Behind the Locker Room Door

[RR7]

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/i..._locker_room_door_trail_blazers_are_a_te.html

Aldridge has remarked that the chemistry of this year’s Blazers reminds him of those 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 Blazers teams. I’m starting to see that, but I think it’s a different chemistry. Those early Blazers teams, with Brandon Roy, Travis Outlaw, Martell Webster, Jarrett Jack, Steve Blake, Channing Frye, Aldridge ... they had an innocence to them. They were young. No one had made big money, let alone played in a big game. It was more like a high school team than an NBA team, as fart-jokes and pranks ruled, while contract negotiations and playoff pressure were reserved for another day.

This year’s team chemistry is based more on mutual respect. This is a veteran and accomplished group. They have proven their worth in the league, carved their niche, and everyone is comfortable in who they are, and they appreciate what the person next to them brings to the table.

“It just shows the commitment and the fun that the team has had,’’ Wallace said. “Everybody is together. There is no one-man ego. Everybody knows LaMarcus is on the top of the mountain and we go as he goes, and everybody is comfortable with that. When you are having the success we are having it shows that everybody is comfortable. When you see that in the locker room, it lets you know why we are 5-1 out in the court.

 

[jlprk]

Who else but Quick would write incessantly about chemistry, worry if there's no church party atmosphere on the team, or praise players for being young and innocent (and low basketball IQ and manipulable by the Oregonian).

I knew it was him, but I clicked anyway to make sure. It's HIM.

 

[MickZagger]

Chemistry is huge in basketball more than any other sports, outside of maybe an offensive line in football.

 

[SantaDora]

Who else but Quick would write incessantly about chemistry, worry if there's no church party atmosphere on the team, or praise players for being young and innocent (and low basketball IQ and manipulable by the Oregonian).

I blame Al-Jazeera - they are marketing for the Americans!

 

[jlprk]

My IR sensor picks up Quick from a thousand yards, but then, BO isn't all it's cracked up to be.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I don't know exactly how much great chemistry matters, but bad chemistry is a a pretty big deal.

 

[ABM]

...bad chemistry is a a pretty big deal.

.....things blow up......like teams, organizations, and stuff.

 

[MickZagger]

I miss Z-Bo and his posse.

 

[ABM]

I miss Z-Bo and his posse.

So does the Hotel Vintage Plaza...............I think.

 

[MickZagger]

So does the Hotel Vintage Plaza...............I think.

...and LaQueesha the late evening dancer at Exotica. Z-Bo was good for the Oregon economy. I think its why we were so apprehensive to deal him. His brother Roger sure was a class act.

 

[RR7]

I don't know exactly how much great chemistry matters, but bad chemistry is a a pretty big deal.

I think great chemistry in guys hanging out for dinner and isn't a huge deal. The benefit is if it carries over on the court. Obviously, you don't have to like someone off the court to have great chemistry on the court. But any bit helps.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I really enjoy those articles from Quick.

 

[jlprk]

The reason I posted was that Quick harps on chemistry so much, that when I see an uncredited excerpt in the OP from an article about chemistry, I know the author is Quick without looking. To the Oregonian, building chemistry equates to fear of veterans, because uncontrollable veterans will refuse golf invitations from Quick, like Miller did. This is why they shoved Pritchard's years of building through the draft down our throats, and delayed team development.

As a result of so many years of so-called rebuilding, I'm tired of worrying about off-court, church party chemistry. Just get veterans, and usually, on-court chemistry will take care of itself. If it doesn't, it's bad coaching.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Actually yesterday during the Just Casey show Quick was being interviewed and it was me who requested that he write a Behind the locker room door article.

http://www.nba.com/blazers/tbtv/video.html?videoID=2693

 

[SlyPokerDog]

The reason I posted was that Quick harps on chemistry so much, that when I see an uncredited excerpt in the OP from an article about chemistry, I know the author is Quick without looking. To the Oregonian, building chemistry equates to fear of veterans, because uncontrollable veterans will refuse golf invitations from Quick, like Miller did. This is why they shoved Pritchard's years of building through the draft down our throats, and delayed team development.

As a result of so many years of so-called rebuilding, I'm tired of worrying about off-court, church party chemistry. Just get veterans, and usually, on-court chemistry will take care of itself. If it doesn't, it's bad coaching.

But if Canzano were to write the same article he would claim there are major problems in the locker room because none of the players were laughing and joking after a big win but instead only solemnly watching TV.