Oregon Sports Live

We’ve sort of avoided Pac-10 Basketball so far mostly due to health concerns.  Watching the games is a form of torture and can cause inexplicable health problems..  Thankfully Will Seymour subjected himself to some analysis and offered this guest post:

After dropping three straight to the talented but usually disorganized 76ers, the Blazers took care of business Wednesday night despite losing Brandon Roy, defeating Philadelphia on its home court to even the season series at a game apiece.

Notes from the game:

– Did Brandon come back too soon, or was the re-aggravation of his hamstring simply bad luck? Either way, it’s not good news for the red and black.

– I’m making it official. Andre Miller is now in Wade’s Crew. He deserves it. Despite turning the ball over once in crunch time, Dre put forward yet another game-changing effort. He’s really hit his stride, and his big numbers are becoming par for the course. To Miller’s critics who happen to be vegetarians: you don’t have to actually have to eat any crow if you don’t want to. Just suck on one of those blackbirds for a while and spit it out.

– Rudy’s getting that old rhythm back. Do you see it? He’s starting to put it together and feeling the flow again. My hope is to see him back to his old self after the All-Star break. Attack it, Rudy.

– Adam Bjaranson is pure. Comic. Gold. I can’t get enough of this guy. Don’t get me wrong. I love to pause and rewind and review Bob Akamian in slow motion on my DVR, but he can’t hold a candle to the live spontaneity of Bjaranson. He’s like Tyson in the ’80s. You never know when the knockout shot is coming, but you know it’s going to be spectacular. It could be  a glance, a smile, a look of confusion … the possibilities are endless. Take for instance this little clip of Bjaranson at the Civil War in Eugene. Just look at the contempt in his eyes as he grits his teeth and briefly plots that evil knee-patter’s death just before he coolly recovers and remembers that he’s Jim Carrey in “The Truman Show.” I’m making a formal request to have Bjaranson replace Akamian. Who’s with me?

– Anybody else catch the old “one guy’s wearing a ridiculous hat” bit that Mike and Mike pulled off coming out of the half? Classic. Those guys are the new Abbott and Costello, I’m tellin’ ya.

– Speaking of Mike Rice, I’m currently in talks with his agent about writing his biography. The tentative title is “Easies, Freebies and Cheapies: The Mike Rice Story.”

– Isn’t it fun to watch Allen Iverson run around the court now that he’s roughly half as fast as Jerryd Bayless? No? Well, I get a big kick out of it, anyway.

– And how about that Jerryd Bayless? Talk about a fourth-quarter takeover. And in that vein, nearly everybody on the roster has stepped up at one point or another to cover the team’s backside in the last couple of weeks. The younger guys are receiving valuable experience that will most likely help the team down the road. Were all these injuries a blessing in disguise? A precursor to next year’s title run? A preamble to a budding dynasty? Could I possibly jinx it any worse?

That’s all I got for ya, maniacs. Now go say 12 Hail Mary’s and apologize for reading this to the Big Guy upstairs.

Yes, the game was an early one.  Of course, Brandon Roy missed his second consecutive game due to a hamstring injury.  Yet this game falls under the category of a missed opportunity.

The Blazers fell to the Gilbert Arenas-less Washington Wizards 97-92 and LaMarcus Aldridge could’ve done something about it.

I’ve heard that Aldridge isn’t back to 100 percent from his ankle injuries.  He’s not healthy, right?

In this game he played 43 minutes.  He scored nearly at will in the late third quarter, and he rebounded the ball fantastically on the offensive side of the ball.

He had great stats.

But Aldridge wanted no part of the action in the late fourth quarter.

This is a big story.

The great folks at BE wrote about Portland’s deficiencies defensively, but the bigger story to me was Aldridge’s unwillingness to seize the spotlight Monday.

Portland’s season has bordered on Shakespearean drama thus far.  Despite the loss of their two centers and two dynamic forwards the Blazers have stemmed the temptation to slide toward mediocrity.

In fact they’ve excelled.

Brandon Roy leads the charge – but the tonic that mesmerizes the rabid Blazers fanbase is how the Blazers embody the definition of a “team.”

Roy is the superstar, but he leads an ensemble worthy of the big stage.  Aldridge is supposed to play the role of wingman.  He’s done an adequate job of filling that role thus far, but that sense of urgency just simply isn’t there – especially late in games.

Aldridge doesn’t “bring it” for an entire game, and his opponents take note of that.

About a week ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers came to Portland and the Blazers had a typically great effort that led to defeat.  They fought back into the game when the outcome seemed decided.  Yet, there’s one play that sticks out in my mind.

Lamarcus Aldridge corralled an offensive rebound with nothing but Anderson Verajao and a couple feet of air between the Blazers and a one possession game.  Aldridge declined to put his considerable offensive skills to the test, and passed up the shot.  The Blazers didn’t score on that possession, and ultimately fell to the Cavaliers.

The Blazers need a second option to show up consistently in the fourth quarter, or else Brandon Roy’s burden grows.  Martell Webster, Rudy Fernandez, Jerryd Bayless, and every other role player will play a role, but only one player holds the key to the elusive “second banana” moniker.  That’d be LaMarcus Aldridge.

Watching the Blazers humiliate the defending Eastern Conference Champions was astounding.  Like – can’t believe my eyes type of stuff.  No Brandon Roy.  Who cares?  This team is all about heart.  And smarts.  And guts.  And intestinal fortitude and all that jazz.

Yes, they shot the lights out from 3 point range, and Orlando couldn’t shoot the broad side of a barn most of the game.  Yet, that didn’t tell the whole story.  The story was team defense, and an overall team approach from the Trail Blazers.

Just an FYI (and this might be an abbreviated list) in the past two years the Blazers have bested the Spurs, Celtics and Magic without their best player in uniform.  That’s a veritable Murderer’s Row of opponents slayed without Brandon Roy.

The Magic never had a chance.  Effort, heart and desire have a heck of a lot of influence in the NBA.

The Blazers used those traits to their advantage in the first half, oh and second half too.  Jeff Pendergraph, Juwan Howard, Dante Cunningham and virtually every Blazer guard played tremendous team defense and tipped balls to their teammates on their way to an overall rebounding advantage against the immense Dwight Howard and company.

Howard (the Orlando one) was so exasperated he snapped at diminutive Steve Blake at the end of the first half.  The defending Eastern Conference champs lost their cool, and ultimately couldn’t recover.

Portland won because of incredible shooting and timely buckets from virtually every Blazer in the second half.  That is undeniable.

But I was struck by the sheer effort made in the first half in particular on the defensive end.  The Blazer bigs accepted their physical limitations and focused on simply tipping balls to teammates in better position to secure rebounds.  This is remedial basketball, but it’s incredibly important, and an example of good coaching.

I don’t know if this coaching comes from veteran expertise (read Howard, Juwan) or from the coaching staff.  That is irrelevant.  It’s simply tangible evidence of a team showing profound growth and ability to adapt to their opponents on a nightly basis.  The Blazers knew they had no chance of bodying Dwight Howard on the low blocks.

Thus they adapted and used superior positioning and effort so they could tip balls to teammates.  This is good basketball, and the hallmark of great coaching and players who are amenable to said coaching.

The cumulative effect of this is exciting for fans of good basketball.  Nate McMillan is truly using what he has in personnel to the best of his ability.  Thus far, the results are astounding.

Tonight brought an unfamiliar sight for the current group of Blazers: a blowout win that was never really in question. The Blazers took care of business against Milwaukee with a 120 – 108 victory – a final score that doesn’t clearly represent how dominant the Blazers were in this game. The Bucks were undermanned themselves, having recently lost star-guard Michael Redd with a season-ending knee injury, and looked unfocused an aimless for a majority of the game.

• It’s good to see Rudy back in action, if for no other reason than seeing an image of Portland’s healthy past return to the court. While he was limited to just 15 minutes and was largely ineffective, he should provide a much-needed scoring punch off of the bench once he’s regained he gets his legs back and finds his rhythm. It should also mean a reduction in Martell Webster’s minutes, who’s been run ragged  lately with most of the other wing players sidelined. Hopefully this results in more consistent, sustainable play for the Blazers as a whole.

• The Blazers were on fire in the first half, but as hot as they were, the Bucks equally horrendous. They had nine turnovers in the first half, several from lackadaisical passes and backcourt blunders. It seems as though the Bucks’ offense tonight consisted of shooting three-pointers and hoping Andrew Bogut gets the rebound. The Bucks are at their best when milking the Brandon Jennings pick and roll, and making Bogut a point of emphasis in the post – both of which were glaringly absent tonight.

• It was nice to see Brandon Roy assert himself early tonight. He had 12 points in the opening period, and seemed as he was trying to establish Portland as the aggressor from the tip. Too often we see Roy defer to his teammates in the first quarter, so this was a nice change of pace. He ended with a highly efficient 22 points on 7 of 10 shooting in just 27 minutes of play.

• Jeff Pendergraph continued to prove his value to this team, and had a few very memorable moments. Most notably, he  had two emphatic blocks on the defensive end. The kind where the ball is swatted so far away that it seemed unneccessary. Unnecessary as it may be, it sure is fun to watch. He also hit a nice 15-footer from the charity stripe. Good form, good spin on the ball…it all looked smooth. Could Pendergraph one day develop a solid mid-range game to go with his bang-and-bruise style of play?

• Lastly, have you noticed the crazy guy who sits (or stands, rather) behind the hoop, and just goes all sorts of crazy during Blazers opponent free-throws? I’ve noticed him since the opening game this year. The most entertaining part is how he often looks truly disappointed or defeated when the opponents do make their free throws – as if he didn’t do his job. Well, apparently he has really taken his role to heart, as tonight’s broadcast featured a telling close up of him. What was he wearing? A “The Free Throw Guy” T-shirt. Where can I get one?

Note to Nate: Andre Miller is not Sergio Rodriguez. No offense to Serge.

The word around our local corner of the Internet is that Andre Miller and Nate McMillan engaged in a heated argument after Thursday’s practice.

The dispute supposedly centered on (what else?) Andre Miller’s seemingly always changing role within the team. Naturally, team officials are either denying the confrontation took place or dismissing the argument as nothing major. The Columbian’s Brian T. Smith, however, quoted both Miller and McMillan during the overheard exchange, and not all of the language was G-rated.

So, the real question is this: if in fact said argument did take place, and if in fact Andre did use said colorful language to express his dissatisfaction with his place on the team, does the veteran point guard have a legitimate point?

You bet your ass he does.

If you’ve watched these last few games, I bet you agree with me. Finally allowed to play significant minutes due to a bevy of Blazer injuries and poor Steve Blake catching pneumonia, Dre has played his best basketball of the season. Attacking with veteran versatility, Miller has put the team on his back at times and kept them in close ballgames by scoring in double figures (23, 22 and 16 in his last three games).

But the points have been a bonus. What the team was looking for when they signed the former Ute was veteran leadership and floor generalship. And that’s exactly what he’s given the Blazers in the month of January. Against a humongous Clippers squad in LA, Miller dropped 16 dimes in a tough loss. Finally feeling the flow of the game, Dre looked up the floor, got into the lane, blew past Baron Davis hundreds of times…and all his teammates had to do was cut to the basket or step out to the three point line. That’s easy basketball. That’s fun.

At home against a red-hot Grizz team, Andre showed his commitment to hustle and scrappy play (and his intelligence. He had the diminutive Mike Conley on him most of the night) by snagging 10 rebounds, five of them offensive. Considering the way Memphis crashes the offensive glass, without the Miller-instigated extra possessions, Portland would have been toast. As it was, they nearly won the game.

And yet, despite his excellent play, Miller is consistently being left out in the cold during crunch time. This is baffling to me. I’m baffled.

Why not give the man some late minutes and see if he can’t win you a ballgame or two?

Yes, Andre is a high-risk, high-reward type of player, and yes, he’s going to turn the ball over sometimes while trying to make plays (six turnovers against the Warriors on Jan. 2). But let me pose a question: are y’all, as Blazer fans, really more comfortable with Jerryd Bayless playing those fourth-quarter minutes?

Bayless is an impact player at the moment. He’s not quite ready for primetime, but he has as much raw ability and athleticism as one could hope for. Doesn’t it make more sense to give him big second and third-quarter minutes and turn him loose on the D? Let him attack the rim to his prehistoric heart’s content without concern of saving fuel for crunch time. In short, let him do what he does best, and let Andre take a leadership role on this team.

I get the feeling that there’s insecurity not only within the organization but also within the city as a whole. It seems like people are afraid that if Miller assumes a position of power that it will somehow diminish the leadership of Brandon, LaMarcus and Blake, and the Blazers will suddenly all run around the court, flailing their arms wildly, screaming at anyone within earshot, “PLEASE GOD TELL ME WHAT TO DOOOOOOO!!!!!”

This sounds similar to the idea that allowing gays to marry will somehow make straight marriage less good. I’ll give you a second to let the idiocy of both statements sink in.

The bottom line is this: if Andre Miller is complaining about his playing time, his role, his purpose on this team, then good.

Maybe somebody will listen.

While the depleted Blazers have continued to surpass everyone’s expectations, winning eight of their last 10 games, I have maintained that as long as Brandon Roy is in the game Portland has a good shot at winning. While the Los Angeles Clippers couldn’t keep Roy off the floor tonight, they made a concerted effort to center their whole defensive scheme around him. The fronted him, brought double teams when he received the ball, and used Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby to help off of their man to deny Roy the ball or help out once he received the rock. While this strategy often freed up other Blazers for wide-open looks, it was successful in disrupting Roy’s rhythm – holding him to just 6 points (on 3-12 shooting).  Without a reliable Roy to turn to in the fourth quarter, the Blazers’ offense became stagnant and eventually led to a 105-95 loss.

That isn’t to say that tonight’s game was without bright spots. For the first three quarters, the Blazers played up-tempo, free-flowing, and inspiring basketball. With Roy’s struggles, the Blazers saw several players step up to keep Portland in this game.

Andre Miller, in particular, was fantastic tonight. Dueling with Baron Davis all-night, Miller had an electrifying first half (10 points and 10 assists) and finished with a 22 point and 16 assist evening. We saw Miller stealing passes, finishing at the rim, and making great decisions with the basketball. Not a bad return for the L.A. native and former Clipper.

Martell Webster had his second great game in a row, finishing with 25 points (5-9 from downtown). He was also active on the fastbreak, and was the recipient of two Miller passes that resulted in emphatic dunks. Webster is proving that when he gets consistent minutes he is capable of being a significant contributor. After scoring 17 first-half points, he was a bit more quiet in the second half. Webster again proved to be a player who thrives on positive team momentum when the defenses have to key on other players (like Roy, Miller, etc.), allowing him to find the open spot on the floor or the open cutting lane.

The other truly notable Blazer tonight was Juwan Howard. He did a great job of knocking down open mid-range shots when his defender would leave to help on Brandon Roy. At one point, Chris Kaman looked to coach Mike Dunleavy in dismay as if to say “Coach, if we keep doing this Juwan is going to have the night of his life.” While it wasn’t the night of his life, it was definitely one of his most productive games as a Blazer. In 36 minutes of play, Howard chipped in 16 points (8-11 shooting) and four boards. He also had one of the best highlights his aging career. Roy drove baseline drawing in Kaman and Camby, dished it off to a cutting Howard who threw down a posterizing dunk on Kaman. Posterizing is not an overexaggeration.

In the end, the Blazers just didn’t have enough in the tank to finish of the Clippers. Their hot start fizzled, and their defense became absent, but the Blazers gave an admirable effort given the players they had available. I think we can excuse an out-of-the-ordinary performance from Roy, who had averaged 27.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 4.9 apg throughout the month of December.

The Blazers won’t have to wait long for a chance to bounce back from tonight’s loss, as the Memphis Grizzlies come to town tomorrow. LaMarcus Aldridge is expecting to make his return, which should alleviate some pressure off of Roy, but I would imagine his mobility will still be somewhat limited if he does play. Still, the Blazers will welcome Aldridge back with open arms if only to have another big in their lineup. We’ll see if the second night of a back-to-back shows a fatigued Blazers squad, or if they approach it as an opportunity for redemption.