The L.A. game tonight was very telling. Not because Portland outplayed the Lakers. They did. Not because the Blazers seem to be coming together with a critical mass of toughness with Andre Miller, Wesley Matthews and Gerald Wallace on the squad now. They are. (Or so I hope)

No, what was telling about the game was the way Los Angeles attempted to intimidate the Blazers. It may seem to the Portland fans (who tend to spend all their energy and focus yelling about the refereeing) that Ron Artest was simply a little unhinged tonight. Or that Andrew Bynum is a dirty player. But these are not accidents. I think little that happens under Phil Jackson is an accident.

No, the Blazers have been throughout this era, and still are, SOFT! And the Lakers know that after being outplayed, outhustled and outshot, that they can still beat the Blazers with one simple tactic: intimidate them down the stretch. Elbows; pushes; bumps; etc. They will back down. They will start shying from the rim as they get near it. LMA will start missing his shots. Brandon will start whining more and more shrilly at the refs. Rudy and Nic will disappear.

Now the telling part. The Lakers, turning their tactic towards intimidation, had only one player on the Blazers to go after. Because they already owned the manhood of the rest of this team. And who was that player?

Well, obviously, Gerald Wallace. What that tells you, is that Phil Jackson, and the Lakers knew, that if they owned Gerald, they would own the whole team. 

I don't know, but from where i sat, I think Gerald still has his. Will the rest of the puppies on this "high character" team take the cue and learn something tonight? 

When they start pushing you around, Blazers, its because what you're doing on the court is working. IT MEANS YOU'VE GOT THEM!!

Man up, Portland.

A year and a half ago the Blazers signed Andre Miller to fill an obvious need: We were too easy to defend in the playoffs. A one dimensional, uninspired offense was shown up in the playoffs by Rick Adelman and the Houston Rockets. It was obvious: The Brandon Roy show was not going to get it done. We needed to be more resilient and multi-dimensional.

And so i applauded this move. Get a veteran, a pro, and a playmaker. 

But it seems not everyone got the memo. Over a year ago, I was astonished to see the resistance and fumbling with which Nate Mcmillen and Brandon Roy received Andre Miller. 

It was then that i made this post: http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/10/23/1098192/how-nate-and-brandon-both-flailed

It was clear that there were leadership and ego issues that, if not confronted, would persist and create difficulties. Someone needed to sit BRoy down and explain to him that the style of play of the '08-'09 team was fundamentally flawed. And that he needed to adapt his game with the strategic post-season needs of the team in mind.

Well guess what? A full year has passed. And nothing has changed. THE CONVERSATION THAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN WITH BRANDON ROY A FULL YEAR AGO STILL HAS NOT HAPPENED. BRANDON IS STILL BEHAVING LIKE A SPOILED TEENAGER. In terms of chemistry and leadership, we are still in the same place a full season later!

Instead these very issues, the resistance and turf struggles, have persisted, morphed, and grown to a level of intractability that is remarkable. Obviously the injuries have created an embattled environment. But the leadership deficit was going to play out one way or the other. How was this missed?

There is a life lesson here. Pushing off confronting one's self seldom pays dividends. And humans, sadly, will point a finger at everything/one but themselves.

And to all of you BEdgers who have been so dismissive and condescending when I have tried to raise these issues, do you think now its time to take off the jackboot? 

Well, I just had to jump in on this one. Because that is the most steely steel I've seen yet from a Pritchard era Blazers' team.

And I've got no great statistical analysis here. Or tactical insight. Just some love for this Portland Trailblazers team.

Yes, we've seen some amazing heroics and fight these past 3 years, often from our brilliant All Star. But what the Blazers brought last night was of a different genus. There was a resolve on the floor last night, and it wasn't of the "Time for our stopper to step up" variety. Nor of the "watch us claw and scrape our way back in to it" variety.

It was of the "We are going to go in to your house, take everything you've got to throw at us,  parry and fend, body blow, bend and twist, never wavering, until finally, we put you down." variety. Yes, Portland!

Do you not feel the power of our starting five? It gives chills!

True, we are not deep. With combinations of 5-6-7-8 on the floor that yearling feel can reemerge. But the bench endures, buoyed by the knowledge that the mantle is borne. Until the gravity of the Camby-Miller-Aldridge-Batum quorum returns to the floor to carry it. And with them, that sense of exalted yet ego-less purpose that is suddenly the aura of this team. An aura that one sees in, dare I say it, a champion.

Finally, after three years of following this team and posting/commenting on this blog, I will say it: These are men, not boys. And I am pretty damn excited about that!

Success, and the challenges that come with it, are what separates the boys from the men.

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You have to give some respect to a player of Andre Miller's caliber and experience. He's earned it. It's not like some rookie, who you tell to "go out and earn a role on this team." So, if you don't see a role for him on the first unit, you have to be clear from the start: "ANDRE, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE YOU IN PORTLAND, BUT YOU WILL NOT BE STARTING."

But maybe you're not completely sure about this, maybe you have a difficult time delivering bad news, maybe you are confrontation adverse, maybe you're the head coach of the Portland Trailblazers.

So you hedge when having this discussion with Andre Miller. You really want a veteran presence like Miller on your team, so you don't come right out and say what you need to say. And then, a few days later, You sense that you were not as clear as you needed to be to show Miller the respect he's earned. So what do you do? YOU GO BEHIND MILLER'S BACK TO THE PRESS AND ANNOUNCE THAT BLAKE IS YOUR STARTER!

You just flailed.

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It's summer time and you are sitting pretty. Just signed to a max contract, an All Star season and a trip to the playoffs, you're feeling like you can handle anything life throws at you. So maybe your danger radar is not on alert when you get the call from your GM telling you that that they're thinking about signing a playmaking point guard. Sure, you're the guy who likes to have the ball in his hands, but you really kind of believe all the talk about "team first," so you figure that come the season, you'll figure out how to make it work. SO YOU DON'T EXPRESS YOUR RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE SIGNING.

Now it's the preseason, and, sure enough, Andre Miller is on the team, and he is bringing his game. Attacking, driving, playmaking. It makes you a little uneasy because that is your role on the team. So what do you do? Do you dig in? Play even harder, demanding the ball, playing your game and forcing the new PG to become primarily an assist maker and less of a scorer? 

No, you get a little mopey, give 80% effort when Miller is on the court, and sandbag his attempts to unify the first unit.

You just flailed.

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Well now the season is about to start. And Andre Miller, already disrespected, is going to be on the bench. Who knows, maybe he can deal with it. Maybe he takes the high road and does not demand a trade. Nate, Brandon and yes, KP, have opened the door to locker room issues through their fumbling. But what can be done now?

Not much. Barring a trade. For Brandon and Nate, learn from the mistake. Make a good faith effort to integrate Miller and Roy. Address the communication/non-confrontational issues. 

Start that by shutting the heck up.

No more, "MY DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN," when Nate goes backdoor to use the media to cover his own butt. No more, "I JUST HOPE THE SECOND UNIT BUYS IN TO THE TEAM," after Brandon sandbags Andre's efforts to integrate in to the first unit. 

Please?

Look. Let me put aside the fundamental fact that complaining about the refereeing is not very helpful. I pray that the Blazers are not wasting their energy right now doing so.

Here's the thing. The referees reward advantage. It is the job of the offense to create advantage over the defense. To get the defense off balance, rotating, or recovering. To find mismatches. To break them down. To create an open lane to the basket. When this has happened, the ref will blow the whistle whether or not an actual hack has been made. They can't see everything as it happens, and this is how the game is called.

It is why I don't understand all the complaining. Because we did not, by and large, create that advantage. Sure, its frustrating, and venting is understandable, but you could put ten different referee crews out there, and they would call the game the same way.

Seeing it as the refs being decisive is failing to see something way more essential: we failed to solve Houston's defense last night. And until we find some way to create that advantage, we are going to lose.

The posts I have seen so far previewing the series have been cursory or overlooked what might be the key match-up in this series: Coaching.

And what a challenge it is. Because against most of our Western Conference nemeses, it is our defense that must be shored up, with individual matchups presenting problems that can be compensated for. Against Houston, it is our offensive capability that presents an immediate issue.

Nate has to find a way to score against Houston. This match-up is truly ironic, considering the evolution of our style of play this season exemplified by Nate's position as a player. Houston's ability to close down the lane for Brandon places even more importance on our point guard play.

Nate brought a tight fist to coaching the 1 especially early on. But a focus on limiting mistakes has slowly given way to allowing a measure of creativity and movement as the season evolved and the players found their confidence. Steve exemplifies the "limit errors approach" and Sergio the "make magic happen approach." As the season has progressed, the two have converged somewhat, and both improved as a result.

But improved enough to create bursts of scoring against a stifling Houston defense that is likely to shut down our leading scorer, making the PG play even more critical?

As the season progressed, we saw more transitional baskets/points in the paint/ scoring off of put backs. In other words, taking advantage of breakdowns in the defense.

The question then becomes, how do we create these opportunities against a team that is a rock defensively?

My worry is that against Houston's tough half-court defense, Portland and Nate will be inclined to tighten up and turn back to the early season grind it out approach to offense. It's almost like this is the final exam for this team, but it feels like it's coming around mid-term. How to be creative and fluid against a defensive rock like Houston? The analogy works: Flow around, don't push when faced with a rock. Think like a river!

Random ideas:

We should run and run and run, create opportunities in transition. Our quick hands on the defensive end will really help as we need to force turnovers so we can run.

Movement in the half court set. If they're going to play up on our perimeter players, let's make them work in the half court set with passing and off the ball movement.

I want the long and lean arms of Batum and Outlaw and LaMarcus finding the vertical crease.

Use the low post for playmaking? Lamarcus and Greg are capable of the finding the cutter or open shooter. Have a method besides a driving Brandon of taking advantage of the spacing that our perimeter shooters create.

Is there a way to use Houston's defensive focus on Brandon to create opportunities for other players? Is it time for Brandon to set some picks?

How about the twin towers? Throw some new looks at them.

Any other ideas?

We are going to need to take some measured risks.

Good luck Nate! Go Portland.

For Home Court Advantage.

This may or may not have been covered before here on BE.

Having Joel back in the first unit is a hidden reason for LMA's recent success. I remember thinking earlier in the season that LaMarcus was having a difficult time adjusting to the Oden presence. Joel is very solid and systematic in how he plays the game. And LaMarcus knows him better because he has had more time with him.

This is another example of how the Fates have favored the Blazers this year. The bone chip put Greg in the second unit where he is more comfortable. And put Joel back in the first unit thus making LaMarcus more comfortable!

Dig those Fates this year!

I begin to understand why Greg Oden generated so much excitement out of college. He has so many attributes that make him a remarkable player. Size, speed, strength.

But lately, I have been particularly astonished with one of Greg's gifts: Have you ever seen an NBA player with hands like his?

That offensive rebound in the first quarter when he one-handed the ball fully extended and two feet behind his head was absolutely masterful. Is there another athlete in the league that can make that play?

The basketball behaves like a grapefruit in his hands.

And with Mitts like that, Greg can use one arm to fend off the two guys who are draped against him while he simply fields the basketball. And then have his way with it.

Greg Oden. I am beginning to believe!

We are getting some separation in the West. And things look pretty knotted at the 2-9 seed. But wait, there is no 9 seed! Musical chairs anyone?

Here they are, our enemies!:

LA, Utah, San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans, Dallas, Phoenix, Denver

I find it difficult to feel comfortable with a 2 1/2 game lead over any of these teams.

By the numbers, we seem to have an edge:

1. We've played 15 of 22 on the road. That means we get to play 34 of 60 at home.

2. We play 17 out of 60 against lower Western teams OKC, Memphis, LAC, Minnesota, Golden State and Sac.

3. And 21 more against the East.

4. That leaves 22 games against the Western Perennials against whom we are currently 3-5. These games are triply important because:

-they are a prelude to whatever playoff match-up we draw.

-a win or loss represents a +/- 2 in the standings.

-symbolically, as these teams have owned the West.

I find it difficult to lump the Eastern teams together for degree of difficulty for Portland because of matchups, coaching changes and the weirdness of upside down East-West balance.  Toronto, Washington and New York games give me reason to think that any Eastern matchup could be a battle. And yet, we have performed really well against the East this year.

Not comfortable calling any game against Golden State or Minnesota a sure thing. And maybe that is the thing about this Blazer team. You look at a given matchup and it is hard to say that they are assured of victory. But, the Blazers keep winning all of these close games. and they keep winning at home. Nice!

That said, I will be looking at those 22 games as the most reliable predictor of our playoff chances and the general ascendancy of this team.

Go Blazers!

Hello BEers all! I was hoping you could recommend some bars to watch the games at, preferably good places to hang with other Blazer fanatics. I live in inner SE but anywhere close in is fine. Thanks so much!

 Go Blazers Go Blazers! Go Blazers! Go Blazers! Go Blazers! Go Blazers! Go Blazers! Go Blazers! Go Blazers! Go Blazers! Go Blazers! Go Blazers! Go Blazers! Go Blazers! Go Blazers! Go Blazers!

There. 75 words. Exactly!