SB Nation User Blog: mjm6783

A call for rationality

mjm6783 — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:33:51 -0000

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.

1. We are the Portland Trailblazers. We have one of the best young cores in the league, in fact it's arguably one of the best young cores of the decade. We have Roy, Aldridge and Oden, three players who will be (or are) All Stars. None of that will change, regardless of the trades/signing/waiving which happens this off season.

2. We have KP. He's not omnipotent. He's not perfect. But he's got an amazing staff, a good nose for talent, and is extremely tuned into the players' moods and personalities. He will do what he thinks is best based on the information available. A lot of that information is not available to the public, and that means that the speculation and second guessing is uniformed at best, ignorant at worse.

3. Whatever happens in the off season, we will improve. I know that sounds overly optimistic, but with so many developing talents and a core which continues to improve it's chemistry, no single addition or subtraction is going to cause us to regress.

There are a lot more points to be made but they all come down to the same basic premise.

Everyone needs to relax.

I was confused by our draft picks. I am anti-Turkish player who shall not be named. Andre Miller is one of my least favorite options. But even if our picks flop, and we sign a terrible free agent, I will still be satisfied, knowing that we are making moves to try and get ourselves to the next level. That's what everyone wants, the fans, the players, the management, even the media.

So basically I guess I'm trying to say, we're all on the same team here folks. Discuss, debate, and dissent. But don't forget that the goal is always the same. No matter who ends up playing for us, once they suit up in the Black and Red, they are part of Blazermania.

How much do we still expect?

mjm6783 — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:11:44 -0000

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!!!

Poll

How did the Blazers regular season stack up against your preseason expectations?

It has exceeded my wildest dreams.

71 votes

Greater than I expected it to be.

212 votes

About what I thought would happen.

33 votes

Less than I wanted to see.

1 votes

Completely underwhelming.

2 votes

319 votes | Poll has closed

So assuming you play the Lakers...

mjm6783 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:56:34 -0000

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?

Blazer Tattoo

mjm6783 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:25:07 -0000

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."

Some Win-Wins in non-Blazer games

mjm6783 — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 12:58:25 -0000

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!!!

What important tests remain?

mjm6783 — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:06:31 -0000

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.

Who's the greatest Blazer of all time?

mjm6783 — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 10:37:40 -0000

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.

Poll

1 votes

193 votes | Poll has closed

Visting with the enemy gives a new appreciation for the "Edge"

mjm6783 — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:27:26 -0000

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!!!

How important is the road trip?

mjm6783 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 07:39:59 -0000

It's been said over and over, and then repeated again for good measure.

"From now on, every game is important."

And it's true, every game is important. But really, aren't there some games which are more important than others? This 3 game road trip is an excellent example of the different types of games the Blazers will face from now until the end of the season. So I thought it might be valuable(fun) to (over)anaylze the relative importance of each game.

So, Rockets, Spurs, and T'Wolves.

Right away, Houston seems to jump out as the most critical win. They would surpass us in the rankings if they won, stealing home court advantage. We've beaten them, but only because of B Roy's play of the year. A more decisive victory is in order if we want to show we are truly the better team. This is very important, as Houston could be a first round playoff opponent.

But then again, if you knew that we were only going to win 1 of the 3 games, wouldn't you want to beat the best team? We have proven totally inept on the road against good teams, and San Antonio is one of the best in the business. Although it's common for young teams to struggle on the road, for the Blazers it's like watching totally different teams. It's as if the energy of the Rose Garden is both a blessing and a curse, in that it allows us to rally when we are struggling at home, but leaves us unable to find that same fire on the road.

Then again, what if we went 2-1, but lost to the T'Wolves? That would almost be more confusing than promising. They are almost a must win, due to the fact that we can't afford to give up anything easy if we want the 3 or 4 seed.

So let's see. We have to beat Houston if we want to prove we deserve a top 4 spot. We have to beat SA to prove that we can compete against a veteren team on the road. And we have to be Minnesota so we can prove that we don't lose games that we shouldn't.

I say, let's just make it easy and win all three. That way we can get back to .500 on the road, and put to rest a lot of lingering issues about our post season readiness. Also, we play each of these teams once more after these games, so it's important to win and gain some momentum for the final matchups.

As always, GO BLAZERS!!!

Poll

What is the most likely outcome on the three game road trip? (Assuming it's not possible to beat the Spurs and lose to the Wolves)

3-0 sweep, Epic.

36 votes

2-1 loss to Spurs, Understandable.

79 votes

2-1 loss to Rockets, Acceptable.

10 votes

1-2 only beat T'Wolves. Regrettable.

34 votes

0-3 collapse. Blasphemous.

2 votes

161 votes | Poll has closed

Rational Perspective on Trade Deadline

mjm6783 — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 12:33:48 -0000

So I don't nomally like the columns on NBA.com, but I do like anything Blazer related, so sometimes it's unavoidable.

This article by David Aldridge does a good job of saying NAY to the NAYsayers and giving an alternate perspective as to why certain teams may have chosen to stand pat at the deadline.

The one point I would like to make on this subject, is that no one knows what was ACTUALLY offered/refused. They know a couple of the pieces involved, but without knowledge of specific stipulations and contracts, it's pointless to say that someone missed out on a great oppurtunity. What if it never existed as you imagine it?

It boils down to this. In the NBA, you either trust your GM or you don't. I think KP works REALLY hard to make this team better. I think he has a lot of REALLY smart people help him make decisions. And I also think he is a HUMAN BEING, and therefore capable of being less than perfect.

In the end, I believe exactly what KP said after the deadline. People made offers, those offers weren't good enough, they all wanted our best young prospects (Rudy, Bayless, Travis), and we would rather go to war with this team, than gamble on a veteren swooping in and saving the day.