This years team has no heart what so ever, Damon is playing HORRIBLE, NVE and the rest of the bench minus D-Miles are playing horrible too....... i hate to say this but Damon needs to be benched, and move D.A. to the point PG- D. Anderson SG-D. Miles SF-Abdur-Rahim PF-Randolph C-Ratliff =/ gotta try somethin, Miles can guard the 2 unlike D.A., sure i know what ur thinkin.. D.A. cant guard PG's, well **** it, he cant guard any1, but at least hes producing offensively every now and then, just funnel the PG's into Theo for easy blocks..
Join my rebuild+kicking John Nash out of the orginazation demands!: http://www.justbball.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26994 Can you believe the franchise is paying 80 million per year to these guys? its almost twice than the Bucks and Denver are paying. Mo' Cheeks don't know how to use Damon, mike dunleavy knew how to get him going. the team actually dont need alot of these guys,there are plenty of teams in the last years that would have recieved Patterson,DA,Ratliff and some of the rest for expiring contracts.
i think that they need to trade some guys like Vladimir Stepania because he just dosent get the playing time and i dont think he would do that great any way. also definetly do some thing with qyntel woods. the guy is a discrace to the blazers who are trying to clean up their act. they should trade him wave him what ever it takes. i think that things will brighten up when reef is traded. the reason he is getting so many points now is because the blazers want to boost his averages so other teams will be more interested in him. i know that that is true.
Here's a list of Portland's problems from my prospective... 1. Shareef Abdur-Rahim - Unhappy, regardless if he's quoted as "accepting" his postion in Portland. He's in a contract year, playing 30 minutes a game on a team where he feels he isn't used to full potential. Shareef's saying his goodbyes to the 14 million dollar a year season's, I'm sure he isn't the happiest camper right about now. So we've established he's unhappy, Now top that off with the fact that he's played the majority of his career on losing teams. Unhappy, used to losing, it's very easy to give up faith and the effort follows right behind it. 2. Nick Van-Exel - 20 minutes a game, same situation applies here. Nick's been making lump sums for years now ever since leaving Denver, 11 million this season, now he's receiving lack luster minutes in a contract year and would be lucky to get starting money next season. Top that off with the fact that he's still disgruntled about missing out on RING opportunities, and he's been shipped around the league as though he was stamped UPS. You can see how this guy's attitude, which was already in question, may not be the best to mesh into a team enviroment. 3. Darius Miles - You think he's sick and tired of hearing about potential? I think this guy bought his own stock coming into the NBA and thought his professional was no longer on the court but in the stock market. Needless to say he'd be broke if didn't still have his athleticism. Attitude has always been in question, losing teams, and potential has been pounded into his head like a drill. This guy probably wakes up everyday feeling as though he let everyone down and didn't become the next T-Mac or Kobe. 4. Damon Stoudemire - 15 Million a year, that's a tough hit to take, I would cry when this season comes to an end, personally. Drugs. Potential. Contract Expiring. Don't mention any of that to Damon or he might over dose. 5. Sebastian Telfair - Doesn't he already have some sort of endorsements, some shoe deal or something like that? So how do you think he feels about averaging 5 minutes a game? How do you think he feels about playing behind two point guards who are both well past their prime just because Portland is paying them SO MUCH MONEY? Unhappy to say the least. 5. Theo Ratliff - Besides a stint with the 76ers, losing teams and missing money come next season after his 10 million a year expires. 6. Travis Outlaw - Was it Outlaw or woods who had the drug problems? I remember hearing one of those rookies were already stuck in the sticky of the icky down in Portland. 7. Maurice Cheeks - Staying or Going? Who knows, he doesn't. 8. Front Office - Taking ALOT of heat, must be smokey in their for obvious reasons. 9. Portland Fans - UNHAPPY! Tired of losing, Tired of problems, Tired of Bums, and soon to give up ALL FAITH FOR THIS TEAM! 10. THE FINAL THOUGHT - What do most of these players have in common? They haven't lived up to potential. Their kissing big time contracts goodbye. Their unhappy with their roles on the team. They've played for losing teams or teams who haven't fulfilled their expectations. Leaving the majority of these players unhappy, disgruntled, and ready for a change. Players battling for minutes, for new contracts, and really unconcerned about winning at this point. Team Chemistry must be non existent. Thankfully next year Portland drops A TON of dead weight contracts and can FINALLY start over, building around Telfair and Randolph, like this town has truly wanted.
First of all, Darius at sg is an experiment that I would not want to see. Secondly, how can you make a list of the problems with our team without putting DA on it? The man is as streaky as they come. Supposed to be a three point threat, but can't even hit the open midrange J consistantly. I think that the summary is that we have overpaid players who are not attempting to earn their check. Sebastian Telfair is not a problem he's not having a significant enough impact on the court for us to be worrying about him being sad on the bench. He's a rookie and he'll have to deal with it. Portland fans are certainly not a problem. Those fans who lose faith weren't real fans to begin with. Travis Outlaw is not a problem, you confused him with Woods. On trial for drugs, dog fights.....once tried to use a basketball card in place of a driver's license. We should cut him or arrange a buyout, I'm serious.
To add on to my previous post, I just heard Jim Rome speaking on his ESPN Program and he was slamming The Blazers for trying out Jason Williams, fresh off his murder trial. He was commenting on how he shouldn't be placed back on a basketball court, or glorified in any form, after his actions. How kids shouldn't look up to someone in his postion, and how The Blazers, who are trying to clean up their image, took YET ANOTHER step back by working him out. Than he even went as far as to ask if Portland's next move was going to be "Having Scott Peterson run the POINT." Help The TrailBlazers...
finally the Blazers are playing solid, that NVE Ruben D-Miles Z-Bo Reef lineup sure is great, very good on defense too
