WTF?! We have all the talent we need to win a title. Now it's all about meshing that talent into a more cohesive unit. Nate is lagging. Quit trashing KP.
Tonights game was lost on the defensive end. Can't let Ariza and Brooks hit 5/8 and 4/6 three pointers respectively and let them score 33 and 28 points. We wont lose many games this season when we shoot over 50% from the field and 107 points.
Yes we needed more offense tonight not defense. I'll pretend that you didn't just actually compare Durant to the greatest player of all time.
I'm not mad we lost.....I'm not even disappointed. It's only the third game, and I am already falling into "who cares" mode. I'm not sure what it is, but something about this team has already sucked all the hope and enthusiasm right out of me. Maybe I have just been a fan of the team for too long. It's as if I just can't find it in my heart to believe anymore.
I'm feeling something similar. It happened right after the Denver game. After the game, I pulled all expectations off the table and basically have decided to take a wait and see approach to this season.
Only 7 pages in this thread. People are losing interest. The key to our improvement this season was going to be the improvement of Oden. But he hasn't improved. Meanwhile, scrubs around the league play better than him.
Before this season started, I thought the Blazers were going to make it to the Western Conference Finals. Wasn't that the next step for a team who so young, who won 54 games, and added a quality vet (Andre Miller). But right now, we aren't even as good as we were last year. Rudy Fernandez, so far is the only player that has improved one iota since last year. And only because he can suddenly make more than 3pt shots. I'd like to see Howard and Bayless get some time, and Outhouse, Brickster, and Blake go to the end of the bench. Seriously, what is Nate's love affair with Blake? I think that right now he's really the quality of talent that should be in D-league, being signed to 10 day contracts etc...
For those of you that keep defending Nate, I say why? Unless he adjusts his style, this team will never advance deep into the playoffs. Constantly calling plays from the sidelines that result in jumpers is stupid. Keeping the ball away from Greg is also dumb. The kid seems to make some decent decisions. Nate's constant babble about defense is getting old also. All the team seems to do is drown him out because most of them play none. Travis absolutely sucks. Martell, Blakey and others are bad as well. Eventually another coach might get through to them.
I think the thing that pisses me off the most, is after 2 years of Aaron Brooks lighting up the Blazers, that the PG and scouting team still haven't figured out if you make him go left instead of right, his field percentage goes right down the toilet. You can literally just stick on his right side so he can't go that way, and he will miss a ton of shots or not take them because he is not comfortable going left. Watch his jump shots. Every time he jumps to the right before hoisting. It's like nobody even watches film. WTF?
Just passed out after the game, but holy cow, what a huge let down. What is wrong with our coach? I blame that loss solely on him. How can we not abuse Hayes and Landry with Greg? Why are we constantly losing our man on defense (with a defensive minded coach). Why aren't we running Webster off more screens? Why does he keep Blake in, when Blake gets totally torched by Brooks every game? Why is our offense so stagnant? I mean how can we lose when Roy scores 40 and LMA 27???
It is simple. It is a matter of wanting it. I hate to say this, but if you want to see the difference between a team that wants it and Portland, go watch a Celtics game. They walk in with scowls on their faces, play physical, kick the shit out of you, and then after your down, they kick the shit out of you some more. That is the difference. Right now, one player wants this for Portland. The rest of them look like they are still in one giant playing time experiment and don't know where they fit.
