Class. This team has it. Even with the Nugs be'n thugs, they didn't loose their cool. Nobody stuck their tongues out at that fool Anderson, and there were plenty of opportunities for payback. Nobody clocked that putz Melo, and he sure deserved it. The character of these guys is the cherry on top of the Blazers sundae. I've spent a stupid amount of time arguing in forums about the importance of character. I've been told that you couldn't build a winning team of good guys. Well, it seems that you can, actually. And what a difference. Nobody arrested. Instead, guys doing public serve, and appearing to enjoy it. Nobody showing me his nipple when he makes a shot. Instead, guys that act like they've done that before and will again. Nobody racking up T's at a record rate. These guys might cry to the refs less than anybody in the league. Nobody fighting dogs. Instead, helping find homes for dogs in shelters. How can anyone say that having a team of GREAT guys that you want to root for isn't value added to "just win"? Anyway, it's not academic any more . I KNOW that this season was much more fun for me because of how cool the guys are. 54 wins with a team with Sheed, Bonzi, Ruben, JR, Quintel, Zach and Damon wouldn't even come close to being as enjoyable. Character AND winning, beyond my expectations. Hot DAMN!
Sure, there is nothing unusual about showing you their nipples. That can wait till y'all get home. barfo
How right you are! And how sweet it is! Anybody want Rasheed Wallace back? Anyone? Anyone? That's what I thought.
JR Rider Edit: He was showing that he "had heart" when he hit a big shot. I always thought he was showing how he was a me-first player.
Please. On a night like this, I don't want to even imagine Rasheed in a Blazer uniform. Makes me ill just to think about it.
You're the one who brought him up, of course. It's an oddly obsessive mindset. "He makes me sick to think about...I must always bring him up!"
I'll second that. It is one thing to have a knucklehead who can't play (EG Miles) - but Sheed made a reasonable contribution on the floor. (unless, of course, you bought into the BS about him being as good as Duncan)
No doubt. I love rooting for these guys. It feels a lot more enjoyable rooting for these guys than even the 1999-2000 team. We've seen these guys grow since they were rookies and they've had so much success so quickly. It's a joy... I really love this team, and they represent this city the right way.
it's always fun to see young players getting their first taste of success... everyone likes that. And yes, it's also fun to have followed these guys since they were acquired at the start of their NBA careers. While I really enjoyed those late 90's teams, I always was nervous about the bottom dropping out because of the tenuous health of Pip and Sabas. I'm pretty sure one or both guys was severely hampered with injuries (or reduced to clapping) by the end of every playoff run. If they ever had been relatively healthy through the playoffs, I suspect we'd look back on that era with fonder memories instead of dwelling on the negatives... when healthy they were an extremely big talented and balanced squad. Comparing the two is apples and oranges for me. I don't see this current team being a real championship contender yet like that one was. Though I predicted 55 wins and that they'd likely host the first round of the playoffs, everything is gravy from here on out. Next year this team will be dealing with the sort of expectations that those past clubs had STOMP
