| You know how sometimes you balk at saying something that's bugging you, because you know if you get started you'll probably say something rash that you'll regret, so it's better not to say anything at all? That's me with this recap. Do I even want to get started on this loss to quite literally the worst team in the National Basketball Association? Heck, editorially speaking, by italicizing that last part I already am. Gracious, what does one say after a game like that? Where do you go, after "worst effort of the season by far, with the possible exception of the first game against both LA teams?" And while both were embarrassing, nobody really expected a win against the Lakers, and the Clips game kinda got away from them. Against Oklahoma City the Blazers were never in it, only varying in their degree of distance behind them. They may be better than the Clippers at this point, but it's close. The best word to describe the effort would be desultory. At least it was a team loss in the truest sense, in that the only blameless actors were Ike, Channing and Shav--and I'm sure if Nate had put them in, they'd have done something dumbass too. Let's see: - Sergio--1 AST, 2 TO, 3 PF, desultory defense, 8 points
- Bayless--ditto, except 0-3 from the field and slightly better D
- Roy--tried to carry the team, bless him, but how many chunked layups are possible in a game like that?
- LaMarcus--43 minutes, most of the 2nd half the tallest Blazer on the floor...6 rebounds, one offensive.
- Travis--pretty good shot actually, but ice from three, four big TO, two crucial FT misses late, and that desultory defense
- Rudy--1-6 (1-5), 3 AST in 24 minutes. !! He was overlooked by Trav repeatedly down the stretch, but not for 24 minutes.
- Joel--dude is a battler, but poor guy is a helpless liability on offense right now...and on this night I saw him laze on the boards a little.
- Nic--couldn't can the shot early, and looked strangely awkward all game. Class disappear game for him.
- Ah, Mr. Oden. So rookielicious, still.
Mr. Greg Oden, unfortunately half of the marquee sell for the game against Kevin Durant's team, the team that "settled" for Durant after Portland took Oden, tonight topped being punked by Hilton Armstrong and Brandon Bass by getting a prostate exam from Nick Collison, career 8/7 PF at 6-10. I saved Oden for last, because his struggles in this game seemed to slowly infect the entire team for the course of the road trip, until finally in this game everyone was in the same funk he was. For this game was, after, merely the continuation of a pattern that began in New Orleans and remained in Dallas: let the home team torch you in the first, then go totally cold on offense in the second. Fight back all second half, only having success in the event of a strained groin. Like I said, against Oklahoma I think I saw Joel dogging it, or at least being so late that he just had to give up. Which was better than what Oden was doing--not giving up--but seemed affective. Greg's feet were ultra slow tonight, and he was totally off rhythm at the offensive end. Nick Collison!! This was a game tailor made for Brutus Greg to show up and make all dunky dunky with the ball on Nick Collison. What on earth happened? What happened is the other reason Greg's troubles mimicked the rest of the team's: they were often partially at fault for Oden being in trouble. When Sergio or Rudy's or Roy's dude blows free and easy into the paint, Oden has to try to at least make an effort in that direction. He's committing, and committing late, but forcing the guy into so many help situations is just devastating their defensive ability. It has a domino effect on everything else they want to do. Yes, the screen switching is a big deal too, but to me it all flows from Oden being put in unfair positions--but paradoxically needs to be able to beat unfair positions in order to be great. And that's where it all lies for the team as well. The group as a whole is further ahead than Greg in overall development, but the team has the same lesson to heed: in this league, playoff teams need to be able to adjust to and overcome unfair positions. Injury, refs, unexpected offnights, rookies--doesn't matter. There just aren't any excuses left after a game like that against Oklahoma. No, it's not the end of the season, nor as yet a harbinger of last year's collapse after winning 13 in a row. The Blazers will get a chance to avenge this serious embarrassment in two games, back at the Garden. If they don't molest OKC in that contest, I'm not sure what to think. |
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