Atlanta's Sekou Smith On The Blazers

[ABM]

You can read the entire blog entry, along with all the locals' responses, but I thought these were a few telling remarks.

http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/hawks/entries/2009/02/20/hawks_hanging_t.html

Even at their best, the Hawks would have a hard time defeating Portland at the Rose Garden.

But they deserve a little credit, the Hawks are relentless tonight, fighting back from every lick the Blazers deliver.

Their defensive rotations are crisp. They’re blocking shots (Josh Smith in particular, making a point to shut me up after my rants about it on the last blog). Mike Bibby is hot again and the rest of the Hawks are scrapping. They’re not shooting particularly well right now but they’re in the game.

There’s only on problem, one they didn’t have against the Kings the other night. These Blazers are for real and up 10 (78-68) right now late in the third quarter - careful Hawks, go to sleep for a few seconds and you’ll be in a nasty hole.

Again, these Blazers are for real. They’ve got the talent, depth, chemistry and star power (yeah, Brandon Roy proves that you can be a star without being completely full of yourself and they play with force, the way Nate McMillan preaches.

Rarely have I seen them and not been impressed.

Role players like Travis Outlaw and Rudy Fernandez to go along with Roy and the fabulous LaMarcus Aldridge make it hard to see these Blazers going away any time soon.

And Greg Oden’s not even healthy enough to play (bone chips in his knee have Blazers fans cringing at the thought of yet another promising big man’s career being derailed by injuries).

If the Hawks want this one, they’ll have to slug it out in the fourth quarter and take it. Because the Blazers aren’t going to fold up, up 80-72 at the start of the fourth.......

......The Blazers are sick. They’re getting ready to run the Hawks out of the building with hustle and superior shot making. Roy is such a good face up player and he drives just as well and isn’t afraid to go at the defense. And he’ll defer when he needs to.

Not picking him in the draft three years ago is just as bad as not taking Paul or Deron Williams in hindsight....

....the Hawks are routinely getting pounded on the boards. And that’s an effort thing. The bigs have to fight on the glass or they have no chance to win against quality teams like the Lakers and Blazers.....

.....Listen, The Blazers are legit bro. No shame in that. The Hawks are not as good. They just aren’t. Any way you slice it, the Blazers are a better team. So let Blazer-loving better half enjoy the spoils of victory...

 

[Entity]

Not picking him in the draft three years ago is just as bad as not taking Paul or Deron Williams in hindsight....

Hah, I didn't think about that. We talk about our misfortune that we didn't get either of those point guards, too. But Atlanta had a chance to get both of them AND Roy.

 

[illmatic99]

"The Landlord"

Great nickname.

BTW, I recently found out that he's married to Candace Parker. Wow. WTG, Shelden.

 

[yenniedn]

Thanks for posting ABM - good to see that it takes someone from outside of our bunch here to realize that we *gasp* might have a good team here?!?!? Even with all the talk about how we're weak here or suck there, don't tell me that any other NBA team or GM wouldn't love to have the talent we have on this roster.

 

[Tortimer]

I was reading the comments from the Hawks fans and they sound almost like Blazer fans. I guess it is the same everywhere.

 

[BBert]

Hah, I didn't think about that. We talk about our misfortune that we didn't get either of those point guards, too. But Atlanta had a chance to get both of them AND Roy.

Hey, I was going to quote that Blazers blunder! It's still painful to think about, even though without that mistake we don't end up the team we are today. I guess I'll take it.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I know we say enough about our offense but when you look at the offense that Portland threw at us…it was screen after screen every time down the court for easy open shots for just about all of their players. Woody needs to take a page out of Nate’s book.

Roy and the Blazers are well coached

Boy I bet Seattle wished they’d hung on to Nate now huh?

I like how we criticize Nate for just running a bunch of screens, then we find out why: mismatches and open shots.

 

[Minstrel]

The bigs have to fight on the glass or they have no chance to win against quality teams like the Lakers and Blazers.....

Cool, being classed with the Lakers, even if Portland isn't really there yet.

 

[Entity]

Cool, being classed with the Lakers, even if Portland isn't really there yet.

Here's an interesting fact: despite Portland having the slowest pace in the NBA, their margin of victory is second in the conference to the Lakers, and the highest outside of the big four contenders.

 

[Tince]

I like how we criticize Nate for just running a bunch of screens, then we find out why: mismatches and open shots.

It's fairly obvious to most that Nate is a top quality coach in the NBA. A few are missing the boat, but those are the same people that complained about our last few coaches.

We are lucky to have Nate...

 

[Nikolokolus]

Well the Blazers sure did look crisp tonight and it couldn't have come at a better time.

 

[Minstrel]

Here's an interesting fact: despite Portland having the slowest pace in the NBA, their margin of victory is second in the conference to the Lakers, and the highest outside of the big four contenders.

Yeah, I saw that earlier, which is why I think Portland is a lock for the playoffs. By record, they're fourth-best in the west...but by point differential, they're actually even better than that. Their record actually underrates them to an extent.

 

[Natebishop3]

Sekou is a quality sports writer, so those are some good compliments.