http://blogs.thescore.com/tbj/2012/01/06/ep-734-the-overdose-jan-6/ These guys know basketball. And they provide far more insight than ESPN or TNT can dream of. Take a listen.
David Thorpe and Henry Abbott with a Blazer-centric podcast : http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=7432456
I have been listening to TBJ for years - they strike me as people that really watch the games and are more often right than wrong about the league.
For those of us who have neither the time nor the inclination to listen (call it lazy perhaps), would someone be willing to provide a summary of some of the salient items? Thanks. Gramps...
I'll try... • They had the doubts like everyone around the league. • They're not going anywhere. They thought middle of the pack or last seed. • Nice rotation • Crawford is fitting BRoys role • Great defenders (If they need to go long, they throw Batum, they need tough then bring thomas) • They knocked off some really good teams, and quoted Charles Barkley "Best Team in the West" • Spanked everyone that considered a contender. • Beginning of the year, they would laugh at being the Best, but now laugh if you don't think. • Question "Will they play to the level of their competition" like they did last year. • They play really fast on both sides of the ball. • Nate deserves Coach of the Year talk "RIGHT NOW" • They have come into the league with low expectations, which hasn't happened. • Everyone seem like great guys, psychologically fits perfectly. • THis team is deep
I still don't get the "deep" talk. We have a solid 8-man rotation, but beyond that it's Smith, Smith, Johnson, Johnson, and Williams. None of which are even close to reliable.
But, in that 8-man rotation, is there anyone (other than maybe Big Sexy) you'd have reservations about playing 30+ minutes? Batum, Thomas, and Crawford all could play big minutes if needed, and two of those three are threats to score 20. Performance-wise (not "we need three guys at each position"-wise), we are deep.
As BlazerCaravan said, it's all about the top 8. Nobody really depends on their 10th man to win them games. Our first three off the bench are all capable of starting on elite level teams. Before you scoff, remember Kurt Thomas started 37 games for the Bulls last season. The Bulls were 29-8 when he started. They actually had a better record with Thomas starting than without him. And, while he won't get big minutes unless there is a injury to one of our bigs, Craig Smith is a very capable 9th man. He has a career PER of 16.4 and has never been below 15.4. Having a 9th man with a PER > 15 (with a significant sample size) is a luxury most teams don't have. Granted this season's sample size is small, but right now 7 of the top 9 in the Blazer's rotation have PER > 15. I think you'd have to go back more than a decade to find a Blazer roster with that kind of depth. Besides, you don't really want your 10th, 11th and 12th men to be TOO good. If they are, they will start to bitch about PT and destroy team chemistry. BNM
Very few teams are 8 deep in this league. Denver yes, maybe OKC. Hell the Lakers don't even have a 4th option.
