A huge storm brewing for the Blazers... ??? (MERGED)

[MIXUM]

This was put very very well by Blazers edge and jaynes. Ive been trying to put it in words but this was well said....and kinda scary at the same time. Just what path is the team headed?



Dave at Blazersedge.com

In the recap of Sunday’s win against the Thunder I said that humidity was thickening around this team right now. You get the same feeling as when you step outside before an impending thunderstorm. Lightning is in the air somewhere. You just don’t know when or where it’s going to strike. This is not to say that the Blazers themselves are tense…though if things don’t change that’s coming. Rather you can start to read from defense-less losses to Houston and relieved wins against Oklahoma City that some kind of strike is impending. The question is, will it be a strike against an opponent that all of a sudden clears the air and puts this team on a strong, confident path or will it be an internal strike resulting from a prolonged struggle? One way or another we’re going to see something at least semi-dramatic happen and I’d be surprised if we got out of November before it did.


Then Dwight Jaynes comments below....

Funny, but I’ve been having the same feeling. Something weird is going on around this team. So far, it has played so far from the standard of what we all expected. Confusion is everywhere in terms of roles and responsibilities. Not only is there no improvement from last season, you could make the case there’s been regression.

At the beginning of the season, I said I thought it would take a while for the team to get straightened out. But I didn’t expect the depth of struggle we’ve seen so far. Granted, it all could change in a hurry. But it just doesn’t have the feel of something that’s close to a turnaround.

It’s fascinating, because you just don’t know how it’s all going to shake out

 

[MIXUM]

Re: A huge storm brewing for the Blazers... ???

and i think we can all agree that the okc win was more them sucking then us figuring it out.

 

[Ed O]

Re: A huge storm brewing for the Blazers... ???

"Depth of struggle"? Huh?

We almost beat Denver. We beat an inferior opponent without Aldridge on the road. We split (home and home) with a borderline playoff team.

That's not much struggling as far as I can tell. The Blazers aren't looking like a 60 win team, but they ARE looking like a 50 win team.

Ed O.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Blazer mealtdown brewing?

Dave from BlazersEdge and Dwight Jaynes are both wondering if the team is going to implode.

Is there a big storm ahead for the Blazers?

Dave at Blazersedge.com has his pre-game preview up for tonight’s Portland game against the Hawks and said something that got my attention:

"In the recap of Sunday’s win against the Thunder I said that humidity was thickening around this team right now. You get the same feeling as when you step outside before an impending thunderstorm. Lightning is in the air somewhere. You just don’t know when or where it’s going to strike. This is not to say that the Blazers themselves are tense…though if things don’t change that’s coming. Rather you can start to read from defense-less losses to Houston and relieved wins against Oklahoma City that some kind of strike is impending. The question is, will it be a strike against an opponent that all of a sudden clears the air and puts this team on a strong, confident path or will it be an internal strike resulting from a prolonged struggle? One way or another we’re going to see something at least semi-dramatic happen and I’d be surprised if we got out of November before it did."

Funny, but I’ve been having the same feeling. Something weird is going on around this team. So far, it has played so far from the standard of what we all expected. Confusion is everywhere in terms of roles and responsibilities. Not only is there no improvement from last season, you could make the case there’s been regression.

At the beginning of the season, I said I thought it would take a while for the team to get straightened out. But I didn’t expect the depth of struggle we’ve seen so far. Granted, it all could change in a hurry. But it just doesn’t have the feel of something that’s close to a turnaround.

It’s fascinating, because you just don’t know how it’s all going to shake out.

http://www.dwightjaynes.com/is-there-a-big-storm-ahead-for-the-blazers

 

[MIXUM]

Re: A huge storm brewing for the Blazers... ???

hope youre right my friend! but i feel a sort of tension that comes out of the tv watching them.

 

[Shapecity]

Re: A huge storm brewing for the Blazers... ???

Hurricane Miller is brewing.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Re: A huge storm brewing for the Blazers... ???

Dave at Blazersedge.com
The question is, will it be a strike against an opponent that all of a sudden clears the air and puts this team on a strong, confident path or will it be an internal strike resulting from a prolonged struggle? One way or another we’re going to see something at least semi-dramatic happen and I’d be surprised if we got out of November before it did.

I'm going with the former--with Martell's recent commentary about there being no excuse for bad play, and Greg's embrace of the value of ferocity and vociferousness, I think a leap is coming. It might not be tonight, but soon.

And it will be big.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Re: Blazer mealtdown brewing?

Oops!

Meltdown!

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Re: Blazer mealtdown brewing?

Haha--Mixum beat you.

 

[MIXUM]

Re: A huge storm brewing for the Blazers... ???

theres a saying about big storms....

they wash everything clean

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Re: A huge storm brewing for the Blazers... ???

Pritchard is no chemistry major....

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Re: Blazer mealtdown brewing?

Haha--Mixum beat you.

LOL! Looks like he did.

Double oops!

 

[alex42083]

And this is based on what? Just Dave speculating from Idaho?

 

[andalusian]

Re: A huge storm brewing for the Blazers... ???

Hurricane Miller is brewing.

Yup. My take as well. He is, clearly, hard to integrate.

 

[MIXUM]

no its called insight from what you see. he is on the money but ed o made a good point too. for as much as we struggled... we beat 2 solid teams and only lost to an elite team cause of free throws. rockets just whipped us on halloween.

with that said, something isnt right.

 

[SodaPopinski]

This is so fucking ridiculous. Just media trying to brew something up that isn't there. We almost beat Denver and should have had the officials not had Carmelo and Chauncey's junk so far down their throats they could hardly blow their whistles.

And that Houston game? Big deal. It was a road game and their home opener, and we lost by four to a team that couldn't miss.

Should the Lakers fold up their tents? They got absolutely destroyed by a weak Mavs team that had just lost at home to the Wizards.

We're four games into the season. I repeat. FOUR games into the season.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Re: A huge storm brewing for the Blazers... ???

Yup. My take as well. He is, clearly, hard to integrate.

Hard to integrate into Nate's system.

He's never been hard to integrate into every other team he's played on.

 

[PapaG]

40% of the starting line-up has changed and the back-up PG thinks he should be (and he probably should be) starting.

I'm not surprised at all by a very average start.

 

[andalusian]

Re: A huge storm brewing for the Blazers... ???

Hard to integrate into Nate's system.

He's never been hard to integrate into every other team he's played on.

I think it's hard to integrate into Roy's system, to be honest.

Where else did he play where he was not expected to be the primary ball handler?

 

[tlongII]

I want to see 15 games before I make any assessments.

 

[alex42083]

Love the phrase though, "depth of struggle." Damn.. make it sound like we have to rebuild again and it's all over already with this current core. lol.

 

[RR7]

Re: A huge storm brewing for the Blazers... ???

Where else did he play where he was not expected to be the primary ball handler?

Philadelphia with Andre Iguodola. Denver with Carmelo. Last place he actually WAS the primary ball handler was probably the Clippers

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Re: A huge storm brewing for the Blazers... ???

I think it's hard to integrate into Roy's system, to be honest.

Where else did he play where he was not expected to be the primary ball handler?

I don't buy it at all.

Miller - one of the all time assist leaders in the history of the game.

Roy - Two time all star, former ROY.

Too much talent, too much experience for them not to create their own synergy on the court, you just have to let them play together. They'll figure it out.

We didn't bring Miller here to be Chocolate Blake. We brought him here to be Andre Miller except now we're telling him that's not what we want from him.

 

[andalusian]

Re: A huge storm brewing for the Blazers... ???

Philadelphia with Andre Iguodola. Denver with Carmelo. Last place he actually WAS the primary ball handler was probably the Clippers

AI2 or 'Melo were never the primary ball handlers. They have been the first option on offense - but they are not the primary ball handlers.

Roy's AST% as a rookie (his lowest year) is higher than 'Melo's best year ever (this year).

Iggy is much more of a creator than Melo - but even he was secondary to Miller last year in AST% - Also look at Iggy's AST% this year - much higher than last year. There is a reason - he has to do it more because the primary ball handler they had last year is not there anymore...

 

[andalusian]

Re: A huge storm brewing for the Blazers... ???

I don't buy it at all.

Miller - one of the all time assist leaders in the history of the game.

Roy - Two time all star, former ROY.

Too much talent, too much experience for them not to create their own synergy on the court, you just have to let them play together. They'll figure it out.

When did I say they would not?

I just said it is harder to integrate for them - because Roy is used to be the primary ball handler, Miller is used to as well - and the change is not natural to either of them.

We didn't bring Miller here to be Chocolate Blake. We brought him here to be Andre Miller except now we're telling him that's not what we want from him.

Again, you are jumping to conclusions about what I said. Miller is harder to integrate than people realized - for the obvious reason I mentioned above...

 

[BlazersBlood]

This is so fucking ridiculous. Just media trying to brew something up that isn't there. We almost beat Denver and should have had the officials not had Carmelo and Chauncey's junk so far down their throats they could hardly blow their whistles.

And that Houston game? Big deal. It was a road game and their home opener, and we lost by four to a team that couldn't miss.

Should the Lakers fold up their tents? They got absolutely destroyed by a weak Mavs team that had just lost at home to the Wizards.

We're four games into the season. I repeat. FOUR games into the season.

Whatever. The weather is much more interesting when a storm is brewing....

We still haven't gotten into a groove. You can blame McMillan for some of it and you can blame the players for the rest. I think we can all agree on something: The Blazers are better than what they've shown so far in this season. We haven't hit our stride and it's better to get this cleared out of the way early in the season than later.

 

[RR7]

You say STILL haven't gotten into a groove as if we are a month into the season, as opposed to 4 games. Are there many teams that are in a groove right now?

 

[andalusian]

You say STILL haven't gotten into a groove as if we are a month into the season, as opposed to 4 games. Are there many teams that are in a groove right now?

Sure. The Clippers are into their usual losing groove, as are the Kings. The Celtics are in a groove, as are the Magic.

It is clear that this team is still a work in progress - but I am not that surprised about it.

 

[RR7]

The Magic are without arguably their second best player. How can they be in a groove when they haven't had to integrate everyone into their team. I'll give you the Celtics. And the losers.

 

[ebott]

What a load. It's a rough beginning for a team that has had some significant changes. Big whoop.

I think people (myself included) really underestimated how much was up in the air at the beginning of the season. With Martell back, Miller in the lineup rather than Sergio and Greg healthy we've got a lot more offensive options than we did last season. As a result we're having a hard time figuring out who we wanna go to and who the second and third options should be on the play.

It's gonna take a few more (we've only played 4 games) games for guys to settle into their roles.

But that's boring. Let's just assume there's gonna be big time drama. Who's it gonna be?

The smart money's on Miller.
I could see Rudy cracking if he has a few more games with minutes in the teens and less than 5 shots.
It could be Greg. He's putting a lot of pressure on himself to live up to his first pick in the draft billing. Hard to do with 4 shots a game.
Outlaw and Blake are both good guys, but they're in contract years. It's hard to stick to your role when you don't know how you're gonna pay for your yachts next season.