The general attitude

by BrianThomas on Apr 28, 2010 2:38 PM PDT

Just being here in Portland, watching the television, talking to people, all I'm hearing is, "What can we do to hang on?" And I can't help but feel the Blazers are thinking the same thing. This isn't a progressive attitude, it's a floundering attitude, it's a fish with a clipped fin sputtering into the mouth of a shark. Here's my problem with this; the Phoenix Suns are not L.A. Save us, they're the worst team in the series. Round two is a possibility for them, we know that, but round three is a stretch.

Our team is playing nervously, Nate looks nervous, and our fans are nervous. And on the other side of the fence? Well, have a look: BSOTS

They're not a nervous team. Look at the comments made there, spotlight them: the word "Blazers" comes up half as much as Mavs and Spurs–this series is already over for them. They're already talking about what they can do in round two.

This is the atmosphere we have here. It needs to change. This whole city is like one big Joel Przybilla afraid of a re-injury in the shower. Watching these games we're not thinking about how to win, but how to hang on, or just how to avoid a mythical string of injuries in a single quarter. We're watching the game half-expecting L.A.'s arm to fall off, or Andre to go up there and explode into dust during a hail-mary layup. We're thinking, "These guys are up next." And they're playing that way. They're playing with the nervous attitude Rudy had earlier in the season; they look shaky.

Now look at the first five minutes of game 5. We controlled the pace, we had the tempo. We were shooting 100%. They time-out and they're asked, "How are we losing against the Blazers?" They come back and crush us. You know what really happened? Blazers asked themselves, "How are we winning against the Suns?"

We have a defeated attitude. Our center gets injured, our backup center gets injured, our backup center gets re-injured in the shower (really?), our coach gets injured (you have to be joking), our all-star gets injured again right before the playoffs, our small forward re-injures shoulder, our owner has...cancer?

The difference between how we feel about what I mentioned above and how the general public feels about it is a complete 180. The Suns don't care about our ungodly misfortune, neither do their fans, and neither does TNT and their crackpot team of pundits. They're looking at how we're playing, and how we're going to play out of it.

Game six is our chance to shake that fear we've had in this series. Game six is our chance to say, "Wait a minute, we can beat this team." Our problem has been attitude, not injuries. There needs to be a general paradigm shift here for this to happen.

Suns vs Trail Blazers coverage

Bright Side Of The Sun

-B.

Poll

Here's a different kind of poll: How will we win game six?

We'll wipe the court with Stoudemire's Star Wars goggles

21 votes

Andre Miller will turn Nash to stone by raising his eyebrows and smiling at him

11 votes

The entire Suns team will be disqualified for playing Dragic, who, as it turns out, is 13 years old

9 votes

Nash will be exposed for not being a real person, but rather, a razor blade with skin stretched across it

4 votes

Rudy will score more points than MJ at the peak of his career

15 votes

The refs will have a change of heart, later commenting, "We felt all those bunk calls, while fattening our wallets, were ruining the sport, and we're sorry...really sorry..."

26 votes

86 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 20 comments | 2 recs |

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Comments

Mercifully the writers fans and Bloggers..

don’t play for the Blazers. I am happy that BSOTS is so confident. I am also sure none of them are going to suit up.

As for the actual Blazer players, you don’t get to be an NBA player without confidence bordering on cockiness. I suspect they expect to win and will take the floor with that attitude. What happens in the next 3 hours is another matter and no one has control over that but the players and Coaches.

Our players Attitude is fine…if I learned nothing else this year, it is that these guys are WINNERS in how they conduct themselves and play the game.

Go Blazers

RoadBlazer

by Roadblazer on Apr 28, 2010 2:55 PM PDT reply actions

It's hard to say whether the Blazers players "expect to win"

Doubly so when during our three losses at least half our guys have looked basically shellshocked.

Personally I suspect it’s not the players themselves, but rather because they know we haven’t made any real adjustments to be competitive (no, writing “SCRAP” nine times on the chalkboard does not count Nate) and so we have no real sustainable answer for the Suns.

Seriously, to an impartial observer what indicators would there be that the Blazers will prevail? Aside from a complete Suns collapse or Brandon miraculously returning to 100%?

by dulcamara on Apr 28, 2010 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions

Are we watching the same game?

No one can say with a straight face that what we’re seeing out there is confidence. NBA players or not, they’re human, and they’re under a lot of stress.
These men haven’t been trained like astronauts. They’re not military personell. They’re people who want to win, and they suffer a lack of confidence after seeing the best 3-point-shooting-team in the NBA bury six 3’s in a row. They get scared.
Any serious fan of this team can tell by the first quarter whether we have the game or not. And it has nothing to do with percentages. It’s what the team looks like; their mannerisms, their hesitation. It’s like they give up. It’s mental. This is difficult to explain, but I know quite a few others who have seen it. This is an emotional team, and that complicates things.
The question of whether what we, as fans, are feeling affects the team is a tough question. But yeah, I don’t think it’s just up to the players and coaches. Camby signed on for another year, he admitted the fans had almost everything to do with that. Thousands of people packed together in a room create a “vibe” —-they feed off that. I think if the whole audience were convinced we’d win, I think the Blazers would feel that and we’d win.
I think we have a responsibility to be confident. I think we owe them that.

-B.

by BrianThomas on Apr 28, 2010 3:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Respectfully Brian... we are watching the same game....

       You raise some interesting points….worthy of discussion… but when you start a phrase with “any serious fan”….Or " No one can say with a straight face"…it is a bit of discussion ender. Truth is…… it is your opinion.. I AM a serious fan and I disagree with you. That is MY opinion. You are just going to have to deal with that. Avoid the absolute phrases and we probably have a lot of common ground.

     That said… those of you who get to the Rose Garden for games really DO make a difference. I am envious and grateful to all the fans there. Hope I didn’t give the impression that you don’t. The energy you all bring must feel great to the players and intimidating to the other players and the Refs. Keep it up!

RoadBlazer

by Roadblazer on Apr 28, 2010 8:25 PM PDT up reply actions

Hey Roadblazer

Didn’t mean to sound so absolute. And thanks for the positive remarks! We’ll be with eachother in spirit on game day :D

-B.

by BrianThomas on Apr 28, 2010 11:30 PM PDT up reply actions

As for the actual Blazer players, you don’t get to be an NBA player without confidence bordering on cockiness.

Martell Webster has proven you wrong at various points this season

by HailOden! on Apr 28, 2010 3:41 PM PDT up reply actions

You're assuming that Martell is an NBA player

Yuk yuk.

I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.

by haildablazer on Apr 28, 2010 9:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Every game so far, the team with the most to loose has been the one to play hard and win.

The Blazers are in that position for 6 AND 7.

Travis to Patty, "Why you sound like that?"

by Kroes32 on Apr 28, 2010 3:50 PM PDT reply actions

winning

If the Blazers won three games by 20-30 points and barely lost the other two – with two games left, I am sure everyone would seem more relaxed.

by clonigro on Apr 28, 2010 5:00 PM PDT reply actions

Rec

We are better than the Suns. It’s that simple. Position by position we should beat them and we will, twice.

by jiminut on Apr 28, 2010 5:17 PM PDT reply actions

Better "position by position"...?

Taking off your Portland-colored glasses, how do you see this?

by dulcamara on Apr 28, 2010 5:27 PM PDT up reply actions

With Brandon back

I questioned him coming back during the regular season at <100% but he looks like his pedals are alright.

Position by position:

Camby is better than Collins. Advantage Portland
Stoudemire and Aldridge have different but comparable skill sets. Stoudemire brings it stronger so definitely give him the edge, but on any given night they’re about even. Advantage Phoenix
Batum vs. Hill? Nobody would argue that Batum is better, but when both 100% this match-up doesn’t make the difference. Advantage Phoenix
Roy vs. Richardson? Advantage Portland
Miller vs. Nash? If I were building a team I’d take Nash. In this series, with these two teams, I’d take Miller. He can and does dominate Nash. Advantage Portland
Bench Bigs: Frye, Dudley, Amundson vs. Howard, Dante, Pendergraph? Advantage Phoenix
Bench Wings/Guards: Dragic, Barbosa vs. Webster, Rudy, Jerryd? It would be nice if Rudy would show up but Jerryd’s been bringing it. Advantage=Push

Conclusion: Hey man I’m no statistician but I like Portland.

by jiminut on Apr 28, 2010 5:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Besides which

I was responding to the upbeat fanpost. No need to be negative here. Second point, you can read the box score as well as me. If you have a point to make, get to it, Socrates.

by jiminut on Apr 28, 2010 6:31 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

hey, just trying to be realistic...

I’m holding out hope for a Game 7 victory just as much as you are. But I do think the Suns are a better team right now, top to bottom.

Stoudemire is significantly better than LMA at this point in time.
Richardson in this series has been far better than an injured/recovering Roy (see game 3).
I give Nash the edge over Miller, if nothing else because he has a more dynamic offense to run.
Their bench has beaten on us pretty good.

They lost two close games to us and were in it to the end basically. We’ve lost three in which we were utterly dismantled. Suns look like the better team to me by a decent margin and I give them props for that. And still hope they lose.

by dulcamara on Apr 28, 2010 7:32 PM PDT up reply actions

Love the blazers for over 30 yrs……but this Blazers team is not better then the Suns as a team……. The Suns are much better team in almost every area…they double team faster and better then we do…they rebound better us without Oden..they set screens better.they shoot better in every area of the court then we do and this team is very well coached as well…how can a few of you say we are a much better team…they killed teams like Denver and Utah by 20 as well…..we cant even beat utah in our own building!!!!..no wonder other fans hate the blazers fans…we get so caught up in dreaming that reality passes us by..what if we lose, will it be the refs fault?. I love good conversation but we my as well say Roy for mvp…oh wait some of us have………now if I am wrong, I guess every team and every announcer in sports are wrong about the Blazers as well….they also say the Suns are have one of best offences in nba right now…wake up..we are playing a great team thats better then us in alot of areas…some of you sound like your blinded by the hope of winning……which is ok to want to win untill it has us sayng all kinds of wrong statements and facts….now can we still win? YES…coaching or the will to win has always had a huge effect in all playoffs. but dont lie to yourselfs saying we are much better team then they are…

by Danvegas on Apr 28, 2010 7:12 PM PDT reply actions

Nope.

When we win we’re better. When they win they’re better. After tomorrow, if we’re tied, we’re tied. This series isn’t over and the better team hasn’t been decided yet.
Positivity is what this post is about, Danvegas. Go vote on the poll and give us your input on how we’re going to dominate, crush, and embarrass this team in front of all their friends.

-B.

by BrianThomas on Apr 28, 2010 7:48 PM PDT up reply actions

Technically the Suns are better than us by only 1 game.

But I see your point. In the Phoenix wins, they’ve won convincingly in offense and defense. And because of that, it almost makes the first Blazer win look like a fluke.

by Stryder9 on Apr 28, 2010 9:22 PM PDT up reply actions

It's going to be so awesome

when Rudy break’s Wilt’s scoring record tomorrow night!

by jigglyai on Apr 28, 2010 8:36 PM PDT reply actions

Phoenix in 6.

If you’re smart – you won’t let your fanaticism cloud the logic laid down before you.

I was right with my Bayless prediction and it’s all too easy to be right with this one.

Tomorrow night it will all be over and then we’ll have months to talk about all of the things we’d like to see done before next season.

p.s. – I wished I was wrong.

Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.

by Net Ranger on Apr 28, 2010 9:51 PM PDT reply actions

I going to the game tonight,

and I’ll be screaming and pushing the team to a victory. The Blazers should win, they have more on the line, & they don’t have the luxury of a game 7 at home.
Big time pros know that the bigger the stakes, the slower you go. The heat of the moment flows around them, and they’re really quite cool, not emotionally overloaded. I think BROY will be moving very slow, surgically, and he will guide his team to a seventh game.
I think his poise will be on display, and we will be gushing over him once again.

Yes, I will be surprised if there isn’t a 7th game

by damonrayhymer on Apr 29, 2010 8:19 AM PDT up reply actions