10 things every Blazer fan should admit:
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jan 18, 2012 6:26 PM PST
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1: The Blazers suck at shooting the basketball. Mike and Mike continue to soldier on with the good message "and that was a good shot. They just need to start falling." No. Gerald Wallace is not a good 3 point shooter. Wide open or no, that is NOT a "good" shot. A "good" shot is one that has a solid mathematical probability of going in.
2: Ray Felton is fat. Look at his mid section. Quicky, speedy guards should not have Shaq-styled guts. He is overweight for a guard with his strengths and that's that. He makes 6 million a year. He can afford a proper diet.
3. Lamarcus is soft. Soft on his teammates. It's great that Larmarcus wants everyone to get along, but a real team leader isn't afraid to say the unpopular thing. That thing would be: "hey. Jamal. Ray. Stop setting yourself up and pass me the &$*#*#ing ball!". Period. Make or miss, you live with Lamarcus. You don't live with a below average NBA point guard setting them self up though.
4. Gerald Wallace is not an "efficient" offensive player. His touch around the rim is average and his shooting highly suspect. He's made some great shots. He's missed a lot more though.
5. The Blazers are terrible in the fast break. Yes. The assets are there. The athleticism. The will to get to the rim. The ball handling and finishing is not though. It's like watching the General Lee without tires. Mrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Ahhh. Turnover or missed layup. But it was such a good shot! They just need to go in. Sure. Let's keep telling ourselves that.
6. Jamal Crawford is a chucker. Yes. I admit it! I had high hopes. It's almost better that he miss his first shot, because at that point he'll be interested in setting guys up. If he makes his first two shots he'll never pass again. That's bad if you're Michael Jordan in your prime, infinitely worse if you're a journeyman 6th man who couldn't D up PetCo's girlfriend. She might shoot a higher percentage too. Ouch.
7. The Blazer bench sucks at defense. Watch them. Open shot. Layin. Open shot. Layin. It's like watching a summer league game.
8. Ray Felton's ceiling was barely enough to get excited about. Yes. We got a little carried away. He's fast! Look! He's not slow! Great. That's just great. Problem: the rest of his game.
9. Nic is not the answer. No role player is. This team needs much, much more than it currently has on it's roster or "stashed" overseas, although current players playing better, and a certain PF/C healing up and coming over the Atlantic ocean would certainly help.
10. The Blazers suck at the draft. Blame Nate. Go ahead. Nate started Nic though. Nate actually gave J Bay some run. The fact is, 100% of the time, Nate has been right in assigning expectations to players. I know. You're smart. You know stats. So-and-so was GREAT against Wichita State. Nice. You make a great case! I'm still sticking with Nate on this one though: our extended bench sucks. KP got us NOTHING with 10-or-so late first round picks. Pretty weak.
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I'm guessing your glass is half empty.
by Sabonis4Ever on Jan 18, 2012 6:33 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
Half empty is fine,
if it’s a glass of whine;)
Which of these is untrue though? That’s the point. I’m keepin’ it real.
/s
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jan 18, 2012 7:02 PM PST up reply actions
I agree
I think most of your points come down to COACHING! Every year we have the same problems with different personel. We looked good this year when we were pushing the rock but we turned over the ball and Nate goes back to slowing it down calling plays from the sideline again. Frustrating……
by OfficerCosta on Jan 18, 2012 7:42 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
No, these points come down to a lack of talent.
There’s not enough talent here to win anything of value.
"I Am Mine"
by AK1984 on Jan 18, 2012 10:27 PM PST up reply actions 8 recs
I could go on an argument
as a fan that every game has value and such… But coming from a Seattle guy… Yeah. You got a rec.
"We gotta get this $#!^ together guys!" - Phil
disagree. he gets a hell of a lot out of his players..
look at how good the following players did in portland, and then look at how terrible they have been since they left: steve blake, travis outlaw, martell webster, jerryd bayless.. should i go on?
A displaced Sonics fan that has somehow emerged as a Blazers fan (and loves it).
by anitachampionship on Jan 19, 2012 12:37 PM PST up reply actions
Steve Blake has been solid in LA
But I’m with you on the others.
by IntergalacticP on Jan 20, 2012 10:56 AM PST up reply actions
Actually, it's the opposite, in a way.
Nate’s coaching has earned us respectable records and playoff appearances, masking the other problems, and keeping us out of the cellar to earn better picks.
by superfly05 on Jan 19, 2012 9:29 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
yes. my goodness. this is an excellent observation.
Nate is indeed an excellent coach. He is an excellent coach in the sense that he evokes and exacts maximum performance out of his players. There is no question in my mind that he won us games as coach that by rights we should have lost.
Poor drafting and other front office mistakes are not Nate’s fault.
Ok I changed my signature. Do you like it better now?
Agree on Crawford
It is true about Crawford. This offense can only survive through L.A. and moving the ball around for open shots. Crawford’s machine gun approach makes the entire team disinterested and uninvolved. He can be clutch and he makes a few, but he kills any kind of offensive rhythm. Also, this brings out the worst in L.A. who is just now coming out of B. Roy’s shadow. Now we have another late game, superpredictable iso perimeter offense.
by miles2go on Jan 18, 2012 7:44 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
Good points, except I partially disagreement on #4
His TS% has been well above average for a wing throughout most of his career. However, he is not a good perimeter shooter, his touch around the rim is maybe a little above average, and he is a terrible mid-range player.
However, he must be doing something right, because the numbers say he’s pretty efficient.
We need to either mail it in and play for the 2012 draft/free agency, or trade for a deep post guy and a decent PG. Our current guard corps can’t cut it, and we need more size.
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
by HailOden! on Jan 18, 2012 8:18 PM PST reply actions 7 recs
GW has pretty good shot selection (or perhaps I should say distribution)
Takes a lot of shots at the rim.
"Say his NAME, Portland. Gerald Wallace is...awesome." -Dave, 4/9/11
can pretty much agree
but while I wouldn’t say Nic is “the answer” I’d say he still has the potential to be really damn good.
I wouldn’t just say Felton is fat…I would say he’s not a very good PG.
4. Crash is still the man. When he lights it up, it’s a helluva thing. Now, if he could stay lit…
Crawford is a chucker. period. The problem is he’s not used properly. You can’t put the guy in for the bulk of the game and give him the ball without expecting him to eat up the bulk of possessions – end of story. Biggest part of that problem; Nate loves the guy
How can you call Diebler a bad draft move? You may never see him but dude still craaaaazy 3 pt shooter. He’ll put up obscure youtube highlights alllll day long
by blazerblaze on Jan 18, 2012 8:40 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Nate LOVES the guy
which is the bulk of the problem…Outlaw, Roy, now Crawford. Nate really believes in the power iso…he just does. Even though it is easy to defend once the playoffs come around.
Nate just really loves that guy who can create his own shot regardless of the offense. Maybe it’s laziness, maybe it’s philosophy….but he loves that stuff.
At least when LA creates it is after the team has run some picks and probed the defense.
by ripcitymilehigh on Jan 18, 2012 9:13 PM PST up reply actions
Let me come at you, bro!
1: Truth. Has been for awhile.
2: Also true. The lockout did not treat him well. Though he is quick, for how rotund he is… He isn’t able to control himself enough to be efficient & the team suffers for it.
3. If we go on a losing streak, I suspect Aldridge will become more vocal. Particularly if Felton/Crawford’s cold streak continues, though this and a losing streak will likely go hand in hand.
4. He is not an efficient passer, creating his own shot, or as a set shooter. Though his off ball movement, ability to get to the line with reckless abandon & transition offense are some of the best in the NBA. Also, lets give him credit as being one of the most tenacious defenders & rebounders in the league at his position. He is what he is at this point in his career & I love him. Though there is no doubt we need to pair him & Aldridge with a shot creator, in my eyes the Felton experiment is already over.
5. I loved seeing the aggression & success in the early season up-tempo offense. However, Felton is showing he isn’t capable of running it consistently & efficiently despite having three starters next to him who have showed they are very capable of excelling in that type of offense(Aldridge/Wallace/Matthews). As we saw with Roy, your lead guard determines your tempo. I’d expect us to be a dominant on the break if we had a Steve Nash or Rajon Rondo running the team as opposed to Big Ray.
6. Yeah he is. However with Roy’s production decline last year, he still took a lot of shots, not to mention his porous defense, the signing of Crawford was an attempt to replace Roy’s previous season production. In which I suspected he would/will be able to do just fine. He will eventually start hitting, as a Blazer fan you can just hope he is hot once we hit the playoffs.
7. Aside from Nicolas Batum & Kurt Thomas, I agree. However, Thomas shouldn’t be the first big off the bench, I think if we had a legit starting center we would be fine with Camby/Thomas off the bench. Against stretch 4’s I strongly advise playing Chris Johnson(See Nowitzki, Dirk in the playoffs last year). Craig Smith is okay against the heavy 4’s too. Neither should play against starters at any time. Our guard defense is porous with Crawford, which is why I am strongly advocating a trade for Kirk Hinrich(and trading away Felton for him, killing two birds with one stone).
8. Yup. Fully agree.
9. Freeland isn’t the answer either, he isn’t going to be anything more then a role player in the NBA. Though I do believe we should move Batum while his value is still high for a starting center.
10. Once again, fully agree. I just hope Paul Allen makes a good hire. I’m assuming he is waiting for someone who is currently employed.
by 420Phenom on Jan 18, 2012 8:44 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
10.
unlikely that a good GM is going to accept the existing coach…unless he is one heck of a Nate fan.
Good GM candidates are going to want to bring in their guys…which is why the team has struggled finding the big name GM to agree to sign up.
by ripcitymilehigh on Jan 18, 2012 9:15 PM PST up reply actions
Well its a lot easier to draft when your in the lottery
Like Kevin Pritchard being the savior in Rip City, until he had to dig out the talent deep in the draft. All the sudden he was a pariah. Which is the primary reason I lobbied for Jeff Bower to be the Blazers general manager.
Regarding Nate, see my response below
He has proven that he will start a rookie, as long as he is more talented then the guy ahead of him on the depth chart.
I dunno, we really didn't have much choice
in 2009. Even then, Nate backed out at the last minute and started Outlaw in the first game of the season, only going back to Nic after the Outlaw starting experiment was an abject failure in that game. You can also point to the Jack/Blake saga of 2008 as an example of his unwillingness to start young players, with Jack winning the starting job in training camp and lasting a whole week as a starter before being relegated to the bench after a couple road losses against western conference playoff teams.
unlikely that a good GM is going to accept the existing coach…unless he is one heck of a Nate fan.
McMillian has his “fans” around the league, Paul is a huge Nate fan. None of Allen’s previous head coaches would have survived three straight first-round exits, but up in Vulcan-land “Mr. Sonic” is made out of teflon
Good GM candidates are going to want to bring in their guys…which is why the team has struggled finding the big name GM to agree to sign up.
I think the issue is less Nate and more that the incoming GM would have to put up with PA’s capricious behavior. I’ve been saying for years that Portland’s front office needs a fresh set of eyes, there’s been too much Seattle in-breeding. The Cho hiring offered faint hope, but Rich didn’t last long enough to make an impact, and his roster suggestions ultimately fell on deaf ears
I always prefer that the team succeed, but if they only win 2 playoff games again, then a new GM with the power to replace Nate and shake up the roster would be very appealing. I just doubt that Paul wants to start over with a whole new FO that he would have to “break in”
When reached 40+ years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
If Allen gets really frustrated
He might fire Nate, in favor of a player coach. Seeing how well Pete Carroll is working out in Seattle he may look to the college ranks. Mark Few?
"We gotta get this $#!^ together guys!" - Phil
I just hope Paul Allen makes a good hire.
What are the odds? PA hasn’t hired a decent GM since Geoff Petrie. The owner is too hands -on, esp on draft day
I’m assuming he is waiting for someone who is currently employed.
Agreed
When reached 40+ years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
whitsitt was good for a few years, and then just went overboard
much like Dumars did in Detroit building a good team and then trading it away bizarrely.
Bob knew how to "play" Paul and get what he wanted
the next successful Portland GM will need to have similar salesman skills to survive
trouble was, Whitsitt ultimately proved that he didn’t know how to construct a championship roster, adding talent on top of talent eventually led to an explosion at the chemistry lab
When reached 40+ years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
One thing about #10
I think it’s a little too simplistic to place all of the blame on either Nate or the front office for our extensive track record of misery in the draft. It’s not like players come out of college with fully formed games ready to slot into NBA rotations. It’s still up to the coach to identify their strengths and weaknesses, teach the player NBA schemes, drill good habits into them, get them up to speed, and put them in a position to succeed.
Sure, I’m okay placing most of the blame on the front office for maybe not giving him a ton to work with, but I think it’s a little bit of an overreaction in the opposite direction to say Nate is therefore 100% blameless. He hasn’t been given a lot of material, but at the same time, he’s done a pretty poor job at developing that material. It’s hardly a fireable offense, but there’s a long way between that and infallibility.
by Royster on Jan 18, 2012 8:49 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Yeah.
Nate showed he will start a rookie if they have the talent, like Batum beating out Outlaw in training camp. In McMillans case the #1 requirement for a rook to get playing time is the ability to defend, in my opinion. Which is why the Babbitt pick was baffling.
yeah
but Nic played less then 20 mins a game…and besides Nic only got the start cause Webster was out.
by ripcitymilehigh on Jan 18, 2012 9:22 PM PST up reply actions
He also started 76 games & showed he is a far superior defender
then either of them. We probably wouldn’t have made the playoffs if Webster didn’t get injured & started that season, because he is a worse player then Batum.
We won 54 games and were a 4 seed
As ripcitymilehigh said, Nic played <20 mpg, that’s not worth the 8 wins or so it would have taken to knock us out of the playoffs, especially since Webster played essentially exactly as well as Nic did (slightly better in my eyes, but whatever) the following year when he was healthy and Nic got hurt. We would have been in roughly the same spot with or without a healthy Webster that year.
Nate
has really shown very little interest in developing talent…especially dynamic talent. He is really quick to pull a guy and for young guys that is the worst possible thing. Young guys need to grow into themselves.
Bayless is a good example…when he starts he has great numbers…off the bench not so much…he happens to be a very intense guy who lives off confidence. For whatever reason, Nate doesn’t get it or care and if the guy don’t fit…move on. It doesn’t mean there isn’t talent or ability….it just means Nate doesn’t want to invest the time (or potential losses) to find out.
by ripcitymilehigh on Jan 18, 2012 9:20 PM PST up reply actions
Huh?
Nate started Roy, Oden, Batum, Aldridge all at very young ages. Because they were the best options, not only that but they all developed significantly under McMillan. There is a reason Taurean Green & Sergio Rodriguez didn’t get playing time: They didn’t deserve it.
But in Nate's defense,
none of the young talent he failed to “develop” has gone on to blossom elsewhere. That seems to indicate two things:
1. Nate has a good feel for natural talent that will fit into his system, therefore the inverse is true.
2. The NBA is likely not a nurturing environment for young players. You either contribute or you don’t play. If you’re in a place that wants to win, it’s not likely they will take a chance on you unless they absolutely have to.
/s
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jan 18, 2012 10:46 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
As to point 1
I do think that the first couple years are pretty critical in terms of development. Players are at their most malleable and willing to listen, and there’s less pressure from management and the fanbase to prove themselves and contribute immediately, and they have a concrete deal for three to four years. Once a guy develops a few bad habits and switches teams a couple times he can’t afford to work on development so much as just playing for his next contract. Once you waste that time, it’s hard to recover from.
That's a very good point,
and an excellent reason why shrewd drafting, veteran talent, and good coaching makes for teams like San Antonio, who continue to add lower first rounders to their depth chart while continuing to play efficiently within their style (which has evolved a bit, of course).
I always felt Nate should play J Bay when he was rookie because that’s what he was drafted for.
There are players who languish for a couple years and make the best of their opportunity when it arrives, though. That’s about maturity, being a professional, and actually loving the game. Yeah. Those guys. Draft guys like that. Oh. But make sure they’re really damn good too.;)
/s
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jan 19, 2012 8:29 AM PST up reply actions
There are some languishers
but they’re few and far between and generally late draftees with little to no expectation anyways. It’s a whole lot easier to stomach not getting minutes ahead of a guy like Sergio if you’re Armon Johnson rather than a guy once projected to be a top 4 pick like Jerryd Bayless. Maybe you can call that a character flaw of Bayless, but I think it’s understandable.
The only real lottery langusher I can think of right now who became appreciably better after a couple years of not playing is JJ Redick. I’m sure there are others, but even expanding beyond the lottery I’m not sure there are a ton, outside of the guys who head out to foreign leagues and have a healthy dose of humble pie served to them.
There was/is clearly a reason why Bayless slipped from 4th to 11th
didn’t get much PT here, didn’t get much PT under Williams in NO, and is still only mediocre on a mediocre Raptors team: he’s not very good.
It is a character flaw to think you are better than you really are, and pout about it.
He played 22 MPG last year and had 17 MPG in the first two games, so I’d say that’s a considerable bench role.
i keep dancing on my own.
sure, a considerable bench role for the Raptors
My point is, Jerryd himself thinks he should be a starter on a contender. Not an unreasonable expectation for a #4 lottery pick, but that’s not what he was, nor what he deserved to be.
Going back to the original post I was responding to, I think it is a character flaw when a player becomes a pouty, disgruntled, disruptive presence because he is unable to recognize or realistically assess their own abilities and contributions. It was the same with Rudy. All this moaning and groaning about playing time, yet when it is given, they don’t rise to the occasion and put the doubters in their place, they only confirm that they are a role player off the bench.
Even an average 11th pick
would have expected to play some on a team where Steve Blake and Sergio Rodriguez are his competition for minutes. Jerryd was acceptably mediocre as a 2nd year player when he did play as a sophomore.
I don’t presume to know exactly what Jerryd thinks he should be, only that it’s understandable that he would be frustrated being glued to the bench behind two guys who were barely role players themselves. There’s still a long way between that and “starter on a contender”, though.
Maybe somewhat true, but very negative...
We are 8-6, with 9 of the 14 games versus playoff teams. We beat Ok City, Lakers, Clippers the top 3 pre-season experts predictions/Vegas odds on favorites to win the West, with Dallas in the mix as well. No other team can say they have beat all 3. And this is with 2 brand new guards and 2 new big men in the rotation. Take it easy. Gerald Wallace has never been a one on one offense guy. Felton’s numbers aren’t that much lower than his career averages (besides FG% obviously). Crawford is what he is, a chucker and a poor defender, but can get hot and deadly (worth the money). We will be favored to win 9 of the next 10 games. And we will likely win 7 or 8, and you’ll be singing a different tune in two weeks. Losing @ Atlanta by 3 without Batum an Camby isn’t the end of the world.
by robbybird22 on Jan 18, 2012 11:01 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
It's not "negative" IMO,
so much as one-sided. I didn’t simultaneously make my 10 Awesome Things Every Blazer Fan Can Be Happy About list, because that would be sort pie-in-the-sky. Not to mention, this is blog entry with a certain vibe. You add it to the overall mass of odds-and-ends written about your team and hopefully it all paints a picture less resembling a manifestation of doom.
But perhaps I’ll do my 10 Awesome Things Every Blazer Fan Can Be Happy About, although it will take some time as I am actually a very passionate fan who really loves this team. True story!;)
/s
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jan 19, 2012 8:33 AM PST up reply actions
I promise I won't "sing a different tune"
if/when the Blazer record swings back the other way btw. They still can’t shoot, have weak play at PG, lack a wing with a handle, and are dreadfully thin at big.
They’re good enough to overcome that against weak opponents, sure, but that won’t help in the playoffs.
/s
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jan 19, 2012 8:48 AM PST up reply actions
Oh, and Hipster:
Blazers hold players-only meeting after 92-89 loss at Atl. LaMarcus Aldridge asked that media be held out of locker room so team could talk. Talked with Aldridge, [Jamal] Crawford & [Wesley] Matthews. Gist of meeting was the players like each other so much they aren’t holding one another accountable. The meeting comes after coach Nate McMillan tells the media that his team isn’t playing hard enough.
Who’s soft on his team mates?
:)
"We gotta get this $#!^ together guys!" - Phil
It's a good sign.
It really is. Hopefully Lamarcus embraces this portion of his leadership: accepting the fact that people can both respect you and be irritated by you at the same time. Tim Duncan isn’t afraid to get after his teammates. TD doesn’t show them up though, which is how Lamarcus can be, because he really seems to have respect for his team. I hate it when Kobe scowls down his guys.
/s
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jan 19, 2012 8:36 AM PST up reply actions
I love the comment about Nic.
I don’t get why everyone in portland thinks he is the most valuable player in the NBA and every team would give up their whole starting roster for him. The guy is a DECENT role player that comes off the bench and deserves to behind a guy like Gerald Wallace. He is not Scotty Pippen, and Orland would not trade DH for him, stop acting like he is so great.
Keep in mind
At the time, our options at the SF spot were UGLY. Its a lot easier to say now that Batum is just a role player now that we have Gerald Wallace. However, when he was a burgeoning NBA sophomore with outstanding play in limited minutes & seeing Tony Parkers growth over the years in San Antonio alongside Duncan/Ginobili, Batum was undoubtedly crowned the next big thing here in Portland. For good reason too. The reasons are still there as well.
"We gotta get this $#!^ together guys!" - Phil
Nic is sweet.
I actually do think Nic could help this team if he were out there more. His is the only reliable outside stroke on the roster. It’s painfully obvious that the Blazers need to hit a couple shots to open up the D for their mid-range game. That doesn’t usually happen…
I say start Nic for offensive reasons. Bring Gerald off the bench for Lamarcus as the first sub and let that unit run. Sub in Nolan at PG, bring back in Lamarcus (Nolan can pass the ball to Lamarcus, right? Run a screen and roll? Please. Of course he can, maybe even better because of his size) and sub Thomas, Crawford, etc. as needed.
But you can’t continue to start the game with your worst offensive team, then bring in your worst defensive team to stave off going WAY behind. It’s frustrating to watch, and it seems as obvious as starting Andre over Blake was. But Nate has a reason, I’m sure. He always does. Ultimately I trust him a lot more than I trust my armchair managing skills…
/s
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jan 19, 2012 8:43 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
pretty sure no one thinks this
I don’t get why everyone in portland thinks he is the most valuable player in the NBA and every team would give up their whole starting roster for him….He is not Scotty Pippen, and Orland would not trade DH for him, stop acting like he is so great.
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
by sammymohawk on Jan 19, 2012 10:37 AM PST up reply actions
I went a bit over board there
I just get frustrated with fans in Portland that seem to think Nic and Wesley are these HUGE value players and think if we trade them we should be getting stars in return.
well, they are two of the best assets we have
they are young, reasonably productive, and still possess some potential (Batum especially). If you’re gonna trade them for other players I have a hard time seeing how that can make us significantly better in the long term. So it seems you would either keep Matthews and Batum, who are young and can still grow and should both be on reasonable contracts, or trade off just about everything of value for draft picks and trade chips, tank a season, hit the lottery, and knock your draft choices out of the park (maybe keep Batum and see what he does with 35 mpg and a big role on a bad team).
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
by sammymohawk on Jan 19, 2012 12:11 PM PST up reply actions
Hehe.
“but this list goes up to eleven.”
/s
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jan 19, 2012 9:57 AM PST up reply actions
If Paul ever buys out Providence I'm fired !
Huge surprise but imo, Blazer problems could easily be solved with another young center who actually plays ! Fill that big hole, win some games and watch all the glasses fill up again.
just win baby !
by FrenchieFan on Jan 19, 2012 11:23 AM PST up reply actions
WRONG!!!
PAUL ALLEN IS A GREAT OWNER…GET A CLUE!
Yeah.
I will support Paul Allen till the day I did, as a Portland Fan.
"We gotta get this $#!^ together guys!" - Phil
I like that; future prediction of past position
Yeah, I know it’s a typo, and I’m not poking fun at ’ya. But it seems to rather epitomize the way many of us fans in Perpetually-Good-But-Rarely-Great land look at the team, individual players, or what-have you: “I will support them until the day I did.” It seems to sum up my ongoing frustrations, at least!
Steve Goodman lives.
by twinsbrewer on Jan 19, 2012 11:08 PM PST up reply actions
I'd rather have a terrible team
then no team at all. Nuff said. AK will support this I know.
"We gotta get this $#!^ together guys!" - Phil
For perspective, look at the Knicks
There’s a big-market team with endless financial resources, a legendary arena, always at the top of the list for FA destinations. Yet, Portland has come much, much closer to the championship several times, and routinely has a better team (albeit in a more difficult conference). I mean, they’re not even “Perpetually-Good-But-Rarely-Great,” in fact, they often suck. Even now after blowing a huge wad on Amare and Caremelo, and they still suck. Think about that. Two perennial all-stars, and we can still beat them most nights.
Cause those 2 all starts
dont compliment one another what so ever. Getting those 2 guys was stupid.
Exactly
I’m just saying, for all the warts that come along with Portland’s ownership and general management, it could be worse.
We had a dream with Roy, Aldridge and Oden.
Roy is gone and we were unable to trade him for assets, and Oden doesn’t play and will bring us nothing like his potential in a trade. This is the heart of our current dilemma. It takes talent to get talent, and you rarely draft starters in the lower 1/2 of the draft. So, we’ve been trying to fill holes without the assets to match what we have lost – and the talent we get is inferior to what was lost. Miller was the replacement for Blake and was the best player available in the free agent market at the time, but his age and talent left the Blazers with only the option of picking up Felton to replace him. Camby was aging and was a filler for Oden, but never had the youth and potential of Oden. As he ages, the injuries have piled up and his value for trades has gone down, until he will be little more than a salary dump, and Oden will get us little or nothing in a trade as well. Roy, in turn, get’s us nothing other than some CAP space. The hard reality is that the Blazers are treading water now. We do not have the assets to trade to rebuild, which some seem to ignore. Talk of trading Batum or Wallace, or of finding some mythical point guard or some very good center ignore the reality that teams are not going to trade the kinds of players we need for the type of talent we have.
The Blazers will bite the bullet next summer and begin to rebuild with a different game plan, or they won’t, but until they do, they will not be a contender. And this comes down to management – not Macmillan. There is a reason that Wallace, Felton, Camby, Crawford, Thomas and Smith were not highly sought after players. All were shopped, and all were available to any number of teams who could have acquired them as easily and for the same or better value than the Blazers gave up.
by ebenc on Jan 20, 2012 5:28 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
MEGA-REC
Did he just say “mega-rec”?
Mhm.
Always with the “mega”…
How about “so much rec it causes a tangle…a REC-TANGLE.”
Oh, gawd. Speaking of tangle: my hair. That gator totally snarled it.
Bummer. So, which one of us is Debbie and which one of us is Tiffany, again?
I’m pretty sure I’m Tiffany.
Ok. Let’s clean up and go troll the L*ker board for dumb boys.
Word.
(high five)
Come on, let's all hug it out.
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jan 20, 2012 1:13 PM PST up reply actions
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