Oregon Sports Live

The Unlikely "MVP"

The wacky, heart-wrenching, and bizarre year couldn’t have ended on any other note for the Portland Trail Blazers.  The Blazers bounced back from Monday’s loss to the 76ers with a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, but they almost frittered away a double digit fourth quarter lead in the process.

Oh, and franchise pillar LaMarcus Aldridge sprained his ankle after just six minutes of play.

You get the feeling the Blazers will sign “Auld Lang Syne” in the New Year’s dawn.

“This has gone past crazy,” head coach Nate McMillan said about the team’s rash of injuries.

McMillan calmly steadied his crutches on the Blazers press conference wall before talking about yet another Blazer injury.  He said it’s”nerve-wracking” anytime his players step on the court.

It’s not clear when Aldridge (arguably the team’s most indispensable piece) will return in the new year.  He wore a protective boot after the game, but McMillan thinks it’s just a precautionary measure.

The rest of the Blazers showed extraordinary grit and heart to pull out another victory.

They were led by (who else) Brandon Roy.  Roy hit left handed floaters, layups, up-and-under makes, and a variety of mid-range jumpers on his way to 25 efficient points.

Despite carrying a double digit lead, the game seemed headed to a nail-biting finish.  Then Roy drilled an elbow jumper to make it 103-97, and  the Clippers never got within four points.

Coach McMillan credited his two rookie second round picks (Dante Cunningham and Jeff Pendergraph) for “huge” and stellar play in lieu of Aldridge.

He also anointed one of the league’s oldest players as the team MVP thus far.  McMillan said Juwan Howard is having a profound influence on Pendergraph and Cunningham (click here for McMillan talking about Juwan).

Howard had 10 points and 9 rebounds in 38 minutes of action.

The wily veteran talked about his young post players like a proud father.  Howard credited Pendergraph’s “basketball IQ” for enabling him to produce on such short notice (click here for more audio).

The rookie Pendergraph ripped down a career high 14 rebounds.  In the locker room he was asked if he foresaw this much success this year considering his preseason surgery.  “Heck no, I was broke.  I didn’t know I would play at all,  I thought I might miss the whole season.”

Pendergraph said he couldn’t pinpoit specific advice from Howard.  Howard  just encourages the rookie  to enjoy playing the game (click here for more audio).

Jerryd Bayless provided more spark off the bench for the Blazers.  He added 14 points and 8 assists.  Remarkably, the Blazers are in a tie for first place in their division with the Denver Nuggets.

Other Notes:

- McMillan said halftime was a bizarre experience.  He saw a “whole bunch of empty seats” and he said the team couldn’t help but laugh “for about a minute” at the ridiculous string of injuries and his depleted roster.

- Pendergraph said he didn’t do anything special before the game.  He said he felt really tired.  He should be tired more often.

- Dante Cunningham had some nice mid-range jumpers.  He said his shot is feeling good.  I asked him about Howard’s influence.  He said a lot of it centers around how he carries himself.  You know, fashion (click here for more audio).

- McMillan said he hates saying it, but the team is playing good basketball right now despite the loss of so many key players.

- Howard said Derrick Smith (assistant coach when he was with the Bullets) served as his mentor and taught him the little things about being a professional.

- Howard’s New Years resolution: “I probably just need to try and read more books.”  He said he needs to “stay away from the USA Today all the time.”  I agree with the USA Today thing Juwan.

Stu Holdren:

Before the season started, the Portland Trail Blazers were running out of room in their bandwagon. Hanging their hats on young rising talent and depth at every position, the Blazers set a goal to win the Northwest Division and quietly plotted a Western Conference takeover. But these days, the bandwagon is looking more and more like an ambulance.

Add (the now-starting center) Joel Przybilla to the list of Blazers casualties this year. In the first quarter of tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, Przybilla came down awkwardly on a defensive possession and came crumbling down to the floor gripping his right knee. His diagnosis would later be revealed to be a ruptured patella tendon, accompanied by a patella dislocation. Although the Blazers haven’t provided a timetable for Przybilla’s return, this injury was worse than that of Greg Oden’s – who is done for the season. I’ll let you do the math.

Przybilla joins Oden, Travis Outlaw, Nicolas Batum, Rudy Fernandez and Patty Mills on the Blazers’ injured list.

The injury leaves the Blazers incredibly thin in the frontcourt, with no true center on the roster. If tonight’s game is any indication, the Blazers will be playing a more up-tempo style of play with a small-ball lineup. The Blazers will rely on the trio of LaMarcus Aldridge, Juwan Howard and recently re-instated rookie Jeff Pendergraph to man the center position.

Aldridge has frequently been criticized for his lack of intensity in the paint, especially in the defense and rebounding departments. Aldridge will have to turn his focus to prowling the paint and crashing the boards on defense, and work on establishing more of an inside presence on offense instead of floating around outside of the paint and lofting up mid-range jumpers. It’s a challenge that Aldridge has to meet and surpass if the Blazers hope to be successful on a regular basis.

As we’ve said before, even with the injuries, at least the Blazers still have all-star level players like Brandon Roy and Aldridge to rely on. As long as they remain healthy, the Blazers will at least be competitive. But the Blazers certainly have had to readjust their expectations for what is possible this season. While they certainly aren’t out and done,  they will be lucky to find themselves squeak into the playoffs with the severity and quantity of injuries they’ve endured this year.

Andrew Theen:

I am not much of a fantasy sports guy.  I don’t really understand the true nature of the fantasy system.  I care much more about wins than points or rebounds.  It’s always perplexed me why wins don’t factor into the scoring system.

You play to win the game, right?

Stats are what makes Ricky Davis circa 2006 so irreproachable.  Stats don’t always tell the story.

You win games with guys like Joel Przybilla not Ricky Davis.

Perfect example of my idiocy: my selection of Joel Przybilla as my fantasy center in the 2005-2006 season.  Understand, this was my virgin voyage on the fantasy basketball bandwagon.  It also proved to be my last.

My fantasy picks were….moronic.

I loved the way Przybilla played the game then, and still do today.  The guy is selfless.  He doesn’t care about his points.  Obviously that’s because he doesn’t have the scoring abilities of his peers.  The guy is simply a warrior.  I’d want Przybilla in my corner in any bar-fight in any part of the world.

If Tim Duncan is “The Big Fundamental” than Joel Przybilla is “The Big Intangible.”

His impact can’t be quantified.  John Hollinger better start on a new system that documents what Przybilla means to this team.

He didn’t deserve this.

Throughout much of the past three years discussion amongst my friends inevitably centered around the Blazers.  Nary a conversation passed without a quote along these lines: “They’d be so f$%#*! without Joel.”

Stu outlined the current situation perfectly.  Now we see how truly f$%#*! the team really is.

I may be an unemployed journalist, but I am still a journalist.  I’ve become as impartial as a Portlander who loves the game of basketball can possibly get when it comes to this squad.  I’ve covered the team as a reporter and analyzed strengths and weaknesses over the airwaves and the internet.

That being said through it all I carried a healthy respect and admiration for Joel Przybilla.

He’s not the greatest interview but the man is the consummate professional.

Now Joel isn’t dead.  He’s been knocked out.  He’s a tough customer, and if any 30 year old center can rebound from such a catastrophic injury it’s one affectionately called “The Vanilla Gorilla.”

My roommate poignantly said the outcome of this game is “like a nightlight in a warehouse of horrors” for Blazer fans.

No team in major professional sports has endured so many injuries and illnesses to such significant components in such a short period of time.

In our society we’re collectively taught that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

If that’s true, the Blazers will come out this like Titans.

A frigidly cold fourth quarter sealed the Blazers fate in Orlando.

It’s only fitting that a torrid shooting display by soon to be 3-time all-star Brandon Roy pulled the Blazers to victory against the Miami Heat Sunday evening.

The smiles on the faces of the players and coaches told the story.  This was a huge victory for their consciences and morale.  Bigger battles still lie ahead, but the team showed a blueprint for future success.

The story was more than just Roy, but the Blazer leader put on his best Kyra Sedgwick performance (that’s the first and last “Closer” reference on OSL I hope) in the final stanza.

Roy was efficient and dynamic.  His fifth three pointer proved to be the dagger.

Basketball outcomes are often dictated by how the ball caroms off the rim on a given night.  When a shooter is hitting nothing but nylon like Roy did all night, that limits the possibility of errant and untimely bounces.

Dwyane Wade must’ve felt cursed by the rim Gods Sunday.  He had several jumpers rimm in and out late in the game.

The difference for Portland Sunday was effort and energy from Przybilla, Webster, and productive minutes from Andre Miller.  The role players filled their roles adequately,  Lamarcus Aldridge showed up, and Roy closed the deal.

Roy summed up the performance to Mike Barrett well: this is the way the team has to play going forward.

Two more brutal games remain on the current road swing (Mavs and Spurs).

It bears mentioning that Portland has played only 8 games thus far without Greg Oden.

It sure feels like more than that.

They are 4-4 in those games.  One of those losses the team never really showed up (the Knicks game).  The other 3 (Cavs, Bucks, Magic) the Blazers had chances to win but didn’t capitilize late in the game.  Despite the shaky feeling that some fans understandedly still have, you have to be encouraged by the team’s effort.

If they can play .500 ball (as they’ve done in the past 8 games) the playoffs are still a distinct possibility.  The games will only get tougher and a depleted roster forces fewer bodies to shoulder the scoring load.  As a predominately jump-shooting team Portland is susceptible to scoring droughts and shooting slumps like the fourth quarters against Cleveland and Orlando.

The Blazers rode a hot-shooting Roy to victory Sunday, but the Natural admitted to being tired early in the game so he picked his spots.

The effort is inspiring, but you wonder whether the few Blazers left can keep this type of energy going in February and March.  It’s a long season and games like Sunday’s only illuminate that fact.

What are your biggest concerns about the team right now?  Is the point guard situation still as muddy as it seems to be?  I don’t see the team making any sort of deal with one of its three point guards unless it’s a no-brainer.

On some teams, select players don’t get the chance to shine because there are proven commodities playing in front of them. This has been the case for the Portland Trail Blazers’ reserves for the past couple of years, but has come to a crashing halt with their litany of serious injuries in the past two months. The wounded Blazers have had to look down the bench for production, and a good thing they did, because they have now seen what Jerryd Bayless is capable of.

The Blazers spent all summer honing Bayless’ point-guard skills with the promise that as their primary backup (behind Steve Blake) he would truly get his chance to shine. In the Las Vegas Summer League, the Blazers urged him to focus on his playmaking skills and his ability to “run a team.” They already knew that Bayless could score at will in a summer league setting (as he did the previous year), but they wanted to see the floor general within him emerge. Bayless proved himself to be serviceable at the point guard spot, but still never really felt like the conductor of the orchestra.

After failed attempts at various offseason targets, the Blazers signed free-agent point guard Andre Miller – one of the game’s best playmakers and passers. It was clear that with Miller’s resume, alongside Blake’s experience and chemistry with star Brandon Roy, that Bayless would find himself buried in the depth chart once again. However the Blazers have a unique logjam at the point guard position, with all three players bringing distinctly different positive attributes (as well as glaring weaknesses) to the table. Even though the Blazers’ injury problems have not been at the point guard spot, Bayless has used his differentiating attributes to carve out time for himself within the Blazers’ rotation.

The Blazers may have come to realize that maybe Bayless isn’t going to be the prototypical point guard they hoped to mold him into. Bayless is a scorer. That isn’t to say that Bayless can’t handle the ball efficiently or get his teammates involved – he can – but when he comes in the game distribution shouldn’t be his primary duty. This is what we saw in tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns. The Blazers gave Bayless the ball, trusted in him, and allowed him to create his own shot. Largely spurred by his relentless hustle, Bayless poured in a career-high 29 points to help lead the Blazers to a much-needed win.

Bayless has demonstrated that he has one of the (if not the) quickest first steps on the Blazers, and he uses it to take the ball to the rack with reckless abandon. His strength allows him to finish after contact, and take a beating after diving into the land of the trees. He clearly has worked on his shooting touch as well, as several of his shots tonight came from pull-up 20 footers. He was also two of three from behind the arc. Most of all, Bayless plays with more outward intensity than anyone on the Blazers. It’s easy to see that he is hungry to make his mark not only within the Blazers, but to prove himself to the league.

It could be argued that Bayless is an even better backcourt counterpart to Roy than Blake is. Blake’s primary strength playing alongside Roy is his ability to knock down three-point shots once Roy has forced the defense to collapse. While Blake knocked down four of seven from downtown tonight, he has struggled with his outside shot much more this year than we’ve seen in years past. While Bayless’ outside shot is currently nowhere near as reliable as that of Blake, his stroke is improving and should continue to improve. Given Bayless’ scorers mentality, the Blazers’ can rely more heavily on Roy to be the primary playmaker on the floor – which caters to Roy’s preference as well. Bayless can attack the defense when called upon on offense, and chase around the other teams’ quick point-guards on defense.

It will be interesting to see what the Blazers do with their roster once it is on the mend. Even the return of just Rudy Fernandez will require the Blazers to be creative in doling out playing time while still managing the individual egos within the roster. It’s clear that the Blazers have more than a full rotation of players that deserve to play, which has been a blessing in light of all of their injuries. However, at some point, something’s got to give. What’s also clear is that the Blazers haven’t found their comfort zone in the backcourt yet, and that spot is still very much up for grabs. It would seem as though one of the Blazers’ three very-capable point guards needs to be traded for a different piece, likely a frontcourt player. Continuing to use this “point guard by committee” will prolong the Blazers confusion of playing styles, and frankly, there just aren’t enough minutes to go around for this experiment to be sustainable. Bayless’ performance tonight was a healthy reminder of a “good” problem to have, but a problem that needs to be dealt with at some point none the less.

Also posted on NBA Noise

It’s no secret, the Blazers have struggled to find their identity and style of play while coping with the loss of so many integral players on their roster. Their last two losses came in heart-wrenching fashion, revealing a multitude of weakness including a lack of rhythm and purpose offensively in crunch time. Tonight against the Sacramento Kings, the Blazers looked like a team that was beginning to feel comfortable in their new skin and were able to come away with a 95-88 win.

While the Kings aren’t a top-tier opponent, the Blazers can’t complain about where they get their wins. That, and the Kings are better than they’re given credit for. They have a Rookie-of-the-Year candidate in Tyreke Evans, and talented (and competitive) players in Jason Thompson, Beno Udrih and Andres Nocioni, among others. These guys are no pushovers. What I liked most about the Blazers’ performance tonight was that each player filled their role effectively. Brandon Roy handled much of the offensive playmaking responsibilities, and had an efficient 25 points and 10 assists. Roy also looked assertive on offense, taking what the defense was giving him without overthinking his options. He also worked the pick-and-roll beautifully with LaMarcus Aldridge, who battled through an ankle injury to have another solid game with 25 points and 9 rebounds. When the Blazers can get this type of performance out of their stars, they will always be in a position to be successful.

But it wasn’t just the stars who were on point tonight. Joel Przybilla manned the glass, Martell Webster was an active contributor (and threw down another monster baseline dunk tonight), Juwan Howard and Dante Cunningham provided valuable spot minutes off the bench, and Steve Blake decided to dust off his long-lost shot in the fourth quarter when the Blazers needed it the most.

But the most notable contributor from the role players tonight was Jerryd Bayless. Amidst trade murmurs and speculation, Bayless’ aggressive brand of basketball elevated the Blazers in the fourth quarter and put them over the top. Especially as the game’s tempo began to escalate, it was Bayless who

was able to put the pressure on Sacramento by attacking the defense and taking it hard to the rack. Interestingly, Andre Miller (even more subject to trade rumors right now) started the game but was ice-cold from the floor and never got into sync during the game. While Miller logged the most minutes of the three point-guards, it was Blake and Bayless who took over during the final stretch. Clearly the Blazers have yet to establish a comfortable rotation in the backcourt, and Bayless’ recent emergence makes the distribution of playing time even more difficult. The Blazers will have to keep tinkering until they find a combination that truly clicks. Otherwise, a trade certainly wouldn’t be out of the question.

This game was extremely important for the Blazers to win. They are depleted, yes, but if they hope to make it to the playoffs this year these types of games are must-wins. They are also heading into a very difficult stretch, and need to build up as much momentum as possible. After they play Phoenix at home on Thursday, the Blazers will head out on a treacherous road trip where they will make stops in Orlando, Miami, Dallas and San Antonio…only to come home to have division-rival Denver waiting for them. Tonight’s win helps bolster their confidence and should help to establish a productive rhythm within the group.

The Theen Machine made some excellent points regarding the Blazers’ most recent roadtrip, but Ol’ Mike has a couple of things to add before the Rose Garden is one again populated by thousands of hoop-ites on Tuesday:

The Blazers absolutely must find some source of low-post scoring.

Obviously, the most logical source of inside buckets could and should be scored by LaMarcus Aldridge. It’s a mystery to me why LA doesn’t use his jump hook more often. Everything is either fading away or an attempt to draw contact. Actually, this might work better if I just address him directly:

Dear LaMarcus:

Dude, you’re 6’11”. There aren’t a whole ton of guys who could block that jump hook if you just go straight up and use your left forearm to protect your space. Use the glass. Two hard dribbles to the paint and then kiss it, dig? If they double down on you, kick it out to Martell or Brandon or Blakey for an easy three. You can be a force with your back to the basket, big man. I know you can. You’re frail, but you’re not made of porcelain. Get in there and shoot some six-footers. They push? You push back. Last night in Milwaukee was beautiful. I want to see more of that.

Sincerely,

Some Dork At His Laptop

One thing is for certain: the Blazers cannot continue to live by the jump shot, or they will surely die. Whether it be Aldridge, Cunningham or Howard (or Miller?), Portland must generate an inside threat worthy of the defense’s respect to free up Blazer guards and facilitate ball movement.

Run, Run, Run like the Velvet Underground.

This is meant to be a supplemental strategy to my first point, but it might be able to serve as a contingency plan if option one fails to materialize. The Blazers’ half court sets right now are…how shall I say this?

Stinky. They’re stinky.

Portland’s easiest buckets are coming in transition. Simple, smart basketball plays have kept Portland in ballgames, and opportunities to make plays are most prevalent either on the break or in the few seconds immediately after the defense gets set and Portland’s trailer is approaching the three-point line. If nothing is there, the team will reverse the ball and start the offense (one guy dribbling and four guys standing and watching). Want good shots with an undersized and undermanned lineup? Move the ball out of the break and don’t hesitate to pull the trigger. Time spent waiting is time wasted at this point.

Agree? Disagree? Let people know how much smarter you are than them in the comments.

The Blazers return home for two games against the Kings and Suns, then hit the road for a brual four game swing (Magic, Heat, Mavs, Spurs).  Will the fracturing disjointed squad still be above the .500 mark in the New Year?  It’s a worthy question.  We’ll tackle that question later on this week.   Here’s four things we learned from the latest road trip.

1. LaMarcus Aldridge needs to stoke the fire – The Bucks game ended with disappointment and mild controversy, but LA finally showed the inner rage he needs to channel on a nightly basis.  He ripped down rebounds in traffic, threw down alley-oops, and generally made his presence known.  Aldridge needs to rebound like that more often and he needs to play angry more often.  Like, try “always often.”  When Aldridge plays as if the entire arena is questioning his manhood, there’s no end to his potential.  So go ahead basketball fans.  Call up LA and question his manhood.  Call him a sissy.  Say he is soft.  It may be the only way to bring out the fire.

2. Jerryd Bayless needs more minutes like Tiger needs a vacation – We all know BE chronicled this issue extensively.  His jumper IS looking better, and it’s clear the Blazers need a burst of energy.  Bayless still struggles with decision-making, but those issues can only be addressed with more playing time.  Steve Blake is to energy what molasses is to viscosity.  Look at it this way, Travis Outlaw hasn’t played a game in almost a month.  Yet he’s still logged more minutes on the year than Bayless.  Give the guy his time.

3. Steve Blake is broken.  Blake provides two essential traits as a point guard.  He doesn’t turn the ball over, and he makes three pointers.  Blake is not doing one of those things consistently right now.

3a. Dean Demopolous is a handsome man.  Just saying.

4. Andre Miller started ahead of Steve Blake in Denver.  He is unquestionably playing better than his point guard counterpart.  Also, Miller and Roy are playing well off of each other.  Miller made some turnovers in the Bucks game, but those issues pale in comparison to the way Blake is playing.  The time is nigh.  Make that time Tuesday night

What did you learn from the road trip?

Editor’s Note: Tim Lane is a recent transplant to NYC, a teacher, a writer, and a life-long Blazers fan.

I had the Blazers against Knicks game circled on my calendar for months. Here was my  chance to see a hometown team do good in one of the most historic arenas in the world. I was going to experience my new city with a slight flavoring of my old. I expected heated rivalry, crazy fans and a tension-rich environment.

My first disappointment came when I found out New Yorkers treat going to a Knicks game like going to a coworker’s birthday party: you show up a little late, you leave a little early, and it’s something to talk about at the water cooler the next day.

They fill half the seats, spend most of the game in line for beer and only really get loud when the t-shirt gun comes out. They tend to hold circular conversations about LeBron James, and if or if not he will be wearing the orange and blue next year. For a team whose motto this year is, “Declare Your Team,” they tend to focus on declaring and declaring and declaring a team that has yet to exist (next year’s team) starring a guy under contract for a completely different organization (the Cavs).

Within the first five minutes of play, I was certain that my Northwest boys were going to show these city kids how to play. Some hard work. A little grit. You know. Plus, the Knicks are basically that creepy older Uncle who lives in the basement this year, only coming up out of the shadows at the temptation of free beer or pizza. Or in this game’s case, Danilo Gallinari coming alive somehow. It would be a cakewalk.

However, in what has seem to become a yearly Blazer tradition, we were hit hard with the injury curse. Oden down with a knee injury, Rudy sidelined with a faulty shoulder, and Coach McMillan bedridden with a ruptured right Achilles tendon. Added to the Travis Outlaw and Nicolas Batum injuries, it’s beginning to get a little bit spooky. By my count we’re a good month and a half past Halloween, so let’s quit with the tricks already and get some treats.

Still, we put up a fight. For a while. But for the most part we were sloppy, we were lazy and we spent more time on the floor pleading for calls than making plays.

In one series of events, when the Blazers had managed to pull within eleven points with a little under six minutes to play, Jarryd Bayless tried to split the defenders on his way to the hoop only to lose control of the ball and wind up on the ground. As the Knicks galloped to the other end of the floor to a smattering of applause (which judging how the fans behaved the entire night, a smattering of applause is HUGE in Madison Square Garden) he held out his palms to the ref like a child instead of getting up and going after the ball.

Then, a little bit further on in the game, Brandon Roy started to heat up. He was making his signature tear-drops in the lane and his change of speed was giving the Knick defense fits. I started checking Knicks fans in my periphery, excited to finally show off how my Blazers get down. After rattling off two buckets in a row he split the defense again, but this time dished off to Joel Przybilla for what should have been an easy dunk, but which was instead volleyball spiked into the ground (it was a serious, I-miss-Oden moment). As Chris Duhon ran the ball down to the other end, Roy dragged his feet and let his head drop. He knew it. I knew it. Even most of the New York fans, despite spending more time gossiping about appearances by Celine Dion, Rihanna and the guitarist from Def Leppard than watching the game, knew it.

We had our chance, we had our shot, and we blew it. We blew it in the most famous arena in the country.

With three minutes to go, Knicks fans began streaming for the exits. Some were excited, but most were simply not.

“Yeah, yeah,” I heard one guy say, “it’s like this is the one night we can be happy this whole season.”

Well it was for me, too, and now it’s been taken away. I DO NOT want to talk about this at the water cooler tomorrow.

Tim Lane is a writer, teacher, photographer, and life-long Oregonian.  Check out his thoughts at loman.blogspot.com

A day removed from Blazers’ coach Nate McMillan rupturing his tendon in practice, the bad news for injuries continued for Blazers fans today during their game against the Houston Rockets. Only seven minutes into the first quarter, Greg Oden was sent to the ground, writhing in pain and holding his left knee after attempting to block an Aaron Brooks layup. After being tended to for several minutes, Oden was eventually carted off on a stretcher with a heartbroken crowd chanting his name. It was later determined that Oden fractured his left patella, will require surgery, and will likely miss the rest of the season.

Oden’s career has been plagued by injuries thus far, starting with missing his official rookie season due to undergoing micro-fracture surgery on his right knee. He missed time during his second season with an ankle injury and also missed three weeks after fracturing his left knee-cap after a collision with Corey Maggette. Much of Oden’s difficulties on the court, including his proneness to fouls, can be attributed to his injuries – as they have restricted his ability to remain conditioned. Of course, all of the time he spends on the sidelines has hindered his opportunities for experiential growth.

What makes this injury even more tragic was the impressive development we’ve seen from Oden. Just a game ago, Oden grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds while pitching in 13 points and 4 blocks in a spirited effort against the Miami Heat. Oden was beginning to learn how to play with fouls, and was always a force on the defensive end. At 2.4 blocks per game, Oden ranks second in the league. While he is still far from a polished offensive force, we’ve seen an improved jump hook and frequent emphatic dunks. It feels like Oden was just coming into his own, but these constant injuries definitely lead one to wonder if Oden can ever have a productive career that isn’t inhibited by health issues. Before Oden was carted off, he clapped his hands together just as we have come accustomed to him doing to amp himself up on the defensive end.

Add Oden’s injury to that of Nicolas Batum, Travis Outlaw, Rudy Fernandez, Jeff Pendergraph and Patty Mills – all of whom are currently out of the Blazers’ lineup due to injury. Oden’s absence will certainly give Joel Przybilla an expanded role within the system, and we will obviously see more out of reserve bigs Juwan Howard and Dante Cunningham (where’s Jarron Collins when you need him?). We will also likely see a return to the Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge two-man game that we’ve come accustomed to over the past couple of years, with heavy utilization of the pick-and-roll. With the depleted state of the Blazers right now, the Blazers may have to explore who is available among free agent big men. The Blazers will have to take a cue from the Rockets, who have relied on grit, teamwork, and hustle to overcome key injuries to star players Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. Fortunately for the Blazers, they still have a couple great stars to lean on.

Midway through the third quarter of the 113th Civil War my voice spoke without my brain’s approval.

“I couldn’t ask for anything more,” I said.

To think the game only got better from there.

Devout sports fans across the state and casual ones alike were treated to a football game they’ll not soon forget.  How could you?

I’ll take the image of James Rodgers defiantly ripping ball after ball from the grips of Oregon defenders.  James was unquestionably the better Rodgers brother on this cold evening.  Both Brothers Rodgers return for another year.

How about Jeff Maehl streaking through the quad and into Civil War lore?  Maehl has scored a TD in every Civil War he’s played in.  The sure-handed receiver is getting better every time he takes the field and he’s got another year of improvement in his sights.

I’ll remember Jacquizz Rodgers breaking a Casey Matthews tackle on a screen pass and turning it into a big gain.  Quizz is a slippery guy, and tough as nails too.

I’ll take Keaton Kristick with me, blowing up the line of scrimmage in the first half and wrapping up the ever elusive LaMichael James.

How about LaMichael James squirting free for the go-ahead touchdown, despite being kicked in the stomach earlier and vomiting on the sidelines.  To think, he’s only a freshman.

Give me Jeremiah Masoli as he’s wont to do, bowling over an OSU defender on fourth down and taking his team that much closer to the Rose Bowl.  Masoli heard catcalls just a couple months ago from his own fans.  The absurdity of it all.  Oregon fans have another year of Masoli at the helm.  Think about that for a minute.

But ultimately I’ll never forget one of the few Ducks who won’t return next year: LeGarrette Blount.

I voiced my displeasure with how Chip Kelly handled the Blount-Byron Hout punch.  I thought Kelly went back on his word, and if he planned to reinstate Blount why not make his initial sentence less severe?  By going back on his word, it looked like Kelly was a waffler.  I couldn’t be more wrong.

Kelly is more of a pancake man.

He also has to be the national coach of the year, doesn’t he?

Truthfully the moment I’ll never forget didn’t even happen on the field.  Oregon’s mountain of a running back embraced his coach Gary Campbell, and you could just feel the emotion.  Redemption.  Elation.  Relief.

Chip Kelly’s stance on the Blount situation has always been clear.  This was a human-being decision, not a football decision.

That hug with coach Campbell encapsulated Kelly’s company line.  No words were necessary.  Thanks to the Register-Guard’s reporting we know Blount simply said, “Thank you,” to Campbell after his 12 yard touchdown dash.  Well put.

Much in life doesn’t live up to expectations.  Sometimes that job you hoped to get doesn’t pan out, or the job you have isn’t fulfilling.  Life is full of ups and downs, and we attach that same value system and expectations to the things in life that are meant to distract us from the daily grind.  The 24 hour news world we live in further entrenches the hype surrounding sporting events.

We build events, people, teams up to the point that there’s no way they can fulfill our lofty expectations.

But sometimes they do.  Last night, the Beavs and Ducks realized the hype, embraced it, and ultimately lived up to it.

In the words of LeGarrette Blount, thank you.

Anthony Trucks doing what he did best during his days at Oregon: sacking opposing quarterbacks.

As we are all gearing up for one of the biggest Civil War games of all-time tomorrow, we thought it only made sense to get some perspective from somebody who has been in the trenches of this intense rivalry. We recently caught up with Anthony Trucks, one of the most dynamic defensive players in Oregon football history. We talked with him about his time at the U of O, his stint in the NFL and his current endeavors, and of course his pick for this year’s Civil War winner (guess who). We also came to find out that he was oh-so-close to playing for a different Pac-10 school! Read on below for our full chat with Trucks:

Oregon Sports Live: Anthony, thanks for taking the time. We’ll get to what you’re up to right now in a bit…. First off, take us back to your recruitment at the UO. What exactly drew you to Eugene? Was it a relationship with a coach? Eugene as a city? Total package, etc.

Anthony Trucks: When I was in high school I was mostly unknown. A quarterback from my rival high school, Scott Hurd, got a scholarship to WSU and told the coaches there about me. After that, I received a lot of attention and started getting offers from lots of D1 schools. One in particular, obviously, was Oregon. Coach Nick Aliotti is the recruiter for this area and if you know him you know how he is. He called me non-stop. I then took a trip to WSU and committed. Every team I told gracefully bowed out but not Nick. He badgered me until I finally decided to take a trip and I fell in love with Eugene and what the Ducks were all about. It didn’t hurt that they just won the Fiesta Bowl either. So I de-committed from Washington state and committed to Oregon. Oddly enough, I was supposed to play wide receiver at Washington State, which Nick offered as well, but obviously that didn’t play out. The Ducks have the greatest fans, facilities, and college atmosphere, period. I am a very very proud Duck.

OSL: What do you miss most about Eugene?

AT: I miss everything about U of O. The friendships you develop in college last a lifetime. The town gives me chills every time I come back just remembering the glory days of donning the green and yellow with the Ducky nation backing me up.

OSL: Talk about Coach Nick Aliotti. We’ve heard he is really a “players coach.” The guys who’ve played for him rave about him. Why is that? What are some of his characteristics as a coach?

AT: Coach Aliotti is definitely one of a kind. The truth is, in the beginning I couldn’t stand him. He’s an in-your-face kind of guy who wants to win, PERIOD. What you come to realize is he wants to win so bad he sometimes does and says crazy things which are hard to understand at first but then you see his passion for the game and it makes you feel really lucky to have a guy like him on your side. His defensive mind is awesome and what’s great is that he finds ways to utilize who he has and make changes to his scheme in order to accommodate his players strengths and weaknesses. That is something that you don’t see everyday in coaches, which is why I loved playing for him.

As a players coach he’s great because he actually gets to know you and interacts with you almost like he’s one of the guys. He holds no punches and says it like it is. I know a lot of people say that about individuals but I promise you it’s different. He’s honest and upfront about what he thinks about you which leaves no room for misunderstanding and its a highly respectable characteristic.

OSL: UO defenses have historically focused on stopping the run. You factored in heavily in those game plans as a Duck. As a senior you led the Pac 10 in sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles (I believe). Obviously OSU is coming into Eugene with one of the quickest college football running backs in Jacquizz Rodgers. How did Coach Bellotti and Aliotti prepare you for facing big-time running backs? What do you think they are saying about stopping or containing Quizz?

AT: Don’t forget fumbles recovered! The big time backs had to be tackled. It may seem like such a small fundamental part of the game, but broken tackles make or break games when you play great running backs. Our defense is soundly based on gap control. What that means is everyone has a gap and you must make sure yours is covered. If you try and do someones else’s job, leave your gap, or don’t know the adjustment on the fly you then leave holes open for the back to hit and run. Great running backs have great vision and will see those open holes and take them, so the defense has to be very slow to leave their gaps and have great run/pass reads to not get fooled. Secondly, if you hit them in the mouth a few times they’re a little less likely to run as hard next time, so a good pop always goes a long way.

OSL: We know you spent some time in the NFL, tell us about the teams you played for and what were your roles were within those teams?

AT: I did play in the NFL for a little while. I originally came out with the Tampa Bay Bucs and spent my first training camp in the scorching heat of Orlando, Florida under old “Chucky” Gruden. I made it to final cuts that season but didn’t play with them past that. I was more of a special teams guy, but oddly they had me at Mike (middle) linebacker which is a definite change from my college position of outside linebacker. I then went back to school and took some classes while I still took a bunch of trips to teams. In week 13 I was signed by the Washington Redskins and spent the year with them. I played up through week one then was released after week one due to injuries and roster space. Then I got picked up week 9 and played with the Pittsburgh Steelers. I was with them all that year and into the following year. In the first pre-season game against the Eagles I had a season ending shoulder injury that required surgery, so I watched my teammates get a Super Bowl ring from home sadly. On all of those teams I was  special teams guy, which is where almost everyone starts unless your a high draft pick. Since then, I’ve been home where I live with my wife and three kids (including 16-week-old twins).  I had a great time playing NFL ball and it was all made possible by the U of O.

OSL: We’ve heard that you’ve started up your own athletic training business and facilities. Can you tell us a bit more about how that began, how it is coming along, and where you see it heading?

AT: You’re correct! I have started a training facility where I get to give back to my local athletes in ways that were never given back to me. In college I earned a degree with focus in Biology, Anatomy, & Human Physiology. This gave me the thorough understanding of the body which is what helps me in the training services I provide for my clients. I have opened an 8,000 square-foot facility where I train athletes from all age groups and sports. I love getting up everyday knowing even though I may not be playing right now I can live vicariously through the athletes I train. It began back when I was college and started training for a company called Champ Workouts. I would train high school athletes that had aspirations of playing in college. I fell in love with it and geared my future towards training. So far things are going great. I train everything from football to water polo players of all ages and it’s a very rewarding career. I see things in the future being very prosperous due to my current clientele base and a great system that is proving itself to work every day.

OSL: If people want to learn more about Trucks Training where can they go?

AT: You can check us out online at www.truckstraining.com

OSL: Can you shed some light on the inter-team dynamics. We know you’re not around this specific group obviously… The OSL guys are mostly basketball players. We don’t know what it’s like in a locker room, on a practice field, etc. Meaning, how do the offense and defense interact on a weekly basis. Were you more likely to hang out with you fellow linebackers or defensive players? It seems like the defense this year is an extremely tight group that is bonded over some of the struggles thus far.

AT: I couldn’t tell you how they are now because every team is different. When I played, everyone was bonded. There was no offense or defense separation because everyone hung out with everyone. The truth is we spend so much time together it’s tough to have friends outside of the team that can truly understand what your going through on a daily basis. As for the defense, we always stay tight-knit. Our defense is highly predicated on trusting the guy next to you to do his job. That means that you have to be tight or things won’t work well on the field. I always played with my “brothers” because if it was just me playing next to some guy I didn’t trust I might start trying cover for both of us on some plays which would ruin the whole defensive system.

OSL: Could you talk about your thoughts and reaction to the LeGarrette Blount incident and aftermath, and how you thought the team responded moving forward?

My original reaction was “you’ve got to be &*%$#@! kidding me!” I don’t personally know the guy, but what he doesn’t understand is that alumni all over the country had to pay for his actions. Within five minutes of that happening I had friends, family, and clients all sending me messages like it was my close buddy who did it. I feel like he set us back with that action because we are, and have always been, a class act and that was a far step from the standards that my teammates and I upheld for ourselves and the future Ducks.

That said, I feel Chip Kelly handled it very well and I have a great deal of respect for him after seeing how he dealt with that situation.

OSL: What are your impressions of the Ducks’ linebackers this year?

AT: As always, you know I love the backers! D.P. always makes sure we’re on point and I believe he has done a great job with them this year. They seem to fill holes and cover well. Now, they do have room for improvement but everyone does. I am definitely proud of how far they have come this year and they make great plays that have helped put their team in the awesome position they are to head to the Rose Bowl.

OSL: Talk about the continued evolution of the Ducks uniforms. Do you like it? What do you think about the much hyped “throwback” unis?

AT: I can’t say I’m surprised. Like always, the uni’s take some time to get used to, but after a while you fall in love with it like usual. So I would say yes, I do like them.  As for the throwbacks, how could you not love the old school?!

OSL: Be honest. Were you able to keep the faith during the trying times of the Arizona game last weekend?

AT: Honestly, and you can ask my wife, YES. If you wanna look back a few years it was a similar problem down there when Kellen Clemens, and Dennis Dixon went down the defense had to stick it out and old B (Brent) Haberly got the game winning touchdown my senior year. It’s never over til’ it’s over!

OSL: Any predictions for the Civil War game this year? Do you smell roses?

AT: Short and simple: we’re gonna win and yes! GOOOOOOOOO DUUUCCCKKKSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!