It's_GO_Time

So many times during the winning streak, the question was are the Blazers for real?

Well in the wake of low energy homestand and being blown out four times on the road, including a loss to Indy without O'Neil and Tinsley and an embarrassing loss to Dallas without thier leading scorer (Howard), starting point guard and Stackhouse . . .the Blazers are playing like a high lottery pick team.

I have to ask myself . . . are the Blazers this bad?

crowTrobot

obviously not since for whatever reason they're just going through the motions right now, and don't really seem interested in the putting out the effort it takes to give yourself a chance to win.

e_blazer1

There appears to be a total loss of confidence by every player on the team except Roy and, maybe, Blake. Everybody else is passing on shots that they were draining earlier in the season. I think the first three games after the All-Star break are crucial. Sacramento, Seattle, Seattle. If the Blazers plan to regroup and do anything this season, they'd better win those three games.

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BlazerCaravan

No. Just like they weren't as good as The Streak teased, they aren't as bad as this, either.

Think of a sine wave. It's got high points and low points, right? It goes up and down as it moves forward. Youth is making The Blazers look Really Good and Really Awful in the same season. There's a lot of flailing around going on for good and bad. Streaky shooters got hot at the same time, then went cold at the same time.

As they get older (and I don't mean weeks older, or months older, I mean years older) the flailing will lessen, and consistency will win out. Will we be as good as The Streak? Maybe, but I'm not sure its a lock. But just like we're not a 15-2 (extrapolated to 72-10) team, we're not a 5-12 (extrapolated to 24-58) team, either. We're in between.

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Ruff Draft

I don't really know. Who is to blame? James Jones?

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2008-2009 Detroit Pistons
PG: Chauncey Billups, Rodney Stuckey
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SF: Tayshaun Prince, Walter Herrmann, Walter Sharpe
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C: Kwame Brown, Antonio McDyess, Cheick Samb

crowTrobot

i'm sure the fact that outlaw webster frye jack and sergio were ALL mentioned in trade rumors isn't helping team confidence lol.

BlazerCaravan

Good point.

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e_blazer1

Yeah, the uncertainty of trade rumors undoubtedly is messing with these guys' heads. The deadline can't come soon enough, IMO.

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NewAgeBaller

Yep, agreed with him.

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nikolokolus

I don't see this as a bad team, this is tired team -- mentally and physically. Maybe it's overstating the point a bit, but all you have to do is watch the body language and they look like somebody who's been punched in the face repeatedly. Extending the boxing analogy, it's the end of the 6th round in a ten round fight and their right eye is swollen shut, give 'em a week off (minus Roy and LMA), catch their breath and hopefully come back with a little more pep.

I do agree that how the team, and in particular a few under-achievers, responds in the two weeks after the break will tell us a lot about the testicular fortitude of the team and for some of the guys who've yet to show they really deserve to be playing as starters (or at least reliable backups) on an NBA team -- I think that includes quite a few guys: Martell, Jack, and Sergio right off the top of my head.

Xericx

With no rebounding and no low post threat, what do you expect. sure, we can run and gun and shoot like the Mavs/Suns or whatever, but eventually they burn out.

mediocre man

The Blazers lost badly to 2 teams, Detroit which is one of the best teams in the league and Dallas which is also one of the best teams in the league. Then they lost to Houston who is finally healthy and moving up to where they belong as one of the top teams in the league. And they lost to Indiana without their best player by far. The lost to all these teams on the road.

I think Portland is probably close to a .500 team. Very good for a team that was supposed to be one of the worst in the league

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e_blazer1

I think that's a pretty fair assessment.

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hasoos

You know how it is in the NBA. Things go in streaks. When a young team gets on a roll, their confidenc goes up, and they get a streak going. When it goes into the dumper, they lose a bunch.

Now that being said, there is nothing going on in this losing streak that can't be solved with some effort. They only need to do a few things:

1. Get to the rim. Quit being afraid and get to the rim. When a guy like Martell has a big on him on the perimeter, quit being hesitant, get to the rim. Aldridge has the lane open a lot but hesitates to drive, yet I see him on a fast break take one lope from the free throw line and dunk? It is no different when the lane is open. Bring down the Hammer!

2. Getting to the rim will improve rebounding. The reason being, that outside shots that miss give long rebounds, and give the opposition a chance to run. This is killing the Blazers. The other being that when a player attracts defensive players to help on the weak side, it takes them out of position to rebound.

3. Quit passing up good shots to pass it to an open three pointer when the opportunity you have to score is much better. Too much hesitation.

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Hasoos

mediocre man