http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/po...reak-and-blazer-focused?ex_cid=espnapi_public I do love Olshey's quote. Forgot he said this! I love his closing paragraph:
I did not like his first article (Daniel Nowell) with the "searching for identity"/Portlandia diatribe. This was a really good read though. I still think he's missing a bit on how significant, or what exactly, is the reason the Blazers have been so successful this early. It is the chemistry and I wrote my own diatribe about it lost in other thread, but basically, this team has the right kind of character/chemistry that leads this team to achieve things that another team could not do with the same talent and lesser character/chemistry.
Ever since I was a kid growing up in Portland (so long ago....) the best blazer teams have always been a lesson in chemistry. The 77 Blazers, the Ninties Blazers, and the opposite of this was always the opposite of this. The area attracts certain types of players that aren't stars but are good journeyman. I am not ready to judge Olshey yet, but he has been attracting and signing these types of players. And the team has that type of aura of good chemistry about it now.
+1. The chemistry is huge and if there is one player it affects as much as any, it is LaMarcus. He can at times be very sensitive but loyalty is monstrous with him and he seems to be reveling in the chemistry and that his teammates have his back. Lopez has come in and taken on the other teams 'bigs' so LA can do what he is good at and it seems to give him some peace of mind and more confidence. Now the toughness doesn't just come from the heart of Wesley or the attitude Dame but is starting to take over as a team attitude. ...and don't be surprised at how much credit is given to Vanderpool as the season goes by. He has a way with communication with the players and I'm glad he is on the staff.
Chemistry is such a huge strength. In 2002, we had one of the strongest teams, talent wise and failed. Stemmed a Whitsitt quote: "I'm not a chemistry major"
It's hard to describe to someone that may not have the same perception or experiences, but one example was what Michael Holton said the other night. That this season, the players talk in the locker room, and when a player is talking, everyone else is listening. Last season, he said, "you could hear a pin drop." Not the they were listening last season, but that no on was talking even - perhaps resolved to some degree to there fate of being severely under-manned. And it has been said by several people in the team and close to the team, that it is "contagious." Adversity reveals character, and they've had their fair share over the past few seasons. Now they have enough talent for that character to get the recognition it deserves.
