Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Blazer Links From Around the Web

I am sure just like me, you guys are still enjoying that win last night. Well coincidently there was a big article on Aldridge released today from the new ESPN Magazine. The article touches on Aldridge’s mentality rather then strictly on basketball. If you have some free time I highly recommend reading it.


Jason Quick from the Oregonian also wrote an article on Aldridge after the game. It is also an interesting piece and is fairly short.


Here is an interesting little piece on what happened at the end of the half of the Boston game last night.


David Thorpe released his weekly rookie update. He has Rudy ranked 5th and Oden 6th. He did not update his thoughts on Rudy but had this to say about big men and Oden in particular:

Watch an NBA game, and you'll often hear the words "rookie mistake." Miss a layup? Rookie mistake. Illegal screen? Rookie mistake. Weak foul leading to the "and 1"? You guessed it, another rookie mistake.

But, in most cases, that's rubbish. Basketball is a game full of mistakes, and you probably can find at least one made on every possession by either team or both, by rookies and veterans alike.

Yes, there is a learning curve to the NBA game. But real rookie mistakes are not knowing the talent of your opposition, not being able to guess what play is coming or what move is coming by the guy he's protecting, and not having a feel for what the opponent might do when he's guarding you.

Only experience and a desire to spend extra time studying game films and statistics will help rookies learn this nuanced part of the game. But to think these guys make certain mistakes just because they are rookies is simply not true. Most of these guys have already played hundreds of important games in their basketball careers. They've even played many games against the same guys they are seeing now, whether in college or AAU tournaments. The game has been mostly the same for them every time.

I'm especially irritated by the way rookie bigs are treated. They are held under more scrutiny, as if they aren't allowed to make mistakes. And if they do, it's because they are playing their first season in the NBA. Please. If you look at the rookie bigs, you will find no fewer than 13 guys who have a better-than-solid chance at being good NBA players. Some of them already are outperforming a good number of veteran bigs.

So, let's check on the good and bad from our rookies this week, with a special eye on some big men turning heads with their play.”

On Oden “Early in the first quarter against Toronto on Saturday, Oden backed in Jermaine O'Neal and attempted a right-handed hook. (His hook tends to come off a right arm that isn't fully extended.) O'Neal snuffed it out with ease, but Oden stayed with the play, grabbed the ball back and viciously dunked it with two hands over JO. The fans loved it. But that wasn't my favorite Oden play of the night. This was: In the third quarter, Oden ran down the floor as the trail post and initially set an influence screen at the top to free up Steve Blake. Then he released to the weak side as LaMarcus Aldridge had the ball in the midpost. Oden set a flare screen for Brandon Roy in the corner, but LA passed the ball back to Blake at the top. With 10 seconds on the shot clock, Oden realized that Blake was not likely to break his guy down and create a shot, so he raced up to set a ball screen. Then he rolled to the rim, put his hand up and caught a pass from Blake that he flushed. What I loved about that play was his hustle to set the screen, realizing that every second counts.”

Lastly, check out Blazers play by play guy, Mike Barrett’s Blog on the game...

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Anythinggg Issss Possssiblllle

Wow what a win.....Good night for Oregon sports huh?

It was a rough start for the Blazers offensively as it became apparent that the Blazers needed to find that offensive effort to make up for the huge void left by Brandon Roy’s absence. It did not help that the Blazers were going up against one of the stingiest defenses in the league. However, after the rocky first quarter where the Blazers only scored 13 points, they rebounded nicely in the second quarter as Oden (who had his best showing of the year) Outlaw, and Blake stepped up and began carrying the team offensively. Oden was aggressive on both ends of the floor and did an excellent job of getting position down low and even showed his ability to hit a face up jumper. He matched the Celtic’s aggressiveness with his own, and truly set the tone for the entire Blazers team, and although his stat line only read 13 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals, his presence was an even bigger factor in the outcome of this game.

The Blazers entered the half down by one and both teams came out sluggish to start the third, however the big difference was the 17-2 run the Blazers had at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth. The Blazers managed to keep the lead throughout most of the fourth quarter stopping all the Celtics attempts at runs to get back into the game. What came up huge for the Blazers throughout the entire game was the great defensive play on both Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo. Originally it would seem like Rajon Rondo would have a hay day against the Blazers PG’s but they did a great job of making Rondo a non factor. Various Blazer defenders helped hold Ray Allen to only 12 points on 2-11 shooting from the field. All of the keys to the game were met effectively most notably the Blazers stepping up and meeting the physical and intimidation of the Celtics. Hopefully we can look back on this as a turning point for this team, where they stopped being scared of the elite teams and started playing like one. Also they out rebounded the Celtics 44-29 (13-5 offensively).

Individual Performances

Steve Blake: Blake continues to impress with his stellar shooting and heady playmaking. Blake scored a team high 21 points on 8-12 from the field (5-7 from 3). He again hit the big shots when we needed it.

Greg Oden: In our personal opinions, Oden had the best game of his professional career. He set the tone physically early and often. He did not allow Garnett and company to bully him and push him around. He showed a variety of moves we have yet to see from him. But more importantly Greg played with a confidence and swagger that we have yet to see from the big man. If he can play like that every night he will be a very special player.

LaMarcus Aldridge: LA had a good game, and managed to post 20 points, 10 of which came in the 4th. He absolutely abused Kendrick Perkins, and had a few buckets on Garnett as well. It was good to see LA succeed even when his outside jumper wasn’t falling.

Travis Outlaw: Outlaw played a great game as well. He scored in a variety of ways, not just mid-range jumpshots. He took the ball to the hole aggressively and even had a dunk on Garnett late in the shot clock. He came up big for us offensively with BRoy out.

Rudy Fernandez: It was interesting to see Rudy struggle as much as he did. Stepping into a starting role I expected Rudy to carry more of a load then he did. However he did have a key And 1 to go along with a clutch steal late in the game. I still would have liked to see more from Rudy on a night where Roy was sidelined.

Everyone Else: The whole team stepped up tonight, and the only player to entered the game to not score was Batum. We played together offensively and defensively. It was a great game to watch.


Game Summary In One Sentence: Best win of the season, combined with Oden’s best game as a Blazer, came without Roy.

Celtics Preview

**Breaking News**


Brandon Roy is not going to play tonight due to a pulled hamstring


There are not many teams in the NBA that I would be ok with the Blazers losing to. But Boston happens to be one of those teams. Now by lose, I don’t mean the massacre that occurred in Boston, but a closely contested game in which the Blazers had a legitimate chance of winning. That is all I am looking for tonight vs. the Celts. I want to see the Blazers stand up and not get punked by Garnett and Co.


There are a few factors that are working in our favor (depending on how big of an optimist you are). First, the Celtics showed they are not bullet proof by dropping back to back games against the Lakers and the Warriors. However, they came back on Saturday to wipe the floor with Sacramento, but hey we have wiped the floor with them too! Also, this is the last game in a 4 game west coast road trip for the Celtics, so maybe we will catch them dreaming of heading back to Boston and their own houses and snatch a win tonight.


On the injury front Brandon Roy and Greg Oden have been checked out and should be ready to go tonight. Oden tweaked an ankle, but the X-rays came back negative. Roy had a slight pull in hamstring on Saturday, but still should be a go for tonight. Kendrick Perkins is listed as day to day with a shoulder injury, but all indications are that he will play tonight. With no team holding a sizeable advantage in the injury department, let’s see what I think the Blazers will have to do to get a win.


Keys to the Game

  1. Everyone Must Contribute Offensively.
    1. The Celtics are arguably the best defensive team in the NBA. They are apat at shutting down the other teams best player(s). So tonight we must have a balanced attack on offense, not just sit back and watch Brandon try to do it all on his own, because it won’t happen.
  2. We Must Rebound (Especially Defensively)
    1. The Celtics are too stingy on D, to allow them extra possessions on offense. We must get a body on guys rather then relying on our athleticism to secure rebounds.
  3. We Must Dictate the Pace and Tone of the Game.
    1. This is where KG shines. With his smack talk and aggressive play, he sets the tone for the Celtics to intimidate and “overpower” their opponents. We must not let this happen. Stand up and hit them first and get them on their heels rather then vice versa.
  4. Stop Rondo’s Dribble Penetration
    1. Rondo is adept at getting into the lane and creating for others. With shooters like Allen, Pierce, and Eddie House on the parameter we must keep Rondo out of the key.
  5. Play With Pride
    1. We must not let the Celtics humble us to the point that we cannot perform. I think once we figure out that they are just as beatable as anyone else the in league, we will be able to compete with them on a regular basis (just the Atlanta Hawks have managed to do).


Gambler’s Corner

The spread for this game is Boston by 5 and O/U of 184.5. I am going to go with Boston, because although it would be great to see us win or even keep it close, I just don’t see it happening with our inconsistent play lately. Not to mention the fact that we have been relying so heavily on Roy. If Roy is shutdown, our guys panic rather then thrive. Also I am going to take the under, because I think it is going to be a slow paced game.



Goose has no original thoughts, so he is also taking the Celtics and the Under.


So Far…


Kyle vs. Spread 2-2

Goose vs. Spread 2-2


Kyle vs. O/U 1-3

Goose vs. O/U 3-1


Yost won the score prediction again as he guessed 108-97 Blazers, with the actual being 102-94 Dallas. Yost now has 2 wins, and no one else has any….Step your game up!

Monday, December 29, 2008

Blazer Links

Hey guys, I am just getting back into a routine, and I am hoping that means getting back to my regular postings. For today, I am going to provide some links for you guys to check out. Hope you enjoy!

From John Hollinger's Daily Insider Gems

"One casualty of Cleveland's recent "slump" has been that the Cavs surrendered the No. 1 spot in offensive efficiency to Portland. Yes, Portland. The Blazers offer an interesting case study because they get very little post scoring and shoot a ton of jumpers -- an approach that traditionalists instinctively frown upon.

In the 1990s, this was indeed a bad idea. But in this decade, you can score big by spacing the floor with shooters and putting good decision-makers in the middle, and that's exactly what the Blazers have done under Nate McMillan.

The other interesting note is that the Blazers are playing the league's slowest pace, which has made some folks really, really slow to catch on to just how good Portland's offense is -- the Blazers are only 14th in points per game, a category that the league still insists on using to rank teams in the official stats."

And another from Hollinger

"The Oregonian's John Canzano, who ranks right behind Henry Abbott on my list of favorite bald writers from Portland, pointed out in Monday's column that Joel Przybilla is still outplaying Greg Oden, and we've got almost half a season under our belts, so maybe Portland ought to think about starting Przybilla and having Oden play with the subs.

The column reads like a knock on Oden, but the real story here is Przybilla, who has just been way, way, WAY better than anyone had any right to expect. The dude is shooting 75.5 percent and leading the league in rebound rate at 22.0. In addition he has been a force on defense with his shot-blocking, partly making up for the Blazers' softness on D at the other positions (they're 21st in defensive efficiency).

Oden's numbers are actually decent -- a 16.36 PER, a strong rebound rate, 53.5 percent shooting -- and in a vacuum he'd be worthy of a starting spot. Once he figures out that he can't allow 300-pound centers to post him up three inches from the rim because he can't count on being able to block the shot like he did in college and high school, he should be as much of a factor on D as Przybilla is, too.

But for now, Canzano is dead-on: Przybilla has been fantastic, and his reward should be a starting gig 'til further notice."

Mike Barrett's breakdown of Saturday's win over the Reports can be found Here.

Here is a great article on Channing Frye from Willamette Weekly.

And lastly, an interesting article on Rudy being in the dunk contest.


Feel free to post your opinons on these articles, so we can discuss what you guys think!


-Kyle

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Rudy in the Dunk Contest?

First off lets talk about the Dunk Contest in general this year. The cast is strong with defending champ Dwight Howard, and repeat contestants in Nate Robinson and Rudy Gay. For the fourth member of the Dunk Contest the NBA is trying something new this year and allowing the

fans choose to the fourth dunker. However they have picked the three candidates to select from, which brings me to why I am writing this piece. The candidates are Russell Westbrook (OKC Thunder), Joe Alexander (MIL Bucks), and our very own Rudy Fernandez (POR T’Blazers)!

So let me take this opportunity to tell you to go to nba.com and vote for Rudy so we can see him in the dunk competition! (Click Here To Vote For Rudy!).

Now I would love to see Rudy in the dunk contest, however lets talk about some other Blazers who could have gotten the nod. First off, B-Roy. Although Roy rarely dunks unless he really needs to, don’t let that fool you, he can flat out get up. He would be my number one choice to see in the dunk contest, although a close number two would be Jerryd Bayless. Bayless is only 6-3 and for those of you who attended the inner-squad scrimmage at the beginning of the year, well, you know what he can do. For those of you who did not, will have to take it from me that he can dunk with the best of them. Durring warm ups B-Roy and Bayless treated the fans to 360’s, windmills, and some nice lobs off the back board. Now I don’t want to sound like I am too down on Rudy, cause I know he is freakishly athletic and I am still definitely going to vote for him, I just wanted to throw out some other players that would be fun to watch.

And to end things here is a look at what rudy can do:

Rudy mix tape intenartional ball

Rudy dunking on D-Howard

Here is a look at the competition:

Rudy Gay's top 10 dunks

D-Howard's top 10 dunks

Nate Robinson's top 10 dunks

-goose out


Dallas Preview

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is having a great day with their families! But, it’s time to take a break and catch up on some Blazer news. First off I want to say sorry to everyone, I have been extremely lazy lately, and as I am sure you have noticed, I have not posted I the last couple of days. But I am back baby! First off let’s touch on some links, and general Blazer news. 

David Thrope is a writer for ESPN and issues a weekly rookie report and rankings. He has Rudy Fernandez rated #3 and Greg Oden at #6. Here is what he had to say about both of them:

On Rudy: “When Fernandez sets his feet and holds his follow through, he's a top-notch 3-point shooter. When he doesn't do those things, he's not. Electing to shoot step-back 3s off the dribble is not smart. If he's dribbling, I'd rather see him attacking the rim or pulling up for a midrange jumper.

On Oden: “Two season ago, I watched Nene give Tim Duncan fits in the Spurs' half court offense because the Nuggets' center is long and strong. So seeing Greg Oden getting open and maneuvering with ease for some post buckets over Nene on Monday night was a special sign. Oden is still lost on defense sometimes and he is a long way from being totally comfortable on the court (he air-balled a simple, 7-foot jump hook in Denver), but his low-post offensive game is showing signs of resurfacing. He has hit 22 of his past 33 shots (66.7 percent).

I like both of these thoughts, especially on Rudy. It is always nice to hear a neutral opinion of someone who analyzes rooki
es and talent for a living. I think Rudy is still trying to figure out what his role on this team is. At the beginning of the year Rudy was looked at as more of a 3-pt. specialist. I feel that Rudy is much more then that, and we have seen flashes of that. As he gets more and more comfortable, he will start to expand his game into other areas. 

Oden continues his inconsistency, especially with the foul trouble. His learning curve seems to be a little slower then expected. I still think that it will take until at least February for us to figure out what exactly we have with Oden.

Game Preview

After a rocky start, Dallas has come back to achieve a respectable
 16-11 going into the New Year. They have won 7 of their last 10. However only two of those teams were over .500 (Phoenix and Atlanta). They lost to San Antonio, Denver, and New Jersey. So do not let the last 10 games fool you, I am still skeptical that Dallas is for real. I definitely think Denver is a better team then Dallas, so if we can replicate our win the other night, then I think we will be in luck. 

So what do the Blazers need to do to get a win over Dallas tomorrow? Well lets see…:


1. Score 100 points.
a. The Mavericks are a lowly 1-10 when allowing 100 points or more. This is going to be fairly difficult to do, as the Mavericks are 11th in the league in defensive efficiency. What helps is they play at 13th fastest pace in the league. We need to take advantage of that and get some easy baskets.

2. Brandon Roy Needs Help
a. It is no secret that Roy is the key to our offense, especially late in games. Teams are sending doubles at Roy continuously these days, so someone else needs to step up and keep the defense honest. Roy also needs to keep being patient and not feel like he has to shoot, just because he hasn’t in a while.

3. Crisp and Quick Ball Movement
a. Even though we won the game against Denver, we had a ton of lazy passes. What I also noticed is when Roy would pass out of a double team, the receiver of the pass would hold the ball rather then keep swinging it and making the defense pay for doubling Roy. This cannot continue, otherwise we become a very easy team to stop.

4. Win the Rebound Battle
a. Dallas is only 2-4 when facing one of the top 10 rebounding teams in the NBA. If we dominate them on the boards it will help tremendously.

5. Aldridge Needs to D up Nowitzki. 
a. Aldridge needs to make sure and at least get a hand up on Dirk, and block out. If he spends all his energy on D, that is fine as long
as he takes care of Dirk, he is the key to Dallas, and is their leading rebounder. Let’s hope LaMarcus boards up.  We need to put Dirk in his place just like LeBron did.


Even though many people have written Dallas off as a legit contender, it does not mean they are not a dangerous team. Jason Terry is having one of his best statistical years in his career, and Josh Howard is always dangerous. If we limit Dirk and suppress Terry off the bench, I think the Blazers will have a great shot at winning.

A side note, Dallas starts Eric Dampier at center, so it should be a good night for Oden (foul trouble wise), and let’s hope he takes advantage of not having to go against a top tier center. I would like to see him stay out of foul trouble and be tough on the boards. Let’s see if it happens!

Gamblers Corner

The spread for the game tomorrow is Blazers by 4.5 and O/U of 193.5. I really like the Blazers in this one. I think Vegas’ expectations have come down a little for the Blazers and are a little closer to what I think they should be. I look for the Blazers to come out with a lot of energy tomorrow night on national TV and win by 7-9 points. I am going to take the under, as I think it will be a slower paced, half court type game.

Goose is going to take the Blazers and the Over.

So Far…

Kyle vs. Spread 2-1
Goose vs. Spread 2-1

Kyle vs. O/U 1-2
Goose vs. O/U 2-1

And Yost won the score for the Phoenix game, so he is the only one on the board so far, post what you think the score is going to be tonight, and see who gets the closest! If you have the most wins at the end of the month, you can either write your own entry on the blog or pick a subject for Goose and I to discuss, good luck guys!


Thursday, December 18, 2008

Redemption against the Suns!


MVP MVP MVP! Yes the MVP chants were definitely being shouted in the Rose Garden tonight as the Blazers beat the Suns 124-119 with the help of Brandon Roy’s 52 points. This was probably one of, if not the most, exciting game of the year for the Blazers. The game started out with both teams hitting what seemed to be every shot they took. Shaq immediately attempted to establish his presence down low and was successful early on as he had numerous three point plays including a dunk on Oden with Aldridge also coming in for a missed block attempt. Blake matched the suns early hot offense as he drove the lane and dished to Oden on back to back almost identical possessions resulting in two strong Oden flushes. (Dont'cha wish your point guard was like Steve Blake!)

At the end of the first quarter the game was close but it was obvious early that the tempo was going to be that of the suns (and yes I am talking about the old Sun’s not the new “we kinda play defense and try and post a lil” suns) as the score at the end of the first was 28-31 Portland. The second quarter belonged to Phoenix as the Suns bench came out firing as Barbosa and Barnes went on a 16-3 run including three 3’s by Barnes. The half ended with the Blazers down seven.

The second half was all B-Roy. Roy looked like a seasoned vet as he strapped the team on his back and at one point hit 15 points in a row for the Blazers. Portland won the third by ten points and played the Suns evenly in the fourth as clutch buckets by Roy and Outlaw accompanied by big offensive rebounds from Oden led the Blazers to their second straight victory.

Keys to the game:
Throughout the beginning of the game the first key of the game (stopping Shaq) was not going our way as O’Neal finished with 17 first half points. However, O’Neal was stifled in the second half, managing only 2 points. Advantage Portland.
Secondly, dictate pace of the game and do not trade baskets. Okay, this was obviously Phoenix’s tempo, but we got lucky that Roy played out of his mind to keep up with the Sun’s putting up 119. Advantage Portland. Lastly, win the rebound battle. The Blazers lost the rebounding battle by five, however, the bigger story was the Blazers leading the offensive rebounding battle by SEVEN. Seven extra possessions were a huge asset, especially late in the game as the Blazers attempted to match the suns shot for shot and got three big offensive boards in the fourth to help us keep pace with Phoenix.

Individual Performances
BRANDON ROY: Is a MVP for Brandon Roy really that ludicrous? When you look at his last five games he is averaging over 36 PPG, 5 assists and 5 boards with about a steal and a block per game. Granted he is on a ridiculous hot streak, nonetheless, if he can keep up this play (or at least somewhat similar play) and the Blazers stay hot, he at least has to be thrown in the consideration. Back to the game 52 points, 6 assists, 5 boards, nuff said.

Steve Blake: Blake played a great game putting up 22 and 10 dimes with four 3’s. He did a good job of giving the Blazer another option for scoring as well as handing a couple of dunks to Oden on a silver platter.
LaMarcus Aldridge: Lamarcus played a solid game putting up 16 and 5 (with an impressive 3 offensive). He also had a great shot selection going 8-12 from the field.

Greg Oden / Pryz: Oden was in foul trouble a lot of the night so grabbed 30 minutes while Oden only had 17, and combined they only missed two shots. Both played well although neither had out standing games.

Fruit Bat: Outlaw had a good after what seemed like a stretch of poor games. He had 14 and 6 and came up huge in the second half to take some of the scoring burden off of Roy.

Batum / Sergio / Diogu / Frernandez: This foursome combined for 7 points and all were relatively quiet, the biggest surprise being Rudy, who did not play horrible, but only saw 17 minutes and therefore saw his numbers diminished slightly.

*Diogu came off the bench to play the four instead of Frye as discussed earlier by Nate.

Game in One Sentence:
Brandon Roy had the best game of his career as he carried the Blazers past a high powered offensively minded Sun's team.

Possible topics to comment about:
1. What to do with Raefs contract (as mentioned in the previous artcile)
2. How you feel about Diogu getting Frye's minutes?
3. Is B-Roy a realistic MVP candidate?
4. Anything about the Blazers Defense...(kinda looked shaky lately)
5. Of course anything about last nights game!

-Goosen out

Suns Game Preview

Ahh, the Phoenix Suns. A team that is fighting their true identity and trying to keep in the running for a championship. They have an awkward combination of Shaq and Nash, two completely different system guys. It seems so far this season they have been doing decent, but anyone who reads NBA news knows that Nash for one is not happy with their system. Amare has complained about not being “The Man” already. The team is definitely in dissention, but they are still talented enough to beat a majority of NBA teams (including Portland twice in Phoenix). It will not be an easy game tonight by any stretch of the imagination, but it can’t hurt that the Blazers are coming off their 3rd +30 point victory of the season, which is the most by any team so far this season. I’ll keep this short and sweet, here are the keys to the game:


  1. Stop Shaq
    1. Last game, the Diesel came out to prove that he was still the Shogun of big men in the NBA against Oden. Oden played very poorly and was in foul trouble the entire game, as Shaq dropped 19 and 17 on us. If we can limit Shaq this game and hold him under wraps, it would go a long way in securing a Blazers win.
  2. WE Need to Dictate the Pace, Not Them
    1. We cannot let Phoenix dictate the pace of this game. Nash is going to try to push the pace and get some easy looks and baskets. We need to slow down the tempo of the game by taking good shots, rebounding, and getting back on D.
  3. We Cannot Trade Baskets With Them
    1. In the previous two meetings this year, the Blazers found themselves down late in the games, and tried to make a run. However, we could not stop the Suns on offense. We seemed to just be trading baskets with them, and if you begin to do that with this team, it will almost always result in a loss.
  4. Win the Rebounding Battle
    1. In both losses we have been out rebounded by Phoenix. The Blazers have come to rely heavily on their superb rebounding this season, and it becomes even more important in a game where the other team is trying to push the pace.

Let’s hope that the Blazers get their touch back from 3 tonight, because we are going to need everything we can get.


Gambler’s Corner


The line on the game is Blazers by 4.5 and O/U at 203. I believe it is going to be a very close game, and look for Portland to control the tempo better at home. I am going with Phoenix and take the points along with the under. Now this doesn’t mean I think Phoenix is going to win, but I think it’s going to be closer then 4.5 points.


Goose is going with the Phoenix and the Over.


So Far…


Kyle vs. Spread 1-1

Goose vs. Spread 1-1


Kyle vs. O/U 1-1

Goose vs. O/U 1-1


-Kyle

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Raef's Contract Part 1


Scoring Contest

As a way of continuing to make this blog even cooler (and yes I did just use the “blog” and “cool” in the same sentence).  I have decided to get you guys involved more.  From now on, I encourage you to post what you think the score will be on that day’s game on the game preview post.  I know some of you are wondering why you would waste your time, SO let me let you know what you will win.  I will tally up who is the closest/wins the most over a two week period, and that winner can either write a post for this blog, or choose a topic for Goose and I to write about.  I thought this would be kind of a cool prize, cause we both know that I am too cheap to buy anything worth receiving for the prize.  Let me know what you guys think, or if you can think of any other prizes that you would like.  I look forward to seeing your entries tomorrow!

 Raef's Contract Part 1

Ok, now onto my topic for the day.  I would like to start a multipart post about Raef LaFrentz and his expiring contracts, and how it will affect our roster in trades and free agency. 

First, let me start with the basics.  Every year in the NBA there is what’s called a salary cap.  This is the maximum an organization can pay their players without going into the dreaded “luxury tax”.  Currently the salary cap is at $58,680,000.00 and the Blazers are at $82,371,043.00, which puts us $23,691,043.00 over.  The $23.69 mil is considered the “luxury tax”.  The penalty for going over the salary cap, and into the luxury tax, is a $1 for $1 payment to the league for every $1 over the cap.  So, this season Paul Allen has to write a check to the NBA for $23.69 mil.  Now you know why so many owners are trying to get under the cap.  Good news for Paul though is that, not only does Raef’s$12.72 mil come off our salary after the season, but so does Steve Francis’ $17.18 mil.  Now some of you might ask, why is Francis’ still on our books, I thought we got rid of him?  Well we did, but in the form of a buyout.  You might have heard the term buyout floating around Stephon Marbury and the New York Knicks.  This is essentially a negotiated value (almost always less then the remainder on the players guaranteed contract), which is then spread out evenly over the remaining years of that players contract.  Stick with me now, so we bought out Francis (who had 2 years and 39 mil left on his contract) for 34.36 mil.  Since he had two years remaining on his contract, we divided the 34.36 buyout amount by 2, and that is why he is on the books this year for 17.18 mil. 

Sorry for the random tangent on Francis, but I thought it was important to explain why expiring contracts are so valuable.  This is also why it is such an issue if Darius Miles comes back onto our books, because if proven healthy we would have to pay him 9 mil not only this year, but next as well.  But back to Raef’s contract, the reason it has even more value is the insurance policy on the contract.  Because Raef had rotater cuff surgery before the season, and is likely to miss almost all of the season, the insurance will pay for 80% of his contract, leaving the team who owns the contract only paying $2.5 mil of his $12.75 mil. 

Now I know this stuff is boring and mundane for some of you, but this is the kind of stuff that makes me tick.  But for your sake I will bring it back around, and pose a question to you.  What would you like to see the Blazers do with Raef’s contract?  Just sit on it, and wait for it to expire and pick up a free agent this summer?  Make a trade, with Raef and some of our young talent?  If so,s then for who?  These are all topics that I will cover later in other parts of my discussion of Raef’s contract, but I want to see what you guys think.  Maybe I will even use and discuss some of your ideas in my future posts.  So please, have at the comment section, I want to hear your thoughts!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

King Me!


Finally! The win we have been waiting for! Is it me or has it seemed like forever since our last blowout win? It was good to see the Blazers finally play some D and also play with some energy. Brandon Roy was amazing again tonight, scoring 29 points, and silencing any critics who said he would most likely struggle with his shot (15-15 from the line). Brandon also contributed 5 assists and 4 steals. Ghostface Przybilla dominated the boards tonight with 14 in just 22 minutes. Aldridge contributed with 15 points and 10 boards. The Blazer struggled with the Kings in the first quarter, but after that the Blazer’s locked up the D, and it wasn’t close from then on.  

For my loyal followers, I am sure you noticed that the Blazers did a steallar job of executing all my keys to the game. Miller, Hawes, and Miller’s Butt Cutt were held to just 12 points and 3-12 from the field.  After what the Blazer's did to Hawes and the Kings, Hawes might be walking like that for a while (see picture to upper right).  Roy scored under 30 points, the Blazers only gave up 77 points, and we wore the Kings down in the 2nd quarter by pushing the pace. I think it is obvious to me and all 10,938 people who read this blog, that Nate McMillen now reads my Blog and implements it into his game plan. I am guessing the only reason he hasn’t stepped forward and asked me to join the staff, is because why would he pay for a service he receives for free and gets all the credit for? It’s ok Nate, I like playing the under dog role.  



Individual Performances

Brandon Roy: Roy continues his streak of amazing games. Tonight it seemed like he was able to do whatever he wanted. He did an anazming job of getting to the line and converting. He set the tone early, and did not let up. 

LaMarcus Aldridge: Aldridge played solid tonight, he scored 15 points and had 10 boards with 2 blocks. Bad news is he was only 6-20 from the field. For some reason Aldridge had difficulty being physical with Hawes and Miller, two notoriously soft big men. 

Joel Przybilla: Like I stated earlier Przy dominated the boards. He also had 7 points and 3 blocks. Przy was a big reason Miller and Hawes were held to just 12 points. He did a phenomianl job of getting a hand up and getting out on those big men, and then getting back to rebound.

Greg Oden: Greg looked good on the boards tonight, but foul trouble combined with Przy’s excellent play, held Greg to just 21 minutes. But he still managed 10 boards and 8 points. Greg had an emphatic dunk where he rose between Mikki Moore and Spencer Hawes. It was good to see him be aggressive.

Rudy Fernandez: Rudy played with what seemed like some extra energy tonight, which was good to see because so much of his game is based on energy. Rudy ended with 12 points on 5-9 shooting.

Nicholas Batum: It looks as if Batum is starting to break out of his December scoring slump. Batum had 12 points tonight on 4-9 from the field.

Game Summary in One Sentence:

The Blazers wore down the Kings with solid defense and phenomenal rebounding, for a dominant win at home.

Again, this was great to see and everything I hoped/envisioned this game would be. This is some great momentum to take into our game vs. Phoenix on Thursday, as we have already lost twice to them in Phoenix this year. Let’s protect our home court.

-Kyle

Kings Preview

Hey everyone, I apologize for the 3 day hiatus, but I couldn’t get to my computer because of the snow. Ok that’s a lie, but that hot cocoa and peppermint schnapps weren’t going to drink themselves!


It was actually quite an eventful weekend in Blazer news even though they did not play. For one, news rolled in that Brandon Roy suffered a torn ligament in his right pinky. The good news is that he is not expected to miss any games, but he will have to wear a splint on his finger for about 6 weeks. I think this is very similar to the injury that Kobe has, and obviously it hasn’t hindered his performance, so lets hope the same goes for Roy.


On the salary cap front (my favorite of all the fronts), Darius Miles signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Memphis Grizzles over the weekend. As I am sure most of you know, if Darius Miles plays in 10 games between now and the end of next season his 9 mil per year goes back on the Blazers payroll, giving us significantly less money to throw at a free agent this offseason. The good news is it is an non-guaranteed contract, and with a 10 game suspension hanging over Darius Miles head, it means he will only be available to play in 2 games prior to January 7th. What’s the big deal about January 7th you ask? Well, after that date all contracts signed must be guaranteed, so we will know by January 7th if we have to worry about Darius Miles and his latest stint. But back to the current team.


This 3 day break must seem heaven sent for the Blazers. I am sure they were very excited to not only get the physical break, but the mental break as well. After a light shoot around on Saturday morning, Nate gave the guys a well deserved Sunday off. Apparently everyone made it into practice yesterday, and it was a good one. Nate ramped up the intensity and the team had a renewed energy amongst them. Let’s hope that translates to a Blazers win on Tuesday and the start of yet another remarkable run. Here’s one (really smart) man’s opinion on what they need to do tonight to pick up a win versus the Sacramento Kings.


Game Preview


Tonight is one of those trap games. What I mean by that is, it will be very easy to look past it to the Phoenix game on Thursday (just like we looked past the Clippers and towards the 3 day break). Also, the Blazers have already defeated the Kings twice this season, which could potentially lull them to sleep. As a relentlessly optimistic Blazer fan, I would like to think that our boys took the days off and recharged themselves physically, and more important mentally. Hopefully they come out energized and ready to protect their home court after two narrow losses in a row.


If you have not heard yet, the Kings canned head coach Reggie Theus over the weekend. I mean, obviously he deserved it, he was only 7-18 (not to mention a win over the Lakers) without his #1 player (Kevin Martin) for all but 5 games, key back up Francisco Garcia, and starting center Brad Miller for the first 5 games. A starting 5 of Beno Udrih, John Salmons, Mikki Moore, Brad Miller, and Quincy Douby, should be expected to win at least 20 games by now right? This anarchy of an organization makes confusing move after confusing move (just signed Beno Udrih to a 5-Year 33.25 mil contract). Tonight will be the Kings second game without head coach Reggie Theus. Last night they beat the Timberwolves at home. Also, it is the Kings 4th game in 5 days, so the Blazers should catch them with tired legs tonight. Kevin Martin is still out, so I like the Blazers chances tonight. Here is what I think are the keys to the game for the Blazers (besides trying to stop Brad Miller's butt cutt):




  1. Wear the Kings down
    1. The Kings are playing their 4th game in 5 days, our second unit needs to push the pace and run them into the ground.
  2. Limit Their Bigs Open Jump shots
    1. Last time we played the Kings, our bigs had trouble getting out and getting a hand up against Hawes and Miller, who can both shoot 3’s. It will undoubtedly be Sacramento’s game plan to have their bigs step out and get Oden and Przy out of the key.
  3. Roy Needs to Score Under 30.
    1. Before you guys call for my head, let me explain. The last three games Roy has scored over 30 and we have lost all three. It’s not that I don’t want Brandon Roy to score 30, but if he scores 30 it probably means everyone else is not contributing that much. And our balance is what helped us win as many games as we have so far, so lets revert back to what worked.
  4. Tighten Up Our Defense
    1. Our last 3 games we have given up a plethora of easy buckets. It is time to start playing that stingy defense we all got accustomed to during the first 22 games of the season.

Bottom line, is we need a win to get back on track.


Gambler’s Corner


The Blazers have come in as a 12.5 point favorite with an Over/Under of 200. Even though it is a large spread, I like the Blazers this game. The reason being is their 3 days off combined with the fact that they have lost back to back games on their home court. I think they will come out with a chip on their collective shoulders tonight and blow out the Kings. I will also take the Over, being as Sacramento has the 2nd worst defensive efficiency in the league.


Goose is taking Portland and Under.


**Bonus Player Props tonight, is LaMarcus Aldridge under 25 Points & Rebounds. I am going to take the under on this, because like I said before the Blazers need to get back to "spreading the wealth". That works on two fronts because it makes Kyle look smart when he says L.A. will be under, plus some of that wealth is given to me. Boom. Also, if it's a blowout like I hope it will be, L.A. won't have to play that much.


So Far…

Kyle vs. Spread 0-1

Goose vs. Spread 0-1


Kyle vs. O/U 1-0

Goose vs. O/U 0-1