Can Someone Summarize Hollinger?

Anyone w/ ESPN Insider want to summarize the gist of Hollinger's Blazer preview?

over 2 years ago Good Work Doc Roberts 25 comments 0 recs |

Comments

It's all very positive

I’m at work now so i dont have time for a full summary, but he basically says that last year we had arrived as one of the elite, and that we’re likely going to improve this year. He has us winning about 58 games.

by moflow on Sep 28, 2009 9:02 PM PDT reply actions

oops

as pointed out below 55 is the correct number of wins.

by moflow on Sep 28, 2009 9:14 PM PDT up reply actions

It says

GO BLAZERS

also 55 wins. and that last year our point differential was great, especially after all star break and that our FT % against was ridiculous and cost us 2 wins.

Frye-lock and I'm on top rock you like a cop

by pklym on Sep 28, 2009 9:06 PM PDT reply actions

He believes Portland will win the NW and finish 2nd in the Western Conference with 55. If everyone stays healthy. Only minor criticisms are the lack of depth in true big men, nothing special at backup PF. Jokes about “bad free throw defense”, since for some reason opposing teams made a ton of their free throws against the Blazers costing us about 2 games.

"I think he can still play" - Kevin Pritchard on Juwan Howard

by Norsktroll on Sep 28, 2009 9:14 PM PDT reply actions

Only minor criticisms are the lack of depth in true big men, nothing special at backup PF

Yeah, he pretty much said that if Greg or Joel go down, there’s no one to replace them. And he noted that Oden/Przy haven’t exactly been the picture of health…it was nice to get a chance to read John’s article earlier today, before the fanpost was taken down

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Sep 28, 2009 10:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Actually, didn't he say we'd be a 61 win team with everyone healthy

but that he expects some injuries will knock us down to 55 wins

I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich

by hobobob on Sep 29, 2009 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions

to summarize...

The article talks about how you need to pay money to read more. And you have to accept junk mail on a weekly basis in the form of a magazine with articles written by Stuart Scott.

by sambowie on Sep 28, 2009 10:12 PM PDT reply actions

Sounds good

I wonder why more people don’t pull their wallet out and throw their money at that “opportunity”.

by lurtsman on Sep 29, 2009 1:51 PM PDT up reply actions

Not to mention in my case that that crap is two weeks old by the time it gets here

Worst magazine ever

by tominhawaii on Sep 30, 2009 9:02 AM PDT up reply actions

Is bad free throw defense repeatable?

If not, why only 55? Let’s see, we were two below expected based on point differential, and down two because of bad free throw defense. Neither of those can be expected to repeat, particularly, so expectation should be four higher than last year.

Oh, Hollinger, I fear you are wrong again. What did you project for us for last year, John? Did you nail that 54, or did you miss the mark by a wee little bit? Was it 41? I don’t remember, but it was something silly, I think.

"if Nate has Roy or Miller in the game at all times, that stagnation will turn into conflagration" -- two4larue

by jscot on Sep 29, 2009 1:17 AM PDT reply actions

it was 42 if I remember correctly

with GS at 40

I absolutely HATED that analysis. He pegged the warriors at 40 for their youth and potential for improvement, but only have us 42 and said our youth was too inexperienced or some jazz like that.

I’m more okay with this one. 60 wins is hard to get.

Magnum Power Index or Magnum P.I.

by Magnum on Sep 29, 2009 4:15 AM PDT up reply actions

I agree

I won’t say that anyone who projects us at 55 is stupid or anything. This time he’s at least recognizing a good team. Last year, he was just dumb.

As author of Da BOM (Blazer Optimist Manifesto), I hereby certify that we will win 62 games in the regular season. Disagree at your peril.

by jscot on Sep 29, 2009 4:48 AM PDT up reply actions

Thanks everyone. I wanted to know too.

tbd

by Diggidy on Sep 29, 2009 11:11 AM PDT reply actions

copy and paste

can anyone just copy and paste it in here?

myspace.com/marktwainindians

by mark twain on Sep 29, 2009 12:44 PM PDT reply actions

it gets flagged by someone who despises sharing information

then a mod removes it

by lurtsman on Sep 29, 2009 1:53 PM PDT up reply actions

If you want ESPN suing Dave

and putting Bedge out of business, that’s up to you, I guess.

The problem is not the mods, the problem is the law. Until you can get that changed, you can’t expect the site to break the law with all the liability that comes to it. Talk to your congressman, not your moderator.

As author of Da BOM (Blazer Optimist Manifesto), I hereby certify that we will win 62 games in the regular season. Disagree at your peril.

by jscot on Sep 29, 2009 2:06 PM PDT up reply actions

Uh, I think you mean the The Walt Disney Co. suing Kos Media, LLC.

http://www.bloggersblog.com/blog/719091

Yet, as you can see, Markos Moulitsas has a ton of money in his coffers.

Anyway, you’re right that the original post indeed violated plagiarism laws.

Stupid people have stupid ideas.

by AK1984 on Sep 29, 2009 9:04 PM PDT up reply actions

Wow

We’re making money here for Markos?

As author of Da BOM (Blazer Optimist Manifesto), I hereby certify that we will win 62 games in the regular season. Disagree at your peril.

by jscot on Sep 30, 2009 2:42 AM PDT up reply actions

Yes. And Tyler Bleszinski (founding blog 'Athletics Nation') and venture capital firm Accel Partners. Such is life.

"I think he can still play" - Kevin Pritchard on Juwan Howard

by Norsktroll on Sep 30, 2009 8:02 AM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, it just goes to show the hypocriscy of one Markos Moulitsas.

For someone who’s both rich and famous due to espousing democratic socialist rhetoric, it’s ironic that Mr. Zúñiga (a.k.a, “kos”) has benefited greatly from American captialism.

Stupid people have stupid ideas.

by AK1984 on Sep 30, 2009 10:27 PM PDT up reply actions

Speaking as a journalist

It’s really infuriating to see your work wholesale copied to another site that generates absolutely zero revenue for your company and thus provides you with zero compensation. It’s one thing to use the first three graphs and then link back, another thing entirely to just completely ignore copyright law.

Not that that didn’t stop me in the early days of Napster, but I grew out of it.

by Charon on Sep 29, 2009 7:47 PM PDT up reply actions

link

part of the article was reproduced here:

http://niketalk.yuku.com/topic/208323/t/John-Hollinger-s-2009-10-NBA-Forecast-Top-3-in-the-West-.html

by mangas on Sep 29, 2009 2:29 PM PDT reply actions

Biggest Weakness: Frontcourt Depth

…one thing to keep an eye on during the course of the year is all the bodies in the frontcourt. This may be where the failure to nab Millsap or Odom comes back to bite them, as the Blazers essentially have three big bodies in the frontcourt — Przybilla, Oden and Aldridge. Beyond that, they’re looking at Outlaw as a small-ball 4, Howard as a replacement-level Band-Aid, or second-round rookies like Pendergraph and Cunningham.

Thus, if any kind of injury were to hit one of the three main frontcourt performers, it would leave the Blazers exposed against opponents with quality size … like, say, the Lakers, Spurs, Nuggets and Jazz. And that’s not a remote possibility considering the histories of the players involved, particularly the two centers. Oden has gained renown for his susceptibility to injuries with a broken wrist his one year in college, knee surgery that knocked out his rookie season and then assorted injuries that cost him 21 games a year ago.

Less widely known is that Przybilla isn’t exactly Cal Ripken, either. Though he played all 82 games a year ago, he’s cleared 60 games in only four of his nine NBA seasons; in his five years in Portland he’s missed 76 contests.

Chances are, one of the two will miss a substantial chunk of time at some point this season, and when that happens, it will test the remainder of the Blazers’ frontcourt.

What? Me worry?

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Sep 29, 2009 9:19 PM PDT up reply actions

If that happens, we have Jarron Colins and Juwan Howard. Woot woot.

Nah, in case of a long-term injury to one of the big big 3, Nate would either have to devise the most awesome small ball ever, or KP would have to jump over his own shadow and make a major in-season trade.

"I think he can still play" - Kevin Pritchard on Juwan Howard

by Norsktroll on Sep 30, 2009 8:04 AM PDT up reply actions

I'm pleased that John Hollinger is on board with us gloomy killjoys, doomsayers, and worrywarts.

There’s nothing wrong with being an alarmist, though, since an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Sadly, though, it looks like Kevin Pritchard will go the “pound of cure” route if/when Greg Oden or Joel Przybilla suffers from nagging injuries this upcoming season.

Stupid people have stupid ideas.

by AK1984 on Sep 30, 2009 10:35 PM PDT up reply actions