God damn national media

[The Professional Fan]

They are so fucking stupid. All of them. Now they're all so smart. Now they all believe in Portland. Now they're saying all the things that most of us were saying two days ago. Un-fucking-believable. These ass clowns get paid to be one step behind. It's baffling.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Would you prefer that they were calling last night's game a fluke?

 

[illmatic99]

Really? Who's changing their stance?

I still see guys who say PHX just dropped a game, and they'll still win the series.

 

[RR7]

We're a #6 seed, on the road, missing our best player. I don't undertand why some are so upset people actually picked against us. I am very confident in our team, but we also get to watch us for 82 games. A national writer will do the best they can, sometimes, but really, you see a team without their top player, and you make an assumption that they're going to lose a little bit. Then, you see them come out inspired, and you think hey, maybe I was wrong. Nothing wrong with that, IMO.

 

[The Professional Fan]

Would you prefer that they were calling last night's game a fluke?

No. I'd prefer they weren't lazy and did 10 minutes of research before they write us off. But now, because they watched one game, they're so insightful about our team. GENIUS! They get paid to be one step behind. That's my point, and it pisses me off. I could do that.

 

[RR7]

They get paid to be one step behind. That's my point, and it pisses me off. I could do that.

Except they went to school to do it, and you have yet to. One step behind as well.

 

[Minstrel]

We're a #6 seed, on the road, missing our best player. I don't undertand why some are so upset people actually picked against us. I am very confident in our team, but we also get to watch us for 82 games. A national writer will do the best they can, sometimes, but really, you see a team without their top player, and you make an assumption that they're going to lose a little bit. Then, you see them come out inspired, and you think hey, maybe I was wrong. Nothing wrong with that, IMO.

Agreed. I'm also surprised that people are up in arms about Portland being picked against. That's pretty much the norm when a playoff team loses their best player. The Rockets were expected to be crushed by the Lakers last year when Yao went down. It wasn't a crazy assumption, even if it proved to be wrong.

 

[The Professional Fan]

We're a #6 seed, on the road, missing our best player. I don't undertand why some are so upset people actually picked against us. I am very confident in our team, but we also get to watch us for 82 games. A national writer will do the best they can, sometimes, but really, you see a team without their top player, and you make an assumption that they're going to lose a little bit. Then, you see them come out inspired, and you think hey, maybe I was wrong. Nothing wrong with that, IMO.

It's not that they picked against us. How many fucking times do I have to say this? Damn. It's how they just wrote us off, no chance in hell, the Blazers are going to get boat raced. All of them took that stance and had they done 10 minutes of research they would have come to a different conclusion. Perhaps they still would have picked against us, which makes sense, but ONE OF THEM might have given us a sliver of a chance to make a series out of it. But no. Without Roy, we had no chance to be competitive.

It's fine. It's just so predictable that the national talking heads are acting all genius this morning. I'm just frustrated. But it's cool! We won.

 

[The Professional Fan]

Except they went to school to do it, and you have yet to. One step behind as well.

That's silly.

 

[Nikolokolus]

No. I'd prefer they weren't lazy and did 10 minutes of research before they write us off. But now, because they watched one game, they're so insightful about our team. GENIUS! They get paid to be one step behind. That's my point, and it pisses me off. I could do that.

What? I'm sure they did ten minutes of research and the first item on their list was the absence of our 3 time all-star and 22 points per game top fifteen player, then they went down the list and saw that Phoenix was smoking hot in the second half of the season and that on a position by position basis the Suns held an advantage or at worst a push every where on the floor.

 

[Natebishop3]

I'm with The Professional Fan. A few days ago we were supposed to get smoked. We had no chance. They were ready to run us out of the gym. Now I'm seeing things like:

Brandon Roy or no Brandon Roy, the Portland Trail Blazers give the Phoenix Suns fits.

Game 1 of their first-round playoff series was no exception, and the homecourt advantage the Suns worked so hard to get is history after Portland pulled away over the final 4 1/2 minutes to beat them 105-100 on Sunday night.

That's from an AP article on ESPN. You don't see a difference in reporting from a few days ago? I sure do.

 

[The Professional Fan]

What? I'm sure they did ten minutes of research and the first item on their list was the absence of our 3 time all-star and 22 points per game top fifteen player, then they went down the list and saw that Phoenix was smoking hot in the second half of the season and that on a position by position basis the Suns held an advantage or at worst a push every where on the floor.

So you thought we wouldn't be competitive as well? That's dumb.

Position by position comparison? Really? Miller vs Nash? Camby vs Amare? Their two best players drew a horrible match up with Portland. Horrible. I knew that before yesterday. Didn't you? God damn! This is amazing.....

There was no reason to think Portland couldn't be competitive in this series. That is my point. Why is it so hard for some of you to understand that? Or are you just arguing for the sake of arguing? Internet people. Whatever.

 

[Minstrel]

then they went down the list and saw that Phoenix was smoking hot in the second half of the season

This, though, does seem like a lack of research...and it annoyed me when the announcers/TNT panel kept mentioning this...because Portland was almost exactly as hot to finish the season. Yes, they're now without Roy...but they beat the Lakers and Thunder without Roy.

The reason they didn't mention it, IMO, is because they were looking for numbers that established their narrative: that Phoenix is currently a juggernaut and Portland is just lucky to be there.

I don't mind people picking against Portland. I mean, I picked against Portland once Roy was lost for the series. But concocting a narrative and selectively using numbers to frame it is pretty crap, IMO.

and that on a position by position basis the Suns held an advantage or at worst a push every where on the floor.

You know, I don't think that lineups really show much of an overall edge to Phoenix.

I think Nash and Miller is a push. Nash is better offensively but Miller, while no great defensive player these days, is definitely superior to Nash on defense.

Phoenix has a definite edge at shooting guard with Roy out.

Portland has a slight edge at small forward. No way I'd rather have Hill than Batum in this series.

It's a push at power forward...Amare is generally more consistent offensively, but Aldridge is definitely better defensively...he's solid while Amare is considered one of the worst defensive power forwards in basketball.

And Portland has a big edge at center. Even if you give Phoenix the edges at point guard and power forward, I think Portland's edge at center washes that out.

Portland is actually really talented...even if you remove Roy, their starting lineup looks pretty good.

 

[MARIS61]

Who give's a rat's ass?

It's the media. It's not like they actually KNOW what they're talking about.

Same black hole of ignorance and denial that gave birth to the Teabaggers.

 

[RR7]

It's not that they picked against us. How many fucking times do I have to say this? Damn. It's how they just wrote us off, no chance in hell, the Blazers are going to get boat raced. All of them took that stance and had they done 10 minutes of research they would have come to a different conclusion. Perhaps they still would have picked against us, which makes sense, but ONE OF THEM might have given us a sliver of a chance to make a series out of it. But no. Without Roy, we had no chance to be competitive.

It's fine. It's just so predictable that the national talking heads are acting all genius this morning. I'm just frustrated. But it's cool! We won.

Overall, I think the national media is somewhat lazy. I agree on that. But your issue isn't that they picked against us, but that there opinion was that we would lose, and lose bad. That's one of the possibilities of the series. I thought we matched up well with them, but also know that Roy plays a huge part in dictating our pace. Miller likes to run occasionally, and there was the slight concern from me that he would let it get up and down a little more than would be comfortable. He controlled the pace amazingly last night. Ran when we had it, for a few possesions in a row, and would then walk it up really slow. What the national media sees, though, is a top player being out, and him being the main reason we play slow. Also, that Phoenix has been a different team the second half of the season(so have we, but them a tiny bit better). Maybe they thought, with Roy out, they would be able to play their game more easily. They had an opinion, well, some of them, and they for one game looked wrong. That's the difficulty with predictions. What if they did tons of research, and picked the same, though?

That's silly.

Sorry, was just joking on that.

 

[Natebishop3]

So you thought we wouldn't be competitive as well? That's dumb.

Position by position comparison? Really? Miller vs Nash? Camby vs Amare? Their two best players drew a horrible match up with Portland. Horrible. I knew that before yesterday. Didn't you? God damn! This is amazing.....

There was no reason to think Portland couldn't be competitive in this series. That is my point. Why is it so hard for some of you to understand that? Or are you just arguing for the sake of arguing? Internet people. Whatever.

I was psyched when we got Phoenix. I thought the same thing. Miller is going to destroy Nash. Camby and Aldridge are going to contain Amare. Richardson and Hill don't scare me. I predicted Blazers in six the day after we drew the Suns and I'm sticking with that prediction.

 

[Tortimer]

Who give's a rat's ass?

It's the media. It's not like they actually KNOW what they're talking about.

Same black hole of ignorance and denial that gave birth to the Teabaggers.

No the "Teabaggers" as you call them were there at long time before the media would even cover them!

 

[MARIS61]

There was no reason to think Portland couldn't be competitive in this series.

One big reason would be history.

Last year, with a much stronger lineup against a much weaker team we got completely abused by a much better coach.

Nate appears to have changed his coaching philosophy immensely to correct that mistake, and he deserves COY for that growth.

 

[The Professional Fan]

Who give's a rat's ass?

It's the media. It's not like they actually KNOW what they're talking about.

Same black hole of ignorance and denial that gave birth to the Teabaggers.

You're right. I'm going to just shut up now. Not sure why I even care. It's probably because I'm unemployed and watch way too much ESPN. It's making me go crazy. lol.

 

[EPIC FAIL GILDERHUS]

What? I'm sure they did ten minutes of research and the first item on their list was the absence of our 3 time all-star and 22 points per game top fifteen player, then they went down the list and saw that Phoenix was smoking hot in the second half of the season and that on a position by position basis the Suns held an advantage or at worst a push every where on the floor.

Actually:

Batum>Hill
Camby>Collins/Frye

If the national media were thinking that those matchups were a "push", or in the Suns favor, as you did, then I can see why no one thought we'd be competitive.

 

[The Professional Fan]

One big reason would be history.

Last year, with a much stronger lineup against a much weaker team we got completely abused by a much better coach.

Nate appears to have changed his coaching philosophy immensely to correct that mistake, and he deserves COY for that growth.

Damnit, Maris. I was ready to let this go. Houston was a horrible match up for us last year. Phoenix is a better match up for us this year. Very, very simple.

 

[MARIS61]

No the "Teabaggers" as you call them were there at long time before the media would even cover them!

Hardly.

They were invented by Faux news, and did not even exist before they were being "reported" about.

 

[Natebishop3]

Damnit, Maris. I was ready to let this go. Houston was a horrible match up for us last year. Phoenix is a better match up for us this year. Very, very simple.

Getting into it with MARIS is like arguing with a Sergio bobblehead.

 

[The Professional Fan]

Getting into it with MARIS is like arguing with a Sergio bobblehead.

The greatest bobblehead EVER CREATED!

 

[Tortimer]

Hardly.

They were invented by Faux news, and did not even exist before they were being "reported" about.

Ok whatever you think but there were "Teabaggers" where I live way before they were ever reported on any news outlet. You can hate on Foxnews all you want. Just live in you world where Sergio is a star player. I'm really really sorry for changing the topic. Go Blazers!

 

[chris_in_pdx]

Jesus, people, who wants to argue politics on a day after a BLAZER PLAYOFF WIN????????

 

[Tortimer]

Jesus, people, who wants to argue politics on a day after a BLAZER PLAYOFF WIN????????

I agree and it was my fault. Sorry

 

[e_blazer]

The thing that strikes me about the media coverage is that they seemed to have totally missed Portland's obvious defensive advantage over the Suns. They've been so consumed with the Suns' offensive prowess and the Blazers' offensive loss when Roy went out that they totally overlooked the fact that the Blazers are a very good defensive team with a history of giving the Suns' offense fits. On the flip side, the Blazers' advantage of having two guards who can get to the rim and finish against the poor defensive players the Suns throw up against them was also totally overlooked. I'm guessing that some of the media commentators will give this series a closer look now that the Blazers' exposed the Suns' weaknesses.

 

[noknobs]

What? I'm sure they did ten minutes of research and the first item on their list was the absence of our 3 time all-star and 22 points per game top fifteen player, then they went down the list and saw that Phoenix was smoking hot in the second half of the season and that on a position by position basis the Suns held an advantage or at worst a push every where on the floor.

Not that I care what they say, but I'd like to jump in here. All of what you say is the obvious, and the easy, which I think is Professional fans point.

But...
Portland was 24-17 on the road, 2nd best in the west.
Portland was 2-1 against Phoenix, including 1-0 when we didn't have Roy.
Portland was 8-9 without Roy this season, but they were 7-5 without Roy against playoff teams.
Portland finished the season going 16-5.
And typically defense wins in the post season and looking at the numbers it's hard to argue that Portland isn't better defensively.

I personally just didn't understand why the majority were calling the Suns in 4 or 5 games.

At any rate, the series is young, and it's only one game, so there's no need to get ahead of ourselves. The pundits could still end up being right if the Blazers don't bring it every game.

 

[Natebishop3]

Phoenix was an ideal first round matchup. If we get to the second round, I like our chances against a team like Dallas, but it will be significantly more difficult without Roy.