Second guessing coaches is bound to happen, especially after a 3 game losing streak. So I was a little reluctant to post this and add to the cliche. But it needs to be said. Miller needed to come out of the game at the beginning of the 4th quarter. Using the 3 guard lineup was the WRONG thing to do at that point in the game. We needed more than solid defense, we needed STOPS, STEALS, and REBOUNDING.

You can tell me that hindsight is 20/20. Except that I was calling for the substitution when we went down by our largest margin at the end of the 3rd quarter. Rudy or Cunningham would have given us size on defense, jump shooting on offense, and rebounding on both ends of the floor.

Cunningham has proven himself to be a talented, smart, and worthy of the opportunity to play. Rudy is now a veteran of late game heroics, and clutch three pointers. Why not give those players a chance to gain experience and potentially overcome a large defecit. Even if we still lose the game, we're investing in our future performance. What did we gain in terms of development by sending Miller 1 on 1 for either a turnover or free throws, over and over and over? Nothing.

Nate has shown himself to be very wise in many respects. When it comes to developing young talent, managing egos, and commanding player's respect, he's one of the best. But he has also shown a pattern of stubborn substitution patterns, questionable matchup decisions, and player favoritism, even going back to many games last year.

Did the Blazer's deserve to lose? Yes. They played terrible perimeter defense for 75% of the game, and terrible interior defense whenever Oden was on the bench. Did the Heat deserve to win? Yes. They built a lead, played hard to maintain it, and let their best players seal the game with clutch scoring. But does that excuse Nate from any blame for leaving a bad lineup in the game well past the point of reason? No.

It may be an unpopular question. Especially amidst the excitement after the Blazers go 4-0 on the road. But I feel it needs to be asked, and is being asked subtly in many of the comments made here. That question is, "Can the Blazers play consistently enough to beat the best teams in the league on a regular basis?" If I try and set my rabid Portland bias aside, I am left unable to answer that question with any thing except "It remains to be seen."

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It's been an interesting period in Blazerland, to say the least. The rumors of the "Turkish player who shall not be named" and Rudy's future with the team are disconcerting to many fans, myself included. But perhaps now that we've argued and frothed and angrily typed until our hands are bloody, it could be time to step back and gain some perspective. I have a few points that I'd like everyone to remember.

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So listening to Bill Simmons podcast on the playoffs, (check both out if you haven't already, a lot of Blazer talk), I was sort of offended when they started talking about how much pressure we (the fans) are putting on the Blazers. They made it sound like if we don't at least make it to the WC Finals, there would be a revolt in Portland.

To me, as a hardcore fan, nothing could be further from the truth. I think they have mistaken hardcore loyalty for the L.A. style fandom, which involves championship expectations every single year. Portland fans, for the most part, seem to have a pretty realistic view of pur teams talent.

Quite frankly I have been nothing short of amazed at the speed with which this team has matured. I was expecting a 6-8 seed in a close race. Instead, our young team  started playing their best basketball of the year, just as the standings tightened up. I have seen major strides in the play of Outlaw, Aldridge, and Roy. Rudy and Oden seem to have adjusted to the NBA pace. And Batum, talk about a diamond in the rough.

If anything, the Blazers have exceeded just about every realistic expectation that we could have laid out for them. Playoffs, check. Home court, check(ish). 50+ wins, check. If there is anyone who thought that all three of those things were a given, you were a bright eyed optimist.

So when national commentators say that we are expecting too much of our young guys, I think they have it backwards. I think the Blazers have set their own bar higher than any of us have, and I couldn't be happier with the results. Whatever happens in the post season, I will remember this year as one of the greatest and most exciting in our history. And should WHEN we beat the Nuggets tomorrow, it will be the proverbial cherry on top.

I never really appreciated the quote about happiness being a journey and not a destination until now. I always thought that the only thing that mattered was a ring. But watching these young guys develop before our eyes, and remembering fondly the non-championship teams of my youth, I realize now that so much joy has been added to my life from the simple act of spectating, I could never look back and regret the bumps in the road that brought us to this point.

I hope this and my other ramblings this year have made some kind of sense to the B-Edge crew. And I hope that you also have the feelings of satisfaction, excitement, and hopefulness that I do. When I first created this account, I said 3-5 championships in the next 10 years. But if this team keeps surpassing my expectations, we may be in store for a whole lot more.

GO BLAZERS!!! BLAZE THOSE NUGS!!! BEAT L.A. (again)!!! RIP CITY LIVES!!!

Are you just going to roll over and die?

It's pretty much been accepted around the NBA for a couple of months now, that whichever team ends up playing the Lakers in the first round is screwed. And honestly, the way the Jazz are struggling at the end of the year, it doesn't look good.

But does that mean you are giving up? Does that mean you are going to let the L.A. Lakers emasculate you on a national stage? It's time for the Utah Jazz to show the world that they are on the way up, and not headed for the recycle bin. It's time to at least make a series of it. And hell, if you start playing like a team again, maybe you get hot and surprise everyone. Every playoff team has a "puncher's chance" so to speak.

It's important to put everything on the line. If you're players come out, ready to be traded, or looking ahead to next year, you will be crushed, at home. At the very least protect your house. We all hate L.A. and it's our job to make sure they have the toughest road possible to the Finals. And that starts with you Utah.

So what's it going to be?

So I've been thinking for about a year now that I want to get a tattoo, but I couldn't decide what to get. It would have to be something that I would never look back on and regret. Something I would always cherish and appreciate, even when I was old and wrinkled.

And it's finally come to me. The Blazers are the one interest I have that I can truly say has been a lifelong passion. Growing up in Portland, I have dreamed of a championship as far back as I can remember. I will never stop cheering for our team, no matter what happens, (that was tested during the dark days and jail blazer eras). So it's only fitting that my first and potentially only tattoo would be in memorium of that dream.

A couple questions for my fellow BEdge maniacs. I was thinking about getting the logo and a championship trophy, while leaving space to list the years. Obviously the 1976-77 team would the first date. But do you think I should get the tattoo before they win again, or in honor of the championship in my lifetime? On the one hand, I think it's a great way to support the team, and show my confidence in their ability to fufill the dream. But since I wasn't alive for the first ring, it also seems kind of hollow.

I haven't settled on a specific design, and who knows I may change my mind and get a B-Roy/Drexler tatt instead. But how about you guys? Who has Blazer ink? And is anyone else considering getting some, especially if they win a championship?

Edit - I forgot to add that part of what inspired me was the Cee-Lo Green lyric:

"And what I believe within, I engrave within my skin."

The Hornets play Utah, and Phoenix plays Dallas. Not that the second game is really important or anything, since neither one is going to catch us, but a Phoenix loss would secure our playoff spot, and a Dallas loss would further sink their hopes of ever catching us, (like that was going to happen.)

The Utah-New Oreleans matchup is a little more interesting. You sort of have to root for the Jazz, since it would put more space between us and the 6 spot, but there is a not so small part of me that just wants to see Boozer fail in every aspect of his life.

Also on the plate, San Antonio hopefully getting LBJ'd, (and I don't mean the dead president), into submission. So much for "finishing strong". The Spurs are 5-5 in their last 10, and a Blazer win/Spurs loss tomorrow would catapult us into a tie for 3rd. BTW, what's the tie-break on that? I read the post, and thought I understood, but I still need a chart to remember all the scenarios.

Denver plays Minnesota. I'll pray for an upset, but honestly the way they are playing right now, I'd be very surprised. What happened there? A month ago when things were tightening up, it looked like they were about to implode. Even the games they won were ugly. Now it's a totally different team. I'm going to say it's probably adjusting to new players <cough> BILLUPS <cough> and the effect they have on the offense. But I haven't been watching their recent games close enough to know for sure.

As always, let's see a major showing on the open game threads, and get some good mojo for our guys. They'll need to prove that the recent success is more than just home cookin'.

GO BLAZERS!!!

So I've been thinking about the last few games and how much we can say that they show us about our young Trailblazer team. We obviously play well at home, and play well against teams who are on a back to back. But on the road, and on back to backs of our own, we struggle. That's all well and good, if not totally predictable, but what games will really test this team's mettle down the stretch?

Obviously the games against San Antonio, Houston, and Denver are the most "important" in terms of the standings. If you HAD to choose ONLY ONE to win, it would probably be Denver, just because a division spot could be at stake, and it's the last game of the season, (and a home game).

The fact that the San Antonio and Houston games will be played in Texas favors the home teams, given the Blazers track record. Subsequently, many people have already written them off in the loss column. So assuming we lose  both of those games, that makes the other three road games (OKC, LAC, and MEM) of greater importance.

Thus the question remains. Which games are the most important tests? The must win at home to finish the season? The shouldn't wins in Texas? Or the Lottery road games?

I think at the beginning of the season I would have said the Lottery games. Last year we were so inconsistent against everyone. I just wanted to beat the teams that we SHOULD beat, and hold a respectable margin against the rest at home.

Halfway through this year, I was probably convinced that those three games would be a lock. So I think I would pick the Denver game. It's a statement game about home court advantage, and proving we are equal to if not better than a division rival and potential playoff opponent.

But now. Near the end of the season. I think it's time to set our sights higher. We need to prove that we can win on the road against good teams. That home court advantage is not a safe bet against us in the playoffs. That we are not done growing. Those games in Texas are the next step in our evolution. Regardless of what happens in the post season, we need to show that we refuse to surrender to low expectations.

Oh, and you will notice I didn't bother to mention the L*kers game. That's because I am more confident we will win that game than any of the others. I saw it in the Blazers' eyes, they hate L.A. almost as much as I do. Plus, we owe them for injuring Rudy.

GO BLAZERS!!

Stretch this 3 game win streak into 11.

When you really think about it, it's an impossible question to answer. You run into the same problems as the "greatest NBA player of all time" argument. Comparing different eras, with different rules, competition, and statistical records, is difficult to say the least.

But at the same time, I can think of the names which would make my top 5 or 10. Guys like Chamberlin, Russell, Robertson, Erving, Kareem, Bird, Magic, Hakeem, and Jordan. And what about the players who haven't finished their careers yet? Can we really judge them before they've completed their list of accomplishments? Kobe, LeBron, Shaq, Duncan, and Wade may edge out a few legends before all is said and done.

So is it any easier to compare the greatness of Blazer players, past and present? Can we conclude that Walton's ring (with the Blazers) outweighs Drexler's years of service, or that Roy cannot stand among the legends because he's only a third year player? (although he does have as many All Star apperances as Terry Porter). What is the crieteria for Blazer greatness?

Well I guess rather than deciding between accomplishments with the team vs. overall accomplishments, and trying to allow for predictions of future greatness, I will just alter the title of the poll. Instead of who you think is the greatest Blazer of all time, just vote for your favorite Blazer of all time. Who brings you the most joy to watch? Who embodies what it means to be a Trail Blazer? Which player makes you proud to bleed Black and Red?

I've included a list which is honestly longer than it should be. But I've tried to allow for the odd ball choice. Still I'm sure some people will cry out for their missing all-star, "Where's Kevin Duckworth?!?!?" Feel free to leave your angry feedback in the comments. Also, I included Drazen Petrovic, and if you have a problem with that you can sit on it.

So I went over the "Dream Shake" today, in order to assess the Rocket's view of the upcoming game, and the general level of confidence amongst their fans. I don't know if there is just some other blog site their real fans use, or if I'm just spoiled from BEdge, but it's not a pretty picture.

The last fanpost was from 3 days ago. Usually BE posts are measured in hours not days. And the responses were few and usually not very pleasant. (Although, in all fairness, one poster was suggesting trading T Mac and Alston for Baron Davis and Zach Randolph, sigh.) In fact the only post that generated any juice at all was written by the webmaster from the Wizards site making a trade offer/suggestion.

Bottom line is, all things being equal, we have a lot of good energy in our community right now, and historically that has been a precursor to greatness. I like that on BlazersEdge I can make a totally stupid comment, and someone will joke, someone will skewer me, and someone will politely correct my mistake, while pointing me in a more enlightened direction.

And then the conversation will spin off onto tangents, and eventually a day later die off, as it is replaced with a more current and rational post.

It's easy to say that the Blazers have more to be hopeful about. We've been on the rise for awhile now, and we're all trying to decide how far it is to the summit. The Rockets have been rising and backsliding, watching their key players grow older and more weary, trying to tweak the lineup to get over the hump, or even reach the hump for that matter.

But that's a cop out. If the Rockets win this game, they will replace us in the 4th spot. That's home court advantage. That's HUGE in the playoffs. There should be a lot more interest in such a key game, yet as of now, they don't even have a Pre-Game analysis, (For Shame!).

If I were in the habit of hoping for their sake, I would hope that their real fans don't use the internet, or just don't frequent SB nation. But I'm not, so I'll say it's an indicator that we have all the karma in our corner going into this one. Now all we have to do is beat them in a 48 minute contest of throw a ball, through a ring, on a pole. I hear we're pretty good at that.

GO BLAZERS!!!