4 Reasons to be Concerned About the Blazers
Time for the supposed "experts" to stop berating anyone that shows concern for the current status of the Portland Trail Blazers. Why shouldn't people be worried about a 2-3 team looking completely lost and on the verge of fulfilling a Bill Simmons' prophecy? The people closest to the situation sure seem to be...
1. Nate McMillan is. Practice reports from this week suggest that McMillan is sick of the laughing, the excess talking, the secret meetings and the lacksadaisical performances. It sounds like he put the entire team through the wind sprint ringer on Thursday to make sure they understood that changes are on the horizon. Running your team to death the day before a game as huge as tonight's is not common practice, but Nate realizes it's time to take back control.
2. Brandon Roy is. Not only has Brandon Roy been noticeably troubled by the feel and look of this team, he's also admitted publicly that they need to "start all over" again. Not exactly the words you want to hear from your superstar's mouth. He did finally come out and admit that he doesn't care who he plays with in the starting lineup and that's exactly what this team needed.
3. Greg Oden is. The guy went on an expletive laced tirade yesterday to the media. Have you ever heard big GO go off like that in public? There has also been a ton of chatter surrounding his newly found voicebox on the court. Calling out players, bringing together meetings, and working his best Jordan-esque fist pumps all show his understanding of the team's urgency to corral this funk.
4. The city is. The entire city of Portland can't stop talking about their one and only professional sports lovechild. You can't tell me that the hundreds of thousands of fans showing concern is unwarranted. That many people collectively can't all be confused by the second rate product they are seeing on the court each night.
Sure it's incredibly early in the year. And there are new pieces. And we all know how much talent this team has. And we'll continue to assume that in the end, everything will work out. Until then, we'll keep asking questions.
1. Nate McMillan is. Practice reports from this week suggest that McMillan is sick of the laughing, the excess talking, the secret meetings and the lacksadaisical performances. It sounds like he put the entire team through the wind sprint ringer on Thursday to make sure they understood that changes are on the horizon. Running your team to death the day before a game as huge as tonight's is not common practice, but Nate realizes it's time to take back control.
2. Brandon Roy is. Not only has Brandon Roy been noticeably troubled by the feel and look of this team, he's also admitted publicly that they need to "start all over" again. Not exactly the words you want to hear from your superstar's mouth. He did finally come out and admit that he doesn't care who he plays with in the starting lineup and that's exactly what this team needed.
3. Greg Oden is. The guy went on an expletive laced tirade yesterday to the media. Have you ever heard big GO go off like that in public? There has also been a ton of chatter surrounding his newly found voicebox on the court. Calling out players, bringing together meetings, and working his best Jordan-esque fist pumps all show his understanding of the team's urgency to corral this funk.
4. The city is. The entire city of Portland can't stop talking about their one and only professional sports lovechild. You can't tell me that the hundreds of thousands of fans showing concern is unwarranted. That many people collectively can't all be confused by the second rate product they are seeing on the court each night.
Sure it's incredibly early in the year. And there are new pieces. And we all know how much talent this team has. And we'll continue to assume that in the end, everything will work out. Until then, we'll keep asking questions.
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2 comments:
I agree with points #1-3. However, please don't overestimate the general public's ability to use logic and reason, especially with respect to sports.
Just showing Portland some love :P
At the same time, the Blazers fanbase is one of the most passionate and knowledgeable so you can't completely discredit their opinions.
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