SB Nation User Blog: hurryup09

JASON QUICK IS A LAKER AGENT!!!!!

hurryup09 — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:57:07 -0000

OK, I don't really think Quick is the Devil. In fact, his Rip City Revival series has been like a canteen of water to a man in the desert, sustaining me thru the Blazer dog days. But I've been uneasy from Day One (i.e., the Roy chapters) that this series--fascinating as it might be to us fans--has the potential to disrupt the Blazers' rare chemistry. Now, after reading the first Trout chapter, I'm alarmed.

You think I'm paranoid? Maybe. But let me share a quick story (no pun intended). I once was a member of a popular musical group in the Bay Area. All was harmonious until the day the bandleader gave an interview to a local paper. In that inteview, he said, "This band is a ship of fools, but the captain knows what he's doing." Viola, like waving a magic wand, a successful and harmonious unit fractured at the seams.

No, Roy, Oden, Blake, or Outlaw haven't been quoted saying anything that inflamatory. In fact, they've just been saying the type of stuff you'd expect them to say in confidence to their friends & family. But emphasize "IN CONFIDENCE." Team harmony is a fragile thing, and I think this Rip City Revival series may be a little TOO "up close & personal." It certainly threatens to stir the pot. It may even have the potential to be a Rip City Destroyer.

But that's just my take. What do YOU think?

Poll

Does Quick's series threaten the Blazers' chemistry?

Is KP's work done?

hurryup09 — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:56:40 -0000

KP has admitted that he needs to fight his own tendency to stay busy--to make deals rather than stand pat and see how things develop. After watching the Redeem Team--arguably the second-most talent-laden basketball team ever assembled--struggle to beat the Spaniards, I hope KP redoubles his efforts to restrain himself.

One poster said the other day that the lesson of the Olympics was that the US couldn't afford marginal stars like Williams & Boozer: we need wall-to-wall all-stars. I replied with the opposite take: that what the US Olympic team needs is more guys with common basketball backgrounds and basketball philosophies who know how to play together as a team. (I threw out the probably unworkable idea of emphasizing guys from the same college program, e.g. Duke, UCLA, or North Carolina.)

What's this have to do with the Blazers? Think about it: if a team made up of the best players in the NBA struggled to beat the Spaniards, what are Blazer fans doing continually lusting after Chris Paul @ the point or Vince Carter @ the three, etc., etc. Yes, you need talent to win an NBA title. But by now, the Blazers have that in spades. They might even have TOO much talent.

The young Blazers--minus Oden, Fernandez, and Bayless--reeled off 13 games straight last season. What the Blazers need more of at this point is time to mature and experience playing and winning together. That's what the Spaniards had, and that was nearly enough for them to beat the Redeem Team. So lay off, KP. Pick up a hobby.

Of course, this is open to debate. So debate away...

Ain't gonna be no Hack-a-Greg strategy!

hurryup09 — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:51:46 -0000

I just noticed it's been 15 hours since the last BE fanpost, and that was concerning Angola vs Spain. Geez, talk about the Blazer dog days!! So in the interests of preventing us from resembling all those inferior fan blogs around the nation, I felt I should post SOMETHING for folks to chew on.

And this is something positive. I was over at Oregonlive (specifically the Blazer's Blog) earlier today, and I noticed they'd posted some video outtakes of GO's public workout from the other day (not just the parade of dunks we saw before). (Apologies for the lack of a link; I need to learn to do that!) Anyway, there was nothing earthshaking in the new video clips...or maybe there WAS. Included was footage of GO shooting free throws. (Don't laugh just yet.)

Apparently, in order to simulate game situations, they were having guys shoot free throws after being hacked. GO misses his first pair, then hits the rest (maybe four--I didn't count). But that's not the interesting part. What's interesting is GO's free-throw shooting form: it's EXCELLENT--as good as any Blazer, IMO. I still have last year's summer league games on my DVR, and while GO's form wasn't terrible then, it's definitely improved. In fact, I officially predict (even based on the tiny sample size of that Oregonlive clip) that GO will be a 70% + free throw shooter throughout his career.

Now: imagine if Shaq had been a 70% + free-throw shooter. How would the league have dealt with him? I said so at the time of GO's injury, and I'll say it again now: I suspect that event--or rather the year of reflection, physical development & maturation, and SHOOTING PRACTICE it inevitably forced on him--may ultimately turn out to be a blessing. (That's assuming the microfracture procedure proves successful.) Thoughts?

What's Wrong With the Playoffs This Year?

hurryup09 — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:46:04 -0000

After last night's Fakers/ Jazz and Celtics/ Cavs games, the home teams have won 19 of 20 second-round games. The lone exception to the trend: a narrow, 2-point win by the Pistons over a weak Magic team. Sorry, but this is getting beyond predictable.

Last night, with two of my least-favorite teams playing at home, it got to the point where I would just fast-forward my DVR towards the inevitable conclusions. Yes, the Jazz made their game a little interesting, but somehow I never believed they could win.

Remember the past two seasons, with all the overtime games and road wins? It seemed the only time the home court advantage amounted to much was in game 7's. Now it's suddenly all-important.

So is this just an incredible coincidence, or has something changed? I'd like to say it's a grand conspiracy by the league, but for one thing, I haven't noticed much of a pattern of officiating bias (except maybe the near-impossibilty of road teams getting a charge call). For another, where's the advantage to the league? It could be to increase teams' incentive during the regular season, but that seems a stretch.

One thing for sure: the overwhelming home court advantage is taking a lot of excitement out of watching these playoffs for me.

Poll

Why can't the road teams win this year?

The Hawks are tough

hurryup09 — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:00:46 -0000

First, let's get real: the Hawks aren't going to win their series vs the Celtics (currently even at two games apiece). But in winning games 3 & 4 on their home floor, the young Hawks made a critical step towards eventual championship contention. How did they do it? Dave pointed to their athleticism and unselfish team play. But I think you need to add TOUGHNESS.

Game 3 was a fluke: the Celtics went in overconfident and didn't give their best effort. But Game 4 was another matter. I felt the play when Garnett threw the elbow at Pachulia was pivotal. (Magic Johnson concurred post-game.) The young Euro shot one quick look at the nearest official and saw he wasn't going to do anything, then he took matters into his own hands. He went right up to Garnett and not only got in his face but practically head-butted him. Garnett had no doubt been thinking this is another soft young Euro that I can intimidate, and he learned otherwise. Garnett probably didn't realize that was a SOVIET (Georgian) Euro he was messing with! Recall that Garnett pulled the same thing on the young Blazers this season and they failed the test--allowing him to get into their heads.

I hope the Blazers watched that Hawks game and absorbed the lesson. To compete at the highest levels in the NBA, you must show in no uncertain terms that you can't be intimidated. Talk isn't enough: Pachulia actually made Garnett back up, and at that moment the dynamic of the series shifted. He didn't have to throw a punch: Garnett knew in his bones that if he did anything, this guy was going to respond in kind. The sequence was reminiscent of the Blazers' championship season when Lucas confronted Dawkins.

If the Blazers DID see the Hawks game and absorb the lesson, then they'll be an important step closer to becoming a contender. That is, if they have the toughness to do what the Hawks have done. (Importantly, it hasn't just been Pachulia who's shown a willingness to stand up to the Mighty Celtics; remember Horford answering the Celtics' trash-talking with some of his own at the end of Game 3?) Certainly Jack and Przy are tough guys, and I'm not worried about Oden. Even LMA seems willing to stand up for himself; he just needs to keep filling out so that he can back up his attitude with more physicality.

But the jury is still out on the rest of the team. Are they ready to do what the Hawks have done and announce to the league that they're not a "soft" club that can be intimidated? It's past time for them to do so. We should learn something when the Blazers play in Boston next season, because as sure as the sun rises in the morning, Garnett & Co. will test them once again.

Joel gets no respect from ESPN!

hurryup09 — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:11:12 -0000

During Game 1 of the Cavs/Wizards series, the ESPN announcers stated that Brendan Haywood had the most-improved free-throw percentage of the season (an 18% jump). They even posted a graphic to that effect. Only problem: Joel Przybilla's free-throw shooting percentage improved 31% this past season! Who ARE these ESPN idiots? And where do they get their lame statistics?

For the record, Haywood improved from 55% to 74% in '07-'08, whereas Joel improved from 37% to 68%. Where's the respect for our beloved Vanilla Gorilla?

Jack vs Skinner

hurryup09 — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:39:06 -0000

OK, I realize bforsythe has a related post. But I have a different slant on last night's Jack/ Skinner confrontation.

Thanks to the t.v. replays, most of us saw what happened. Skinner hit Jack with a high elbow. Jarrett responded a moment later with a forearm to Skinners' ribs. Then, as they started upcourt, Skinner threw a punch at Jack (which missed). At that point, Jarrett started forward, cocked his fist, and then appeared to catch himself at the last instant. Jack was presumably constrained by fears of 1) getting ejected & fined; 2) getting suspended at the beginning of next season; and 3) getting labeled another "Jailblazer."

But what if this same confrontation had occurred during a summer pick-up game? What if Jack hadn't had to worry about all those consequences of letting a punch fly? What's your take on what would have occurred?

Poll

What would have happened if last night's Jack/ Skinner confrontation had occurred during a summer pick-up game?

Do winning steaks occur in spite of or BECAUSE OF injuries?

hurryup09 — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:30:26 -0000

During last night's Blazers-Wizards blowout, Mike Rice pointed out that this was the way the Blazers' bench had played during the team's 13-game winning streak earlier in the season. He suggested that the Blazers might have gotten stale lately with the "role players" relying so heavily on Roy & LMA to carry the offensive load. Of course, LMA missed several games during the Blazers' winning streak. That got me to wondering whether winning streaks occur in spite of or BECAUSE OF key injuries.

I recall LMA getting injured and thinking, "There goes the winning streak." Then the team went to Salt Lake of all places and won. I believe Roy also missed at least a couple games during the winning streak. And of course, the Rockets' recent winning streak featured a key injury at approximately the midway point: to Yao Ming.

Is this coincidence, or do injuries to key players actually FUEL winning streaks in some way? For instance, do such injuries force teams to focus rather than coast? Do they wake up role players (who, after all, were stars in high school and/or college)? Do they disrupt the defensive schemes of opponents, who no longer know who to focus their defensive efforts on?

What do you guys think? (If anyone knows whether the L*kers suffered key injuries during their 33-game winning streak, that'd add grist to the discussion.)

To take the question a step further: what role to key injuries play in a successful SEASON? Everyone seems to assume the best-case scenario is to "stay healthy" all season. But maybe a healthy team is a stale, predictable team. Perhaps the best-case scenario is to suffer a few short-lived injuries to key players during the course of a season, then to go into the playoffs with everyone healthy. An imperfect analogy would be how forests that have suffered occasional wildfires are more robust than ones that have gone unscathed for a long time.

Sergio and Jack both stink!!

hurryup09 — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:24:02 -0000

I don't actually think either of these guys stink. In fact, I'm tired of all the diaries and posts from fans who hate one or the other player. In my opinion, either or both of these talented, likeable young guards might play a back-up role on a championship Blazer team someday.

I was just conducting a little experiment. I've noticed that any anti-Sergio or anti-Jack diary automatically attracts lots of comments (128 & counting for the last one). So I was wondering if a combo anti-Sergio/ anti-Jack diary would attract even MORE commentary. Oops: I might have blown it by revealing my secret plan.

Was Oden practicing a good idea?

hurryup09 — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:03:14 -0000

Er, after watching last nite's game, was having Oden practice with the team such a good idea?

It looked to me like the team's mental focus--to the extent there was any--was anywhere but on the game at hand. Four straight turnovers to start the game? Whew, that was ugly. Maybe last night was just mental and physical fatigue. But you have to wonder if the guys weren't dreaming of next season.

I say let's make that practice a one-time thing. There's time enough for Greg to practice with the team at training camp; let's not finish the season ugly.