Gameday Open Thread 6: 9:00-...
by Dave on Apr 30, 2009 9:00 PM PDT
in Gameday Threads
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PrintHere is the final open thread of the night. If there's any game left, comment on it here. Otherwise it's post-game discussion until the official recap comes up.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
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He's disgusting but the DUB photo is a minor irritant.
"Aneurysm".
When Outlaw wins a game on a last-second shot, it’s called an "annthefaneurysm". QualityPie
Ann... I figured out why you hate me
When I first started posting comments on this blog, you thought I was TiH for like two months. When you figured out I was a different person than TiH, you felt sort of tricked.
I’m sorry I didn’t post something on my profile that made it clear. I didn’t mean to deceive.
I’m truly sorry. Now I only ask if you can reconsider whether it’s worth your heart’s energy to hate me any more.
Can we start over? The season is over. Perhaps we can turn a new leaf in our relationship and start fresh.
What do you think?
71 points
won’t get it done.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
Thanks for a great season gentlemen
GO BLAZERS 2009-2010!!!!!
I believe in Greg Oden. To all the haters - get down with the program or stay off the wagon for all time. #52
We have tremendous potential.
We are only just beginning
by RipCityManiac on Apr 30, 2009 9:03 PM PDT up reply actions
... I know, I know this is too soon ... but who is excited about October?
My wife is praising B-ball season being over (for me more or less), but I’m just feeling the slow build for next season.
Are you with me?
Rudyculize: The act of Rudy making others look slow, dim and generally oafish.
http://www.myspace.com/y5k
YES!!!
draft dejuan blair
Yao Ming: "Over time, [Oden] can even go beyond the Magic’s Howard."
Pelton: "Always love Hinrich’s D. Nobody on the Blazers (or most teams) gets into people like he does."
that's what I'm talking about.
Heads high.
Pick it up again in a few months.
Rudyculize: The act of Rudy making others look slow, dim and generally oafish.
http://www.myspace.com/y5k
Ok so we got screwed by the reffs in this series, but...
in a way its our own fault. we didn’t play a physical style of defense all year until we got to the playoffs. If we play the same way all of next season that we did in this series on defense we’ll get more of those calls our way next year.
I didn't know Travis was a ref.
Life is hilarious.
by SolGoode on Apr 30, 2009 9:07 PM PDT up reply actions 7 recs
heck yes still...
a hell of a season. they all should be proud, and keep the heads up. next year they build on this experience. Post game interviews anyone have a feed?
by Parade in Portland! on Apr 30, 2009 9:06 PM PDT reply actions
i'm so frustrated
how is that in a game six only roy and aldridge show up?
rudy, blake, outlaw. just seriously bad.
no words.
but i am proud of this team.
YEa love my blazers!!
they overachieved and showed that well be a force in the future! now to get outlaw outta here and develop oden
Oden...Aldridge...Roy.....THE REAL BIG THREE
This feels like the beginning, not the ending.
Looking forward to the next few years.
Life is not by chance. Basketball is life.
by blzrfan on Apr 30, 2009 9:08 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
It's time for KP to prune one more time
One more eventful offseason.
draft dejuan blair
Yao Ming: "Over time, [Oden] can even go beyond the Magic’s Howard."
Pelton: "Always love Hinrich’s D. Nobody on the Blazers (or most teams) gets into people like he does."
I can only see how this will be a positive experience for our guys
developing that hunger, they are now playoff seasoned, the future looks bright.
Damn proud of this team, compare the character of this team with teams past and most fans could only hope to root for a team as great as our Blazers.
Rip City is back
I'm not ready to do the rah rah rah we overachieved bullcrap yet.
It was game 6 in the playoffs and we came out with our worst effort since game 1. Absolutely disgusting. Sickening.
Agreed.
Also, is a one and done postseason appearance really overachieving? I think this met expectations in the end, but didn’t exceed.
by Free Bayless on Apr 30, 2009 10:03 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh man, does this mean a new series of Thankyou posts?
"It's better to have a good player with the basketball in late game situations than to have plays." - R. Pitino
"I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for thinking bad things about him. He said, of course not. I said, well, I think you stink. And he gave me a technical. You can't trust em."- Jimmy V
Go Blazers!!
no--we covered that didn't we?
It's spelled "PRZYBILLA."
vanillathrillagorillaprzybilla
by RenoBlazerFan on Apr 30, 2009 9:11 PM PDT up reply actions
you never know around here.
"It's better to have a good player with the basketball in late game situations than to have plays." - R. Pitino
"I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for thinking bad things about him. He said, of course not. I said, well, I think you stink. And he gave me a technical. You can't trust em."- Jimmy V
Go Blazers!!
My only regret is that next season doesn't start tomorrow...
I want more!!!!1
Great season Blazers, you had me on the edge of my seat all year
I want Kirk Hinrich!!!!!
Well, it sucks that we lost
but I am still very proud just how far this time has come. Next year we will be better.
Go Blazers!!!
soooo not true.
Needs to have his head examined sometimes, but when he’s on, he’s on.
Sadly, when he’s off, he’s dumb.
Rudyculize: The act of Rudy making others look slow, dim and generally oafish.
http://www.myspace.com/y5k
He was off the whole series.
If a guy is going to be useless, or even of negative value, for a whole series he needs to be gone. I’m hoping the Blazers will be in the playoffs a lot these next few years, I don’t want guys who blow it when it matters most.
by Free Bayless on Apr 30, 2009 10:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Seriously
Did you see how easy it was to get around him? Any guy at the YMCA could drive on Travis.
Life is hilarious.
I was so disappointed when Travis struggled in Game 4 then bragged about Artest's line.
I can’t explain why… it just felt like he was too loose and forgot where they were.
Post game interviews?
where can i find them online
by Parade in Portland! on Apr 30, 2009 9:10 PM PDT reply actions
Loved seeing the Blazers go down!!
Hopefully Paul Allen can bring in some talent next year to surround his superstar Roy. That’ll be a team for the ages.
Best Season in a Long Time
This has been a great season – the best in recent memory, if you ask me. Sure, the teams of the late ‘90s and early 2000s won games, but I don’t remember enjoying those teams nearly as much as I enjoyed watching this team this season, even if their playoff run ended in the first round. And hey, taking the Rockets to six games ain’t bad.
Now begins the long, hard Blazer-less slog to October.
I wish we could have a rally for them or something to show fan appreciation.
"It's better to have a good player with the basketball in late game situations than to have plays." - R. Pitino
"I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for thinking bad things about him. He said, of course not. I said, well, I think you stink. And he gave me a technical. You can't trust em."- Jimmy V
Go Blazers!!
I agree.
Sad ending, but definitely a lot of good highlights to reflect on. It is easy to be proud of what the Blazers accomplished this season. Losing the series is disappointing. But in light of the overall picture: We are right on schedule.
by Dr. Horrible on Apr 30, 2009 9:12 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Wrong link, here is the right one
http://www.nba.com/playoffs2009/live2/
Life is not by chance. Basketball is life.
What a terrible performance by our role players
just abysmal.
it’s too bad really cause tonight both Roy and LMA stepped up
they were the only 2 in double digits..
It's spelled "PRZYBILLA."
vanillathrillagorillaprzybilla
by RenoBlazerFan on Apr 30, 2009 9:12 PM PDT up reply actions
Not a good way for a few bubble players to end their season.
Rudyculize: The act of Rudy making others look slow, dim and generally oafish.
http://www.myspace.com/y5k
Summer Moves
You can bet KP will be looking to make some changes, but it’s worth remembering that most of these guys have never even sniffed the post-season. I’d expect better performances from them next year.
Still, the Blazers could benefit from a grizzled playoff vet or two (even one who plays limited minutes). Is Robert Horry taking offers?
Well, now we know what we've got.
BRoy, LaMarcus, Rudy, Oden and Przybilla showed up ready to play playoff basketball. Nobody else did. Really, they performed pretty well for the youngest team to make the playoffs (and the second youngest team in the NBA) and should hold their heads high.
They’re a young team and they’re going to get better. I look forward to watching Oden operate when some of the fouls go his way and he’s polished his post moves. And I think Nic Batum, who was nonexistent in this series, will be our Luis Scola in a years to come. He’s 19. And Jerryd Bayless, who didn’t play a single minute, will hopefully be that driving point guard that we so desperately needed and didn’t have.
Not too happy with Travis Outlaw. Maybe he can find a new home in the offseason.
There’s always next year… and it promises to be exciting!
he played great D on Yao
draft dejuan blair
Yao Ming: "Over time, [Oden] can even go beyond the Magic’s Howard."
Pelton: "Always love Hinrich’s D. Nobody on the Blazers (or most teams) gets into people like he does."
I thought he did well in the second half tonight.
draft dejuan blair
Yao Ming: "Over time, [Oden] can even go beyond the Magic’s Howard."
Pelton: "Always love Hinrich’s D. Nobody on the Blazers (or most teams) gets into people like he does."
Oden did fine
Remember he only touches the ball about 3-4 times A GAME. hard to make an impact when the team has no idea how to get you the ball
or he fouls a lot
I don’t mean to be trollish on this one, but how much foul trouble does someone have to get in before people stop crying conspiracy theory and take a look at the player?
Yellow Mamba FTW!
c'mon
that “trip” on Yao? The moving screen? things that Yao does often.
draft dejuan blair
Yao Ming: "Over time, [Oden] can even go beyond the Magic’s Howard."
Pelton: "Always love Hinrich’s D. Nobody on the Blazers (or most teams) gets into people like he does."
I encourage you to read this
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
Alright
So are you saying that the Biedrins had the same issue and it worked out for him?
I think Oden will finally get it figured out, but I think people here want it so bad that they’re giving him a pass for play that is mediocre at best. In the long term though, he’ll be fine.
Yellow Mamba FTW!
My points were twofold
First, centers take a very long time to develop. Przybilla, Biedrins… the list goes on of centers that sucked at first.
Second, foul trouble can be overcome.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
and Yao
when he started out, he was a foul machine as well. In fact, I think he looked a lot like Oden. Yao learned some of the tricks, but also, clearly, the refs cut him some slack. I’m not saying that’s unfair and I’m definitely not saying that’s the reason the Rockets won. I’m saying Oden will follow the same career arc as every other talented big man in the league.
by LicketyBrindle on Apr 30, 2009 9:49 PM PDT up reply actions
Yao used to be have automatic for having 3 fouls in the 1st
Greg Oden has one thing Yao doesn’t have — athleticism. He needs to lose some weight and develop a post game.
Uh ... no
Unless you really have a dislike of him, you have to see the refs do not give him a fair shake
I think he gets a "rookie year, comin off injury" pass.
Also Batum gets the rookie pass
It's spelled "PRZYBILLA."
vanillathrillagorillaprzybilla
by RenoBlazerFan on Apr 30, 2009 9:18 PM PDT up reply actions
I can accept that
but let’s not say that he was a game changer. What grade would you give him for the series? The season?
Yellow Mamba FTW!
C
It's spelled "PRZYBILLA."
vanillathrillagorillaprzybilla
by RenoBlazerFan on Apr 30, 2009 9:21 PM PDT up reply actions
Absolutely Oden is a game changer
He commands double teams just to keep him off the boards. Unfortunately he is often in the game with Outlaw ……
I am so excited for next year!
This team is amazing, just wait until they have some time together and some individual experience. I love this team, and it so going to get better. We have SOO many rookies in our rotation. YESSSS!
Who is going to be gone next season?
I think: Travis, Sergio, Channing are for sure. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bayless go either to pick up some veteran.
Who would I like to see come in? A starting point guard that can drive to the rim and a back up PF that can bang.
That combo = Rings.
Life is hilarious.
um if Sergio and Bayless go, who is backup PG
Blake will NEVER be our back-up PG, i’d bet just about anything on this.
"We have a different style, a European style," he says adjusting his jacket for emphasis. "They know it's cool.''
Blake SHOULD be our back up PG.
He would be perfect as a back up with Rudy, Batum, (insert new back up PF) and Oden.
Life is hilarious.
Blake is our bu PG
The starter is whoever we trade Outlaw and Sergio or Bayless for!
Blake is a pro
If someone better than him is ahead of him I could see him accepting it. I think he is about winning.
Travis for Matt Bonner
Bonner has been the stretch 4/5 for the Spurs that Nate had envisioned Channing as at the end of last season.
(???/Blake), Bayless
Roy, Fernandez
Webster, Batum
Aldridge, Bonner
Oden, Przybilla
Bonner is good at one NBA skill
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
are you saying Nash only has one good skill
or that you want him as a Blazer?
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
Stretch player = 3pt shooter
That’s what perked Nate’s interest in Channing.
Bonner should be coming off the bench. In Portland he’ll do that. There isn’t another big on the roster with his skill, he fits.
I'd rather have a masher at the backup 4
we have enough finesse
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
In spite of my disgust with the way this one ended...
There is absolutely no doubt that I will be rooting hard for the Rockets against the l*kers…
no doubt
Congratulations to the Blazers
Congratulations for making it to the playoffs, and giving the Rockets a tough battle. Quite an achievement for such a young team. I know quite a lot of you are disappointed, but at the same time I’m confident you realize what a bright future your franchise has. Oden is only going to get better. Roy is already a beast and still developing to boot. Aldridge… well, you get the idea.
If the Rockets and Blazers meet in the playoffs again, I’ll have the same dread as I do whenever the Rockets play the Jazz… minus the seething hatred, of course.
Great series, guys. See you next year.
by DribbleHooper on Apr 30, 2009 9:14 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
thank you houston fan--good luck
It's spelled "PRZYBILLA."
vanillathrillagorillaprzybilla
by RenoBlazerFan on Apr 30, 2009 9:15 PM PDT up reply actions
Thanks. Nice series.... Good Luck.
Crush LA
And now, all you need to do is Beat L.A.
Good luck to you!
by Dr. Horrible on Apr 30, 2009 9:16 PM PDT up reply actions
Thanks, and best of luck to Houston in the next round.
It’s always good to have white hats for whom to cheer, and I’ll be cheering for the Rockets with enthusiasm.
Soooooooooooo bummed out right now
30 weeks until next season…
European Championships
Spain is qualified, France not finally
Congrats to Houston. Beat LA!
Going forward Blazers have 5 draft picks, and Rockets have none :)
Spain vs. Russia part II maybe
Congrats to Houston. Beat LA!
Going forward Blazers have 5 draft picks, and Rockets have none :)
when is Eurobasket?
Is it long? A few days, a few weeks?
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
After this game, I'm really ready for trade season
I’ll just look forward to Yao hip-checking Kobe in the next round.
by Furious Styles on Apr 30, 2009 9:28 PM PDT up reply actions
from a rox fan
you guys are really great fans, 99% of you. you have a great team. see you next season in the playoffs most likely.
There is one huge plus-side to this!
21
32
41
53, first round exit.
By going out in the first round, it makes our climb to the championship much more smooth! Mind you, I don’t want to jinx us to get a second round exit next year but…
Going from 41 wins to a championship is not only essentially impossible, but really ugly for the future. You don’t improve, you go down from there. Now we can work on improving, something that young players do best!
"We Believe" - Rudy Fernandez
by TheGreatMon on Apr 30, 2009 9:16 PM PDT reply actions 4 recs
Steady improvement...
puts realistic expectations on next season.
rec
It's spelled "PRZYBILLA."
vanillathrillagorillaprzybilla
by RenoBlazerFan on Apr 30, 2009 9:19 PM PDT up reply actions
Hells yes!!!
"It's better to have a good player with the basketball in late game situations than to have plays." - R. Pitino
"I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for thinking bad things about him. He said, of course not. I said, well, I think you stink. And he gave me a technical. You can't trust em."- Jimmy V
Go Blazers!!
I thought we won 54 games.
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21... I know...
by FibonacciSequence on Apr 30, 2009 9:28 PM PDT up reply actions
Excuse me?
Winning a championship, regardless of future, is better than a slow build toward a maybe championship.
I don’t know about you guys, but I want my team to win it all. Call me crazy.
by Free Bayless on Apr 30, 2009 10:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Nate coming up on Post Game
http://www.nba.com/playoffs2009/live2/
Life is not by chance. Basketball is life.
In KP I trust...so far
"It's better to have a good player with the basketball in late game situations than to have plays." - R. Pitino
"I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for thinking bad things about him. He said, of course not. I said, well, I think you stink. And he gave me a technical. You can't trust em."- Jimmy V
Go Blazers!!
Depends if we ever want the Blazers to win a playoff series.
His decision I guess.
by Free Bayless on Apr 30, 2009 10:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Thank You Blazers!
great season!!!!! can’t wait for next year! We just need one more piece-maybe outlaw, bayless, and a 1st round pick for Chris Paul?
Don't worry Blazers fans
Root for the Bulls for another 9 overtimes on Saturday night. You can all make jokes about Tyrus Thomas.
That Steve Nash is exactly the same as Kirk Hinrich, but worse.
by NBA Observer on Apr 8, 2009 12:23 PM CDT
incredible series
historically incredible.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
LMA was incredible tonight
let’s not overreact.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
can you imagine Portland
with even less of a post game to go to?
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
Dude
they are playing Boston without Powe and KG…. Oden would dominate that S.
Exatly Oden is going up
against a monster not a converted PF
Tyrus for Roy should be fair enough
That Steve Nash is exactly the same as Kirk Hinrich, but worse.
by NBA Observer on Apr 8, 2009 12:23 PM CDT
by Ozzie Montana on Apr 30, 2009 9:33 PM PDT up reply actions
haha
Roy’s a choker.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
It's ok, he'd be the 3rd wheel behind Rose and Noah
That Steve Nash is exactly the same as Kirk Hinrich, but worse.
by NBA Observer on Apr 8, 2009 12:23 PM CDT
by Ozzie Montana on Apr 30, 2009 9:37 PM PDT up reply actions
I can imagine it now
Vinny gives him 20 minutes a game.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
True, he's more explosive as a 6th man
That Steve Nash is exactly the same as Kirk Hinrich, but worse.
by NBA Observer on Apr 8, 2009 12:23 PM CDT
by Ozzie Montana on Apr 30, 2009 9:49 PM PDT up reply actions
Vinny is smart enough
to realize that Roy was a sixth man in college, sitting behind Nate Robinson. We all know Gordon and Rose are better than Nate, so Roy should obviously sit behind Gordon and Rose.
Easy.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
Whenever I look at Vinny Del Negro's facial expressions, it seems like he's ...
worried that the Italian mafia put out a hit on him. Nevermind, that’s Tony Allen’s life which is in danger in Chi-Town by some angry dudes who want retribution.
He is turning into LaMarcus with his outside shots
Congrats to Houston. Beat LA!
Going forward Blazers have 5 draft picks, and Rockets have none :)
I hate your Bulls now
As thrilling as that game was, it made me miss the first half of the last Blazer game of the year. I blame Joakim Noah, just ’cause.
True, how did you guys watch the game?
Doesn’t Portland have some problems with carrying local games?
That Steve Nash is exactly the same as Kirk Hinrich, but worse.
by NBA Observer on Apr 8, 2009 12:23 PM CDT
by Ozzie Montana on Apr 30, 2009 9:38 PM PDT up reply actions
No problems with Comcast in the playoffs
every game was carried locally on the NBC affiliate. Most Blazer fans out of state missed the first half.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
I live out of state
I had no option but TNT or sketchy internet feed. I chose TNT at a sports bar. I chose wrong.
Maybe we can upgrade to Wojnarowski. Still pretty terrible, but better.
Congrats to Houston. Beat LA!
Going forward Blazers have 5 draft picks, and Rockets have none :)
Yea but tomorrow he'll be saying
“I totally called it, the Blazers are nothing but a bunch of choke artists who couldn’t come up big when the time demanded it. Portland Fail Blazers once more.”
Go away Canzano. I hear Salt Lake City is looking for hypocrites.
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21... I know...
by FibonacciSequence on Apr 30, 2009 9:31 PM PDT up reply actions
I know...
Nate is supposed to be we played awesome this is a great season.. but i wish he was a lil more angry
by Parade in Portland! on Apr 30, 2009 9:25 PM PDT reply actions
not much to be angry about, really...
it’s not like our stars didn’t step up. it simply was a failure by the 2nd unit to make shots
I thought it was odd to not play nic at all tonight, especially when trout was turrible. Roy and LMA gave a great effort this whole series, so we can take that away. It’s amazing that I’m almost ready to root for Houston against LA. It doesn’t take the sting out of losing the series (imagine if we’d play a decent game 1. I don’t think the series goes six in that case), but damn I hate the l*kers.
As for the Celtics, they’re almost as annoying as the l*kers. From Rondo’s uncalled flagrant to his uncalled goal tend on Hinrich’s missed layup. I hope the Bulls advance, if only because they’re a good young group and you’ve got to love Derrick Rose’s game.
This whole team...
Is so classy. Brandon is gonna be so great for years to come. Cant wait till he gives an “after championship win” post game interview
by Parade in Portland! on Apr 30, 2009 9:30 PM PDT reply actions
post game vent
Before this game, I was kind of throwing game 1 out the window as an aberration. Its no longer an aberration. We were blown out twice in 6 games. Houston was clearly the better team in this series. Our vaunted depth fizzled.
We know Brandon Roy can perform in the playoffs. That’s good. LaMarcus Aldridge has served notice that he can score in big games— though we need it more consistently. Rudy Fernandez is a warrior. Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden can work hard on defense.
Here’s something else we learned: Portland needs another star. A 2nd top 15 player. I highly doubt LaMarcus can be that guy. His defense isn’t good enough and he still shoots too many long 2s (the worst shot in basketball). I am holding out hope that Oden can be (and we need to give him another year before we even begin to draw conclusions), but watching him stumble, bumble and fumble, I can’t say with any confidence that it will happen. Kudos to Oden for being a contributor this year despite being way less than 100% of the athlete he was at OSU, but we need that dominant defender and rebound machine with good hands.
If we have the chance to bring in a star this summer, we must do it, even at the cost of Rudy or Aldridge. This team, as currently constructed, is set up to be a really good team for a long time— and can be a championship team if Oden becomes great. However, if Oden never gets his per-micro athleticism back, this team is a star— not just a player— away from being a title team.
Great season. Surpassed my pre-season expectations by a lot. Kudos to a lot of the Blazers for stepping up. Next year, I believe this team can go as far as the WCF even if we don’t get a major impact player this summer and Oden doesn’t make a huge leap. That’s not my goal though. I desperately want a title, and this game was very discouraging to that end— not that we lost, but that we had so few people show up, that we were so lacking in passion and desperation.
I’ll probobly feel better tomorrow, but this game really turns a frustrating but encouraging series into a discouraging series for me. It makes it impossible for me to ignore game 1.
wow
that is a manifesto.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
Whoa Jksnake99!
Lamarcus made some big strides this year. Our problems revolve around more developement. These guys have barely scraped the surface and gave the Rockets a hell of a series. KP will do the right thing He IS a bball genius!
LaMarcus just finished his 3rd year
There generally isn’t a huge amount of improvement after that. The only guys for whom the “barely scraped the surface” line applies are Batum, Rudy and Bayless (though I’m not high on him at all). If Oden gets some more athleticism and coordination back, then it applies for him also.
Good point
perhaps we’ve seen LMA at his finest. He’ll probably get a little better, but his outside shooting, non-rebounding schtick probably won’t change.
Yellow Mamba FTW!
wow indeed
I think we’re a third scorer away from being really good. First I was hoping it would be Oden, but that didn’t work out. Then, Trout. We all saw how that went. Asking Rudy to pick up that slack was just too much.
Unless you get someone who is really, really good, I don’t think you can give up on LMA just yet.
Yellow Mamba FTW!
roxfan here...
I just wanted to say good luck to you guys. Great series. Portland has a team that the west will have to deal with for years to come. Classy organization and overall classy fans. Roy and LMA are upcoming I can see big things coming from those two.
As well too you.
good luck go beat the crap out of the lakers
by Parade in Portland! on Apr 30, 2009 9:32 PM PDT up reply actions
whaaaa!!!!!!!!!!
thats all from brandon!???
by Parade in Portland! on Apr 30, 2009 9:32 PM PDT reply actions
It could be dead silent..
I just want more brandon
by Parade in Portland! on Apr 30, 2009 9:34 PM PDT up reply actions
Webster would have been a nice fit in this series.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
definitely could help spread the floor and provide some size on Batters and Detest
I want Kirk Hinrich!!!!!
Webster is gonna be that missing piece... great point
Hes only 24 is by coaches opinion “the hardest worker on the team”… he can score in bunches we know this and has althetisim and body build to be a great defender. I hope we keep him and let him play with this team! 3rd scorer we need.
by Parade in Portland! on Apr 30, 2009 9:39 PM PDT up reply actions
I think he's 21 or 22.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
On Dec 4
Stu Inman: a soft-spoken, witty and brilliant basketball guy -- who had so much to do with Portland's only championship. He believed that you won with not just great players, but with great people. (D Jaynes 2-2-07 Portland Tribune)
yeah my only worry is, he still doesn't have any playoff experience
and we’ve seen what TradeLaw can do
I want Kirk Hinrich!!!!!
I feel like he gets better the longer he doesn't play in the minds of many fans :)
Congrats to Houston. Beat LA!
Going forward Blazers have 5 draft picks, and Rockets have none :)
not saying he'd be incredible
just that we could have used a bigger body. Nic just wasn’t heavy enough.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
definetely
he was a below average NBA player last year. I think he can be a good backup to Batum next year. My hope is that they both take another step forward.
I don't think Outlaw *has* to be traded
He’s certainly a guy I wouldn’t hesitate to trade, but I think Portland might have to accept the idea that Portland needs to bring in a big time player… and that the cost for that is going to include a player or two (ie Rudy/Batum/etc.) that Blazer ans really like. Just moving Outlaw/Frye/Sergio/etc. isn’t going to cut ut.
I don't think we need another offensive superstar
our offense was the most efficient in the league. All we need is more defense.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
I wouldn't say we need more offense or defense...
we need more consistency. Outlaw has shown for five years that he is inconsistent. I would prefer a consistent rebounder (off the bench) and a consistent point guard. Rudy will continue to make big steps, Nic shows lots of promise and his defense is invaluable. My bubble guys i wouldn’t mind seeing moved for more consistency (Martell, Outlaw, Sergio, Blake, Frye, Ruffin)
I want Kirk Hinrich!!!!!
we need to get better
I agree it would likely be easier to improve our D than improve our O, but wherever there’s a chance to get better, we have to do it.
the big time player I refer to might not be a big scorer, but it needs to be a big impact player.
Hinrich is a defensive star.
I would be content with adding Hinrich and Blair.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
that would be really nice
We’d probably still need Oden to become a top 5 Center if we want to win a title. That might happen, but I just dunno. He’s so awkward out there right now. Its actually pretty impressive that he manages to contribute some good play despite being so awkward, but we need the freak athlete we drafted.
yeah
so many centers have sucked at first, and Oden is sucking but putting up solid efficiency and rebounding stats. I have high hopes.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
by Cablinasian on Apr 30, 2009 10:03 PM PDT up reply actions
Our offense is so much of a mirage, though
Our efficiency was almost entirely due to our incredible offensive rebounding, which is fine during the regular season when scouting and preparations aren’t as big a deal, but just as vulnerable to being neutralized in the postseason as a running team like Phoenix’s fast break. Maybe it wouldn’t have been as obvious against another team, but any team that scouts us at all is able to see that we don’t get great shots, we just clean up after them, so if a team commits a couple players to keep Greg and LaMarcus off the offensive glass, our efficiency goes down the drain.
Sure, NO or SA in their depleted states might not have been able to do it as effectively as Houston did, but the fact remains that we don’t get good shots for the most part, just a lot more of them than we should. Houston was able to completely take away our offensive rebounding, and our efficiency went down the drain.
I’m not going to put too much stock in Greg’s awkward 4th quarter to say that he can’t get better. He’s looked much better for most of the series, but unless we can start to rebuild our offense around his post game and Roy rather than Roy and LaMarcus in the pick and pop, we’re not going to be able to effectively run an offense in the playoffs.
I don't care how we score points
if we score a lot, that’s good… I don’t care about offensive rebounding skewing the stats.
Houston is the team designed to beat us. Let’s not get too low about this.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
by Cablinasian on Apr 30, 2009 10:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Could LA not have done the exact same thing?
or Denver, or San Antonio? I just don’t understand how people can watch our offense and think that there’s no room for improvement. Having such a huge reliance on o-rebounding is just as gimmicky as the Suns/Warriors. Well-coached, well scouted teams know that they can play defense on us straight up for the most part and then just commit to defensive rebounding, and they’ll take away most of our efficiency without doing anything special.
I admit, I was a little over the top with saying that it was basically all due to offensive rebounding, a large part is due to three point shooting as well. However, there’s probably a large bump in the eFG% from the higher % putbacks that come from those rebounds, so I think us being 8th in eFG% is also slightly misleading.
its hard to say how much of our offensive struggles in the playoffs...
… have to do with the fact that it was the playoffs, and how much of it was the fact that we drew the best defensive team in the West. I’d actually put it more on the latter than the former.
Our offense can certainly be improved (and probably needs to be diversified) but I still think its really good. Houston just has a way of making offenses look bad— that way is called “good defense.”
Also while O-rebs were a huge reason for our efficient offense, its not at all correct to say our efficiently was “almost all” due to that. We were in the top 10 in efg% and above average in limiting TOs as well.
Then you'll enjoy him playing against LA
That Steve Nash is exactly the same as Kirk Hinrich, but worse.
by NBA Observer on Apr 8, 2009 12:23 PM CDT
by Ozzie Montana on Apr 30, 2009 9:50 PM PDT up reply actions
I know, but I'd love it if he was actually serious about that. Sometimes Roy just jokes around.
From Russia With Love
I am really curious how we would have matched up and responded
against other teams, I really hope this was the best matchup for us in the long run and we learn what we need to
LMAO RON
“wow this guy just gave me 40, hes got no respect for me.”
by Parade in Portland! on Apr 30, 2009 9:40 PM PDT reply actions
Roy should have gone all Tebow on Portland
“To the fans and everybody in [Blazer] nation: You know what? I’m sorry, extremely sorry. We were hoping for a [championship], that was my goal. It’s something [Portland has [only done once]. But I promise you one thing. A lot of good will come out of this. You have never seen any player in the entire country, play as hard as I will play the rest of [my career]. And you will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of this season. And you will never see a team play harder than we will the rest of this season. God bless.’’
Ron just called out Roy on the defensive end
and he is correct in doing so
Ron Ron's interview is pretty funny
Wow, he just game me 40… he’s got no respect for me.
Ron is right on with everything he says a bout brandon...
makes me thinks he might be more intelligent then he acts sometimes
by Parade in Portland! on Apr 30, 2009 9:41 PM PDT reply actions
heartbroken
i find myself (at least for the moment) completely uninterested in watching more basketball.
Maybe I’ll go fishing.. did the TNT guys make a funny photo of Brandon, Greg, maybe Paul Allen, and Ernie or one of them fishing yet?
going to run and cry the night away – maybe this will hurt less later..
Before the game I told myself that I would go to the airport to greet them no matter what happen.. any ideas if that might happen?
Take it to the Hole!!
i think they fly home tonight
i already have a call in on someone to help a still barely underager get to a bottle… the run was unsatisfying so I’m breaking out the punching bag.
Take it to the Hole!!
by galacticlove on Apr 30, 2009 9:49 PM PDT up reply actions
I can't wait for the draft and the unbridled optimism
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
OMG line of the night
Artest- “I been in the stands before”
Blazer's fan since '84, Spurs fan when they are not playing Portland.
↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A B A START.
by HurraKane212 on Apr 30, 2009 9:43 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
amazing rons a funny guy.
“guy offered me a beer. I decided to sit down then” hahaha
by Parade in Portland! on Apr 30, 2009 9:45 PM PDT up reply actions
THANK YOU BLAZERS!
The Rockets WERE better than us, now let’s hope they beat LA and build on thaat!
Proud member of Duck nation!
I know this may be a little premature KP but,
who stays and who goes?
(Interview w/ Ron Artest about Brandon Roy) Sager: "He's a better player than Kobe Bryant, better than LeBron James?" Artest: "He's the best player I've played against."
Who is ready for seven weeks of draft talk?
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
I just want to be able to know what pic we end up landing with
by Peteyhasnohead on Apr 30, 2009 9:50 PM PDT up reply actions
we know for now
but you don’t really know what kind of hi-jinks KP will pull.
by Peteyhasnohead on Apr 30, 2009 9:51 PM PDT up reply actions
Not seven weeks, but a few
You might want to check “Ridiculous Upside”. They have a nice mock draft 1.0 today profiling a few players. Even if you know who you want :)
Congrats to Houston. Beat LA!
Going forward Blazers have 5 draft picks, and Rockets have none :)
u know... as a die hard blazers fan, i know we're supposed to want houston to go and
beat la, however, i feel like the rockets are gonna get crushed by the lakers… i’ll be surprised if the series goes 5 games. out of all the texas teams, i liked houston the best, but after this series and watching the calls continuously go against us, and the crybaby fans that houston has, i’ve lost a bit of respect for them. i will still cheer for them to overtake the lakers in the next round, no matter how much it hurts me to do so.
it was a great year for us. far exceeded a lot of our expectations by far…. here’s hoping that KP gets rid of trout and picks up someone in return… i pray to god that trout’s stock didn’t fall too far after the dismal performance he displayed in the past week or so.
Now the Mavs have a great chance to go deep. Listen to Simmons current podcast. I think he has a good point that Kidd now is the best PG left in the West. He even takes back how bad the Harris trade was :)
Congrats to Houston. Beat LA!
Going forward Blazers have 5 draft picks, and Rockets have none :)
I would be.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
I don't buy that
The Mavs are overrated. They beat up on a terrible defensive team, the national announcers are just too afraid to admit the Spurs sucked at defense this year.
I love, love, love the Nuggets to take the Lakers 7 games because they remind me of that 2000 Portland team. Tough as nails on defense when they played right, and could kill you a ton of ways on offense. The good but not great coach, and 3-4 headcases are what dooms them.
Billups is a huge advantage over the Lakers PGs, K-Mart, Nene, and Birdman are physical centers who could really test just how tough Gasol and Bynum are. George Karl is an underrated coach.
That Steve Nash is exactly the same as Kirk Hinrich, but worse.
by NBA Observer on Apr 8, 2009 12:23 PM CDT
by Ozzie Montana on Apr 30, 2009 9:57 PM PDT up reply actions
Virtual game day pals
Congrats to Houston. Beat LA!
Going forward Blazers have 5 draft picks, and Rockets have none :)
The Portland Trail Blazers had an overall nice season and y'all deserve to sit back, relax, and revel in it.
Regardless, that doesn’t mean y’all should be complacent and think that “letting the cake bake” or whatever nonsense has been spewed in the past is a sufficient mindset heading into the off-season.
There’s undoubtedly some much-needed changes that must soon be made for this franchise to become a legitimate championship contender, and it’s up to Kevin Prtichard and his front office cohorts to accomplish that objective.
A point guard and a backup 4
Hinrich/Blake
Roy/Fernandez
Webster/Batum
Aldridge/Blair
Oden/Przybilla
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
I like.... a lot...
Or ….
Aldridge/milsap
Aldridge/Brandon Bass
by Parade in Portland! on Apr 30, 2009 9:54 PM PDT up reply actions
it's either Hinrich or Bass
we don’t have cap space for both.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
I wonder how Tom Penn will put our exceptions to use. He needs to calculate cap space vs. exceptions really closely
Congrats to Houston. Beat LA!
Going forward Blazers have 5 draft picks, and Rockets have none :)
The Portland Trail Blazers won't have salary cap space this off-season, as the franchise ...
is better off not renouncing Raef LaFrentz’s cap hold — as the team would consequently lose his Bird rights — nor the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions. After the Darius Miles debacle, salary cap space was no longer something of importance during the summer of 2009.
by cap space
I was implying the Raef contract.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
by Cablinasian on Apr 30, 2009 10:00 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, Raef LaFrentz could be used in a sign-and-trade deal this off-season.
All things considered, that may be more valuable to the team than actual cap space.
Who in the world would want Lafrentz back in a trade?
Cap space can be used as a trade filler instead of actual salary.
Life is not by chance. Basketball is life.
He would be an expiring contract again (technically a three-year contract with the first year guaranteed)
RLEC 2010
Congrats to Houston. Beat LA!
Going forward Blazers have 5 draft picks, and Rockets have none :)
The Portland Trail Blazers did that once before with Joe Kleine in the ...
summer of 2000, as he was a part of the infamous Jermaine O’Neal deal.
http://articles.latimes.com/2000/sep/01/sports/sp-13781
Ah, there was “Trader” Bob Whitsitt and Mike Dunleavy, Sr. at work for y’all.
Restricted free-agent Paul Millsap will re-sign with the Utah Jazz, while Brandon Bass isn't ...
the banger who people frequently think of him as with the Dallas Mavericks. On the contrary, Bass is mainly a mid-range jump shooter and subpar defender.
some consistent scoring from the 3 would be nice too
by Peteyhasnohead on Apr 30, 2009 9:56 PM PDT up reply actions
Nic played pretty darn well down the stretch
Houston was just such a bad matchup.
It's time for one last offseason, one last time to prune the roster. It was a great ride to 54 wins, and our playoff loss exposed the deficiencies we must address. In KP I trust.
draft dejuan blair
he did
and he can only improve, it was just annoying to see that we had to rely on Outlaw to be our savior and put us over the edge.
I, in all honesty, wouldn’t mind if we didn’t make any moves if… anyone can figure out how to play solid defense, it was real hard for me to watch ,when we started finally making some baskets, we couldn’t stop the Rockets from scoring right back
by Peteyhasnohead on Apr 30, 2009 10:14 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm pretty much with you on that assessment, although I still have an odd fondness for Mike Miller.
Anyway, with the Portland Trail Blazers 32nd and 38th picks in the 2009 NBA Draft, I really want Kevin Pritchard to target shooting guard Nick Calathes and point guard Darren Collison.
Of course, those two guys would make Jerryd Bayless and Sergio Rodriguez expendable — although I’d love to move both them and Martell Webster to the Minnesota Timberwolves for newly nicknamed “Goldilocks” — but I’m probably in the slim minority there.
I think Collison goes in the 20s. One of the few PGs I can see to be instantly a good backup outside of the top guys.
Congrats to Houston. Beat LA!
Going forward Blazers have 5 draft picks, and Rockets have none :)
Ah, but Mario Chalmers surprisingly dropped pretty far last year.
Chalmers, however, probably had character issues go against him.
He isn't that good, that's why he dropped
Though, if you’re just looking for a backup, then 2nd round usually does have a few decent PGs available. The Bulls picked up Duhon in the 2nd round.
That Steve Nash is exactly the same as Kirk Hinrich, but worse.
by NBA Observer on Apr 8, 2009 12:23 PM CDT
by Ozzie Montana on Apr 30, 2009 10:03 PM PDT up reply actions
There should be
(Interview w/ Ron Artest about Brandon Roy) Sager: "He's a better player than Kobe Bryant, better than LeBron James?" Artest: "He's the best player I've played against."
by blazerbeliever on Apr 30, 2009 10:01 PM PDT up reply actions
Good job Blazers!
Seriously. What a ride! I can’t wait until next year, but my wife definitely can. She’s tired of seeing me pull the rest of my hair out. hehe. At least things will come a couple weeks sooner than they did last year.
(Interview w/ Ron Artest about Brandon Roy) Sager: "He's a better player than Kobe Bryant, better than LeBron James?" Artest: "He's the best player I've played against."
30 more weeks until the Uprise continues
Great season Blazers. BTW blazerbeliever, I cut mine short enough so that I could prevent the hair-pulling :)
Rockets win - I feel you Blazers fans
Yes, I feel you, however you do not know our pain. Maybe if you play us for the next 3 years in a row in the playoffs and lose, then maybe the next year you meet us in the Conference Finals and Battier makes a long 3 to move the Rockets to the NBA Finals you will fully understand our pain.
You guys played a great series. You guys have a lot to be celebrating right now. Brandon Roy is going to be a superstar. Fernandez is scary from behind the arc. Aldridge is… well, he’s awesome but honestly he’s not going to win you guys any rings.
I definitely fear Portland in the coming years much like I fear Chicago in the coming years.
Take what you have, build on it and I guarantee you that you will be serious contenders either next year or the year after.
Great series guys. I wish you the best in the years to come.
and to add on to that
I am so glad that this series didn’t devolve into a physical bullsh*t battle like the Magic & 76’ers or Boston & Chicago. Both of our teams kept the game clean. I appreciate that more than anything. Good clean games.
by jasonmicron on Apr 30, 2009 10:10 PM PDT up reply actions
Thanks for the kind words...
But believe me all blazers fans know pain… Shaun Elliot and the spurs.. Game 7 ten point lead in the 4th against the lakers. etc.. We know pain
by Parade in Portland! on Apr 30, 2009 10:15 PM PDT up reply actions
well
then hopefully you’ll be cheering the Rockets on to beat the Lakers!
heh. Just because I’m hoping that I’m not the minority here when I say that I want the Lakers to NOT make it to the finals.
by jasonmicron on Apr 30, 2009 10:21 PM PDT up reply actions
Great series Portland fans
And a great season. I’m sad we had to play you all in the first round.
The Blazers impressed me as a team and organization, and with the classiness of your fans. You already know the future is bright, but it bears repeating.
All the best, and hopefully see you next year (much later in the post-season)
next season?
We will see them in the 2nd round.
Houston will finish 2nd, Portland will finish 3rd. It will be a battle for the ages.
by jasonmicron on Apr 30, 2009 10:20 PM PDT up reply actions
As a rockets fan
I have not seen a greater more respectful opposition fan base then you portland fans.
Congrats on a great season and Good luck next season guys, you’se will dominate like the spurs if you’se keep it up.
Roy is a SUPERSTAR and he will only learn from this…..
LMA will too and once he gets a post game look out…
Oden is only a rookie but he’s coming along quickly, 1 full season should help hi out!!
and Rudy, well he’s a freak….
Thanks again for a great series guys (if only we didn’t lose the last game of the season so we didn’t have to match up so early)
Great year for our guys -- much better than almost anyone predicted.
We do not have to make major changes. Keep the heart of this team. Oden, Aldridge, Roy, Webster, Rudy, Batum, especially Bayless will get even better. Travis is still learning — he will be 25 in Sept. He is 2 months younger than Brandon. Travis is still learning many of the basics of pro basketball.
LaMarcus will be 24 in July.
Ruffan, LaFrench, Shavlik R, are definitely gone. So there will be at least 3 new faces.
Stu Inman: a soft-spoken, witty and brilliant basketball guy -- who had so much to do with Portland's only championship. He believed that you won with not just great players, but with great people. (D Jaynes 2-2-07 Portland Tribune)
Congratulations to the Blazers for an excellent season
No matter how bittersweet the ending must feel.
Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....
No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
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