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ABM · 01-04-2005, 10:26 AM

Nice pic

From: PDX Tribune

Some thoughts on the Blazers' current state of affairs...

Quote:

You wonder what Cheeks’ plan is sometimes, but the players aren’t blaming the coach.

“We have just been in a funk,” Damon Stoudamire says. “What’s wrong? You can’t put your finger on it exactly. To me, nobody is playing the way they are capable. I mean, we all need to pick up our play. I have never seen a scenario like this, where at one point or another, every single guy has struggled.”

Telfair's status.....

Quote:

Telfair’s development into an NBA-caliber player has come quickly. After his stimulating performance against Golden State last weekend, fans are calling for his presence in the starting lineup. It is tempting to want to turn the team over to the 19-year-old wunderkind, who exploded past Speedy Claxton so many times en route to a basket or drawing a foul, the veteran Warrior guard didn’t want to give the youngster much credit afterward.

“He is pretty good,” Claxton grumped. “They wouldn’t have taken him in the first round if he wasn’t.”

Stoudamire offers an analysis of Telfair, who he respects as a person and as a player: “I like the way they are using Sebastian, picking their spots. When he comes in, there is the element of surprise, and he is able to give us a spark. When you haven’t seen it before, it takes time to gauge that kind of quickness. Teams don’t really know how to play him yet. If you play him too many minutes, you overexpose him.”

If the Blazers can’t get more out of Stoudamire or Nick Van Exel, the Telfair era might just as well begin now.

Oh, and on a different note, shouldn't "Bens" actually be the proper term, below?

Quote:

Darius Miles: Blazers seemed to have overpaid him with six-year, $48-million contract before season, but Miles is earning his Georges while accepting his bench role professionally. His perimeter shooting has improved, his transition game is outstanding, and his perimeter defense ranks with Ruben Patterson’s.

mook · 01-04-2005, 10:59 AM

my two favorite quotes:

Quote:

As an offensive player, Przybilla is no Vladimir Stepania.

-Eggers

Damn cruel, but true.

Quote:

When you haven’t seen it before, it takes time to gauge that kind of quickness. Teams don’t really know how to play him yet. If you play him too many minutes, you overexpose him.”

-Damon on Teflair

I'm absolutely shocked that Damon doesn't seem him as a good option for starting.

jackiejackal · 01-04-2005, 11:08 AM

great photo

**Blazerfan024** · 01-04-2005, 11:30 AM

The reason Damon and DA keep sticking up for cheeks is because if Cheeks leaves so does there starting positions.

ProudBFan · 01-04-2005, 12:16 PM

I am so SICK of hearing the "it's not [placeholder]'s fault" line coming from this team. In essence, this roster is lacking one guy - a spot-on perimeter shooter. ONE guy. So are the players and coaches on this team all saying that they'd be right in the thick of the Western playoff hunt if they had that ONE guy? Bull****. They COULD be right in the thick of the Western playoff hunt RIGHT NOW if they played with some semblance of urgency, of pride. If Damon, DA, and Nick were able to hit from the perimeter ANY better than Shareef, Darius, and Zach.

The fact that this team is still hovering around .500 and is making a habit of playing lifeless, uninspired ball sure as hell is somebody's fault. They're not playing as a cohesive unit. The few half-court sets they try to run are easily disrupted. They get out-rebounded game in, game out. They panic WAY to easily. And they flat-out quit FAR too early than they should, more often than not.

If that's not Mo's fault, then whose fault is it? I'm inclined to say that each and every one of our players could stand to "nut up" a bit, learn to play some hard-nosed hand-in-the-face defense, make learning how to play together (you know, as a team) a priority, and quit acting like the bunch of overpaid primadonnas they are.

PBF

**Tince** · 01-04-2005, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ProudBFan!
I am so SICK of hearing the "it's not [placeholder]'s fault" line coming from this team. In essence, this roster is lacking one guy - a spot-on perimeter shooter. ONE guy. So are the players and coaches on this team all saying that they'd be right in the thick of the Western playoff hunt if they had that ONE guy? Bull****. They COULD be right in the thick of the Western playoff hunt RIGHT NOW if they played with some semblance of urgency, of pride. If Damon, DA, and Nick were able to hit from the perimeter ANY better than Shareef, Darius, and Zach.

The fact that this team is still hovering around .500 and is making a habit of playing lifeless, uninspired ball sure as hell is somebody's fault. They're not playing as a cohesive unit. The few half-court sets they try to run are easily disrupted. They get out-rebounded game in, game out. They panic WAY to easily. And they flat-out quit FAR too early than they should, more often than not.

If that's not Mo's fault, then whose fault is it? I'm inclined to say that each and every one of our players could stand to "nut up" a bit, learn to play some hard-nosed hand-in-the-face defense, make learning how to play together (you know, as a team) a priority, and quit acting like the bunch of overpaid primadonnas they are.

PBF

PBF-

You say we could be winning right now " If Damon, DA, and Nick were able to hit from the perimeter ANY better than Shareef, Darius, and Zach." So there are three people you can blame outside of Mo.

A fourth person you could blame is John Nash. Clearly fielding a roster that can win right now isn't a priority to him. We have no real outside threats, a logjam at the forward where the coaching staff is forced to play players together who don't gel very well.

I agree with you that Mo should take some blame, but there's no way you could convince me he's the only one at fault. I could put blame on every player except one.

Zach - As the leader of the team, still can't make his teammates better. Bad team defender.

SAR - Fine as a starter, unable to produce off the bench. Poor defender, and clogs up the offense.

Miles - Can't produce off the bench when asked to. Turns the ball over way too much, and cant' hit his free-throws.

Theo - Half the player he was last year, tends to draw way too many fouls out on the perimeter.

Damon - Horrible shooting as a starter. Bad defender.

DA - Hot one night, horrible the next. You never know what you're going to get out of him. Also a bad defender.

NVE - Outside shot is there once a month, ice cold the other 29 days. Can't gaurd a quick point gaurd to save his life.

Telfair - No outside shot, defenses to play off him making it harder on everyone else.

Outlaw - Not ready to be playing major minutes.

Pryzbilla - Has to be near tops of personal fouls per minute in the NBA. Still hasn't shown any type of offensive game.

The only person I can't really blame for any of our problems is Ruben. The guy has done more than what is expected of him and sadly is probably one of our best players (for the dollar), despite having a "bad contract."

ProudBFan · 01-04-2005, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tince!

I agree with you that Mo should take some blame, but there's no way you could convince me he's the only one at fault. I could put blame on every player except one.

Zach - As the leader of the team, still can't make his teammates better. Bad team defender.

SAR - Fine as a starter, unable to produce off the bench. Poor defender, and clogs up the offense.

Miles - Can't produce off the bench when asked to. Turns the ball over way too much, and cant' hit his free-throws.

Theo - Half the player he was last year, tends to draw way too many fouls out on the perimeter.

Damon - Horrible shooting as a starter. Bad defender.

DA - Hot one night, horrible the next. You never know what you're going to get out of him. Also a bad defender.

NVE - Outside shot is there once a month, ice cold the other 29 days. Can't gaurd a quick point gaurd to save his life.

Telfair - No outside shot, defenses to play off him making it harder on everyone else.

Outlaw - Not ready to be playing major minutes.

Pryzbilla - Has to be near tops of personal fouls per minute in the NBA. Still hasn't shown any type of offensive game.

The only person I can't really blame for any of our problems is Ruben. The guy has done more than what is expected of him and sadly is probably one of our best players (for the dollar), despite having a "bad contract."

I know it doesn't look it on the surface, Tince, but this was my point exactly. I keep hearing that line ("it's not [placeholder's] fault") from time to time and it's BS. In reality, EVERY single player and coach on our payroll could and should be doing more to help the team be successful. In other words, they ALL bear some of the "fault", so why do we keep hearing "it's not [placeholder]'s fault"?

Just once I would like to hear someone on this team step up and take some responsibility for the team's struggles (and success). And, right now anyway, it seems they're too mired in denial and finger-pointing to do that.

Newsflash Blazers: You can't start fixing a problem until you admit to yourselves you've GOT a problem.

PBF

ABM · 01-04-2005, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ProudBFan!

Newsflash Blazers: You can't start fixing a problem until you admit to yourselves you've GOT a problem.

PBF

Hmmm....let's get Houston, then.

**STOMP** · 01-04-2005, 02:50 PM

Nice post Tince...

Quote:

Originally posted by ProudBFan!
If that's not Mo's fault, then whose fault is it?

IMO, management's. Many posters (myself included), looked at the roster this past offseason and predicted a 500 team. With the talent assembled, I don't feel that they are underachieving at all. The lack of backcourt talent is no more glaring today then it was in the offseason.

So why aren't I calling for Nash's head? Because I understand that building a talented and complimentry squad doesn't necessarily happen overnight. I view this whole season as essencially a segway to the next Blazer team. Nash is still weeding out the roster IMO, and I'm sure the guys realize this... I suspect that many of the player's personal concerns/agendas often come ahead of team goals.

Mo might not be the best coach in the world, but the team probably benefits from keeping a steady people person at the helm more then some new purple faced screamer cracking the whip. I doubt that a mid-season coaching change would do much besides exasperating matters.

I expect big personel changes by next year. I also expect that the offseason bring a new coach with a fresh start at molding a winner.

Patience. The future will be here soon enough.

STOMP

ProudBFan · 01-04-2005, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by STOMP!
Nash is still weeding out the roster IMO...

...

I expect big personel changes by next year.

I haven't seen Nash doing much of anything. Is he going to wait right to the deadline to alleviate the PF logjam and get us a shooter?

PBF

ProudBFan · 01-04-2005, 03:20 PM

On the side, I'm not holding my breath for a return to the playoffs this season. Never have been. I just want to see progress, and my frustration is coming from the lack of that we're seeing so far this season. Zach, Darius, and Theo all got nice fat extensions this summer and what do we have to show for it?

PBF

**Dan** · 01-04-2005, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ProudBFan!

I haven't seen Nash doing much of anything. Is he going to wait right to the deadline to alleviate the PF logjam and get us a shooter?

PBF

I guess as long as we aren't that far out of the playoff hunt (as we're not) waiting for Abe Vigoda..er..waiting to make a trade actually isnt' the end of the world/pattersnash is stupid/im going to jump off a cliff because I'm an idiot fan who thinks I know better than the GM does/etc..

ProudBFan · 01-04-2005, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hap!

I guess as long as we aren't that far out of the playoff hunt (as we're not) waiting for Abe Vigoda..er..waiting to make a trade actually isnt' the end of the world/pattersnash is stupid/im going to jump off a cliff because I'm an idiot fan who thinks I know better than the GM does/etc..

I'm an idiot fan, too, but not because I think I know better than the GM does. I don't know much about what's going on with the team right now, but I know better than that.

PBF

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