SB Nation User Blog: Fund A Mental

Blazers need to Turnaround?

Fund A Mental — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:19:05 -0000

Blazers need to Turnaround?

ESPN has this series going on right now that involves experts voting on different predictions for the upcoming season. We received three votes for team most likely to have a big turnaround this season. How is that possible? Are we going to win 70 games?

Sometimes you have to bite the bullet

Fund A Mental — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:37:52 -0000

Why are we bringing in Hedo? What are we going to do with all of that talent on the wing? Why did we get rid of Sergio if we aren't going after another point guard?

From the report today about Rudy wanting out, I would think that this isn't the direction the team is headed, but I would argue it should be. That being that as much as Roy argues against playing point guard, he would be the perfect point guard for our system. His concern about playing the position full time has been about it tiring him out. But with Hedo on board, this is not as much of a concern. They can alternate turns bringing the ball up the court, and if Rudy continues to improve his ball handling he can also help with this duty.

This gives us three wing players who collectively share the point guard load, and gives us a starting lineup of

Hedo Turkglu

That is a dangerous lineup by itself, but our depth chart is even more ridiculous

Roy/Blake/Bayless

Rudy/Martell/Outlaw

Hedo/Batum/Outlaw

LaMarcus/Outlaw/Pendergraph

Oden/Pryzbilla

This allows us to swing Martell back to his natural position, and play SF by committee, depending on what group of skills we need in that position against a particular team.

The main issue with this lineup would be defense. Would they be able to stop opposing teams pgs? This is debateable, but with the help defense and length of the whole unit we should be able to close down the interior and force bad shots.

This is all dependent upon Roy embracing the idea of running the "point." But he has stated that he wants to be in the hunt for a title, and I believe that this is the shortest route to that goal.

Poll

Is this scenario plausible?

Yes, sign me up

43 votes

Yes, but we can do better

51 votes

No

38 votes

Maybe

32 votes

I'd rather have (random PG)

22 votes

186 votes | Poll has closed

A Rule Clarification

Fund A Mental — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 04:43:35 -0000

This is from a truehoop post last fall.

But all I can think about is: Teams aren't allowed to play games at home on consecutive nights?

The Clippers had a home game tonight, and we will play them tomorrow at home. How are they allowed to bypass this rule? Can we complain to the league? I want justice.

PS How sweet does tonights victory feel?

PPS And I know we will win tomorrow, but I still want justice.

Check out the Steve Blake's

Fund A Mental — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:26:50 -0000

Check out the Steve Blake's

I didn't realize Blake had his own shoe.

My First (Public) Nate Criticism

Fund A Mental — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:16:57 -0000

I don't know if I should be directing this criticism at Nate or Blake, but last night was another instance of us wasting a timeout trying to inbound the ball. This seems very common for this team, when it should be a rare occurence.

It appears as though Blake is hesitant to inbound the ball, I understand being cautious, but it is something that has hurt our team this season (think Orlando game). But I don't think you can blame Blake for this because he has been put in this situation by Nate.

Why would we want our second best free throw shooter throwing the ball in? Wouldn't it make more sense for a big like Aldridge to throw the ball in? Not only does he have more size and a greater wing span, but he is also a mediocre free throw shooter and a decent passer.

Another positive is that it would probably pull a big out of the middle to contest the inbounds play; which could lead to more positive outcomes in end of game situations. I wouldn't want Outlaw or Oden to do this because of penchant for errors, but Aldridge is a capable inbounder. If he were out with foul trouble, then Blake is a good second choice.

Am I the only one who is bothered by this? Let's start discussing something other than trades (thank goodness). Go Blazers!

OT - I was bored

Fund A Mental — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 23:50:44 -0000

Like the new administration, Nancy Pelosi has tried to incorporate modern technology into her political domain, check it out.

Nancy Pelosi actually posted that.

So I figured, it's Friday, I'm stuck at work, what can I do to entertain myself? Thus this post on the Dream Shake. Check out the link.

That's right. I just RoyRoll'd the Dream Shake. I know I probably shouldn't have, but it felt so good. I've been thinking about other teams to do this too, but I wanted to get BEdge perspective on this first.

Amar'e

Fund A Mental — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:08:59 -0000

Now that Amar'e is on the trading block, why don't we make a run at him? I would be willing to part with either McGrady or Artest to get him.

here is the trade: http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=25~976~3217~592~1727~2750~454&teams=21~21~22~22~10~10~21&te=&cash=

basically, we give up Ron Artest (crazy), Shane Battier, and Carl Landry, and get back Amare and Ike Diogu's expiring contract.

This would give a real third option besides McGrady and Yao. Let me know what you guys think.

Ignorance

Fund A Mental — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:47:04 -0000

I am, apparently, an arrogant, intellectual elitist. Why, you might ask. Because I am about to defend the English language. A language that has been evolving for hundreds of years, and has developed rules and structures that help to clarify communication. This structure is under attack by ignorance.

Fatty's recent post on the front page was an affront to grammar, spelling, and thought in general. I read the whole thing, and felt like I understood what he was trying to say, but it was choppy and so poorly written that I feel it detracts from the quality that was apparent on this site (Dave and Ben, you can do better). But that is only the tip of the iceberg.

The comments from that post are, generally, a maelstorm of positive critiques. People were trying to be polite. But another member of this site, maid tu rek, takes these critiques as personal attacks against his way of life

for people that “CAN’T” read this, its one of two problems. either your an arregant ellitest, or your suffering from a saveer lack of criticle thinking skills, which would really leave you unfit for procreation. i suspect that hear on this board, the inability to read fatty is better explained by a candie coated lifestyle expirence.

Having read this comment, I was able to ascertain a few things about myself that I had been previously unaware of: I am not only unfit for procreation (which he spelled properly, weird), but I also live a candy-coated lifestyle experience (really, that is the best insult you could come up with?, and I can't even figure out a way to make a coherent sentence out of that).

Having lived in Portland my entire life, you might assume that I don't realize what a bastion this city is culturally, intellectually, and even physically. But I have traveled extensively (part of my candy-coated lifestyle experience), and there is no where else I would rather live (at least in the USA).

This is Mecca. Portland is home to the Trail Blazers, and if that isn't enough we also have great beer (real beer, not that crap they make in the midwest, or that other crap they make in New England and that they try to call real beer), the great outdoors (I could go snowboarding and surfing in the same day. Where else can you do that? I'll tell you, Lebanon, but I'm allergic to bombs (It's ok, I can say that because I am Lebanese). And we also have rivers and lakes and waterfalls and forests and deserts and buttes and bluffs and parks (were you aware that Forest Park is the largest park in the USA within a city limits?) and then even more of all of those things), and the greatest bookstore in the whole wide world (no, I'm not talking about the Barnes and Noble in the Lloyd Center. I'm talking about Powell's Books, which is like its own little mecca within the whole mecca that is Portland. Sort of a microcosm if you will).

But my life hasn't been a candy-coated lifestyle experience (at least I don't think so, but I'm still a little unclear on what that means). I was the geeky kid that everyone made fun of. I had issues with learning (ADD and dyslexia can't hold me back). I had a really bad temper. I got jumped in my own front yard. I got bullied. I got rejected by girls. I grew up in a family where all of the money went towards education because my parents understood the importance of knowledge. My parents made me read.

How did they make me read? They locked our television in their closet. The only thing I watched as a child was Sesame Street and Blazer games (at least they got that right). At first I fought this forced reading, but eventually I succumbed to the joy of knowledge. I think Jack London was the one who got me (Damn you, Buck! Damn you, White Fang), but I was soon reading books like normal kids watch cartoons (I love cartoons, too. I used to try to spend the night at my best friend's house on Friday night so I could watch Saturday morning cartoons, or just head over there after school to catch my favorite cartoon, Darkwing Duck (hilarious, and intelligent)).

So I am an arrogant elitist because my parents wouldn't let me watch TV? Or maybe your calling my parents arrogant elitists (take it back. I SAID TAKE IT BACK! My mother is a saint) for sharing the joy of education with me. But if I'm not an arrogant elitist that means I am unfit to procreate. Wait, what? How does that make any sense?

In a follow-up comment, maid tu rek also proclaimed that the main problem with people like me is that we are offended by people who attack our privileged lifestyle. The reason this offends me is not because it attacks my privileged lifestyle, but because this is pure ignorance, ignorance based on laziness. You are justifying the comments of everyone who says "I don't read" and "I'll just watch the movie." Those are the same people who say "Would you like fries with that?"

I don't think maid tu rek is an idiot, in fact I think he is an intelligent, thoughtful poster who thinks that he is "bucking the system" and "sticking it to the Man" by refusing to conform to the normative structure of language. But the Man doesn't force language on us. Language is a gift. It allows us to communicate on another level. It allows us to express ourselves in anger and love.

More importantly, it allows us to discuss the merits of the Portland Trail Blazers, and why I feel that the missing piece for this team is Carl Landry. And that Outlaw should not be vilified but exhaulted for his unabashed style of play. And how Pryzbilla is the epitome of a work horse and the backbone of this team. How Channing Frye should retire and become the youngest Blazer's assistant coach ever just because he's fun to have around. These are the important things that need to be discussed.

Dave, Ben, if you are going to continue to post articles by Fatty, I implore you to edit them first. And if you don't have the time or fortitude to do so, I am sure we could find someone willing to take on this task (12sharks for instance), for all our sakes.

I would like to inset a haiku:

Outlaw, dribble drive

Portland, we have lift off. Oh

geez, not again. SWISH!

And finally in the vein of tominhawaii, I will insert a whimsical pole. Er, I mean poll. Shout out to all my peoples, especially Bukowski and David Foster Wallace. May they rest in peace. And to everyone working at Casa Diablo because that could only happen in Portland.

Poll

(UPDATED: Now with 100% more cheese) While drinking your Pinot Noir, which cheese would you rather consume? (For all my privileged lifestyle living, arrogant elitist friends)

Brie

47 votes

Gouda

27 votes

Gorgonzola

19 votes

Cheddar

22 votes

Provolone

9 votes

Mozzarella

8 votes

Limburger

4 votes

All of the Above

9 votes

I only eat $100 bills

102 votes

Roquefort

12 votes

Gruyere

23 votes

Feta

10 votes

Humboldt Fog

10 votes

Cambozola

4 votes

Havarti

18 votes

Chevre

8 votes

332 votes | Poll has closed

A Center Emerges

Fund A Mental — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:46:51 -0000

No, not Oden. I'm talking about Joel Pryzbilla. This season, before Oden returned in the Miami game, Joel was his normal ineffective self on offense, but since Oden's return Joel's offensive stats have been on the rise.

Here are the numbers (I've translated them to per 40 minutes):

In first seven games (including LA) without Greg: 6.4

In the last five games with Greg: 14.0

Joel has doubled his offensive output with Greg Oden in the lineup. And even when you compare it to Joel's career marks of 8 points per 40 minutes you can see a significant increase.

The major disclaimer is that this has been over a very small sample size, and as the season goes along we will be able to tell if his offensive output regresses towards the mean.

I would argue the opposite though, I think Pryzbilla's offensive output will increase as the season progresses. The main reason: Greg Oden. As the Blazers incorporate their new center into the offense, more and more opportunities will be developed to get the ball to Greg in the post. These same opportunities will exist with Pryzbilla in the game. Other Blazer players are learning how to play with a dominant center (where to feed them, how to work off of them on dribble drives and other penetration, ideal opportunities for offensive rebounds and putbacks, etc...), and Joel is reaping the benefits.

I feel that Sergio is also a major part of this. His ability to get in the lane is better than any player on our team, except for Roy, and he is always looking to pass first. Sergio is the ideal point guard to accentuate a strong inside presence because defenses either have to collapse on him, which leaves Greg/Joel open, or let him get to the rim, which he has become more efficient at in recent games. This is aided more by the Blazers outside threats, which help to space the floor and create room for penetration and low post opportunities.

What does this mean for the team? With two centers that provide excellent defensive presence and increased offensive firepower, the Blazers will begin to rely less on their jumpers and more on points in the paint. I don't think that we will completely abandon the jumper because, with the inside presence, we should be able to create easier looks (this is already apparent, as we are among the league leaders in offensive efficiency).

What do you think? Is Joel's increased production a fluke?

Poll

Is Joel's increased offensive production for real?

Yes

112 votes

No

40 votes

152 votes | Poll has closed

Martell

Fund A Mental — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:12:51 -0000

I saw Martell this weekend at the University of Portland vs. University of Washington basketball game at the Chiles Center. He was there supporting the Huskies, and even gave them a half time pep talk in the corridor. It didn't work and the Pilots went on to beat the Huskies (It was an amazing game, but I'm sure most of you didn't see it because it was on Comcast and because it was a Huskies vs. Pilots game).

The point is that Martell would be a senior in college this year, presumably at the the University of Washington. I personally feel he would have dominated the college game. How would this have changed his game and his draft position? This is refering to the development of his game, and the idea that he would be in this coming years draft (a relatively weak draft from early reports by analysts, but not something that Martell could have foreseen)

Poll

How would Martell's Game and Draft position been affected by four years of college basketball?

Better player, Higher Draft

103 votes

Better player, Lower Draft

64 votes

Same Player, Higher Draft

9 votes

Same Player, Lower Draft

13 votes

Worse Player, Higher Draft

8 votes

Worse Player, Lower Draft

4 votes

Exactly the Same

10 votes

211 votes | Poll has closed