Is Jarett Jack related to McMillan? Maybe a God-son or something? There's gotta be some kind of blood relation there, I mean, that's the only thing that could explain why Jack played so much when he was playing so horribly. I have never seen a player make so many bad decisions, cost a team so many points, and not get yanked.
If you just look at the box score you won't able to tell just how badly he played. Momentum killing shots. Bad passes. Unforced turnovers. Meanwhile, Sergio only got 5 minutes of burn after providing a huge spark off the bench. Anyway.
Besides our turnstile D, we played an alright game against the former champs. Webster and LMA are impressive. Honestly, I didn't know LMA had so much offensive game. And Webster is an athlete who is a deadly shooter. I like him, and I hope Nate McJack doesn't bench him anytime soon.
The thing that stood out the most to me was how many bad decisions were made on both ends. Maybe that will get cleaned up as the season rolls on. We have enough talent to win a decent amount of games, but all that talent means nothing if players are making piss-poor decisions throughout the game. I'm not a fan of a short leash on players, but when you got a guy out there like Jack starting in front of Blake and keeping Sergio on the bench? Shorten that leash.
KT
30 October 2007
Southeast Division
Rumors of Gilbert going to LA for Kobe are swirling, so again, all that follows is subject to the Kobe effect.
Southeast Division
1. Orlando (50-32): I know everyone is not so hype on Rashard Lewis getting a max contract, it kinda falls in the same range as Charlie Bell getting anything more than the Vets minimum for me, but in the Eastern Conference he's gotta be worth at least another 5 wins. Dwight Howard showed some improvement on the offensive end in the pre-season and with shooters on the outside like Lewis and "perhaps the best shooter in the history of basketball" (an actual shooting video commercial) in JJ Redick, who knows? Maybe they can sneak up on the league and actually win this division and clinch the 3rd seed in the East.
Miami and Washington are both banged up and old, see Shaq and D-Wade and Etan Thomas, so it looks like this division is theirs for the taking. If Jameer Nelson can also provide some consistent shooting, I think they get it.
2. Washington (48-34): If Etan wouldn't have had to undergo open heart surgery, which I hope he recovers from fully, I would have put them in first. It hurts this team down low on the defensive end not having him in the lineup. How much trust can you put in Haywood at this point in his career? You know what you are going to get with him, and I don't think it's enough to take them as far as Gilbert believes their gonna go = Championship.
The threesome of Gilbert, Caron and Antawn will again be dominant, and rumor has it that Oleksiy Pecherov is surprisingly good, so possibly they could make a run, but unless Arenas puts down 35 a game, I don't think so. It might not be too far fetched though for him to do that...I don't know, I want to wait and see if he is still on this coast till I am sure.
3. Miami (45-37): Miami got rid of Walker and replaced him with another gunner in Ricky Davis. Hmmm...Couple that with a horrid bench and an aging Shaq and a nicked up Wade? Trouble. This might be the last year of the retirement-home team. Has Shaq been in shape at the beginning of the year since their second championship in LA? Their whole philosophy of waiting till the end of the year to turn it on just doesn't work. But really, their bench is awful. Awful.
4. Atlanta (34-48): They will miss the playoffs for the 100th time in a row and they probably won't resign Josh Smith and Joe Johnson to long term contracts. This is my vote for the next team to move cities. Maybe they can move to Seattle when the Sonics go to Oklahoma City? Let's start that rumor.
5. Charlotte (32-50): Ammo is out for the year. Sean May had microfracture. They do have Gerald Wallace and Emeka and Felton, but Emeka will be hurt by the All-Star break, and really, it's Charlotte. Until they change those jerseys they will always be down in the cellar as far as I'm concerned.
Southeast Division
1. Orlando (50-32): I know everyone is not so hype on Rashard Lewis getting a max contract, it kinda falls in the same range as Charlie Bell getting anything more than the Vets minimum for me, but in the Eastern Conference he's gotta be worth at least another 5 wins. Dwight Howard showed some improvement on the offensive end in the pre-season and with shooters on the outside like Lewis and "perhaps the best shooter in the history of basketball" (an actual shooting video commercial) in JJ Redick, who knows? Maybe they can sneak up on the league and actually win this division and clinch the 3rd seed in the East.
Miami and Washington are both banged up and old, see Shaq and D-Wade and Etan Thomas, so it looks like this division is theirs for the taking. If Jameer Nelson can also provide some consistent shooting, I think they get it.
2. Washington (48-34): If Etan wouldn't have had to undergo open heart surgery, which I hope he recovers from fully, I would have put them in first. It hurts this team down low on the defensive end not having him in the lineup. How much trust can you put in Haywood at this point in his career? You know what you are going to get with him, and I don't think it's enough to take them as far as Gilbert believes their gonna go = Championship.
The threesome of Gilbert, Caron and Antawn will again be dominant, and rumor has it that Oleksiy Pecherov is surprisingly good, so possibly they could make a run, but unless Arenas puts down 35 a game, I don't think so. It might not be too far fetched though for him to do that...I don't know, I want to wait and see if he is still on this coast till I am sure.
3. Miami (45-37): Miami got rid of Walker and replaced him with another gunner in Ricky Davis. Hmmm...Couple that with a horrid bench and an aging Shaq and a nicked up Wade? Trouble. This might be the last year of the retirement-home team. Has Shaq been in shape at the beginning of the year since their second championship in LA? Their whole philosophy of waiting till the end of the year to turn it on just doesn't work. But really, their bench is awful. Awful.
4. Atlanta (34-48): They will miss the playoffs for the 100th time in a row and they probably won't resign Josh Smith and Joe Johnson to long term contracts. This is my vote for the next team to move cities. Maybe they can move to Seattle when the Sonics go to Oklahoma City? Let's start that rumor.
5. Charlotte (32-50): Ammo is out for the year. Sean May had microfracture. They do have Gerald Wallace and Emeka and Felton, but Emeka will be hurt by the All-Star break, and really, it's Charlotte. Until they change those jerseys they will always be down in the cellar as far as I'm concerned.
29 October 2007
Pacific Division
On to the Pacific Division. Portland used to be in the Pacific Division. Not anymore. Thank you, NBA bureaucrats, for giving people one more reason to turn away from professional basketball.
PACIFIC DIVISION
1. Phoenix Suns (60-22): The Suns are obviously in win-now mode, as evidenced by their donation of Rudy Fernandez to the Trail Blazers. That would be like giving one of your guitars away to a friend because your girlfriend thinks they are taking up too much space in your house. In other words, it's completely asinine. So they'd better win now. This might be their last chance, and Mike D'Antoni's insistence on an even faster pace gives that theory even more credence. They traded away Kurt Thomas, which at first doesn't make sense, considering he was one of the only solid defensive players they could have thrown at Duncan, Yao, or even LaMarcus Aldridge.
But I realized that this decision is totally reflective of D'Antoni and the Suns' philosophy. When Phoenix has played against the Spurs in the past, they've not been able to beat the Spurs at their own game. When the Suns win, it's because of their fast-paced offense and balls-to-the-wall pace. San Antonio can't keep up with Phoenix when they're running, and Phoenix can't beat San Antonio when Phoenix decides to play high-low. Plain and simple. So why not run 100% of the time?
That explains the addition of Grant Hill and DJ Strawberry to the ranks. Hill is a perfect fit at the small forward, which allows the team to go even smaller and faster. Granted, this might only last a couple weeks, because Hill's ligaments are weaker than glass noodles. But it's worth a shot. And what might destroy Phoenix's chances isn't the fate of Hill's knees, but the ridiculous trade demand of Shawn Marion, who apparently isn't satisfied playing a major role on a championship-caliber team. Marion somehow still feels disrespected even though he is universally recognized as the reason the Suns are so successful. Well, after Steve Nash. There's no way he would be as effective anywhere else, and so Phoenix needs to do whatever it can to convince him to stay. Just buy him a private jet or something, I'm sure he would appreciate that.
2. Golden State (45-37): Essentially the same team that took out Dallas in the first round last year, the Warriors are poised for a breakthrough season. But don't expect Golden State to join the West elite anytime soon. Granted, the addition of Marco Belinelli and Brandan Wright solidifies their future, but Don Nelson will likely bolt after this season. Ditto Baron Davis. And even if they stayed around, it's not like Nellieball is built for long-term success.
It's not even built for success throughout an entire season. They almost missed the playoffs last year, and they lucked out with their draw of Dallas in the first round. They're fun to watch, and they're fun to support, but can they repeat last year's success, now that they have everybody's attention? Probably not.
At any rate, this is a fun team to watch. Not only do they have the player with the ugliest free throw shot in the world, it will be fun to watch Stephen Jackson pretend like he's some kind of leader of men, and to top it off, they added a greasy Italian to the mix. Greasy Italians are always great, except when they're hitting on your girlfriend at a bar or elbowing you in the gut on the soccer pitch. I'd like to see Golden State succeed, mainly because I've never really experienced them as a successful team. The Warriors, to me, are this perennial underdog, kind of like the Bucks or the Hawks, with this revolving-door cast of perennial underacheivers. To see them buck the trend is a bit unsettling, to tell you the truth, but it's always nice to see the underdog go far. It won't happen, but it will be fun to watch them try.
3. Los Angeles Lakers (40-42): Considering that I grew up in Portland and the Lakers are my natural enemy, it's been great to see them sail the seas of mediocrity the past couple years. Even better, it's been satisfying to see everyone slowly start thinking to themselves, "Hey! Wouldn't you know it, Phil Jackson doesn't seem to be that amazing of a coach!" But what's happening with the Lakers is terrible for the league, and it's unfortunate that one of the league's premier franchises is riddled with management so inept, so clueless, so hopelessly blinded by the Hollywood lights that they wouldn't give up Andrew Freaking Bynum for Jason Kidd.
What have they done this offseason? Did they make a serious run at Shawn Marion or Jermaine O'Neal? Did they think Kobe was just joking?
Speaking of Kobe, how can anybody make a serious prediction of how the Lakers will end up this season? His status changes every day. He wanted to go to Dallas, but now apparently he wants to play for the Bulls, but he won't play for the Bulls if they have to give up all their good players to acquire him, which pretty much has to happen if a deal is gonna go down. It appears the Lakers are stuck in a similar illogical cycle of mediocrity, chipping away at the Lakers mystique, in a similar fashion to the way Jim Buss will be banging his head against his gold-plated desk if he doesn't get this Kobe mess handled. With Kobe, the Lakers finish third in the division and miss the playoffs; without him, they might rival Minny for the worst team in the league.
4. Los Angeles Clippers (37-45): Remember those days, all the way back in 2006, when the Clippers were on the edge of becoming the new darlings of Los Angeles and the trendy pick in the West? Nothing but bad news since: they signed Tim Thomas, Shaun Livingston got hurt, Dunleavy lost his edge, Cassell lost his step, and Elton Brand got hurt. This team had so much potential, and a renaissance of Clipper glory depends on the health of Brand and Livingston, as well as what the team can manage to receive if they trade Cassell and Maggette. And yes, getting to the conference semifinals two seasons ago would constitute the golden age of Clippers basketball.
5. Sacramento Kings (24-58): I had this team slotted here even before Bibby went down for six weeks. Sure, they beat a depleted Portland team in Sacramento last week, but Kevin Martin can't carry that team by himself. Brad Miller will be out with a major injury within a month, Ron Artest is a lunatic, Shareef Abdur-Rahim will appear uninterested at times, and the coach from Hang Time is coaching them. I'm not sure everybody realizes this yet. On the plus side, it looks like Kevin Martin has forever abandoned the Jheri curl, and Quincy Douby has a cool name. That's it.
TJH
PACIFIC DIVISION
1. Phoenix Suns (60-22): The Suns are obviously in win-now mode, as evidenced by their donation of Rudy Fernandez to the Trail Blazers. That would be like giving one of your guitars away to a friend because your girlfriend thinks they are taking up too much space in your house. In other words, it's completely asinine. So they'd better win now. This might be their last chance, and Mike D'Antoni's insistence on an even faster pace gives that theory even more credence. They traded away Kurt Thomas, which at first doesn't make sense, considering he was one of the only solid defensive players they could have thrown at Duncan, Yao, or even LaMarcus Aldridge.
But I realized that this decision is totally reflective of D'Antoni and the Suns' philosophy. When Phoenix has played against the Spurs in the past, they've not been able to beat the Spurs at their own game. When the Suns win, it's because of their fast-paced offense and balls-to-the-wall pace. San Antonio can't keep up with Phoenix when they're running, and Phoenix can't beat San Antonio when Phoenix decides to play high-low. Plain and simple. So why not run 100% of the time?That explains the addition of Grant Hill and DJ Strawberry to the ranks. Hill is a perfect fit at the small forward, which allows the team to go even smaller and faster. Granted, this might only last a couple weeks, because Hill's ligaments are weaker than glass noodles. But it's worth a shot. And what might destroy Phoenix's chances isn't the fate of Hill's knees, but the ridiculous trade demand of Shawn Marion, who apparently isn't satisfied playing a major role on a championship-caliber team. Marion somehow still feels disrespected even though he is universally recognized as the reason the Suns are so successful. Well, after Steve Nash. There's no way he would be as effective anywhere else, and so Phoenix needs to do whatever it can to convince him to stay. Just buy him a private jet or something, I'm sure he would appreciate that.
2. Golden State (45-37): Essentially the same team that took out Dallas in the first round last year, the Warriors are poised for a breakthrough season. But don't expect Golden State to join the West elite anytime soon. Granted, the addition of Marco Belinelli and Brandan Wright solidifies their future, but Don Nelson will likely bolt after this season. Ditto Baron Davis. And even if they stayed around, it's not like Nellieball is built for long-term success.
It's not even built for success throughout an entire season. They almost missed the playoffs last year, and they lucked out with their draw of Dallas in the first round. They're fun to watch, and they're fun to support, but can they repeat last year's success, now that they have everybody's attention? Probably not.At any rate, this is a fun team to watch. Not only do they have the player with the ugliest free throw shot in the world, it will be fun to watch Stephen Jackson pretend like he's some kind of leader of men, and to top it off, they added a greasy Italian to the mix. Greasy Italians are always great, except when they're hitting on your girlfriend at a bar or elbowing you in the gut on the soccer pitch. I'd like to see Golden State succeed, mainly because I've never really experienced them as a successful team. The Warriors, to me, are this perennial underdog, kind of like the Bucks or the Hawks, with this revolving-door cast of perennial underacheivers. To see them buck the trend is a bit unsettling, to tell you the truth, but it's always nice to see the underdog go far. It won't happen, but it will be fun to watch them try.
3. Los Angeles Lakers (40-42): Considering that I grew up in Portland and the Lakers are my natural enemy, it's been great to see them sail the seas of mediocrity the past couple years. Even better, it's been satisfying to see everyone slowly start thinking to themselves, "Hey! Wouldn't you know it, Phil Jackson doesn't seem to be that amazing of a coach!" But what's happening with the Lakers is terrible for the league, and it's unfortunate that one of the league's premier franchises is riddled with management so inept, so clueless, so hopelessly blinded by the Hollywood lights that they wouldn't give up Andrew Freaking Bynum for Jason Kidd.
What have they done this offseason? Did they make a serious run at Shawn Marion or Jermaine O'Neal? Did they think Kobe was just joking?Speaking of Kobe, how can anybody make a serious prediction of how the Lakers will end up this season? His status changes every day. He wanted to go to Dallas, but now apparently he wants to play for the Bulls, but he won't play for the Bulls if they have to give up all their good players to acquire him, which pretty much has to happen if a deal is gonna go down. It appears the Lakers are stuck in a similar illogical cycle of mediocrity, chipping away at the Lakers mystique, in a similar fashion to the way Jim Buss will be banging his head against his gold-plated desk if he doesn't get this Kobe mess handled. With Kobe, the Lakers finish third in the division and miss the playoffs; without him, they might rival Minny for the worst team in the league.
4. Los Angeles Clippers (37-45): Remember those days, all the way back in 2006, when the Clippers were on the edge of becoming the new darlings of Los Angeles and the trendy pick in the West? Nothing but bad news since: they signed Tim Thomas, Shaun Livingston got hurt, Dunleavy lost his edge, Cassell lost his step, and Elton Brand got hurt. This team had so much potential, and a renaissance of Clipper glory depends on the health of Brand and Livingston, as well as what the team can manage to receive if they trade Cassell and Maggette. And yes, getting to the conference semifinals two seasons ago would constitute the golden age of Clippers basketball.
5. Sacramento Kings (24-58): I had this team slotted here even before Bibby went down for six weeks. Sure, they beat a depleted Portland team in Sacramento last week, but Kevin Martin can't carry that team by himself. Brad Miller will be out with a major injury within a month, Ron Artest is a lunatic, Shareef Abdur-Rahim will appear uninterested at times, and the coach from Hang Time is coaching them. I'm not sure everybody realizes this yet. On the plus side, it looks like Kevin Martin has forever abandoned the Jheri curl, and Quincy Douby has a cool name. That's it.
TJH
Central Division
All that follows is subject to drastic change in lieu of the impending Kobe trade...
Central Division:
1. Detroit (55-27): Cleveland is a one man show and Chicago without Kobe is still in the exact same situation they were last year. Rumor has it Rasheed has slimmed down, and as long as they still have their big four in tact, they have to be considered the favorite in this division. Unless...Yi in Milwaukee is the Prince Fielder of basketball. And hey, who knows, didn't everyone see the video footage of his workouts, you know, the ones where he was driving to the hoop with both hands? Astounding.
2. Cleveland (53-29): Cleveland needs to resign Pavlovic and Verajao to contend again in the East, but even with them, is thet outlook really that good for this team? For me to consider them a serious contender again this year Daniel Gibson needs to play all year like he played in the playoffs. Does everyone in Cleveland still think Cleveland Rocks, anyone besides Drew Carey anyway? The Indians choked themselves to sleep and Lebron is wearing Yankee hats to the playoffs? If Lebron gets away from the Cavs in free agency, it could be a long millenium for Cleveland.
3. Chicago (53-29): (Cleveland with the tie breaker) Sans Kobe, I put them in third. But with Kobe and a few talented players around him? Division and the finals. In a wait and see mode right now.
4. Milwaukee (41-41): They actually have a decent squad out there in sausage land. If everyone can stay healthy, including the forgotten Bobby Simmons, they could put pretty talented group on the floor. Talented enough to make a run for the 8th seed in the East. I don't know why, but I'm getting the AK-47 vibe from Yi right now in my head. Talented but a total head case. I could be totally off, but that's just the mid-day psychic commercial premonition that's filling my head...
5. Indiana (32-50): I hate this team, and I hate that JO is stuck on the Pacers. I met him one time in the airport and we talked for about fifteen minutes. He seems like an awesome guy, and he's one of the better big men in the league, but he has no one around him. No one. I am a huge Tinsley fan, but only because he played out of his mind at Iowa State when he and Marcus Fizer were running the floor, and because he technically didn't graduate from high school. I hope Bird makes a trade that sends JO to a contender, and that the Pats continue their domination next week when they meet up with Indy and Manning. That's beside the point though.
Again, all this hinges on the Kobe effect.
Central Division:
1. Detroit (55-27): Cleveland is a one man show and Chicago without Kobe is still in the exact same situation they were last year. Rumor has it Rasheed has slimmed down, and as long as they still have their big four in tact, they have to be considered the favorite in this division. Unless...Yi in Milwaukee is the Prince Fielder of basketball. And hey, who knows, didn't everyone see the video footage of his workouts, you know, the ones where he was driving to the hoop with both hands? Astounding.
2. Cleveland (53-29): Cleveland needs to resign Pavlovic and Verajao to contend again in the East, but even with them, is thet outlook really that good for this team? For me to consider them a serious contender again this year Daniel Gibson needs to play all year like he played in the playoffs. Does everyone in Cleveland still think Cleveland Rocks, anyone besides Drew Carey anyway? The Indians choked themselves to sleep and Lebron is wearing Yankee hats to the playoffs? If Lebron gets away from the Cavs in free agency, it could be a long millenium for Cleveland.
3. Chicago (53-29): (Cleveland with the tie breaker) Sans Kobe, I put them in third. But with Kobe and a few talented players around him? Division and the finals. In a wait and see mode right now.
4. Milwaukee (41-41): They actually have a decent squad out there in sausage land. If everyone can stay healthy, including the forgotten Bobby Simmons, they could put pretty talented group on the floor. Talented enough to make a run for the 8th seed in the East. I don't know why, but I'm getting the AK-47 vibe from Yi right now in my head. Talented but a total head case. I could be totally off, but that's just the mid-day psychic commercial premonition that's filling my head...
5. Indiana (32-50): I hate this team, and I hate that JO is stuck on the Pacers. I met him one time in the airport and we talked for about fifteen minutes. He seems like an awesome guy, and he's one of the better big men in the league, but he has no one around him. No one. I am a huge Tinsley fan, but only because he played out of his mind at Iowa State when he and Marcus Fizer were running the floor, and because he technically didn't graduate from high school. I hope Bird makes a trade that sends JO to a contender, and that the Pats continue their domination next week when they meet up with Indy and Manning. That's beside the point though.
Again, all this hinges on the Kobe effect.
27 October 2007
Southwest Division
I'll start with what should be the strongest division in the league: the Southwest Division. Like last year, there will be three 50-win teams in this group, and those teams have an outside chance at all winning 60. Too bad they're all from Texas.
SOUTHWEST DIVISION
1. Dallas Mavericks (63-19): It's not a good sign when your basketball team's marketing strategy revolves around three players, and one of them is Devean George. Ouch. That means that you either have a really bad team, or really bad marketing people. I'm guessing the latter, because Dallas surely doesn't have a bad team.
Actually, their team is pretty good, but you don't really hear that anymore, after last year's playoff collapse against Golden State.
That series wasn't too shocking to anybody familiar with basketball. The Mavs went up against an incredibly hot team who played a very similar style of ball. Oh, and the Mavs' old coach, who was still intimately familiar with the Dallas system, was coaching the Warriors. It wasn't surprising that Dallas lost; the matchup was just unlucky. Coming into this season, Dallas looks like the same team, and I suspect they will bust out of the gate to an early lead. They might finish with the best record in the league, but can you see the Mavs being able to take the Suns, Spurs, Rockets, or even Nuggets in a seven-game series? Not bloody likely.
2. San Antonio Spurs (57-25): It's hard for me to write about the Spurs objectively. This is how I would feel if I wrote for a newspaper and they sent me to cover a Young Republicans Club convention. I don't know if the chance of being fired could deter me from making fun of their warped view of the world and stupid clothes. OK, here goes...
Even though Dallas and Phoenix finished above the Spurs in the regular season last year, San Antonio were the overwhelming favorites to win the championship before the playoffs even started. Why? Consistency. The playoffs are about seven-game series, and San Antonio's depth and consistently solid results from Tim Duncan and company make them the team to beat year after year. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Spurs get a massive amount of help from the referees. I mean, yeah, it's easy to point to referees as a reason a team is consistently winning, but the team that benefitted the most from Tim Donaghy's calls was San Antonio. It's documented fact.
The team is basically the same as last year. They added Ime Udoka, who Portland inexplicably failed to re-sign. This will be great for San Antonio, because when Bruce Bowen's legs start getting sore from stomping on people's feet and kneeing people in the balls, they have a solid backup who can drain the open three. But in the end, it all comes down to the Big Fundamental. Duncan, who was offered to the Trail Blazers in exchange for the #1 pick this summer, is everything you don't want in an athlete, and possesses zero qualities that you'd want to teach your children. For example, he enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons. But he wins, and he'll keep winning, and there will be nothing we can do about it. The NBA is corrupt, and probably always will be. NBA basketball... Where Amazing Happens!
3. Houston Rockets (54-28): Out of the Texas teams, this is the team I like the most. I think it's because the Rockets feel the most unTexan out of the group.
There's something very modern, very cosmopolitan about this group, and most of it has to do with their new coach. Rick Adelman preaches offensive improvisation and team chemistry, and it all adds up to Houston developing a leaner, faster personality as a team. Quite a departure from Jeff Van Gundy's plodding, gritty teams, it seems; players are already marveling in the relaxed attitudes and positivity that is exuding from the club. This attitude has even pervaded Ric Bucher's shellacked coif, possessing him to pick Houston as the eventual NBA champions.
Wrong, but not far off. Things seem to be falling into place for the Rockets right now. Luis Scola, an Argentinian big man that everybody says is good, fell into their lap; Bonzi Wells is happy, and he's playing for a new contract, so he should be effective; and Yao and Tracy McGrady are poised for monster years. McGrady, who once scored 13 points in 35 seconds (against the Spurs!), understands that this is his chance to win a title and finally live up to his potential. If he stays healthy, watch for a breakout year. Wait, is it even possible for a 28-year-old seven time all-star to have a "breakout year"?
4. New Orleans Hornets (38-44): Basketball's finally back in the Big Easy! Oh, wait - nobody cares, and the team has very little chance at making the playoffs this year or the next five! Oh well. I don't like this team anyway. Every one of the big three - Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler, and Peja Stojakovic - is overrated, their front office and fans seem lethargic, and their roster is filled with players who nobody else wanted. Bobby Jackson, Melvin Ely, Morris Peterson, Rasual Butler, Jannero Pargo... that usually isn't the recipe for success in the NBA. The 2007-08 Hornets: "If We Played in the Eastern Conference We'd Be Awesome!"
5. Memphis Grizzlies (30-52): The Memphis Grizzlies? The New Orleans Hornets? What's with displaced teams keeping their stupid nicknames? The Utah Jazz?!? Anyways, the Grizzlies will be better this year, but that's not saying much. But they're on the right track. They did the right thing by keeping Gasol, and adding Mike Conley to their solid young core. But for Grizzlies fans, it's gonna be a long road back to respectability. Trust me. I'm a Blazers supporter, remember.
TJH
SOUTHWEST DIVISION
1. Dallas Mavericks (63-19): It's not a good sign when your basketball team's marketing strategy revolves around three players, and one of them is Devean George. Ouch. That means that you either have a really bad team, or really bad marketing people. I'm guessing the latter, because Dallas surely doesn't have a bad team.
Actually, their team is pretty good, but you don't really hear that anymore, after last year's playoff collapse against Golden State. That series wasn't too shocking to anybody familiar with basketball. The Mavs went up against an incredibly hot team who played a very similar style of ball. Oh, and the Mavs' old coach, who was still intimately familiar with the Dallas system, was coaching the Warriors. It wasn't surprising that Dallas lost; the matchup was just unlucky. Coming into this season, Dallas looks like the same team, and I suspect they will bust out of the gate to an early lead. They might finish with the best record in the league, but can you see the Mavs being able to take the Suns, Spurs, Rockets, or even Nuggets in a seven-game series? Not bloody likely.
2. San Antonio Spurs (57-25): It's hard for me to write about the Spurs objectively. This is how I would feel if I wrote for a newspaper and they sent me to cover a Young Republicans Club convention. I don't know if the chance of being fired could deter me from making fun of their warped view of the world and stupid clothes. OK, here goes...
Even though Dallas and Phoenix finished above the Spurs in the regular season last year, San Antonio were the overwhelming favorites to win the championship before the playoffs even started. Why? Consistency. The playoffs are about seven-game series, and San Antonio's depth and consistently solid results from Tim Duncan and company make them the team to beat year after year. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Spurs get a massive amount of help from the referees. I mean, yeah, it's easy to point to referees as a reason a team is consistently winning, but the team that benefitted the most from Tim Donaghy's calls was San Antonio. It's documented fact.The team is basically the same as last year. They added Ime Udoka, who Portland inexplicably failed to re-sign. This will be great for San Antonio, because when Bruce Bowen's legs start getting sore from stomping on people's feet and kneeing people in the balls, they have a solid backup who can drain the open three. But in the end, it all comes down to the Big Fundamental. Duncan, who was offered to the Trail Blazers in exchange for the #1 pick this summer, is everything you don't want in an athlete, and possesses zero qualities that you'd want to teach your children. For example, he enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons. But he wins, and he'll keep winning, and there will be nothing we can do about it. The NBA is corrupt, and probably always will be. NBA basketball... Where Amazing Happens!
3. Houston Rockets (54-28): Out of the Texas teams, this is the team I like the most. I think it's because the Rockets feel the most unTexan out of the group.
There's something very modern, very cosmopolitan about this group, and most of it has to do with their new coach. Rick Adelman preaches offensive improvisation and team chemistry, and it all adds up to Houston developing a leaner, faster personality as a team. Quite a departure from Jeff Van Gundy's plodding, gritty teams, it seems; players are already marveling in the relaxed attitudes and positivity that is exuding from the club. This attitude has even pervaded Ric Bucher's shellacked coif, possessing him to pick Houston as the eventual NBA champions.Wrong, but not far off. Things seem to be falling into place for the Rockets right now. Luis Scola, an Argentinian big man that everybody says is good, fell into their lap; Bonzi Wells is happy, and he's playing for a new contract, so he should be effective; and Yao and Tracy McGrady are poised for monster years. McGrady, who once scored 13 points in 35 seconds (against the Spurs!), understands that this is his chance to win a title and finally live up to his potential. If he stays healthy, watch for a breakout year. Wait, is it even possible for a 28-year-old seven time all-star to have a "breakout year"?
4. New Orleans Hornets (38-44): Basketball's finally back in the Big Easy! Oh, wait - nobody cares, and the team has very little chance at making the playoffs this year or the next five! Oh well. I don't like this team anyway. Every one of the big three - Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler, and Peja Stojakovic - is overrated, their front office and fans seem lethargic, and their roster is filled with players who nobody else wanted. Bobby Jackson, Melvin Ely, Morris Peterson, Rasual Butler, Jannero Pargo... that usually isn't the recipe for success in the NBA. The 2007-08 Hornets: "If We Played in the Eastern Conference We'd Be Awesome!"
5. Memphis Grizzlies (30-52): The Memphis Grizzlies? The New Orleans Hornets? What's with displaced teams keeping their stupid nicknames? The Utah Jazz?!? Anyways, the Grizzlies will be better this year, but that's not saying much. But they're on the right track. They did the right thing by keeping Gasol, and adding Mike Conley to their solid young core. But for Grizzlies fans, it's gonna be a long road back to respectability. Trust me. I'm a Blazers supporter, remember.
TJH
23 October 2007
Atlantic Division
Since the season is almost upon us, and since the Eastern Conference may be relevant this year for the first time in eons, here is my Eastern Conference Preview, starting with the Atlantic Division:
Atlantic Division
1. Boston (55-27): It almost feels like an obligation to put the C's here at number one in the division doesn't it? Like the basketball gods would riot if they actually didn't win the division and at least a share of the East. But honestly? I'm not totally sold on this team. I mean, it's a huge upgrade from the bottom feeders of the past they've had in Boston, but they still have Doc at the helm, and they gave away Jefferson at center. Toronto and New Jersey won't be too far behind in the Atlantic. It's Doc's to lose though. But he already knows that. What's the over under on how many years Doc has left in Boston anyway? I would take the under no matter what it is.
2. Toronto (51-31): I want Toronto to win this division more than I want LOST to finally give me some answers this season. If Locke is still on that Island and they don't tell me what he's doing in the first two episodes, I will swear them off for life. If Toronto wins the division they are my new favorite Leastern Conference team. The addition of Kapono and a healthy TJ Ford gets them four more wins in a surprisingly tough division. And when a Colangelo is involved, you gotta bet high on the team they are involved with.
3. New Jersey (46-36): New Jersey picked up Magloire, so automatically any hope of them actually having a good season, or one markedly better than last year, goes out the window. But, and this is a big but, like one of those rappers' girlfriends, omg, if RJ and Nenad Krstic can stay healthy they have a serious shot of winning a lot of games. But that's a big if. And personally, I don't think they did very good in the off-season, drafting a dirt-poor-man's Mikki Moore in Sean Williams. All in all I think they will improve a little, but beyond Vince's dunks and Beyonce in the front row, I wouldn't spend too much time watching their games.
4. New York (39-43): I might be totally wrong, but unless this season is going to be played on NBA Live and nothing but talent is taken into account during the actual games, I don't see how this team is an improvement over last year's version. Sure, they got Z-Ro from us, and sure, he is a legitimate 20-10 guy, blah blah blah, but how in the world can Starbury, Curry, Jamal Crawford, Z-Ro, and Nate Robinson all play on the same team unless Stern changes the rules to allow two balls in play during the fourth quarter? I don't see it. Oh, and Q-rich and Fred Jones. The only player on that team that means anything and doesn't need the ball in their hands to do anything is David Lee. And he won't even start but still get double-doubles damn near every night. Keep on Truckin' NY.
5. Philly (35-47): Boston becoming an actual basketball team this year hurts the Sixer's chances of making strides towards leaving the lottery. They have a couple good players on their roster, but when your veteran leadership is coming from Andre Miller, Kevin Ollie, and Calvin Booth...I mean really? But maybe Reggie Evans and Dalembert will learn how to score, and maybe Miller will be a winner for once in his NBA career, and maybe Oden will start against San Antonio.
Atlantic Division
1. Boston (55-27): It almost feels like an obligation to put the C's here at number one in the division doesn't it? Like the basketball gods would riot if they actually didn't win the division and at least a share of the East. But honestly? I'm not totally sold on this team. I mean, it's a huge upgrade from the bottom feeders of the past they've had in Boston, but they still have Doc at the helm, and they gave away Jefferson at center. Toronto and New Jersey won't be too far behind in the Atlantic. It's Doc's to lose though. But he already knows that. What's the over under on how many years Doc has left in Boston anyway? I would take the under no matter what it is.
2. Toronto (51-31): I want Toronto to win this division more than I want LOST to finally give me some answers this season. If Locke is still on that Island and they don't tell me what he's doing in the first two episodes, I will swear them off for life. If Toronto wins the division they are my new favorite Leastern Conference team. The addition of Kapono and a healthy TJ Ford gets them four more wins in a surprisingly tough division. And when a Colangelo is involved, you gotta bet high on the team they are involved with.
3. New Jersey (46-36): New Jersey picked up Magloire, so automatically any hope of them actually having a good season, or one markedly better than last year, goes out the window. But, and this is a big but, like one of those rappers' girlfriends, omg, if RJ and Nenad Krstic can stay healthy they have a serious shot of winning a lot of games. But that's a big if. And personally, I don't think they did very good in the off-season, drafting a dirt-poor-man's Mikki Moore in Sean Williams. All in all I think they will improve a little, but beyond Vince's dunks and Beyonce in the front row, I wouldn't spend too much time watching their games.
4. New York (39-43): I might be totally wrong, but unless this season is going to be played on NBA Live and nothing but talent is taken into account during the actual games, I don't see how this team is an improvement over last year's version. Sure, they got Z-Ro from us, and sure, he is a legitimate 20-10 guy, blah blah blah, but how in the world can Starbury, Curry, Jamal Crawford, Z-Ro, and Nate Robinson all play on the same team unless Stern changes the rules to allow two balls in play during the fourth quarter? I don't see it. Oh, and Q-rich and Fred Jones. The only player on that team that means anything and doesn't need the ball in their hands to do anything is David Lee. And he won't even start but still get double-doubles damn near every night. Keep on Truckin' NY.
5. Philly (35-47): Boston becoming an actual basketball team this year hurts the Sixer's chances of making strides towards leaving the lottery. They have a couple good players on their roster, but when your veteran leadership is coming from Andre Miller, Kevin Ollie, and Calvin Booth...I mean really? But maybe Reggie Evans and Dalembert will learn how to score, and maybe Miller will be a winner for once in his NBA career, and maybe Oden will start against San Antonio.
One More Week
One more week.
That's it.
That's how long I have to pretend to still be interested in baseball. That's how long I have to put up with nonstop football talk on the Internet, sports radio, and the newspaper.
I like real sports. I like soccer, basketball, and tennis. That's it. So, you can probably imagine how boring this time of year is for me, as far as professional sports go. No tennis. No basketball. A ton of good soccer, but none on normal television.
But it's just as well. If basketball went year-round, I wouldn't get to enjoy my summers. I would be holed up stressing out about every little loss, every little toe injury, every shooting drought. That's pretty much what the season is like for me. Just another excuse for me to be a nervous wreck for eight months out of the year. Another excuse to be miserable.
Such is life. I've grown to accept these idiosyncrasies with open arms. If I'm not miserable, I'm not happy. When I played soccer, I was a goalkeeper, and on gamedays, from the break of day, I was on edge. I wouldn't eat. I wouldn't talk to anybody. I was miserable, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. That's sports to me, and in my twisted mind, it's a beautiful thing.
If I'm not worrying about something, or if I don't have anything to complain about, I feel empty. I feel worthless. That's why it was so odd to watch Game 7 of the Red Sox series on Sunday. My friend invited me over to his house to watch the game, luring me with a large television and a fridge full of beer and cranberry meatballs. I don't care about baseball anymore, and so it didn't really matter to me who won. But I sat there and took it easy with my friend, and I actually enjoyed watching the game. When was the last time that happened? I seriously can't remember.
Is that what being a sports fan is supposed to be like? Having no vested interest in the outcome yet still being entertained?
No way. At least not for me. I'm gonna be miserable and downtrodden for the next eight months, and I can't wait.
Who's with me?
TJH
That's it.
That's how long I have to pretend to still be interested in baseball. That's how long I have to put up with nonstop football talk on the Internet, sports radio, and the newspaper.
I like real sports. I like soccer, basketball, and tennis. That's it. So, you can probably imagine how boring this time of year is for me, as far as professional sports go. No tennis. No basketball. A ton of good soccer, but none on normal television.
But it's just as well. If basketball went year-round, I wouldn't get to enjoy my summers. I would be holed up stressing out about every little loss, every little toe injury, every shooting drought. That's pretty much what the season is like for me. Just another excuse for me to be a nervous wreck for eight months out of the year. Another excuse to be miserable.
Such is life. I've grown to accept these idiosyncrasies with open arms. If I'm not miserable, I'm not happy. When I played soccer, I was a goalkeeper, and on gamedays, from the break of day, I was on edge. I wouldn't eat. I wouldn't talk to anybody. I was miserable, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. That's sports to me, and in my twisted mind, it's a beautiful thing.
If I'm not worrying about something, or if I don't have anything to complain about, I feel empty. I feel worthless. That's why it was so odd to watch Game 7 of the Red Sox series on Sunday. My friend invited me over to his house to watch the game, luring me with a large television and a fridge full of beer and cranberry meatballs. I don't care about baseball anymore, and so it didn't really matter to me who won. But I sat there and took it easy with my friend, and I actually enjoyed watching the game. When was the last time that happened? I seriously can't remember.
Is that what being a sports fan is supposed to be like? Having no vested interest in the outcome yet still being entertained?
No way. At least not for me. I'm gonna be miserable and downtrodden for the next eight months, and I can't wait.
Who's with me?
TJH
19 October 2007
Notes From the Edge of the 300 Level
Just got home from the Rose Garden. It always feels good to get back in the swing of things after the long summer. And since we've started this nasty habit of not making the playoffs year after year, the summers are even longer. I was able to sneak a camera in, as my original intention tonight was to take some pictures and post them here, but that will have to wait, as I ran out of batteries. So you'll have to settle for a diary.
6:50pm: My sister Catie and I scored free tickets to the game tonight, and so here we are. Actually, the Blazers just mailed them to me the other day. Imagine that! Giving away tickets to fans that would have been wasted anyway. Amazing. Somewhere Steve Patterson is smirking at the antiquated business practices of the new Portland Trail Blazers. "Giving away free tickets?!?" he probably yelled at his ugly wife at some point. "It's like they want to reach out and establish a great relationship with the fans for some reason!"
6:51: The big Oden jersey is still up on the side of the Rose Garden. What gives? This really irritates me. One, he doesn't wear #1, he wears #52. And two, he's doesn't actually have a jersey number, as he is not playing this season.
6:55: WOW!! The new JumboTron is AWESOME. I'm starting to use 'awesome' in my day-to-day speech now. I like sounding like a ten-year-old. Anyways, it's great. High definition, easy to read stats underneath, eight-sided (kind of), with a weird cityscape-type thing on the top that has Mt. Hood, the Fremont Bridge, and a guy with an umbrella on it. You know, because apparently it rains alot in Portland.
GAMETIME: Player intros are a bit lacking, but it's a preseason game so I cut them slack. Usually I'm against any type of stupid stunt that pulls people's attention away from the game, but I love loud, bombastic player introductions. Years ago, during playoff games, they used to bring these big boxes out on the court during player intros, and they would shoot fire out of the top of them, almost to the level of the JumboTron, and it would almost burn your face off. I have decided that I want to be introduced in this manner at some point in my life. Maybe if I get married? At any rate, I always thought it would be fun to fly in a young kid from Africa and take him directly to a Blazer game, and then after the player intros say to him, "Well, kid, welcome to America!"
7:10: Portland jumps out to an early lead, thanks to LaMarcus Aldridge's sweet stroke. I notice that Kevin Martin isn't playing for Sacramento tonight. That's it, the game's over. Sacramento is officially horrible without Kevin Martin. With him, they're just bad.
7:17: Kings come back to take a lead. We're halfway through the first quarter and the teams have combined for 24 turnovers. I think I know why I got these tickets for free.
7:18: I tell Catie about my harrowing experience years back when I saw Kings big man Mikki Moore barefoot and noticed that his toes were as long as his fingers. She looks at me the same way she looked at my brother devour a whole plate of escargot last year.
7:35: End of first quarter. Up by two. Blake sucks tonight. What's going on with him? His preseason has been positively unimpressive.
7:36: Yes! Sergio starts the second quarter. He's my favorite Blazer. He's Spanish and he's quick. Unfortunately, Jarrett Jack is running the point for some reason, and so Sergio is playing the 2. Hmm. Hey, what animal do you think Jarrett looks most like? A turtle?
7:42: Channing Frye looks alot like LaMarcus Aldridge. A bit skinnier, but they play a similar style of ball. Today we learned that the Blazers might be shopping Frye already. Of course, the source is Peter Vescey, whose most recent reliable scoop came during the Carter administration.
7:55: Webster looks great tonight, but so does Outlaw. They're working together well. A little friendly competition can be good, I guess.
7:57: Mark Mason, Blazers PA announcer, calls Travis Outlaw "Travis Out...Rageous!!" After all these years, he's still got a rapist's wit.
8:08: Halftime. 47-39, Blazers. Yawn. The Kings really are playing terrible tonight. Are they the worst team in the West at this point? Me and Catie go get some onion rings.
8:16: A conversation about Raef LaFrentz.
CATIE: Who makes the most money on the Blazers?
TY: Raef LaFrentz. He makes like $13 million.
CATIE: Who???
TY: See the group of three white guys sitting together on the bench? He's the guy on the left. He never plays.
CATIE: Why doesn't he play?
TY: Because he sucks.
CATIE: Then why is he on our team?
TY: (Sigh)...
8:24: White guy beard update.
Sergio: He's working on something that has some real potential. He reminds me of me when I agreed to a beard-off last year and I was just getting started, only Sergio's beard is a little less... pathetic. He's looking a bit scruffy.
Joel: Currently sporting a workingman's beard. I like it. If Vlade Divac was a big guy from Minnesota with a Polish last name, this is what he would look like.
8:26: A man with the biggest fu manchu I've ever seen, holding a corn dog, gets twenty solid seconds of JumboTron time. It goes without saying that this gets the loudest reception of the evening. Me and Catie discuss if people are cheering for the fu manchu or the corn dog.
8:27: Third quarter. I attempt to explain the three-second rule to Catie. "See, the Blazers can't be called for three seconds right now, because no Blazer is anywhere near the key," I say. Jack Nies promptly calls three-seconds on Portland. You can't make this stuff up.
8:29: Charging on Steve Blake. Wait, is he even in the game? Nice to see the whole corrupt-referee scandal is long gone.
8:40: Joel Przybilla and Martell Webster fight for a defensive rebound, with no Sacramento player even close to the play. Przybilla elbows Martell in the head, and Martell runs straight to the locker room. Wonderful.
8:53: You can start to hear the rumblings in the crowd - it might be a chalupa night tonight. I move to the edge of my seat.
8:57: End of the third. Here come the stunt team, launching t-shirts into the crowd. I always thought it would be funny if these t-shirts were actually just plain white undershirts you could buy at K-Mart.
8:59: Fourth quarter. I would give anything to experience professional basketball without cheerleaders, stunt teams, mascots, bad music, lucky rows, lucky sections, and stupid trivia games with random fans. I hate this stuff. You know what people should do during stops in play? They should talk to the person next to them. Talk about the game, or talk about other stuff. It doesn't matter. Yet another reason why soccer is the best sport in the world. No stops in play, so no chance to grab a $250 gift certificate from the Shane Company dropped from a blimp.
9:03: Mark Mason at it again. Outlaw is now "T-Law". Also, when he says "Brandon Roy", he sounds like an angry dog. Some things never change.
9:08: Portland is running away with this game. I don't like preseason. I can't really critique anybody, because the excuse is always, "it's only preseason". But I can give people like Webster credit for playing like something was on the line. He's back from the locker room with a band-aid on the side of his eye. He's not shooting that well but he's all over the place. He's leading the team in rebounds at the moment, he's running around yelling and screaming, and he just made a three in front of the Kings bench and some kind of dance in front of them. This guy loves basketball.
9:11: I want to see the guy with the fu manchu again.
9:17: Last timeout. 98-77, Portland. The place is going nuts in anticipation of a free chalupa. A cha-lu-pa chant starts. The guy in front of us is so excited he starts humping his wife's leg.
9:20: Taurean Green for three. YES!!! Absolute mayhem. Sure, you paid around $200 for your wife and kids to come see a preseason game in the 300 level, but this is a free taco we're talking about!
9:24: Game over. Portland wins in a landslide. I can't believe how bad Sacramento is. Mike Bibby hates his life right now.
Overall, a decent effort by the Blazers against a crappy team. Blake was terrible tonight, and everybody seemed a bit sloppy and unprepared, but the effort was there. Aldridge seems comfortable with his role as a go-to guy, and Roy was effective, although he still doesn't get any calls.
A Friday night well spent.
TJH
6:50pm: My sister Catie and I scored free tickets to the game tonight, and so here we are. Actually, the Blazers just mailed them to me the other day. Imagine that! Giving away tickets to fans that would have been wasted anyway. Amazing. Somewhere Steve Patterson is smirking at the antiquated business practices of the new Portland Trail Blazers. "Giving away free tickets?!?" he probably yelled at his ugly wife at some point. "It's like they want to reach out and establish a great relationship with the fans for some reason!"
6:51: The big Oden jersey is still up on the side of the Rose Garden. What gives? This really irritates me. One, he doesn't wear #1, he wears #52. And two, he's doesn't actually have a jersey number, as he is not playing this season.
6:55: WOW!! The new JumboTron is AWESOME. I'm starting to use 'awesome' in my day-to-day speech now. I like sounding like a ten-year-old. Anyways, it's great. High definition, easy to read stats underneath, eight-sided (kind of), with a weird cityscape-type thing on the top that has Mt. Hood, the Fremont Bridge, and a guy with an umbrella on it. You know, because apparently it rains alot in Portland.
GAMETIME: Player intros are a bit lacking, but it's a preseason game so I cut them slack. Usually I'm against any type of stupid stunt that pulls people's attention away from the game, but I love loud, bombastic player introductions. Years ago, during playoff games, they used to bring these big boxes out on the court during player intros, and they would shoot fire out of the top of them, almost to the level of the JumboTron, and it would almost burn your face off. I have decided that I want to be introduced in this manner at some point in my life. Maybe if I get married? At any rate, I always thought it would be fun to fly in a young kid from Africa and take him directly to a Blazer game, and then after the player intros say to him, "Well, kid, welcome to America!"
7:10: Portland jumps out to an early lead, thanks to LaMarcus Aldridge's sweet stroke. I notice that Kevin Martin isn't playing for Sacramento tonight. That's it, the game's over. Sacramento is officially horrible without Kevin Martin. With him, they're just bad.
7:17: Kings come back to take a lead. We're halfway through the first quarter and the teams have combined for 24 turnovers. I think I know why I got these tickets for free.
7:18: I tell Catie about my harrowing experience years back when I saw Kings big man Mikki Moore barefoot and noticed that his toes were as long as his fingers. She looks at me the same way she looked at my brother devour a whole plate of escargot last year.
7:35: End of first quarter. Up by two. Blake sucks tonight. What's going on with him? His preseason has been positively unimpressive.
7:36: Yes! Sergio starts the second quarter. He's my favorite Blazer. He's Spanish and he's quick. Unfortunately, Jarrett Jack is running the point for some reason, and so Sergio is playing the 2. Hmm. Hey, what animal do you think Jarrett looks most like? A turtle?
7:42: Channing Frye looks alot like LaMarcus Aldridge. A bit skinnier, but they play a similar style of ball. Today we learned that the Blazers might be shopping Frye already. Of course, the source is Peter Vescey, whose most recent reliable scoop came during the Carter administration.
7:55: Webster looks great tonight, but so does Outlaw. They're working together well. A little friendly competition can be good, I guess.
7:57: Mark Mason, Blazers PA announcer, calls Travis Outlaw "Travis Out...Rageous!!" After all these years, he's still got a rapist's wit.
8:08: Halftime. 47-39, Blazers. Yawn. The Kings really are playing terrible tonight. Are they the worst team in the West at this point? Me and Catie go get some onion rings.
8:16: A conversation about Raef LaFrentz.
CATIE: Who makes the most money on the Blazers?
TY: Raef LaFrentz. He makes like $13 million.
CATIE: Who???
TY: See the group of three white guys sitting together on the bench? He's the guy on the left. He never plays.
CATIE: Why doesn't he play?
TY: Because he sucks.
CATIE: Then why is he on our team?
TY: (Sigh)...
8:24: White guy beard update.
Sergio: He's working on something that has some real potential. He reminds me of me when I agreed to a beard-off last year and I was just getting started, only Sergio's beard is a little less... pathetic. He's looking a bit scruffy.
Joel: Currently sporting a workingman's beard. I like it. If Vlade Divac was a big guy from Minnesota with a Polish last name, this is what he would look like.
8:26: A man with the biggest fu manchu I've ever seen, holding a corn dog, gets twenty solid seconds of JumboTron time. It goes without saying that this gets the loudest reception of the evening. Me and Catie discuss if people are cheering for the fu manchu or the corn dog.
8:27: Third quarter. I attempt to explain the three-second rule to Catie. "See, the Blazers can't be called for three seconds right now, because no Blazer is anywhere near the key," I say. Jack Nies promptly calls three-seconds on Portland. You can't make this stuff up.
8:29: Charging on Steve Blake. Wait, is he even in the game? Nice to see the whole corrupt-referee scandal is long gone.
8:40: Joel Przybilla and Martell Webster fight for a defensive rebound, with no Sacramento player even close to the play. Przybilla elbows Martell in the head, and Martell runs straight to the locker room. Wonderful.
8:53: You can start to hear the rumblings in the crowd - it might be a chalupa night tonight. I move to the edge of my seat.
8:57: End of the third. Here come the stunt team, launching t-shirts into the crowd. I always thought it would be funny if these t-shirts were actually just plain white undershirts you could buy at K-Mart.
8:59: Fourth quarter. I would give anything to experience professional basketball without cheerleaders, stunt teams, mascots, bad music, lucky rows, lucky sections, and stupid trivia games with random fans. I hate this stuff. You know what people should do during stops in play? They should talk to the person next to them. Talk about the game, or talk about other stuff. It doesn't matter. Yet another reason why soccer is the best sport in the world. No stops in play, so no chance to grab a $250 gift certificate from the Shane Company dropped from a blimp.
9:03: Mark Mason at it again. Outlaw is now "T-Law". Also, when he says "Brandon Roy", he sounds like an angry dog. Some things never change.
9:08: Portland is running away with this game. I don't like preseason. I can't really critique anybody, because the excuse is always, "it's only preseason". But I can give people like Webster credit for playing like something was on the line. He's back from the locker room with a band-aid on the side of his eye. He's not shooting that well but he's all over the place. He's leading the team in rebounds at the moment, he's running around yelling and screaming, and he just made a three in front of the Kings bench and some kind of dance in front of them. This guy loves basketball.
9:11: I want to see the guy with the fu manchu again.
9:17: Last timeout. 98-77, Portland. The place is going nuts in anticipation of a free chalupa. A cha-lu-pa chant starts. The guy in front of us is so excited he starts humping his wife's leg.
9:20: Taurean Green for three. YES!!! Absolute mayhem. Sure, you paid around $200 for your wife and kids to come see a preseason game in the 300 level, but this is a free taco we're talking about!
9:24: Game over. Portland wins in a landslide. I can't believe how bad Sacramento is. Mike Bibby hates his life right now.
Overall, a decent effort by the Blazers against a crappy team. Blake was terrible tonight, and everybody seemed a bit sloppy and unprepared, but the effort was there. Aldridge seems comfortable with his role as a go-to guy, and Roy was effective, although he still doesn't get any calls.
A Friday night well spent.
TJH
17 October 2007
Keep Dreaming
Would I make that trade? Is Nickelback one of the worst bands in the history of pop music?
Of course.
Would the Lakers make that trade? Will Nickelback ever show any signs of creativity or originality in their music? Will I stop using this annoying question-and-answer gimmick?
No way. Remember, the Lakers are the team who refused to give up Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd. They aren't trading Kobe unless he flat out refuses to play for them, which actually might happen soon. But at any rate, the Blazers can't offer a better package than a team like the Bulls. If they dealt with us, the Lakers could see alot of cap space open up in the next couple years, but that won't fly in LA. They won't settle for an injured rookie and Raef Lafrentz as compensation.
I think Kobe would welcome that deal with open arms, though. Why not? He'd have less media scrutiny in Portland, which I'm sure appeals to him at this point in his career. Portland's a way nicer city to live in than Dallas, a rumored preference of his. If he went to Chicago, there would be the neverending Jordan comparisons. He'd have a chance to reinvent himself and restore his still-somewhat-tarnished image in a city who would welcome him with open arms (trust me). Look what happened with Scottie Pippen - he welcomed a trade to Portland and almost got a championship out of it. But most importantly, he'd be able to win now. Can you imagine?
PG Blake
SG Roy
SF Kobe
PF Aldridge
C Przybilla
BENCH: Sergio, Green, Webster, Outlaw, Frye, McRoberts.
WHOA! That's amazing. We'd finish top-four in the West, and with Kobe on your team, you'd always have a chance at long run in the playoffs.
Is there even a chance it could happen?
No. It won't happen. Lakers management is too spineless to trade Kobe. Kevin Pritchard is too concerned with proving to everybody that he might the right choice in Oden. It would be like Nickelback opening for Maroon 5.
Nobody wins.
TJH
Of course.
Would the Lakers make that trade? Will Nickelback ever show any signs of creativity or originality in their music? Will I stop using this annoying question-and-answer gimmick?
No way. Remember, the Lakers are the team who refused to give up Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd. They aren't trading Kobe unless he flat out refuses to play for them, which actually might happen soon. But at any rate, the Blazers can't offer a better package than a team like the Bulls. If they dealt with us, the Lakers could see alot of cap space open up in the next couple years, but that won't fly in LA. They won't settle for an injured rookie and Raef Lafrentz as compensation.
I think Kobe would welcome that deal with open arms, though. Why not? He'd have less media scrutiny in Portland, which I'm sure appeals to him at this point in his career. Portland's a way nicer city to live in than Dallas, a rumored preference of his. If he went to Chicago, there would be the neverending Jordan comparisons. He'd have a chance to reinvent himself and restore his still-somewhat-tarnished image in a city who would welcome him with open arms (trust me). Look what happened with Scottie Pippen - he welcomed a trade to Portland and almost got a championship out of it. But most importantly, he'd be able to win now. Can you imagine?
PG Blake
SG Roy
SF Kobe
PF Aldridge
C Przybilla
BENCH: Sergio, Green, Webster, Outlaw, Frye, McRoberts.
WHOA! That's amazing. We'd finish top-four in the West, and with Kobe on your team, you'd always have a chance at long run in the playoffs.
Is there even a chance it could happen?
No. It won't happen. Lakers management is too spineless to trade Kobe. Kevin Pritchard is too concerned with proving to everybody that he might the right choice in Oden. It would be like Nickelback opening for Maroon 5.
Nobody wins.
TJH
Kobe
Here it is. This might not be a popular move for most Blazer fans, but here is my bid for Kobe Bryant. That's right, Kobe. If we had Kobe on the team we're instantly in the playoffs and if LMA and Roy can stay healthy all year, have a serious shot at going deep in the playoffs. This will never happen because the Lakers would never take Oden off of our hands, but this is my dream. We can all dream right?
(Via ESPN's Trade Machine)
Outgoing Players: Kobe Bryant
Outgoing Players: Raef LaFrentz, Greg Oden, Jarrett Jack, James Jones
Since Kobe has a no-trade clause he would probably nix this trade. And since Oden has holes that are hopefully filling with new tissue, they most definitely wouldn't trade for him. So damn. Maybe there's a way without Oden in the mix...
The only thing would be to sub Aldridge for Oden, but LMA doesn't have enough star power to headline a trade like that. It's funny to think that Oden would be more attractive even with crutches just because of the hype machine that surrounds him, but it's the truth.
Anyway, hopefully Kobe gets traded to the Eastern Conference and out of our nightmares. What do you think Ty? Kobe?
(Via ESPN's Trade Machine)
This Trade Succeeded! Go back to adjust your trade or start over.
Los Angeles Lakers
| Incoming Players | |
|---|---|
 | Raef LaFrentz Salary: $12,440,787 Years Remaining: 2 |
 | Greg Oden Salary: $4,662,000 Years Remaining: 2 |
 | Jarrett Jack Salary: $1,217,400 Years Remaining: 1 |
 | James Jones Salary: $2,900,000 Years Remaining: 1 |
Outgoing Players: Kobe Bryant
Portland Trail Blazers
| Incoming Players | |
|---|---|
 | Kobe Bryant Salary: $19,490,625 Years Remaining: 3No-Trade Clause Cannot trade this player without receiving his consent. Only a player with at least 8 years of NBA experience, including at least 4 years with the team he is signing with, is eligible to negotiate a no-trade clause into his contract. |
Outgoing Players: Raef LaFrentz, Greg Oden, Jarrett Jack, James Jones
Since Kobe has a no-trade clause he would probably nix this trade. And since Oden has holes that are hopefully filling with new tissue, they most definitely wouldn't trade for him. So damn. Maybe there's a way without Oden in the mix...
The only thing would be to sub Aldridge for Oden, but LMA doesn't have enough star power to headline a trade like that. It's funny to think that Oden would be more attractive even with crutches just because of the hype machine that surrounds him, but it's the truth.
Anyway, hopefully Kobe gets traded to the Eastern Conference and out of our nightmares. What do you think Ty? Kobe?
15 October 2007
40 Wins?
Is 40 wins out of the question?
Absolutely, positively not.
And that's not based on the preseason, which has been promising. That's based on the fact that we have a young, hungry team filled with players that are pissed that they've been written off because we lost an unproven rookie for the season. No Oden? Big deal.
You're not crazy, Kevin. If we stay healthy, we can compete for a playoff spot. Not only is Aldridge poised for a breakout year, but look at Webster. Look at Frye. Look at Joe P, who shot 100% from the foul line last night, by the way. Oh yeah, and we also have Brandon Roy, Steve Blake, and Travis Outlaw. Are you kidding me? That's a playoff team.
We beat the Hawks, sure, but they are a team on the rise (many "experts" like John Hollinger predict Atlanta to make the playoffs this year) who played with a full team last night.
Writing off the Blazers this early in the season would make about as much sense as this picture.
TJH
Absolutely, positively not.
And that's not based on the preseason, which has been promising. That's based on the fact that we have a young, hungry team filled with players that are pissed that they've been written off because we lost an unproven rookie for the season. No Oden? Big deal.
You're not crazy, Kevin. If we stay healthy, we can compete for a playoff spot. Not only is Aldridge poised for a breakout year, but look at Webster. Look at Frye. Look at Joe P, who shot 100% from the foul line last night, by the way. Oh yeah, and we also have Brandon Roy, Steve Blake, and Travis Outlaw. Are you kidding me? That's a playoff team.
We beat the Hawks, sure, but they are a team on the rise (many "experts" like John Hollinger predict Atlanta to make the playoffs this year) who played with a full team last night.
Writing off the Blazers this early in the season would make about as much sense as this picture.
TJH
14 October 2007
Insufficiently Inebriated
Ty, I really don't want to get excited about this year. It would be like getting excited about Nickelback's new CD, it seems. You know there's gonna be one catchy song, but eventually it's gonna end up like all the rest, a perpetual broken record. In our case, perpetual lottery picks. But even though it was the Hawks that we beat tonight, and they haven't been good since Nique filled the stands at least halfway, there are a lot of things I impressed by after looking at the box score.
Martell Webster got 12 points on 4 shots, and added 6 boards and 3 assists with no turnovers.
Taurean Green continues to hit threes. More and more I am coming around to this kid. Obviously it's just the preseason, but is there a possibility he could be the next Daniel Gibson? Minus the playoffs?
Joe P. pulled down 12 boards and had 4 blocks. But more importantly played 30 whole minutes! It always seemed to me like he was one of those token "starters" whenever he started in the past. Starting just for the sake of having a big guy for the tip-off, and because, well, you need to start a 7-footer if you have one. In the end his min. played would total around 14 lengthy counts of sixty seconds. If he can last 25 minutes a game this year without getting in foul trouble or being a target of the hack-a-prizz strategy, I might buy a Joe P Fat Head and put it above my bed.
And then of course, Aldridge and Frye played well. The thing is, I am trying not get excited about LMA having a good game, I want to expect that. I will resign to only being bummed if he has mediocre to bad game. The same with Frye, only lower expectations statistically.
Maybe it's because I am just giddy for the season to start like so many others, but right now a 40 win season doesn't seem out of the question. Wait. Did I write that? I must not be drinking enough...
KT
Portland Trail Blazers (2-1)
Martell Webster got 12 points on 4 shots, and added 6 boards and 3 assists with no turnovers.
Taurean Green continues to hit threes. More and more I am coming around to this kid. Obviously it's just the preseason, but is there a possibility he could be the next Daniel Gibson? Minus the playoffs?
Joe P. pulled down 12 boards and had 4 blocks. But more importantly played 30 whole minutes! It always seemed to me like he was one of those token "starters" whenever he started in the past. Starting just for the sake of having a big guy for the tip-off, and because, well, you need to start a 7-footer if you have one. In the end his min. played would total around 14 lengthy counts of sixty seconds. If he can last 25 minutes a game this year without getting in foul trouble or being a target of the hack-a-prizz strategy, I might buy a Joe P Fat Head and put it above my bed.
And then of course, Aldridge and Frye played well. The thing is, I am trying not get excited about LMA having a good game, I want to expect that. I will resign to only being bummed if he has mediocre to bad game. The same with Frye, only lower expectations statistically.
Maybe it's because I am just giddy for the season to start like so many others, but right now a 40 win season doesn't seem out of the question. Wait. Did I write that? I must not be drinking enough...
KT
Portland Trail Blazers (2-1)
| Field Goals | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pos | min | fgm-a | 3pm-a | ftm-a | off | def | tot | ast | pf | st | to | bs | pts | |
| S.Blake | G | 32:40 | 4-9 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 |
| J.Jack | G | 37:47 | 5-15 | 1-3 | 2-2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 13 |
| L.Aldridge | F | 28:23 | 10-18 | 0-1 | 9-10 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 29 |
| T.Outlaw | F | 24:09 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| J.Przybilla | C | 30:25 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| M.Webster | 29:36 | 2-4 | 2-2 | 6-6 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | |
| C.Frye | 28:48 | 6-14 | 0-0 | 2-3 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | |
| T.Green | 14:28 | 3-6 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | |
| R.LaFrentz | 08:24 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| S.Rodriguez | 05:20 | 1-3 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
Profile in Blazermania
Welcome to the first of what hopefully becomes many Profiles in Blazermania. We will be sitting down with a variety of Trail Blazers supporters and asking them about the team and their attachment to the team. I got this idea from Larry Colton, who wrote Idol Time, a great book about the 1977 championship team. Larry, thanks so much for coming up with something that I can copy so easily. And if you knew what I was doing, you'd probably want permission, but dude, I don't even know you. Be realistic.
Our first subject is my dad, Jim. He's been a Trail Blazers supporter from day one. He's a stoic, reserved kind of guy, as you can see. It was pretty tough growing up in such a serious environment.
PROFILE IN BLAZERMANIA
NAME: Jim Hinds
NICKNAME: Top Jimmy
AGE: 51
RESIDENCE: Sandy, Oregon
FAMILY: Married, four kids (three sons, one daughter)
COLLEGES ATTENDED: Portland State University, Purdue University
OCCUPATION: Civil Engineer
FAVORITE SPORT: Soccer
INVOLVEMENT IN SPORTS: Soccer Coach
BLAZER SUPPORTER SINCE: 1969
FAVORITE ALL-TIME BLAZER: Dave Twardzik
INTERVIEW
Q: So, first of all, I'd just like to... what are you laughing for?
JIM: (Laughing) I feel like I'm supposed to be nervous or something.
Q: Yeah, I know... just accept for one minute that I'm a serious person asking a serious question, okay? I know it might be difficult.
JIM: I'll try.
Q: I want to know if you remember back when Portland got the team, back in 1969, I know you were probably around 15. What was the attitude back then in Portland surrounding the new team? Were people excited? Were you excited?
JIM: Yeah, I do remember a few things. I remember the owner, Larry Weinberg. And you know how my dad was, you know, he was always anti-government, thinking all those guys downtown were knuckleheads, and all that money that they spent on putting the Coliseum together was a waste, and he had absolutely no use for those guys and what they were doing. You know, Weinberg, Glickman, all those guys - he thought all those guys were cheats and thieves, and he was always complaining about them. I remember that quite vividly. Now as far as my feelings, first of all, I thought that was the stupidest name, the Trail Blazers.
Q: Why?
JIM: Well, it seemed like a bunch of yokels out in the woods chopping down trees or something. It just seemed like an odd name. I guess it grew on me, and you know nobody says "Trail Blazers" anymore, it's just "Blazers" for most people. That's a bit different.
Q: Can you talk about the city's overall interest in the team back then?
JIM: Well, for me, personally, back then I didn't have much money to spend on basketball. I was still in high school, had other things going on. The Blazers weren't high on my list of priorities. At least when they started, in 1970. They started getting pretty good when Walton joined, in 1974, and obviously they won the championship in '77, and so I would say interest started to rise in '74, and it gradually increased, and got huge in '77. Alot of interest.
Q: And your interest as well?
JIM: Oh yeah. We were pumped up. Especially that championship year. Man, that was amazing.
Q: What about your mom and dad?
JIM: Oh yeah, them too. In fact, it was a big, big deal at home. When we won the championship, we were over at my mom's house, all of us. I mean everybody. The whole family. And then when they finally won, man, it was just - glorious. And remember, this was at my mom's house, not like the middle of the city or anything, but you could still hear everybody - LOTS of excitement. Fireworks, people yelling, it was great.
Q: You bought season tickets the next year, right?
JIM: We entered into a lottery to have the opportunity to buy two season tickets, and we won, and so we were pretty happy about that. And the next year was amazing as well. We started with an incredible record, 50-10, but then Walton went down, and so everything kind of slowly faded from that point on. But we kept the tickets for three or four years, because it was still the thing to do in Portland at the time, and we still had a pretty good team for a few years.
Q: I always thought that would have been a very interesting time to live in Portland, given the team's success and how every game was sold out.
JIM: Every game. It was amazing. And they had a good team still for a few years. Remember Dave Twardzik? We called him Pinball. I liked him.
Q: They would also open up the old Paramount Theatre and show the games there, right?
JIM: Yeah, and they would fill that as well. They charged admission and everything, but they had no problem filling it. We went there once, I think, just to check it out. It was just like watching a big television. And people made a big deal out of it - you know, screaming and yelling.
Q: The best Portland team I've ever experienced was the early-90s teams. Can you compare that team to the championship team?
JIM: We had Clyde, and we had Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey, some really great players. I remember it was so disappointing, so disappointing, losing to Detroit in 1990. Oh, man. And we were playing so good too, and we just fell apart. I remember watching the last game of that series, and just feeling so terrible at the end of it. Detroit had Bill Laimbeer, you know - man, I couldn't stand that guy. Just enough to drive you nuts. I mean, he was such a jerk.
Q: He seemed like a dirty player.
JIM: Yeah, and he would always hit these shots at the end of games. It was awful. But those teams with Clyde were good, but they just didn't compare, really, with that '77 team. That team had alot more... pizzazz, you know. Get up and go. Really fast. Together. And you know, the biggest difference was that the '90s teams didn't have a Bill Walton. Bill Walton was amazing. That's one thing I remember about that '78 season, the one where he got hurt at the end. I could not believe how that guy could pass the ball. It was astounding. How quick he could pass it, and how - I mean, you're watching the game, and you have no idea he's going to pass it, and all of a sudden it's in somebody else's hands halfway down the court. It was just great to watch that. And the '90s team, who did they have? Duckworth was the big man, but he wasn't close. They've never had anybody since '78, really, that played like Walton. Although Bill Walton, I thought, was a weirdo.
Q: Really? Why?
JIM: Well, he had a bad reputation around here for some time, because he did things like spend time with political activists, and he was a vegetarian, and he had long hair. But I didn't care about that stuff. I know it sounds weird, but he couldn't talk. He couldn't speak. When he talked, you couldn't understand a word he said. He was mumbling, he looked like his lips were four times bigger than what they should've been. I mean, he was just stumbling over the simplest words - and even now, the way he talks... I mean, he talks okay, but he still talks weird. Slow. Anyways, that drove me nuts. And the thing that drove me nuts about it was that this guy had a college education! He went to college...
Q: He was really smart! He has a really high IQ!
JIM: Oh, no doubt. I just never could understand how a guy with a college education could come out and sound like such an idiot. Anyways, that's kind of minor, really. He did have that bad rep, though. And even when he hurt his foot, there were alot of people who thought he was faking it. Thinking that he was unhappy with management or something, and this was his way of getting back at them. I don't think that was the case at all, but there were serious doubts about the legitimacy of his injury. Oh, and there was some other controversy where the doctor was doing stuff to Bill, to make it so he could keep playing. Pain shots, or something, and I think it actually hurt his career long-term. I think later he sued the doctor because he didn't fully understand what was being injected into his body.
Q: In 1990, when we played Detroit, I was about 8, and so I guess that's when I started to really get into the team. In the mid-90s though-
JIM: Well, first of all, you were into it when you were about 5. It seemed like you had all these random stats memorized - which team was first, fourth, last, and you knew exact records, who was doing good... you had this stuff down. You knew players' birthdays memorized, for crying out loud. Anyways, Adelman coached the Finals teams, but there was this guy who coached before him, Mike Schuler... man, I couldn't stand that guy.
Q: He won coach of the year one year! Anyways, I remember vividly you and grandma always complaining about Schuler.
JIM: He just seemed like such a zero, like a used car salesman kind of guy. I liked Adelman, as did everybody else. Hated Carlesimo. Nobody liked him. I think he's an announcer or something now.
Q: No, he's coaching in Seattle!
JIM: He's still coaching? Incredible. A head coach? Yeah, but they got that new player. Durant. He'll carry that team.
Q: Speaking of Kevin Durant, do you see any similarities between our pick of Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan and our pick of Greg Oden over Kevin Durant?
JIM: Well, everybody was excited about Sam Bowie. I guess there were some people wondering if that was the right move, but you know, hindsight is 20/20. Sam Bowie didn't play much for us, but we eventually traded him for Buck Williams, and I loved him, so we at least got something out of him. But at the time, picking Bowie over Jordan wasn't a big deal. It was a couple years later that people started making a big deal out of it.
Q: So as far as similarities between then and now...
JIM: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Although I think Oden has some real potential, assuming that he gets healthy. I have a good feeling about him. Even now. But it's unfortunate, because we already are regretting the pick. Oden was a gamble, but Durant would have been a gamble too. It's still too early to tell.
Q: Considering that we're still trying to get over the Whitsitt years, is it safe to say that the team is on the right track?
JIM: It's interesting, because right now, after Whitsitt and all these other idiots running the team, I have really, really lost a lot of interest with basketball. I mean, we had all these guys who were essentially thugs on that team. Criminals. Management too. It's unfortunate that ten years of Blazer history has pretty much been wasted. I guess we can just try to forget it even existed, but it did. But to answer your question, yes, we are on the right track. They're going in a better direction. It seems like they have some players on the team that are really decent people, you know. That helps. And I don't know, maybe I'm a bit naive about it, but I almost think that you have to have that element in order to be successful. You have to have some decency on the team in order to move ahead.
Our first subject is my dad, Jim. He's been a Trail Blazers supporter from day one. He's a stoic, reserved kind of guy, as you can see. It was pretty tough growing up in such a serious environment.
PROFILE IN BLAZERMANIA
NAME: Jim Hinds
NICKNAME: Top Jimmy
AGE: 51
RESIDENCE: Sandy, Oregon
FAMILY: Married, four kids (three sons, one daughter)
COLLEGES ATTENDED: Portland State University, Purdue University
OCCUPATION: Civil Engineer
FAVORITE SPORT: Soccer
INVOLVEMENT IN SPORTS: Soccer Coach
BLAZER SUPPORTER SINCE: 1969
FAVORITE ALL-TIME BLAZER: Dave Twardzik
INTERVIEW
Q: So, first of all, I'd just like to... what are you laughing for?
JIM: (Laughing) I feel like I'm supposed to be nervous or something.
Q: Yeah, I know... just accept for one minute that I'm a serious person asking a serious question, okay? I know it might be difficult.
JIM: I'll try.
Q: I want to know if you remember back when Portland got the team, back in 1969, I know you were probably around 15. What was the attitude back then in Portland surrounding the new team? Were people excited? Were you excited?
JIM: Yeah, I do remember a few things. I remember the owner, Larry Weinberg. And you know how my dad was, you know, he was always anti-government, thinking all those guys downtown were knuckleheads, and all that money that they spent on putting the Coliseum together was a waste, and he had absolutely no use for those guys and what they were doing. You know, Weinberg, Glickman, all those guys - he thought all those guys were cheats and thieves, and he was always complaining about them. I remember that quite vividly. Now as far as my feelings, first of all, I thought that was the stupidest name, the Trail Blazers.
Q: Why?
JIM: Well, it seemed like a bunch of yokels out in the woods chopping down trees or something. It just seemed like an odd name. I guess it grew on me, and you know nobody says "Trail Blazers" anymore, it's just "Blazers" for most people. That's a bit different.Q: Can you talk about the city's overall interest in the team back then?
JIM: Well, for me, personally, back then I didn't have much money to spend on basketball. I was still in high school, had other things going on. The Blazers weren't high on my list of priorities. At least when they started, in 1970. They started getting pretty good when Walton joined, in 1974, and obviously they won the championship in '77, and so I would say interest started to rise in '74, and it gradually increased, and got huge in '77. Alot of interest.
Q: And your interest as well?
JIM: Oh yeah. We were pumped up. Especially that championship year. Man, that was amazing.
Q: What about your mom and dad?
JIM: Oh yeah, them too. In fact, it was a big, big deal at home. When we won the championship, we were over at my mom's house, all of us. I mean everybody. The whole family. And then when they finally won, man, it was just - glorious. And remember, this was at my mom's house, not like the middle of the city or anything, but you could still hear everybody - LOTS of excitement. Fireworks, people yelling, it was great.
Q: You bought season tickets the next year, right?
JIM: We entered into a lottery to have the opportunity to buy two season tickets, and we won, and so we were pretty happy about that. And the next year was amazing as well. We started with an incredible record, 50-10, but then Walton went down, and so everything kind of slowly faded from that point on. But we kept the tickets for three or four years, because it was still the thing to do in Portland at the time, and we still had a pretty good team for a few years.
Q: I always thought that would have been a very interesting time to live in Portland, given the team's success and how every game was sold out.
JIM: Every game. It was amazing. And they had a good team still for a few years. Remember Dave Twardzik? We called him Pinball. I liked him.
Q: They would also open up the old Paramount Theatre and show the games there, right?
JIM: Yeah, and they would fill that as well. They charged admission and everything, but they had no problem filling it. We went there once, I think, just to check it out. It was just like watching a big television. And people made a big deal out of it - you know, screaming and yelling.
Q: The best Portland team I've ever experienced was the early-90s teams. Can you compare that team to the championship team?
JIM: We had Clyde, and we had Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey, some really great players. I remember it was so disappointing, so disappointing, losing to Detroit in 1990. Oh, man. And we were playing so good too, and we just fell apart. I remember watching the last game of that series, and just feeling so terrible at the end of it. Detroit had Bill Laimbeer, you know - man, I couldn't stand that guy. Just enough to drive you nuts. I mean, he was such a jerk.
Q: He seemed like a dirty player.
JIM: Yeah, and he would always hit these shots at the end of games. It was awful. But those teams with Clyde were good, but they just didn't compare, really, with that '77 team. That team had alot more... pizzazz, you know. Get up and go. Really fast. Together. And you know, the biggest difference was that the '90s teams didn't have a Bill Walton. Bill Walton was amazing. That's one thing I remember about that '78 season, the one where he got hurt at the end. I could not believe how that guy could pass the ball. It was astounding. How quick he could pass it, and how - I mean, you're watching the game, and you have no idea he's going to pass it, and all of a sudden it's in somebody else's hands halfway down the court. It was just great to watch that. And the '90s team, who did they have? Duckworth was the big man, but he wasn't close. They've never had anybody since '78, really, that played like Walton. Although Bill Walton, I thought, was a weirdo.Q: Really? Why?
JIM: Well, he had a bad reputation around here for some time, because he did things like spend time with political activists, and he was a vegetarian, and he had long hair. But I didn't care about that stuff. I know it sounds weird, but he couldn't talk. He couldn't speak. When he talked, you couldn't understand a word he said. He was mumbling, he looked like his lips were four times bigger than what they should've been. I mean, he was just stumbling over the simplest words - and even now, the way he talks... I mean, he talks okay, but he still talks weird. Slow. Anyways, that drove me nuts. And the thing that drove me nuts about it was that this guy had a college education! He went to college...
Q: He was really smart! He has a really high IQ!
JIM: Oh, no doubt. I just never could understand how a guy with a college education could come out and sound like such an idiot. Anyways, that's kind of minor, really. He did have that bad rep, though. And even when he hurt his foot, there were alot of people who thought he was faking it. Thinking that he was unhappy with management or something, and this was his way of getting back at them. I don't think that was the case at all, but there were serious doubts about the legitimacy of his injury. Oh, and there was some other controversy where the doctor was doing stuff to Bill, to make it so he could keep playing. Pain shots, or something, and I think it actually hurt his career long-term. I think later he sued the doctor because he didn't fully understand what was being injected into his body.
Q: In 1990, when we played Detroit, I was about 8, and so I guess that's when I started to really get into the team. In the mid-90s though-
JIM: Well, first of all, you were into it when you were about 5. It seemed like you had all these random stats memorized - which team was first, fourth, last, and you knew exact records, who was doing good... you had this stuff down. You knew players' birthdays memorized, for crying out loud. Anyways, Adelman coached the Finals teams, but there was this guy who coached before him, Mike Schuler... man, I couldn't stand that guy.
Q: He won coach of the year one year! Anyways, I remember vividly you and grandma always complaining about Schuler.
JIM: He just seemed like such a zero, like a used car salesman kind of guy. I liked Adelman, as did everybody else. Hated Carlesimo. Nobody liked him. I think he's an announcer or something now.
Q: No, he's coaching in Seattle!
JIM: He's still coaching? Incredible. A head coach? Yeah, but they got that new player. Durant. He'll carry that team.
Q: Speaking of Kevin Durant, do you see any similarities between our pick of Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan and our pick of Greg Oden over Kevin Durant?
JIM: Well, everybody was excited about Sam Bowie. I guess there were some people wondering if that was the right move, but you know, hindsight is 20/20. Sam Bowie didn't play much for us, but we eventually traded him for Buck Williams, and I loved him, so we at least got something out of him. But at the time, picking Bowie over Jordan wasn't a big deal. It was a couple years later that people started making a big deal out of it.
Q: So as far as similarities between then and now...
JIM: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Although I think Oden has some real potential, assuming that he gets healthy. I have a good feeling about him. Even now. But it's unfortunate, because we already are regretting the pick. Oden was a gamble, but Durant would have been a gamble too. It's still too early to tell.
Q: Considering that we're still trying to get over the Whitsitt years, is it safe to say that the team is on the right track?
JIM: It's interesting, because right now, after Whitsitt and all these other idiots running the team, I have really, really lost a lot of interest with basketball. I mean, we had all these guys who were essentially thugs on that team. Criminals. Management too. It's unfortunate that ten years of Blazer history has pretty much been wasted. I guess we can just try to forget it even existed, but it did. But to answer your question, yes, we are on the right track. They're going in a better direction. It seems like they have some players on the team that are really decent people, you know. That helps. And I don't know, maybe I'm a bit naive about it, but I almost think that you have to have that element in order to be successful. You have to have some decency on the team in order to move ahead.
13 October 2007
The Real Jelani
Yesterday we lost to the Nuggets. Big deal. Denver pretty much had a full team. Hell, Kenyon Martin even played. It's funny how I think of preseason. When we win, it's a positive sign, a step in the right direction. When we lose, who cares? It's preseason. Nobody gives a crap about preseason - least of all, me. The only important thing that came out of yesterday's game was the race for the starting small forward spot, which became even more heated. Travis Outlaw, who not only showed up late to Wednesday's game, but only yesterday was revealed to have failed McMillan's training camp conditioning test, came through with a solid game, although Webster led the team in scoring again. If you're following the Blazers through October, that's the race to watch.
Looking through the box score, I noticed Jelani McCoy plays for the Nuggets. Jelani McCoy! Wow, that takes me back. As it happens, I have a pretty good Jelani McCoy story...
McCoy played for the Sonics his first three years in the league, and he had a reputation as a bit of a goofball. He was always joking around, and although the coaching staff never played him, his teammates loved him, the ballboys loved him, and he was one of the reasons the Sonics were a great team to hang around back then. This was a few years after their mid-90s team that made the NBA Finals, and so their competitive edge had dimmed significantly. Payton was still with the team, but he had mellowed quite a bit, and he was easy to talk to. We talked from time to time, and I told him I was almost done with high school. He spent some time trying to convince me to go to Oregon State, his alma mater. Of course, I would have rather lived in a septic tank than Corvallis, Oregon, but I played along.
Anyways, players would often ask me to get them food before or during the game. Sometimes they would pay beforehand and tell me to keep the change, and other times they would tell me what they wanted, and I would go up to the concession stand and buy it myself, telling them later how much it was, and they would reimburse me. I had no problem doing this, because most of the time they would tip me an obscene amount. Say, $50 for two hot dogs. Seriously. This happened all the time. It was awesome.
One day the Sonics were in town, and my co-worker and good friend Brian told me that the last time Seattle came to Portland to play, Jelani McCoy had asked him to get him some food, but he never paid Brian back. Brian wanted $20, but he was afraid to straight up ask McCoy for it. He was kind of shy. Plus, there's no way McCoy would remember it, considering it was like three months prior, and he was in the middle of an NBA season, constantly traveling from city to city. Very well, then. "I'll ask him for you", I volunteered. By this point in my Blazers career, I had lost all reservations that might arise when it came to asking millionaires for money. I was going to get my friend's money back.
After the game, I followed McCoy out to the bus, and stopped him right before we got to the loading dock. "Hey Jelani," I said. He turned around and gave me a what's-up nod. "Last time you guys were here, apparently you told my co-worker that you were gonna hook him up."
"I did?" he asked.
"Yeah. He's just too afraid to ask you. He doesn't want to seem greedy."
He looked embarrassed. "Oh, man. I can't believe I forgot. Tell him I said I'm sorry". He opened his wallet, and there were maybe thirty $100 bills in there. He grabbed two and gave them to me, then smiled and got on the bus.
Wow. That was easy! I gave one bill to Brian, and kept one bill for myself. What a great friend I was! Also, such negotiation skills! Even better, I didn't tell Brian the whole story, and so word spread about my newly discovered abilities. My reputation soared, and the other ballboys would come to me for sagely advice. All thanks to Jelani McCoy, his unassuming smile, and his open wallet.
TJH
Looking through the box score, I noticed Jelani McCoy plays for the Nuggets. Jelani McCoy! Wow, that takes me back. As it happens, I have a pretty good Jelani McCoy story...
McCoy played for the Sonics his first three years in the league, and he had a reputation as a bit of a goofball. He was always joking around, and although the coaching staff never played him, his teammates loved him, the ballboys loved him, and he was one of the reasons the Sonics were a great team to hang around back then. This was a few years after their mid-90s team that made the NBA Finals, and so their competitive edge had dimmed significantly. Payton was still with the team, but he had mellowed quite a bit, and he was easy to talk to. We talked from time to time, and I told him I was almost done with high school. He spent some time trying to convince me to go to Oregon State, his alma mater. Of course, I would have rather lived in a septic tank than Corvallis, Oregon, but I played along.
Anyways, players would often ask me to get them food before or during the game. Sometimes they would pay beforehand and tell me to keep the change, and other times they would tell me what they wanted, and I would go up to the concession stand and buy it myself, telling them later how much it was, and they would reimburse me. I had no problem doing this, because most of the time they would tip me an obscene amount. Say, $50 for two hot dogs. Seriously. This happened all the time. It was awesome.
One day the Sonics were in town, and my co-worker and good friend Brian told me that the last time Seattle came to Portland to play, Jelani McCoy had asked him to get him some food, but he never paid Brian back. Brian wanted $20, but he was afraid to straight up ask McCoy for it. He was kind of shy. Plus, there's no way McCoy would remember it, considering it was like three months prior, and he was in the middle of an NBA season, constantly traveling from city to city. Very well, then. "I'll ask him for you", I volunteered. By this point in my Blazers career, I had lost all reservations that might arise when it came to asking millionaires for money. I was going to get my friend's money back.
After the game, I followed McCoy out to the bus, and stopped him right before we got to the loading dock. "Hey Jelani," I said. He turned around and gave me a what's-up nod. "Last time you guys were here, apparently you told my co-worker that you were gonna hook him up.""I did?" he asked.
"Yeah. He's just too afraid to ask you. He doesn't want to seem greedy."
He looked embarrassed. "Oh, man. I can't believe I forgot. Tell him I said I'm sorry". He opened his wallet, and there were maybe thirty $100 bills in there. He grabbed two and gave them to me, then smiled and got on the bus.
Wow. That was easy! I gave one bill to Brian, and kept one bill for myself. What a great friend I was! Also, such negotiation skills! Even better, I didn't tell Brian the whole story, and so word spread about my newly discovered abilities. My reputation soared, and the other ballboys would come to me for sagely advice. All thanks to Jelani McCoy, his unassuming smile, and his open wallet.
TJH
11 October 2007
An Alright Start
My friend Andy texted me last night with a simple question:
"Do you have any idea how excited I am right now listening to the Blazers on the radio?!"
Indeed I do. Blazer basketball is back, and although it's only preseason, I'm chuffed. The start of basketball season feels like an old friend has came back in your life after a prolonged absence. Maybe your friend was sick, or away at school, or maybe he got a girlfriend that took up all his time. But good news - he broke up with his girlfriend, and he's back hanging out with the old crew. It's just like old times!
I wasn't able to catch the game last night, but from everything I've heard, the wheels are in motion. On the court, we had Martell hitting nine shots in a row on his way to 28 points, putting him a leg up against Travis Outlaw in the race for the starting small forward slot. We had Outlaw's shot not falling - ditto Channing Frye and Steve Blake - but he did help fill up the brand spanking new Hustle Board. Aldridge was impressive, as expected, and Sergio Rodriguez showed up with a beard (!) and determination to not be forgotten, dishing out seven dimes in 17 minutes. We also had Greg Oden taking a page out of the Amare Stoudamire fashion handbook and going with the "open-blazer/untucked-dress-shirt/ridiculously-overpriced-jeans" look. Too bad. I went with the "double-breasted pinstriped suit" in the office pool.
In other news, the Rose Garden has been revamped again, with a new JumboTron and sound system to go along with the year-old (and fantastic) Club Level. It's not just bells and whistles - a reliable source told me it's "waaaaaay better". Can't wait to check it out myself. Also, with scumbag Zach Randolph and his Hoops Family out of the picture, there's less chance of gunfire or a drug deal going down outside the locker room. The culture has changed.
It was an alright start. The Blazers didn't play a great game. They played a solid game against a team missing so many players that a guy named "Kimani Ffriend" played more than ten minutes. But it's always to start things off positively, and we need as much of that as we can get.
An alright start, indeed.
TJH
"Do you have any idea how excited I am right now listening to the Blazers on the radio?!"
Indeed I do. Blazer basketball is back, and although it's only preseason, I'm chuffed. The start of basketball season feels like an old friend has came back in your life after a prolonged absence. Maybe your friend was sick, or away at school, or maybe he got a girlfriend that took up all his time. But good news - he broke up with his girlfriend, and he's back hanging out with the old crew. It's just like old times!
I wasn't able to catch the game last night, but from everything I've heard, the wheels are in motion. On the court, we had Martell hitting nine shots in a row on his way to 28 points, putting him a leg up against Travis Outlaw in the race for the starting small forward slot. We had Outlaw's shot not falling - ditto Channing Frye and Steve Blake - but he did help fill up the brand spanking new Hustle Board. Aldridge was impressive, as expected, and Sergio Rodriguez showed up with a beard (!) and determination to not be forgotten, dishing out seven dimes in 17 minutes. We also had Greg Oden taking a page out of the Amare Stoudamire fashion handbook and going with the "open-blazer/untucked-dress-shirt/ridiculously-overpriced-jeans" look. Too bad. I went with the "double-breasted pinstriped suit" in the office pool.
In other news, the Rose Garden has been revamped again, with a new JumboTron and sound system to go along with the year-old (and fantastic) Club Level. It's not just bells and whistles - a reliable source told me it's "waaaaaay better". Can't wait to check it out myself. Also, with scumbag Zach Randolph and his Hoops Family out of the picture, there's less chance of gunfire or a drug deal going down outside the locker room. The culture has changed.
It was an alright start. The Blazers didn't play a great game. They played a solid game against a team missing so many players that a guy named "Kimani Ffriend" played more than ten minutes. But it's always to start things off positively, and we need as much of that as we can get.
An alright start, indeed.
TJH
09 October 2007
Training Camp...
Ty, I think I know what we need for our training camp roster. Other than Petway from Michigan who I guarantee will make at least three highlight-reel worthy dunks, we need one of those salty vets to come in and make a run for a roster spot. The Wizards have Tony Massenburg on their training camp squad. He is so old that he was in Nintendo's Double Dribble.
An old vet like that can teach all our young guys the dirty little secrets that will keep them in the league until their 50. Maybe we should sign Oakley? Well, I guess we do have Przybilla, but he's the youngest old guy in the league.
This is a big day for the Blazers, our first game against the Clips. The Clips, by the way, put out a starting lineup last night with Tim Thomas as their tallest player. With all their injuries they have they are really taking the small-ball thing to heart.
This is what I want to see tonight:
-- Aldridge scoring in the post.
-- Przybilla make 60% of his free-throws.
-- Sergio Garcia make good decisions.
-- Taurean Green hit outside shots, because the coaching staff is raving about his outside shot. I just hope he isn't a practice player all-star.
-- Channing Frye play the 3 against Al Thornton.
-- Oden in a suit or in sweats?
The start of the season is here. Let's pray that we get through trai
An old vet like that can teach all our young guys the dirty little secrets that will keep them in the league until their 50. Maybe we should sign Oakley? Well, I guess we do have Przybilla, but he's the youngest old guy in the league.
This is a big day for the Blazers, our first game against the Clips. The Clips, by the way, put out a starting lineup last night with Tim Thomas as their tallest player. With all their injuries they have they are really taking the small-ball thing to heart.
This is what I want to see tonight:
-- Aldridge scoring in the post.
-- Przybilla make 60% of his free-throws.
-- Sergio Garcia make good decisions.
-- Taurean Green hit outside shots, because the coaching staff is raving about his outside shot. I just hope he isn't a practice player all-star.
-- Channing Frye play the 3 against Al Thornton.
-- Oden in a suit or in sweats?
The start of the season is here. Let's pray that we get through trai