or Sergio slowly creep up the floor, initiating or offense with 11 seconds left on the SC and then, more often then not, taking a hurried shot in the final seconds of the SC. I am glad as hell that those moments are over. It is imperative that we remain consistent with this philosophy in the playoffs, even though the increased defensive intensity will attempt to dictate the tempo.

I think this team is doing its best when it’s running. We’re much to athletic not to run. I know, its not Brandons style, but I think he can adjust to it and excell at it. Aldridge will continue putting up 20/10 if we run, it suits him soooo well.

A little story for ya. My stepdad was over for dinner last night with the rest of the fam. He’s the only one left of us who doesn’t bleed black and red, but agreed to watch the game after dinner. He has long heralded that he is done with the NBA, as he is mainly a NCAA fan, but he stated several times during the game " this team is so much fun to watch. I love how they run!" He was cheering and clapping during LMA’s ferocious domination, and was particularly impressed with him in general, saying he thought LMA would surpass Garnett and Duncan soon. Another Blazer fan born baby.

My point is this; if the blazers keep this new offensive tempo, they are going to become very popular. The Suns were one of the most popular teams in the NBA for several years because of the high scoring system in place. While I don’t think We’re in danger of become a pure SSOL team, I think the faster offense may be here to stay, and the national attention will only grow if sportcenter is inundated with Lamarcus fast break highlights and Blake to Roy ( or whomever ) alley oops.

you started sputtering something about going to a parade after the Celtics beat the Blazers in the finals.

Nothing like a battle cry like, “Go All the Way, Blazers! Or go most of the way, until I’m indifferent whether you win or not!”

By the time I processed it, I had completely forgotten what the rest of the post was about.