You may not know it by the way some people act, but commonly held beliefs are often wrong. Some are unequivocally wrong, and some are only in need of a little clarification. This is true in every area of life and the world of Rip City is no exception. Here we attempt to fix some incorrect beliefs shared by a few of our Blazer comrades. The hope is that the next time you enter a sports bar that has a patron spewing moronic garbage, which will be next the time you enter a sports bar because said patron is always there, you will be ready:
Commonly held belief: LaMarcus Aldridge is bad at rebounding. May also be described in the statements "LaMarcus is soft" or "LaMarcus doesn't get after the boards because he just hangs around the perimeter."
Truth: We will probably never see LaMarcus average double figures in rebounds for a season. We may never see him get all that close. But labeling him a poor rebounder is incorrect. Attributing this lack of boards to a preference for hanging around the perimeter on offense is even more ridiculous. LaMarcus is actually one of the best offensive rebounders in the League. He is currently averaging 2.9 a game, good enough for 10th in the NBA. That puts him ahead of guys like Chris Bosh, Yao Ming, and Tim Duncan.
Where Aldridge's somewhat mediocre rebounding average comes from is the defensive end. (For the extra curious, he is currently #58 in the League in this category, between Rudy Gay and Vince Carter.) Reasons for this are open for discussion. In fact, if you get roped into a "LaMarcus can't rebound" conversation, direct it to this area and let me know what you come up with.
Revised belief: LaMarcus is an excellent offensive rebounder, but what's up with his low defensive rebounds?
Commonly held belief: The Spanish Connection (Rudy Fernandez y Sergio Rodriguez) is fun to watch. But they can't play defense.
Truth: I want you to guess, of all the players that have received regular minutes this season, which two Blazers cause the opponent's effective field goal percentage to drop the most when they are on the court. From the context of the question I really hope you guessed Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez. That would be correct.
When Rudy is on the court, the Blazers allow an effective field goal percentage of 48.5%. When he is off, that number jumps to 52.5%. With Sergio on the court the opponent has an effective field goal percentage of 48.3%, compared to 51.5% when he is on the bench. These differences surpass that of even the much loved defender Joel Przybilla, and are important when you consider that around 2/3 of all NBA games are decided by six points or less.
So where does this idea that defense goes out the window when the Spaniards are on the court come from? My guess is a combination of many sources that run from European basketball stereotypes to many fans' understanding of defense to comments from head coach Nate McMillan.
A general American view of European ball players is that they can't play defense. Rudy and Sergio are also both slight in build, which isn't helping perceptions. Additionally, it seems that many fans think of defense in terms of 1 on 1 situations. We have all seen Rudy and Sergio exploited in these scenarios, but as team defenders they are actually adequate. Rudy especially is solid at staying active and playing the passing lanes. Finally, one of the few specific topics coach Nate McMillan is willing to talk publicly about is Sergio's lack of ability to defend the pick and roll. I would not disagree with Nate, but I think some fans take his statements and apply them to Sergio's overall defensive skills. That would be wrong. The pick and roll, while vital, is far from representative all defensive situations.
Revised belief: Both Sergio and Rudy struggle in 1 on 1 defensive situations, and Sergio gets exploited in pick and rolls. But neither is terrible in terms of team defense. Actually, opponents shoot a lower percentage when either is on the floor than with any other Blazer.
Commonly held belief: Travis Outlaw sucks, or, Travis Outlaw is awesome.
Truth: Outlaw could be the most polarizing Blazer. I have heard convincing arguments that he must be traded, only to hear an equally strong counter that he is indispensable. Whatever camp you happen to be in, know that the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
Outlaw supporters can point out his eye-popping athleticism and impressive length. His detractors then respond that he is a chronic underachiever for not getting more from these gifts. He is a player that has some of the best clutch stats in the League but will cost the team a game because he forgot the play they were supposed to run.
Think about what Travis contributes now. He is one of the more capable scorers off the bench in the NBA. His pull-up jumper is nearly impossible to defend. He has even become a legitimate three point threat, shooting 40% from deep with twice as many makes per game as he had last season. Anything else he does that may stay in your memory, from getting a clutch block to forgetting who he is supposed to guard, is unpredictable. The good, the bad, the unpredictable, this is who Travis Outlaw is right now.
Revised belief: Travis Outlaw does good things and bad things.
That is all for now, but there are many more out there. Feel free to send in your ideas.
Showing posts with label Travis Outlaw. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travis Outlaw. Show all posts
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Scoring Consistency Observation #2: For the haters of Travis Outlaw
This post is referencing the scoring consistency stat derived from this post. An in depth explanation of the stat is available here.
Travis Outlaw has become a bit of a polarizing figure in Rip City. He does some good things, like provide scoring off the bench. He also does bad things, like forgetting what play the team is running in the last possession of a game, showing up out of shape to training camp every year, and the occasional journey into delusions of grandeur.
That last heartbreaking loss to Orlando has given the trade Trout lobbyists a significant boost. But perhaps we aren't fully appreciating what Travis brings to this team. Not only does he average double figures off the bench, he does it at the second most consistent rate on the team.
Outlaw's PPGcr is 2.67. In December of last year it was 1.94. The addition of Oden and Fernandez were supposed to hurt Outlaw's scoring, but that has not been the case so far. Outlaw's PPG last December was within 1 point of his current season average. The only real change so far this season is that he is a much more consistent scorer.
It could be that he has improved his skills. Or perhaps having more competition for shots has increased his focus. Or maybe it is nothing more than a statistical aberration. But Outlaw being the second most consistent scorer on the team should not be ignored.
Travis Outlaw has become a bit of a polarizing figure in Rip City. He does some good things, like provide scoring off the bench. He also does bad things, like forgetting what play the team is running in the last possession of a game, showing up out of shape to training camp every year, and the occasional journey into delusions of grandeur.
That last heartbreaking loss to Orlando has given the trade Trout lobbyists a significant boost. But perhaps we aren't fully appreciating what Travis brings to this team. Not only does he average double figures off the bench, he does it at the second most consistent rate on the team.
Outlaw's PPGcr is 2.67. In December of last year it was 1.94. The addition of Oden and Fernandez were supposed to hurt Outlaw's scoring, but that has not been the case so far. Outlaw's PPG last December was within 1 point of his current season average. The only real change so far this season is that he is a much more consistent scorer.
It could be that he has improved his skills. Or perhaps having more competition for shots has increased his focus. Or maybe it is nothing more than a statistical aberration. But Outlaw being the second most consistent scorer on the team should not be ignored.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Blazers vs. Rockets conclusion; dramatized narrative
So I have been geeking out on some fantasy-adventure novels recently. Yeah, I know. I need to stop. It appears to be influencing my blogging. Here's my recap of the game. Box score.
With just twenty seconds left in the battle, the young Trailblazers had fought the invading veteran horde from the City of Syrup to a draw. They had lost their significant advantage and darkness seemed upon them as the long, sleepy-eyed, battle-weary assassin probed their defenses for vulnerabilities. He rose and flung a medium range volley. A miss!
The ball was collected by they very man that was increasingly finding himself the scapegoat of all Rip City ills. An Outlaw, he was once worshiped by the masses. Recently he had discovered the mob enjoys tearing down the very ones they lift up. The fickle crowd had taken the adulation once heaped upon his shoulders and lavished it upon a younger warrior, newly arrived from a strange land. Now he was in trade rumors. But tonight they cheered him. With every one of his fourteen points and thirteen rebounds he hoped to recapture the flames that once burned for him. This particular story has yet to be decided, so we return to the battle at hand.
The clock now below ten seconds, he immediately gives the power to the squadron's mightiest worrier. Roy, the Everything, had performed below his standards throughout the battle. Yet as he glided down court with the orb, he knew none were more fit than he for the situation. With eight seconds remaining, he drove towards the goal.
He went right, which was never his preference despite being right-handed. His shoes were crappy, and he was being smothered by the mountain of defense known only as Ron-Ron. He had also attracted the attention of another defensive heathen. He quickly spun away from the pressure. The move sent one Rocket tumbling towards the Earth, and Ron-Ron himself stumbled to remain upright. Seeing the newly created opening, Roy elevated to launch a medium-range attack. It was a shot that he had struggled with all night. This time, it sailed through the goal perfectly. The rabid crowd that was jammed into the arena screamed in celebration of their heroes. Just one second remained, and the young Blazers lead by two.
But the veteran invaders were not done. While the masses screamed, they regrouped and hatched a scheme of their own. They wished to steal the glory of this battle for themselves. They would turn to their tallest warrior, one not from this land that was once regarded as a mere curiosity. He was now known for the deadliness of his great length. Although he had struggled tonight, this impacted him little as he remained ever confident in his skills.
He posted up and the power was easily inbounded to him. He went immediately to his turn around fading attack. This was a favorite move of his, one considered unusual for a man of his great size, but that mattered little at this moment. The orb sailed beautifully along it's arc and through the goal. The referee blew his whistle to indicate that the damage was not done. Roy had unfairly damaged the longest warrior during his attack. The Rockets would receive a charity opportunity, and capitalize.
The red invaders cackled and celebrated as only hyenas can. The crowd stood in silent disbelief. Victory had indeed been stolen from them. With less than one second remaining, the young Blazers regrouped with desperation on their faces. Not surprisingly, they would turn towards their Everything once again.
The referee handed the ball to the Blazer to inbound. Roy moved with all of his fleetness towards the passer. A look of excitement came over his face, for the sleepy-eyed one defending him had made a lapse and now lagged behind. Roy received the orb a great distance from the goal and with no time to think. With all his might his exploded into the air and launched a long-distance attack at the goal. The power soared high into the air. It landed perfectly through the net. The crowd let out their largest scream of the night, raising their arms in victory. Roy's teammates smothered him with their bodies to show appreciation for his heroics. Yes, this was going to be a good season.
With just twenty seconds left in the battle, the young Trailblazers had fought the invading veteran horde from the City of Syrup to a draw. They had lost their significant advantage and darkness seemed upon them as the long, sleepy-eyed, battle-weary assassin probed their defenses for vulnerabilities. He rose and flung a medium range volley. A miss!
The ball was collected by they very man that was increasingly finding himself the scapegoat of all Rip City ills. An Outlaw, he was once worshiped by the masses. Recently he had discovered the mob enjoys tearing down the very ones they lift up. The fickle crowd had taken the adulation once heaped upon his shoulders and lavished it upon a younger warrior, newly arrived from a strange land. Now he was in trade rumors. But tonight they cheered him. With every one of his fourteen points and thirteen rebounds he hoped to recapture the flames that once burned for him. This particular story has yet to be decided, so we return to the battle at hand.
The clock now below ten seconds, he immediately gives the power to the squadron's mightiest worrier. Roy, the Everything, had performed below his standards throughout the battle. Yet as he glided down court with the orb, he knew none were more fit than he for the situation. With eight seconds remaining, he drove towards the goal.
He went right, which was never his preference despite being right-handed. His shoes were crappy, and he was being smothered by the mountain of defense known only as Ron-Ron. He had also attracted the attention of another defensive heathen. He quickly spun away from the pressure. The move sent one Rocket tumbling towards the Earth, and Ron-Ron himself stumbled to remain upright. Seeing the newly created opening, Roy elevated to launch a medium-range attack. It was a shot that he had struggled with all night. This time, it sailed through the goal perfectly. The rabid crowd that was jammed into the arena screamed in celebration of their heroes. Just one second remained, and the young Blazers lead by two.
But the veteran invaders were not done. While the masses screamed, they regrouped and hatched a scheme of their own. They wished to steal the glory of this battle for themselves. They would turn to their tallest warrior, one not from this land that was once regarded as a mere curiosity. He was now known for the deadliness of his great length. Although he had struggled tonight, this impacted him little as he remained ever confident in his skills.
He posted up and the power was easily inbounded to him. He went immediately to his turn around fading attack. This was a favorite move of his, one considered unusual for a man of his great size, but that mattered little at this moment. The orb sailed beautifully along it's arc and through the goal. The referee blew his whistle to indicate that the damage was not done. Roy had unfairly damaged the longest warrior during his attack. The Rockets would receive a charity opportunity, and capitalize.
The red invaders cackled and celebrated as only hyenas can. The crowd stood in silent disbelief. Victory had indeed been stolen from them. With less than one second remaining, the young Blazers regrouped with desperation on their faces. Not surprisingly, they would turn towards their Everything once again.
The referee handed the ball to the Blazer to inbound. Roy moved with all of his fleetness towards the passer. A look of excitement came over his face, for the sleepy-eyed one defending him had made a lapse and now lagged behind. Roy received the orb a great distance from the goal and with no time to think. With all his might his exploded into the air and launched a long-distance attack at the goal. The power soared high into the air. It landed perfectly through the net. The crowd let out their largest scream of the night, raising their arms in victory. Roy's teammates smothered him with their bodies to show appreciation for his heroics. Yes, this was going to be a good season.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Outlaw for Conley rumors...
Much to my delight, Dwight Jaynes has been blogging his ass off over at his cozy interwebs property. Good things over there, check it out.
Here he points out this report from Sam Smith saying that the Blazers have offered Travis Outlaw for Mike Conley. From the Smith report:
What makes this trade rumor so intriguing to me is that it brings up a lot of debates and the evolving perceptions of this Blazer team.
First, the Blazer need for a "pointguard of the future." This discussion gained huge momentum last season and refuses to stop. I initially dismissed this talk as way too preliminary. Steve Blake isn't glamorous, this is true. But he has been a competent. Fans seem to want an entire team of All-Stars. This has become increasingly odd to me as not long ago the Blazers were Exhibit A for why such an approach doesn't work.
Remember, when it matters most Brandon Roy is the pointguard. And for the last time, teams have won titles without stellar pointguards. I am very weary of people who seem to think this team needs more stars. That being said, Conley would be an upgrade in terms of talent.
Secondly, it is interesting that much of Rip City has turned on Travis Outlaw. There was a time when he was the regarded as the loveable up and coming talent. Last season his flaws were acknowledged, but Travis was prized as a valuable offensive weapon off the bench. This year is different. The new verdict on Outlaw is that his development has plateaued, that he needs the ball too much to be an effective team player, and that he settles for the jump shot too often. Making things worse for Travis, Nicolas Batum has already managed to capture the fan's imagination.
I agree that Travis is limited. He is also probably close to his ceiling considering his distaste for working on his game in the off season. With the arrival of Batum and Fernandez, his role has been reduced. It would make sense to trade him while his value remains high.
The trade makes some sense, but I have my reservations. I'm scared that it is far too early to be talking about all of this. The team is still very young, as is the season. We haven't even seen the squad at full strength. It is still unknown what the Blazers really need to become elite, maybe the ingredients are already on the roster and just need some time to come together. The best moves can be the ones that aren't made. Patience Rip City, Patience.
Here he points out this report from Sam Smith saying that the Blazers have offered Travis Outlaw for Mike Conley. From the Smith report:
I've never been as big on Conley as the scouts have, but they know more than me. Also, I'm not so sure Memphis would trade a crowded point guard situation for a crowded lanky-athletic small forward situation. We'll see.
After seeing the Grizzlies in Chicago Saturday, I can't believe they won't make a deal with pointless Portland. This seems a natural with the modest Greg Oden, likely in a depression now as he's hurt again amidst amazingly huge expectations in the community, likely yearning for his old, aggressive buddy Mike Conley, who though starting doesn't seem the favorite of coach Marc Iavaroni, who seems to favor Kyle Lowry. Sources say the Trailblazers continue to only offer Travis Outlaw.
What makes this trade rumor so intriguing to me is that it brings up a lot of debates and the evolving perceptions of this Blazer team.
First, the Blazer need for a "pointguard of the future." This discussion gained huge momentum last season and refuses to stop. I initially dismissed this talk as way too preliminary. Steve Blake isn't glamorous, this is true. But he has been a competent. Fans seem to want an entire team of All-Stars. This has become increasingly odd to me as not long ago the Blazers were Exhibit A for why such an approach doesn't work.
Remember, when it matters most Brandon Roy is the pointguard. And for the last time, teams have won titles without stellar pointguards. I am very weary of people who seem to think this team needs more stars. That being said, Conley would be an upgrade in terms of talent.
Secondly, it is interesting that much of Rip City has turned on Travis Outlaw. There was a time when he was the regarded as the loveable up and coming talent. Last season his flaws were acknowledged, but Travis was prized as a valuable offensive weapon off the bench. This year is different. The new verdict on Outlaw is that his development has plateaued, that he needs the ball too much to be an effective team player, and that he settles for the jump shot too often. Making things worse for Travis, Nicolas Batum has already managed to capture the fan's imagination.
I agree that Travis is limited. He is also probably close to his ceiling considering his distaste for working on his game in the off season. With the arrival of Batum and Fernandez, his role has been reduced. It would make sense to trade him while his value remains high.
The trade makes some sense, but I have my reservations. I'm scared that it is far too early to be talking about all of this. The team is still very young, as is the season. We haven't even seen the squad at full strength. It is still unknown what the Blazers really need to become elite, maybe the ingredients are already on the roster and just need some time to come together. The best moves can be the ones that aren't made. Patience Rip City, Patience.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
On that Outlaw wanting more shots thing
We have all read it by now. In fact, the Travis-saying-he-wants-more-shots issue has been pretty much covered (1, 2). If not for my hyena streak I would probably leave it alone at this point, but I can't resist the possibility of crumbs on the carcass. Yummy carrion.
Outlaw will experience a little backlash from some fans over this. But what did he do, really?
1) He used human reasoning ability to deduct that adding offensive perimeter talents Bayless and Fernandez will result in a diminished role for him in the offense.
2) He was concerned about this.
3) He voiced these concerns to a reporter.
The problem is not #1, all Outlaw is guilty of here is possessing some logical thinking ability.
Perhaps the issue is #2. Surely, a true team-player would be happy to welcome additional talent to the roster. If it means reduced individual achievement, that is a small sacrifice for the ultimate goal of team success.
Before you buy that consider Outlaw's position. He struggled until last season, when he broke out and experienced the first sustained on-court success of his career. He is still young, and probably rightly believes his ability is still growing. I can understand how Outlaw feels that he is finally on the cusp of something very good. In a way, he has had the rug pulled from underneath his feet. He has the right to be a little upset about the deal. Would you really want a player that in his heart would be truly happy to be less involved with the team?
Then we come to issue #3, which caused this whole mini-storm. Outlaw showed candor we don't see all that often. Actually, such public honesty and openness will be very rare on this team that is stacked with some self-aware and conscientious talent. Maybe he knew management and MacMillan would be deaf to his concerns, and decided to go public with his hissy. Perhaps Outlaw will learn a lesson from this and go Clyde Drexler with the media from now on. Speculation is fun.
Whatever his motivation, Outlaw is well within the normal range of human reaction to his situation. We are reminded, once again, that these people are human beings after all. He isn't living up to some idealized expectation that probably doesn't exist. We don't want normal humans with insecurities to play on our team. It ruins the whole illusion.
Speaking of insecurities, please believe Outlaw has them. Sometimes he says things that taken literally can definitely give off the vibe of another athlete with delusions of grandeur. As Dave says from Blazers Edge:
I'm not so sure Travis actually thinks of himself in this way. On the court, his sporadic confidence issues have been noted by many. His bluster seems more likely to be an attempt to deny these insecurities than to reflect his true feelings. Is it outlandish to think Outlaw feels a bit threatened by the arrival of Bayless and Fernandez? Would such a feeling be abnormal?
The broad underlying issue from all of this is how the Blazers will handle being stacked with so much talent. Not just any talent, but the young, ambitious, and flourishing variety. The type that wants to get shots and shine. The organization has excelled at obtaining such wealth of personnel, now we get to see how adept they are at managing it.
Outlaw will experience a little backlash from some fans over this. But what did he do, really?
1) He used human reasoning ability to deduct that adding offensive perimeter talents Bayless and Fernandez will result in a diminished role for him in the offense.
2) He was concerned about this.
3) He voiced these concerns to a reporter.
The problem is not #1, all Outlaw is guilty of here is possessing some logical thinking ability.
Perhaps the issue is #2. Surely, a true team-player would be happy to welcome additional talent to the roster. If it means reduced individual achievement, that is a small sacrifice for the ultimate goal of team success.
Before you buy that consider Outlaw's position. He struggled until last season, when he broke out and experienced the first sustained on-court success of his career. He is still young, and probably rightly believes his ability is still growing. I can understand how Outlaw feels that he is finally on the cusp of something very good. In a way, he has had the rug pulled from underneath his feet. He has the right to be a little upset about the deal. Would you really want a player that in his heart would be truly happy to be less involved with the team?
Then we come to issue #3, which caused this whole mini-storm. Outlaw showed candor we don't see all that often. Actually, such public honesty and openness will be very rare on this team that is stacked with some self-aware and conscientious talent. Maybe he knew management and MacMillan would be deaf to his concerns, and decided to go public with his hissy. Perhaps Outlaw will learn a lesson from this and go Clyde Drexler with the media from now on. Speculation is fun.
Whatever his motivation, Outlaw is well within the normal range of human reaction to his situation. We are reminded, once again, that these people are human beings after all. He isn't living up to some idealized expectation that probably doesn't exist. We don't want normal humans with insecurities to play on our team. It ruins the whole illusion.
Speaking of insecurities, please believe Outlaw has them. Sometimes he says things that taken literally can definitely give off the vibe of another athlete with delusions of grandeur. As Dave says from Blazers Edge:
If you had a Ferrari, you’d want to drive it fast sometimes. You may understand the need for a speed limit. You may agree with it. But when most of your life is spent driving 65 it’s hard not to envy a guy in Germany who can drive 120 whenever he wants. I mean, it’s a Ferrari, dude. Travis is pretty sure he’s a Ferrari. And looking at some of the things he’s able to do on the court it’s hard to disagree.
I'm not so sure Travis actually thinks of himself in this way. On the court, his sporadic confidence issues have been noted by many. His bluster seems more likely to be an attempt to deny these insecurities than to reflect his true feelings. Is it outlandish to think Outlaw feels a bit threatened by the arrival of Bayless and Fernandez? Would such a feeling be abnormal?
The broad underlying issue from all of this is how the Blazers will handle being stacked with so much talent. Not just any talent, but the young, ambitious, and flourishing variety. The type that wants to get shots and shine. The organization has excelled at obtaining such wealth of personnel, now we get to see how adept they are at managing it.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Blazers vs Wizards: Why They Play The Game
As much as we enjoy analyzing things and pretending to know what is going to happen, we often get reminders of how random sports are and how our pursuit of predictive knowledge means nothing. Last night was one of those nights. Let me set the scene.
The Blazers played a playoff team. LaMarcus sat out with a sprained ankle. Roy played only 14 minutes due to a groin injury. In the past I've talked about what a great opportunity such short-handed scenarios can be for some other young players to come out of their shells, and for the team as a whole to learn some autonomy outside of their Everything. Guess what? In this game, it actually happened.
Jack had one of those great nights he has from time to time, as did Webster. Pryzbilla managed 17 boards in 24 minutes. LaFrentz got minutes and added 6, 7, and 3 blocks. Steve Blake aka The Port of Miami was solid again, and Travis Outlaw broke out of his funk and took advantage of a rare appearance in the starting lineup.
Portland 102, Washington 82 (ESPN)
A blowout win for some very shorthanded Blazers. A team that built a lead and actually maintained it, which has been a very rare thing this season. This was one of the most fun nights of the year to be a Blazer or a fan.
The Blazers played a playoff team. LaMarcus sat out with a sprained ankle. Roy played only 14 minutes due to a groin injury. In the past I've talked about what a great opportunity such short-handed scenarios can be for some other young players to come out of their shells, and for the team as a whole to learn some autonomy outside of their Everything. Guess what? In this game, it actually happened.
Jack had one of those great nights he has from time to time, as did Webster. Pryzbilla managed 17 boards in 24 minutes. LaFrentz got minutes and added 6, 7, and 3 blocks. Steve Blake aka The Port of Miami was solid again, and Travis Outlaw broke out of his funk and took advantage of a rare appearance in the starting lineup.
Portland 102, Washington 82 (ESPN)
A blowout win for some very shorthanded Blazers. A team that built a lead and actually maintained it, which has been a very rare thing this season. This was one of the most fun nights of the year to be a Blazer or a fan.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
That Knicks Game Was AWESOME
Blazers 120 Knicks 114 (boxscore)
I heard I've been pretty negative around here lately. Too sarcastic. Probably. I mean, the game went to OT and the Knicks were without Crawford, Curry, Randolph, and as always, Starbury. All to remind us once again that the post-winning bonanza Blazer team is in fact good enough to barely beat bad teams (sometimes).
But let me say that last night's game was AWESOME (thats right, all caps!). Down the stretch, the teams looked as tired as any I can remember. Roy looked hobbled and depleted, but somehow kept making plays when he really needed to. Aldrdige had a nice game. The Port of Miami Steve Blake had another better than expected night. Outlaw's mini-slump continued, probably because I just picked him up in fantasy league.
The real fun of this game was that for the most part it felt like Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson versus the Blazers. The absence of the usual shoot-always guys from the Knicks lineup gave this shoot-always guy the green light, and it was, to quote Walt Frazier, "asd;fjsd;lkfjsad;fj." He scored 45, I can't blame Walt for coming up with some creative vocabulary to describe what was going on (listen to his analysis in the video below). Enjoy:
I heard I've been pretty negative around here lately. Too sarcastic. Probably. I mean, the game went to OT and the Knicks were without Crawford, Curry, Randolph, and as always, Starbury. All to remind us once again that the post-winning bonanza Blazer team is in fact good enough to barely beat bad teams (sometimes).
But let me say that last night's game was AWESOME (thats right, all caps!). Down the stretch, the teams looked as tired as any I can remember. Roy looked hobbled and depleted, but somehow kept making plays when he really needed to. Aldrdige had a nice game. The Port of Miami Steve Blake had another better than expected night. Outlaw's mini-slump continued, probably because I just picked him up in fantasy league.
The real fun of this game was that for the most part it felt like Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson versus the Blazers. The absence of the usual shoot-always guys from the Knicks lineup gave this shoot-always guy the green light, and it was, to quote Walt Frazier, "asd;fjsd;lkfjsad;fj." He scored 45, I can't blame Walt for coming up with some creative vocabulary to describe what was going on (listen to his analysis in the video below). Enjoy:
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Trade Deadline Hysteria
Yeah, its that time when the rumor mill of NBA Trades heats up. With all the fine young winning talent on the Blazers, it shouldn't be a surprise to hear the team involved. For the second rumor in a row, Jarret Jack's name is coming up. Today, word comes in that Portland is engaging in supposedly serious talks with Dallas and New Jersey:
I'm not really sure what to think at this point. Just remind yourself that the Bob Whitsitt days are over, and Portland pulling the trigger on monster trades isn't as certain as it used to be. Thank God. Most rumors that come up this time of year are no more than that.
Theoretically, Devin Harris could address a major need of Portland. Young and experienced legit pointguard, good at defense, still improving. Definitely worth Frye and Jack, but Outlaw too? My knee-jerk inclination is to think yes. The trade also makes sense for Portland in that they are basically getting two much needed roster spots out of the deal, which will come in handy next season with the additions of Oden and Rudy Fernandez.
This is one sexy rumor.
Thanks to Brrrrrrrr! for the tipoff.
In the proposed trade, Dallas and Portland would send the Nets a package that includes the Mavs' Devean George and Jerry Stackhouse and Blazers forwards Travis Outlaw and Channing Frye and guard Jarrett Jack. Mavericks point guard Devin Harris would be sent to Portland. Along with Kidd, the Nets would send reserve forward Malik Allen and center Jamaal Magloire to Dallas.
I'm not really sure what to think at this point. Just remind yourself that the Bob Whitsitt days are over, and Portland pulling the trigger on monster trades isn't as certain as it used to be. Thank God. Most rumors that come up this time of year are no more than that.
Theoretically, Devin Harris could address a major need of Portland. Young and experienced legit pointguard, good at defense, still improving. Definitely worth Frye and Jack, but Outlaw too? My knee-jerk inclination is to think yes. The trade also makes sense for Portland in that they are basically getting two much needed roster spots out of the deal, which will come in handy next season with the additions of Oden and Rudy Fernandez.
This is one sexy rumor.
Thanks to Brrrrrrrr! for the tipoff.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Portland vs Chicago: winning and growing
Portland 115, Chicago 109, 2OT (boxscore)
Very tough, exhausting, double-overtime veteranish win. Outlaw was clutch, so I'm going to remind you about this. James Jones was his usual invaluable self. Aldridge did his thing, using Ben Wallace's dogmatic defense of the paint as an opportunity to go automatic with the perimeter jumper. Brandon Roy was, again, Everything. There will be lots of good analyses for this game out there, so I'll sum up by simply writing what was looping through my head during the last five minutes of the fourth and through both overtimes:
"Why is Jack running the offense so much? Why is Jack running the offense so much? Give it to Roy. Give it to Roy! Gaaaaaaa! Nice play, Jack..."
I've been a Jarrett Jack apologist for a long time, and was happy to see him out there making plays. But Brandon Roy is on this team, why go anywhere else down the stretch of a tight game?
Very tough, exhausting, double-overtime veteranish win. Outlaw was clutch, so I'm going to remind you about this. James Jones was his usual invaluable self. Aldridge did his thing, using Ben Wallace's dogmatic defense of the paint as an opportunity to go automatic with the perimeter jumper. Brandon Roy was, again, Everything. There will be lots of good analyses for this game out there, so I'll sum up by simply writing what was looping through my head during the last five minutes of the fourth and through both overtimes:
"Why is Jack running the offense so much? Why is Jack running the offense so much? Give it to Roy. Give it to Roy! Gaaaaaaa! Nice play, Jack..."
I've been a Jarrett Jack apologist for a long time, and was happy to see him out there making plays. But Brandon Roy is on this team, why go anywhere else down the stretch of a tight game?
Monday, December 31, 2007
The Consistent Stat
With growing interest in removing the soul quantifying basketball, the NBA has done some cool stuff like making plus/minus and "efficiency ratings" available. Pretty cool, but if you've ever had to take an intro stats class, you may have wondered why some basic and potentially insightful statistics are left out of boxscores. Among these, standard deviation sticks out as a good candidate to consider. If you need a refresher, this is a commonly used measure of the dispersion of data around the mean of that data. Or even easier, it tells you how much variation there is in the information you are looking at, a measure of consistency.
Seems useful, right? Would you rather have a player who averages 15 ppg that gives you exactly 15 points every night, or a player who averages 15 ppg but could give you anything between 0 and 30? Averages can miss how consistent a player is, and thats where standard deviation can help. It isn't perfect, but no stat really is.
You could run this on any stat, but I chose scoring since it enjoys such a glamorous life. I went through the game logs of Blazer rotation players and computed the standard deviation ("SD") of their scoring. I've also run a couple non-Blazer superstars for fun. I used the free web based software available here.
For interpretation purposes, I also put the ratio of points per game to SD. This was just to help compare players a little better, because ones with higher ppg are much more likely to have a higher SD due to their greater potential for scoring different point totals. For example, a player that scores 25 a night will have higher SD than a player that scores 6, just from working on a scale with more possibilities. The ratio between ppg and SD can be thought of as the variance relative to ppg.
I also included the median ppg of each player, which I also think is helpful. The median is the middle point if you lined up the player's points total from every game from lowest to highest. This makes it less influenced by outlier scores than averages. For example, a median higher than the average could show a player had a couple really low-scoring games.
Sorry for the long walk, who's the most consistent Blazer when it comes to scoring? Who's the least? I've arranged them in order from highest ppg ("Avg") to SD ratio to lowest:
Brandon Roy:
Avg: 19.23
Med: 21.5
SD: 7.08
Avg/SD: 2.72
LaMarcus Aldridge:
Avg: 17.48
Med: 18
SD: 7.23
Avg/SD: 2.42
Travis Outlaw:
Avg: 11.93
Med: 11.00
SD: 6.15
Avg/SD: 1.94
Martell Webster:
Avg: 11.00
Med: 11.00
SD: 6.23
Avg/SD: 1.77
Channing Frye:
Avg: 7.26
Med: 6
SD: 4.16
Avg/SD: 1.75
Jarrett Jack:
Avg: 9.87
Med: 9.00
SD: 5.95
Avg/SD: 1.66
James Jones:
Avg: 9.78
Med: 11
SD: 5.90
Avg/SD: 1.66
Steve Blake:
Avg: 7.47
Med: 6.50
SD: 4.83
Avg/SD: 1.55
Joel Pryzbilla:
Avg: 4.93
Med: 5.00
SD: 3.52
Avg/SD: 1.40
Sergio Rodriguez:
Avg: 2.86
Med: 2
SD: 2.75
Avg/SD: 1.04
To recap, the higher the Avg/SD ratio, the lower the SD relative to points per game. Higher ratios indicate more consistency.
Any surprises? The biggest might be Blake, but remember he's not really asked to do much scoring beyond what the defense gives him. That could mean a bevvy of open 3's or nothing, depending on the strategy the defense adopts, which in turn leads to lots of variance. Another note is that I rounded to two decimal places, and Jack is indeed a smidge ahead of Jones so gets the higher spot despite the equal rounded scores. These numbers include games completed through 12/31.
And here's some other guys, since I guess its sort of possible you aren't all only interested in only the Trailblazers. You can easily do this for whatever players you want on whatever stat is tracked, just fill out the spreadsheet that pops up on the link to the software used above and have at it. Data entry is where amazing happens.
Kobe Bryant:
Avg: 27.13
Med: 28
SD: 7.08
Avg/SD: 3.83
LeBron James:
Avg: 28.81
Med: 28
SD: 8.76
Avg/SD: 3.29
Yao Ming:
Avg: 21.5
Med: 22
SD: 6.63
Avg/SD: 3.24
Dwyane Wade:
Avg: 24.79
Med: 23.50
SD: 9.80
Avg/SD: 2.53
Seems useful, right? Would you rather have a player who averages 15 ppg that gives you exactly 15 points every night, or a player who averages 15 ppg but could give you anything between 0 and 30? Averages can miss how consistent a player is, and thats where standard deviation can help. It isn't perfect, but no stat really is.
You could run this on any stat, but I chose scoring since it enjoys such a glamorous life. I went through the game logs of Blazer rotation players and computed the standard deviation ("SD") of their scoring. I've also run a couple non-Blazer superstars for fun. I used the free web based software available here.
For interpretation purposes, I also put the ratio of points per game to SD. This was just to help compare players a little better, because ones with higher ppg are much more likely to have a higher SD due to their greater potential for scoring different point totals. For example, a player that scores 25 a night will have higher SD than a player that scores 6, just from working on a scale with more possibilities. The ratio between ppg and SD can be thought of as the variance relative to ppg.
I also included the median ppg of each player, which I also think is helpful. The median is the middle point if you lined up the player's points total from every game from lowest to highest. This makes it less influenced by outlier scores than averages. For example, a median higher than the average could show a player had a couple really low-scoring games.
Sorry for the long walk, who's the most consistent Blazer when it comes to scoring? Who's the least? I've arranged them in order from highest ppg ("Avg") to SD ratio to lowest:
Brandon Roy:
Avg: 19.23
Med: 21.5
SD: 7.08
Avg/SD: 2.72
LaMarcus Aldridge:
Avg: 17.48
Med: 18
SD: 7.23
Avg/SD: 2.42
Travis Outlaw:
Avg: 11.93
Med: 11.00
SD: 6.15
Avg/SD: 1.94
Martell Webster:
Avg: 11.00
Med: 11.00
SD: 6.23
Avg/SD: 1.77
Channing Frye:
Avg: 7.26
Med: 6
SD: 4.16
Avg/SD: 1.75
Jarrett Jack:
Avg: 9.87
Med: 9.00
SD: 5.95
Avg/SD: 1.66
James Jones:
Avg: 9.78
Med: 11
SD: 5.90
Avg/SD: 1.66
Steve Blake:
Avg: 7.47
Med: 6.50
SD: 4.83
Avg/SD: 1.55
Joel Pryzbilla:
Avg: 4.93
Med: 5.00
SD: 3.52
Avg/SD: 1.40
Sergio Rodriguez:
Avg: 2.86
Med: 2
SD: 2.75
Avg/SD: 1.04
To recap, the higher the Avg/SD ratio, the lower the SD relative to points per game. Higher ratios indicate more consistency.
Any surprises? The biggest might be Blake, but remember he's not really asked to do much scoring beyond what the defense gives him. That could mean a bevvy of open 3's or nothing, depending on the strategy the defense adopts, which in turn leads to lots of variance. Another note is that I rounded to two decimal places, and Jack is indeed a smidge ahead of Jones so gets the higher spot despite the equal rounded scores. These numbers include games completed through 12/31.
And here's some other guys, since I guess its sort of possible you aren't all only interested in only the Trailblazers. You can easily do this for whatever players you want on whatever stat is tracked, just fill out the spreadsheet that pops up on the link to the software used above and have at it. Data entry is where amazing happens.
Kobe Bryant:
Avg: 27.13
Med: 28
SD: 7.08
Avg/SD: 3.83
LeBron James:
Avg: 28.81
Med: 28
SD: 8.76
Avg/SD: 3.29
Yao Ming:
Avg: 21.5
Med: 22
SD: 6.63
Avg/SD: 3.24
Dwyane Wade:
Avg: 24.79
Med: 23.50
SD: 9.80
Avg/SD: 2.53
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Blazers vs Philly: Lucky 13
Blazers 97, Philly 72 (boxscore)
Thirteen in a row. As has become common in the most recent wins of the streak, Portland overcame some ugly play before finally clicking in the fourth quarter. The score would seem to indicate a rare blowout win, but the Sixers were actually leading 63-62 after three uggo quarters of "basketball." Outlaw and Roy again got hot in the fourth, which in turn made everything much easier, and Portland poured in 35 points to Philadelphia's paltry 9. Love the wins, but it is somewhat disturbing to see Portland get massively out-hustled for three-quarters before turning it on. We've all been heaping praise on the expansion of the team's confidence, but if this recent trend becomes habit we may be dealing with something related to overconfidence.
But lets ignore that for now and think happy. Look here and see the Blazers tied for first in the division. Actually standings change, so here's a screen grab to immortalize this moment:
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Travis Outlaw, 6th Man
Around the time the win streak climbed into double digits, Travis Outlaw leapt from one category of my brain to another. I was already appreciating his growth on the court, ecstatic at the sight of this consistent contributor that had replaced the talented enigma we had come to know and love/hate. He is having his best season statistically so far, but his intangibles have been the hardest to believe. He has become a player that can have a bad shooting night, but start hitting down the stretch. I’ve become enamored with those frequent awkward skyscraper jumpers. They seemingly always go in when they have to, much to the befuddlement of the defense. We’ve seen him block shots, now we see him block shots that ensure victory. He gets clutch rebounds. When the other team gets physical (always a go-to strategy against the skinny guy), Outlaw couples an awkward enthusiasm with his awkward game. Somehow this equals beautiful basketball and Blazer victories.
In my raging homerism, I started postulating that maybe these emerging attributes qualify him for the Sixth Man of the Year Award. I welcome that this is against logic. Ginobili is probably considered a mortal lock at this point. Even if he manages to fall off for the rest of the season, players such as Jason Terry, last year’s winner Barbosa, or some other guys I’ve overlooked are of course ahead of Outlaw.
Because this award is given to the best player that does not start. Right?
Something is lacking. Each and every year we sit and listen to guys on TV emphatically debate what “MVP” means, and who deserves the award. Then we talk to our friends about what “MVP” means, and who deserves the award. Then we take our significant other out to eat and tell them what “MVP” means, and who deserves the award. And they don’t care, so you have the conversation with the server. And your server is totally up on it because you always take your significant other “out” to that wings place with a million jumbotron TVs that show sports all day, so all employees there have heard every debate on the topic a thousand times. The sports and TV orgy is really why you keep dragging this person to this place anyways, although you continue to hold strong to the tired “the wings are amazing” line. Admirable.
Anyways, there is always a debate on exactly what it means to be MVP. Common perspectives include “Best player on the best team,” “Single player most critical to team success,” or the old standby “Best player, period.” Despite this gooeyness, nobody complains that the award is given based on a myriad of differing perspectives. The definition of what this award means remains in flux, and keeps debate wide open. Sounds healthy.
Why not take a similar philosophical argument to the SixthMOY? Do we dare look beyond that uninteresting “best guy that doesn’t start” thing? Circling back to Travis Outlaw, I think he could fit the award more than many of the automatic selections. He is a bench player, in letter and spirit. Ginobili and Terry fit the letter, that is they don’t start. Of course, they get starter minutes, starter money, starter fame, and starter respect. Barbosa doesn’t get the money, but gets those other nice startery things to a respectable degree.
If you defined this award as a means to credit the guy that doesn’t get those nice starter things, and helps his team win in the most ways, you’d have a totally different list of top candidates. There’s a lot of reasonable alternative explanations out there, but this post is already too long and I am far too lazy to think of them.
Admittedly, this started as an attempt to justify why a Blazer deserves an award he otherwise has no chance of getting. But the question that comes out of this could be more valuable. Of course, the MVP is the biggest deal as far as regular season awards go. It follows then that it would dominate debates both on TV and at fine wings serving establishments throughout the universe. But this gets old, real old. We have blogs and twenty four hour TV to talk about these things. Lets not be afraid to open it up and talk crazy talk about what the seemingly self-defined Sixth Man of the Year Award really means. And we won’t stop there, just wait until you see guys screaming at each other over the Citizenship Award.
In my raging homerism, I started postulating that maybe these emerging attributes qualify him for the Sixth Man of the Year Award. I welcome that this is against logic. Ginobili is probably considered a mortal lock at this point. Even if he manages to fall off for the rest of the season, players such as Jason Terry, last year’s winner Barbosa, or some other guys I’ve overlooked are of course ahead of Outlaw.
Because this award is given to the best player that does not start. Right?
Something is lacking. Each and every year we sit and listen to guys on TV emphatically debate what “MVP” means, and who deserves the award. Then we talk to our friends about what “MVP” means, and who deserves the award. Then we take our significant other out to eat and tell them what “MVP” means, and who deserves the award. And they don’t care, so you have the conversation with the server. And your server is totally up on it because you always take your significant other “out” to that wings place with a million jumbotron TVs that show sports all day, so all employees there have heard every debate on the topic a thousand times. The sports and TV orgy is really why you keep dragging this person to this place anyways, although you continue to hold strong to the tired “the wings are amazing” line. Admirable.
Anyways, there is always a debate on exactly what it means to be MVP. Common perspectives include “Best player on the best team,” “Single player most critical to team success,” or the old standby “Best player, period.” Despite this gooeyness, nobody complains that the award is given based on a myriad of differing perspectives. The definition of what this award means remains in flux, and keeps debate wide open. Sounds healthy.
Why not take a similar philosophical argument to the SixthMOY? Do we dare look beyond that uninteresting “best guy that doesn’t start” thing? Circling back to Travis Outlaw, I think he could fit the award more than many of the automatic selections. He is a bench player, in letter and spirit. Ginobili and Terry fit the letter, that is they don’t start. Of course, they get starter minutes, starter money, starter fame, and starter respect. Barbosa doesn’t get the money, but gets those other nice startery things to a respectable degree.
If you defined this award as a means to credit the guy that doesn’t get those nice starter things, and helps his team win in the most ways, you’d have a totally different list of top candidates. There’s a lot of reasonable alternative explanations out there, but this post is already too long and I am far too lazy to think of them.
Admittedly, this started as an attempt to justify why a Blazer deserves an award he otherwise has no chance of getting. But the question that comes out of this could be more valuable. Of course, the MVP is the biggest deal as far as regular season awards go. It follows then that it would dominate debates both on TV and at fine wings serving establishments throughout the universe. But this gets old, real old. We have blogs and twenty four hour TV to talk about these things. Lets not be afraid to open it up and talk crazy talk about what the seemingly self-defined Sixth Man of the Year Award really means. And we won’t stop there, just wait until you see guys screaming at each other over the Citizenship Award.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Portland vs Denver: 10
Portland 99, Denver 96 (boxscore)
10th straight win
And the Blazers keep winning. Maybe the most significant thing about the streak is that this team is starting to pull out victories even when they don't play their most beautiful basketball, and tonight things went far from perfectly. Carmelo and AI both had it going (34 points a piece). Denver's defense was keyed in on Roy to the point where it was getting ridiculous. There were extended periods of drought. On nights like tonight, they gut it out with toughness and show a knack for stepping up at the most critical moments. Watching this group become consistently timely is absolutely wonderful.
Roy and Aldridge contributed at a fairly steady pace. Roy had about three defenders on him at all times, so used Denver's enthusiasm against them in going 10-12 from the line. When points seemed to come few and far between, Martell always seemed to hit from outside (19 points, 4-8 from 3) to keep the Nuggets from running away.
Travis Outlaw used the end of this game to display exhibit #21378931296B of his growth this season. With Roy absolutely smothered, he became the go to offensive threat. And yes, he accompanied this with his usual collection of clutch rebounds and blocks, including the potential game-tying three.
By the way, I think its time we start recognizing Travis as a 6th Man of the Year candidate. Not that I think he deserves the award over the likes of Ginobili or Terry at this point, but I think he deserves mentioning. In the spirit of what I think the award represents, that is, the bench player that is of greatest asset to his team, he may be the leading candidate. Guys like Ginobili and Terry are more starters that happen to come off the bench, if that makes sense. They play starter minutes, they get starter fame, starter respect, starter money, Ginobili even plays in All-Star games. Do they fit the letter of 6th man? Definitely. The spirit? Not so sure.
10th straight win
And the Blazers keep winning. Maybe the most significant thing about the streak is that this team is starting to pull out victories even when they don't play their most beautiful basketball, and tonight things went far from perfectly. Carmelo and AI both had it going (34 points a piece). Denver's defense was keyed in on Roy to the point where it was getting ridiculous. There were extended periods of drought. On nights like tonight, they gut it out with toughness and show a knack for stepping up at the most critical moments. Watching this group become consistently timely is absolutely wonderful.
Roy and Aldridge contributed at a fairly steady pace. Roy had about three defenders on him at all times, so used Denver's enthusiasm against them in going 10-12 from the line. When points seemed to come few and far between, Martell always seemed to hit from outside (19 points, 4-8 from 3) to keep the Nuggets from running away.
Travis Outlaw used the end of this game to display exhibit #21378931296B of his growth this season. With Roy absolutely smothered, he became the go to offensive threat. And yes, he accompanied this with his usual collection of clutch rebounds and blocks, including the potential game-tying three.
By the way, I think its time we start recognizing Travis as a 6th Man of the Year candidate. Not that I think he deserves the award over the likes of Ginobili or Terry at this point, but I think he deserves mentioning. In the spirit of what I think the award represents, that is, the bench player that is of greatest asset to his team, he may be the leading candidate. Guys like Ginobili and Terry are more starters that happen to come off the bench, if that makes sense. They play starter minutes, they get starter fame, starter respect, starter money, Ginobili even plays in All-Star games. Do they fit the letter of 6th man? Definitely. The spirit? Not so sure.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Portland vs Toronto: No jinxes here
That was cute when I thought this obscure blog mentioning that the Blazers were the hottest team in the league would jinx the game. By my tally the Blazers TV crew referenced this joyous little distiction about 3,897 times, and I took a break to get some cereal. I would think they have considerably more jinx juice than I. In any event, none of this matters tonight:
Portland 101, Toronto 96 (boxscore)
Nine in a row.
A flu-symptoms fighting Brandon Roy had it going all night, contributing his usual all around excellence to the degree of 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. This city knows how much this guy means to the team, as evident from the "MVP" chants as he was shooting free-throws in the fourth quarter. How long has it been since Portland fans did such a chant? Clyde Drexler?
With the schedule Portland has played, the record they have, and the way Roy has played, he deserves to be an All-Star. It has nearly zero chance of happening this season, but thats fine. We know, and the rest of the league is still learning.
LaMarcus was back after a five game break, and didn't look all that rusty. He didn't have the impact we've grown accustomed to this season, but contributed a quiet 15 and 7.
Much of the game the Raptors had the Blazers infamous zone defense downgraded from The Octopus to The Seamonkey. Only after a fourth quarter surge did Portland finally take the lead. That international collection of shooters Toronto has must have been excited to hear they'd have a zone defense to shoot over and spread out all night. That Calderon, he's a cold man.
The game was made more difficult largely because Portland's usual gangbusting second unit wasn't shooting quite as hot. Toronto has their own nice zone defense, but Portland's two big bench guns-Outlaw and Jones- didn't resemble their offensive selves we've seen during much of the streak. Despite Outlaw's cold night (4-12 from the field), he got some critical buckets in the closing minutes, which speaks volumes to his growth as a player. James stepped up and iced the game from the line. Both played good defense and made big intangible plays throughout the game, especially Outlaw down the stretch.
This is getting scary. What a team.
Portland 101, Toronto 96 (boxscore)
Nine in a row.
A flu-symptoms fighting Brandon Roy had it going all night, contributing his usual all around excellence to the degree of 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. This city knows how much this guy means to the team, as evident from the "MVP" chants as he was shooting free-throws in the fourth quarter. How long has it been since Portland fans did such a chant? Clyde Drexler?
With the schedule Portland has played, the record they have, and the way Roy has played, he deserves to be an All-Star. It has nearly zero chance of happening this season, but thats fine. We know, and the rest of the league is still learning.
LaMarcus was back after a five game break, and didn't look all that rusty. He didn't have the impact we've grown accustomed to this season, but contributed a quiet 15 and 7.
Much of the game the Raptors had the Blazers infamous zone defense downgraded from The Octopus to The Seamonkey. Only after a fourth quarter surge did Portland finally take the lead. That international collection of shooters Toronto has must have been excited to hear they'd have a zone defense to shoot over and spread out all night. That Calderon, he's a cold man.
The game was made more difficult largely because Portland's usual gangbusting second unit wasn't shooting quite as hot. Toronto has their own nice zone defense, but Portland's two big bench guns-Outlaw and Jones- didn't resemble their offensive selves we've seen during much of the streak. Despite Outlaw's cold night (4-12 from the field), he got some critical buckets in the closing minutes, which speaks volumes to his growth as a player. James stepped up and iced the game from the line. Both played good defense and made big intangible plays throughout the game, especially Outlaw down the stretch.
This is getting scary. What a team.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
ESPN: We know who Travis Outlaw is!
I just noticed this tonight, apologies if the news has been broken elsewhere. As has been well documented by every Blazers blog, Travis Outlaw's player page on ESPN featured a picture of the slightly older and more mustachioed Bo Outlaw. Well, our Outlaw and the Blazers have been on a tear of late, and Travis is now pictured on his player profile.
As much as I've complained about it, I admit a part of me will miss seeing Bo's beaming smile when I check to see how many minutes per game Travis is logging. Sigh.
As much as I've complained about it, I admit a part of me will miss seeing Bo's beaming smile when I check to see how many minutes per game Travis is logging. Sigh.
Blazers vs Denver: Nick Cannon did this to you!
Blazers 116, Nuggets 105 (boxscore)
The seventh consecutive win was a mature and convincing one. Suddenly Portland is at .500 and continues to perform ahead of schedule. At this rate, the media will have to stop describing how other teams are losing to the Blazers and acknowledge that this team is straight-up beating people (Note: not tonight, ESPN is reporting "Blazers knock off Nuggets despite A.I.'s 38 points").
As has been true during this win streak, the Portland bench was an absolute force spearheaded by Outlaw (17 points, 5 rebs, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block) and James Jones (14 points, 7 rebs). If you want to see some eye-popping stats, check out James Jones by the way. I'm not sure how he keeps the ball from incinerating when he touches it.
Roy was his usual self. Despite taking a while to find his range (he started 2-10 from the field), Brandon finished his forty minutes of work with 26 points, 11 assists, and 6 rebs. When the Blazers start attracting national attention (I realize it will likely take Oden's return for this to happen), I will be excited for everyone to see how many ways this guy helps his team win. I can't say it enough, a very special player and a joy to watch.
LaMarcus sat out again tonight, but is scheduled to return next game. Starting in his place, Channing Frye took it upon himself to do his best LaMarcus impression by draining jumper after jumper from the perimeter. He had 14 points in the first 10 minutes of this game, and him stepping up helped the Blazers separate early. Frye ended up with 20 points (10-13 from the field) and 9 rebounds. It appears yet another Blazer has rounded into shape. Nate will have some interesting playing time decisions to make.
I can't talk about a Blazer win without praising that zone defense again. It wasn't featured as much tonight (Denver was pretty apt at lobbing oops over the top- Kenyon Martin threw three down on consecutive plays), but it you can tell the team believes in it and enjoys playing it. Mike Rice described it as "The Octopus Zone," which I enjoy and will use in all future references.
Oh, and as for the title of this entry...
The seventh consecutive win was a mature and convincing one. Suddenly Portland is at .500 and continues to perform ahead of schedule. At this rate, the media will have to stop describing how other teams are losing to the Blazers and acknowledge that this team is straight-up beating people (Note: not tonight, ESPN is reporting "Blazers knock off Nuggets despite A.I.'s 38 points").
As has been true during this win streak, the Portland bench was an absolute force spearheaded by Outlaw (17 points, 5 rebs, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block) and James Jones (14 points, 7 rebs). If you want to see some eye-popping stats, check out James Jones by the way. I'm not sure how he keeps the ball from incinerating when he touches it.
Roy was his usual self. Despite taking a while to find his range (he started 2-10 from the field), Brandon finished his forty minutes of work with 26 points, 11 assists, and 6 rebs. When the Blazers start attracting national attention (I realize it will likely take Oden's return for this to happen), I will be excited for everyone to see how many ways this guy helps his team win. I can't say it enough, a very special player and a joy to watch.
LaMarcus sat out again tonight, but is scheduled to return next game. Starting in his place, Channing Frye took it upon himself to do his best LaMarcus impression by draining jumper after jumper from the perimeter. He had 14 points in the first 10 minutes of this game, and him stepping up helped the Blazers separate early. Frye ended up with 20 points (10-13 from the field) and 9 rebounds. It appears yet another Blazer has rounded into shape. Nate will have some interesting playing time decisions to make.
I can't talk about a Blazer win without praising that zone defense again. It wasn't featured as much tonight (Denver was pretty apt at lobbing oops over the top- Kenyon Martin threw three down on consecutive plays), but it you can tell the team believes in it and enjoys playing it. Mike Rice described it as "The Octopus Zone," which I enjoy and will use in all future references.
Oh, and as for the title of this entry...
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Blazers vs. Utah: Six wins in a row
Portland 99, Utah 91
This is getting ridiculous. The youngest team in the league just keeps winning, and oh yeah, leading scorer LaMarcus sat out again. I'm trying to ground my euphoria by remembering how early it is in the season and how young this team really is. That said, they are playing beautfiul basketball. Love that zone, Nate.
Any Blazer fan should be ecstatic over Outlaw, who is averaging 19 points, 6 boards, a steal and a block off the bench during this streak. His confidence and enthusiasm is bursting at the seams, and this consistent production is a thing of beauty.
This is getting ridiculous. The youngest team in the league just keeps winning, and oh yeah, leading scorer LaMarcus sat out again. I'm trying to ground my euphoria by remembering how early it is in the season and how young this team really is. That said, they are playing beautfiul basketball. Love that zone, Nate.
Any Blazer fan should be ecstatic over Outlaw, who is averaging 19 points, 6 boards, a steal and a block off the bench during this streak. His confidence and enthusiasm is bursting at the seams, and this consistent production is a thing of beauty.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Blazers vs Warriors: still hot
Blazers 105 Warriors 95 (boxscore)
Another game against a favored opponent, another victory. Now is a good time to point out that Portland is the second hottest team in the league, only Boston has a longer streak going. DeceptivelyQuick was well in attendance for the latest improbable sans-LaMarcus victory. Because I'm lazy, I'll just throw my thoughts into bullets:
Another game against a favored opponent, another victory. Now is a good time to point out that Portland is the second hottest team in the league, only Boston has a longer streak going. DeceptivelyQuick was well in attendance for the latest improbable sans-LaMarcus victory. Because I'm lazy, I'll just throw my thoughts into bullets:
- No coincidence all this winning has coincided with James Jones finding his groove. He continues to shoot at a ridiculous clip, and that threat has allowed other guys (most notably Brandon Roy) to operate much more effectively. Veteran savvy, deep stroke, better than you think defense, James Jones is absolutely huge for this team. By the way, in an oddly recent pop-culture reference, the Rose Garden people play a sample from rapper Mike Jones "Mr. Jones" whenever James scores. I was pleased indeed.
- Outlaw continued his amazing play off the bench. I'm not sure I know a single basketball person that approves of all those awkward fadeaway jumpers he takes, but when they fall you just shut-up and cheer. Any team that has a guy scoring 19 a game off the bench (Outlaw has averaged about this over the winning streak) is trouble.
- I love when Pryzbilla gets his minutes, and he got 30 tonight. In a throw-back to the Damon Stoudamire days, the Blazers actually used him on offense. Joel's no Tim Duncan with the ball, but he has proven many times that he is a capable finisher around the hoop, especially coming off a pick n roll. I hope this will be a continued option, and not something happening only because LaMarcus is out. Love that they play Thriller whenever Joel scores, by the way.
- Roy. Roy. Roy.
- I've been as big a Jarrett Jack supporter as there is out there, so when his shortcomings became painfully obvious, well, that sucked for me. I was relieved to see him eventually find a role. That role is not pointguard. For stretches of this game, Jack ran the point. During these stretches, the arena would hold its collective breath and grit its teeth hoping for the best.
- I've noted the most important void left by Z-Bo's departure. In other chalupa-related news, when the team gets close to 100 the mascot is on the jumbotron starting a chalupa chant (seriously). I can't support this. Not only did it confuse the Japanese people sitting by me, its like talking about a no-hitter while its in progress. Yet another reason Blaze the Trailcat sucks, he/she/it is conducting himself/herself/itself in a manner that is conducive to chalupa-jinxing. We can't have that dammit. Stop this at once.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Blazers vs Utah: Mandatory Recap
Nice stats and some victories will get you Player of the Week. Tonight Roy's 16, 3, and 3 won't register a blip on the national radar, but illustrate exactly why his value far exceeds that of any weekly award. For better or worse these Blazers play like a family, and Roy is the backbone, the provider.
LaMarcus out of with plantar fasciitis, the Utah defense was intent on suffocating Roy all night. Brandon was perfectly content, allowing his teammates to feast on an unusual bounty of wide open jumpers. In 2005, Martell Webster got drafted after a mesmerizing pre-draft workout with the team. The Jazz might as well have been those chairs and cones he took to school on that fateful day as he dropped a career high 25. Travis Outlaw again contributed at a rate that ESPN will soon have to stop calling him "Tracy" in his highlights and take down the infamous picture of Bo that graces his player profile. Thanks to an accompanying flurried perimeter zone defense backed by Pryzbilla at his most gangster, Portland utterly dominated the first 2 and a half quarters of this game. Jazz fans booed their team, and had the salt rubbed in when an overweight second grader in a Brandon Roy jersey would not stop doing the robot all over his courtside seat.
When Utah got energized and mounted the inevitable NBA comeback, Roy shook off the beatings and got the most difficult and critical points of the game. We've seen this so many times before. Last season, before most of us knew LaMarcus could shine like he is doing, before Portland landed the number one pick, Roy sparked hope of a brighter future for this franchise.
Whatever embarassment of riches this team comes to be, Roy will always be at the head. He's the one most likely to end up in bronze outside the arena. The best part of a game like tonight? Knowing that we will be given many more like it.
Box Score
LaMarcus out of with plantar fasciitis, the Utah defense was intent on suffocating Roy all night. Brandon was perfectly content, allowing his teammates to feast on an unusual bounty of wide open jumpers. In 2005, Martell Webster got drafted after a mesmerizing pre-draft workout with the team. The Jazz might as well have been those chairs and cones he took to school on that fateful day as he dropped a career high 25. Travis Outlaw again contributed at a rate that ESPN will soon have to stop calling him "Tracy" in his highlights and take down the infamous picture of Bo that graces his player profile. Thanks to an accompanying flurried perimeter zone defense backed by Pryzbilla at his most gangster, Portland utterly dominated the first 2 and a half quarters of this game. Jazz fans booed their team, and had the salt rubbed in when an overweight second grader in a Brandon Roy jersey would not stop doing the robot all over his courtside seat.
When Utah got energized and mounted the inevitable NBA comeback, Roy shook off the beatings and got the most difficult and critical points of the game. We've seen this so many times before. Last season, before most of us knew LaMarcus could shine like he is doing, before Portland landed the number one pick, Roy sparked hope of a brighter future for this franchise.
Whatever embarassment of riches this team comes to be, Roy will always be at the head. He's the one most likely to end up in bronze outside the arena. The best part of a game like tonight? Knowing that we will be given many more like it.
Box Score
Monday, December 3, 2007
Sweet Road Victory!
Outlaw gets the ball off a broken in-bounds play, drives, and kisses a running jumper off the glass at the buzzer.
Portland 106, Memphis 105
Old road record: 0-9. New road record: 1-9. It feels better than it sounds. Get your drink and your two-step!
Portland 106, Memphis 105
Old road record: 0-9. New road record: 1-9. It feels better than it sounds. Get your drink and your two-step!
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