Feels like '77 all over again . . .

[Shooter]

Anybody else around here old enough to remember the season after the Blazers won the NBA championship? I've got a very strong sense of deja vu right now . . .

Walton went down with a foot injury, and a couple of other players were hobbled as well. The Blazers were 50-10 at the time of Walton's injury, and they struggled to an 8-14 finish. All the optimism created by their championship was replaced with sadness and gloom.

Now, 33 years later, all the optimism created by last season's surprising success has flown out the window yet again, as our big man goes down in a heap against the Rockets.

Walton, Bowie, Oden . . . perhaps it's our fate to suffer through these crushing injuries, but I'm hoping we have a bright future despite it all. Our day will come! We have to believe.

Don't give up the fight. Out of tragedy can come victory.

 

[Idog1976]

Wait a minute, I swore LA won the title last year. It's sort of like Megan Fox looking into a carnival mirror and seeing Morgan Freeman. I guess they both have the initials MF?

 

[Nikolokolus]

Don't you mean it feels like '78 all over again? 77 was rather good.

 

[Kaydow]

Shons was just on comcast pregame saying the same thing. 50-10 to start out the year only to have Big Red, Lucas, Twardzik, . . . go on the shelf.

Big difference is THEY WON THE TITLE THE YEAR BEFORE!!!!

 

[oldmangrouch]

Yes, there is a distinct similarity. The situation isn't quite the same, but Oden being a more sympathetic figure than Walton makes it just as painful.

 

[rocketeer]

Now, 33 years later, all the optimism created by last season's surprising success has flown out the window yet again, as our big man goes down in a heap against the Rockets.

surprising success?

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

Yes. I was in 10th grade (and in the MC) when we won it all in '77.

Then, nothing was more exciting than the season of '77-78. The Blazers were running a b-ball clinic. I think it was better basketball then the Jordon 72-10 season! Team basketball at its finest.


I was extremely disappointed when Oden went down the other night. Still feeling like crap - but moreso for poor Greg!

In all reality, even with Greg in the line-up, I was predicting a 500 record by Christmas Day! This team simply is NOT playing team basketball, nor running any b-ball clinic!


And as exciting as last year was, it was not close to the Championship season of '77. If fact, I was quite let down after watching Yao Ming literally kill Oden and Pryzbilla. That was just aweful. We just curled up and froze.


I think we are going to have to take two, maybe three steps backwards and rethink the team. We truly have to build around ROY and forget about building around Oden. If and when Greg comes back, he should not be thrust into the starting line-up....he should simply be "gravy" that might get us over the top. But this means one of two things: Either trade Pryz (and others) now for a promising big (although, none are to be had!) or get to the table with Pryz and sign an extension - and package up whatever it takes to bring in an elite SF or perhaps an elite PF ---even if it means moving Aldridge! In my opinion, BOSH>Aldridge.

How about moving Aldridge, Blake and Webster and get Bosh and Calderon here?

Then move Miller and picks for G. Wallace!


A move of this sort, may salvage the season yet!


Calderon/Bayless/Mills
Roy/Rudy
Wallace/Cunningham (Batum & Outlaw)
Bosh/Howard/Pendergraph
Pryzbilla (perhaps a trade deadline deal to land a solid big by trading Outlaw if he's healthy)/Oden


This might get us into the playoffs. Then we pray Oden returns (gravy)

Then