<snort> I'm sorry, but where was that culture/character at the beginning of the season, when the team actually had a chance to be a contender, but Roy was too busy playing "Roybe" and the rest of the team was just going through the motions?
ready for the truth about posters in this forum... they already have injuries tagged as an excuse for no playoffs season. they wont admit our 2 best players are healthy and cant carry us to the playoffs but these same posters will tell you that we have a better future then OKC and SAC.... AND... we will win future titles. Its basically a team on paper that looks sexy to fans but when it comes down to playing... they have no faith in our core. Thats the cold hard truth. HCP is the leader of this. I just dont wanna see post saying " we are gonna be so good next year" which is a blazers fan and gms favorite line in the world. Personally im so so so fucking tired of kpee or blazer fans saying next year. its just stupid. if we have that good of talent in roy and la... stop with the excuse of no playoffs. pick one or the either.... we have legit stars who can carry us or we dont. no more of this future bullshit if we really cant get the lousy 8 seed. wake up.
Roy is a borderline superstar, LMA is barely a borderline all-star, after that we have a ton of guys who have "potential." You can say "everyone" as much as you like, but not everyone thinks this team is loaded with stars and is primed for a championship run.
Mixum, what are talking about now? We've had FAR more injuries than any other team in the league! We don't even have a legitimate center any more for chrissakes! Our "core" consists of LA, Roy, and Oden. We don't have Oden now. It's blatantly obvious that we're playing better than anyone can rightfully expect at the moment. It's only natural that fans would feel the playoffs are in jeopardy. Now come on and bring a good take once in a while! All you ever want to do is be a contrarian and generate reactions. It might be good from a website perspective as you'll generate more "hits", but it can be annoying.
Now you don't think we need a trade to make the playoffs? What was up with all of your crying and whining that this team would go nowhere without a trade (again?) Go Blazers
I am a leader of this Nerd Pack? I love it! "Follow me geeks, to the promise land!" JIZZUM you are a not talent ass-clown! Go away! And you say our 2 best players are healthy? BRoy and Andre? BRoy and Bayless? BRoy and Juwan?
1. going through the motions = trying to figure out unfamiliar/unwanted roles Let's see. We had Miller trying to play the role of a reserve. We had Bayless again trying to play the role of benchwarmer. We had Rudy stuck with a limited role as well. Did they quit on their team because of these unwanted roles? I don't feel they did. I didn't feel that they were merely going through the motions, but more trying to play roles they're not comfortable with. That Rudy, Jerryd, and Andre were not happy with these roles is just human nature. These guys are the ultimate competitors. You don't just turn that off. They dealt with these things as professionals. Jerryd persevered and is now seeing and exemplifying to others his reward. Rudy and Andre could have quit on their team at anytime, but they didn't. They were unhappy but they didn't quit. 2. playing Roybe = being a leader This team has three great minds IMO. Pritchard. Roy. And yes, IMO, the three-headed coaching monster of McMillan, Demuffoluf***us, and Williams. When Roy says he's taken a backseat for his teammates for too long. He's right. Would we have liked for him to keep his dirty laundry private? Of course, but if him being vocal puts his teammates in check (possibly when management or the coaching staff couldn't for differing reasons), then so be it. It fucking worked, right? You don't add a starting-caliber point guard, limit two ultra-talented guards, and insert a new starting center with a large role and expect for there not to be a lot of wrinkles to iron out. I have every bit of confidence that without these injuries the Blazers' collective brains would have found a successful way to move forward and possibly still contend for a championship. The team culture would have made that happen.
I think there's one thing we've learned this year, and it's a huge lesson. We've learned to scrap. We've been so talented, we've been able to win games just by utilizing it. That's why we struggled against the hard working teams that hustled. Houston is the best example. Now, we're one of those teams who generally can only win when we outwork the competition. If we bring that attitude next year with all our talent, then I'm truly frightened about what this team can be.
Me thinks that was partially the undoing of that incredibly talented/deep team of the early 2000's. Wasn't it that 2000/2001 team that was labeled "deepest team in NBA history"? Well, we know where that got them, right?
IMO the injuries forced Nate to do 2 things he hadn't been willing to do. 1. Shorten the rotation. 2. Play guys he wouldn't play before. This has in turn had multiple positive effects on the team. First of all now the players are used to playing with each other and not getting jerked in and out of the game as often as they once were. Players who were leery of shooting are now shooting without fear of being yanked out of the game, thus it has relaxed them. Guards know they are now responsible for part of the rebounding, and are now taking part in that piece of the game, where they weren't before. Lastly, Portlands guards are finally putting pressure on the paint. Even when they aren't having the bet shooting nights, they make up for it by getting to the line. I think if the above hadn't taken place, the Blazers might not be where they are at now. The pieces were having growing problems getting used to each other, and with Nate trying to keep everybody happy, too many players were going in and out of the games, slowing the learning curve you spoke of above.
I thought this team scrapped a ton last year and the year before as well. I think the biggest lesson learned - and I hope the coaching staff paid attention - is that Brandon Roy is a bad ass - and you do not go from featuring him on offense, night in, night out, because you have new, exciting toys to play with. Miller is nice, but he should be an after-thought. Love Oden - but his offense is secondary. Same goes all over. It's Brandon first, everyone else - after. If you do that, and accept that - and forget about the nonsense spewed by the Charles Barkleys of the world (great entertainer) - you will be fine. It's Brandon on offense, Greg on defense. This is how this team needs to run. If Miller sulks, ignore it, if Rudy is upset, ignore it. It starts, and ends, with Roy on offense, anchored by Greg on defense.
It's a bit humbling I would imagine at first, but having to scrap will also serve the team, like you said, in the future. Phil Jackson's teams, and his superstars, learned to do this. Combine the frenetic hustle with oobers and oobers of talent and you get a scary, near unbeatable team. Me likey.
People have been clamoring for a trade forever. Yet every year we get better and better without making the sort of deals everyone begs for. Maybe KP is on to something? I just don't get it. We could move say two young guys, say Bayless and Batum, or Mills and Fernandez, and get back a player, such as Caron Butler. How much better would we be this year with Butler instead, not factoring in injuries. Better, right? Championship better? Personally I don't feel we would be ready yet. Now, you keep said combination of young promising players and next season, you'd IMO be right where you'd have been had you made the move for Butler IMO. One difference, you keep your depth, youth, and chemistry. I know it's not conventional thinking, but it's not as idiotic as everyone makes it out to be. It's a philosophy, and one that has worked thus far.
