Thursday, December 10, 2009

Perfect PG

Yo yo, it’s been a while. A lot has happened since I last posted, but I don’t want to talk about all the mess right now. I need to let you know what’s on my mind grapes! I have one basic question:


Who is the best PG in the league to play next to BRoy? Do not take into account salaries, just who right now, and for the foreseeable future would be the best PG for the Blazers to have suiting up next to BRoy?

To be honest I am not quite sure? The characteristics I feel said PG needs to have is:


  1. Be able to shoot the 3
  2. Not have a problem deferring to BRoy
  3. A good defender

That’s not asking too much is it? For the record, I don’t really agree with BRoy’s refusal to learn to play with a ball dominating PG (Andre Miller), but it is what it is. You married BRoy for the next 5 years, and so now you have to build around him, not vice versa. Anyways, here are a couple of guys I think would fit in well (in no particular order):


  1. Mo Williams (After moving to the Cleveland Lebron’s he’s shot 45% from 3, and he obviously doesn’t have a problem deferring, just not sure about his D)
  2. Mike Bibby (Also a solid 3 pt shooter, good facilitator, but horrible on D and crappy contract, 2 years 16 mil left)
  3. Stephen Curry (High basketball IQ, Good 3 pt shooter, not sure yet about 2nd fiddle, limited on D, but willing to improve, young, good ball handler. But I highly doubt GS would be willing to part ways with him this early in the game unless we WAYY overpaid)
    1. Sidenote; would you trade Ander Miller & Jerryd Bayless for Scurry & Radmonavic? Seriously, we would we get temp relief at the 4 (if you want to be generous enough to call radmon-a-bitch a 4) and possibly the PG of the future in Scurry, and not have to take on anymore salary then we already have (radmonavic expires the same year as we have a team option for Dre). Honestly, I would have to sit down and think really hard about this if I am both sides….can you imagine Dre running the break in GS? Wow.

What do you guys think? Tell me who you think and why!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

B Roy

I know I might get some backlash on this one, but I am going for it anyways.

B Roy has been off to a somewhat slow start this year. Even the games where he's scored a lot he still looks a little shaky. His handles are suspect, and he seems to be settling for tough jumpshots quite often rather then get to the rim or create better space. I'm not sure if this is because he is saving himself or what? But my question is, what is he saving himself for? He and the Blazer's haven't earned anything yet! We are still in the "need to prove" stage. The Spurs? They can save themselves. The Celtics? They can save themselves. The Blazers/Roy cannot.

Some of his slow start can maybe be attributed to the fact that he stayed away from basketball activities this summer to get healthy. Ok, I understand wanting to be 100% coming into the season, but let me ask you this. Do you think Kobe Bryant would ever take the whole summer off basketball activity? Kobe Bryant, fresh off a 4 summer commitment to team USA, and a NBA finals win, not only did not take the summer off, but added what's looking to be a very deadly post up game. He trained with Hakeen Olajuwan to learn the "dream shake". You could make the case that if anyone in the NBA deserved a summer away from basketball it was Kobe Bryant, yet he took the summer to became even better then he already was, beucase he knows that's how you win Championships.

So what's B Roy's excuse?

Is he satisfied with how things are? Buying into their own hype? He still refuses to commit full time on D, even though it's the first thing he talks about. My question is, how B Roy gets a free pass? How come Aldridge gets to "save himself" for offense? What will it take for them to truly commit on the defensive end? I don't have the answer to that question, maybe just one more playoff elimination? Maybe 2 more, or 3? All I know is our main guy, who we just maxed out for the next 5 years, looks somewhat content and happy doing what he's doing right now. And that is not what max players do (unless you are Shaq). I know it sounds like I am asking alot, but so was B Roy when he asked for a max contract. It goes both ways.

Do you guys agree? Disagree? Am I crazy?

Pistons Game Recap

See yesterday's post.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Salty Blake

I hate Steve Blake.

Not real hate, just sports hate. And I do not feel like I am overacting because I am so close to the team. I don’t have the “backup QB” syndrome. I know Bayless isn’t a PG, he’s a scoring 2 guard.

After the Atlanta game the other night where he missed 3 key shots late, along with a boneheaded turnover, that was too much for me. I understand that he has hit some clutch shots for us at the end of games. But notice that the only time he hits a “clutch” shot, he is wide open? Has he ever made a clutch play or decision? He chokes when he has to make clutch decisions. He plays not to lose, rather then playing to win. Granted that’s why his turnover ratio is good, because he takes no risks. He is scared to mess up.

I felt this last year, when I saw him dribble down and chuck up an airball from 23 feet out in game 5 of the playoffs vs. Houston. He did not need to shoot that, and not only that it was a poor attempt. That in my mind cemented the fact that we will not win a championship with Steve Blake as our PG.

I’m not saying I need Chris Paul. I just need a player who can perform under pressure. Who makes people better, rather then leach off of them. A James Posey, type role player. If he is not going to make people better then I at least need him to play better D. He tries, but just doesn’t have the athleticism needed.

It’s almost as if we were so used to having crappy PG’s that messed up all the time (Telfair, Jack) that the first guy that stopped messing up all the time we jumped on and fell in love with. Now I just think that we got comfortable with Blake. It’s like when you are in a bit of slump so you just start hanging out with a girl who is meh, but it’s better then nothing. Then you get lazy and just stay with her for a long time, next thing you know you’ve been with her for 3 years, and an “in between” girl to tide you over until a better one came along turned into a serious girlfriend. My question is when will the Blazers take the desperation goggles off and see that Blake is nothing more then a solid backup AT BEST?

Monday, November 16, 2009

Troutlaw!

With the recent injury to Outlaw, there has been some muttering that the Blazers are better off without him. First off, I want to say anyone who believes that is retarded. People who tend to hate the most on Outlaw tend to be the people to watch 1 in every 5-10 games while flipping back and forth between the game and dancing with the stars. People who stand around and talk to their “expert” friend. The guy who bought season tickets this year but shows up halfway through the 1st quarter and leaves with 6 minutes left in the game to “beat traffic”.


Anyone that knows basketball can appreciate what Outlaw brings to our team. I used to be an Outlaw hater, but then I decided to stop disliking him for what he didn’t do, and appreciate for what he does do. He is a scoring spark off the bench that can create his own shot and a great option late in the game when defenses are draped all over Roy. I think people downplay his significance as a secondary scorer late in the game. That is an amazing luxury to have. Not to mention the fact that having him allows us the versatility to play small ball with Trav at the 4. Granted he doesn’t play that great of defense and doesn’t rebound, but Nate knows that, and adjusts accordingly.


All I am saying is you are never better off without a guy who can drop 14 points in the 4th quarter shooting 7-10 from the field.


How much do you think we will miss Outlaw? Check out the poll question and submit your vote!

Monday, November 9, 2009

I'm Baaaccckk!


After multiple guilt trips from people, I have decided to stop being a bum and to start up the Rip City Report again. However I think I am going to modify it from last years format, because the idea of doing game previews and game reviews is overwhelming and makes me not want to do it. So instead I am going to write about other stuff, like general observations, my persona thoughts, questions, and just basic conversation starters. There is a thousand places you can read game recaps from people that have way more time and are way better writers then me. I’ll try to link you to those. So there you have it, are you happy now?


Let’s jump into this thing with something kind of off the wall. I think we should trade Rudy Fernandez. Yes, I mean that, no typos here (although I am sure you can find 5+ in the rest of my post). For those of you that didn’t already see this today:

PORTLAND — Portland Trail Blazers guard Rudy Fernandez sounded uncertain about his role on the team during an interview before the start of Sunday’s contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Rose Garden. But before thut before the blowout, he questioned his role on a team filled with talent and depth at the guard position, using the phrase "I don’t know" four times during a two-minute pregame interview.


"Right now, I don’t know my situation in the team," said Fernandez, who dealt with back spasms during training camp and missed four preseason games. "Blake play in the 2 (guard) position. For sure (that) is one more player in that position. Right now, I’m focusing in my work and taking (care of) my back. And when I’m on the court, play hard to help my teammates."

It’s clear Rudy wants to be featured more. My question is what makes him think he deserves this? Rudy is all flash and little substance. He can shoot the 3 (not this year, he is shooting 26.9% from deep so far this year) and gamble to get steals. He wants the ball in his hands more to “make plays” but he hardly has a left hand. If he is not shooting a wide open 3 that someone sets up for him, he is taking extremely difficult shots. I mean sometimes Rudy’s shots make Outlaws look like (gulp) good shots. He cannot finish in traffic, and he rarely gets to the free throw line. Yes, he does show flashes of potential sometimes, but overall I think he is overrated. And the NBA, just like the stock market is a place where it is best to buy low and sell high. Rudy is as high as Snoop right now, so let’s capitalize on that. Because it’s what I love to do, I even put together a nice little hypothetical trade for you guys.


Portland Gets: Rudy Gay, Mike Conley, & Marko Jaric

Memphis Gets: Travis Outlaw, Steve Blake, Martell Webster, & Rudy Fernandez


Yes, it hurts giving up Martell, but Rudy Gay is a top tier athlete that can do everything. You bring in Conley for a backup to Miller and by the time Miller sets sail Conley is ready to step in. You let Bayless be your backup at the 2, like a Monta Ellis lite. The only bad part is it leaves us thin at the 3 until Batum is back, so maybe this is a trade that takes place closer to the deadline, so we don’t have to deal with Marko Jaric getting playing time ever? Memphis does it because they not only have $1 mil this year, but almost $8 mil in expiring contracts between Blake and Outlaw. Also they get cheap talent in Martell and Rudy while unloading Marko Jaric’s disgusting contract.


Thoughts?

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Best Draft Class Ever?

Many have debated the "best draft class ever" and the two most popular arguments are the 1984 draft class (Mihcael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Alvin Robertson), or the 2003 draft class (Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Carmello Anthony, Chris Bosh). Both of these classes are no doubt STACKED. However, my esteemed colleague Kyle Inahara attempted to throw the 2008 draft class into the mix of possibly the best ever draft class. Now to Kyle's credit, it is easy to argue for the other two classes because we know how those players turned out and I am sure that there are a couple players in this draft class who will eventually exceed expectations (i.e. a Josh Howard getting taken late, not doing anything his first year and then later killing). My argument on the other hand is this. Even giving last years draft class the benefit of the doubt and saying it will have a few players kill, they will come no where close to matching either of the above two draft classes. Let me make the case for both the 1984, and 2003 draft class and we what kind of defense Kyle can mount to defend his statement.


1984 Draft Class
Top Players
Michael Jordan - Nuff Said (HOF)
Hakeem Olajuwon - One of the top centers of all time (HOF)
Charles Barkley - Round mound of rebound! Multi-All-Star (HOF)
Alvin Robertson - 3 ti
me All-Star, one of four players to record Quadruple-Double, NBA defensive player of the year
Otis Thorpe - All-Star
Kevin Willis - All-Star
John Stockton - Hall of Fame
Jerome Kersey - Showed no Mercy

Number of All-Stars: 7
Hall of Fame: 4

2003 Draft Class

LeBron James - Second Best player of all time (At least top 5 after
all said and done)
Carmello Anthony - Multi-All-Star, Current Top 5 palyer in NBA (At least top 10) (ABSOLUTELY ASSANIAN STATEMENT, Carmelo is not Even top 10 in the league, if you want me to list top 10 I will)  (I mean top 10 in the league, I should have added "currently", and I feel he is top 10)
Dwayne Wade - Multi-All-Star, Top 3 player in the league, top 50 all time, future HOF
Chris Bosh - Multi-All-Star, one of the top PF in the game today
Chris Kaman - Averaged 16 and 13 and 2 blocks in '07 (Only Played in 56 Games)  (Which is almost 70% of the season)
Kirk Hinrich - Starting PG for the bulls in a playoff run (One Year, Now WAY Overpaid)  (More than one year)
TJ Ford - Borderline All-Star talent when healthy (downside hurt multiple seasons)
David West - All Star, 20 and 10 guy
Luke Ridinour - Starting PG for a playoff team early in career
Mickael Pietrus - Solid contributor playoff team
Boris Diaw - starter for a playoff team (Stats are Juiced from Being on a Mike D'Antone Team)  (Does not change the fact he started for a playoff team)
Travis Outlaw - Solid contributor for a playoff team, near 6th man vote
Leandro Barbosa - 6th man of the year, solid contributor for playoff team (See Boris Diaw)  (does not change the fact he was a 6th man for a playoff team)
Josh Howard - All-Star
Luke Walton - Starter for playoff team (Incorrect, Bench Player)  (Correct, this is not the only year the lakers made the playoffs)
Steve Blake - Starter for playoff team
Matt Bonner - Starter for playoff team (Due to Injuries)  (don't bring your Japanese racism twoards red-heads into this, you know bonner is legit, he started even without injuries, they brought ginobli off the bench)
Mo Williams - All Star (After two guys ahead of him got hurt)  (Nobody is hurt in Cleveland yet he is still starting for the best team in the nba?  Dont hate)
Kendrick Perkins - Starter for World Championsihp team
Honorable Mention: Keith Bogans, Willie Green, Sasho Pavlovic, Zaza Pachulia, Nick Collison, Darko Milicic
*I listed several players who are average at best but just wanted to show the number of players from this draft who ended up making a significant impact on teams in the league.

Number of All-Stars: 7

Ok so I have listed my players and have decorated them with awards and such that they have won. The prosecution rests, are you prepared to mount your defense kyle?

Also please comment as to what draft class you think is the best!!! Errrveryone!!!

As we stand right now, we are comparing apples to oranges. We have had years to realize the potential of the previous stated draft classes. This years class has a tiny sample size. But the number of players that contributed this season, combined with potential still out there, makes for an interesting arguemnt for the best draft class ever. But that also depends on your definition of "best draft class ever" Does that mean, the largest amount of All-Stars? Of Hall of Famers? Of players that were in the league, and were able to contribute the longest? The draft class that provided almost every single team with a key conrtibutor?

To me, it is the draft class that has the most impact/contributing players. And I will conceed if we are going on superstar/hall of fame players, the 2003 class takes the cake. LeBron James might end up being the best player ever. Dwayne Wade might be a top 50 player by the time he hangs 'em up. Bosh is a perenial all-star, and Carmelo could be one day also. But the number of players that contributed heavily to their respective teams THIS YEAR was an unusally large amount for the draft class of 2009. I didn't want to have to do this, but Goose forced my hand.

Derek Rose - Almost certainly will join the ranks of Deron Williams and Chris Paul as the best young point guards in the League. Had the most impressive first playoff game by a rookie since Magic Johnson.

Michael Beasley - Averaged 14 and 5.5 in his rookie year in only 24 minutes a game. That puts his 40 minute averages at 23.6 and 9.2. Not too bad.  (What would outlaw average if you did that to his numbers?  Hes asked to come in and shoot)

OJ Mayo - One of the best parimeter scorers in the league already. Think about if he ever starts taking the ball to the rim?

Russell Westbrook - Averaged 15 and 5 assits, 5 boards and 1.3 steals a game. In only 32 mins a game. Not to mention already one of the best on ball PG defenders in the league. Extremely high ceiling.

Kevin Love - Almost averaged a double double (11 and 9.1) in only 25 minutes a game. That puts his 40 min averages at 17.6 & 14.8. Not to mention being 3rd in the league in offensive rebounding rate.  (he got only 25 minutes a game and played for the T'Wolves, I think that bodes well for my side!  He let craig smith take some of his minutes, ewww)

Eric Gordon - After being inserted into the starting lineup, averaged 19.6 points a game.  (Multiple injuries, one of the worse teams in the league)

DJ Agustine - Starter for a borderline playoff team, the PG solution long term for the Bobcats.  Currently listed as backup, longterm solution at PG averaging 3.5 assists?  I think he is more Bayless then longterm PG.  Also, borderline playoff team in the weak ass east)

Brook Lopez - Arguably the 3rd best prospect in this draft class. Averaged 13, 8.1, and 1.8 blocks a game after riding the pine for the first 2+ months of the season. Very high ceiling.

Bayless - Freak athleticism, just needs a chance to prove himself.

Jason Thompson - Would have made the Kings think twice about Drafting Blake Griffin #1. He is a 12 and 7.4 guy in only 28 minutes per game. If he can learn to not foul, his numbers could see a huge spike.

Brandon Rush - Solid bench guy, in the Shane Battier mold. Could one day contribute much like Battier.  (Shitty team with major injury helping his 8 points a game average with Dunleavy going out)

Anthony Randolph - Averaged 8, 6, and 1.17 block in just 18 mins a game. If he got regular minutes, it could be scary.  (Stats juiced after playing for Don Nelson and the GSW)

Mareese Speights - Solid bench contriubter with potential to be a starter in this league.  (Solid contriubor?  He averaged 16 mins a game even after the guy who plays his position went out for over half the season!)

Roy Hibbert - Started some games for Indiana, could be one of those "Best backup center" kind of guys.  (are you really throwing him in ther with the likes of Pryz?)

JaVale McGee - Showed flashes of potential but was yo-yo'd around in the lineup all year.  (yo-yo'd around for the Wiz, not saying much, Haywood and Thomas were hurt)

JJ Hickson - Rumor has it Cleveland think he could be the long term solution at the 4 for them.  (Long-Term solution who averaged 4 points per game this year?)

Courtney Lee - Starter for Eastern conference finals team. Ability to guard other teams best parimeter player.

Nicolas Batum - Marked next to "untouchable" by Blazers brass. Potential to be long term starter for a championship caliber team.

George Hill - Solid backup PG for a perenial championship team.

Darrell Arthur - Showed potential in spot minutes all year. Averaged 12 and 5 when given minutes.

Mario Chalmers - Starting PG on a playoff team

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute - Already pegged as one of the parimeter defenders in the league.

So all of these guys, plus the guys who havent even gotten any playing time yet (i.e. Bayless). Not to mention the potential for any overseas guys who arent in the League yet. Bottom line we wont know until at least 5-6 years from now, but it's fun to speculate.






Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Quick Post

Kind of a quick post today, but I wanted to get your guy's opinions, then reply to them with posts, and hopefully we can get some real talk in! The question is:

If you are Kevin Pritchard and you can only improve ONE thing this off-season, what would it be?

Examples: More fast break points, better dribble penetration from the backcourt, Oden developing, Parimeter Defense.

This can be anything you want, player transactions, focused coaching, a new type of coach.

Sound off!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Before You Hate, Read the Whole Post

This might be my most hated on post I’ve ever made. And it is in regards to an offseason acquisition, that no one in Portland is talking about. What if the Blazers signed Anderson Vareajao? Now I may be getting the cart ahead of the horse here, because he is not a free agent yet. He has a player option for next year to make $6.2 mil. I think it might be hard for him to get that this year on the open market, but whos to say its going to be any better next year, when he is going up against the likes of Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Dirk Nowitski, and a handful of other great players. For the sake of this post, let’s assume he does opt out this summer.


I know that everyone hates Varejao, and I can’t say that I don’t. But after a few years of hardcore fantasy basketball under my belt I have come to realize something. If you want to win, you have to put emotions aside and just take the flat out best player. And you know what? Sometimes that nets you a very nice player that many other teams looked over. So if you take out the emotion factor, doesn’t obtaining Varejao make sense? He is exactly what we need on this team. An energy guy off the bench, who is not only a great team defender, but one of the best one on one post defenders in the league. He rebounds, scores when the opportunity presents itself, and plays within himself. He is a great teammate, and would fit in nicely with the rest of our foreign flair on the team. If you could lock Varejao up for say 4-5 years at 5-6 mil a year, would you do it? I think it would be next to impossible to not do it. Not only do you strengthen your team by adding a high quality backup PF, but you weaken a possible championship rival in Cleveland.


So now I want to hear from you guys. Can you give me one good, unemotional reason, to not get Varejao?

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Voooteee Meee!

If any of you have been following Oregonlive.com’s “You be the GM” series, you will have already read this, and considered it. Here is what I think.

In the Rudy Fernandez “Stay or Go” portion of the article, Dwight Jaynes makes a great point. He says that he fears Rudy is going to be too good. How is that bad you ask? Well, it means that you will not be able to keep him on the bench much longer playing only 25 mins a game before he gets pissed. Not to mention the salary cap implications of keeping him long term. With Roy, Aldridge, Oden, Batum, and possibly Bayless, Outlaw, and Webster, all looking to make significant money in the future do we have money to keep Rudy? We are currently safe, because he is under his rookie contract for the next 3 seasons, so the Blazers will not have to pay him much, but after that he could be poised to make some serious money.

So I pose this question. Do you trade Rudy Fernandez before this happens? What would you need out of the deal to make it worth while? Here are my answers.

Personally, I would trade him before that crossroad point. Now this also assumes that Rudy matures into the star that I think he is going to be. Also, it assumes that Brandon Roy is able to play injury free for the foreseeable future. The dilemma that I find myself in, is anyone who is worthy of trading Rudy for is most likely in the upper tier in regards to salary. So, that doesn’t really solve the issue of going into the luxury tax. What trading Rudy would fix, would be the logjam of all-star talent at the 2 guard. While Rudy and Roy’s game aren’t that similar, they both thrive at the 2 spot. So who do you think is going to be better? Roy right? Do you think Rudy would be happy being a career backup? Cause I sure don’t. So what you do by making this trade is addressing another position by unloading one you have duplicates in.

So who would I need to make this deal work? Well, my asking price would most likely be higher then most teams would be willing to pay. But in my eyes, the Blazers are in the position of power from a negotiating stand point. We have the young, talented, charismatic star. And if we don’t trade him, then no skin off our backs, we’ll figure it out when it comes time. I personally wouldn’t give Rudy away for anyone less then an elite PG. Someone like Rondo, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Beno Udrih (ok that was a joke). Obviously the swap wont be strait up, but if we could sprinkle in a draft pick or two along with another young piece it would be tempting for someone like New Orleans who is struggling to make ends meet financially (see failed Tyson Chandler trade). I don’t think it’s time to make a deal quite yet, because Rudy is still seen as a “potential” star, but I think he will make a significant improvement next season, and elevate himself into Manu Ginobli, 6th man type status.

What do you guys think? Can you ever imagine parting ways with Rudy?

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Questions About Oden


Fox posed an interesting question yesterday on the blog asking “Who do you see as the 2 most likely players on our team to be moved this off-season outside of the obvious”. First I am going to add Channing Frye to the “obvious departure list” Sorry Fox, I know you had dreams of having a talk radio show (or podcast so you could delve into a variety of seedy topics unabated) with Chan Frye. There is no denying, he’s not happy career wise here, and the Blazers don’t have a place for him the rotation. I have to commend Chan Frye for being a constant professional through what I am sure was the most challenging time in his career.


Getting back to the original question, I think Sergio is gone. Unless we make a big splash with a free agent or a trade, I don’t see anyone else leaving. But if I had to pick one I would say Blake. I believe that if we make a significant move that will affect any of our top 7 players in the rotation, it will be to upgrade PG. Then that leaves you with the dilemma of choosing who to give backup minutes to, Blake or Bayless. What you have to realize about Blake is this year was his ceiling. This is as good/efficient as Blake will ever be. Is that good enough? How will he fair against other western PG’s like CP3, Deron Williams, Tony Parker, Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups, and even Aaron Brooks to certain extent? I think this is obvious, and even though I do like Blake and I like what he has done for this team so far, I see him as kind of a “training wheels” type of point guard. He doesn’t take risks, he doesn’t turn the ball over, and he hits open shots. Now that this team is ready to take off though we need to take off the training wheels and let them ride.


Moving forward, another topic that has been up for popular debate this week is Greg Oden. News broke that Oden is going back to Ohio State to take summer school and workout there. The argument is that people think he should stick around Portland because he has so much to work on.


Personally I think people are kind of blowing this out of proportion. Almost all NBA players go to their respective homes during the offseason. Last summer, the only players that were here the entire summer were Frye and Blake, both of whom call Portland home. Granted I would prefer Greg to be in a big city and scrimmaging against NBA level talent all summer, but him going to Ohio State isn’t going to be the end of the world.


Another counter I have to that argument is, I think we can all agree on the fact that Greg Oden is a physical specimen. What holds him back is the muscle between his ears (I don’t even know if the brain is considered a muscle, I just heard this phrase before so I thought I’d try it). If going back to OSU refreshes Oden, and gets his mind right to come back here ready for another season then more power to him. I think his physce needs more work right now then his physique.


What do you guys think? Do you care? Should he stay this summer because of how important his personal success is linked to our team success? Sound off!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Season in the Rearview

Dear Rip City Report loyalists, I apologize for the long hiatus from the blog, but believe it or not, I actually have a life outside of the Blazers (albeit not much of one). I have a lot of things I want to cover, but will not in this post. But that is a good thing now that our season has concluded. Instead of doing game previews and recaps, I can float more of my REALLY great thoughts and ideas about the Blazers out there. Today though, I thought I would put some closure on the season and reflect on the season as whole. As always please feel free to comment, regardless if you think I am a genius, or an idiot, all opinions are welcome (unless you talk crap about Przy, then you get a lifetime ban).

A few friends and I (shoutout to Mikey, Goose, and Fox) came up with our pre-season predictions on how many games we thought the Blazers were going to win, and what seed they would be in the playoffs. If I remember correctly, Mikey was the most optimistic going with 50 wins and 6th seed. I was a little more conservative and went with 46 wins and a 7th seed. Fox and Goose landed somewhere in between. So to look back on a team that absolutely SHATTERED those expectations is a pretty amazing thing. If you would have told me back in October that the Blazers would have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, I would have called you a homer, and unrealistic. But turns out you were a genius and should be working as a scout for some NBA team.

We also saw Brandon Roy move into the next tier of NBA stars. He has been mentioned on multiple occasions in the same breath as Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade in the way he can close a game. That is extremely elite company, and is a credit to Roy and his drive to continually get better.

We saw the young Blazers get a crash course on what its like in the playoffs from the ultra physical, ultra veteran Rockets. Hopefully they all store that in the minds and bring it to some poor team in game 1 in the same fashion the Rockets did to us this year.

We saw LaMarcus Aldridge have arguably the most productive and dominant stretch of his career after the all-star break. He showed us that one day soon, he could be a player that can throw a team on his back and take over a game (if he hasn’t already).

We saw that Vanilla Gorilla play in all 82 regular season games, and 6 playoff games, a goal of his. Could you ask for a better role player then Przy? Did you hear a peep, when an extremely raw Oden supplanted him in the starting lineup? Did you hear anything when they came crawling back and asked him to step up and guard the best big men in the league without getting into foul trouble? He exemplifies the word team, and is a valuable member of this organization.

But mostly we saw a young team defy expectations and come together in the process. While there will undoubtedly be some tinkering with the roster, the Blazers have a solid core to build on. Can they live up the hype next year? Well, they did it this year, and them some, right?

Let me know what you guys think, I'm going to go sulk now because I dont get to watch another Blazer game for 6 months....

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Linkage/Plagerism

Wow, I still can’t believe that we got the 4 seed. Unfortunately we got Houston who is not a great matchup for

us. But I still believe the way we are playing right now we can beat almost anybody. I do not have that many fresh takes on the playoffs right now, just still in awe, so I will leave the words up to some links from around the “inter-web”. (P.S. – “writing” this post kind of makes me feel like I am in college again, cutting and pasting stuff from people who are smarter then me.)


Oh, and I know I most likely told most of you already, but I am doing a NBA playoff bracket for $5. If you are

interested please let me know ASAP so I can get you the bracket as they are due by 9:30 AM Saturday!


First, John Hollinger gives us some love in his chat:


Sudeep (Houston, Tx): Thank you Hollinger for your great articles. Do you think Houston can beat Portland without home court?

John Hollinger: (3:02 PM ET ) Flattery will get you everywhere. I think Houston is the third-best team in the West; too bad for them they're in the same bracket as Nos. 1 and 2. Rockets match up very well against the Blazers but that's a very tough building they're going into and the Rockets' place just isn't that intimidating (sorry, just the messenger) ... so that's why I'm taking Blazers in 6.

Chris (Kenmore, WA): Hi John, any reason to think it won't be a Lakers vs Cavs final?

John Hollinger: That's certainly the way to bet, though I suppose you could make an argument for Portland-Orlando. Those are really the only four teams I can see making the Finals at this point. Maybe Denver, just because of their bracket. But it's a far cry from last year when you could make a case for 8-10 teams.

Here is a link to check out ESPN’s playoff central. Interestingly enough, 6 of the 8 ESPN experts picked the Blazers to win the series.


Mike Barrett details some stuff about the Blazers, and has a nice link to a Rip City mixtape. Pretty coo stuff.

The Blazers end the season 54-28, far exceeding most expectations, and recording the 6th-best record in franchise history. They also finished 34-7 at home, and 22-4 at home against the west. They'll also head into the playoffs on a six-game winning streak. Only one other Blazer team has done that- the 1976-77 Blazers. That playoff run worked out pretty well.

Some Blazer fans are SUPER crazy and spent the night outside to get playoff tickets. But hey, I know I would have been there if I didn’t have job.

The line snaked throughout the Rose Quarter courtyard this morning, a haphazard conga line of folding chairs, blankets, sleepy eyes and bad hair.

The Blazer faithful began showing up around 1 p.m. Wednesday for a chance at 1,000 tickets available for this weekend's first-round playoff game between the Trail Blazers and the Houston Rockets.

Just a heads up, if you are missing the Oregonion’s Jason Quick and his “Behind the Locker Room Door” series (no, creepers not like that. And yes, you know who you are) then you need to catch up. These are by far my favorite articles to read

Fernandez catches my eye because he has opened one of the room's sliding drawers, and is rummaging through a plastic container. He has the look of a kid sticking his hand in the cookie jar as mom is nearing the kitchen.

From the drawer, he pulls out a thick piece of brownie and takes a big bite, closing his eyes in ecstasy as he sits to enjoy the treat. The brownies are courtesy of the Kissell's, longtime fans who have become close to the team.

As Fernandez enjoys his brownie, Outlaw turns on some hip hop music, and Fernandez starts clapping in rhythm. Soon, Fernandez becomes more animated, raising his hands above his head and pointing his index fingers downward.

Sitting in the swivel chair, with a mouthful of brownies, bopping and pointing like a rap star in a video, Fernandez notices me watching him.

[Skip]

Fernandez was the main source of The Garden's energy Wednesday, hitting a career-high 6 three pointers to break Kerry Kittles NBA record for three-pointers in a season by a rookie by one three pointer. Fernandez finished the season with 159 threes, the third most in a single season in franchise history.

"The brownies,'' Fernandez said after the game. "The brownies are good for me to make three-points.''

Finally Dave over at Blazersedge had a game recap

The guys who busted this game open for us were Sergio Rodriguez and Rudy Fernandez. Sergio was amazing. This is what we've waited 217 games to experience. I've seen kids bump full-on into a hornets nest and not cut as hard or run as fast. They were expecting a butter knife. Sergio was a Cuisinart. He passes! He penetrates! He hits shots! Do you like your Nuggets sliced, diced, blended, or pureed? Rodriguez ended up with 12 assists in this game. Denver had to compensate for the havoc Sergio and his moving targets caused, so they decided to go with the percentages and leave the perimeter free. Enter Rudy. Fernandez took 9 shots tonight, all of them threes. He hit 6, putting himself in the record books as the rookie with the most threes hit in a season. He also stuffed the Nuggets so far down a hole that they were looking up at a white rabbit's behind.

All in all I think it is fair to say that this city has Blazer fever and the only prescription is more cowbell. And by cowbell I mean a trip to the 2nd round. It’s definitely achievable, and as Kevin Garnett shamelessly plugged for Adidas last year after Boston won the championship “ANYYYTHINNGG IS POSSSSIBLLEEE!!!!”


What do you guys think?

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Nuggets Preview


First, I wanted to point out my other post from this morning, check it out and leave a comment if you feel so inclined.

Also Bill Simmons just released his MVP breakdown for this year. Check out what he had to say about B-Roy:

Think of all the under-25 guys we watched over the past two decades get thrust into a "You're a little young for this, but you're our franchise player, so um, how 'bout you be our leader?" and flounder miserably. We are talking about DOZENS of guys, a few of whom had more talent than Roy, but only five rose to the challenge without veteran help: KG, Chris Paul, LeBron, Wade and Roy. That's the complete list. (Unless I forgot someone. Which I'm sure I did.) To Roy's credit, some believe Portland is THE playoff sleeper and it's mainly because he's turned into such a killer closer. Stay tuned.
Nice praise for our boy. But onto the game preview!

Game Preview

Tonight’s game most likely will mean the difference between home court advantage or not in the playoffs. Like many sports personalities believe, we need to take our destiney into our own hands, and get a win tonight. But that won’t be easy with Denver trying to make sure they lock up the number 2 seed. So what can we expect from the Nuggets tonight?


JR Smith has been on a tear lately. He dropped 45 points on Kings last game, going 11-18 from deep. We need to make sure and reign him in. When he is hitting shots Denver is tough to beat. Carmelo has also stepped up his scoring as of late, and as always that is a difficult matchup for anyone in the league.


The Nuggets are attempting to take fate into their own hands as well tonight. With a Houston loss or Nugget win, they lock into the 2 seed. So know that this game is just as important to them as it is to us.


I personally think the Blazers know the importance and have been playing with a swagger as of late. I feel that it will be a close game, but the Blazers will pull away late like they always do, and wind up winning by 8-10 points. Here are my keys to the game.


Keys to the Game:


  1. Crash the Offensive Boards
    1. Denver is 23rd in the NBA in defensive rebounding rate (number of rebounds they get as a % of total rebounds in the game). That means the door is open for us to get second chance opportunites.
  2. Get Their Bigs in Foul Trouble
    1. This kind of goes hand in hand with crashing the offensive boards. Just be aggressive overall. After Kenyon Martin and Nene, their backups are Chris Anderson (not too bad for a meth-head) and Renaldo Balkman. Pryzbilla, Aldridge, and Oden need to abuse these guys on the block.
  3. Our Guards Need to Board
    1. I know, a lot of talk about rebounding but it is one of our pillars. Denver takes a lot of jumpshots, that means long rebounds. Our guards need to do their part and board it up.
  4. Forget about the Houston and San Antonio Games
    1. We need to put those games out of our heads, and focus on ours. We control our own fate, so lets go out and take care of our business.

Arguably THE biggest game of the year. I have a strong feeling the Rose Garden will have a very playoff atmosphere tonight.


Gambler’s Corner


Blazers -7.5

Over/Under 198.5


I am going with the Blazers and the under. Blazers have been rolling lately and I see them riding that momentum right into the playoffs.

Felton


I'm doing this post off the cuff. No structure, just a fancy "post" if you will.

What do you guys think about the Blazers making a run at Raymond Felton this off-season? He is an unrestricted free agent, and in this market I am guessing could be had for relatively cheap. Bill Simmons raised a great point on him. His career arc so far looks just like Chauncy Billups. Check out the numbers from their first 4 years:

Billups:
YR TM GGSMINFGFG%3P3P%FTFT%STLBLKTOPFOFFDEFTOTASTPTS
97-98BOS514425.43.5-8.9.3901.3-3.7.3392.9-3.5.8171.50.02.32.30.81.42.24.311.1
TOR292631.73.6-10.2.3491.5-4.7.3162.7-3.0.9191.00.11.91.90.81.92.73.311.3
98-99DEN454133.14.2-11.0.3861.9-5.2.3623.5-3.8.9131.30.32.22.60.51.62.13.813.9
99-00DEN13523.52.6-7.8.3370.5-3.2.1712.8-3.4.8410.80.21.82.10.62.02.63.08.6















































































Felton:
YR TM GGSMINFGFG%3P3P%FTFT%STLBLKTOPFOFFDEFTOTASTPTS
05-06CHA805430.14.3-11.0.3911.2-3.4.3582.0-2.8.7251.30.12.32.31.02.43.45.611.8
06-07CHA787536.35.0-13.1.3841.3-4.0.3302.6-3.3.7971.50.12.92.30.72.83.57.014.0
07-08CHA797937.65.2-12.6.4130.7-2.5.2803.3-4.1.8001.20.22.72.30.52.53.07.414.4
08-09CHA817937.85.4-13.3.4090.7-2.5.2882.6-3.2.8051.60.42.82.30.73.13.86.814.2


They are very similar, and are built the same. As you can see Chancy was not an amazing 3-pt threat when he came into the league, but developed into one. Granted he was still better the Felton, but I am confident that if the Blazers coachs can turn Outlaw into the shooter he is, then Felton will be easy.

Check out this article from the Oregonion's Joe Freeman on the Blazer's improved 3-pt. shooting.

So would Felton be worth 8 mil a season (twice what Blake makes)? That would bump Blake to the backup, but wouldn't he just become the Przybilla of the backcourt? A guy who is good enough to start, but is a high quality backup? Don't all championship teams need a few guys like that?

Another question is what does this do for Bayless? Is he doomed to rot on the end of the bench? Does he come in and play the 2 next to Blake, move Rudy to the 3, and Travis at the 4? What about Martell? What about Batum? All interesting questions, which I would like to hear your guy's opinons on.

I personally think if you can get a guy like Raymond Felton for 8 mil a year, you do it. If Bayless is truly good enough to beat someone out, then he will do it in training camp or in practice. The NBA has a way of allowing the best players to float to the top.

Lastly, what if Felton becomes the Chancy? Wouldn't we be kicking ourselves for not locking him up for 7-8 mil a year?