Thread Tools

Display Modes

ABM · 02-08-2005, 01:26 PM

Stolen from a Blazer Blog submission... (Thanks, BBfan4life..)

Quote:

Mike Barrett and Mike Rice are the hosts tonight (yeaaaa). Lakers losing to Hawks, down by 17. They're 24-22. After 2 more games, Mike thinks Kobe will join them. T-Wolves are 24-24. Got beat bad by Suns last week, 108-79. They're in 9th place. Slippers are 23-24, in 10th place. Denver and Portland are tied at 2 games in loss column behind. We can catch the Lakers. Spreewell and Cassel are on trading block, especially Spreewell. Cassel not playing well, injuries, etc. Case of "Blue Flu" going on there? Memphis has a ton of injuries, Casol and Bonzi included. Houston doing better - McGrady perimeter plays = 9 less plays for Yao. That team is averaging 8 more points a game using McGrady more. We've changed to more of an outside offense. Since run-in with Darius, he's playing better. He ran fast getting back on defense on that King's game; working harder.

Mo Cheeks on (taped from earlier today). He likes the rotation of playing Damon and Nick, then putting in Telfair. Likes the way they're playing. Will have to try and find a way to work DA in; tough situation. Question: How does loss of weight and lack of conditioning affect DA's play? Ans: DA is a smart player; he'll upgrade the team. Game will have to dictate how many minutes he'll play, but Cheeks likes what is happening with our current players now. He's not planning to change the starting line-up. They have a rythem and continuity going. He's going to stay with that. They're playing hard and having fun, and just now getting the reward for it. Rice is now saying that DA doesn't fit into what is happening now. Management really likes Telfair and his quickness and his energy; thus, he's higher on the chart than DA. But DA can give them outside shooting and give other players a little rest. Basically, now DA is an "insurance policy" in case NVE or Damon goes down with injury. That would keep DA from being traded (keep him around in case of injury). Of course, DA wants more than that, but that's the way it is.

That last win was "big" for us. Rice was so glad that we beat them with Webber, Peja, and Mobley - big statement. They were fresh and ready to go - no injury problems, fresh legs. Kings can't use an excuse of them being out - they played over 35 minutes. That was a "great confidence builder" for the Blazers. If they get hot, they sense they can't lose. Garnett has been complaining that he feels like he's playing on a H.S. team, being triple-teamed; said he's not getting the help he should and it shouldn't be that way. Confidence in Minn slipping. Confidence for Blazers is rising. Kings starting their next 11 of 14 games out on the road. Mike Barret and Mike Rice are very excited about this lineup they Blazers are using.

Teams desperate to make a trade: Golden State - Dale Davis is driving Mike Montgomery CRAZY! Daily problems. Dale wants much more minutes, PLUS wants to start! They also want to get rid of Cliff (uncle Cliffy). They want to build for the future. (Old guys on the way out?) The Raptors would like to trade Donyell Marshall to a team that wants to make a playoff push.

Gary Payton to Minn rumor: Cassell, Hudson, Spreewell complaining about contracts. Will they trade for Gary to get some of those guys out of town? Boston is in 3rd seed place right now (lousy Atlantic Div). Flip Saunders won't be blamed as much as Jerry Sloan. He made playoffs for 15 straight years. Discussing Jerry Sloan, folks are saying that the game has passed him by. But look at Hubie and his long career. But trading Arroyal (spelling?) and not playing Matt Harpering is creating complaints. Ruben Patterson is on KXL now: Guys are feeling good and playing good right now. Goal is to stay healthy. Ques: How difficult is it for Zach and Darius to accept coming off the bench? Ruben thinks they can handle it because the starters are playing so well right now. (Yeah, right...somehow I don't see their egos handling it for too long - my opinion, not on Courtside)

Ruben still on; he's watching the Laker game right now, and knows they are losing. He said the Blazers just want to stay focused. They do not feel like they are out of the playoff run. He said it's a long season. They're going to take one game at a time, and he DOES remember how N.O. beat them last time. Mike said he looked like he had one foot on Bourbon Street that game and Ruben said he probably did. ha ha. (But they are going to play hard and focused on Wed's game).

Oh, they also mentioned another knickname for Joel: "Pick 'n Roll Joel". Cute. It used to be that Zach was playing like Garnett (double and triple teamed and forcing up the shot). But now with our big two guys inside daring anyone to come at them, and our guards on the outside daring to be left open for the shot, creates a perfect scenero. Important: "YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOUR ROLE." They don't beat the Kings, Denver, and the Spurs unless they do that. Carmello mentioned that every time he'd take the ball inside, Theo was in his face, or Przybilla, and it got to the point where he said he wasn't going to take the ball in anymore. Mike Rice really likes this lineup; feels that Cheeks tweeked the lineup till he found something that worked. (Kudos to Cheeks).

-mailer said he likes the knickname "Thrilla Przybilla" for Joel. Asked about trade posibilities for DA? Mike Rice thinks that DA may be kept around for insurance purposes in case another player gets injured, (see previous post), but since he won't get to play much, they may be forced to look for a trade. Viktor Khryappa loves playing for the NBA and the Courtside guys said we are really going to like what we see in him. He's playing very well and will be an asset to the team. BTW, did you know that the pronounciation is "Croappa" instead of "Hroappa"?

Another e-mail knickname: Vanilla Gorilla. They are really laughing over that one. Viktor will be on soon. He's about 80% on that foot injury (had screws put in it). Another e-mail asked about Viktor's future with the Blazers, where does that leave Travis Outlaw? Rice said that Viktor started much younger as a Pro, has been playing a long time, and is more advanced than Outlaw. But Travis has improved so much and he can jump! Comes within about one inch of hitting the backboard. Travis is 6'9" (taller than Viktor). But Viktor is a great player and that will probably put Outlaw on another NBA team. Also, Monya can't be released into the NBA this year. He's disappointed, but it just can't happen due to the rules/contract...(something like that). Oh, and excuse me, but the pronouniation is "Cre-appa" not Croappa as I previously stated. On to Utah: They are 9 games out of the playoffs and have to pass 4 teams. But with Kirilenko on the Jazz team and the two Russians on our team, Mike said it would be like the Russian front line when we get together.

Asst. coach, Jimmy Lyman (sp?) discussing Ruben. Ques: Who in the NBA plays better defense than Ruben? Ans: "Absolutely! Plus his super charged offense is incredible." (Singing Ruben's praises now). On to Viktor: He has been a Pro for 7 years and so it's no big deal for him to compete in the NBA (regarding being nervous). "He's under control, team oriented, and has a consistent winning effort," per Jimmy. Also, Viktor was telling them to "wait until we get Monia, he can play too." Jimmy had some teeth pulled (ouch) and Mike was teasing Jimmy about him and DA having the teeth virus resulting from too much candy.

Ok, I looked up the spelling of Jimmy's last name: Lynam! Pete Pranica, (voice of Grizzlies) is on now. Pau Casol might be out during all star break; any word will he make it or not? Mike Botello has been lobbying for coaches not to forget about Pau; reminding them he's a great player. Question: Will he play against the Blazers? Ans: He's not sure; will see him at the shoot-around tomorrow. They're being conservative - would rather have him later than too early now. Bonzi will probably be back, but probably not Posey and Casol. Mike said he was sorry about all the stuff Pete had to go thru with Don (I missed most of that because I was looking up the spelling of Lynam's name - sorry about that).

Viktor is on! "Difficult injury, doctor did his job well, worked, now I'm back." What of his game was affected the most? "Mostly the jumping; do everything to make me back." Ques: Are you talking to Sergie in Russia? Ans: "Of course, very good friend." (Guys, this is so hard! It's difficult to understand what he's saying over the radio.) But the gist of it is he was happy to play that fourth quarter and wasn't too disappointed about not getting more playing time because it's up to the coach. Too homesick? This is his 3rd move to a different country (started when he was 14 years old) and he knows this is his job and he sounds like he's handling it ok.

Question: When do they start playing the young guys, giving up on the playoff run? Ans: Denver and Portland are going to pass a lot of people. Other teams are "shakey" but Denver & Portland are playing solid right now. (I guess that means we're still going to make a push for it). Well, guys, Courtside is over!

**Trader Ed** · 02-08-2005, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by <b>ABM</b>!
Oh, they also mentioned another knickname for Joel: "Pick 'n Roll Joel". Cute.

The guy who thought of that is a genius

Thread Tools Display Modes

Thread Tools

Display Modes