Thunder Preview

Tonight’s game versus the Thunder is what I call a trap game. It is easy to get lulled to sleep by OKC’s crappy record and stats, but trust me they can bring it. They beat San Antonio in San Antonio earlier this week. With a young core of Durant, Westbrook, and Green, the are poised to get into the playoff mix next year.

There is a lot going for the Blazers in this game as well though. If we win tonight, and Phoenix loses to Sacramento, the Blazers will clinch a playoff birth for the first time in 5 years. If that isn’t motivation, I don’t know what is. But also the Blazers are playing to avenge the ass whoopin’ the Thunder put on us a few months ago. Hopefully that’s all the motivation this team needs.

Keys to the Game

1. Jump Out Early

We need to get out early and never look back. A lot of teams, not to mention young teams like the Thunder, will roll over and die if you pound them down in the first half. We need to get out and set the tone early that its going to be a long night for the young Thunder.

2. Take Care of the Ball

OKC leads the league in turnovers. Just because they turn the ball over a lot does not make it OK for us to get a little crazy and turn the ball over as well. We need to capitalize on their mistakes.

3. Score 100 points.

This is going to be a faster paced game. OKC likes to push the tempo and will turn the ball over. The Blazers are 24-3 when they score over 100 points, so if they do tonight, I like their chances of winning.

Gambler’s Corner

Blazers -5
Over/Under 191

I am going to take the Blazers and the Under. I think we will score over 100, but I don’t think the Thunder will.

Comments and Links

Hey guys, sorry for the hiatus. I usually write my blog on my lunch hour, but unfortunately I have been having to work thru my lunches. So I will try to blog as much as possible, especially during the dog days of the regular season!

First of all I want to give a shoutout to Matt, who left one of the, if not the best, comments ever on this blog. For those of you that missed it, check out the “Blazers Draft Needs” post. I want to counter some of his points on this post however, so below are excerpts from Matt’s post.

With Pryz as the backup center you already have the toughest backup center in the league, do we need a banger at the PF and the center spot? I think bumping Outlaw to the backup PF makes a nice second unit with Bayless/Sergio, Rudy, Batum/Webster, Outlaw, Joel. It will also provide rest to LaMarcus, which he needs, because he already plays a team high minutes and will allow Outlaw to have the constant mismatch advantage that he thrives with.

I agree that have a banger of a PF seems redundant when you have Przy with the 2^nd unit, but between the injury concerns of Oden and Przy, I would just feel more comfortable having at least one more big that could play physical. Basically Matt, if Oden or Przy went down, even for a few games, that would leave us with Outlaw as our backup C? We are hinging a lot by not securing that backup PF role. And while I do like Outlaw at the 4 sometimes, he doesn’t fit into that mold all the time. Kevin Pritchard has always said that he wants to give Nate a lot of different types of guys with multiple talents so he can have as many options as possible. I think the next logical step is getting a physical big man.

Then even if Webster never really breaks out we still have Batum who is awesome and will some hard work and dedication over the summer could become a really really good starting SF for us. His potential is just awesome and even Michael Jordan said that Batum reminds him of a young Scottie Pippen. This is the position that I feel like Pritchard should just leave be for at least one more season. I want to see Webster and Batum battle it out as well as grow more as players.

First of all, anyone that knows me knows that I am a Jordan fan, but I am not going to take player potential advice from the GM of the Bobcats (Adam Morrison 3^rd overall anyone? Kwame Brown?). But I do think that Nicolas Batum is the future SF of this team. He brings to the table everything we are looking for. He makes a ton of intangible plays that cannot be measured on a stat sheet. Yes, his jumpshot is shaky, but he is only 20 years old! Think how much better it will get with time! If I had to pick one of our 3 SF’s to keep, it would be Batum hands down.

I don't know much about the PG market or the PG's in the draft but since we have drafted backup PG's 2 out of the last 3 drafts shouldn't we look for one in the market now? Or maybe Bayless can just start dominating sooner, that would be nice.

I agree that our backup PG situation is one of concern. I think the writing is on the wall, and as soon as we get a hint of anyone better, Sergio is gone. I highly doubt Sergio will be in a Blazers uniform at the beginning of next season. However, I do not really think Bayless is ready to assume that backup role full time. So that poses another question. Do you let Bayless play, and fight through the bumps and brusies of having an inexperienced SG turned PG (a la Jarrett Jack?) Or do you draft/sign someone to either start, effectively making Blake the backup, or fill that backup role? What stage are we at in our development as a team? I think next year we will seriously be in the hunt for chance to get to the title game. With all that on the line, can we afford to let Bayless learn on the go?

All tough questions that are going to be tough for KP to answer this summer.

Moving on there has been some good stuff about our Blazers in the media. Here is my linkage!

ESPN’s David Thorpe had a cool article today about who rookies should look to emulate in the league. He mentioned 3 of our 4 rookies. Check out who he said and why:

Jerryd Bayless to Kobe Bryant

To me, Bayless always looks too cool. That's a problem for a young guy who hasn't performed consistently in the few times he's gotten a chance to play. I'd rather see red-hot passion in someone getting spot minutes. And nobody plays with more passion than Kobe, who is willing to take risks and brings great desire to the court.

Even though Bayless is in a much different position than Kobe is, he could still emulate those attributes.

Greg Oden to Dwight Howard

Oden should be taking notes from Howard, who is overwhelmingly successful and popular, and whose love for competing is apparent with how much fun he has playing this game.

Oden has a sparkling personality off the floor, but he tends to be quiet and unassuming on it. Imagine Oden playing with the fire and passion of Howard; Portland did when it drafted him.

Rudy Fernandez to Manu Ginobli

Both guys are artists with the ball, in terms of their shot-making talents. But while Ginobili constantly shows his gifts with mad slashes to the rim, Fernandez normally relies just on his perimeter shooting. He does that mostly because that is how Portland has designed his role, but for him to reach another level of production, he needs to be more of a scorer than a shooter.

Check out the whole thing here, but I must warn you, it's mostly just for insiders!

And in case you have been missing it, Jason Quick from the Oregonion has been doing a series called “Behind the Locker Room Door” after every game. These stories are awesome and are my favorite read after a game. Check them out on Oregonlive.com when you get a chance.

Blazers Draft Needs

With tourney time here, it got me thinking, who in the tournament could help the Blazers next year? Well, first of all I think you need to look at our needs first. What do the Blazers need?

1. A Physical Backup Power Forward

I think we need someone in the mold of Paul Milsap or Carl Landry (sans the gun shot wound to the leg). We need our generations Buck Williams. A guy who can rebound, play tough, and guard players like Nene and Carlos Boozer. I think everyone and their Mom know’s that Frye is gone after this season, so we will need someone to replace him as our backup PF.

2. A Savvy Wing Defender Who Can Shoot 3’s

You could argue that Nicolas Batum is this player in the making, and I would have a hard time coming up with good reasons why he is not. However, this feels more like a need that needs to be addressed through free agency rather then the draft. And that is not even mentioning the fact that Martell Webster is coming back soon, and the minutes that Travis Outlaw takes off the bench. It will be interesting to see what the Blazers decide to do this offseason

3. A Solid Backup Point Guard Who Can Shoot 3’s and Defend

While Steve Blake has done an admirable job this year, and Bayless and Sergio have had their moments, wouldn’t it be nice to have a PG come into the game and not make you nervous? Maybe we already have this player in Jerryd Bayless, but as you can see, he is still a ways off from being a consistent contributor. I think with the recent demotion, the writing is on the wall for Sergio, and he will be gone after this season. Are you comfortable with Bayless as your backup point guard full time? I know Nate probably isn’t, but would a rookie PG be any better? Would that just stunt Bayless’ growth even more? Would this be better addressed via free agency? Those are tough questions that I do not have the answers for.

So now that we established what the Blazers need, which one do we need the most? I personally lean towards a backup PF. I think these guys are easier to find later in drafts, and it’s a little different when you are drafting for a backup rather then drafting to find a long term starter.

On a side note, I think this year’s draft will be very interesting. Will Pritchard break his own credo of drafting the best player available, regardless of postion? Or will he address the needs/weaknesses of the team. I have to believe at some point you have to start drafting for need and fill in holes rather then pickup another SG (Roy and Rudy). But who knows. It’ll be fun to watch.

Do you agree with me? What position would you like to see addressed? Throw out some suggestions! I am going to try to do this is 4 parts total, this as the intro, and then 3 more detailing players who the Blazers should look at to address the previously stated 3 needs above. Stay tuned for that.