Dwight Jaynes: "Bring back retaliation"

Thought? I wish someone would pop Jaynes everytime he got out of line.

 

Trash-talk is the gateway drug to drive-by shootings.

It serves as witty discourse for frustrated mental midgets.

"Popping" someone is criminal assault, and a poor substitute for talent, skill, and effort.

 

Tell Joel and Jeff that they aren't actually cheap-shotting when they get their near-invisible pops in. At home, on the road, as long as the refs aren't looking, you can get away with a little bit of crazy out there. Remember Camby popping Joel's broken wrist? Or Andre Miller tossing an opponent's point guard around while the big oaks were fighting over a rebound (that was just a couple weeks ago). Pendergraph has popped a few guys in front of the cameras, and gotten a few vets angry. I'd submit to Dwight that it actually is happening, and the reason we haven't seen it is because we haven't had many tough guys on the team in a few years.

 

While I will give you the fact that we haven't had tough guys in a while, I think this team still has a long ways to go on toughness. Juwan Howard is trying to show the guys. He has taken several really hard fouls on guys that were going to score over the period of time where he took over for Joel at center. Twice now he has got called for flagrant fouls, even though he fouled within the paramater of the rules for a "clean" foul. That is why Juwan is valuable.

One of the biggest areas I want the Blazers to improve on is when to take a foul. So many times teams are on a fast break, and we are not in foul trouble and could stop them with a foul, and the players aren't even aware of the situation. I don't know if they are caught up in the game, or they think that is a crappy way to play, but the bottom line is, good players know what the foul situation is, and take one to stop the other team from getting a guaranteed bucket.

 

Allowing real retaliation would get rid of the Bowen/Laimbeer dirty plays. Those two defined the dirty play then running to the ref. If Bruce sticks a foot under you as you're landing, you stick an elbow in his nose. If Laimbeer hip checks you when you're in the air, you punch him in the face. Problem solved.

The fact of the matter is, when every hoops team had a designated goon, the play was a lot cleaner. Why? Because if you got out of line, you got beaten down. Now, everyone plays lawyer-ball.

 

I also felt the games were more intense back then. Games had an edge, and the players played with a lot more fire than they do now. Hell I hate the no celebration rule. It makes the game fucking boring.

 

Agreed. Is there anything dumber than the tech for pull up on a dunk? It's entertainment for Chissakes.

 

Agreed.

The elimination of "enforcers" marked the transition from high-scoring, free-flowing basketball, to the era of ugly ball. To put it bluntly, we now have the worst of both worlds - crappy, inconsistent, and possibly dishonest refs, with no way for the players to police themselves.

 

DJ is upset that the Blazers aren't giving him much to be upset about. It's tough times trying to sell the outraged guy up on a soap box act when players are either sympathetic figures due to injury or stepping up to fill the void of those who are sidelined. All the hustling and team play... poor poor grumpy

STOMP

 

Sergio is the only Blazer I can think of since Sabas and Pippen who understood this.

All he got in return here was scorn.

 

Different times. Different type of humans playing the game.

With players packing heat in their lockers and driving getaway cars for murderers I think the NBA is doing their best to postpone the inevitable on-court shootout.

 

Sergio was good at taking the fastbreak foul, for sure... usually because it was his pocket that had just been picked. The scorn wasn't because of the foul, it was because of the 25% turnover rate.