Has OKC stolen The Blazers destiny?
by Krang on May 1, 2010 11:15 AM PDT
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I'll admit that maybe this is just depression from the sudden end of a strange season. But I watched the end and post game of game 6 between LA and OKC and I have to admit this feeling and thought hit me...
So LA get's a one point win. The OKC fans are roaring. Supportive even in defeat, the stadium a sea of blue with white caps of beating thunder sticks. Kobe is given the usual sweat drenched on the court quick exit interview. He is asked what he said to Durant and Green after the game. He say's he told them they were fantastic players....he then admits that OKC is a team they will likely have to contend with for years in the future.
Hmm, why do I have such a bad feeling? Since this wasn't our series and really who cares what Kobe says? Is it because somehow I feel like that was suppose to be us? Just a few years ago weren't The Blazers suppose to be the young, up and coming team laden with young talent that would challenge the league for a decade?
With Durant and OKC getting the accolades for challenging LA and now firmly taking the up and coming young team mantle where does that leave The Blazers?
Listen, I absolutely do NOT want this to be another "we should of taken Durant" or "Durant vs. Oden" post. That's not what I'm talking about. What I'm talking about is where are The Blazers? Yes we had a valiant season but so much seems up in the air concerning this team.
Do we have enough? As talented as Brandon Roy is, is he going to be durable and healthy enough to lead us to whatever success is possible? Is Aldridge PF enough to keep us competitive with Boozers, and Bosh's of the league? How high should I keep the bar of expectations for Oden, or how low should I set it? Is Greg Oden legendary All-Star a dead dream?
OKC is clearly now the feared young team. Durant is being groomed and hyped for a long career as a young superstar.
Meanwhile Oden is getting snacks as the game flickers on television. Brandon is limping into games while the soundtrack of Rocky is piped over the loud speakers. What was just a few seasons ago the up and coming feared YOUNG roster of The Blazers is now depending on aged veterans such as Miller, Camby and Howard. It's a fine line between adding experience and depending or expecting guys closer to 40 than 30 to open or keep your championship hopes alive.
Add to that we now have a situation where there is some type of unspoken rift evidently happening between Ownership and Management because nobody seems willing to either 100% back Kevin Pritchard or Axe the guy and you have to wonder if the great destiny that seemed layed before this team just a season or two ago hasn't de-railed.
What will this teams destiny be? I can't tell if we are about to Rise Up or if we are a meniscus tear away from another rebuilding project and then beyond that, if we did rebuild I don't know who would be at the helm calling the shots......not a place I thought this franchise would be or was heading.
Why does it feel to me like OKC has taken our destiny?
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"Has OKC stolen The Blazers destiny? "
Yes. They were eliminated in 6 games just like us
Phil Mickelson: "A Great shot is when you pull it off.....a smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it"’
Well, one could argue they are a year behind, but played a better series against the Lakers than we did against Houston last year. Game 7 was very possible, and then anything could happen.
by Norsktroll on May 1, 2010 12:11 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
True, but that Rockets team last year was a very tough out even for the eventual champs.
The Lakers have not played at the level they were last year.
Yes, they get to lose to the L*kers, while we Blazers get to dominate them!
"I'm passing it down," Howard said. "Showing the guys that, hey, here's an example of a guy who played 16 years. If you don't want to listen and get the valuable, free information from him - soak it up like a sponge - then you've got to be a damn fool."
Championship is goes through a great center.
G.O. if healthy he will give us a championship or two, unhealthy we will be lucky to get to the western conference. OKC is in the same position.
Serge Ibaka
is well on his way to being a great center.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 1, 2010 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions
lol
Hello ladies. Look at your man. Now look at Brandon Roy. Now back at your man. Now back to Brandon Roy. Sadly, he is not Brandon Roy.
he's a power forward
and he’s really good. not great.
But vie1scott makes a good point. Somebody said earlier in the season that Shaq, the Lakers, and the Spurs are tied for the number of championships they have in the first decade of the 2000’s, and this year’s champion would decide whether this decade will be know as the Lakers Era, the Spurs Era, or the Shaq Era as a result. For the most part, what all of those teams have in common is Shaq, Tim Duncan, and Bynum/Gasol. Last years Lakers team, arguably, had one of the weaker front lines, and it was still way better, and bigger, than OKC’s even has the potential to be. No matter how good Green and Ibaka may be, a SF and PF playing out of position won’t be able to get the job done in the Oden/Howard/Bogut/Bynum era
Great centers like
Kendrick Perkins and Fabricio Oberto.
by howlingfantods on May 1, 2010 10:27 PM PDT up reply actions
How about
A great post presence, like KG or Timmy….
Nicolas Batum AKA Mr. Third Quarter
On Josh Smith "He's strong as a 2nd curtain"
On Lebron "...it's hype, he's not a defender"
On Aaron Brooks "He's tiny, he has a small body but he's super fast and has a real gesture"
On Steve Nash "First we'll have to try and stop this Canadian guard, a young kid with a bright future!"
On Defense "They all piss me off with Dwight Howard...Guys like Bruce Bowen or Ron Artest were legit defensive men of the year. For me that's the profile of a denfender.
On The Playoffs "I don't want Dallas to win because I don't want Rodrigue to be NBA champion, I would be pissed. I don't want him to be NBA champion in his 1st year, this bastard....I put myself in mode asshole!"
Perkins had Garnett
(Oh boy!) Oberto had Duncan
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 May 5, 2010 12:46 PM PDT up reply actions
I like how Ibaka is disallowed because he's a PF
but KG and Duncan aren’t even though they’re PFs.
by howlingfantods on May 10, 2010 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions
Good post
I actually found myself hoping the Lakers beat OKC this series, I’m so jaded against them.
For the last 2 seasons, yes.
"What people need to know is that those pictures were taken a year and a half ago, and I've grown since then." - Greg Oden
by dario argento on May 2, 2010 4:11 PM PDT up reply actions
so i guess its been stolen
or at least shared
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
by thomasikehara on May 2, 2010 6:14 PM PDT up reply actions
The Thunder sure do appear to be the team on the way up and the Blazers appear to be yesterday's up & comers
But note my use of the word “appear.” Appearances can be deceiving. Remember the New Orleans team of a couple of seasons ago? Whatever happened to that sure-bet franchise? Unlike the Thunder, they didn’t lose in the first round; they dang near won the West. Yet now they’re nowhere.
Yes, I’m concerned about the Blazers. How many injuries can you suffer before it stops seeming like a "fluke?’ And yes, those Thunder sure seem loaded. But let’s not slit our wrists just yet. Things in the NBA have a way of changing. The Blazers might be the team with fewest games lost to injury next season, and the Thunder might be the team with the most.
Let’s see how the outlooks of the two teams compare if THAT happens. The national media would hop off the Thunder bandwagon and onto the Blazers’ so fast our heads would spin.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
no
we are both good young teams. Just like the Jazz and Nuggets were good young teams a few years ago, etc. etc.
Also, Ibaka/Collison/Green is not a championship front line. That team really needs to get a clogger if they are going to contend. Sure, they were able to give a flawed Lakers team some trouble, but they still definitely have question marks.
They are an exciting team and it’ll be fun to play against them for the next few years. But there’s no “destiny” about any of it. As Blazer fans, we know how quickly potential turns into expectations turn into criticism.
Rec
Phil Mickelson: "A Great shot is when you pull it off.....a smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it"’
by 92wastheyear on May 1, 2010 11:32 AM PDT up reply actions
thankfully they do not have a deep pocketed owner
they have a great GM, they have cap space and picks (19-22) pick 26 and pick 32, they could easily sign Bosh with their cap room and a backup big.
That would be a scary proposition. Ironically, our poison pill contract to Milsap benefitted OKC by getting Minor for nothing as the Jazz slashed payroll.
yes they need another front line guy
but what else do they need?
they have a fantastic wing scorer who is effective even when he’s not shooting well because he gets to the line as well as anyone. they have a great young point guard, a good shot blocker in ibaka and nice complementary players in green & harden.
collison / kristic is a stop gap but when you consider all the cap space they have it’s not hard to imagine them being able to address this and those guys aren’t awful. their defense is really quite good but a team like LA with so much size is rough for them.
their coaching staff and gm are outstanding. i also think we can put the “durant can’t defend” nonsense to bed as anyone who watched the series would attest that he is a far better perimeter defender than he’s given credit for. LA had to use the pick and roll to get Kobe past him. when kobe went one on one he ended up with tough contested shots and twice was blocked.
i think you underestimate their front-line difficulties
Ibaka is a nice help defender, good rebounder, and an all around promising young player. I see him as sort of a Marcus Camby-type—perfect third big man who can play both PF and center, and just generally give you a lot of activity. That said, as a starting center, Bynum/Oden/Duncan/Howard/Bogut/M. Gasol are meaty enough to shove him around and eat his lunch. So you really need someone bigger and stronger to complement him.
Collison is a good defender and role player, but he’s old and limited, and is outclassed by higher quality bigs mentioned above. I also don’t think people really see him as a big part of the future. He also doesn’t give you much offensive game.
That brings us to probably the most contentious issue, which is the future of Jeff Green in a championship front-court. The problem with Green is he is not an above-average NBA player in any aspect of the game. He’s a classic tweener, who they put at the 4. When he plays 4, the opposition exploits his height (LaMarcus just shoots right over him, same with Gasol). You can afford to run a guy like this at the 4 if he buries 3s like crazy, and you have Dwight Howard at center snaring all the rebounds and backing up the defense. Unfortunately, Ibaka is not, and will never be, Dwight Howard.
So I think OKC’s front court problems go beyond just “needing a big man.” They probably need two big men: a post scorer and a big clogger to go around Ibaka.
Goto the Junk Drawer
You’ll find him
"If we win a title, I promise not to hate on anyone associated with the Blazers for 1 full season" - jksnake99
We will meet them with our fury and we will crush them like vermin.
Ibaka is a championship caliber post.
No doubt. More then LMA.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 1, 2010 2:54 PM PDT up reply actions
lool
Hello ladies. Look at your man. Now look at Brandon Roy. Now back at your man. Now back to Brandon Roy. Sadly, he is not Brandon Roy.
Da truth. He looks GOOD.
And he played B-Ball LATE. Still lotta UPSIDE with physical gifts.
For someone so raw too guy has some OFFENSIVE moves.
OSU '06
Trade for Gerald Wallace!!
no
we are both good young teams. Just like the Jazz and Nuggets were good young teams a few years ago, etc. etc.
Also, Ibaka/Collison/Green is not a championship front line. That team really needs to get a clogger if they are going to contend. Sure, they were able to give a flawed Lakers team some trouble, but they still definitely have question marks.
They are an exciting team and it’ll be fun to play against them for the next few years. But there’s no “destiny” about any of it. As Blazer fans, we know how quickly potential turns into expectations turn into criticism.
flag
Phil Mickelson: "A Great shot is when you pull it off.....a smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it"’
by 92wastheyear on May 1, 2010 11:32 AM PDT up reply actions
Sigh...
,,,,I’m rolling my eyes. Listen, for those of you pointing out that OKC got eliminated in the first round in 6 games….just like us…that isn’t the point. It’s about the direction of the respective franchises. I think that’s pretty clear, if you don’t understand that, your blinding yourself on purpose.
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
we felt the same way last year
unlimited potential, unlimited growth. Then the expectations go up, and maybe you lose a few games you were expecting to win, and some of the flaws of your roster get exposed by the Spurs or Magic, and everyone’s questioning you. That’s what happened to us this year—expectations went up and our flaws were exposed. That’ll happen to them next year. It’s disappointing to no longer be the darling brimming with potential, but that’s just a phase on the way to contention, not some sort of permanent upward trajectory.
No....I think you are possibly being blinded by the LA hype machine
The NBA, ESPN, and TNT absolutely tout the Lakers to the detriment of the rest of the league….that being said, the fact that OKC sat in the Lakers spotlight and gave them a little tussle to boot….has all the national pundits going GaGa. But I suspect that the Blazers would have probably done just as well, if not better against them (the Lakers) and would have received this reflected Laker glory. All the available metrics show that we were in fact a better team than OKC (including head to head matchups) ….and that was without Oden and Przy. So while we might be bemoaning the changing perceptions….the realities haven’t really changed and all I care about are the realities.
Phil Mickelson: "A Great shot is when you pull it off.....a smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it"’
by 92wastheyear on May 1, 2010 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions
That's fine...
….I asked for opinion, all I’m presenting is a momentary gut feeling. Give me a season of a healthy Brandon, Healthy Batum and a emerging and healthy Oden and all these concerns would likely fade like a bad shadow. But do you REALLY believe we would of done as well or better against LA than OKC did?
I know I’m not sounding like a Blazer fan, but trust me I am, but the way we lost to Phoenix in some of the games just can’t leave me believing we would of done as well as OKC did against LA.
Honestly? We stold game one against a Phoenix that seemed flat and unprepared and perhaps a little complacent and cocky. But the rest of the highlights of the series were just a valiant single game 4 win, that seemed fueled mostly by emotion and theatrics. Every other game played was a solid defeat and a pretty sound whipping by Phoenix.
I love The Blazers, I hate the purple and gold, but I saw nothing in the Phoenix series that would lead me to believe we would of been able to make LA break a sweat.
I have admitted that maybe I’m just down now that this season has ended. So maybe I’m being a little dark in my evaluation. ……it mostly comes down to I just can’t get a handle on where I think this frachise is headed. Usually you enter an off-season with at least a feeling of what direction a franchise is going, looking at The Blazers? I don’t know if we will be league contenders in a few years OR totally rebuilding and in the lottery. Either reality seems so possible.
I know that to an extent that’s true with all franchises. It’s the nature of an unrevealed future. I’ve just never entered an off-season where I felt so much like I wanted the next season to start, if only to get some answers as to the reality…because given management turmoil, injury to Oden and Brandon…..I DO think realities have changed, I’m just not sure exactly how much, or how.
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
That is the problem with injuries
Usually you enter an off-season with at least a feeling of what direction a franchise is going, looking at The Blazers?
That is the main lament that we have been seeing all year….this wasn’t the team we will wanted to see and evaluate. It was rag tag bunch that scrambled and scratched for every win it got….but it wasn’t the team we are likely to see next year.
Phil Mickelson: "A Great shot is when you pull it off.....a smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it"’
by 92wastheyear on May 1, 2010 12:17 PM PDT up reply actions
thunder have been getting wayyyy too much hype
durant gets way too many free throws, even compared with other stars, he gets too many calls, and they’re big man situation i terrible, a few stiffs and serge, who is undersized at center, and has little offensive game, but thats not what they want from him. the blazers depth is what makes them better than the thunder
I would love it if one of our guys got way too many free throws, or too many calls
Unfortunately in the playoffs we fell in love with jumpers.
"OK Kids! Who wants a basketball? That's why I love my Chevy Silverado."
durant had the third worse performance in a decisive game in nba playoff history
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
complete nonsense
his shot wasn’t falling so he scored by getting to the line something like 14 times. he also played excellent perimeter defense on kobe. unlike some folks on our team whom i won’t name durant doesn’t hang his head and let the rest of his game go when his shot isn’t falling, he adjusts.
he also hit a huge three late in that game which would have been the difference if not for a great play by gasol.
He shot 32FG% for the SERIES... imagine if LMA or another Blazer did that?
Founder of the "Crash Batumcoot" Movement.
his shoot pct. for game 6 was the third worst all time for a decisive playoff game
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
by thomasikehara on May 1, 2010 3:52 PM PDT up reply actions
And yet
The refs escorted him to the line 15 time of which he made 14. Phil called that whole series from the very beginning and essentially won it in the national media in my humble opinion.
When he wakes up in bed tomorrow I'll be right there next to him saying "Brandon I like you just the way you are". - Mike Rice
Sergeballu LaMu Sayonga Loom Walahas Jonas Hugo Ibaka
The more he plays, the more he will produce. This 20 year old phenom is the future of the Thunder playoff hopes. He has the physical skills to dominate just about anyone – Kemp like. Producing those numbers at such a young age are not common. If he had LA minutes I guarantee he outproduces him. He has great instincts. I would not be surprised to see him dominate LaMarcus in the future.
Blazer fans:
Don’t blind your self to the future, OKC has a very promising young post player to go with their amazing talent in the back court.
Blazer management:
You have been warned. Make a move. IMO OKC is in a steadier place this offseaon then the Blazers. Less injury worries in particular. They won’t need to do much, find a nice veteran & use your draft picks well. We need to do something to keep up with them. Just line it up and be real, can we win a seven game series:
OKC:
Westbrook- Advantage
Sefolosha
Durant- Advantage
Green
Krstic
Bench- Advantage(I’ll take Maynor, Harden & Ibaka over Bayless, Rudy/Webster & Cunningham eh nee day – Mainly because the advantage Ibaka gives you)
PTL:
Miller
Roy- Advantage
Batum
Aldridge – Advantage(Aldridge wins out over Green but the PF duo of Green/Ibaka is more effective – Defense wins in playoffs and these guys are better on that end, better rebounders if you add the numbers up too. Only give up .4ppg to Aldridge/Cunningham)
Camby – Advantage(We win out here, even though we haven’t gotten consistent play at this spot from any one player in particular, good depth compared to them)
If we plan to keep Aldridge, we must look for a PF who can get physical, defend the paint & get some easy buckets in the post.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 1, 2010 6:18 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Also
Find a consistent perimeter defender to go along with Batum, split the wing minutes between Roy, Batum & Player X(I like Pietrus or Terrence Williams..)
I have no idea what we are supposed to do when we match up with WB…
by IndustrialRevolution on May 1, 2010 6:19 PM PDT up reply actions
durant laid a giant egg in the postseason
against the same defender that roy dominated last season
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
by thomasikehara on May 1, 2010 7:02 PM PDT up reply actions
Roy "dominated" Artest? What series were you watching last year? Did the Blazers win in that one? The one I saw Artest forced Roy to work his ass off for anything and everything he got. He was not dominated by Roy.
by SerenityNow! on May 1, 2010 10:11 PM PDT up reply actions
roy: 26.5 ppg, 45% fg , 47 pct. 3 point shooting
durant: 25 ppg, 35% fg, 28% 3p shooting
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
by thomasikehara on May 2, 2010 7:29 AM PDT up reply actions
Artest also said after the series that Roy was one of the toughest players he'd ever covered
Don’t know what he’d say about Durant
i'll have to add to this by saying
Artest isn’t the player he was last year.
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
Really, you should check the playoff stats.
Roy had his way against Artest and Battier I think. It was truly impressive, and unfortunately was our downfall also. The offense was too reliant on Roy because he was so good.
according to your link...
Ibaka is producing similar numbers in his rookie season as Darius Miles did, and Elton Brand should be better than Howard.
OKC shouldn’t count their chickens till they hatch.
Darius Miles also did it on a dirt low FG% and Elton Brand
Had the injury bug, no doubt the dude was a great player.
Trade for Ronny Turiaf.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 1, 2010 7:24 PM PDT up reply actions
that's not my point
My point is that one season is not enough to judge a player. You don’t know what that player may become. He’s got loads of potential, sure. But so have a lot of players. Rudy Fernandez did (does?), then turned into a headcase. LaMarcus Aldridge did, then plateaued in his second year. He might snap out of that, or he might not. BRoy is one of the best players in the league, but will his knees hold out long enough for him to get a ring? Greg Oden could be one of the best centers of his generation, but will he ever play in more than 65 games a season?
Just look at FG%
Trade for Ronny Turiaf.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 1, 2010 7:24 PM PDT up reply actions
You've convinced me.
Serge Ibaka is the next Eddie Griffin, Darius Miles or Benoit Benjamin.
dinasour type of guys choir boys
And I should add that you barely excluded Oden
He put up better numbers than Ibaka his rookie year, except for blocks (barely), and in similar minutes. However, Oden was recovering from microfracture surgery that year, a procedure that limits explosiveness for two years afterwards. So, While Green/Ibaka might have the potential to be better than LMA alone, Aldridge/Oden/Camby has a huge advantage.
Kinda flawed dude
Going player by player without determining how much better each are kinda undermines it. For example. Roy over Sefalosha is a lot bigger advantage than Durant over Batum. Or Camby/Oden over Krstic is a lot bigger than Westbrook over Miller.
Or Camby/Oden over Krstic is a lot bigger than Westbrook over Miller.
IDK about that one dude.
Trade for Ronny Turiaf.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 3, 2010 8:49 AM PDT up reply actions
wut?
Miller has owned Westbrook H2H this year. They have basically the same offensive numbers (Miller is slightly better) and are both good defenders (Pelton had them both as honorable mention, although I think Westbrook is a bit more valuable on that end because of his elite rebounding and superior ability to stay in front of his man).
In any case, there isn’t that much between them. And our frontcourt absolutely owns theirs— Aldridge>>>>Green and Camby>Ibaka/Collison. That doesn’t even include Oden.
anytime a Team gets a Big man, a Howard or Shaq,Robinson it seems to be an all or nothing..they are more likely to get hurt then a Durant,Kobe,Wade type of player…we took a chance putting it all with Oden we knew Durant would be a great scorer but we had hoped Oden would be that Big guy like Walton or Shaq was..anyways, everytime I see Ock play I think what could of been and cant help it, they will be a force for the next 10 yrs that is unless jackson somehow steals durant!!!!!..I think they have a 80% chance on being better then us next yr…they have a better scorer and they run the ball better…they are hungry while we are passive..that could be because of whats happening in The offices of The Blazers…its coming all the way down the Portland food chain..we need to make a Decission Or next season we will be really talking about Durant or oden!!
Jackson steals Durant !!!!
Phil Jackson ? You have a sick evil mind ! :-)
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
the destiny was that oden would be healthy
if he plays a full season we’re much better than the thunder, oden would have dunked that put back last night. If greg continues his knee troubles then yeah, the thunder have our future. But I’m one of those people who believe it might not matter due to a certain small forward from akron
ha
Put OKC and the Blazer roster together, and switch the injury situation. Portland wins 55-60 games easy, and OKC probably doesn’t make the playoffs. People forget OKC were remarkably healthy yet the Blazers still won more games. This post to me, is pretty silly and I don’t see the relevance either way. Both teams will be good.
Bat88m
by RyanRTE on May 1, 2010 12:24 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
portland has more injury-prone players
so saying “swtich the injury situation” is pretty silly. roy has now had four meniscus operations and oden hasn’t played a full season of healthy basketball since his sophmore or junior year of high school. batum can’t seem to shake this shoulder-thing and rudy has had back problems both years he was in portland. przybilla has had knee injuries his entire career.
injuries are part of the game and some games get injured more. far too many blazer fans under-rate durability.
Camby too bit banged up historically.
Miller must feel pretty wierd being the NBA"s Iron Man on of the most injury plagued teams in recent memory.
OSU '06
Trade for Gerald Wallace!!
has OKC taken our destiny?
I think so. They need one big guy and its done. Imagine if they had picked up Camby.
Sergeballu LaMu Sayonga Loom Walahas Jonas Hugo Ibaka...
by IndustrialRevolution on May 1, 2010 6:21 PM PDT up reply actions
yup pretty much.
I’m SUPER JEALOUS.
They did 90% of their roster via the draft, 100% of the stars,
Yet like people have said in a bit of a injury/desperation to win attempt we went out and got Journeyman vets-whom I both LOVE-but their idenities and allegiances aren’t lined up with P-town.
OSU '06
Trade for Gerald Wallace!!
Hell no
If I was a GM, I would much rather have Portland’s current roster. OKC is undersized in the paint, and while they can run, their lack of rebounding and interior defense is going to do them in when it comes to trying to win a championship. They will need to address that in the future, and if they do, they could be dangerous. But as of now, the pieces aren’t there yet. Having to play Jeff Green at PF is a huge disadvantage for their defense and rebounding.
With us, it’s a matter of letting players develop. We have all the pieces. If Oden cuts down on his fouls, we will have one of the best interior rotations in the league and probably the best rebounding front line in the NBA. The only things we need going into next season are good health and possibly another spot-up 3 pt shooter. Then again, if either Webster or Rudy improves next year, that might be a moot point.
Prince: This bores me. Is anyone up for a game of basketball?
They were more ready in this playoffs than we were last year, I'll give them that
But it still produced the same result. And if you noticed some of their plays down the stretch, they were similar to us; not boxing out on a missed attempt led to Gasol’s winning layup. Other than that, it’s little things peppered throughout their games that vet teams are better at – closing quarters, decisions, ball movement. The scary part is, you look at their backcourt + Durant, and think of how much better those guys could still become. They’ll have to make a move to improve their frontcourt, minus Ibaka (who’s a shot-blocking beast).
With us, it’s the opposite development. You look at our frontcourt, and look at how much better they could still become. Oden, LMA, Dante. We’ll have to look at ways to improve our backcourt depth and consistency during the offseason.
And no, they haven’t taken our destiny. We still had them 3-1 this year, and match up well with them. In fact, we have one of the few guys (Batum) who is currently fast and long enough to guard Durant. Miller exploited Westbrook whenever we played them by dominating him in the post. I think we’ll be going to the WCF with them for years to come.
"OK Kids! Who wants a basketball? That's why I love my Chevy Silverado."
I felt the same exact thing Krang
And for me, no there’s not an argument I can make to support it, it’s sort of a tacit knowledge that must be coming from watching years of the NBA (I say that descriptively, not as if it makes me some authority, just that I think that’s where it comes from for me).
I was watching that game and I had a few thoughts that surprised me. The first was that I like Durant—Now, I am not just buying the hype machine. He draws fouls so much it is embarrassing to the league, etc… but watching that game I just got a sense that he is always going to be a factor. Again, I can’t describe it, and a lot of people would say they’ve seen it all along. Well, I haven’t. I saw a lot of him in College, and he was a great player, but I did not see what I saw last night, almost like an anointing…
The next is that OKC looked like they belonged there, more so than maybe any of the other teams that have been eliminated in the first round. Even Portland, which granted has had tons of injuries, etc, looked like we had to just fight and claw and do everything just to try to make it competitive and steal a few games. Which is exactly how it felt last year when healthy. For all the comparisons to OKC going out in 6 in much the same way as we did last year, those series were hardly similar beyond the surface. OKC was one great play by Pau Gasol away from going to game 7, and man, it felt like anything coudl have happened. OKC has swagger or whatever you want to call it, which we didnt have this year or last year.
Not to mention, their good young players OTHER than their superstar were a pivotal part of that (Westbrook, Green, Ibaka). Our good young players other than our superstar have been notoriously up and down, and it’s like pulling teeth to get major, meaningful contributions from them.
But in all of that, I think part of that feeling is just the style of the teams as determined by the players they have. OKC is built to give you that feeling. Portland isn’t. Years ago the Spurs never ever felt like great upcoming, dangerous teams. Neither does Portland at this point, compared to OKC. But that doesn’t mean Portland isn’t going to be just as good or better. If we get a healthy Roy, Oden, Batum, and Aldridge, we have an amazingly good SOLID team. OKC, going forward, has an amazingly good exciting, explosive team. That may or may not mean it is destined for centention.
So, I don’t know. I’ve tried to describe my thoughts/feelings as best I can, but don’t know if I can really describe it. But despite all of that, I still have a lot of hope in the future. But if any of our guys is injured going forward, it’s going to be tough. If anything, they may have stolen the mantra of the great, young, exciting, upcoming team. But maybe that wasn’t meant to be the mantra for this Portland team anyway. This Portland team is built much more to be the young, solid, skilled team which slowly gets better and better and, at best, hopefully, becomes the Spurs of this decade.
by TimG on May 1, 2010 1:03 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Swagger... That's the best word to describe it
"OK Kids! Who wants a basketball? That's why I love my Chevy Silverado."
Better word: hype
You hold your chins high when you believe the hype.
When he wakes up in bed tomorrow I'll be right there next to him saying "Brandon I like you just the way you are". - Mike Rice
good comment
I have nothing but the best wishes for Durant and the Thunder. Durant would have loved to be in Portland with his Texas pal Aldrich. But we made our decision, he is gone, and committed to his new team, as he should be. It is not the players fault the team was moved. And OKC is like Portland, with the Thunder being the big thing in town. A friend with relatives in OKC was telling me the fans are really excited about the team, and he lived in Seattle. It is an exciting young team in a supportive market. Good for them, good for Durant, who I have always admired and respected.
That doesn’t take anything away from the Blazers, who still have the same promise and talent. And, I have by no mean given up on Oden. It looks like OKC will be contenders along with Portland. The Portland/Seattle rivalry is coming back. This resenting the Thunder makes little sense to me. If they were our team, we would be thrilled. Whatever Bennett did, hating the whole town and team for it makes no sense to me. I love them taking it to LA.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
For some reason when i first looked at this thread
I thought of the hospital scene from Forrest Gump.
That was my destiny!!!! I was Lieutenant Dan Taylor!
Sorry off topic lol.
I actually think that the Blazers and Thunder are destined to meet in the Conference finals a bunch of times and it will end up being a rivalry.
No they didn't.
Both teams lost in 6 games. The difference is, we played against a Phoenix team playing very well. OKC played against a still struggling lakers team.
We played w/out 2 centers (although Camby cancels out Joel and then some), and our best player was basically a not factor other than a brief emotional boost.
Our team was adjusting with llineups on the fly all season, and the postseason was no different. Also we were not able to build chemstry on court during the regular season. On the other hand, OKC’s entire roster was healthy all season, allowing them to get that chemistry.
If Blazers and thunder both have completely healthy rosters, Blazers are clearly superior team. And to be honest, if we get one more superstar or close to superstar to go with Roy, we are definitely a top 3 team in NBA.
....and there is a very real possibility
that we go get a superstar this summer, with Paul and KP/other wanting to win now.
Does that work monetary-wise?
"OK Kids! Who wants a basketball? That's why I love my Chevy Silverado."
We've got the stuff
We have two decent sized expiring contracts that add up to max money, one of which will most likely be paid by insurance. We have young talented pieces that have drawn interest from a number of teams, and we have draft rights to some very good international prospects. The problem is just finding the right star, having them be available, and able to play at a position of need.
not sure i agree with your math
isn’t max money around 20 to 21 million? we have przybilla at around 7.5 million and miller at around 7 (i think).
am i forgetting a contract. i guess oden is sort of expriring given the RFA status but that counts against the cap unless you release him i think. that would be another 6.
what two contracts do you mean ?
max money depends on how long the player has been in the league
so, yes, if we want a max player as old as Shaq, Timmy, or T-Mac, it will take upwards of 20 million.
Those are the two contracts I had in mind. I was assuming that if we got another superstar, it would be someone younger. Their salary would be more like 15-17 million. And if the team we deal with is above the tax threshold, they’ll want to ship that contract off while taking back less money. The CBA allows a team to take back 125% (plus $100k) of the value of the contracts it sends off. So Miller and Camby’s 14-ish million could bring back 17 or 18 million.
And for the record, I think it’s highly unlikely that we acquire another superstar. But we do have the ability to get one financially, though the Vulcans would have to pay the tax. I don’t think they want to do that, even though KP an Allen probably would.
i dare you to walk up to paul allen and ask that question
"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 May 1, 2010 1:36 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Would love a Joel, Andre, Fernandez and picks, Euros for Chris Paul
but the Hornets are not the Griz and we are not Fakers
Pithy
I like pithy.
When he wakes up in bed tomorrow I'll be right there next to him saying "Brandon I like you just the way you are". - Mike Rice
its all about health
What a lot of people seem to be missing here is that the health of oden next yr and beyond is not our only issue. It is the health of our star that will tell the tale. Brandon has been injured in every season so far and in the arena of professional sports players don’t tend to get more healthy. It generally goes the other way. I’m far more concerned about Roys durability than odens at this point.
hopefully a healthy oden will mean a healthier roy
roy’s injuries this season seemed to have stemmed from playing too hard to pick up the slack of all the other injured players.
"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 May 1, 2010 1:42 PM PDT up reply actions
TLDR yet but no
I do not think OKC will make a splash next season. Houston will be a team to compete with next season with Yao Brooks and Martin. They still have some nice roleplayers in Ariza an Battier and the like—and if they get Bosh they will be scary good—if they stay healthy.
OKC on the other hand was healthy all season—they lost single digits of games to injuries IIRC and I do not expect that to happen to them two seasons in a row—also why I do not think Brooks should’ve been COTY. I expect them to maybe get the seventh or eighth seed at best and lose in the first round once again
You have my axe!
All depends on the offseason
Their 2010-11 payroll, as of now, stands at just about $40 million. With that cap space they could potentially lure a max guy, or they could make a trade (for a center, probably) with all the assets they have.
I'm going to tread carefully here
OKC has a foundation of Durant, Westbrook, Green, Ibaka, and Harden. Our foundation is Roy, Oden, LaMarcus, Batum, and Bayless. Over an 82-game season, with everybody healthy and playing to their full potential, we would DESTROY them. Obliterate them. No question.
But yeah, then there’s the injury thing. Roy’s injury history with his knees. Oden’s injury history with his knees. Batum’s heart condition and recurring shoulder problems this year. And then you’ve got OKC, with a completely blank injury history. At some point, all of that stops becoming luck and starts becoming something to consider. Sure, eventually somebody on OKC is going to get hurt, probably. But there’s no track record for it, and that’s probably what they were aiming for when they were building their team. So there’s that.
And there’s this: like I said in a previous post, all of our future success will depend on Oden and his ability to stay healthy, because pretty much no matter what we’re going to extend him and make him the future. And without him healthy, we’re a perennial first-round team that occasionally makes the second round and, maybe in a miracle year, gets swept in the Conference Finals. Now, obviously, if Durant ever got hurt the Thunder would probably either miss the playoffs completely or get blown apart in the first round. But OKC doesn’t HAVE to worry about an injury to Durant because there’s no precedent for it. With Oden, we have to constantly be on alert and fearful.
So I’m not sure which core I would take. They’re both great in their own way, and both have flaws. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
by ucla139 on May 1, 2010 2:00 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Well said.
On paper, we would wipe our butts with them and flush them down the toilet. Even with Durant. But there’s a rub—there’s no predicting or accounting for the injury thing. It’s very frustrating and we very well could have the fate of the Rockets with constant injuries to key players. And, the Thunder could enjoy the relatively healthy fate of the early days of Shaq and Kobe’s Lakers. Both of their health was solid enough to string together a series of championships. I would consider it a miracle for us to even reach the finals at this point.
Ibaka > Aldridge
Ibaka looks like a young Shawn Kemp or Amare Stoudemire.. Aldridge is just Rasheed Wallace without the attitude.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 1, 2010 2:55 PM PDT reply actions
well
at least aldridge has had some production
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
by thomasikehara on May 1, 2010 3:54 PM PDT up reply actions
lol
Hello ladies. Look at your man. Now look at Brandon Roy. Now back at your man. Now back to Brandon Roy. Sadly, he is not Brandon Roy.
do you have any statistical evidence to back this up
defensively, sure but on the offensive end Lamarcus is far superior
Hello ladies. Look at your man. Now look at Brandon Roy. Now back at your man. Now back to Brandon Roy. Sadly, he is not Brandon Roy.
Totally subjective opinion
Aldridge: career PER 18.4; per 36 pts 17.4; per 36 rebounds 7.7
Ibaka: PER 15.2; per 36 pts 12.5; per 36 10.8 rebounds
Getting all gushy about a guy who averaged 18 minutes of PT and 6.5 pts per game for one season seems a little over the top. He had a nice series but his PER was still 15.5 and he averaged 7.8 pts and 6.5 boards in the playoffs. Vs. Aldridge who averaged 19.0 pts and 6.0 boards while being consistently doubled.
You don’t know if a guy is a stud in the NBA until a team tries to shut him down. Nobody is bothering to double Ibaka.
by upper left corner on May 2, 2010 8:59 AM PDT up reply actions
and I doubt he ever will
considering he has Durant/Westbrook on his team
Trade for Ronny Turiaf.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 3, 2010 8:53 AM PDT up reply actions
No, they haven't stole our destiny
Even with all our injuries we still had a better year then them. We beat them 3 out of 4 times this year. Without Oden, Joel, and one of those games without our all star. They’re front line is weak.
Durant is a great player and he’s getting to the point where the ref’s won’t let you guard him but we have a perimeter defender that matches up well with him. Green is ok but having a power forward who spends most of his time shooting 3’s is not a good recipe for sucess.
By the way Ibaka avgeraged 6 points and 5 rebounds a game while Aldridge averaged 18 points and 8 rebounds so Aldridge >>>>> Ibaka. Not to mention Rasheed Wallace won an NBA Title while Stoudemire and Kemp haven’t won a title.
JRogero
Ibaka played 18 minutes a game though
Their PER36 numbers:
Ibaka: 12.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.6 blocks
LMA: 17.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 0.6 blocks
Ibaka shot better from the field, LMA from the free throw line. Everything else was basically equal except for the fouls (Ibaka at an alarming 5.3, LMA at a very reasonable 2.8). So…yeah, there’s not THAT much of a difference between them.
54% shooting
compared to .495. Just saying Ibaka’s style is more condusive to championship level basketball, defense, easy buckets, rebounding.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 1, 2010 5:32 PM PDT up reply actions
not necessarily
how many long two’s and 3’s does he take? (seriously, I’m not asking that rhetorically. I don’t know, and I’m too lazy to look it up). Aldridge is a high percentage shooter of low percentage shots, higher even than former All-Stars and playoff veterans Rashard Lewis and Rasheed Wallace in their primes (partly b/c he doesn’t take as many 3’s, admittedly).
Honestly, if the reason you’re so high on Serge is because of his “defense, easy buckets, and rebounding,” than comparing him to Aldridge is unfair; saying Ibaka’s style of play is more conducive to a championship than LMA’s is like saying that Oden’s style is more conducive than Jeff Green’s. It’s apples and oranges. Comparing apples to apples, Oden and Ibaka play the same role for their teams, and Oden will crush Ibaka and dishonor his family, every time. Meanwhile, LMA and Green both play the role of floor spacing big who give the wings room to penetrate and the pivot room to operate. We’ve already seen who wins that matchup, and he wears the number 12.
Ibaka does not take long twos and 3's.
Trade for Ronny Turiaf.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 3, 2010 9:06 AM PDT up reply actions
Go back and watch when Ibaka plays
He is the better player. Much better rebounder/defender then Aldridge and he doesn’t take faders, most his points come from momentum creating dunks :|
by IndustrialRevolution on May 1, 2010 5:29 PM PDT up reply actions
Well if Aldridge has a play created for him
you figure it would be a higher % shot. No?
Trade for Ronny Turiaf.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 3, 2010 9:06 AM PDT up reply actions
to ansewer your question
Who has the better team next year? OKC did what we did this year with basically no injuries. That wont last. It is law of averages. We lost 320+ games this year. That won’t happen again. It is law of averages.
We realistically need maybe one back up banger to be a contender next year. OKC is starting an absolute stiff at center…Ibaka can step in as an upgrade but he is an undersized center. They are starting Jeff Green at PF who is also undersized. Their bench big men if Ibaka starts are terrible. They have a great backcourt and Durant. This team needs a starting center a starting PF and a backup PG to move up. Period. I still like our chances next year over them.
O.R.
Ibaka will move to starter
Green will be a great 6th man.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 1, 2010 6:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Not drafting Taj Gibson=
A real dur da durrrr move.
Trade for Ronny Turiaf.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 1, 2010 6:45 PM PDT reply actions
Speaking of that...
REALLLY? Claver over Beaubois, Gibson, Blair… We missed out man. On talent that could have helped THIS YEAR, and players who are ready willing & capable to play defense… Not like these damn spaniards with their ole’ . oi
Trade for Ronny Turiaf.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 1, 2010 6:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Ibaka instead of Bayless
Imagine pulling Batum & Ibaka from that draft. gotta love that hindsight….
Trade for Ronny Turiaf.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 1, 2010 6:50 PM PDT up reply actions
I'd rather have Bayless and Dante
than Ibaka and whatever point or combo-guard we would have gotten with our second round pick this year.
We could have gotten Roddy Beaubois.
Instead of Claver :| Fail
Trade for Ronny Turiaf.
by IndustrialRevolution on May 3, 2010 9:07 AM PDT up reply actions
meh
there’s always a coulda.
OKC actually traded Beaubois. They also took Harden over Reke, Curry and Jennings.
KP’s draft history shows he got the best two players out of the ’06 draft, obv. the ’07 draft will remain a point of contention, but he snagged a starter and at least a good bench guy (Batum and Bayless) with the 11th and 25th picks in ’08, which has to be considered a nice haul.
I don’t understand why Claver is a failure—for a team with our roster situation (lots of players not a lot of PT) it makes sense to have him developing in Europe against high quality competition. That way, when we bring him over, he should be pretty much ready to contribute right away (Norsktroll says he’ll be more fully developed, like Scola or Ginobili).
yes you can't dislike the players
but as far as what OKC represents when it comes to the NBA allowing a douche bag like Bennett take advantage of the Sonics situation and steal them away? I can’t support the Thunder because of that, this was supposed to be Seattle’s team, the Sonics…
Yes, you may say all you want that Sonics had several opportunities to get them back, but Clay Bennett deceived Seattle into believing that he WANTED to keep the team there, and then asks the city to build ANOTHER pro sports stadium when they have already paid for BOTH Qwest and Safeco field and giving the city a short time frame to get it done or else they’d move. He had the obvious intent from the beginning because of his OKC origin.
but i do agree that this team is a very serious contender in a few years coming…and also this team would be in the way of the blazers hopes to win a title in the future, so again another reason i cannot root for this team
Your party is suddenly confronted by a troll. What do you do?
I ignore it like all trolls.
The troll implodes with a cut off curse.
Banhammer FTW.
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.
no
we are just barely beginning. and they have no big men to speak of
by collectiveshane on May 1, 2010 10:24 PM PDT reply actions
Personally I think OKC is overrated.
They score lots of points and they are fun to whatch. But they dont seem to win close games. Plus I havent seen Durant be a clutch player like Roy. I would like to see a stat of game winning plays Roy vs Durant.
Also. Every year there is a team that explodes and everyone says is the team of the future. In my opinion. The Kings, The Twolves, The Grizzlies, and The Warriors are a few draft picks away from having break out seasons in the next few years.
"im ready for a fight..." -Joel Przybilla
by KillaPrzydollaBILLA on May 1, 2010 11:04 PM PDT reply actions
They can have it.
Lets focus on stealing the L*kers’ destiny and maintain forward progress. Focusing on the young teams behind you is for chump teams like the Jazz.
When he wakes up in bed tomorrow I'll be right there next to him saying "Brandon I like you just the way you are". - Mike Rice
It comes down to one simple question
Who gives a crap? We’re Blazers fans! OKC can have Durant, Westbrook, and Green. They can have whatever they can take in the playoffs, and I hope we battle them to game 7 every year in the WCF. Whatever happens, may the best team win. Oh yeah, GO BLAZERS!!!
Let's remember that that Blazers
had a significantly injury plagued season. And lost by the same number of games as OKC in the playoffs.
"I come to you now, at the turn of the tide." -- Brandon "Gandalf" Roy, April 24th, 2010
The title of the article could have been:
“Has OKC stolen Portland’s Thunder?”
I think that the answer to that question will be fought out over the course of many post season battles in the coming years…Perhaps this year was the last go around for the West’s old elite: Lakers, Spurs, Suns, etc…
The road to salvation is not going to be easy. Period.
Teams will get better, and some are going to compete directly with us for that trophy. We just need to make sure we become the best we can be and not worry too much about that other team.
Being a Blazer fan is not exactly healthy.
Our time in the spotlight as the new, sexy up and coming team is over. That was last year. This was OKC's year.
Next year there should be another darling for the press to root for. Perhaps the Bucks or Grizzlies. OKC is here to stay. With Durant and Westbrook, they should be very good for a long time. No doubt they will make some runs at a banner. The Blazers destiny is not interlinked with OKC until we meet them in the playoffs. Until then, they are just another team.
"What people need to know is that those pictures were taken a year and a half ago, and I've grown since then." - Greg Oden
"If we win a title, I promise not to hate on anyone associated with the Blazers for 1 full season" - jksnake99
We will meet them with our fury and we will crush them like vermin.
by fajunga on May 2, 2010 9:29 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Not really but they are farther along which is kind of embarassing
I know I know, injuries blah blah
I think some of it is coaching. While Nate is buddy buddy and running a high school scheme, Scotty Brooks is demanding improvement and running a system that suits his personnel
The Leeroy Rule: being insistent >>>> being correct
They’re a great defensive team. Not really a great offensive team. They get a lot of their points off of turn-overs and get out in a hurry to score. They have some trouble executing in the half-court and rarely win close games. That’s why the Blazers had success against them this year, because they don’t turn the ball over a lot. OKC is a better defensive team and the Blazers are a better offensive team. Blazer can learn to play defense better, the offensive part is a little harder to improve. If they need KD to consistently score 30+ points a game to win, they are in trouble…..
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
Not Yet
I wouldn’t swap rosters with OKC. With a 25 year old, more mature Oden, and a 24 year old Batum, the Blazers have a decent chance of leading the NBA in both rebounding % and FG% allowed. Our offensive execution in 08-09 was fine, occasionally brilliant.
The two most important players to the franchise missed the playoffs (though one did play) in a disjointed year. Not a strong data point for predicting the future.
The bummer is that there’s a good chance that we’re only “right” for the playoffs every other season.
by Engineering Problem on May 3, 2010 8:48 PM PDT reply actions
If I am completely wrong, my bad, but
doesn’t OKC have about 15 million in cap space? They have their first round pick to consider, as well as Weaver I think, but they could realistically grab someone like Amare or Bosh at max contract.
That kind of scares me.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
.
The Thunder had a great season – a great developmental season – but they also had tremendous luck (health) and they won’t be anything more than a middle of the pack playoff team unless/until they add a major piece to the frontline. If this team wins exactly 50 games again next season, I’ll consider it a success. They might seem like the ‘team of destiny’ right now, but give them a couple 48-52 win seasons and OKC will become just another part of the NBA landscape.
It wouldn't be the first thing they stole
I want that franchise to fail badly. I want to see empty seats and Clay Bennett putting the franchise up for sale for pennies on the dollar. Unlikely, I know. What happened was perverse and wrong, and I hope that isn’t forgotten in OKC’s success.
volatilelyle.wordpress.com
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