Game 1 Recap: Blazers 106, Suns 92
by Dave on Oct 26, 2010 11:22 PM PDT
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And now, Steve Nash, if you wish to be in the club you must run twixt the Paddles of Doom again crying, "Please sir, may I have another?" What's that? Going home instead? I don't blame you.
In a Nutshell
The Blazers used dominating rebounding and unselfish, interchangeable offense to overcome spotty defensive continuity and brief returns to bad old habits. Portland pasted a 31-11 fourth period on a suddenly tired, monochromatic Suns team, cruising to the victory.
Notable Developments
The most significant development in this game was the demonstration that a healthy, well-stocked Portland roster (as opposed to the poor man's gumbo we saw last season) is capable of forming and executing a decent game plan. This was evidenced from the first moments of the game as the Blazers hit the Suns in the places they were most vulnerable.
Plan 1 was to hit the boards hard, particularly on the offensive end. Portland's forwards--occasionally guards--slammed the offensive glass repeatedly, a tactic the Suns couldn't answer. This led to second-chance opportunities but it also slowed down Phoenix's running game, as they were never confident of possession.
Plan 1a was to pressure with LaMarcus Aldridge even after makes, further slowing the up-court journey for the Suns. This was a brilliant use of Aldridge's length and speed, disguising whatever shortcomings he has in a straight-up halfcourt situation.
No running meant fewer easy baskets for the Suns. They had 6 fast-break points in the game. Constant halfcourt play put pressure on the non-scorers in the Phoenix lineup, which technically means everyone but Steve Nash and Jason Richardson. Under pressure guys like Hedo Turkoglu and Channing Frye don't look nearly as good.
Plan 2 was moving the ball inside-out on most possessions. The Blazers cleverly posted their wing players without expecting them to score. Once the ball was entered Phoenix was forced to sag towards the posting guard/small forward. One cut down the middle and the rim belonged to the Blazers. Failing that a cross-court pass found an open shooter. The Blazers used their height/vision advantage without having to expose their rudimentary low post scoring skills. This wouldn't work against a team stocked with strong one-on-one defenders but against the Suns' smalls it was magic. Last year Portland fans never saw the ball in a guard's hands in the paint unless that guard was trying to score against two defenders. This scheme multiplied the offensive options at least threefold.
Plan 3 was to not hold the dang ball on offense! The Blazers weren't exactly quick in their offensive sets but they were certainly quick to share. We saw few six-dribble possessions tonight. Everybody became more of a threat when the ball was moving, even the usual six-dribble suspects. I'm struggling to remember a single shot heaved against true double coverage tonight.
Plan 4 was to push the ball whenever possible. At first Phoenix got back but after the first 18 minutes or so their stride started to lag. By the fourth quarter the depth-poor Suns looked tired even when Portland wasn't breaking.
In general the Portland offense looked better than expected tonight. (Caveat: these were the Suns.) They gained clear advantage through cutting, screening, and passing. They shot in areas comfortable to them. They didn't waste possessions. They pushed when possible and pulled back when necessary. It wasn't a flawless night but compared to what we're used to seeing it might as well have been. The space was there to use and the Blazers used it.
If you want to understand how the Blazers have changed offensively and why this is happening (and hopefully will continue), look at the players the Blazers have lost and gained in the last calendar year. Steve Blake was a passer but not a threat to do anything besides shoot offensively. Check out the list after him: Travis Outlaw, Martell Webster, Jerryd Bayless. All three of those guys were probably going to score when they touched the ball. Bayless perhaps less so, but he was still an endpoint-type player rather than a conduit. Now look at who they've picked up: Marcus Camby, Wesley Matthews, Armon Johnson. The first two aren't endpoints at all. We haven't seen enough of Johnson to know but even a short look reveals he's more of a natural point guard fit than Bayless was. The ball movement is no accident.
The defense, on the other hand, looked worse than expected for three quarters. Screens and quick cuts still bothered the Blazers, as did almost any pass. With the forwards hitting the offensive glass the guards were tasked with getting back to stop the easy bucket, which didn't always happen. Even though the Suns didn't get true fast-breaks they did exploit mismatches easily in the early going because of that tardiness. These flaws were pronounced when the Roy-Miller backcourt played. On the upside, whenever Wesley Matthews or Armon Johnson came in, business picked up. Even lineups including Rudy Fernandez found some success. Those players were able to cover for each other on switches with a little help from the bigs. They were able to stay in front of their men. They created pressure that led to turnovers. The bench players made the regular guys look better, one of the signs of a good reserve unit (as opposed to the "try to outdo them and take their spot" theory the bench has been operating under previously).
Game Flow
The Blazers were saved by good rebounding and good offense in the first period but the Suns also ran hot. The second units for each team defended better and scored less, leading to a relatively pedestrian second period. Portland took a four-point lead into the half.
In the third period Portland reverted to some old-school offense with Miller and/or Roy taking over. The Suns also stretched the floor, working both the break and the perimeter, making the Blazers look silly in a style reminiscent of last spring's playoff series. Only Marcus Camby's heroic floor coverage and the aforementioned steals kept the Blazers afloat. Still the Suns outscored Portland by 10 and took a 6-point lead going into the fourth. In the final period Portland's second-unit guards set a blistering pace which the starters followed when they returned. The Suns, tiring, started to rely on Steve Nash's solo game. The Blazers have the personnel to counter that this year. Nash spent the early quarter scoring on stop-and-pops but started missing with regularity as his legs faded and Portland kept throwing defenders at him. By the latter stages of the quarter the flow had inverted entirely. Phoenix's starting guards were heaving one-on-one. The Blazers rebounded easily and ran out before their counterparts could recover. By the time the defense collected Portland had their choice of a couple easy passes and a shot that the ragged Suns weren't going to be able to cover. By the end Blazer fans were laughing and dancing.
Individual Notes
In every victory there's an unsung hero. Tonight that was LaMarcus Aldridge. Not only did he rebound and pressure as mentioned above, he was content to play the decoy on offense. Phoenix was worried about him and sent extra men. Aldridge didn't force it. He simply passed. Some of those passes were bail-outs but most found the mark. It got to be a game in itself: shift the defense then pass and strike. This couldn't have happened had LaMarcus' ego gotten in the way. He sacrificed himself for the team without giving up any effort on the defensive end. How long have we been waiting to see somebody do that? Oh, and he set some picks too. On other nights LMA will score 20. Tonight his 3-9 with 8 points and 9 boards looks just fine.
Brandon Roy took one-on-one shots tonight but he hit them. They were the least important part of his game, which was good to see. He hit consistently from the three-point arc, going 4-6, mostly on smart passes from inside. (It's a lot easier to hit your jumpers when the ball goes in the paint on its way to you instead of just around it.) He went 9-20 for 24 points. More significantly, except for a few stretches Roy was just as eager to give up the ball as anyone else. He got 6 assists. Add in 3 steals and you have a nice game despite some obvious early defensive lapses.
Nicolas Batum was the chief offensive rebounder and Suns-headache-maker during the early part of the game. He was really active under the boards. He also took after Steve Nash on both ends, making Nash work for his looks and taking him down low whenever he guarded Nicolas. Late in the game Batum hit a flurry of threes to salt it away. He ended up 8-17 for 19 points will 11 rebounds, 5 offensive. The most exciting development was how well Batum used offensive floor space tonight. He reacted to the ball when he didn't have it and found seams in the Suns defense which led to those rebounds and shots. His hustle was great but his smarts told the story.
Bless you, Marcus Camby. All the guy did was cover the paint side to side and hop out on any screen he saw to help slow the dribbler without giving up the cut. Any screen Camby wasn't involved in was trouble for Portland. Any screen he covered ended up OK. 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 6-11 shooting on putbacks and jumpers, 13 points.
Andre Miller played 27 minutes, went 4-8, scored 10, and dished 9 assists off of the new Blazer motion. His passing was precise and as long as the offense stayed active he looked great. His lower minutes will probably be typical as Coach McMillan looks to get those reserves more playing time.
Wesley Matthews played 30 minutes and gave great effort defensively. He looked a little excited on offense, missing some make-able attempts. He went 5-12 for 13 points. He had 6 rebounds and 3 assists. The best compliment is that most of the disjointedness on either end faded when Matthews was on the floor. He's a wheel-greaser.
Rudy Fernandez played 22 minutes with 2-4 threes made and 7 points plus 3 assists. As they did with Roy and Matthews in the Miller-less lineup the Blazers tried out Rudy setting the offense tonight. He was marginally less successful than the other two but not awful. Portland got by. The spacing just wasn't as pretty. His individual defense wasn't much better than we've seen but he did take advantage of his teammates causing pressure to snatch 3 steals away from the Suns. He fit in out there. As long as he does that and hits his shots he'll be fine. He can hold his head up around these parts tonight.
Dante Cunningham hit a couple nice jumpers en route to 6 points and some nice floor coverage in 14 minutes.
Portland, meet Armon Johnson. The dude manned up on defense, the most significant yet probably least exciting part of his game. He didn't back down from Goran Dragic or Nash or anybody. Blazer fans were on their feet for him because of his take-no-prisoners offensive attack though. In 9 minutes he scored 6 points, dished 3 assists, and grabbed 2 rebounds. He looked pretty nifty on the break.
Portland, meet Fabricio Oberto. Fabricio, wash your hair.
Stats of the Night
Blazers 18 offensive rebounds and a 48-30 rebounding advantage. Blazers 31 assists on 43 made field goals. Phoenix 6 fast-break points. Blazers 10 turnovers at the half but only 12 after the final horn. Steve Nash 9 turnovers.
Odd Notes and Links
Mike Rice pronounces "Dragic" like "tragic" with a different first consonant.
Jersey Contest form for tomorrow night's game
Check out the anticipatory grief at Bright Side of the Sun
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
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It was a playoff crowd tonight
I was there and it was rocking and rolling the entire game.
Oh and best intro ever.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Really? I thought the energy was high when it needed to be, but...
there were times, once late Q1, and after the half, when it was pretty dead in there…
Blazermaniacs did themselves proud in Q4, tho…
I thought the place was dead until the 4th quarter. Nothing at all like a playoff game.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 27, 2010 12:02 AM PDT up reply actions
was watching the espn play by play
1:23 Fabricio Oberto enters the game for LaMarcus Aldridge
0:42 Fabricio Oberto offensive foul (Josh Childress draws the foul)
Fabricio Oberto turnover
When is pryz coming back :(
Geriatric Dunk Squad!
1/4/10 - Juwan Howard dunks on Chris Kaman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTkOqDgLb6s
3/7/10 - Andre Miller Tomahawk jams on the Denver Nuggets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-JVgm7F1QA
4/12/10 - Marcus Camby drops 30 and 13 on OKC to cement 50 wins. http://www.nba.com/blazers/media/camby_chant_041310.mp3
by Eat Politicians on Oct 26, 2010 11:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Our answer to Nash!
Funniest sun in the RG tonite (shown on the big screen):
Nash!
Wash.
Hair.
Now!
Love the comments on LMA
Hate seeing people get all freaky at him again. Tonight was an awesome game for him and he did what he needed to do to get the win.
Batum flat wore Nash out…and then preceded to tear him and the Suns to pieces in the 4th.
I would put Andre Miller as another unsung hero. People tend to rip on him alot but the guy does what needs done to get the win. We should know that by now after watching him take us to 50 wins last season with half the roster broken.
Aldridge did struggle a bit against the quick double team
But I give him props. First, did everyone see where he was trying to post up? It wasn’t 15 feet from the basket, it was either in the paint or with his heels on the line. Now, the double teams came quick because the spacing was simply horrendous throughout most of the game, but I do agree that he needs to learn how to deal with those double teams better. However, he’s put himself in the position to learn that – that’s a step forward. I hope that Nate not only works with LA on how to deal with the double teams, but also works with Miller and others about getting him the ball without leaving your own defender one large step away from being able to double team – it will make LA much more effective if he can get a second or two before that double team gets there (and in those opportunities last night, he either scored or drew fouls on Hedo).
Strange that nobody talks about his defense last night, which I thought was great.
agreed 100%
I was thinking “not again”, after his first TO on the left baseline, but after that I thought he did fine considering the circumstances. Had a nice give and go with Miller and even faced up and looked over the D, finding Dante cutting baseline for a layup which he failed to convert.
I also thought his D was pretty good. He executed the gameplan as he routinely stayed in the backcourt after makes to apply some pressure on the inbounds which helped slow down phoenix a bit. Had issues with Nash on switches, but thats more on the scheme than anything.
He also had some steals with some good weakside help on pick and rolls.
Aldridge didn’t show up much in the box score but he did very little to hurt the team last night. Phoenix did a good job getting him out of his rhythm, but that didn’t effect the team’s rhythm much as well as other parts of his game, which have been issues in the past.
Wow, Dave getting the recap with a child born the same day!
A+ effort.
I liked tonight. I liked being able to simply watch stretches and enjoy good Blazer offense. I wasn’t screaming at players for bad shot selection, or getting angry about isolation. I sat back and watched them play basketball. Awesome.
Brandon’s defense was awful. That was one of the biggest problems in the first three quarters and a big question mark going forward.
#teamarmon
A couple of times
it looked like Brandon was trying to lead Nash towards the bigs that aren’t there to help at the moment. End result…Nash with a layup with Brandon looking at the side of his face.
Oden underneath would make what Brandon was trying to call defense look alot better.
Seriously... BRoy needs to watch some film on BRoy on D...
Because he showed even less energy tonite than last year…
I mean, he looked bad on D tonite…. No knee injury excuse, can’t be fatigued, he just. Didn’t. Move.
And he was glaical in the O, too… He moved on O twice, and both times got easy hoops from nice dishes from Dre….
Dude hit a huge 3 just after reporting in late, but man… I watched him most of the game, and he was very frustrating…
Agree totally.......
….he just stands around or lets people walk by him for layups. And what happened to his mid-range game or his drives too the bucket?. I hate to see him taking nothing but long jumpers.
Agreed - despite the points, not impressed with BRoy tonight, especially on defense
Phoenix should have come back with more JRich at the end on Brandon. That was working.
Rudy didn’t seem to hot to me either. His defense seemed to be in mid-season ole’ form even though he had some steals. Nash made him looks pretty silly at times. Offensively it was frustrating to see him drive right to the basket in the clear and turn it back out instead of lay it up. (FWIW, I’m not harboring off-season related Rudy issues).
The good news is the rest of the team, except maybe Andre, played reasonably well considering their limited time with some of the new guys. Team defense will needs work though.
Dave – Congratulations on the new addition! This post is way beyond the call of duty – time to enjoy the new-look family.
put a body on 'em
Hey, Armon scored.
You must be a prophet.
I’m not as worried about Roy’s pace on offense, because we have a chance without that. On defense, we have no chance if he doesn’t step it up.
Proud to be a Republican.
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Video of the awesome intro
Poor quality but yeah.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXkWaxzpMpE&feature=youtu.be
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
The best part
When they drop the sheet screens, starts at 2:15
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
I know it is
Just because the Lakers do something doesn’t mean that it’s bad.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
So, using your logic...
The L*kers win championships… that means winning championships is bad
Blazers win!
by The X-man on Oct 27, 2010 12:38 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Kewl man, thanks, I made it to my seat by 4:10...
Nice to see what I missed, and what those sheet things were doing….
You mostly missed a video of random sports movie speeches talking about starting things well
That part is not so clear. It was fun though.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
on follical sebum
Hey, I know the Argentines have a rep for greasy hair (cough Luis Scola, ahem Lionel Messi, woot Eva Peron), but cut Fabricio a break—they said he had only just flown in from Buenos Aries. Maybe he really DIDN’T have time to wash his hair!
Nic Batum is the way and the light.
PS please ignore my sigline until I hunker down and change it…
Wow...I'm not ready to say "forget the Chris Paul pipedream" but Armon looks legit!
Of anything tonight I was most impressed with him. I remember Dragic constantly flying by anyone and everyone last year in the playoffs but with Armon on him I didn’t see it once. LOVED his play tonight!!
Dragic blew by AJ on a coast to coast one time but that was it
And that was right after AJ had schooled him for about the third time. “Legit” is a great way to put it with AJ. Looking forward to seeing a lot more of him. How is his distance shooting?
put a body on 'em
bad
but hopefully that can be worked on. If “Ason” Kidd can become a high percentage 3pt shooter hopefully Armon can too
#5
It's true, my v key doesn't work properly
I’m struggling to remember a single shot heaved against true double coverage tonight.
There was that one time when Matthew caught the flaming bag pass in the corner and hit the side of the backboard at the buzzer
my impression was that things ran a bit smoother when there was a PG on the floor. Chalk round 1 of the “Roy as backup PG” experiment up as tepid at best and cringe-worthy at worst
Brandon looked just fine as a shooting guard, however. Which is, after all, what he is
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Thank you Kevin Pritchard for yet another excellent draft....!
….. Armon left a great first impression!
Unfortunately, that may exhaust any further ‘thank you’s’. So once more, ‘thank you.’ round of applause.
On another note, I do believe this Matthews kid is impressive as well.
Oh! And Batum!
And then you have Roy…!
Etc.
I know it’s only one game and it is against perhaps a non-playoff team, but I loved the close out job the Blazers employed tonight.
Great job!
by 1ofthe7 on Oct 26, 2010 11:57 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
mathews and batum
really hurt us…mathews is looking to be a great pick up for you guys
"I feel younger almost every year. I feel like I'm getting better every year. I feel like the season gets easier for me the last two years." Steve Nash
your boys looked good
little fir this st round redemption. believe it or not Suns fans are ok with…not happy, but ok. contrary to predictions LMA wasn’t the one killed us. but some rloe players turned out to be deadly. congrats
"I feel younger almost every year. I feel like I'm getting better every year. I feel like the season gets easier for me the last two years." Steve Nash
LaMarcus did kill you
he just had his lackeys do it for him instead of doing it directly.
—Dave
by Dave on Oct 27, 2010 12:10 AM PDT up reply actions 6 recs
I'm sorry, Dave, but LMA was pretty poor last night.
More than anything, LMA’s inability to pass out of double teams due to poor court vision — as well as his inability to put the ball on the floor and drive past his man due to poor handles — are fatal flaws in his game that were clearly apparent.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
LA was the victim of poor spacing
I like that he actually posted up deep, and those few times when he had a second or two before the double team got to him, he scored (or drew a foul). Not to say that he can’t do a better job of passing out of the double team, because he can. But to make him the scapegoat is, IMO, off base.
Great defense by LA as well. Got up in the ball-handlers face on the pick and roll. How many dunks or short range shots did Phoenix get off the pick and roll last night? I honestly don’t remember a single one….
Even though the Suns didn’t get true fast-breaks they did exploit mismatches easily in the early going because of that tardiness. These flaws were pronounced when the Roy-Miller backcourt played.
Early in the game this was evident, but don’t blame Miller because Roy was lost in space at the defensive end. Remember, the last 5 minutes of the game, the Suns scored only 1. Andre and Nic rejoined the game just prior to that decisive 18-1 run
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
don't act like it was all game
or that Richardson/Nash scoring was all on Roy
In fact – I don’t recall Nash scoring on Roy, even though Roy had him more than once. Early on, Roy’s difficulties were with a couple of Richardson moves and trying to guard Childress. As the game progressed, Roy’s defense no longer stood out like a sore thumb.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 27, 2010 12:44 AM PDT up reply actions
roy also
had an important rebound where he used a really good box out late in the fourth. I think he’s just playing his way into rhythm, and I’m not so eager to chastise him like some other people seem to be. I thought he had a pretty decent first game. He was moving the ball around, he had a good steal and I saw him hustle more as the game progressed. He may never be Rip Hamilton or Ray Allen, but I’m content with what he brings to this team.
In the final period Portland’s second-unit guards set a blistering pace which the starters followed when they returned. The Suns, tiring, started to rely on Steve Nash’s solo game.
If I was a Sun’s fan I’d want to know why Gentry chose to hold J-Rich out until there were less than 4 minutes remaining in the game? smh, but thank you very much, Alvin
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Fool's Gold win tonight. Nash got tired and kicked it away in the last 5-6 minutes.
Nash had 2 awful turnovers in the last 6 minutes and he and Richardson missed a couple of shots while Batum and Roy hit two each (Batum had another 3 at the end but it was already over by then), and that was the story of the game. Otherwise it was anyone’s game with about 5 minutes to go and Phoenix was absolutely awful except for Nash and Richardson up to that point.
Phoenix is going nowhere this year and we would have got killed by a good team tonight. Hopefully we play better tomorrow, but there is a lot of work to do. The interior defense sucked and once Nash got around his defender (which was anyone and everyone who tried to guard him) it was a freeway to the rim. This win was fool’s gold. Hopefully we get a 24-carret win tomorrow night.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 27, 2010 12:04 AM PDT reply actions
Very true.... Fools gold is a good way to put it...
Although, I’d suggest that Nash had two awful turnovers because (a) he was tired, and (b) because Wes was playing excellent D on him…
Batum was immense…
But yes, a good team would have been up on us by 15 at the EOQ3.
But they don’t have pictures on the scorecard… We’re 1-0…. Can Miami say that??
I agree Nash got tired and that was the reason for the 2 turnovers and probably the missed shots at the end too.
It wasn’t anyone’s defense that caused those turnovers if I recall them correctly (I was at the RG and haven’t looked at my HD DVR yet so I could be wrong). The first turnover that I recall Nash threw a behind the back pass out of bounds, and the second one happened in a backcourt mixup with his own guy and with no Blazer anywhere near him.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 27, 2010 12:14 AM PDT up reply actions
Nope, not at all. I just went to the DVR.
On the first turnover Nash went by Wesley (helped by a Frye pick), who was then trailing behind Nash. Nash could have continued to drive into LMA (who was coming over to cut off his path to the basket) but instead threw the ball behind his back and out of bounds (the pass was intended for Frye to get a 3-pt shot).
On the second turnover Nash started to bring the ball up the court (from the baseline) along the side line using Frye (standing still) to shield himself from Batum and inexplicably lost the ball off his dribble out of bounds as he went around Frye. Wesley was standing at mid-court – the farthest Blazer of any from Nash at the time.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 27, 2010 12:55 AM PDT up reply actions
yep, dodged a bullet
I was not happy in the 2nd half until that last run
but I guess even the champs had to come from way behind at home and rely on an ex-Blazer to knock in the dagger trey
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Steve Blake for the winning 3 ball
Man I wanted the lakers to miss that shot right up until Blake took the shot. The man has ice in his veins.
Batum's good game and Nash being tired are probably connected
Nico made him work on defense, really good to see.
When the world knows Nico Batum as "The Inevitable", I'll be very happy with where he is as a player.
9 minutes for AJ, his game isn't pyrite
tell me we’re not looking at Robert Pack, part deux?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Uhh, yes he did
you might want to brush up on your ’91-92 video archives. The Packman had awesome man-ball technique and lateral quickness
he just couldn’t knock down an open shot to save his life, similar to Darnell
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Pack was traded multiple times
because he never met a shot he didn’t like and he did not defend.
—Dave
a PG does not last 15 years in the NBA
if he can’t defend or shoot straight
I didn’t follow RP’s career after he was traded, except when his teams played Portland. But he’s been an assistant coach following his playing days and those jobs aren’t handed out like candy to mental midgets.
Actually, Pack and Bayless are closer comps as players than Armon-Robert are. My main point about AJ is that he’s blowing up this fall like RP did in the fall of 1991. That Blazer final’s team was stacked, and nobody expected Pack to make it as a 2nd round draft coice out of SC. Yet, he broke camp on the roster and had a break-out regular season game on TV at Minn. Instant fan favorite. Pac-Man T-shirts. Pack to the Future posters. #14 jerseys. Maybe he’ll even replace Terry Porter someday!
So we’ve seen this rags to riches PG story before, but this time around it’s probably not going to end with the wunderkind being shipped off to another team after a week or a year, as John Lund was suggesting during the noon hour.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I was impressed with the poise of AJ and the way he moved on defense. It was the first time I had seen him in person.
He showed a lot of poise for a rookie, but also had a Bayless moment unsuccessfully taking the ball to the rim on fast break against a bunch of defenders. He’s promising for sure, but we’ll see what happens as the defenses learn he can’t shoot. Never judge a rookie until the league figures out what he is.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 27, 2010 12:25 AM PDT up reply actions
Armon is also a pure point, as evidence so far will show.
Pack, much like Bayless, was a combo.
I will run naked through the streets if Oden wins the MVP this season...happily.
Robert Pack had a career 35.4% AST%, which are the numbers of a pure point guard.
That aside, though, Pack did have only a 21.0% AST% in Portland; thus, I assume that he was used differently as a rookie than once he went to Denver, Washington, New Jersey, Dallas, et cetera.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
During his time in Portland, he was more of a heads-down, get to the rim kind of guy.
I did mentally block out the fact that Pack, later in his career, was more of a passing point. In my defense, I didn’t really see much of Pack after he left Portland, so it slipped my mind. He never really had the vision or the ability to create for others like I consider pure points can, but he was adapt at running the offense and looked to pass later in his career.
I will run naked through the streets if Oden wins the MVP this season...happily.
Yeah, it does appear that he was a combo guard in Portland. I only remember him from ...
later in his career, though.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
he was a rookie energizer bunny
who came into the game to increase the tempo. Similar to Jerryd’s role, but Bayless could shoot and Robert…couldn’t
Pack and Johnson as defenders were similar. Both keep their butts down, feet moving and get after the opposing PG
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
The Blazers made Nash work on O
Nash didn’t get too many freebies at the FT line tonight. Phoenix is not going anywhere but fringe playoff hopeful this season. Same goes for the Clippers. Tomorrow will be different in that the Clips bigs will be trying to score. I think we’ll see much more of LMa on offense.
Wow I am so glad Armon is getting Bayless minutes. It nice to see bench guys playing without being timid (and getting results). Rudy definitely feeds off of his teammates. Wes is going to help make Rudy look good. Nice to see rudy can gamble on steals and win. Our bench is solid when it’s not half the starting unit.
I'm 789th in the jersey contest which leads to two thoughts
1. That’s what I get for trying a little too hard to be clever and picking the Suns
2. Wow!! There’s more than 789 people that entered the jersey contest?
The most exciting development was how well Batum used offensive floor space tonight. He reacted to the ball when he didn’t have it and found seams in the Suns defense which led to those rebounds and shots. His hustle was great but his smarts told the story.
People don’t want to believe this, but…if the Blazers ran plays that featured Batum in a motion offense, he could average 20 ppg, similar to Alex English back in the day. Portland wants him to save his energy for the defensive end, and for Roy to conserve his energy on defense, I guess. Still, the future looks bright for Nic because he does have that superior BBIQ, and the kind of scrap that warms Nate’s cockles
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
If this is the case...
why is it that we still only saw Batum for 27 minutes. I seriously do not understand this.
We have too many wings and pseudo PGs, and Nate wants to get a look at all of them for a few games against different teams.
He needs to see what combinations work and don’t, particularly to sort out the backup PG situation. As the early season goes on he’ll make adjustments as he decides how many minutes Wesley, Rudy, AJ, and Andre will get and then Batum may push the 30 minute mark.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 27, 2010 12:20 AM PDT up reply actions
it was clearly better to have a PG on the court than not
whether it was Miller or Armon. Three SGs (Roy, Rudy and Wes) is only going to work for spot minutes. Nate will realize this quickly. I can only dream of second units trying to score on a unit of Johnson, Mathews and Batum, however unlikey that will be. Batum is mostly going to play against opposing starters.
Way too early to tell yet. Don't draw conclusions from one game - especially a team like Phoenix.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 27, 2010 1:06 AM PDT up reply actions
Roy for 40
should be 37/30, every night
but then who plays PG when Rudy-Nic-Wesley are in the game together?
I’m not as optimistic about these no PG lineups as Dave is, but I have teenage sons and not a newborn daughter
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I'd give it mixed reviews tonight at first glance. It was basically PG by committee with Roy, Wesley, and Rudy taking turns.
Roy got 6 assists (can’t knock that) and Rudy & Wesley 3 assists each. The doubles on LMA sort of disrupted things and made it hard for me assess in real time at the RG. I’m about to go watch the HD DVR replay of the game in a few minutes and then I’ll form a much better opinion. But at the game I was more concerned about the 4-guard lineup than I was about the backup PG issue.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 27, 2010 12:34 AM PDT up reply actions
It looked a little rough
but look at our assist totals! If we could work out the kinks it might promote awesome ball movement going forward. Once we learn to keep moving on offense that would make for some nice offensive flow.
I agree about the minutes
I also think Greasy hair shouldn’t play unless someone goes down with an injury, so take those 3 mins give them to Batum, even if he is at the 4. If he doesn’t avg around 30 mins a game this year, then it is proof to me that Nate just doesn’t get it.
Overall I thought he, (Nate) did a decent job with the rotations, I agree that the PG-less lineups were raw, but I think they can work, since Wes and Rudy never seem to stop moving in the half court. That movement opens things up, and we saw it tonight result in some easy buckets at the rim for Wes and Batum, and some open 3’s for them all. I can see the potential of that lineup, and I believe it can be effective in small spurts like they used tonight. They played without a pg for about 12 mins tonight, and held their own.
Armon Johnson proved tonight while Bayless was traded. Not because he is the PGOTF, but because he is willing and more than able to come in for 10 mins and provide energy, not only by scoring, but by finding teammates and playing good on ball defense without fouling. Bayless would have wanted and deserved more minutes, and he would have been upset if he didn’t get them, while AJ is going to be happy with whatever he gets, and bring that energy. Good move by Rich Cho and company.
Ben II Blazersedge.com || New to Blazers' Edge?
I think you are right and this will come with time.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 27, 2010 12:15 AM PDT up reply actions
Portland wants him to save his energy for the defensive end, and for Roy to conserve his energy on defense, I guess.
A pretty good plan, if you ask me. Roy could never defend at the level Batum can. And vice versa, Roy is considered one of the elite offensive players, Batum never will be. Why worry about maximizing Batum’s offense to the tune of 20ppg when you already have Roy doing that with ease?
Why worry about maximizing Batum’s offense to the tune of 20ppg when you already have Roy doing that with ease?
I’m not worried, I’m just saying Nic has it in him. Also, Batum may be a Blazer for years after Roy is unable to play at his current level (knees) It’s nice to have talent on the roster, even if it’s kept under wraps most of the time
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
For Nicolas Batum to ever average 20 points per game, it'd take an absurdly fast pace -- which'd likely ...
mirror sloppy rec league basketball at the local YMCA — combined with increased usage for him to reach that plateau. I mean, heck, Alex English had a career USG% of 26.5% — as well as played right alongside a low-usage, defensive-minded shooting guard, T.R. Dunn, who was the complete opposite of Brandon Roy — plus, Batum lacks the assertiveness necessary to give him a #1 role like that on offense.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
Batum lacks the assertiveness necessary to give him a #1 role like that on offense.
I think you’re mistaken about that, but it will take Nic aging a few years (and probably playing for a different coach/system) to realize his full offensive potential. Hopefully he’ll stay healthy and we’ll see it
He’s smooth like Alex right now, though
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
View from Section 320
1) LOVED the Blazers playing full court D most of the night. This should be a staple. Use your depth, youth, and athleticism to your advantage… LMA and Rudy very effective in harassing the in-bounds.. I believe we forced 2 turnovers, and greatly slowed their break, using this excellent tactic. (I believe this would be Nate’s new D, hire Bob Oceipka, coming through)
2) Batum was immense early on – had 5 O Reb’s I think in the first quarter alone.
3) LMA was extremely active early, good, solid rebounding, and showed some toughness down low.
4) I saw less switching on D tonight, and more show and cover.. Still too much switching for my liking, but again, Oceipka seems to be having a positive influence early. Thank you Nate, for letting him coach!
5) (Dave above saying defensive lapses were “more pronounced when Roy and Miller were on the court at the same time”… While I agree, Miller didn’t seem to be as immobile as Brandon was tonight. He was a statue… I started the OLE chant in the first quarter…
6) Rudy was very active on D as well, picking up a team tying and game high 3 steals on errant passes through the lane. Nice to see Rudy as part of a very solid 9 man rotation…
7) AJ… My man, you are the PGOTF…. Finally, we can put that subject to rest… Jerryd who?
I noticed on the radio they mentioned that Nate
told the team NOT to switch on defense in the 4th quarter.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
I'm pretty sure LA still ended up at the top of the 3pt line, all alone with Nash a couple times in the 4th
I don’t know if it’s a coaching thing, a defending pg thing, or an LA thing. I just hope it stops.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
to be fair
there are always times where switching is the appropriate move. You just can’t fight through every screen, depending on the angle, the screener, etc. I watched Boston’s game and they have arguably the best defense in the league, and they switch on a decent percentage of picks…so it is necessary at times.
I'd rather have the frontcourt player hedge up top a bit on the ball handler to show, then quickly ...
rotate back down inside to guard the rolling screener. In the process, the perimeter player should’ve slipped under the screen and consequently gotten back on the ball handler to guard against a pass inside or a jump shot attempt.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
you can't defend the PnR the same way every time
the good news from tonight’s game is…Portland’s not doing that, anymore
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Btw I was happy the crowd was not booing Hedo nearly as loudly towards the end
Him sucking was probably why.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Finally! Revenge for last playoffs!
Although it’s not the same since Amar’e left. Nice start to the season. Hope this keeps up.
"If you have a debate with a scholar, you can win. If you have a debate with an ignorant person, you will definitely lose."
"The NBA Apocalypse has occurred, and it's our fault."- C.A. Clark
Lakers in finals: 2-0 with AMMO, 0-1 without.
Quick thoughts.
Defense looked pretty bad until we made our run at the end. Too much big man switching going on as usual. Oden isn’t going to last 20 minutes out there if this keeps happening. Roy and Dre being the usual culprit.
Matthews looked great even when he wasn’t hitting his shots. Better handles than I remember and aggressive taking the ball to the hole, playing D, or muscling people out of the way for a rebound. Rice did mention couple times that while Batum floats out there at times, Matthews never floats. He’s constantly taking it at someone.
Armon did his thing…playing D, setting up his teammates, going aggressively to the hole. The offense ran lot smoother with Armon out there as compared to the swingman trio of Roy, Matthews, and Fernandez collectively running the offense. He’s a rookie and will have growing pains, but by the end of the season I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins the backup PG job all by himself.
Roy made shots, but man, his D was putrid tonight. What happened to his commitment to get on the NBA all-defensive team? LA couldn’t hit tonight but other than that, not bad. He should try to hit cutters and look to cross court more on double teams though, instead of an easy pass. (like Greg can do) Dre wasn’t pretty either but got his assists still. Camby was Camby. Nic did a good job of adjusting from what he learned in Phoenix series last season.
I will run naked through the streets if Oden wins the MVP this season...happily.
typo
“NBA non-defensive team”
Soon this will pass . . . or maybe just when we play Joe Johnson.
put a body on 'em
good observations
I saw what you saw, including Roy’s defense. He was beaten every single time he had to guard one on one. He continues to show fatigue and lack of energy. It looks like he has no commitment what-so ever on “D” I do realize that some of this is related to team defense, but the energy level you need for this, didn’t happen until halfway through the fourth quarter. IMO this is what won the game for them.
I also agree about the “guard by committee” it was our least effective offensive weapon.
also there was nothing wrong with the up-tempo stuff as we have a majority of players who are effective in this mode. sadly, Roy is not one of them and thus this splits the teams identity if they chose to go back in time and opt for the 90% Roy/Nate offense.
Heres one for the stat column…The Blazers were 30th in “pace” last year and this skewed their defensive efficiency a whole lot. If you do take in the observation, you can see why defense is still a weak point on this team.
sometimes Nic’s “floating” is because of the system itself. Both him, Mathews, and Johnson will help to change that. The baseline floating will be his most effective move as it really gets the man at the hoop and behind the perimeter defense. A nice option that goes well with spreading the court. (he can still set up in the corners for three’s)
Mathew’s value to this team goes without saying…His energy alone is enough to warrant plenty of minutes. The argument over the money will soon be put to rest if he continues just being what he is. A great addition to a team that desperately needed this type of player.
add; Houston gave LA a pretty good run last night. They have a pretty solid team and if Yao can get back, they will be something to be reckoned with. Take note of having a penetrating point guard like Brooks. Seeing what this type of player does to open up an offense should convince the doubters that this might be the best option to pursue going forward. IMO it’s exactly why they traded Bayless and opted for Johnson.
[Good defense "releases" your offense]
Take note of having a penetrating point guard like Brooks. Seeing what this type of player does to open up an offense should convince the doubters that this might be the best option to pursue going forward
What I’m anticipating is Roy penetrating less and spotting up more, as the years go by. I think we saw a glimpse of that, tonight. Should the PGotF be a spot-up shooter so Roy can run ISOs to his heart’s content?
not. so. fast.
How about a PG (like Johnson) breaking the defense down and flipping the ball to Roy for a 3?
Don’t be surprised if this is the future Blazer offense. Sooner than later. Especially if there’s a deal for CP3, Tony Parker or even Devin Harris
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Johnson is a player
Still plenty raw, but also more advanced that anticipated. He appears to have the fundamentals down and thats a good platform to build from.
Of course A CP3 would guarantee instant results. Parker is fine, and Harris is someone they have shown interest in.
the spot up shooter point guard defeats the purpose and limits options. IMO
[Good defense "releases" your offense]
Better handles than I remember and aggressive taking the ball to the hole, playing D, or muscling people out of the way for a rebound
Is Matthews Ron Artest lite?
hmm…nice guy to have on our side, especially the non-crazy version
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
+1
I think it’s pretty spot on.
Ron is taller with better length but they both have wide, strong upper bodies.
Both are decent spot up shooters, have awkward handles and prone for a bit of over-aggressiveness offensively. They both have the ability to bully smaller opponents down low.
Both aren’t great athletes (and say ron ron was better here in his younger days) but are strong and have good instincts along with quick hands.
The money quote from BSOTS write up
“And the Blazers just might be a pretty good team (they did win 50 games last season). Nate McMillan had a nice game plan to win on the boards and with their superior length. They got it done, and really played better than in any game in the playoffs last season, in my opinion. They resemble Utah, with burly guards who get after it on offense and defense. Then you put Aldridge and Camby in the middle (and soon to be Oden and Przybilla) and that’s a darn good team.”
I would hope that a Blazers team with a healthy Roy is better than what we fielded in last years playoffs. The comparison to Utah is encouraging but innaccurate. Roy played abysmal D in the first half. I think I actually saw Roy hold his opponents hand as he escorted him to the rim on one occasion.
It's pretty funny that they think they'll win 50 games.
Not happening in the West.
I will run naked through the streets if Oden wins the MVP this season...happily.
Then we have these comments from Seth Pollack:
It’s easier for guys to simply play hard and do fewer things as a team, which is how the Blazers play.
Suns basketball is more complex, more team oriented and takes more time to learn.
by MiledAnimal on Oct 27, 2010 11:40 AM PDT up reply actions
Funny stuff
Both teams were a little off but the loser will always contend that they lost while the winning team was playing at its best. Whatever helps them sleep at night loL
I'm pretty upset about Luke's minutes
Nate is messing up his chance to win Rookie of the Year.
I used to go by tominhawaii. My real name is still Tom.
brush up on your Dougie, Babs
it’s going to be a long season, full of DNP-CDs
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
If you pronounce "Dragic" as "tragic" or "magic"
It leads to the best and most obvious nickname ever, DRAGIC JOHNSON. Too bad them phonetics don’t allows it.
made em jump like Rod Strickland
Aldridge a decoy?
C’mon. Hedo was guarding him. Hedon’t play no defense on the block at all. Aldridge should’ve played a more aggressive game down low. But contrary to my usual comments on LMA, I actually don’t think this was as much his fault as usual.
The Blazer guards clearly didn’t get him the ball enough on the block. They should have fed him for the first 5 possessions of the game. When Warrick came in, another five straight. They had a clear advantage there and didn’t even test it out.
"These are dreams that we have." --Rudolfo Fernandez
Every time he touched the ball he was instantly doubled
It impressed me that he was able to pass out of that double and help us make the Suns pay for that a few times. With Oden inside teams won’t be able to get away with that as he will command his own double in the paint.
what game did you watch?
LA touched the ball about every other play, was immediately doubled every time, and he made good, quick passes out of those doubles almost every time.
Funniest moment of the game?
AJ getting his arm hooked through Turkoglu’s, and neither of them letting go.
Turkoglu: “There is no way I’m letting go. This guy’s a rookie. This crowd’s been booing me. I’m playing horribly. I’ve got too many fouls. I can’t back down to a rookie!”
Armon: “Turko-who-do-you-think-you-are? Aren’t you the guy who backed out of a deal with Portland? There’s no way I’m letting go, this is my first NBA game, I’m in front of a home crowd, and we’re going to beat you. Put your hands up.”
And he did.
When the world knows Nico Batum as "The Inevitable", I'll be very happy with where he is as a player.
Just watched the game, finally
Here’s my notes I jotted down during it! Fun!
NOTES
LMA (as of partway through the 4th quarter) hasn’t scored much at all, and while it didn’t always work, he was MUCH MUCH MUCH more decisive and QUICK with the ball in his hands. He got the hard doubles he struggled with
so much in the playoffs, and he was passing out of it much quicker and making quicker reads in general. Very happy to see. Lot more staying inside, it seemed, less jumpers (though we can’t expect him to change his spots entirely, he IS Lamarcus Aldridge and he will always play like him). I liked his pressure defense and his deflections.
LMA needs to connect his chin-strap beard to his mustache, since I don’t like chin-strap beards. He’ll look more like a man if he connects them and makes it a more real beard-beard.
LMA GETS A BLOCK.
Roy had the early jumper, and he looks to have his handles back unlike the start of last season, but he won’t be back-back till he is getting to the rim and finishing like normal. He was standard Roy on defense,
and not using his body and getting caught napping. Midway through the 3rd, he ain’t back yet. I hope I re-visit this paragraph after the game and write better things. CLUTCH 3 with 2-something minutes left.
Still wanna see him penetrate more. He is bouncing around on the perimeter with the ball in his hands like before, so I think he will.
Batum struggled when creating his own shot, but he was trying; at least early. And our offense was looking for him, which I loved. He knows how to move off the ball and find open spaces, and we tried to utilize that… which was a worry many of us had with the offense this season. His rebounding was awesome. Him and Matthews seems like a really nice rotation, who can also play together.
3 minutes left in the 4th, and Batum has hit some big shots and played well. AND been adorable. Ended with 19 and 11. Awesome. Doesn’t feel like he played much at all.
Camby and Dre were themselves. With Matthews being able to dribble and shoot, the reports that Dre may lose playing time to the new kid might be true. If he isn’t taking advantage of his size and Roy is handling the ball more, it does
become harder to have Dre out there. He will have plenty of good nights though. Tonight, he is out there in the 4th and doing well.
Wes Matthews… he dribbles just like a guard should be expected to dribble (why so many scouting reports saying he couldn’t?), he moved quicker and better than I expected, has a huge wide body… when I wrote this note I am only partway through the 3rd, but I like what I see. He pushed the pace, he made good decisions, he was nice. It’s still too early, but sometimes scouts can be wrong and a player becomes an outlier… meaning, other non-drafted but impact rookies will be compared to Wes Matthews when it isn’t reasonable to expect a non-drafted dude to become a quality player.
The Chauncey Billups of non-drafted wings. Actually, since Wes is the PGOTF, Chauncey Billups was the Wes Matthews of his day. Except not really.
He just rebounded, brought the ball up the court, and used a screen and turned the corner. In perfect control of the ball… much better than Rudy at dribbling. I don’t get how his dribbling can be called into question so often, he dribbles
totally good for his position.
I have been skeptical, but open to the idea of Matthews being a pretty good player, and since he looked really nice in all of the clips, I’ve been eager to see him in real games. He still looked the same— very nice. I just don’t get it. Just now he did a nice touch-pass to Cunningham, which is another smart play from him. If he keeps all of this up, I’ll stop questioning the "how" and just take it and run.
He also likes to post up on the elbow and receive the pass and back down his man, or make a play, it seems. I love that. He literally pretty much did everything tonight, figuratively.
Armon Johnson doesn’t look like a rookie. He just has so much control over the ball when dribbling (control that Bayless improved on, but still isn’t as good as), he sticks to his defender… he just plays smart and while I am sure he will have many rookie moments, he looked good. Super quick, too. He just blew past Dragic, but the speed and control of it is what impressed me. He really pushes the tempo, but not in a forced or spastic way.
Oops, he just had a bad possession. Maybe he is a rookie after all.
OOH he just locked up Hedo after a dead ball; if he is ALSO a tough guy who won’t take any guff… Him and Wes can both be PGOTF. I know everyone will go ape-poop over how he looks tonight, but we should wait and see what appens after every defender tries to make him shoot jumpers (he might be quick and smart enough to overcome that, though).
Oberto is tough. He uses his body. He will help. Hope he doesn’t play much. Could be lots worse.
OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS. Even with no Oden and Joel, we cleaned up. I love it.
The 3rd quarter just ended, we are down 6. Lame. We had some runs but couldn’t extend it, and the Suns can still score quickly. As a team we look rough, but not that bad. We got more movement in our offense, but I dunno what changes have been made. More backcuts, or perhaps just having the ball in the hands of guys who will see the cutter (though LMA was definitely passing quicker, which helps a lot).
I hope we can pull this out.
Rudy looks fine… still carries the ball every time he dribbles but thankfully isn’t called for it, he was active, he looked good. I never ever wanna see him shooting long two pointers on the move, though.
Man oh man I haaaaaate the league pass video player so so so much. Impossible to fast forward still, either going too far ahead OR for some reason just jumping back to the beginning or random moments in the game… making me scared to try to move forward again, because it’ll go too far and ruin the score for me. I hate hate hate hate hate hate it.
At least they FINALLY don’t reveal the score of archived games. That was always idiotic.
Well we won, and even during the bad 3rd quarter, this felt like a game we were gonna win. And we did! How about that.
Mortimer
#52
by Mortimer on Oct 27, 2010 6:49 AM PDT reply actions 4 recs
Nice to see you somewhere other than the junk drawer, Mort.
You get a rec just for that.
by MiledAnimal on Oct 27, 2010 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions
Yup, it can be tough to get out and comment all over the site these days
I am a busy bee, so I ain’t even in the JD much now. Now that the season has started, I will be around a LIL’ more I’m sure, at odd hours.
Love,
Mortimer
#52
Yeah, what MiledAnimal said.
It’s sad that some of the best basketball discussion on this site is buried deep in the junk drawer, where relatively few people see it.
Wiggada Wiggada Zers!
Which is why
the Junk Drawer is not supposed to be about basketball. At least not about Blazers basketball.
—Dave
But
Just by the very nature and location of the JD, much Blazers talk will occur.
I have made concerted efforts in the past to get out of there and be more active in the front page like in the “good ol’ days”, and I will do so again now that the season has started. I urge my pals in the JD to do the same.
Not because we’re so much smarter (most of us are kinda dumb and biased homers), but because it just helps get conversation going all over the site… as we should.
But, there’s no stopping in-depth Blazers talk in the JD. We can’t help it.
Mortimer
#52
This is a beautiful picture.
When the world knows Nico Batum as "The Inevitable", I'll be very happy with where he is as a player.
There are some great photos in that series!
Different angles and composition than I usually see in sports pix. I like the one of Paul Pierce driving past LeBron.
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