Do you question the Blazers' medical staff?

[Masbee]

you can have an opinion on the medical situation of a team or most anything else in the world... I never said you couldn't. It certainly doesn't take wisdom/knowledge or experience to hold an opinion. I wouldn't expect anyone associated with the Blazers to take you seriously unless you've got more perspective and expertise then you're letting on. Can you name one of their doctors or therapists without looking them up on the internet? How do you know that their guys aren't the best? Do you think an effective way to... demand the team get the "Best" as a fan is to make posts on a chatsite? DO YOU THINK TYPING IN ALL CAPS MAKE YOUR WORDS CARRY MORE WEIGHT?

my Pops actually is a Doc here in town at St Vincents and has made passing comments to me about their staff having good people. But he doesn't work with them on a daily basis. He hasn't seen how they're handling the guy's situations. Despite being a huge Blazer fan and a Doctor, I wouldn't take his view on the Blazer medical situation as gospel either.

I'd hope that management holds questions about their staff (medical and overall) each and every year. It's their job after all. That they are actually in place to observe and question them makes them infinitely more qualified to intelligently critique the situation then some random fan.

STOMP

You seem to take this personally on their behalf. Not sure why you are defensive on their behalf.

Look, I assume the Blazer staff are GOOD.

I don't know if they are GREAT. YOU don't know if they are great.

In fact, I don't give a shit if they are great or how great they may be.

All that is completely moot in my mind as a fan with an opinion (all this board is about and all I can offer).

I don't need to proof on this topic.

The Blazers staff does. And unfortunately for them - on their watch - they have presided over disaster.

They must go.

How hard is that to grasp.

Really, it is nothing personal about the staff. I don't care if they are Jack LaLane and Marcus Welby. Get lost. Let another team try.

 

[handiman]

For instance, how aware are we as to how many medical staff they employ? Whats been the turnover? Has anyone been fired? Who is the longest tenured staff Doctor?

That's just it, we have no evidence that there have been any changes made, despite ongoing (snowballing?) injury issues. The absence of such "proof" doesn't necessarily mean anything, but it does nothing to end the speculation, either. Without such evidence, I consider the peanut gallery speculation to be warranted. The team has to be well aware of this common concern and could easily silence it by to pointing to any changes they have made, if indeed they have made any.

 

[STOMP]

You seem to take this personally on their behalf. Not sure why you are defensive on their behalf.

you seem to be off your rocker angry about something you know little about other then injuries suffered to Blazers in this rough game. Not sure why you are upset or why you've made this so personal in your posts about me and not the subject I was discussing. The line I quoted from you in the previous post was an accusation you pulled out your ass.

Look, I assume the Blazer staff are GOOD.

I don't know if they are GREAT. YOU don't know if they are great.

In fact, I don't give a shit if they are great or how great they may be.

All that is completely moot in my mind as a fan with an opinion (all this board is about and all I can offer).

I don't need to proof on this topic.

The Blazers staff does. And unfortunately for them - on their watch - they have presided over disaster.

They must go.

How hard is that to grasp.

Really, it is nothing personal about the staff. I don't care if they are Jack LaLane and Marcus Welby. Get lost. Let another team try.

you claim you don't know anything about them, presume them to be good and possibly great, and want them to be fired because you're angry that Blazer players suffered injuries... got it! I got it last time too and wasn't having a hard time grasping it. It's just that your opinion seems so silly and I have a hard time respecting it.

Players get hurt and Doctors try to heal them. Some Docs are of course better then others and I'm presume that with all the $$$ PA has showered his team with, Blazer management is under instruction to have top guys. The FIRE THEM ALL CUZ MASBEE'S ANGRY ABOUT BROKEN BONES & HAMSTRINGS plan seems a very dumb way to build a solid office staff. If I was tops in my field and looking for a new job, a house cleaning like you're advocating would make me extremely wary of a situation, especially if the fired Docs were as good to great as you said they probably are. Why in the world would a top Doc want to work for a team where if the player breaks their leg, it's the Doc's head on the chopping block as a sacrifice to appease angry fans? Also, a brand new staff in any field has all sorts of issues to work out to get on the same page.

I'd guess currently that they have some top longterm folks that they're very happy with, some they're so-so on and some new people settling in. We're all entitled to our opinions, mine is that I'd hope and expect that management has been and will continue to regularly review it's internal personnel trying to build the best group they can. That includes getting rid of Docs if one or more of them is judged to be unsatisfactory. But the Lets toss the baby with the bathwater approach you're advocating is asinine. A few years back when they were sucking under Nash, they would have tossed out KP if they followed this thinking. Is he recognized as the top GM or should he be fired too? Greg did break his leg...

who would you have hire these new top Docs? The same idiots that hired the last group, or should they all be fired too? From your expert vantage, where should the scorched earth firing line be drawn? or should it? Should PA fire everyone and sell the team so that they can get a true fresh start?

STOMP

 

[tlongII]

Sorry STOMP, but you do seem to be taking this personally for some reason. While I'm not necessarily advocating "cleaning house", I am definitely recommending they perform a full review of their medical and training personnel. Too many coincidences for me.

 

[STOMP]

Sorry STOMP, but you do seem to be taking this personally for some reason. While I'm not necessarily advocating "cleaning house", I am definitely recommending they perform a full review of their medical and training personnel. Too many coincidences for me.

how exactly? I've no dog in this fight other then hating kneejerk mob mentality reaction to bad news especially when bad news is halfway expected in this sport. I've advocated regular review and honing towards the best staff possible, I just assume they've always done this and have no evidence that they haven't. Far from taking it personal, I'm advocating taking a levelheaded approach

Did you even read my post or are you upset that I'm not typing in all caps and equipped with tar and feathers?

STOMP

 

[anonymous gambler]

how exactly? I've no dog in this fight other then hating kneejerk mob mentality reaction to bad news especially when bad news is halfway expected in this sport. I've advocated regular review and honing towards the best staff possible, I just assume they've always done this and have no evidence that they haven't. Far from taking it personal, I'm advocating taking a levelheaded approach

Did you even read my post or are you upset that I'm not typing in all caps and equipped with tar and feathers?

STOMP

I think it's time you took your meds. But, if the Blazers docs wrote your prescription, you'd probably end up unable to type all caps. lol.

I think it's clear that the medical staff is not doing a good job at preventing re-injuries. Webster, Roy, Batum, Rudy and Oden stand out as examples.

Time to hire a new staff.

 

[STOMP]

Totally - they're paid to fix problems before they happen - right? With Paul Allen's money, we should be able to hire doctors so awesome that we never have any injuries!

just a heads up... no matter how obvious about it you might think you're being, sarcasm flies right over some poster's heads without a smiley

in this case I'd suggest one of these...

really just about any will do

STOMP

 

[STOMP]

I think it's time you took your meds.

good grief... really what should I say to this?

STOMP

 

[STOMP]

That's just it, we have no evidence that there have been any changes made, despite ongoing (snowballing?) injury issues. The absence of such "proof" doesn't necessarily mean anything, but it does nothing to end the speculation, either. Without such evidence, I consider the peanut gallery speculation to be warranted. The team has to be well aware of this common concern and could easily silence it by to pointing to any changes they have made, if indeed they have made any.

no way

My guess is that regardless of what was provided, Canzano and Co would just use it as another prop to stir the pot for the soap opera loving sect of the peanut gallery. They fired their top guy last year means the latest guy needs to be fired too... nobody has been fired and the guys in charge are respected experts means they've lost it and need to be shown the door. Seriously just guessing, but does anyone know if this was the subject on JC's show today? It smells like it...

I'd much rather this sort of stuff be kept in house and hold management accountable as we (fans) clearly can't handle the truth. While some of us want wins/championships as our main goals, obviously some others of us crave a juicy trade or a player to hate above all else... something to talk about around the proverbial water cooler. Publicly revealing firings feeds the drama fiends and keeps them expecting more. Give the drama fans the silent treatment.

I hope they are making the right decisions behind the curtains and don't pretend I know what should be done. I'll limit my critiques to what I can observe.

STOMP

 

[handiman]

They don't need to name names of who has been let go, just specify who has been brought in new to address concerns or provide greater attention in certain areas.

 

[STOMP]

They don't need to name names of who has been let go, just specify who has been brought in new to address concerns or provide greater attention in certain areas.

so hire a new guy to do this and the obvious follow up question for the Canzano-ites is where is our scapegoat/fall guy? Who do we get to blame? I don't think those folks can be appeased, better for the franchise to largely ignore them and handle their business in house.

oh well, agree to disagree

STOMP

 

[handiman]

I'm all for ignoring Canzano and Quick, but ignoring the injury issue won't make the attention go away. It's one of the bigger story lines of the NBA this year.

 

[WillG]

Looking at the injuries, quite a few of them are very similar in nature. (knees,feet)
These body parts do take a pounding in the NBA, but with players going down with very similar injuries I'd be inclined to look at the training procedures and nutritionists.

I'd say art the very least you have to question them with the AMOUNT and the similar nature of the injuries.

 

[Entity]

Regardless of whose opinion matters and whose doesn't, it seems that Brandon Roy is getting a second opinion on what should be a relatively minor injury.

 

[STOMP]

I'm all for ignoring Canzano and Quick, but ignoring the injury issue won't make the attention go away. It's one of the bigger story lines of the NBA this year.

Where is the smiley letting me know you're joking?

Portland has suffered a lot of injuries this season. Other teams have suffered a similar amount in this and prior years. It's definitely a rough game that is hard on the body... unfortunately this is the fate of some teams most years. There have been many great talents who haven't been able to take the pounding and had their careers derailed by injury. Portland's injury woes are a footnote on the season and hardly what anyone outside of Portland is concerned with as people tend to look away from the injured.

STOMP

 

[J~Rush]

I agree with STOMP

 

[tlongII]

Where is the smiley letting me know you're joking?

Portland has suffered a lot of injuries this season. Other teams have suffered a similar amount in this and prior years. It's definitely a rough game that is hard on the body... unfortunately this is the fate of some teams most years. There have been many great talents who haven't been able to take the pounding and had their careers derailed by injury. Portland's injury woes are a footnote on the season and hardly what anyone outside of Portland is concerned with as people tend to look away from the injured.

STOMP

That's not true. I regularly peruse NBA news from across the country and I can say without a doubt that the Blazers' injuries are a very big story.

 

[BBert]

I have 'questioned' the training staff for a while. I don't 'know' that they should be replaced, I just hope to hell the organization evaluates Jensen and Medina as thoroughly as they do the players, and that they also evaluate other professionals in their field and make sure the Blazers training staff is the best in the business. Just like they do with players. I'm not at all confident that's happening.

 

[STOMP]

That's not true. I regularly peruse NBA news from across the country and I can say without a doubt that the Blazers' injuries are a very big story.

That is the story line for what little press the Blazers get outside of Portland, but thats not saying much. Greg going out did receive some buzz rehashing the Durant debate but that quickly faded. Nate rupturing his achilles generated some ink because it was so out of the ordinary. But Roy going out with a bad hammy has barely warranted a mention, Gasol's hammy on the other hand...

there is a similar amount of national sentiment for the Warriors who've had it even worse. A reflection of how little people care is how often Golden State's troubles are mentioned on our site. There hasn't been a single thread topic with their injury woes in the subject line and I don't think anyone (besides me) has even mentioned this fact. They've had to bring on 3 D leaguers to meet the required league minimum of 8 healthy bodies but cue the crickets here. Injuries to some other fan's teams is a bummer for them to cry about. Unless that team is on the league's marquee (Lakers Celts Cavs) the national press only gives cursory coverage... no one cares

STOMP

 

[maybeso]

Basketball is all about stopping-starting, turning, and jumping-landing. None of those is good for joints and bones.

I'm wondering how much research there has been into alternatives to hardwood floors and if those alternatives are better or worse at ameliorating the risks of basketball injuries?

For those knocking the training and medical staff... There is some smoke, but there may not be a fire. Correlation is not causation. How do you strengthen a tendon? When is a muscle too strong for the ligaments to which it is attached?

 

[handiman]

Where is the smiley letting me know you're joking?

No joke... It is highlighted in every mention of the Blazers, be it game recaps, previews, or weekly rankings.

Portland has suffered a lot of injuries this season.

This season is just the icing on the cake... If there's any pattern to be found, Webster last year and Oden the year before certainly fit it.

Other teams have suffered a similar amount in this and prior years.

Not in terms of games missed. Portland is poised to smash that record. As for Golden State, 1) they've been injury riddled for years if not decades and everyone expects it ... do we really want Portland's expectations lowered to the point that no one cares? 2) Their rotation players have been less crippled by long-term injury this year, as far as I can tell.

 

[STOMP]

It is highlighted in every mention of the Blazers, be it game recaps, previews, or weekly rankings.

right, as I noted. It's what the opposing team's press recaps going into matchups vs Portland Golden State and Detroit. That doesn't make it one of the bigger stories of the year league wide. The big national stories have been Gilbert Arenas w/guns and Kobe vs LeBron... no one outside of Portland gives a 2nd thought to the Blazers injury woes unless their team is about to play them.

This season is just the icing on the cake... If there's any pattern to be found, Webster last year and Oden the year before certainly fit it.

Portland was around the league average for injuries last year. The same pattern of having a rotation player or two miss most/all of a season is found on teams across the league most every year... it's a rough game.

Not in terms of games missed. Portland is poised to smash that record. As for Golden State, 1) they've been injury riddled for years if not decades and everyone expects it ... do we really want Portland's expectations lowered to the point that no one cares? 2) Their rotation players have been less crippled by long-term injury this year, as far as I can tell.

you are wrong... Golden State is far ahead of Portland's pace in games missed. I'm not sure where you look it up but GS passed 200 games missed mark the Blazers are bellying up to now a few weeks back. Randolph, Azubuike, Wright, Claxton, and Bell are all out for the year. Biedrins has only played in 15 games of their first 40 and Turiaf 12. Their 4 best Bigs have either missed most of the season so far or won't be back on the court this year at all.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/GSW/2010.html

STOMP

 

[handiman]

I didn't know Randolph is out for the year now... I forgot about Azubuike. I'll grant you that significant one. The rest are of minimal to moderate consequence, though...

Perhaps I'm going out on a limb here, but I consider big men in Nellie's system to be a dime a dozen. Turiaf and Biedrens are nowhere near the absence-impact of Oden and Przybilla, in my opinion... Turiaf was a decent bench player for the Lakers and suddenly looked great in the no expectations run 'n gun Nellie ball, and Biedrens similarly exploded on the scene.

The big national stories have been Gilbert Arenas w/guns and Kobe vs LeBron... no one outside of Portland gives a 2nd thought to the Blazers injury woes unless their team is about to play them.

Arenas has only been an issue the last couple weeks, and Kobe vs. LeBron is only a story twice per year. There's lots of room for other stories to fill in the gaps as "big" stories... Any state of the league type article is sure to mention the Blazers injury situation.

 

[STOMP]

I didn't know Randolph is out for the year now... I forgot about Azubuike. I'll grant you that significant one. The rest are of minimal to moderate consequence, though...

Wright is either their starting or main backup PF... he was certainly being counted on as a rotation player this season. I think a healthy Claxton or Bell would be in their rotation too. Thats 5 rotation players out from here on

Perhaps I'm going out on a limb here, but I consider big men in Nellie's system to be a dime a dozen. Turiaf and Biedrens are nowhere near the absence-impact of Oden and Przybilla, in my opinion... Turiaf was a decent bench player for the Lakers and suddenly looked great in the no expectations run 'n gun Nellie ball, and Biedrens similarly exploded on the scene.

Last year at the ripe old age of 22, Biedrins averaged 30 MPG posting a 19.1 PER over 62 games. Turiaf averaged 21.5 MPG and a 14.5 PER over 79 games. Last year Greg's respective numbers were 21.5/18.1/61 while Joel's were 23.8/15.4/82. Neither Greg or Joel have ever averaged close to 30 MPG... basically, the statistics don't support your observation.

Arenas has only been an issue the last couple weeks, and Kobe vs. LeBron is only a story twice per year. There's lots of room for other stories to fill in the gaps as "big" stories... Any state of the league type article is sure to mention the Blazers injury situation.

I assume you still live in the Salem area... have you heard anyone discussing the Warriors injuries this year? It's mentioned in their upcoming opponents media prior to every Warriors game and in the recapt and every state of the league type article mentions how decimated they've been. Did you overhear anyone discussing the Clipper's many injuries last year? Are/were those similarly big national stories? I'm sticking with the thought that no one outside of Blazer fans care about Portland's injury issues.

STOMP

 

[handiman]

Last year at the ripe old age of 22, Biedrins averaged 30 MPG posting a 19.1 PER over 62 games. Turiaf averaged 21.5 MPG and a 14.5 PER over 79 games. Last year Greg's respective numbers were 21.5/18.1/61 while Joel's were 23.8/15.4/82. Neither Greg or Joel have ever averaged close to 30 MPG... basically, the statistics don't support your observation.

Matter of perspective... As I alluded to, I believe that any competent big will put up similar numbers in Nellie's system. I don't expect Turiaf or Biedrens would look nearly as good on most other teams.

have you heard anyone discussing the Warriors injuries this year?

About the same as every other year since the early 90's for the dubs... I think everyone has gotten calloused to the point of not caring. I really don't want to see the Blazers sink to that level of apathy, so I refuse to acknowledge any relevance to the comparison.

Seriously, though, I think Oden is one of the biggest stories of the past 3 years (if for no other reason than Bill Simmons has made it so), and not just in Portland. Combining Pryz's knee injury with Oden's magnifies the significance.

 

[STOMP]

Matter of perspective... As I alluded to, I believe that any competent big will put up similar numbers in Nellie's system. I don't expect Turiaf or Biedrens would look nearly as good on most other teams.

About the same as every other year since the early 90's for the dubs... I think everyone has gotten calloused to the point of not caring. I really don't want to see the Blazers sink to that level of apathy, so I refuse to acknowledge any relevance to the comparison.

your point used to be that Portland had more games missed then any other team. I showed that to be wrong and now their stud center and rotation players are irrelevant because thats your opinion... okay

Seriously, though, I think Oden is one of the biggest stories of the past 3 years (if for no other reason than Bill Simmons has made it so), and not just in Portland. Combining Pryz's knee injury with Oden's magnifies the significance.

I live in SF which is one of the closest NBA cities to Portland. If I stumble across a comment about the Blazers in the local media or an actual conversation it's more likely to be a Jailblazer joke then anything else. The local sports talk slaps their collective foreheads all day about the W's dumb luck with injuries, entertains Laker, LeBron, and Guns n Gilbert talk ad nausea, but there is never a mention of the Blazers since Greg went down.

the state of Oregon has about half the population as the Bay Area, and you don't want to sink to the GSW level of irrelevance? I've got bad news for you...

STOMP

 

[handiman]

your point used to be that Portland had more games missed then any other team. I showed that to be wrong and now their stud center and rotation players are irrelevant because thats your opinion...

Thread drift... Like I said, I wasn't aware that Randolph is out for the year. That changes things significantly as far as who will break the record by the most for most games missed.

 

[Idog1976]

Been saying this for quite sometime. The nightmare continues.

 

[BenDavis503]

I think you have to at this point lol

Stuff like this doesn't happen to every team.