Game 34 Recap: Blazers 100, Rockets 85
by Dave on Jan 2, 2011 9:16 PM PST
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The Blazers rebound strong, run, and hit the paint hard for a by-the-numbers pasting of the Rockets. Aside for a few moments in the second period the game never looks out of Portland's control.
Game Flow
This game started on slightly shaky ground for the Blazers as Houston moved the ball and got inside early in the first period while Portland went 1-on-1, perimeter, or both. A layup each for LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Miller were the only Blazer conversions within 15 feet in the first six minutes of the game. But Houston only rode the advantage to a 14-10 lead, in part because the Blazers stayed solid on the boards, a refrain which would repeat throughout the evening. With rebounding as a stubborn, un-greased fulcrum the teeter-totter could only swing so far. A slight improvement on interior defense was enough to shift the balance towards Portland. A couple of Blazer threes fell, the Rockets missed shots but got a last-second three from Aaron Brooks, and Portland walked away with a 27-25 lead after one.
The second period started sloppy for both teams. Each took care of the ball like they were allergic to it, foisting turnover after turnover towards the opposition. Patty Mills had three steals on three consecutive possessions in less than a minute at the 7:50 mark of the period. This was the gooey center in the delicious sandwich cookie that was his quarter. He scored before and after the triple-thefts, notching 9 points and an assist in a little over 7 minutes of play. The Blazer bench has been frightening of late but on the odd occasion that they do produce it makes the team plenty dangerous. Portland built a 10-point lead deep in the second. Only a late-period barrage from Kevin Martin kept the Rockets afloat. Still the Blazers led by 6, 54-48, at intermission.
The third period was pivotal to the game as the Blazers choked out Houston's offense, rebounded like a pack of drunken divorcées, and started taking their offense on the run and/or inside. Of the 25 points the Blazers scored in the quarter, a Nicolas Batum three provided the only ones that came outside of 5 feet. In the four-minute stretch between 6:00 and 2:00 Portland went on a 12-0 run, effectively finishing the Rockets for the game. (Houston scored only 14 in the entire period themselves.) The Rockets either turned over the ball directly or indirectly via long jumpers and easy Blazer rebounds. Every Blazer on the floor seemed invested in administering a communal spanking and the Rockets took it and asked for more. The Blazers led by 17, 79-62, after three.
Any hope for a Rockets run in the fourth died early when Patrick Mills and Dante Cunningham made back-to-back steals which got converted for dunks. Both teams put it in cruise control (fun for the Blazers, dejected for the Rockets) through the rest of the game and Portland emerged with a 100-85 victory.
Notable Developments
The offensive continuity evidenced in previous games came through again, but the Blazers looked equally tight on the other end this game. Portland suffered some leakage, but it was isolated and minor. The Rockets just never got consistent traction. The Blazers are doing a better job defending perimeter players this year than they have since time immemorial. Against a team like this, that's 3/4 of the ballgame.
Individual Notes
LaMarcus Aldridge was a beast again tonight, scoring 25 on 10-22 shooting, ripping down 11 boards, and defending well and widely while committing no personal fouls against a team that lives by drawing them. He's so active nowadays that it's almost starting to look unremarkable. Compare it to tapes from a season ago, though. Super effort.
Patty Mills may have stolen the show but Nicolas Batum proved a strong guest star, scoring 21 on 8-12 shooting. How about next game too?
OK, let's get to Mills. 6-12 shooting, 14 points, 5 steals, and 5 assists in 23 minutes. He changed the game in the second quarter and continued the barrage when he got back in late. He thoroughly outplayed once-superstar-to-be Aaron Brooks, at least for this game. And by "thoroughly" I mean "took him to the cleaners, got a claims ticket, and then ate it 'cuz he wasn't coming back for rags".
You expect Marcus Camby's 13 rebounds. You might expect Marcus Camby's 3 blocks. But 8 assists? Was that Andre Miller's line?
It was not. Miller had 7 with 6 rebounds. He only had 3 points but riddle me this: did the Blazers look better late last year when Andre was scoring 20+ in many games and standing out like a sore thumb or do the Blazers look better now when he's not generating eye-catching point totals but everybody else around him is?
Wes Money was one of the few Blazers who had a rough night, shooting only 3-12 for 14 points. He drew 7 foul shots and converted them all. He added 4 rebounds and 3 assists. More importantly Kevin Martin, Houston's uber-scorer and Matthews' counterpart, scored only 15 himself.
Rudy Fernandez also went through a tough shooting night, going 4-13 and missing 5 of 7 threes attempted. He appeared to be a reluctant shooter tonight, though he did have fun on a couple attempted drives. That means he was an eager passer though. He scored 10.
Dante Cunningham also scored 10 with 3 steals and a block in 23 minutes. His sneakers should say Stella because it looks like he's got his groove back.
Stats of the Night
- Portland 46 points in the paint, Houston 28
- Kevin Martin 6-17 shooting, 15 points
- Only 2 Rockets--Chase Budinger and Luis Scola--shot decent percentages. Budinger went 4-6, Scola 5-8. That left a lot of bad Houston shots.
- Blazers 29 assists on 38 made shots
- Houston attempts only 75 shots total
Odd Notes and Links
The Dream Shake is no doubt having a rough night.
See your Jersey Contest scoreboard here and enter Tuesday's game there.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
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Just got home
A few notes from the game.
First off, the Rose Garden needs to work on the music right before they introduce the players. It’s never in sync with the crowd clapping. Tonight was a local band’s cover of “Teenage Wasteland.” They’ve done that one before. I started typing into my phone a reminder to complain about it, only to find that I wrote the same thing in October. The song itself is fine, it’s just not the right song for the occasion. It’s slow and lifeless, and the crowd can’t join in, so we’re all left standing, arms awkwardly at our sides, moments after all cheering and clapping.
I’ve been noticing that women seem to bee less likely to take off their hats for the national anthem. I have no commentary about it. I’ve just noticed.
Someone dropped a PA mic again, like they did during the last game. This time, though, was in the middle of a Houston fast break. They need to work that out. It makes a very disturbing noise.
This has been mentioned a couple times before, but this is the first time I paid attention. Several of the players sit on the bench on big square cushions. I don’t know if it’s just to give the guys a different sitting position or what. One of the trainers was handing them out.
Rudy picked it up a bit later, but he started the game looking like he was totally out of confidence again. He passed up a couple wide open 3s, then when he shot one, it was an airball.
Early in the game, Wes was playing some of his worst perimeter D as a Blazer. Martin kept getting past him from beyond the 3 pt line, then someone (mostly LA) would have to move in to help, leaving someone (Hill) wide open by the basket. Wes also took a number of questionable shots tonight. Not his best night.
After Martin fouled Wes on a 3pt shot, Bayno looked amused and said something to Martin. Martin walked away chuckling. I wonder what he said.
Andre had a harder time posting up both Brooks and Lowry than I would expect. Credit to both of them for doing a good job handling Dre’s bigger body.
I made a note in the 2nd quarter that Patty had just played his best stretch ever as a Blazer. He kept it up later in the game, too. This was as well as he’s played in the NBA. Nice work, Patty.
LA had a game typical of his recent beasting. Lots of points and rebounds. Nothing amazing as far as efficiency, but some good banging.
I didn’t notice how efficient Nic was until I got home and looked at the box score. 8 of 12 for 21 points. Awesome.
Dante was feeling his jumper tonight. That can be the difference between our bench totally drying up and holding it together.
The Blazers fan shop item of the night was a brimmed beanie. It was black with 2 tiny logos, one on the side, the other on the back. It looked like Andy and Bax couldn’t sell them, so the fan shop put a couple little logos on them. Here’s a hint: Big logo, right on the front.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
I believe ladies aren't required to take off their hats during the anthem, only gentlemen.
#52--------I believe in Greg Oden
You are correct
I just found a pamphlet put out a few years ago by congress, entitled Our Flag. It states that during the national anthem, “Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.” It does not mention anything about women. I had no idea.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
That is so sexist.
"Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal." - C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 1940
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For those wondering what we talk about in the Junk Drawer
It’s mostly dumb stuff, but occasionally it’s very important stuff like this.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
At first I thought you said
It’s mostly dumb stuff like this, but occasionally it’s very important stuff like this.
And I laughed, then I realized you didn’t, so I didn’t.
(This is probably indicative of JD talk as well)
Rum and coke, huh?
Sounds like you’re a few deep.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
Nahhh just enough to relax and enjoy a nice win.
It was nice to not have the game in doubt in the fourth quarter.
No, it's just practical.
This dates from a time when women often wore complicated hats, sometimes pinned into their hair. Everyone wore hats, too.
There is no reason whatsoever a woman can’t remove a baseball cap.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
I meant that it was sexist that a man had to.
Also sarcasm never translates well into text.
"Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal." - C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 1940
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Well, not easily, mostly.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
Everyone wore hats
This was true up until JFK. Men’s hat manufacturers went out of business during his presidency and the industry never recovered
Except for John Deere baseball caps in the midwest/southeast, of course
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Oh, you are absolutely right
Good catch. Now I’ll be able to use the correct song title when I complain to the Blazers.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
So was the crowd not able to adjust to the rhythm or what?
It almost sounds like a problem with the crowd, not able to adjust to a song. :)
I actually didn't mean what you guys think I meant!
I wasn’t meaning some secret joke. Just trying to understand what Dan meant by the music not syncing.
My Outlook has problem Syncing.. Now I know it is just because it is a Blazer Fan ;-}
Roy Bashing~ "Blakes gone...Brandon is next alphabetically " ;-}
by Hermistonmelons on Jan 2, 2011 10:17 PM PST up reply actions
I thought it was very clever commentary about what coaches ask vs what players do
And adjustments on both sides. I apologize for thinking you said something so clever.
The PA music and noises get us clapping to their rhythm, then, once we’re all really into it, they change it to something we can’t clap along with. It seems like nobody thought about it, but it happens at every game. 20k people go from enthused cheering to awkward standing in about 4 seconds.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
Dave,
couldn’t help but notice you put the final score 100-95 instead of 100-85 at the end of the gameflow. Just being picky.
patty is seriously reminding me of a righty damon
man, back in the day, mighty mouse was my favorite player behind sheed, but his game was so flawed ’cause he had such a big height disadvantage.
PHILLY!
and Damon was a lefty
Mills and Stoudamire have a lot in common, but are shoot-first PGs who are listed as 1s because of their size
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
hitting those 3s, not to mention the steals, covers a multitude of sins
If Oden does not give up on the Blazers, we should not give up on him.
Especially the 4 turnovers.
"Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal." - C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 1940
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considering Patty has only been getting significant NBA play time for about a month or so,
he is doing fantastic.
If Oden does not give up on the Blazers, we should not give up on him.
Yup might mouse 2.0
OSU '06
Trade for Gerald Wallace!!
by TyboOSU on Jan 3, 2011 3:51 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Vegemite-y Mouse
Bunny Lebowski: "Billy doesn't care about anything. He's a nihilist."
The Dude: "O-o-oh, that must be exhausting."
by Mr.Howl on Jan 3, 2011 8:37 AM PST up reply actions 4 recs
CONSIDER THIS STOLEN.
REC
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
so is Wesley the man from Brussels?
after all, he is 6’4 and full of muscles
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Seriously
Did the play of the team with Brandon and the ISO offense really push LMA that far from the hoop all these years ( I can see why it might to some extent) because as far as I can tell LMA is a frigging beast at the rack anymore, is almost as if he does not even own a jumper.Don’t get me wrong I love the new version LMA 2.0 but where has this been the last 4 years?? Come on there has to be more to this story, I simply can not remember another player changing so drastically in one season his whole game for the positive. Great game!
To be honest, I think it was the promise of Oden.
Because during his rookie year, Aldridge was a revelation out there at the end of the 2006-2007 season. Enough to send 20-10 guy Zach Randolph packing for Steve Francis’ contract and Channing Frye. But with Oden coming in, two post players would just clog up the works. So Aldridge’s plays were run for him outside, since he could do that. Perhaps they should have went back inside, but Przybilla was healthy, and he has hands of stone. Plus, it was time to get the offense prepared for when Oden could be put in. And it did work. The few games Oden played were wonderful.
But fast forward to today. Greg Oden’s second microfracture surgery finally changed the gameplan for good. And with Roy out, Aldridge had to change his game. It’s nice to have something turn out well for a change. And under other circumstances, we may never have got this chance. So instead of placing blame that it wasn’t discovered sooner, I’m just going to enjoy the fact that it has been discovered. Because seeing this has been an awful lot of fun.
"Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal." - C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 1940
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Hope I did not come off wrong
wasn’t looking to place any blame more to the opposite of who should receive some props,and I could not agree more Darkstar, this is a awful lot of fun!
Oh, it's probably not you at all.
I just tend to see the line “Brandon ISO offense” and file the whole comment in my brain according to that line. Because in 08-09, that offense won us a lot of games. Roy was practically unguardable out there. And in 2009-2010, sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t. And this season, it obviously isn’t working. Hence it has been scrapped.
But I probably overreacted to that line. We get used to our pet ideas and pet arguments, and bring out patented responses whenever anything closely resembles our target counterpoint. I think what I did is a case in point.
That Said, I do think it was Oden who pushed Aldridge outside. And I think it was probably the right move for the personnel we had at the time.
"Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal." - C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 1940
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LA has worked hard to improve
Don’t you guys remember how bad his low post game used to be? All the comments about his lousy footwork? He’s obviously been working very hard on that aspect of his game.
Nobody pushed Aldridge outside – it’s just that his low post attempts used to be mostly misses (or turnovers), but now he makes those shots. So now they run those sets a lot, because they’re working.
LMA did a ton of lower body work so that he COULD post up players.
His legs were sticks last year.
also he has a coach. Buck Williams.
He didn’t have a coach all of last year and most of the year before.
And I think some of this is the pick and roll.
I think he and Rudy do this well.
I’ve read that Brandon didn’t.
Don’t know enough about basketball yet to know what Brandon did differently but it has been noted more than once on this blog.
Roy didn't run his man into the screener
Brandon tried to loop round the pick and LMA popped rather than rolled
I’m not sad not to see that poor excuse of a PnR gone from Portland’s game
LMA hired an NFL strength coach and worked out with Bayno this summer in Dallas
and the toughness that we were hoping would rub off of Buck and onto LMA has happened, right on schedule
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Well whatever it was
I am glad to see it has changed. LMA has become a beast.
OMG I just jizzed in my France
OMGrandpa
I think LMA took and missed a 3 pointer just so we could keep the difference in good perspective
Roy Bashing~ "Blakes gone...Brandon is next alphabetically " ;-}
by Hermistonmelons on Jan 2, 2011 10:21 PM PST up reply actions
perhaps the coaching is starting to make a difference
or maybe LMA is finally starting to accept some coaching
Win the day!
I can think of one
Josh smith went from shoot 176 or so 3s to just 16 the next year. Pretty amazing change. Of course I believe he’s started shooting them again, oh well.
Portland could coast along with their superior talent and stay right with us. Now that Portland woke up, the hammer cometh down.
Bayless > Daffy Duck after 3 cans of rockstar
by Batumshakalaka on Jan 3, 2011 5:55 AM PST up reply actions
havign a highpost passer like camby has to help aldridge immensely
not even to mention miller lookin for him all the time. movement is so much better now
Happy we won.
Happy Batum finally reached a 20 point game again. Can’t remember the last game he got at least 20 points. let me check.
24 games ago. He scored 21 points. Lol.
Why does nate wait so long to put the scrubs in?
Up 20 points and he keeps our oft injured bench players — AND MATHEWS — in the game instead of putting in Armon Johnson, Babbit, Marks, etc, until about the 1:30 mark?
While resting Aldridge the whole 4th quarter showed some thoughtfulness on Nate’s part, I can’t help but think back to all the injuries we’ve had, and all the times “Sarge” left the starters in late when we had the game in command — as opposed to sending in the deepest part of the bench.
Is it just me, or should we be sending i the scrubs a little earlier?
I think teams blowing huge leads make coaches skiddish the next time they get one.
And the Blazers have blown a lot of leads this season.
"Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal." - C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 1940
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I can accep that, but
He’s been doing it for years.
Last season Mills almost never made it to the floor — even though there were pleanty of chances for him to sent in at the 3:00 mark/
Nate's substitution patterns this year are LIGHT YEARS above what they were last year.
Give credit where credit is due.
this is not a knock on you!! I'm just saying that I am giving credit where credit
is due!!
I was a big Nate detractor last year and still wonder how he will do come playoffs…
Would pull my hair out last year with some of Nate’s decisions.
I think he is sleeping better this year and it shows.
I agree
A total collapse with five minutes left would not have yielded that 20 point lead. I wanted some Armon n Babbit basketball. If Armon can’t get in that game then he probably never will this season. Maybe coach was rewarding Patty though. Patty would have gotten an ovation if Nate took him out though.
by JeffePortland on Jan 2, 2011 10:41 PM PST up reply actions
Winner, Winner... Chicken Dinner!..
That 3rd quarter stretch was as much fun to watch as I can remember for a long time!
That kind of opportunistic, high energy, hard nosed play…with so many guys contributing is great fun to watch. LMA and Marcus controlling the middle, Andre and Patty… Nic and Wes… Dante and Rudy…
Big game and good momentum leading to the 3 game road swing. 2 and 1 is realistic if we play like we have been… Is a sweep possible?.. (dare to dream)
GO BLAZERS!!!
Wow, good game from the Blazers, but the NBA schedule makers (who despise Houston)
have made it so we can try for revenge in Houston on Wednesday (after playing in Denver tomorrow). I’ll be there.
See you again soonish.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
I'll see you that and raise you this
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
That's a nice month you have lined up
I look forward to using this month to increase our gap over you guys in the standings. I won’t even feel guilty about it!
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
by dan_the_man on Jan 2, 2011 10:31 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
If we somehow get through that intact, the Rockets will have turned fearsome.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
I really don't think you will
I see a 6-11 or 5-12 month . 7-10 at best. Could be wrong but there are some very good teams in there.
Oh, I know.
8-9 would be a very good result.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
Hey, how's Hill been playing?
I almost forgot you guys had picked him up. I’ve barely seen him play. The only thing I remembered about him is being booed at MSG when the Nicks picked him in the 2009 draft.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
He's looking better and better.
He’s a very good 1-1 defender, but does silly things on help D. He fouls too much.
On the positive side, he can block shots, and rebound. He’s learning a real post game. He’s very fast for a big man, and has quick reactions and feet. He’s getting good at just throwing it down. All and all I’m very happy with him. He’s learning to play center, and its tough, but he’s got a ton of talent.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
That sounds great
Has he put on a lot of weight (muscle)? I thought he was a lot lankier when he came into the league.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
He's gotten more muscular probably in an attempt to play C
He’s also going through Rockets Big Man School – this means Jack Sikma and Carroll Dawson (who taught Hakeem, after all) and master classes from Hakeem next summer.
Houston has a way with post players, and I’m hopeful for both Hill and Patterson.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
Jack Sikma also taught Robert Swift, for whatever that's worth.
"They say it has no memory. That’s where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory."
Well, I can hope.
We may see Hayes late in the month, and Patterson looks very stout.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
Sure me too.
Brad Miller will be useful in this situation. He’s had some very big games. But yeah, It’d be nice to have Yao and Hayes.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
Part of me was surprised Brad Miller wasn't wearing camo shorts during shoot around
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
Probably getting them washed. Its some sort of hunting season right now in OR, right?
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
I'm sure it is
But in general, we Portlanders aren’t the ones who would know.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
Brad would know.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
Fly to Boston for one game, then back home? thats brutal.
R.I.P. Enforcer. We will never forget you.
ick....that is really bad. I think LA and SA have had some nice schedules....
The Blazers have had a crummy crummy schedule to start the year.
And the Blazers have to TRAVEL FURTHER than any other team in the NBA.
It will be nice when NO Hornets move to Seattle…..
I think the schedule makers only like the Lakers.
I think we have already had more back-to-backs than the Lakers will have all season. And on top of that, our division rivals are thousands of miles away (Minnesota? Oklahoma? They re so Northwest!) And so our travel schedule is more brutal than anyone’s, even if everything else is equal.
Which is essentially whining on our part. But we gotta do what fans gotta do.
"Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal." - C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 1940
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OKC should go into the Southwest, I agree.
Adding Oklahoma to the Texas Circle of Hate is traditional.
But who do we drop? I say New Orleans. And where do they go?
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
O wait - they go to Seattle!
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
I was just trying for clever timing.
HA!
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
Makes sense to me.
Though would have said the East.
Because in my imaginary world, there are lots of beautiful… wait, wrong imaginary world.
I’d do a Pacific division, A south West Division and a Mid West division. Sending Memphis and New Orleans East, and bringing Chicago and Milwaukee west.
"Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal." - C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 1940
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Maybe the players should have that as one of their demands in the new CBA.
"Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal." - C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 1940
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Oh, and you're totally right about LA's schedule.
The NBA makes sure they have 15 wins in the bag before anything tough happens.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
Dave, One stat I liked
We shot FT’s at 89.5% as a team at least through the midpoint of the fourth quarter if not the game. A stat to make Schonely proud
Roy Bashing~ "Blakes gone...Brandon is next alphabetically " ;-}
by Hermistonmelons on Jan 2, 2011 10:36 PM PST reply actions
Rockets FT defense was awful.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
I thought maybe we had better Free Throw Motion with Roy out and not so many ISO's
But then I realized most of the Free Throws are ISO’s and perhaps indicative of Nates lack of imagination?
Roy Bashing~ "Blakes gone...Brandon is next alphabetically " ;-}
by Hermistonmelons on Jan 2, 2011 10:43 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
It's your FT pace that is really the problem.
Since we upper our FT pace we’ve shot them very well. (Maybe Kevin Martin has something to do with that.)
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
Has start Patty Mills and trade Miller guy showed up yet?
You know who you are. Similar to play Luke more guy. Also similar to Armon Johnson needs more minutes guy, earlier this season.
Hot sauce in my bag.
I still want to see Luke play more
But mainly in garbage time, like tonight with 4 minutes left, instead of 90 seconds. The guy knows how to shoot, and he presumably has other NBA skills as well. He’s so nervous, though. He needs floor time to get over it. Nights like tonight would be perfect for that.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
I agree. I don’t know what Nate is looking for. Four minutes left sounds about right.
by JeffePortland on Jan 2, 2011 10:45 PM PST up reply actions
Was that the same guy who thought Rudy would start for most NBA teams and Bayless was being held back by Nate?
Roy Bashing~ "Blakes gone...Brandon is next alphabetically " ;-}
by Hermistonmelons on Jan 2, 2011 10:44 PM PST up reply actions
Cancel the first part and trade Miller for Harris and I'll be happy
He’d be perfect for this squad as currently constructed.
Currently constructed??
Casts, Braces and everything? Most layers excel with Healthy teammates. We do need a guy who is a perfect match for the rehab ward
Roy Bashing~ "Blakes gone...Brandon is next alphabetically " ;-}
by Hermistonmelons on Jan 2, 2011 10:54 PM PST up reply actions
Trade for Yao.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
We could put together an injured team of championship contenders
Twin towers of Yao and Greg. Brandon as the wing.
All we need are badly injured PGs and SFs. Sadly, CP3 may be ready soon. Maybe Jennings? Iggy is looking like a good fit, too.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
Someone is just bitter about their fantasy team
Wall could be PG…..hasn’t he missed like half of his games?? : P
I thought about adding him
But the sadness of him on my fantasy team did, indeed, prevent it.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
Don't forget TMac.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
Yeah, it's a shame about Detroit.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
What's sad
Is in how many contexts that statement makes sense.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
Yes.
Ever checked out The Fabulous Ruins of Detroit?
http://detroityes.com/home.htm
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
Between Detroit and Phoenix
They have about 20,000 guys who can play SG and SF. McGrady needs a trade to a contender and play out his days as a passing role player.
I don't mind guys getting scrub minutes.
We haven’t had a ton of those recently. If we weren’t so depleted I would say send Babbitt back down to the D league. More playing time and a chance to gain some confidence. I agree though, he looks fairly sketchy at times and it has everything to do with confidence and comfort.
Hot sauce in my bag.
I was at the game tonight
Lots of fun, great motion on offense. Even when we didn’t scare we really seemed to stall.
Patty really was freaking everywhere, I love that kid.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Two pics
Air France, cleared for takeoff:
Jordan Hill smiles because he avoided getting posterized here:
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Lma has boring shoes like sheed had heh
OSU '06
Trade for Gerald Wallace!!
by TyboOSU on Jan 3, 2011 3:55 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
I think “rebounded like a pack of drunken divorcees” is an early contender for worst metaphor of the year.
by sambowie on Jan 2, 2011 11:01 PM PST via mobile reply actions
The year is very young.
"Each in turn... volunteered his suggestions, his invaluable suggestions."
Twitter - xiane1
The Dreamshake
But "took him to the cleaners, got a claims ticket, and then ate it 'cuz he wasn't coming back for rags".
was nice.
If Oden does not give up on the Blazers, we should not give up on him.
I swear Dave has a book full of those
101 groaner similies, for every occasion
Or maybe he got a new desk calendar for Christmas?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Rudy needs to be more decisive with his shot selection.
He is passing the ball or putting it on the floor when he shoot, and forcing up shots at times when he should pass it. I have been very happy with his play since Roy went down. He is not a liability on defense and efficient on offense. He is quietly putting up some pretty nice 6th man type of numbers, despite tonights poor shooting.
29mpg 13.5 ppg 48%fg 42%3pt 3rpg 3.6apg 1.1spg 1.1topg
Not too shabby at all if you ask me. If he improves his shot selection and stays aggressive cutting and attacking off of curls and picks, he will have and deserve a fairly significant role on this team IMO.
número cinco
by RudiFTW on Jan 2, 2011 11:09 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
New face of the franchise
LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE.
Your new “big 3” are LaMarcus, Nic,,and Wesley. I am still feeling this TEAM will go somewhere. The passing and ball movement we see now are what won a title in 77. I love it.
If Nic and Wesley are your #2 and #3
You ain’t going anywhere.
by MadBlaze on Jan 2, 2011 11:54 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Depends on where you want to go I guess
It looks like we will probably make the playoffs. Not sure where we’ll get after that.
I have a pretty good idea
Nowhere. Get Devin Harris and wait for Oden to come back and you might get somewhere. A Harris/LA/Oden top three sounds good. Roy would have all the time in the world to adjust to his new reality then.
Catch there is
giving up Dre to get Harris and then having him go down to injury. Was nice to see Patty be effective tonight but can you imagine him as our starting PG?
I would probably have to agree with a first round exit at this point though. The only way we win a playoff series this year is if we get a really good match up. I can’t see us taking any of the current top 4 except maybe the Jazz.
Regarding Devin
I’d rather have a guy who might play 65-70 games but is 27 and one of the new breed quick PGs (but who can also defend, in theory) than a 34 year old ironman who won’t be here when our young guys hit their stride (primarily Batum and Oden).
I wouldn't mind Harris either
but either Patty would need to make unreal strides or we would need a pretty solid backup PG to back Harris up. Someone we would feel ok about starting if Devin goes down.
I agree on the OKC thing. There’s a good chance they crack the top 4 at this point. So either OKC or Jazz I think we would have a chance at. Mavericks would be third if they’re still there by then. Looks like injuries could really disrupt them. If they manage the top 4 they might end up softer than they were while getting there.
I’m pretty sure we would get spanked by the Lakers or the Spurs though we might win one or two games just off pure hustle and surprise.
You'd hope Armon could be a pretty serviceable backup by next year
He’s taking his lumps now but I’d be pretty surprised if he doesn’t supplant Patty at some point and get those backup minutes again.
If that doesn’t work, I’d target Keyon Dooling once Jennings gets back, assuming they are still struggling and looking to shed salary/get something for their vets. The Bayless exception and a 2nd should get it done.
Armon intrigues me
I think he has a pretty good chance of being a decent PG but it will probably take a few years. Still…he has a kind of Wesley Matthews feel to him regarding work ethic and attitude. Wes is tearing it up in year two.
It would be strange if, despite all this team has been through, things just started to come together. Here’s hoping all us shell shocked fans are left standing wide eyed with our mouths hanging open in disbelief of our good fortune.
I had a Dooling trade last week
Roy, Rudy and Patty for Redd’s EC and Keyon (the salaries match)
but no one will like it now that Mills and Fernandez and their 3-goggles are the latest big thing. Especially not the owner
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
LMA says "Our chemistry has gotten better. I think guys are really figuring out their roles."
I can read between the lines
The Leeroy Rule: being insistent >>>> being correct
McMillan might not be fired after all?
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
Well, it's January
it usually takes at least this long for Blazer players to figure out what roles Nate wants them to play
as opposed to…coming out of training camp in November?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
All you need to know about how this team has gelled
Is that moment where Batum playfully pretends to kick Patty in the rear. That type of looseness is a very good thing.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Whew!
I thought they had just taken the removal of “Don’t ask Don’t tell” too seriously
Roy Bashing~ "Blakes gone...Brandon is next alphabetically " ;-}
by Hermistonmelons on Jan 2, 2011 11:20 PM PST up reply actions
Nice to see the bench do well
If Patty can develop to consistently produce like he did tonight and Pryz comes back + we all stay healthy we might actually do some damage to the rest of this league.
I’m not sure anyone but the Rockets will really challenge for the 8th seed and their January schedule looks pretty nasty. Maybe we could make a run at the 7th or 6th seeds and go from there. It only takes one 13 – 0 run to get us right back into the thick of things.
I Liked our play a lot
But it was a pretty injury plagued Houston Team
Roy Bashing~ "Blakes gone...Brandon is next alphabetically " ;-}
by Hermistonmelons on Jan 2, 2011 11:22 PM PST up reply actions
Key is they are our competition for the 8th seed
and they may not even be in striking distance after January. By comparison I think we are 8 – 0 in our last 8 home games and 8 of our next 13 are at home…mostly against teams under .500, .400 and even .300.
The next 6 weeks is a crucial stretch for the blazers
their schedule is set up to make a serious push in the standings before the all star break. There is a boatload of winnable games at home, and only 2 of the road games are against tough teams(dallas on tuesday, and denver in february).
Only two sets of back to backs as well, so the team should stay relatively fresh. I am optimistic for a nice run with the way the team is playing as of late.
número cinco
I agree completely
I think the big difference maker for us will be if the bench can be more consistent. It was nice to see Patty torch Brooks tonight…the guy that many were talking about as a possible backup PG for the Blazers.
I’ve kind of been doubtful of Patty’s ability to be a competent backup 1 but maybe he’ll prove me wrong. Tonight was definitely a step in the right direction.
26-21 at the end of this month, perhaps better
February is not so easy, some tough home games and a couple of roadies through the midwest
they need 30-33 wins at the trading deadline to fend off the reaper (veteran salary dump) 29-28 or worse and Cho will get the signal from Seattle to pull the proverbial handle
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Should also note
looks like Rudy and Wes get too geeked up after putting up solid performances in previous games. Maybe Nate should keep them away from caffeine the next game and see if that settles them down enough to hit their shots.
The Chalupa chant is a curse
I vote we ban it.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
by skywaker9 on Jan 2, 2011 11:29 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I ran across a bunch of old Chalupa coupons doing some cleaning this weekend
Never redeemed a single one.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
by skywaker9 on Jan 2, 2011 11:34 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Someone posted something similar in Timbo's recap.
So I’ll link my response here, being too lazy to use the mouse, control-C and control-V. Of course, typing all of that out was more complicated. So perhaps lazy isn’t the right word?
"Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal." - C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 1940
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Well, in reality, you are testing our laziness threshold.
Making me click another button to appreciate your comment. And I’m not going to lie…I wanted that chalupa, and I wanted Rudy to bring it to me! And we stopped at Taco Bell on the way home to avoid the fate of skywalker’s coupons. Free stuff is great, especially when it involves Blazers winning in fun ways!
Anti-chalupa
Guaranteed loudest cheer of the night from the fans…nothing excites more than the prospect of free food.
I would vote to ban them altogether, but I would be worried about our consecutive sell out streak as the Chalupas bring in at least 2,000 fans per game…(yes, that’s sarcasm)
The funniest part...
was after Patty fumbled that fast break out of bounds, then Nic kicked him in the rump.
Anyone still in here?
Moisture is the essence of wetness, and wetness is the essence of beauty.
i mean yes im present
Moisture is the essence of wetness, and wetness is the essence of beauty.
OK cool, there are still people around
I was perusing our upcoming schedule and IMO, the next 10 or so games clearly are the most important stretch of the season. If we’ve overcome our issues with putting away bad teams then w3e could really solidify our chances at a playoff berth but then it was only a week ago we blew it against the Warriors. I’m not sure how it’s gonna pan out but I feel like in a couple of weeks we will have a very clear picture of where this season is headed.
Just in time for the deadline, I hope.
I hadn't really looked ahead
5 of the next 10 games are definitely classified as “easy.” Another 3 are very winnable. It’s only the Miami and Dallas games that are difficult. I’d be very pleased if we could get 7 of the 10.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
This is our soft stretch
I’d hope after that we’ll know more about LA’s evolution (or if was just a blip), Batum’s ability to play in a higher usage role and whether we want to keep the vets for a playoff push or make a trade for the long-term.
I don’t know why but I feel like we have a very significant couple of weeks coming up. The Dallas and Miami games are as important as the rest in a way – in theory we should have some confidence atm so it will be a good gutcheck going against two of the elites and also attempting to handle some of the dregs of the league.
I'd look at the next 12, rather than just 10
Those next two are against Indy and Sac, both at home. Both are also classified as easy.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
That was my 'or so' allowance!
10 of those 12 are clearly winnable – all against team who we should have a better record than at the end of the season (apart from the Knicks possibly).
New entry of Mike Barrett’s blog includes this gem:
Still a very good defensive team, the Blazers have been out to show that along with stopping people, they’re getting pretty good at the offensive end as well.
Still? When were we ever very good? Is that even true at this present moment? How does he make this assertion? Is he the only one in the organisation that believes that? Gawd I hope so.
I thought I heard someone mention that the other day
Maybe on the radio, maybe on tv. Some kind of mention of how we had been a good defensive team. I remember being surprised by the comment.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
I'd like to have an announcer combo
Where one guy was a homer and insane (Rice), and the other guy was something of a stat head, who would take the time to look beyond simple things like ppg.
We should bring in more scrub big men; they make good curse fodder.
yeah but AJ listens to Patty Labelle
who is one of his coach’s favorite singers
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Was at the game tonight...
Seems as though no one is mentioning that it has to be easier when there are 5 team members defending….
Must seem like kind of a vacation when in the past there were only 4 team members consistently defending when Roy was playing on the floor this year….INJURED….
Dave did mention it
The Blazers are doing a better job defending perimeter players this year than they have since time immemorial.
Don’t think I wasn’t thinking about #7 when I read that
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
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