The Blazers lack a winning attitude

That has become abundantly clear. Winning simply doesn't mean enough. If the team cared about winning, they would have force-fed LaMarcus the ball in the past two games. Particularly this last game against the Mavs. And I don't just mean LaMarcus should have the most shots. I mean in a game where LaMarcus is receiving single coverage, and destroying it, he should have ALL the shots. Until the Mavs were forced to double cover, why should we go anywhere else?

But that approach isn't fun. It doesn't allow Wes to drive in an uncontrolled frenzy at the basket. It doesn't allow Jamal to treat the game like a session of 1 on 5. It doesn't allow Felton to dribble away the shot clock indecisively at the 3 point line. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point. Against single coverage, EVERY play should end with a shot from LaMarcus. Obviously, if LaMarcus keeps hitting, the opposition will be forced to double team, and then everybody else can join in the act.

It's a fairly simple plan. Why the team so often decides to replace it with Jamal, Felton or Wesley going 1 on 5, I have no idea. It was insane to have our second overtime against Dallas start with Felton (who was cold not just for the game, but for the ENTIRE SEASON) take what felt like every shot for half of that overtime, until he was finally benched.

There are only 2 explanations. The first is that Nate has NOT told the team that ideally, every possession should end with a LaMarcus shot (unless double teamed). If that is true then Nate needs to be fired, but I doubt that is true. The 2nd explanation is that the team gets bored, and decides they want some individual glory. As crazy as that explanation seems, I believe it is true explanation. For this team, whether they win or lose does not matter. What their individual stat lines look like at the end of the night, that seems to be what matters to this team.

The blame for this lies with two people. The first is Nate. Either he is not saying the right things, or the team is not listening, and either way that is on him. And the second guy to be blamed is LaMarcus himself. He is clearly too nice. At the start of the 2nd OT against Dallas, right when Felton took the first shot of that OT, LaMarcus should have given him a spray, that made it clear, that BETTER NOT HAPPEN AGAIN!!!! But there is no indication that LaMarcus has even said anything privately to tell his team, I am THE MAN on this team, I am the focus of this offense, and I better not see anymore Kobe offense from you guards, or Armon Johnson and Elliot Williams are going to start seeing a lot more minutes!!!!!!

Anyway, I'm tired and demoralized after that loss, so I'll end the rant here.