Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. He was one of my favorite players to talk to, and he's probably one of the most down to earth and sincere players I've ever met. I'm glad we still have him.
I'm a huge fan of Joel's. IMO, Joel's contribution to this team is summed up in the story after he broke his hand near the middle of the season. When Quick asked Joel if Joel would play in the next game, Joel scoffed, as if it was ridiculous to even ask. Of course Joel would play with a broken hand!! That toughness and and team-first mentality has been invaluable to this team. Congrats Joel!!
Major props to Joel. He's a guy who does not have unreal talent but with hard work and teamwork has maximized what he does have and never complains about what he's not. He's taken ENORMOUS pressure off Greg Oden this year. His rebounding allows LMA and Trout to move to where they best like to shoot. And he's got his teammates backs. I am so glad he's a Blazer and not a Spur. Without Joel, Portland is maybe a 7 seed.
Props to Joel. He has been one of our most valuable players this season. I remember getting into an argument with someone (Maris?) about the way Nate limits Joel's MPG. I argued that Nate was right, and that Joel is one of those guys where fewer MPG = more games played. Anybody still want to argue whether Nate got it right?
Hopefully in two years time KP will have the Spurs' "resign vets for cheap" mojo going and Joel will be happy to extend his contract, I'd hate to see him play anywhere else.
You can't overstate that. For these young guys to KNOW that Joel will be there when someone tries to bully them is huge. They've seen him up in the faces of some bad mo fo's in the last few weeks.
Dude, that's like asking if there was ever any doubt that the earth revolved around the sun, or that Hillary Clinton would get her ass handed to her by some black dude. In retrospect, it seems obvious. But at the time, and for the entire year prior, I was dead sure he was going to be in San Antonio on his next contract. He'd play next to one of the greatest players of all time. He'd be contending for a title. And he wouldn't be on the pathetic, sad-sack Blazers. Sure, he'd make a little less money, but it's not like the difference was that much. Why on earth would he re-sign here? Oh. Because he's Joel Przybilla.
I gotta say there's something to that. I'm older, bigger, and less worried than I was as a kid. There's really not a lot of people that intimidate me physically anymore. But if Shaq stood 8 inches from my face and started talking smack or threw a ball at my face, I have to admit I'd find something else to do on the far end of the court. Even if I were 7 feet tall. Shaq is a nice guy generally, but he's such a massive, imposing presence. When Joel stood there, face-to-face with him, and looked like he told him to fuck off, I was impressed. "Journey men centers", which is really what he used to be, don't do that. Joel is a bad ass.
Joel is a throwback to, and may actually be descended from, the Polish-American immigrants who got work in the iron mines and steel mills of the Upper Midwest. The men were tough and the women were tougher.
I searched out this thread just so I could say PROPS TO JOEL. HE WORKS HIS ASS OFF EVERY DAY AND HAS ACCOMPLISHED WHAT FEW BIG MEN DO. Joel is so solid, so smart, gets so many good clean blocks. I think Greg can learn (and is learning) a lot from him on defense. Now when Greg brings along his offense, he'll be amazing and I think Joel will be happy to split time.
