Their radio announcers were more impressed with the Blazers tonight than you evidently were Dave.

In the 4th quarter after LMA had a huge block, the play by play guy (Dennis I believe) said to his partner Richie, "can you imagine Aldridge playing next to Oden next year?"  Richie replied "Oh my gosh".  

Then, very late in the 4th, these two guys were paying big verbal respect to the Blazers and they were both fretting that their 12 point lead might not be enough against "this team".  Then when Roy was bringing the ball up to set the offense, Dennis nervously uttered "you need an army to stop this guy!"  (Turned out to be kind of funny though 'cuz right after that came out of his mouth Dwight blocked Roy's shot.)

Remember right at the end of the game when Brandon dribbled up court as though he was going to drive, stopped elevated and hit that long three? These guys really oo'ed and ah'ed (how do you spell oo'ed and ah'e?) over that one.  Dennis said "he's so deceptive, he looked down as though he was going to drive, which got  Bogens to look down too, and then Roy just raised up and shot a three!"  They were very impressed with that one.

Isn't this stange?  The Blazers are stiking some fear into the rest of the league.  Who would have thunk it?    

Once again, the lack of a 4/5 presence was obvious. Pryzbilla is semi-okay filling up the lane, but not a scorer. LMA plays the 4 with a little too much finesse for my taste, but he's young and will get stronger and wiser... Frye is a non-starter as far as I'm concerned, I'm hoping Pritchard fines a nice home for him elsewhere...

Oden will help immensely next year, but the Blazers NEED ANOTHER GUY THIS YEAR. The so-called elite teams of the west are within reach even without Oden. Another 4/5 this year puts them into reachable range. Oden plus one other 4/5 guy puts the Blazers over the top...

I'd like to see KP move heaven and earth to get Jefferson from Minnesota. I'm sure they regard him as untradeable, and rightfully so, but they're so far in the cellar that they might listen to some wild and crazy offer that provides them with insane value in players and picks. Blazers have a first and three second rounders in the next draft and I'd toss another first their way and then see if you can tag on enough guys to get the deal done (thinking of Sergio and Green for starters...).

Oden is NOT going to be a 35 minute guy, he is going to be foul prone (witness the 10 foul game in summer league). Blazers need to plan for this eventuality, which seems more like a mathematical certainty to me. They very clearly need one more legitimate 4/5 guy in addition to Pryzbilla and LMA, not Frye, and the sooner the better. This is the one last major rabbit that Pritchard needs to pull from his hat... Ordinarily one might draft for that, or chase a free agent, but I reckon that the timetable has moved up.

t

3-4 isn't going to be the end of the world. The Hawks can be beat, but they're young like the Blazers and that gives me pause.

t

I disagree with your comments on Joel.  On defense, I think he is our only tough interior defender.  He's the only big guy we have willing to push back to the bullies of the league.  He is a great off the ball shot-blocker, and he is the ONLY Blazer (outside maybe Raef and Roy) that is as eager to grab the rebound as Joel.  In my mind this makes his presence on the court worthwhile.

On offense, I think that it is ok to have a guy that can't create his own offense.  Roy, Webster, Aldridge, and Blake can score, why not have a guy great at picks, and can grab an offensive rebounds.  I would love to see the point differential when Przybilla is in, compared to when he is on the bench...even despite our recent success.  

Your comments really only reflect his offense, but as I said, I don't think Joel needs to score to be helpful to our offensive flow.  

  But #1, he does help, and #2, I have seen his effort become an inspiration to others. A few rebounds, blocks and shot altering intimidations and suddenly it seems to rub off on Aldridge and Outlaw.

   I hate to criticize Decembers Coach of The Month, and a coach that I think has done an excellent job bringing this team along but sometimes I do wonder why Joel isn't used more.  

But when I read all the comments this morning I had to laugh.  It seems that now Dave is the one being advised to have patience. At least he isn't advocating any trades yet!  

Since I seldom read comments in other blogs I don't know if it is simply the sensible, highly intelligent posters in BE or if most of Blazer fandom is shrugging off last night's game, but I'm greatful for it.  Thank you.

so how does the team compensate for getting the lumber thrown at 'em night in night out?  Thats the question as I see it. We certainly cannot nor would not employ the same strategy, because the team isnt built for it.

Neither Frye nor Alldridge has been able to muscle up to the real PF's in the NBA, and both are simply content to shoot jumpers and turn-arounds. That has to change. Lamarcus is closer than Frye, and should set the example by going harder to the hole more often. Let Frye bail out, but Lamarcus is the key to helping Joel establish some form of interior D.

I cant help but think how Oden is going to fill the interior defense next year, ... then what are teams going to do against our zone?

Oden will singlehandledly fix about 65% of the gaping hole in the Blazers' floor. But he goes for every block, and even if he can be coached into going for every OTHER block, he's gonna be picking up 6 fouls in 25 minutes, every night. (See comments others have made about NBA officiating above.) Watch video of him in HS, College, Summer League -- he's a swatter and the NBA refs are like Pavlov's dogs when they see people swinging their arms in the paint: tweet! tweet! tweet! We saw it with Ratliff and we see it every night with Joel. That's just the way it is.

So: it is a mistake to think that Oden is THE answer to the 4/5 problem. He is A MAJOR PART of the answer, to be sure, but there is going to have to be another player of similar capacity for filling the lane brought in. That's the piece of the puzzle to be obtained.

Channing Frye is probably a tradeable player, as would be Sergio (aka The Turnover Machine). And Pritchard has long ago stated a preference for players who are tall for their position, which makes me wonder how Green fits in. This doesn't mention the two big salaries that aren't producing anything at this point -- Miles and LaFrentz (the latter one of the worst contracts in the NBA, something like $12.3 million for this year and next).

There's plenty to work with for an active GM, and the Blazers have one. It's time to fix the 4/5 personnel gap NOW.