Blazers Beat The Future By 35 Points

Portland all-knowingly jumped the passing lanes, the young Wizards usually filling the prophecy as expected. The Trailblazers bumped as they pleased on the boards, hassled like bill collectors on defense, and made the game look very, very easy. They had the confidence.

“They’re just some young guys getting some experience on the floor,” Wizards television play-by-play man Steve Buckhantz would implore during the broadcast of Washington’s 111-76 loss in Portland on Tuesday night. Not in so many words, but in several pixels of prose, as if freshly picked from the algorithm tree and laid gently into his lap by the monster.

It’s like the fate (disclaimer: I don’t believe in fate) of the Washington franchise’s basketball path is trying to outdo itself in the absurdity of highly-stacked odds against. Three-rookie starting lineups featuring John Wall, Jordan Crawford and Trevor Booker, with JaVale McGee and Yi Jianlian serving as de facto rookies posing as starters … along with all veteran players past, present and future unavailable for contribution. (Andray Blatche, Nick Young, Josh Howard, Rashard Lewis, Rex Chapman, Chris Webber, Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, Larry Hughes and Mike Miller all sat out due to injury.) If the circumstance is unprecedented, you will hear about it.

Common mistakes and missed defensive assignments are accepted and approved as understandable. Lack of consistent hustle, selfish forays to the hoop and unfocused execution are ills seen too often, doctrine for some. The kids are swimming, but will 35 point losses in front of fervid Blazers fans help them build confidence? For some it will, for others it will not. Here’s to now searching for promise amidst those who won’t cut it in a promised future.

In other news: JaVale McGee had a stylized block, of the year.

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[Last Friday night's win versus the Portland Trailblazers, in pictures. -KW]

So JaVale McGee received a pretty sweet half-court alley-oop from Gilbert Arenas, let’s watch the video:

Now let’s check what I saw from where I was located (in GIF form), which certainly seems better than Sean Marks’ perspective. Then again, he’s making NBA money.

More Pictures from the Phone Booth Floor:

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Marcus Camby arbitrarily yells into the night.

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[Brandon Roy reacts as referee Courtney Kirkland points toward him, indicating a foul will be called on Roy, canceling Portland's possession of the ball and an Andray Blatche technical foul.]

With just over two minutes left in Friday night’s game, and the Wizards holding onto a 73-69 lead over the Portland Trailblazers, Brandon Roy took a three pointer.

He missed. Nicolas Batum got an offensive rebound and passed to Wesley Matthews in the corner. He missed a three. Joel Pryzybilla then missed a controlled tip from point-blank range. LaMarcus Aldridge tipped the rebound, and missed, and tipped the ball again, and again, and again, just swatting with the hope that something would go in his team’s favor for a change.

The final rebound then brushed past Roy’s hands. Andray Blatche swooped in to try to gather the ball as he teetered on the baseline, but in one move, Roy punched the ball away. As it left Blatche’s grasp, Roy grabbed him around the waist with one arm to prevent recovery. The ball went out of bounds, and having last touched Blatche’s hands, referee Scott Wall blew the whistle, signaling possession in Portland’s favor. Wall’s view of Blatche getting grabbed was blocked.

Andray made a face to the ref, and during the motion of turning the other way, threw a punch into the air, which fits into the category that has earned many NBA players technical fouls this season, as David Stern is trying to crack down on such transgressions.  So Wall immediately whistled Blatche for a technical foul. Uh oh. That would mean Portland could sink a free-throw, cut the Wizards lead to three, and have the ball in their hands.

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[Portland's Brandon Roy expresses his displeasure at a changed/overruled call that could have meant a three-point swing with less than two minutes to go in a loss to the Wizards.  Photo: K. Weidie]

Prior to last night’s game against the Wizards, Portland Trailblazers guard Wesley Matthews declared it a must-win situation. When coach Nate McMillan got wind of this during his pre-game press conference, he bluntly refuted that premise.

“I think all games are a must win, so what happens if we don’t?”

Three and a half hours after he made that statement, McMillan got his answer when his team lost to the Wizards, 83-79.  They scored 10 points in the third quarter,  23 in the fourth and they shot 33% for the entire game.  The Blazers looked lost on offense, lethargic on defense, and they allowed a struggling Wizards team to overcome a 12-point Portland lead and steal the game.

In the post-game press conference, McMillan’s words and body language reminded me of former Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips. When it became painfully obvious that the Cowboys were no longer responding to his coaching prowess, Phillips would show up to press conferences and say that the he did not know what to do with his team, and he was as baffled as anyone else as to what the solution was.  After awhile, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had no choice to fire him.

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You sit courtside at an NBA game and you must pay attention.

It’s somewhat similar to how there are certain seats in a baseball park where you must have a heightened sense of foul balls. But that’s a ball, not a person.

NBA basketball, unlike football and hockey as well, is the only pro sport where players can come in physical contact with fans. Sure, you’re thinking of Ron Artest now, but that’s not what I mean. Players from any sport are capable of going into the stands to fight fans. I mean contact during the course of play. Maybe the Lambeau Leap could classify as a unique fan-player interaction, but if you’re sitting in those seats, you have a crappy view of the field.

NBA courtside seats provide a unique sporting experience that can’t be topped.

Sitting courtside also comes with a cost, in the wallet of course (unless you’re a blogger with a photo credential), but also in the risk of receiving the errant limbs of sweaty occupants from the tall gene pool into unknown areas of your body spilling beer and lord knows what, where. And that’s part of the fun.

Photo of the Night.

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{Pascal’s Manale, New Orleans — home of some of the best Louisiana oysters I’ve had}

Still on vacation and not due back in D.C. until late Monday, I don’t even think I’ve seen as much as a highlight from the Wizards’ past three games in Denver, Utah and Portland. The losing streak has now entered double-digits and is counting.

Part of me feels bad for not making more of an effort to watch the games. I mean, these are ‘my’ Wizards, the team I spend countless hours of my life keeping up with. I feel a bit lacking for not keeping up with what’s going on with the team, even in inevitable losses.

Then again, I tell myself, ‘Dude, you’re on vacation … it’s okay’. That being said, I’m pretty sure that on Sunday I’ll be searching New Orleans for a television with the Wizards-Lakers game on. I think I saw a commercial for a bar in Harrah’s casino touting the NBA league pass.

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Well, who was I kidding with this? Watched the game this morning despite my protests….newsflash: we’re terrible. Keep reading.

Q1

Caron starts by shooting a three….miss…no surprise.

McGuire is all over on D…..deflections, etc.

Wiz look sluggish in every aspect.

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Went out last night, of course, instead of watching the Wizards-Blazers game. What? Am I supposed to sacrifice my social life for this team? Naw.

But my intentions are good…..DVR the game, stay away from scores (which I did) and watch it the next day.

Getting up in the morning, the first thought is, “Do I really want to watch this team?” I mean, what are their chances of beating the Blazers in Portland? 10%…..at best?…..maybe 7%?

I have no hope.

It’s easy for a fan to lose hope. I still root for the team. I still want them to win. I still get wrapped up in the emotion of games…whether the Wiz are getting blown out or blowing up.

But for some dude like me, losing hope seems natural.

Does the team have any hope? Do they care? Sure they do. This is their job, their lifeline. They are competitors. Then again, they’re getting a fat paycheck win or lose.

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Bust A Bucket is a Portland Trail Blazers blog (seems like the Blaze have a ton of blogs – guess that’s what you get when you combine more passionate fans, a better history in the past 2+ decades, and no other major professional sports teams)….oh well. Check ‘em out, pretty cool looking site.

Matt of BaB and I exchanged a Q&A session in anticipation of tonight’s game between our two teams. Check out his answers to my questions below. Head over to Bust a Bucket for my return answers.

Portland Skyline [flickr/Jeff.Jones]

1) The Blazers currently sit right in the midst of the Western Conference playoff fray. Do you see how the current team plays out the year and perhaps make a move in the summer?……..Or try to find a taker for someone now? (I’m assuming that Frye, Outlaw and Rodriguez are the most expendable, correct?)

It’s tough to gauge what the organization will do. Lately, inconsistency has been a big problem and we just don’t know how certain guys are going to contribute going forward. There is also news that Martell Webster won’t be back before March. So, with an injury like that, we probably don’t want to make a move involving Outlaw. The Blazers should be able to make the playoffs this year with the current roster, but a move to bring in a solid contributor for a few guys who don’t get time, would really make us strong.

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There’s been talk, mostly from Ed Tapscott, about the Wizards needing to do more of the ‘little things’. The Washington Post reports that Tapscott recently wrote ‘Little Things’ on a dry-erase board and then had this quote after the game last night, “We’ve got to take a look at the little things that cause us to have poor possessions at the end of games or some of the plays we have to make defensively against a drive. Those things will be addressed.”

The need for little things works on a sliding scale. The better the team, and talent, the more room there is to fudge on those little things. With injuries and the what-not, the Wizards have no wiggle room. Of course, teams like the Spurs have talent and do the little things; that’s why they have multiple championships under their belt.

Last night, some of the ‘little things’ the Wizards did not do include:

• Andray Blatche using only his upper body on block out attempts (although, I believe this has blossomed into an epidemic).
• Caron Butler lacking consideration in blocking out Rudy Fernandez, who was allowed to get a running start and a huge offensive put-back to put Portland up three with 2:24 left.
• Caron Butler using too much shot clock and then putting a rookie, JaVale McGee, in a difficult position to hit a contested baseline jumper from a though angle with the shot clock running down and 1:30 left in the game.
• Nick Young turning the wrong way (270 degrees instead of 90) in trying to defend a cutting Rudy Fernandez which led to a bucket and a foul at the very end of the 3rd period.
• DeShawn Stevenson not stopping the ball, and Sergio Rodriguez, after made FTs, which set up the previously mentioned gaffe.
• Ed Tapscott going with Darius Songaila instead of Dominc McGuire on a crucial defensive possession with the Wizards down two, 13 seconds left, and mostly perimeter players in for Portland.

You can read the game blog at Bullets Forever for the full run-down.

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In anticipation of tonight’s matchup between the Washington Wizards and the Portland Trail Blazers, SJ, of The Rip City Project, was kind enough to answer a couple questions I had about his team. Read on….

1) Portland is second in the NBA in offensive rating, but dead last in pace. Do you think the slowed down offense better sets up the young Blazers to get deeper into the playoffs? Or with quick/wiry athletes such as Travis Outlaw, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Fernandez, Nicolas Batum (but not Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla), would you like to see the team get out and run a little more?

I think the slow pace is one of the main reasons why Portland has been able to find success this early. One of our strengths so far this season has been an ability to take care of the ball. At one point we were #1 in fewest turnovers and I believe we are still top 5. The lack of turnovers can be attributed directly to the slow pace. Teams that play at a slower pace will turn the ball over less than teams who don’t. Why? The fewer possessions a team has, the fewer times they can turn it over. Not to mention that Portland tends to be super careful with the ball anyhow. I think with our personnel we can do a bit of both. When it’s time to get out and run, we can get out and run. When Sergio Rodriguez checks in the tempo seems to jump up a couple notches. But I’m perfectly fine with this teams pace. It can be methodical at times but it is the type of mature basketball that tends to do well in the post-season. Can’t argue with results.

2) Speaking of playoffs, the Blazers missed the cut last year after a great start. Right now, they sit atop of the Northwest Division, tied with the Nuggets for the second best record in the West. Assuming that the playoffs will be a lock, what are your realistic expectations as to how far they will go?

That’s a pretty big assumption to say the playoffs will be a lock, I mean right now whether it be because of injuries are struggles…a lot of great teams out West are underachieving. Houston, Utah, New Orleans…I mean shoot San Antonio is on the outside looking in right now. Still a long, long, long road to travel but for the sake of conversation I’ll join you out there. Just know that if someone gets hurt or we don’t make the playoffs I will hunt you down Mariah Carey style. Pre-season I saw us making the playoffs as a lower seed (6-8). I think with our personnel we can match up with the majority of teams in the West. And really it would come down to which team we play. There is an ability for this team to make a little noise in the post-season. Realistically the Blazers could win a first-round matchup. And I can’t believe I just wrote that, I haven’t shaken my head this much since I read how Spencer and Heidi from the Hills got married.

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Jeff from CelticsBlog.com is doing the grunt work to put together a comprehensive NBA preview from bloggers ’round the ‘sphere. The Atlantic Division Preview was first, the Southwest Division was second, the Central Division was third, and now the Northwest Division is out. Here are the highlights from the participating bloggers for each team, click on the blog links to see the full team preview:

Denver Nuggets

[Pickaxe and Roll]
I think there are different answers depending on whether you are talking about the goals of management or the goals of the players. Management has clearly been geared towards the future. The Camby trade revolved around future cap flexibility. They traded their first round pick for a future first round pick. Older players Camby and Najera have been sent packing in exchange for younger players. Management would never admit it, nor should they, but I do not think they expect anything other than another first round exit at best from this squad. Prediction: 47-35

[The Nugg Doctor]
The goal for this team is to not be content just making the playoffs, but to finally advance in the postseason. For five straight seasons the Nuggets have been one of only four teams in the league to make the playoffs in said consecutive years and are the only team to have not made it to the conference semis. Prediction: 44-38

Minnesota Timberwolves

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The passing of Kevin Duckworth at only 44 years old should serve as yet another cautionary tale for the health of all Americans. Medical examiners have concluded that Duckworth died of “hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure.” The initial report from The Oregonian indicated that Duckworth appeared to have gone into cardiac arrest, according to fire rescue officials on the scene.

We are all aware of the weigh problems Duckworth dealt with throughout his career and more so into his retirement. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy involves the thickening of the heart muscle, thought to be primarily caused by genetics, but could be affected by non-genetic factors. There is no definitive connection between Duckworth’s heart problems and being overweight, but an easy conclusion to make would be that the latter certainly did not help the former, especially since his high blood pressure played a role in his heart failure.

Memories of Duckworth have focused on his positive contributions, especially those of his days with the Portland Trailblazers, the team he was most associated with. True Hoop’s Henry Abbott and Wayne Thompson of Blazers.com will recall his performance in a Portland game 7 win over the San Antonio Spurs in the 2nd round of the 1990 NBA Playoffs. Current Blazers team president, Larry Miller, remembers Duckworth “as one of the warmest and biggest- hearted.” Duckworth was in Lincoln City, OR to host a free clinic for kids.

My memories will, of course, stem from Duckworth’s days as a Bullet. While the on-court recollections weren’t always fond, I do remember the big fella having a smile on his face, for the most part.

After sending notice of his death to a couple people, my friend Chris reminded me of the day we were on the court with Big Duck back in late ’93/early ’94 for a post-game clinic on the floor of the Capital Centre/USAir Arena.

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The Washington Wizards would like to have a small forward to backup Caron Butler. Darius Miles would like to be a member of an NBA team. Could the two be a match?

At face value, Miles would be far from the shooter the Wizards should desire for spot action. On the other hand, he is still freakishly athletic and could provide a combustible punch of energy off the bench for a team needing a push. Darius Miles could be seen as a low-risk, high-reward option, and he’s only 26.

Darius Miles the person raises several red flags. Number one is knee issues. He had microfracture surgery in November 2006 and an independent source dubbed his injury as career ending this past April, allowing the Portland Trailblazers to release him without salary cap implications. The last NBA game the guy play in was over 26 months ago. However, reports say that his knee has fully recovered, but that Miles is just not yet in ‘NBA Shape.’ Should he play again, Portland’s cap space would shrink.

Red flag #2, attitude. Most accounts don’t dub Miles as an absolute menace, rather elude to a selfish demeanor created from your run-of-the-mill pampered upbringing of a natural born basketball talent. The most famous example is a 2005 confrontation between Miles and then Portland head coach, Maurice Cheeks. It started in a film session and may or may not have included escalation into the office of then Blazers GM, and former Bullets head man, John Nash. But surely Miles has learned a humbling lesson, and perhaps coming under the wing of a veteran such as Antawn Jamison would aid his maturity.

Red flag #3, suspension. Much ado has been made Darius Miles failing a drug test and being suspended by the league for 10 games. The NBA then made all teams aware of said fact via email, this stirred a minor controversy as to if the league acted unethically in leaking medical information. True Hoop and The Sporting Blog have the issue at hand well covered. The heart of the previous debate: does D-Miles have a weed or steroid problem? The latest report from Mark Stein is that Phentermine (an appetite suppressant which is considered a controlled substance because of a similarity to amphetamines) is actually responsible for the failed test. Not exactly a reason for NBA teams to be concerned. Although, I am curious as to why he was taking weight loss pills; being off that knee probably fattened him up.

Overall, these issues are not insurmountable for a team to deny consideration. The Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets each have worked out Miles. But would he be right for the Wizards? Well, money is the main issue and with $1.5 million left until luxury tax land, options are limited for the Wizards. If Jim Bowden (Mr. Second Chance) was the Wizards GM, instead of the Nats, Miles would have been signed long ago.

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Getting hyped over a Washington Wizards NBA Summer League game? You betcha…..and why not?

Sure you can go check out the Game Blog on Bullets Forever, as well as the box score….but below, you will find some select comments from the World Wide Web.

Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers will be shown on Comcast on Wednesday at 8 pm DC time….and on NBA.com as well (30 minute delay I believe).

“I want to be a better defender. That and learn the plays better.”
- Nick Young [Lang Whitaker's favorite summer league quote so far]

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“He [Andray Blatche] lost concentration a lot on the glass and allowed his man lots of offensive rebounds. Then, there’s the last possession, where he had the ball knocked out of his hands, allowing the Blazers to rebound Bayless’ missed free throw. It encapsulated everything maddening about Blatche. He can look so physically imposing and yet be so mentally weak.”
- Pradamaster, Bullets Forever

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