It's time to call our shot. Championship!

by Steve The Hedge on Sep 22, 2010 3:00 PM PDT

Its time. We've been patient through the record setting losses. We've been tolerant with players that were more concerned with getting stats than with winning games. We've spent an entire season crippled with injuries. Now it's time to be champions. I don't want to hear about our window opening in the next few years. We've got the tools and talent to dominate now. What we're lacking is the butt-kicking mentality to rip the hearts out of our opponents.

I want Nate to put a basketball button inside that locker room (Like Staple's Easy Button). Everyone hits the button on the way out the door and it transforms them from mild-mannered NBA professionals into NBA Gladiators whose battlefield is the court. They need to find the emotion that lets them raise their level of play together, whether that be the assassin-like poise of the Spurs, the Slytherin-like haughtiness of the L@kers, the bad-boys of Piston lore, or the zone-like execution of MJ they need to become more than they currently are. I don't want them to show up and compete. I want them to show up and dominate. I want other teams to be scared to play Portland because of how they'll feel the next day.

I hate to say it, but I want a bit of the Utah Jazz in this team. More of the Malone & Stockton kind of grit. I always hated playing them because it was never an easy win. Never. That's what I want from this crew; something a bit mean and nasty. We've got the players to play more physically, but we need to take the next step to from being seasoned professionals and become veteran butt-kickers.

You want that lay-up? Pay the price. You want to dunk that ball? You'd better be ready to take the fall. You want to guard our PG? Eat the pick. You want that rebound? You'd better be willing to fight for it.

If the Portland Trailblazers can bring that kind of dominant, physical brand of basketball to the court every night this year, I guarantee we'll be winning a championship THIS YEAR.

Tweet Comment 9 comments | 4 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Get a bruiser lunchbucket who eats glass and fills the paint

Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.
- Charles Darwin

by Love on Sep 22, 2010 3:55 PM PDT reply actions

Aren't Joel and Greg EXACTLY that?

Until he's not, Rudy's a Blazer.

by collectiveshane on Sep 23, 2010 7:02 AM PDT up reply actions

The Wes Matthews addition

was a step in the right direction. I think we need to figure out if we are going to go with a 3/4 hybrid reserve ala Lamar Odom(not him, but a player like him) or a 4/5. Defense. Defense. Defense is the key.

Steph Curry 4 Point Guard of the Future !

by 420Phenom on Sep 22, 2010 6:29 PM PDT reply actions

Isn't there a GM/Coaches Media Day Tomorrow? The Players Media Day is Monday, but

I think I remember the coaches and GM talking to the press on the preceding Thursday last year. If so, it will be interesting to hear what Nate has to say about this coming year.

"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 22, 2010 6:47 PM PDT reply actions

It was on the Wed preceding Players Media Day last year.

"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 22, 2010 7:33 PM PDT up reply actions

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 Sep 22, 2010 7:20 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs

Absolutely!

That has to be the goal, for at least the next 5 or 6 seasons (big contracts).. It’s certainly conceivable to envision a path to the title this year:

- depth overcomes injuries in the regular season
- those injuries are not critical, but provide needed rest
- the top 9 guys from the first 5 months of play get healthy and gel the last 3 months of the season
- the Blazers roll through the first two playoff series, and take down an injury-depleted LA in 6 at the RG
- the Celtics outwit the Heat (not that hard), and advance in 7 hard fought wars, only to be too tired to run with the new look, champion, Trail Blazers.

by Visionary2 on Sep 22, 2010 9:42 PM PDT reply actions

You know...

To a Huge extent I agree.

This team isn’t going to become a championship team until it believes it is a championship team.

I’ve watched it in recent years grow. From down and out. Lottery. To playoff level. Now it seems the bar is set at “Playoffs and Advancement” but I don’t REALLY hear a lot of people saying “Championship”.

If that is the ulitmate goal…and it is..then eventually we do have to call it. I agree.

But having said that? I can’t make that call this season. Best case, everyone stays healthy. Brandon is All-Star. Aldridge bulked up, is All-Star and Oden remains healthy and becomes one of the better center options in the league…throw in Batum improving…and I also agree….why can’t we challenge anyone?

But the only reason I can’t call “Championship” this season? Even with the hypothetical best case scenario installed? Because with Rare Exception (Our own 77 Blazers) I think it does take experience to reach a championship.

I’d dream and hope for all cylinders firing. Best case is we serve notice to the league that we intend to win a championship and are legitimate contenders….but I watched Chicago, with Jordan have to go against Detroit and gain experience and get seasoned even before they began their domination. Previously, I watched Detroit gain experience against Boston in the finals…..

The Blazers I’m afraid will have to gain that experience. So far? We only know what it is like to make the playoffs and lose. We’ve had the easy freedom of that being enough to define success in the majorities eyes.

We are past that.

But I can’t call Championship yet….Can I say WCF’s and a tough fought series????

"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"

by Krang on Sep 24, 2010 11:49 AM PDT reply actions

As for the last have of this statement, that is the reason why I wanted to play lakers in the first round.

As easy as it could have been to reach the WCFs last season given the path we were given. I wanted the Lakers for experience. That is a substantial reason why the Thunder get so much praise. I wanted the Lakers to test ourselves and learn for the the future what it takes to play and beat the best. I’ve always thought that we aren’t going to get anything easy, especially regarding foul calls and etc. So the only way to really win it all is to dominate in every spectrum possible, and not leave any doubt. First step is learn and gain that necessary experience.

Being a Blazer fan is not exactly healthy.

by dpnim on Sep 25, 2010 3:52 AM PDT up reply actions