We're having a special treat this week. I'm going to be around to add any news items (doubtful there will be any) and a tidbit here and there but taking the main stage will be some astute Blazersedge readers for the first official Blazersedge Guest Blogger Week. This will give me a chance to catch up on some research in preparation for the league-wide team previews coming soon. (Another sure sign that the season is almost upon us!) It's also a much-deserved kudos to all of our contributors who make this among the smartest blogs on the net anywhere. I hope you enjoy it.
Taking the helm for today's post is none other than the world-famous Idog1976. I told Idog and all our guest bloggers this week that they were completely free to write about anything they wish. Here is his submission.
If You Build it They Will Come
So here I am writing the Monday entry for Blazers Edge. It's a fun yet daunting proposition. How does one fill Dave's shoes? It can't be done. There is only one Dave.
But taking the helm for a moment let me chart our course into a different kind of entry. I'm always trying to make my diary entries interactive and provocative; as this is the main board I am going to focus on the former and leave the latter for diaries.
I sat down to write this and initially totally blanked. I could write about our weakness at the 1 and 3, but while I find that topic interesting, it's been done quite a bit. I also thought of writing about Nate and expectations and hopes for his coaching style in the upcoming season. That too has been discussed and has been shown to be a polarizing topic that nets a lot of good points. Neither of those would cut it for front and center of the Edge.
It all got me thinking... what is it about Blazers Edge that I want to read it at least once a day? Often I will quickly pop in and read a few diaries or comments without the time to throw in my .02. Other times I will be blown away by a topic and post diaries; sometimes commenting at length several times in a single comment section. There is nothing I like better than a bold prediction that is bound to cause controversy.
So what is it that makes you come to the Edge? Some of you, like myself, come again and again with a borderline case of obsession. But perhaps you are a casual fan who pops in once a month to check out what people are saying about your team. Maybe you're a regular who just can't help but respond to your favorite foil in the community - that fellow Edger who always seems to come down on the other side of the fence from you. What is it about this place that you find yourself returning here again and again? If you are one of those folks who comments on diaries, what is it that most causes you to comment? Perhaps it's bold stances you disagree with. Maybe it's thoughtful diaries about team philosophy that draw you in.
I know that for me it is the diversity of opinion and the intelligent discussion. The ability to post diaries and the community itself is what really separates this blog from the rest. The depth of discussion here is what allows us to have such an incredible amount of activity on the board during these summer months. It's almost as though the players somehow felt our fandom and dedication, as they too have been uncharacteristically active this summer. What I know about BE is this: As long as there continues to be a community that is this diverse, this knowledgeable and this mature in its discussions, I will be coming here - come playoffs or lottery.
BONUS QUESTION: Because I want to have something in here that's about the team - what ONE thing would you most like to see a single player work on? For instance you might think Josh McRoberts really needs to bulk up and develop an NBA body. Or you might want Martell to learn Zen meditation so he can clear his mind before games. Maybe you want to see Sergio reduce his turnovers. Put another way, if you were a member of the coaching staff what area of what player's game would you most concentrate on to develop our team to its utmost potential?
I want to see huge effort on Outlaw's part to become a better perimeter defender. It's his most critical weakness; one that could get Oden and Aldridge in foul trouble if it is not addressed. At a bare minimum he must become a master of funneling his man into our post defenders. If Outlaw can work on his lateral quickness honing his ability to keep his man in front of him, with the way his shot looks right now, we might not have to worry about that 3 spot on our roster anymore.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)