A lot of good play last night. I just turned on NBA game time and watched whatever came up. Man Outlaw made some stinky plays at the end of the NJ game last night. NJ was down by a couple and he had Anthony Morrow and Jordan Farmar open for 3's (wide open) and he ended up with a dribble baseline under pressure 17 footer followed by a throw up whatever shit you can after he got the rebound. You could tell his team mates were disgusted. I am so glad that dude is no longer here. Travis Outlaw. The only guy who can turn an easy shot into a 17 foot jab step turn around jumper.
Monte Ellis is fucking cold! He just brings it! Too bad GS always plays him 55 minutes a game in November every year and he breaks down.
I think this is the best team GS has had since SJax and B-Diddy played for them. Dorell Wright is killing.
Yup. That Miami team was a very bad development for us as Trail Blazers fans. If Portland does reach elite status, it looked good in terms of the Lakers and Celtics being in the latter stages of their elite status and Orlando not being an overwhelming team. The Heat, however, are both overwhelming and will be around for many years. Their three main players are all young-prime. They'll be an obstacle probably for Portland's entire championship window, if it opens.
I'm telling you, the last time there was this much talent assembled with this much to prove (including a truly pissed off guy who happened to be the best player of his generation), it resulted in 72 wins. I think LeBron wants this to succeed maybe more than anything he's ever wanted in his life. Just to shut everyone up. Just like Jordan after the baseball fiasco. I would definitely not bet against the Heat this year.
That said, that kind of desire can unify a team for only so long, particularly when you are talking about three superstars used to being "The Man." After proving their point, I think in a year or two it's going to fall apart under the weight of egos, much like Kobe/Shaq. Yeah, I know it's different (less age difference, they actually wanted to play together at the start) but the core truth is the same--very few superstars can choose giving up being "the Man" as a long-term career path, year after year.
I think Chris Bosh can. He seems like a more passive star, a player willing to do his thing, without getting the fame, as long as he's paid. I think the main test will be James and Wade. If they can co-exist with both racking up big numbers and being seen as co-stars, rather than one deferring to the other, it'll last a long time. If it starts to be seen as the "LeBron James Show" (or, even more destructive, the Dwyane Wade Show, since I think that would rankle at James even more than the reverse would bother Wade) then it may fall apart in a few years.
Yeah, I guess so. But even Bosh--the guy is averaging 13 pts/6 rebs right now. I don't think it'll always be that low, but if they pride themselves on their defense I don't see how he's ever going to get back to even 18-19 ppg on this team. And this is a guy who put up 24 ppg last year at the very prime of his career. He's a thoroughbred being used as a workhorse. Is he going to be happy averaging 15 ppg/8 rebs a year or two from now after the intensity and luster of this season starts to wear off? Anyway, whenever it eventually blows up the Heat will go from "incredibly dominant" to just "60+ wins", because whomever they eventually trade Bosh or Wade for (they won't trade James if they are smart) is going to be pretty damned good too. For the Heat it's either "upside" or "insane upside."
The only thing that can stop this team from contending year in, year out - is health, and we have seen, at least with Wade, that this can happen for some periods of time. The Heat are here to stay - but I still do not think it changes much as far as Portland's hopes are - Portland's success was determined on Oden becoming a beast of a big man, luckily for us - this is not a Wade/Howard... or LeBron/Howard combo. If Oden becomes the beast that his talents provide - this team will contend consistently, if not, this is a good playoffs team - but not likely to contend.
