Team Points:
- If the playoffs started today: The Blazers would be the #2 seed in the West facing the #7 Hornets. The Hornets are struggling and CP3 is getting frustrated with his team. Other than Peja and Posey he doesn't have much help, especially inside.
- We are 14-6 behind only the Lakers in the West.
- We are 7-0 at home. So two-third's of our games have been on the road, meaning we have a lot more home games coming up after another long road trip.
- We are in a very tough division. Right now the NW division accounts for 3 of the top 4 teams in the west (Portland, Denver, Utah). And Denver is still figuring out how to play with a guy that actually passes the ball, and Utah has had a lot of injuries. Meaning we could finish 3rd in the NW division, and still have home court in the playoffs.
- We are in the middle of a stretch of a month where we don't have more than one day off in a row. This is where our depth as been so important, as seen last night vs NY.
Individuals:- G.O., relax, relax relax (and I am talking to ESPN, and the media not Greg here). They are so concerned that he is not Wilt or Bill Russell or even Bynum. He is shoting 50% from the field, 8 boards/game, just under 2 blocks/game, and is playing much better defense. Obviously we still expect much more out of him, but right now we are winning, while he is adjusting and developing.
- Rudy. How can you not love him? 12 points/game, and sees varied minutes depending on the opponent and flow of the game. Last night we went 4/8 from 3, including two daggers late in the game. And he regularly makes ESPN's top 10 highlights on oops from Sergio. In my non-biased opinion clearly the rookie of the year. Did I mention he has made at least one three is every single game this season (20) which is a league record.
- Steve Blake. He is my co-MVP for the first quarter of the season award with Big Joel. He is shooting 44% from three point land, 96% from the free throw line (he has only missed one all season, WOW), and knocking in over 11 points and over 4 assists/game. You may say 4 assists is not alot, but we don't run a typical offense, our 2, 3, and 4's get more assists than typical teams.
- Nicolas Batum. Did you know he starts? He is 6'8" and one of the longest players in the league, who is turning into a great defender. He fills up the stat sheet in all areas and helps us with some match up problems we have had in the past.
- B-Roy. Over 21 points a game and well on his way to being an all-star again. He is our go-to-guy and has already made a plethora of huge baskets in crunch time. The Houston game with .8 seconds left, wow! Most importantly he knows his role, typically we need points from him, other times we need him to play point and run the offense. Like tonight (vs Wizards) he scored 12 points in the final 8 minutes, taking over when necessary. My favorite player.
- Joel Przybilla. I wanted all my Minnesota connections to know how grateful I am for this 7'1" beast of a man they produced. Joel has been so clutch so far this season. Without him we would have had to force GO into many more minutes. He is averaging 7 points per, 9 boards per, and over 2 blocks per. And always grabs big boards in crunch time, like last night vs NY where he had 14 boards. If I were to buy a jersey today it would be big Joel's #10.
Friday 6pm on ESPN vs the defending aging champs in Boston. Watch out this game is a big indicator of where we are. By the way, the Blazers have not lost to any eastern conference team this season, making this match-up friday even bigger.
GO BLAZERS!
No comments:
Post a Comment