SB Nation User Blog: Dave

Game 18 Preview: Grizzlies vs. Blazers

Dave — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:25:39 -0000

Game Time: 7:00 p.m Pacific TV: Comcast

The Grizzlies are not the same 1-6 team they were when we faced them a couple weeks ago in Memphis. They've actually earned a winning record since then, 4-3 to be exact. Granted those victories came over the Timberwolves, Clippers, Kings, and Sixers, but if beating subpar teams were a crime the Blazers would be doing hard time about now so we'll give them some credit. The winning formula for the Grizz has been pretty simple. Let Rudy Gay score all he wants and then get the ball to the big guys in his wake. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol have had impressive runs as of late as Memphis has finally managed to tap into the scoring potential of multiple players at the same time...at least when they're not defended well. They've accomplished this by riding the starting lineup as much as possible and the bench can go suck an egg. Since the bench was sucking eggs long before this no matter how many minutes they got, it's worked out to the good. O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley are still spotty and Jamaal Tinsley has been mostly unfortunate, but if the frontcourt plays well the pressure is off the young (or old, in Tinsley's case) backcourt. If they have bad games then the Grizz will probably fall short, but if they have a good game Memphis actually has a chance to win.

Here's another streak that might surprise you. The Grizzlies have held their opponent under 100 in 4 out of their last 8 games. The only one of those they lost was to us. There was a time when Memphis couldn't hold an opponent under 100 in three quarters. Granted the offenses they've been lining up against aren't exactly prolific but that hasn't mattered much in the past. The Grizz were in the business of making every opposing offense prolific.

Memphis continues to do a nice job on the boards, especially offensive, and they continue to make a killing at the free throw line. Their athletes draw whistles, pure and simple. The extra points generated, second chance and charity alike, supplement their already fine scoring ability and make them dangerous.

All of that said, this is still Memphis. They're not going to hold down anyone who makes a sustained effort offensively. They're not good individual defenders and they don't work well together. They'll devolve into one-on-one play on offense as well. They'll turn the ball over. They barely attempt any threes and they don't hit the ones they attempt. That means halfcourt defense is fairly simple: keep them from scoring easily in the lane. They can shoot all the jumpers they want. They'll not win that way.

Bottom line: You probably shouldn't lose to the Grizzlies, period. You really shouldn't lose to the Grizzlies on your home floor.

Pivotal Points of the Game

1. Keep them from those extra points. Don't let them offensive rebound. Don't foul.

2. Do not let them run! Breakaways are one way they can easily hurt you. There's no excuse for not getting back on defense.

3. Once you have them in the halfcourt, pack the middle.

4. Don't be tempted to take the first shot they give you even when it looks nice. They're not good defenders but if you get lazy they look better than they are. They will SO let you move the ball. Do it! Every jumper should be wide open, preferably off of a pass. Otherwise you should be getting the ball inside.

5. Take advantage of their turnovers.

6. Stifle Rudy Gay and you take the game.

Final Thoughts

You can enter tonight's Jersey Contest form here

Check out the Grizzlies' progress at StraightOuttaVancouver and ThreeShadesofBlue

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

P.S. It's not exactly Blazer-related but you have to give the Oregonian's Grant Butler props. This article has been begging to be written for years. Finally someone came through. Thanks, Grant!

Become Our Competitor (and Colleagues and Friends)

Dave — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:23:01 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

OHHHH! I wanted to do it but my team won't let me out of my contract! Unfair!!!

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As has been mentioned a couple times in the sidebar (please do look before posting a topic to make sure it's not already been covered two posts down, by the way) Henry Abbott has announced that the Truehoop Network is looking to bolster its Blazer coverage by relaunching its current Portland blog. He's taking offers, auditions, submissions, and worshipful entreaties. I've heard he has a soft spot for Lindor Truffles and microbrews, so you may want to add some of those to whatever material you submit just to keep the process rolling.

For those who have asked, SBN and ESPN are separate companies, much like Microsoft and Apple. Both are wonderful entities. Both would be a pleasure to work for. I'd be flattered to be considered for the Truehoop Network, especially since Henry is a good friend and someone I respect beyond compare. But at the end of the day we're happy with SBN, we love our home here, and the idea of packing up the attic, moving, and starting anew isn't something we'd consider.

But that doesn't mean some of you shouldn't jump at the opportunity. I've always viewed our community as a seed bed for great discussion. Sometimes those seeds sprout into whole new plants. If a Blazersedge reader or two were part of the next Blazer blogging team at the Truehoop Network both Ben and I would heartily applaud. Some of you are knowledgable and qualified. If you have the passion and know there's ground yet unsown that you can cultivate yourself, you should talk to Henry. He and Kevin Arnovitz are two of the most amazing people you'll ever meet and they'd be a joy to work for.

If you're wondering why in the world we're trumpeting the search for people who theoretically would become our competitors, it's not so strange. First and foremost we love Henry and Truehoop and owe both a debt of gratitude. Second, I've always said this medium resembles movies more than restaurants. If you eat at a restaurant you're going to be full. You're not going to go eat at another soon. When you do go again you're likely to frequent the same one, at least when you want that kind of cuisine again. Movies are different. When you see a good one it makes you want to see more. You don't care what the studio is, you just want a good product. The more good movies there are the more you're going to be encouraged to see.

Most sports franchises, used to competing with other forms of entertainment for your finite supply of disposable dollars, have viewed the online market on the restaurant model. And they've missed plenty of opportunities in doing so. We're different. We want to see good movies too and read good stuff about the Blazers. We know that any good source of information and analysis about the team is going to pique people's interest and make them want more. It's additive more than competitive and we're not even near the limit of good coverage out there before people's eyeballs get tired.

So take a chance, talk to Henry, and see what comes of it. We'll be looking forward to talking to all of you...here, there, and everywhere.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

P.S. I've got a half-dozen e-mails this morning asking for advice and such. It's THANKSGIVING people! You should be cooking turkeys, not worrying about blogging! If I get a chance I'll try to get something up over the weekend in the vein of general things to consider. Even people who aren't interested in starting their own site might find the inside look at the blogging process at Blazersedge interesting. For specifics, though, the best guy to talk to is Henry.

Game 17 Recap: Trail Blazers 93, Nets 83

Dave — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:06:26 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

Kraken, meet Gregzilla.

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Another night, another victory over a team the Blazers should beat. How you look at it depends on your philosophy, I suppose. Skeptic: Portland had better be winning these games. You can't tell anything yet. Fan: Every team is a team the Blazers should beat! Either way, winning beats the heck out of losing, as you could tell by the Nets' expressions (Brook Lopez aside) walking off the floor.

The Blazers did the right thing early, going to Oden and letting the Nets try to stop him. He scored twice before they sent reinforcements. At that point Roy and Webster had free jumpers and the offense was rolling. Well...except for a couple possessions when Blake over-dribbled the ball like he was the shooting guard again. The players just can't let that happen. They have to give him more options. He has to take them. Meanwhile the Nets tried Chris Douglas-Roberts a couple of times before they settled into their theme for the evening: Brook Lopez, Brook Lopez, Brook Lopez. It was as single-note as a Britney Spears hit, but it also worked like a Britney Spears hit. He started tipping and flipping, adding a dunk or two along the way for good measure. Greg Oden had picked up a near-immediate foul to start the game. While he kept a body on Lopez he wasn't going to go after him hard. Joel Przybilla couldn't stop him either. But the inside-out attack of the Blazers beat the inside-in attack of the Nets and Portland exited the period up 5.

At that point both teams signed a cease-fire treaty. Well, technically speaking it wasn't a cease fire since both teams kept firing. It was more of a cease-hitting treaty. For the better part of the next two quarters the Blazers were content to moderate the tempo and trade possessions with the Nets. It started with a Miller-Bayless-Rudy lineup that just didn't work on the offensive end. The mediocrity continued as the Blazers got looks for everyone except LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden. Considering Brandon Roy was on the bench at the time that means nobody that a casual New Jersey fan would recognize shot the ball. Finally Aldridge started getting shots in the final third of the period, bolstered a little by Miller. Coincidentally the ball started going through the hoop. Meanwhile the Nets decided that Brook Lopez wasn't the answer after all...that experimenting was more fun. Each team scored 21 in the second period.

Since the beginning stretch of the cease-hitting treaty went so well the teams agreed to extend it not only in length but in scope. Evidently the final goal was total disarmament...neither team damaging the other in any way, putting the ball through the hoop being replaced by an emotion-baring drum circle around the center court logo, punctuated by the steady blowing of the 24-second horn. The Blazers spent much of the third quarter packing in the defense. After watching Greg Oden score again early in the period the Nets did the same. There was drought. There was famine. There was a mass rush to the concession stand, followed by an 18-minute wait for munchies, followed by returning to seats only to realize that the score was two points different than when you left. New Jersey snuck in a couple layups early. Portland pushed tempo and got some secondary break buckets late. The Nets scored 12 in the quarter, the Blazers 13.

After two quarters of mutual non-hostility Rudy Fernandez finally stepped forward and said, "This is not macho. This is not sexy. This is not allowing me to demonstrate the best traditions of Spanish basketball which my forbears gave into my sacred trust." And he immediately began peppering New Jersey with those insufferable, impossible threes he hits. In true 2009-10 Nets fashion they responded, "Ow! Hey, that hurt! Be more careful...ow! But we promised not to...ow! That's it! RELEASE THE BROOK LOPEZ!" The waters roared and foamed as the great behemoth rose from the depths. There sat the lovely win, chained to a rock, easy prey for whoever would come to claim her. Lopez hit free throws, post shots, spinning layups, tip shots. But it was too late. The medusa head of Rudy's shooting combined with some timely Miller assists and Oden dunks, ended the threat. The ending credits saw the Blazers up by 10, streamers falling, and the Nets looking elsewhere for their first win of the season. Portland didn't win comfortably--the score had been tied midway through the third and the Blazers only led by 6 going into the final period--but they won. That's the important thing.

Portland got past getting obliterated in the paint (a 52-28 points in the paint edge to New Jersey when all was said and done) by shooting 50% from the field, 53% from the arc, and tallying 25 assists on 35 made buckets. The offense was basically right, the Nets couldn't hit a three to save their souls, and that was the ballgame.

Click through for individual notes and links.

Individual Observations

Brandon Roy had a quiet night, taking only 10 shots in 39 minutes, hitting 5 of them, and scoring 13 points with 5 assists and 3 turnovers. On the one hand you say the Blazers didn't need more Brandon tonight. But I'm not as fond of nights like this simply because I think it's hard to make the adjustment between Brandon turning it on and off game to game...if not for him, for the team. You know you're going to need him. Keep the wheels greased. The early-90's Blazers didn't need Clyde every single night but he still got plenty of shots. I think Andre Miller has the right idea that Greg Oden needs to be fed first to get him in the game and establish inside strength. That frees up the whole court for other offensive players. I also think LaMarcus needs to be established early. But once that has happened I think the team really needs to concentrate on getting Brandon his. It worries me a little that we have plenty of players in the middle rotation (Rudy, Martell, Travis) who need to score to feel important. Props to them, they're good players. But Brandon is at the head of the list, period. Feed him.

Greg Oden had another good offensive night, bowling his way to 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks. The team is really starting to rely on him. They don't look the same without him. Good job keeping his head when the whistles blew too. Even though he got 5 fouls he never looked in danger of fouling out.

LaMarcus Aldridge operated mostly from the perimeter tonight, hitting 4-13 shots but also drawing 5 foul shots (which is a good number for him) on his way to 12 points and 8 rebounds. More impressively he got 4 assists. His assist numbers are inching their way up and staying there. This is a great expansion of his game. The opponent used to know exactly what was going to happen when LMA got the ball. Now they have to guess at least a little bit. Between the two of them our starting big men tallied 6 assists which was as much as any individual guard.

Rudy Fernandez got hot late, ending the game having hit 4 of 5 three-pointers for 12 points. He took this game from a close shave to a sure victory. This was good, as his first quarter shift was filled with serious defensive mistakes reminiscent of old Rudy more than this year's model. This team is just begging for Rudy to be great right now. The door is wide open. I hope he can move through it. His entry is dependent on attention to detail as much as anything. He's got to be precise out there.

Martell Webster hit 4 of 8 shots, 2-4 from the arc, for 10 points. He looked confident in his shot. It was hard to tell how well he was playing defensively as the Nets didn't field a lot of threats. Overall he looked a little more energetic than in the last couple of games, likely because he was connecting.

Steve Blake scored 8 points on 3-6 shooting and had 4 assists. When he blends in with the offense it's seamless. As mentioned above, though, when the opponent forces him to stick out it's still not pretty. I'm appreciative of Steve and yet restless with Steve at the same time. I think that the injuries have put him in a place to which he's not suited. Every single time he puts the ball on the floor and tries to attack I wish it were Brandon instead.

Andre Miller helped us push the tempo again, benefitting LaMarcus and several others. The Blazers' secondary break is a potent weapon with almost any conceivable trailer being able to score and/or dunk. Miller knows how to work it. The simple defense tonight (help Oden guard the middle at all costs) benefitted Andre as much as it did Martell. 10 points and 6 assists in 26 minutes.

Joel Przybilla exploded for 10 rebounds in 18 minutes. Nice! He also committed 5 turnovers in those 18 minutes. Not so nice. Still love the effort though.

Dante Cunningham pulled 17 minutes tonight. That's a pretty big chunk for a young fella. He looked energetic and as confident as ever. He didn't play perfectly but he made up for it with effort and having a decent sense of where to be on the court, which I believe is all the coaching staff expects from its rookies. He hit 3-6 shots for 6 points, which was good. He got 5 rebounds and a steal too. That was better. His 2 assists topped off the cake. Looking for others hasn't been a strong suit of our forward corps for years. If this guy has any kind of court vision and unselfishness, I think my toes are going to start curling. Don't expect the world yet, but put another small notch in Cunningham's holster.

Jerryd Bayless got 5 minutes and finished a nifty drive for 2. But he also committed 2 personal fouls, had a little trouble defensively, and couldn't find any kind of groove or create one for others.

Final Thoughts

I'm thankful the Blazers won this won. I'm thankful some of the guys around Roy are starting to look better, both individually and together. I'm thankful for the 12-5 record. I'm thankful that we'll be seeing moderately tougher competition soon so we can be honed and tested more. And I'm thankful for all of you who make Blazersedge the site it is. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Boxscore

Enter Friday's Jersey Contest form here. Remember there's also a Saturday game. The form for that one will open after the Memphis game is complete.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

Gameday Open Thread: Nets vs. Blazers--Post Game Edition

Dave — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:07:57 -0000

Wrap up the conversation about tonight's game right here. The game recap and Media Row Report will be along soon.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

Gameday Open Thread: Nets vs. Blazers--Second Half

Dave — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:06:22 -0000

The second half is getting underway. 24 minutes to victory or disaster. Talk about it here.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

Gameday Open Thread: Nets vs Blazers--First Half

Dave — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:04:25 -0000

And here we go with Game #17. Portland had better win. And winning would be easier if they just trounce the Nets early. Discuss the proceedings here. Please be respectful of each other and don't link to or ask for links to illegal streaming video sites.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

Gameday Open Thread: Nets vs. Blazers--Pre-Game Edition

Dave — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:02:17 -0000

Is there any way on earth the Nets get their first win tonight? Barring a massive Portland breakdown, probably not. But you can talk possibilities and strategies right here until the game starts. You know the drill: respect, be on-topic, no streaming video links or requests for them.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

Game 17 Preview: Nets vs. Blazers

Dave — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:55:56 -0000

Game Time: 7:00 p.m. Pacific TV: Comcast

I'm going to list three names for you. You tell me what they have in common.

Chris Douglas-Roberts
Brook Lopez
Courtney Lee

If you said "The girls from the Channel 7 Eyewitness Reports Squad" you're wrong! They're actually NBA players. They play for the Nets, which means they've been playing like the girls from the Channel 7 Eyewitness Reports Squad. But that's another story.

The Nets come into Portland having not won a game this year. Period. 0-14. That's pretty sick, and not in the hip way. Except for managing a virtual tie in blocked shots and offensive rebounds they're getting beaten, usually handily, in every statistical category you can name. They're scoring 85 a night and averaging a double-digit loss. They're shooting 40 points lower than their opponents from the field, 65 points lower from three. Their offensive efficiency doesn't even register on the scale. The Blazers have played some woeful offensive teams lately. Chicago is 27^th in the league, Charlotte (remember how pitiful that offensive lineup was?) is 5 points below them, another point down is Minnesota, but New Jersey comes in almost 2 points behind the ‘Wolves. This isn't just an issue of slow pace creating low scores. They've really been that bad.

Despite that there are reasons to be cautious of this team right now. The aforementioned Courtney Lee and point guard Devin Harris have been injured for most of the season. Both are back now. That alone should give the Nets a shot in the arm, Harris offensively, Lee defensively. Chris Douglas-Roberts has flourished since the injuries gave him extra shots. Both he and center Brook Lopez have given the Blazers trouble in the past. Lopez is not your prototypical offensive center but he too has been striking gold with the extra looks, scoring 26 against the Pacers (off of 27 shots!) He's a good rebounder some nights. He's tough and mean every night.

The Nets' main mistake in the last couple of years has been banking on mediocre (or worse) acquisitions to bolster their top players. Witness Rafer Alston (an offensive guy shooting 33%), Yi Jianlian (not exactly setting the world on fire and now out with an injury), Trenton Hassell (a defensive specialist who's not as good at defending as he used to be), Bobby Simmons (another offensive marvel barely clearing 35%), Eduardo Najera (an energy guy who's out of energy), Sean Willams (what?!?), Josh Boone (who?!?), and Jarvis Hayes (blech, and also injured). It's the Island of Misfit Toys. Except I don't think even Rudolph and Herbie could find good homes for these guys. I'm guessing somebody in Nets management was a bad, bad boy, or at least wasn't vigilant in guarding the chimney. "I fell asleep! What did Santa bring me??? Oh Je...eepers. Did he leave the receipts?"

The basic strategy against the Nets is to not let anybody have a big night who really, really shouldn't. If their main guys score a little, so be it. Even between them they'll have a hard time getting to 100. It's happened once this year...against the Wizards. Hanging your hat on that is like boasting that you got a free meal at the Salvation Army. That's really nice for you, but psst...I have something to tell you. Meanwhile you need to respect their defense enough that you work for a good shot instead of just assuming you're going to beat them with whatever you throw up. They're fractured right now and they're just in the beginning stages of trying to put things back together. Make them make decisions as a team and depend on each other and you should see good results.

Pivotal Points to the Game

1. Don't take it for granted. They're going to win their first one sometime.

2. Almost nobody on this team is a good distance shooter. Follow the strategy you've been pursuing all year. Deny the middle, make them score from the edges. You'll be happy.

3. They don't share the ball any better than they shoot the ball. Your first guess should always be that the scorer holding the ball right now is going to take the shot. Plan accordingly.

4. This should be another night when LaMarcus Aldridge can go to town. Milk him and keep his spirits high. Good things will follow.

5. Two words: Bench Dominance. If Portland's reserves don't eat up their Jersey counterparts something is wrong. Even depleted the Blazer bench ought to be good for a double-digit advantage.

Final Thoughts and Links

I'm looking forward to seeing Oden and Lopez duel. Let's see if Greg can keep the mojo going.

Check out...check out...by gum, SBN does not have a Nets site to check out. Quickly, someone start one! My suggestion is http://www.BrownPaperBagOverMyHead.com. You can suggest your own names below.

You can enter tonight's Jersey Contest form here.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

Game 16 Recap: Blazers 122, Bulls 98

Dave — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:14:26 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

Create your own caption for this one. I don't even have words.

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As you can see by the final score, the summary of the game is pretty simple. They brought Noah. We brought the flood. End of story. It was a night where almost everything the Blazers did worked. The Bulls did a couple of things well too but almost everything beats a couple of things. By 24, to be exact.

The game started out in near-comedic fashion as both teams seemed committed to showing the other had no transition defense. Unfortunately neither team evidenced much transition offense either. Watching these squads run the floor early was like watching Lake Oswegans rap. I mean, maybe you can recognize some decent intentions in there but it's just not right. ("Yo, these gold chains are real, dawg. But I have to get them back before my moms goes to dinner. Finesse the bling, yo. If fur is murder then my mom's a serial killer. Don't judge. Those chinchillas had it coming! Peace out.") Then the Blazers came to their senses and started pounding it in to Greg Oden. We haven't mentioned this yet, though it's been going on for a couple weeks, but the re-post option for Greg is really good. It gives him time to get comfortable position, makes the defender move, and doesn't require him to make any moves before he's ready. Congrats to the staff for making the Phil Jackson-Shaq connection and kudos to our guards for sticking with it on those plays. The results speak for themselves. LaMarcus Aldridge came along for the ride inside and out. With the two biggest guys on the team connecting with haymakers the Bulls started to sweat. The added perspiration let the Roy-Miller trio (yes, they played together and yes, it worked) slip by for any kind of shot they wanted. Unfortunately the Bulls came to their senses as well and started doing the Deng-Salmons two-step on the guards (yes, they played defense together too and yes, it was shaky). The end result was a 31-28 quarter in favor of the Blazers.

One of the teams went for 30+ again in the second quarter and one definitely didn't. Bucking the season's trend, the team that poured it on was the Blazers. Once again they super-sized the offense with Oden and LMA doing damage. This time we saw a little bit of Miller-Bayless-Roy, which worked a little better defensively, and then Miller-Blake-Roy, which stalled a little offensively until Roy started driving. (Memo: The three-guard lineup isn't dead. It just switched time slots.) Chicago couldn't compensate and all of a sudden the Portland offense exploded. The Blazers scored 16 of their last 23 points of the quarter at the rim or from the foul line. Chicago was still hitting shots but they couldn't keep up, especially since they lacked the free throw side of the equation. Portland walked into the locker room up 15 and looking happy.

All year long the Blazers have come out loaded for bear in the third period. In this case the bear was Teddy, though. Oden was still pounding it inside but the Bulls were swarming and fouling him at every opportunity. He responded well but the tempo slowed overall and his teammates had a harder time finding and hitting good shots. Meanwhile Chicago exploited their matchup advantages at both backcourt positions and the small forward position. Luol Deng damaged anybody the Blazers threw against him and Chicago's screens dislodged Portland defenders with ease leading to awkward moments at the rim for the Blazers. With all of that, though, the Bulls only made up 5 points and entered the fourth down 10.

The script called for the Bulls to whittle the lead down to a toothpick before Portland responded. And when Kirk Hinrich converted a layup 16 seconds into the quarter it looked like that story might unfold yet again. Then Rudy happened. Playing once again with Miller and Roy, Fernandez started weaving and heaving. He got himself open from the arc and his shot was deadly. He hit 2 threes and a layup in a three-minute stretch. When Oden and Aldridge started scoring too, it just wasn't fair. Portland ends up winning by 24, having plenty of fun along the way and sending the crowd home happy.

The key to the game tonight was energy. From Oden's inside play to Brandon's drives to the commitment (and occasional pressing) of Bayless and Cunningham coming off the deep bench the Blazers demonstrated their desire for this game and their willingness to do what it took to get it. Even when they stopped flat-out breaking they still ran the ball up to set the offense. Multiple players were calling for the ball, including Oden and Webster who are usually among the less demonstrative players. They made opportunities for talent to shine through and plenty of it did. Portland shot 57.5%, eclipsing the Bulls by more than 10%. They hit their threes also (40%) but didn't over-rely on them (15 attempts out of 73 total shots). The refs blew a ton of whistles in this game and Portland got the benefit of most of them, shooting 40 foul shots to 22 for the Bulls. They outrebounded Chicago by 20, virtually eliminated turnovers...other than some spotty defense there was absolutely nothing wrong with this game. It was great to see.

Click through for individual observations and links.

Individual Observations

I remember earlier in the season--I think it was in a game against Memphis--I opined that should that game have occurred two years from now Oden would have scored 30. He darn near did it tonight. He was as into this game as I have ever seen him. He frustrated the heck out of Joakim Noah, at one point making him throw the ball into the stanchion in frustration. (Ostensibly that was at the refs, but we know who you were think of when you released, Joakim.) More impressive than his 7-8 shooting clip were his 12 free throws, of which he hit 10. The refs are starting to show him some respect on his moves. He also had 6 offensive and 6 defensive rebounds and 2 blocks to go with his 24 points. It was a massive game.

Brandon Roy had an unassuming little 18 points and 7 assists. While Oden and LaMarcus were front and center Brandon kept the defense honest by driving off the dribble and hitting pull-ups, layups, and foul shots off of their screw-ups. The best word for his offense tonight was "integrated". It was a beautiful game to my eyes. Defensively...eh. But somewhere the Blazers are going to have to dig up some better defensive players to surround Brandon and then you won't notice as much.

Along with Brandon, LaMarcus Aldridge was one of the players who ran with starters and reserves both. The Blazers cleared out for him a bunch and allowed him to be an offensive focus. It worked. He shot 10-16, matched Oden's 24 points, grabbed 13 rebounds (to Oden's 12, so I guess Greg is buying the Dr. Peppers tonight), and dished 3 assists. LaMarcus looked as happy as I've seen him this season. I would recommend continuing to use him this way.

Andre Miller looked pretty darn comfortable with Roy on one wing and Rudy on the other. That unit appeared to click offensively more than any small combination we've seen so far. The energy was palpable. Andre chose his shots carefully and hit most of them. He brutalized the Bulls on the drive, drawing 11 foul shots and hitting 10. His 5 assists were sweet too. You know defense...blah, blah...help. But I liked this incarnation of Miller overall.

Rudylicious: 13 points in 19 minutes, more threes than a Divided 9's convention, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, controlled energy...spark-ish. It's what you want from him. He also looked like the best backcourt defender on the floor tonight among the regulars. Faint praise, but praise nonetheless.

Steve Blake did pretty much what he was supposed to. He helped the ball moved, tried to move on defense, and otherwise facilitated rather than putting himself forward. He made a couple of really nice passes and ended up with 4 assists and 5 rebounds. He and Miller virtually split minutes, Blake with 29 and Andre with 27. At this point I think Blake plays well with more players but Andre plays better overall when he's with lineups that are comfortable for him.

Joel Przybilla rode the scoring horse as well tonight, getting 8 points off of chip shots in 17 minutes. The floor opening up is good for Joel. Lots of people standing is not.

Dante Cunningham and Jerryd Bayless each got decent minutes, DC with 14 and JB with 11. As we mentioned above, they pressured a little defensively and each showed gumption and drive out there. They looked like what 10-ish mpg guys are supposed to look like: moving, active, giving their all. What are you saving up for? Each scored 4 points off of good shooting, Cunningham with 3 rebounds, a steal, and a block and Bayless with a board. Based on this game you have to forecast more PT in their future, though you probably shouldn't look for either to get 24 minutes yet. I think Cunningham could sneak up on Martell if the latter falters though.

Speaking of Martell, he was the only guy who went through a sub-par shooting night, going 3-10, missing both of the threes he took, and scoring 6 with 4 rebounds in 22 minutes. At least he was a bigger body on Deng. And he had a sweet dunk off of an alley-oop.

Final Thoughts

Happy? Me too.

Boxscore

Still working on getting the Minnesota results fixed. You can enter Wednesday's form here

Check out the lamentation at BlogaBull.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

Gameday Open Thread: Bulls vs. Blazers--Post-Game

Dave — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:56:08 -0000

Here's your thread to reflect on tonight's game. What did you like and what didn't you? Did the new-old lineup come through again? Share your thoughts here. Please be respectful of each other and represent the site well as you do so. The Game Recap and Media Row Report will be coming soon.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)