Worries and Concerns
by Dave on Sep 2, 2009 1:16 AM PDT
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As we continue to ramp up towards a new season I don't mind telling you I'm pretty excited. This season offers more potential good feelings than we've seen since the beginning of the 2000-01 season. Being pragmatic for a moment, however, I wonder how much there is to worry about. Sure, it seems like things should go in fantastic fashion, but are there any hidden pitfalls just waiting for us to stumble into them? That is the question of the day.
My biggest concern is probably the topic Iverigma posted about so aptly below: the offense. Despite being efficient, the Blazers could use a little shot in the arm offensively. I'm not sure they got it. There's also potential for some rough patches integrating Andre Miller and Greg Oden. Greg is not new, of course, but he'll feel more pressure to remain on the floor this season which pretty much mandates a larger offensive role. Miller, Oden, and Aldridge may prove the difference-makers this season. How quickly and consistently that happens will be one of the main stories of the year. It's not like the offense will fall apart. As long as you have competent backcourt players that's not going to happen, and Portland surely does. But you could well see a lack of cohesiveness and some pronounced stuttering, both of which will result in the ball getting dumped to Brandon Roy. That's not a bad option but the point of the season is to progress towards juggernaut status. That's not going to happen unless all cylinders are firing.
A lesser worry I have is the potential of players to grow unhappy. I am worried about Rudy Fernandez. It wouldn't surprise me to see issues this year. That's not because I think he's more prone to divisiveness than other players. It's mostly because of his talent, position, and expectations. I don't think this will hurt the team much on the court, but it could become a chronic itch. I also worry a little about Outlaw and Webster. One or the other of those guys isn't going to be happy.
The good news is that these worries are relatively minor and certainly speculative compared to those which preceded past seasons. Prior to this it was easy to come up with 3-4 limitations the team would have each year...serious limitations which would inhibit their progress. This year they can go pretty much as far as they're committed to with the caveat that surviving a complete playoff run is still beyond them at this point. Until they hit the elite of the conference later in the playoffs the only thing that can truly stop the Blazers is themselves.
So what are your potential worries or concerns for the season? Enumerate and discuss below.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
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B-Roy getting injured and out for the season.
knock on wood.
Random but nothing would suck more.
"And our second unit can probably start in most NBA cities." -Maurice Lucas
Last year I txt.'d my friend that ESPN was reporting Tom Brady
would be out for the season two weeks prior to his actual injury. I felt partially responsible.
wanderlust
Well I don't live by Murphy's law so we should be good.
"And our second unit can probably start in most NBA cities." -Maurice Lucas
Don't Say That, Damn!
Shame on you dewolfe. Shame on you, you shouldn’t even think that!!
That would be the most devastating thing that could happen to the team for sure, but BRoy has proven himself to be an ironman of sorts so I’m not worried.
by DribbleDriveDish on Sep 2, 2009 1:44 AM PDT reply actions
Yeah i know lol but thats the worst thing that came to my mind.
"And our second unit can probably start in most NBA cities." -Maurice Lucas
Ha - Dave asks us to be honest and list our worries and you get jumped on!
It is written – people are allowed to worry about anything they want to worry about. But for the record my confidence energy in B-Roy going relatively injury free at least cancels out your worry energy so we are all good.
My biggest concern
would have to be how the team handles the pressure of being one of the biggest targets in the league. After this past season, the team will have targets painted on their backs all year long, and everyone will bring it every game.
Barring major injuries, we should still do just fine.
My only worry
is the salary cap situation and losing players to free agency simply because we cant pay them what they want/deserve (outlaw comes to mind), but more specifically after oden gets a new contract.
by jdawgg190 on Sep 2, 2009 1:58 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
You hit it right on the head
Rudy is my biggest concern. He has been a HUGE star who has flourished on the international scene and against NBA level talent, and I am sure at some point he will be wondering if/when he should be starting in this league. Even if he is a team player, the bottom line is that everyone wants to get paid, and the big money is in the starting lineup. He won’t start here for a long time to come, unless something REALLY bad happens. (I refuse to mention it…)
My guess is that he will be willing to play out his rookie contract, then KP will have to decide to use him as trade bait beforehand, or let him walk for nothing.
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." Jimi Hendrix
by philly420pdxhilo on Sep 2, 2009 2:04 AM PDT reply actions
I 2nd this
both can penetrate against the opposing 2nd string wings, and they’ll spread the floor nicely for LA and Greg/Joel if we continue to run lineups where neither Brandon or LA are off the court at the same time. I guess my concern would be getting Rudy in at 2 early and sliding Brandon to the 3 for 5-10 mins a game to ensure a smooth transition for Martell.
wanderlust
agreed
I’ve thought a lot about their PT. That and defending top-tier point guards.
I’m a positive guy, so I am hoping it all works out.
by pdxer in dfw on Sep 2, 2009 9:04 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
your biggest concern is offense???
mine would be Nate playing the likes of Blake, Webster and Outlaw too much over the likes of Rudy and Batum.
do you see Rudy and Batum in the lineup at the same time?
If so, who else is on the court with them? I think any two of Rudy, Webster, Batum, and Outlaw keep Roy on the bench in most scenarios – and while I’d like to see Roy’s minutes decrease a little this season, I’m not too crazy about playing long stretches without him. – Elgin
Without you out there, we're nowhere here
I want the best players on the court as much as possible
I think Rudy and Batum are good enough and versatile enough that they can play together with Roy at times. Its up to Nate to figure out minutes but I want more Batum, at least as much Rudy, less Outlaw, not much Webster unless he comes back substantially better than he was before the injury and less Blake.
so, maybe, a 3-guy rotation
among Rudy, Roy, and Batum at the SG and SF, and Webster and Outlaw ride the pine unless an injury happens?
Do you see anyone else getting many minutes at the point besides Miller and Blake? I don’t. – Elgin
Without you out there, we're nowhere here
NOT TO WORRY
Actually we are very deep and can learn to handle adversity. At the ripe age of 69, I have learned that worrying over the unknown is detrimental to my health.
This being a professional sport the injuries and frustrations are normal and we can’t do much about that.
The AAA theme is to have the peace of mind to accept the things we can not change, change the things we can and the courage to know the different. That pretty much says it all about worrying since worrying doesn’t help anyway.
Therefore I worry not, I am just excited about the season is about to start.
Oh wait, I do worry about getting to watch games or listening to them
because of Comcast. That is something I can’t change, so I must accept it. Maybe worry is not the word; anger would be closer to it.
hg
by BBK on Sep 2, 2009 3:10 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Nice thoughts, BBK.
I’m with you on the worrying. I am also with you on the TV thing. Can I really invest this much time and dreams on the Blazers, only to be denied watching them because of greed and disregard. I hope for a resolution between Comcast and Dish, but would settle for a more reasonable black out area. Why should Comcast have the right to black out League Pass as far away as Southern Oregon and Seattle. Why would the Blazers permit such a huge part of their fan base to be screwed over like this. Yeah, I’m worried this will happen again this year, and I’m mad enough about it that I WILL NOT attend a game until this is resolved.
I wonder if Bedgers could set up a sling box network for each other
someone in outer mongolia buys the gear and pays the frieght so someone in the comcast area can hook it up.
I thought the AAA theme
was “Relax. We take care of you?”
Man, if my car broke down and I called AAA and they told me I just had to accept the things I couldn’t change, I’d be pretty upset.
by LicketyBrindle on Sep 2, 2009 12:38 PM PDT up reply actions
Nice
Do you think those of us on the more beautiful side of the mountains think differently? I don’t worry about rattle snakes – I know where to look for them and avoid them.
Worry is wasted energy to me also. It helps that I do not have responsibility any longer for others so I can relax and appreciate each day for itself. I see the Blazers as a beautiful story right now that has exceeded my fondest hopes in the past decade so I want to observe and hitch a ride and see where it takes us.
Now you younger folks – you should worry so you keep earning money and paying taxes to support this decrepit old has-been (or never-was-been)! (not referring to BBK)
> It helps that I do not have responsibility any longer for others so I can relax and appreciate each day for itself.
I submit that your responsibility to others never ends, no matter how old you get. – Elgin
Without you out there, we're nowhere here
There is a mile of difference between 'to' and 'for'
I am responsible to you to be courteous and listen to your observations. I am not responsible for your response.
I am responsible to my country to respect its history and traditions. I am not responsible for the decisions made by its leaders in making history and breaking traditions.
Excellent statement
One exception — if you vote for the clowns, you have a measure of responsibility for their actions, to the extent that you could/should have anticipated those actions.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
Things I could worry about ...
1) Oden having a meltdown or slipping into a funk because fouls won’t let him stay on the court.
I don’t think that will happen. I think his improved mobility, a fresh attitude, and NBA destiny (the league needs a couple of marketable centers as rivals for Howard) will resolve his foul problems as the year progresses. He should also get more P&R opportunities and lobs playing with Miller, which should help make the game fun for him again.
2) Oden injuries
Nah, he’s due for some good health. I’m not even going to think about it (except when he is on the court).
3) Miller’s integration with Roy and battle with Blake over starting.
Nah, this will be resolved by how well various combinations work on the court. If the Blazers extend Blake for a couple years, he will be ok with whatever helps the team. I’m going to assume Miller feels the same until proven otherwise. This is more of a problem for the BE community than for the players.
4) Joel opting out and leaving at the end of the year.
Nah, Joel will get an extension, or opt out but re-sign with the Blazers. He just wants more years for security, and we can’t let him walk because we can re-sign him for only a couple million more than our MLE, and we couldn’t come close to replacing him for the MLE. Not to worry.
5) The small forward crunch.
OK, this is the one I’m going to worry about until KP fixes it. Someone has to go, or this will eventually turn into a train wreck. Four young guys, Outlaw, Webster, Batum, and Rudy (who plays some SF on offense) are trying to make a career, and are competing for 48 SF minutes. KP needs to make a good trade before this gets ugly, or he could end up giving away one of these guys for little or nothing just to keep an upbeat locker room.
The obvious trade is Outlaw and up to $2.7M in cap space for a backup PF/C, because he isn’t ideal in the backup PF role, needs additional minutes at SF, and will walk as an unrestricted FA at the end of the season anyway. His scoring is no longer critical to our success, but it makes him valuable in a trade.
With Outlaw gone Batum and Webster can battle over about 38 minutes at SF per game. Rudy gets the other 10 minutes playing SF on offense with Brandon at SF on defense in our usual 3-guard lineup. Rudy also gets 10-12 minutes while Brandon rests, and another 5-6 minutes playing PG/SG with Roy. That gives him 25-28 minutes very similar to how he got 25.5 minutes last year.
That will keep Rudy happy this year, and give him a chance to earn more future backup PG minutes if he can learn to defend PG’s as well as Blake (not that high of a hurdle). At the end of the year we can assess Batum, Webster, and Rudy and decide if we need to trade one to make more time for the other two.
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 2, 2009 3:16 AM PDT reply actions
Yep, that small forward crunch bothers me too ......
but I think the best solution is to jettison Webster. While he currently wouldn’t likely bring us much in return, we are so loaded I don’t feel this is a gigantic factor. Outlaw is too good to get rid of, you’d have to be insane to consider trading Batum and Rudy is simply a special player. Those 3 in my mind are keepers.
Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave
Also: COMCAST SUCKS!
Jettison Webster? No way.
Mo Lucas said Martell is really impressing him in workouts. If he makes a full recovery from his foot injury and plays anywhere near his potential, Nic might be seeing backup minutes all season. I’m sure KP wants to see what Martell can do before he makes any decisions about anyone.
Webster has beautiful form with his shot.
But the key is to hit those shots and not just look pretty. To this point, he has not been the consistent long range shooter we had hoped for. He’s not a good ball handler. He is very athletic.
BTW, we have seen that Martell is capable of entering funks. If he’s healthy this year but doesn’t get to play much I don’t know what to expect.
Rudy needs to be kept happy for us to retain him in Portland. And Nic, there is no way we’ll be letting him go. So I stand by my opinion that we need to unload Martell. Of course most would feel that it’s Outlaw who should go, but I’m not in that corner.
Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave
Also: COMCAST SUCKS!
Right now, Martell is virtually untradeable
His contract has four more years to run. Nobody wants it until they get a chance to see that he can play for at least a couple of months.
The only way you could trade him would be to make salaries match if you were giving up a very high talent player like Rudy. Say, Rudy plus Martell for Battier or something like that.
If he plays reasonably well and stays healthy, Martell could possibly go in a mid-season trade. Not before.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
"Rudy plus Martell for Battier or something like that."
I hope it won’t be something like that.
Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave
Also: COMCAST SUCKS!
Let them fight it out all year - it will make all of them better
I don’t think there is a quitter in the bunch.
every person involved seems to be a solid citizen
I don’t see any evidence of discontent yet. I think that the most acting out that we will see as a result of less playing time is that the player that feels most affronted due to lack of playing time plays out his contract and seeks a deal elsewhere. – Elgin
Without you out there, we're nowhere here
My only worry
Is that I want Oden to have a chance to have his conditioning be at the level it needs to be at. If he can do that, all else will fall into place.
We’re a very good team even with Oden not being Oden yet. If he’s in shape, he’ll have less foul troubles, be on the floor more, and make us a GREAT team.
Our team is still just getting warmed up. I don’t really worry about anything, as no matter what it’s just a matter of time before everything is clicking amongst Roy/LMA/Oden/Batum/Etc. Injuries happen to everyone, so hopefully we can avoid anything too serious AND we can get Oden to not breathe so heavy.
This will be an awesome season.
Mortimer
Sure!
I don’t think it’ll fully go away in only one season.
But being in shape and having the one year under his belt will make it so he’s not in foul trouble EVERY game at least.
Oden's foul trouble
as much as Oden needs to develop his defensive game, namely keeping his feet on the floor and not going after every shot especially against guys penetrating with the sole intent to draw contact with him, is the fact the the refs last year gave Oden no consideration. The refs had the whistles already perched between their lips and drawing air nasally anytime the ball went near Greg. If Stern’s hired goons don’t back off and let Oden play what difference can he really make?
Everything comes gradually and at its appointed hour--Ovid
Isn't that a rookie phenomenon?
Perhaps the refs earn respect from the veterans by picking on the rookies.
The rookies that don’t get into foul trouble often don’t play defense! The rookies with 3 or 4 years of college or prior pro experience have learned the tricks that get overlooked by the refs. One year out of HS is pretty green indeed.
Yes, it will improve
even if he doesn’t change anything.
But most of it wasn’t the refs, most of it (IMO) was conditioning, and not moving quickly enough. I think Greg has pretty good defensive instincts, but his body just wasn’t reacting the way it always has in the past. So he was trying to do things that his body just wasn’t ready to do, and getting fouls as a result.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
Normally I find agreement with you
but I maintain Greg got a raw deal and the refs made an example out of Greg time and time again
Everything comes gradually and at its appointed hour--Ovid
It happened a lot
but some of it is because he got a reputation, because he was fouling a lot.
The cheap ones hurt only because of the real ones. Both should diminish this year.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
what reputation?
I dunno. I don’t recall him being a fouling machine in college. He was too good for that and just gobbled up shots without getting whistled.
In the NBA, he was foul prone because teams learned that Stern’s little Jesuses would blow the whistle every time if they attacked Oden’s area. I’m not saying Greg didn’t deserve his share of calls by getting a bit greedy defensively. Hopefully Greg has learned when to move his feet, when to stay planted, and hopefully the “refs” have been given new orders to ease up on the rookie treatment.
Everything comes gradually and at its appointed hour--Ovid
There is enough to worry about. My major concerns:
- Miller and Roy not clicking, forcing Roy to become much more of an off-ball mid-range and outside shooter when they are together. He would still be good in that role, but it’s hard to imagine him being as efficient as he is when driving and controlling the ball. I assume it will work on some nights, and look bad on others initially. Basically Miller HAS to work because that was the major acquisition with our cap space/Raef coming off the books and now big moves are more difficult and/or cost more young talent.
- Thus the Blazers still not scoring enough easy points inside and digging themselves into a hole early in games. Which was a problem all year, and in the end killed them in the playoffs when Houston simply overloaded defenders on Roy and LMA.
- Nic being the major victim of the forward and guard surplus and seeing a decline in minutes, instead of the big increase he should get to develop fully and fast.
- Bayless seeing no minutes (then getting frustrated and punching a teammate or Nate in practice).
- Not having a real third center (which is no huge problem as long as LMA is healthy), and more so no final solution for backup power forward. To that effect, passing up on this guy (some language) who will come to haunt us at some point as the definition of easy but effective garbage plays.
- Of course injury concerns, but those are always there. An injury to LMA who was pretty healthy so far in his career would derail everything.
- And finally that other teams in the West have loaded up so much that they can’t be stopped. Of course injuries can happen also to them and their new additions might not work out, but it looks like one of those will come through and succeed this season over the Blazers in the playoffs (the only major disappointment to me would be not reaching the playoffs. The rest is hard to predict in a loaded league).
There's Gotta Be More To Life
I think this consitutes much ado about nothing.
Miller is a veteran player with what appears to be an above average understanding of the game. He should not have a problem working his game in with Brandon’s or anyone else’s. And as for this having to work because Miller was our major acquisition – that is an artificial requirement you and other fans are placing on the team. Not every move works out. You learn from them and move on.
If Batum is not playing major minutes it will likely be due to Martell out playing him. That is not something to be worried about.
Why is it important how many minutes Bayless plays? The guy is third on the depth charts at either guard position. Teams do not worry about how many minutes their 3rd string guard plays.
Which also applies to your next worry. 3rd string center? Seriously? If we are down to worrying about a third string center, then we have no worries.
Worrying about injuries is natural, but as BBK points out above, injuries happen and there really isn’t anything anyone can do to prevent them from happening. Since it not a controllable factor, we are better off not worrying about them. But I’m not going to fault someone for doing so.
I never worry about the competition. For one, they are another factor outside the team’s control. For another, if you believe in your team, then you don’t worry about the competition. If the competition is so much better, then any expectation to compete for a title is unreasonable to begin with. Hence, if your team is good enough to compete, then just play the games, don’t worry about them.
hakkaa päälle !
if we split everything up equally there will be plenty to go around!
Without you out there, we're nowhere here
id like to see some % on each of these...
despite what people are gonna say #1 was a large topic of conversation when miller was acquired… there has to be SOME chance of that happening.
#3… its possible right… i mean EVERYONE can’t play alot and shine equally? right?
- given some of his quotes maybe so. he wants a chance like any other player… and i dont blame him.
the others seem kind of like things that could happen to any team.
Miller and Roy not clicking is a non-issue to me.
Miller’s game will open more possibilities for Roy. Roy won’t stop owning the rock in crunch time, but he won’t have to own it every time. Roy won’t stop scoring points off dribble-jukes and drives, but now he’ll have the option of getting a pass from Miller while he’s slashing to the hoop sometimes. Opponents will have a more complex Blazer offense to defend and won’t be able to focus solely on Brandon in an isolation play.
Nice bullets, Norsk.
I expect it to work fine in some games, and look off in others. Miller is not much of an off-guard (an area where Blake excels offensively) but puts pressure himself on the defense with pick and rolls, drives and dishes, and even posting up. This is very good and will help our offense. On the other hand when he handles the ball to drive he takes up that lane, and Roy could have more shots in pick and pop situations from further outside. He talked about working on his mid-range game this offseason, and presumably hasn’t done less so after the Miller acquisition. Still the mid-range 2 point shot is not the most efficient one for hardly any player.
There's Gotta Be More To Life
Some valid points here but
Miller and Roy together are the largest concern but not a big concern to me. At least we are not paying Miller $23M per year (ala Iverson in Denver or Detroit or Shaq in Phoenix or Cleveland) so he will have to earn his minutes the same as the rest of the team. I see the biggest advantage to Miller and Roy together is double teaming Roy when he can get the ball to Miller makes for easy 4 on 3 with our best passer controlling. Roy should see much less of that trapping double-team out top. Miller has tradeable skills and contract to move him if it does not work.
The back-up center issue is one I have some interest in as well. No question Blair had potential to fill a role (probably not at center) but the concerns were shared by many teams and KP has a good record for dissing favorites over drafting steals. He certainly has options as the season progresses if the need and opportunity arises.
I only have one worry
That I will get totally zapped by work and miss lots of the season.
Otherwise, whatever happens, there is going to be good entertainment from this team. There will be good moments and bad, injuries, guys not playing as well as expected, guys playing better than expected, guys not getting enough PT, trade proposals, “how did we win that” moments and “how did we lose that game” moments. “Fire Nate” comments and “Fire KP” rants. “Calm down, it was only one loss” posts from Dave, and “Calm down, we haven’t one the championship” posts.
It’s going to be a lot of fun.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
by jscot on Sep 2, 2009 5:34 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Urgh "won" the championship, not "one"
How did I do that? Stupidity rules.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
I did the AAA thing instead of AA.
That was like I finally got a good idea and foule it up with a typo.
hg
by BBK on Sep 2, 2009 4:11 PM PDT up reply actions
I never worry
For the sake of this post, I will worry about every player on the roster needing microfracture surgery on both knees after the preseason.
Thanks for covering that for us, Tom
Now I don’t have to worry about such things, because I know you are doing it for me.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
Exactly
And if no one needs microfracture after the preseason, then it’s smooth sailing and an injury free team the rest of the season.
It's hard to worry about ANYTHING living in paradise...
Except for tsunamis and lava, I suppose…
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." Jimi Hendrix
by philly420pdxhilo on Sep 3, 2009 2:56 AM PDT up reply actions
The lack of front court depth
Really worries me…..we aren’t going into the season with just 3 1/2 proven front court players are we?!?!?!
2 1/2
Odom counts as 1/2.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
I'm with you on this
I really wish we went and got a veteran backup PF. I had that higher on my priority list than a big acquisition like Miller (not that I’m complaining we got him).
my biggest concern is if i will trip and dump my nachos (with extra cheese)
on the fans 3 aisles down again.
"There are a few teams you have to watch out for in the fourth quarter."
"Yeah, but Portland definitely is not one of them."
-New Orleans Hornets broadcasters at the end of the third quarter with the Hornets leading 74-59. Portland later ends up winning 97-89.
"They don't mind him shooting that shot at all. Rudy Fernandez is not that great of a 3pt shooter."
-New Orleans Hornets broadcasters right after a Rudy Fernandez missed 3pter. Rudy Fernandez finished the game with three 3pters on six attempts.
by Tofu Anonymous on Sep 2, 2009 7:55 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
If you don't get extra cheese
this would be less of a disaster.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
What? Me worry?
One really has to work at it to come up with things to worry about with this team.
That or have a Jewish grandmother that you take after.
hakkaa päälle !
What is worry?
Worry is interest paid on something that hasn’t happened yet. I worry that too many fans worry about nothing. I’m not sure why we’re talking about potential offensive woes in the first place. Anyone who followed the team last year could see the defensive liabilities were a major problem, in the regular season and magnified even more in the playoffs. Maybe I’m the only one who noticed that pink elephant at center court.
Injuries to Roy or LMA would be huge.
But of more practical concern, I worry that SBN is trying to make it impossible to type in the top line, which will be a pain in the butt during game day threads. But it seems like they haven’t messed with the number of characters you can type, even though they made the bar so short, so it’s all good. Wow, maybe they’ve even increased capacity of the top line? That would be sweet. One less thing to worry about for me anyhow. But back to the original topic, yeah, if Brandon goes down the Blazers are screwed. Although I have a really grim foreboding that iron man Andre MIller is the guy who is going to have troubles with his body this year. He’s getting older and he’s so far past “due” that it just seems like a doozie is coming. Maybe I’m just a pessimist, but that’s the guy who scares me. Holy crap, they did expand the number of characters you can type in the subject line. Now that I’ve gone this far, I feel like I need to keep going just to see if there is any cap at all. Of course, if there isn’t you will end up hearing my tale of woe about our broken refrigerator… I mean, think about it, the refrigerator breaks, which makes my wife VERY VERY VERY crabby, and it’s two days for the repairman. What do you need when that happens? A COLD BEER!!! Or six!!! And yet, the refrigerator is broken, so the choice is 52 degree beer, no thank you, or whiskey on the rocks. Yum yum, that sounds good. Problem is, all the ice in the whole frickin’ house got used in the ice cooler transporting the still unspoiled perishables to the backup freezer. OH, CRAP!
I just got a warning message that the top line can only be 255 characters long.
Thing is it gave the warning WAY WAY WAY after I went over the 255 mark.
Leave it to them to screw up the works whenever they try to fix something that isn’t broken…
Now you know. The things I will do for science.
You’re welcome.
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
by timbo on Sep 2, 2009 8:29 AM PDT reply actions 6 recs
Great, now I am worried about the noises my fridge has been making lately. I should be reading Consumer Reports instead of BlazerSedge.
Actually, my worries are irrelevant. The Blazers will succeed or fail whether I worry about them or not. I’m going to spend all my worry time on things I have control over.
This is dumb
If you have control over them, stop worrying and do something about it.
If you are going to waste your time and energy worrying, you should do so about something totally unimportant and irrelevant.
I worry about Lionel Hollins giving Zach the green light on three pointers.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
Timbo, you needlessly worry
Unless you only drink lager all other beers/ales should be servable at cellar temperatures (55F). In fact, that is traditionally (ie. pre-refrigerator) the expected serving temperature. Guiness is often served “warm”. Most good beers will actually be better at 55F while the bad ones will really stand out as all the flavors will be present. The whole point of chilling your beer below 55F is to hide the fact the brew has flaws. Lagers are cold fermented and therefore do not qualify as they should never during their life be warmed excpet when trapped inside the stomach.
Injuries are the only "worries and concerns"
The Blazers have enough talent to compete, team chemistry is good, the team has effective personnel at every position, the feeling is that the team has depth, supportive fans, no stadium or crazy salary issues, stingy owner issues, or a nutjob on the team.
Hence, the only thing that could derail a successful season is a rash of injuries, key injuries that is. The team showed it can lose a starter like Webs and overcome…
Anyone else notice that when LaMarcus had an ineffective 1st quarter the game was in immediate jeopardy? Roy could have a slow game, Trout could miss everything but the floor, and the team would be fine. Have Aldridge come out cold and it’s a slog of an uphill all game.
We talk about our depth a bunch on this site, and the press does as well. I would hate to see a long spell with no LaMarcus. Imagine a Pryz injury sweating and crossing your fingers for limited Oden fouls…
My biggest worry has been that Dave can't handle the offseason
S
The Princess of Blazersedge
Sports do not build character. They reveal it. - Casey Dillon Stengel
DON'T PANIC: Spanish media is reporting unequivocally that Rudy has a small hamstring tear
Dave or Ben will be here any minutes to talk people off the ledge
There's Gotta Be More To Life
Well, that's it. Season over
Time to start watching John Wall and Derrick Favors video.
I recommend this one on Wall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4CbQGBbUOw
And becoming a fan of a bottom-dweller team to root for drafting him. He won’t drop past #1.
There's Gotta Be More To Life
my fandom is getting stretched thin
I already have committed to watching the Bucks this year to satisfy my man crush on Brandon Jennings.
I’m worried about..
1. Greg Oden’s knee allowing him to explode and be the player he was at Ohio State. I want to see better movement with his feet, allowing him to avoid stupid fouls. No more hacking at guards as they drive baseline or silly blocking fouls. Basically if GO can average 20-25 minutes a night, he has the potential to be a double-double guy. Potential.
2. Rudy Fernandez dealing with uncertain minutes every night. Knowing he could start at SG for half the teams in this league is not a good omen. Is he really part of our championship future, or just here until his contract is up? I doubt he’ll continue accepting a backup role in Portland.
3. Who will be a true backup to LaMarcus? Are we going to sign a veteran power forward before the deadline? How long does the team wait? Travis Outlaw is probably not a long-term solution for the team. Further, we really need LaMarcus to improve his toughness inside. I’m not calling him soft. Don’t get me wrong. But when we play the Lakers, he should handle his defensive assignment on Gasol without much trouble.
4. Lastly, what’s the deal with Martell Webster? Is his offensive game polished enough coming off an injury to win the starting job over an improved Batum? Keep in mind that while Martell is STILL recovering, Batum has been playing international basketball. He will come into training camp fit and ready to roll. At what point do you gain more with Webster than you lose by taking Batum out of the starting lineup? How much has Batum improved his offensive game this off-season?
Regarding Hedo Türkoğlu:
Look at the bright side, Blazers fans -- you dodged a bullet. He peaked statistically two years ago. He's allegedly 30 but could be closer to 32 or 33 for all we know. (Do you trust Turkish birth certificates? And isn't it weird that he played four years of pro ball in Turkey in the 1990s?)
- Bill Simmons of ESPN.com
The knee will fully recover in time.
Greg getting his weight back to 260 is the best thing he can do for his knee and his game.
Gasol is not Mark Madsen. He’s an All-Star and a gifted offensive player. No one covers someone with his skills “without much trouble.”
I'm trying to remember who guarded him in China for USA?
Perhaps LeBron?
10:20 ET A Chinese arena announcer asks "ARE YOU REAAAAAAADY?" The crowd assures him that it is. Pau Gasol turns the ball over and LeBron James scores the first points of the game.
snip
Or Chris Bosh:
1048 ET Pete Thamel checks in again from the arena in Beijing:
Its fairly obvious what the Team USA gameplan is for Pau Gasol. Its no secret that Gasol is considered soft in NBA circles, anyone who watched the NBA finals could determine that.
Chris Bosh said yesterday that when watching film of Gasol they felt he caught the ball too easily in spots where he could be effective.
The banging of Gasol to make his life difficult started early. Kobe Bryant, his Laker teammate, nearly decapitated him on a screen. Dwight Howard pushed him around on the block, with the results being scoreless first quarter with two turnovers. Spain is playing virtually no defense and needs more from the big fella in the middle.
Note these notes were from a early round game and not the medal game.
lol. so i guess that proves that gasol isn't an effective player.
especially considering that no other nba player has any weakness that might be game-planed by opponents.
My biggest concerns (in order):
1) Oden shows no signs of improvement. Let’s face it, as talented as this team is, if Oden is only a 9 and 7 guy we aren’t winning a title. He needs to be AT LEAST 10 and 9 with solid defense this season or the “bust” label will start sticking.
2) Dissent on the bench. With Rudy, Outlaw, and Bayless all young and wanting minutes none of them will be truly satisfied with what they get. My hope and honest expectation is that they will play the minutes they are given without complaint, but there’s a chance for chemistry issues.
3) Andre Miller and Brandon Roy not meshing. I expect them to do fine together, but both prefer to create the offense and there is only one basketball to go around. There’s a chance the whole will be less than the sum of the parts.
i think we all have to agree that #2 might be a distinct possibility that at least ONE person is unhappy.
i doubt it effects the winning though.
There's a difference between "unhappy" and "disruptive"
I want every bench player upset with their playing time so that they play harder and try to earn more minutes. I just don’t want chemistry damaged because of it.
I'm worried that iverigma2
has just handed a ready-made scouting report on the Blazer’s offense to every other team in the league….and that Henry Abbott is helping in the spread by linking to it….
by Storyteller on Sep 2, 2009 10:26 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I'm worried that the league can't stop us anyway
and we will win every game by 20 points or more.
Congress will pass antitrust legislation against us, and we’ll be forced to give up four starters and two bench players, and give a roster spot to Dan Dickau.
"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue
Absolutely
If other teams haven’t already broken down game footage of the Blazers, well, then they deserve to lose.
This was my way of saying that, at this point, although I have some concerns (will Roy and Miller mesh, will Webster and Oden be at 100% physically, etc.) – they are just that, concerns about the unknown. I really don’t have any worries right now about the team. I’m sure that once the season starts and I get a chance to see how they play, I’ll develop worries. But here in the beginning of September? No worries yet.
i actually watch the nba and see the doubts about every team...
and i make predictions based on who has the more likely chance of answering their many questions. I find that usually when their is smoke their is fire with the nba… so to me that is what is so fascinating about the nba and thats why i love it.
The coaching staff’s ability to make adjustments!
This is a big year for Nate. The decisions this year are not so much in covering up glaring weaknesses, as Dave noted, but his decisions are going to be more along the lines of trying to get your racecar up to peak performance once you have most everything else in place.
We should not be looking for plausible deniability. Youth, small to medium sized injuries, improper personnel, and even schedule are a form of not taking responcibility; all these excuses need to be thrown out the loser window.
Win now. At least 55 wins. More than one round of the playoffs. And how about realistically being able to say that our coach, "out coached," another coach in the playoffs.
In short, if Nate proves himself this year, then we have very few worries even into the future. If Nate is not able to show that he is truly an elite coach, then what? I would say that we had better start worrying about the next several years.
In the end, it is not personal, it’s about X’s and O’s, and adjustments. It is time to see what we really have under the hood.
There is more to an athlete than how fast they can run, they also better be able to see what they are doing and know why they are doing it.
by KINGofMACct on Sep 2, 2009 10:59 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
worried that they've peaked
That they are going to again be a team that beats the easy teams, wins at home, gets a good record, but can’t beat the elite teams, can’t win on the road and can’t win in the playoffs.
Part of this worry rests on what Dave and Iverigma already worried about: the offense, specifically that the schemes and players rely on jump shots. The Blazers hit them in the easy situations but miss them (not always, but more than they can afford) in the pressure situations.
Another part of the worry is the perimeter defense: can they get stops (and minimize fouls) against elite perimeter players in pressure situations.
If these base worries are addressed with the addition of Andre and the development of Greg, LMA, etc., then the primary worry fades and glory follows. So I’m more excited than worried!
Worry that they're never going to be good defensively
To contend for a championship, its not good enough to be OK at defense, we’ve got to be good. I worry that we discover that for one reason or the other we just dont have a team that plays championship defense.
Individually: worry that LMA is less than an All Star because he doesn’t hold his own against Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudamire, and others; worry that Greg never gets past foul proneness, and is less of a defensive stopper in the NBA that we hoped; worry that Brandon finds that no matter how hard he tries, he isn’t superstar caliber defensive stopper; worry that Miller is aging and PG continues to be defensive leak
As a team: worry that the guys just never figure out how to play lock own team defense; worry that perimeter is porous as ever.
My hope is that these are baseless worries, and that its just a matter of learning curve. But the nightmare is that they will never be as good defensively as they need to be to win a championship.
didn't aldridge slap kevin garnett on the head when garnett elbowed aldridge in the head?
"There are a few teams you have to watch out for in the fourth quarter."
"Yeah, but Portland definitely is not one of them."
-New Orleans Hornets broadcasters at the end of the third quarter with the Hornets leading 74-59. Portland later ends up winning 97-89.
"They don't mind him shooting that shot at all. Rudy Fernandez is not that great of a 3pt shooter."
-New Orleans Hornets broadcasters right after a Rudy Fernandez missed 3pter. Rudy Fernandez finished the game with three 3pters on six attempts.
by Tofu Anonymous on Sep 2, 2009 12:21 PM PDT up reply actions
LMA can be tough, when he's ticked off
Hopefully we get to see a lot more of the tough guy enforcer coming from him. But, I was talking about defensive stopper skills, not just being a tough guy. Will LMA grow to be a lock-down defender where guys like Pau, TimD, Amare and others struggle to score against him.
my biggest concerns
1. Who is going to replace Tony Luftman? I can’t fathom how Michael Holton kept that gig, well… I can but won’t.
2. What kind of commercial Spirit Mountain Casino comes up this season. I say go back to the “I know a place” diddy.
3. Has Rebecca Haarlow learned her lesson about wearing other teams colors during Blazer broadcasts?
Everything comes gradually and at its appointed hour--Ovid
See the report on Rudy
and multiply it times Roy, Aldridge, Oden and Miller.
Injuries are the key proviso to success in any sport. “We have a chance to win the championship if—” and so on.
Honor Alaa Abdelnaby.
First in the NBA. At least alphabetically
Injuries for any of the 1st and 2nd team, and foul trouble for Oden & Przy.
the only way this team doesn’t make a run at a title is Blazers being on the bench instead of on the court.
Can’t wait until October !!!
I posted this on Greg's highlight video, seems more appropriate here.
This is what I’m worried about
Even in highlights, his good plays seem haphazard and clumsy. Most of those plays were dunks when he was not guarded at all. I still like the guy and love his dunks but… man, it’s just not there. He doesn’t look like a basketball player, just a really big athletic guy without much court sense (save rebounding) who learned to dribble and pivot. Eric Dampier on a really good day is unfortunately looking more and more likely. (Damn you Bill Simmons!)
I would appreciate it if someone remembers to throw this back in my face if he has a monster year.
AND
I’m worried about wear and tear on our international players since they don’t ever seem to take breaks.
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