A few weekend links

by Ben Golliver on Feb 23, 2008 10:50 AM PST in News

So... um... about that game last night.

Looking for the game recaps and analysis?

Quick's Game Recap

Hendrickson's Game Recap

Freeman on James Jones

Looking for a Saturday morning pick-me-up? Wendell Maxey gets the Rudy talk going

Just looking for a good laugh? Casey eviscerates Bill Simmons

Looking for a headache? Bill Simmons' latest links column continues the imaginary Aldridge trade talk.

On the flattering side, however, Simmons notes, "Looks like the Raptors fans have a new rival for the title "Most irrationally devoted fans in the NBA." You wouldn't believe the e-mails we received after suggesting that Portland could turn LaMarcus Aldridge, a future No. 1 and Rudy Fernandez into Mike Conley Jr. (only the best point guard in last year's draft and a future All-Star) and Mike Miller (along with Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis, one of the three best shooting forwards in the league)."

Replace the words "irrationally devoted" with "common-sensical" and he might be on to something. I do smile widely every time the Blazers fanbase makes the national media landscape and it doesn't involve our reaction to player malfeasance. I think we should collectively take his statement as a compliment.

--Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

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Casey's article is good

I agree with this: "I simply don't understand how those evaluations could be taken all that seriously."

I won't rip on Simmons because it's been done and I agree that he can be an idiot at times. In his defense the Blazers haven't been good for a long time and he doesn't spend a lot of time on bad teams except throwing out trades that he thinks will turn them instantly into title contenders.

The thing that bothers me is that earlier in the year he was raving about Aldridge on his podcasts and saying how dumb the Bulls were stupid for not taking him. Now he's hit what is his rookie wall and Simmons says the numbers he's putting up at this moment (17-7)are his ceiling. It's one thing to judge a player you haven't seen much (like he did with Dwight Howard) but he's seen what Aldridge can do when he's energetic and not double teamed.

In his defense, he just had a second child and by all accounts (i.e. his own stories) his wife is insane. Until a month ago he was obsessed with the Patriots and only mentioned basketball to talk about the Celtics. He also watches a TON of tv and is one of those people who complains about Friday Night Lights but then complains that nobody watches it (do I need to say anything else about how illogical he can be? "This show stopped showing football and the second season sucks...but everyone should watch this show.") He probably just hasn't watched the Blazers that much and sees that Aldridge's numbers have dipped in the box scores.

I don't think that Simmons has a vendetta against the Blazers and I don't know if he's an idiot who can't see Aldridge's potential. I think he just doesn't pay much attention to the Blazers so earlier in the year he saw LMA doing well and now he's not. Instead of looking at the team and seeing that EVERYONE is playing worse now and is fatigued he just looked at LMA.

Finally, why would we want to trade him? Look at how everyone is afraid of the L*kers because of Gasol and Bynum. One team in the league has two good big men and every team adjusts to them. Why should we trade big?

by terryisntbald on Feb 23, 2008 11:22 AM PST reply actions

Call me one of the irrationally devoted

Irrationally devoted = Blazermania

We love our guys. (Plus more than a few of us remember Jermaine O'Neal coming of age elsewhere. Maybe that's irrational too because we traded many young guys who faded, but we still remember JO.)

With apologies to Olivia Newton-John:
"...my heart is saying 'don't let go'
Hold on to the end, that's what I intend to do
I'm irrationally devoted to you."

Which doesn't even address the fact that the trade proposal was illogical. Go Casey!

"...people are young until they aren't. And even then they're usually young a little more yet." - Dave, February 21.

by jorga on Feb 23, 2008 11:23 AM PST reply actions

Now you've done it

You dropped the Neutron Bomb on us!

"The Team with Caricature!" - Elizabeth "The Lizzard" Lowblow

by Lizzy Lowblow on Feb 23, 2008 11:53 AM PST up reply actions

I don´t mind

Neutron Bomb only kill the people. The site remains.

I like Brandon Roy, whatever planet he comes from. (Bill Walton?)

by amlmart1 on Feb 24, 2008 4:50 AM PST up reply actions

Another great read

Tyson Chandler's take on the bonzi trade and the human effects trades take on families. Something everyone should read before we declare that jack or sergio need to be traded immediately

Travis Outlaw drops the sledgehammer on Daequan Cook for a dunk so vicious, it's illegal in 48 states.

by BlazerBandit on Feb 23, 2008 2:56 PM PST reply actions

shoot heres the link

http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=300025597

Travis Outlaw drops the sledgehammer on Daequan Cook for a dunk so vicious, it's illegal in 48 states.

by BlazerBandit on Feb 23, 2008 2:57 PM PST up reply actions

Good read

It's hard to keep those kinds of things in perspective when you're a fan, but this year more so than most I found myself wondering at the impact a trade or trades would have on this team -- probably because so much attention was given to off-court stories, and player friendships by guys like Jason Quick.

It's got to suck for these guys to have to be moved at a moment's notice, but at least they are well compensated for it, and I suppose that eases the sting some.

by nikolokolus on Feb 23, 2008 4:58 PM PST up reply actions

Seeing video of Von Wafer on the bench

at the Thursday Seattle game. He looked a little lost. It would be really hard to be the only player in a trade.

It sounds like New Orleans's chemistry is like the Blazers. Hope we still have that as we get better. An awesome record and chemistry, now that would be fun.

by Section323 on Feb 23, 2008 5:45 PM PST up reply actions

Jones Statistics and Jack

O.K., when Jones was playing (healthy and significant minutes) the Blazers were 22-5; when Jack starts and/or plays significant minutes we are like 5-22 (made up number).

Whatever the real numbers are, the Blazers are losing more games than they are winning with the small ball line-up. It mystifies me that both Jack and Roy get more minutes regardless of how they play. Jack very rarely has a complete game where he shoots a decent percentage, has some assists, and few turnovers. He frequently gets burned on the defensive end and the all-too-rare fastbreaks are adventures that are as likely to end a turnover as a bucket. Nate's answer is to give him more minutes.

Roy comes back from the All-Star game playing too many minutes, and he get played 40+ minutes each night even though his game is off and he is suffering from various ailments. Again, Nate's answer is to play him more minutes.

We're not getting rebounds, so Nate plays more small ball where we get even fewer rebounds, fewer fastbreak points, and get scorched by the various guards blowing by our guards.

I hope that Jones comes back soon, both healthy and with his stroke, and that Nate elects to find out if we can play without resorting to small ball.

Can we find out if Von Wafer can shoot? Let's put him in for at least a few minutes at the 2-guard position and see what happens.

If Roy needs the ball in his hands to be effective, let's play him at PG but let's try it for 32-35 minutes and not run him into the ground by playing him 42+ minutes at three positions.

by vcubed on Feb 23, 2008 7:09 PM PST reply actions