How the Trail Blazers became the Hottest team in the NBA

[B-Roy]

http://www.csnnw.com/blazers/how-trail-blazers-became-hottest-team-nba-love-learning-and-losses

It is a mid-season awakening, one whose shine was hard to see that December night when Lillard and the Blazers returned home from a blowout loss in New Orleans. As he approached the front door of his Lake Oswego home that night, Lillard today remembers it being the low point of his season.

“I remember getting home and thinking, dang,’’ Lillard said. “Why can’t we just get a break?’’

Turns out, the Blazers didn’t need a break. They just needed time.

Somewhere around mid-January, coach Terry Stotts made a difficult decision: Maurice Harkless would no longer be in the regular playing rotation.

For Harkless, it was a painful pill to swallow. After the Jan. 29 game against Charlotte and the Jan. 31 game against Minnesota, he never left the bench and was dressed and headed out of the arena by the time Stotts was done addressing the media.

“I would leave here,’’ Harkless said, “and I would be pissed off.’’

Lillard, whose locker stall is next to Harkless, could sense a situation heading the wrong way.

So Lillard texted Harkless.

“I texted him: Man, you have to stay with it. We are going to need you. You are going to be big for us,’’ Lillard said.

Harkless looked at the text and stopped thinking about himself and instead thought about the people in the locker room. The guys he shared sweat with in practice, the guys he laughed with on the plane.

He texted Lillard back.

“I got you,’’ Lillard said, recalling the text.

 

[julius]

Had that been from LaMarcus, it would've been a text like this.

"y'know, Marvin, we need you. Y'know, someday, y'know, you'll be a big star for us. y'know"

and Moe would've responded.

"I got you"

LaMarcus then would've texted back.

"Who this?"

 

[tester551]

Exhibit 'A' of what a great leader does. You look around the league and see teams fall apart despite the talent level (Houston, Clips) and you see how lucky we are to have Lillard.

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

I bet Dillard lives in the fancy part of Lake Oswego, with the palisades hill people, who look down on us troglodytes of the L.O. flats ghetto.
We already used up our milk allowance for the week down here, while they're drinking like fish up there.

 

[riverman]

I bet Dillard lives in the fancy part of Lake Oswego, with the palisades hill people, who look down on us troglodytes of the L.O. flats ghetto.
We already used up our milk allowance for the week down here, while they're drinking like fish up there.

I'm sure a cardboard sign outside Dairy Mart reading....I need several little creamer cups...would get you your fix for free!

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

I'm sure a cardboard sign outside Dairy Mart reading....I need several little creamer cups...would get you your fix for free!

It might get me some other offers too.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

It's hard to remember sometimes that this team has been together all of five months. I didn't expect chemistry like this until next year around this time.

 

[julius]

damn i hope the "drinks like a fish" gag never gets old. It's hilarious still (not being sarcastic).

 

[blue9]

For some reason, early in the season, I felt like there could be something special between Lillard and Harkless. The two seem to fit together really well on the court. Nice to see that Harkless is starting to carve out a regular spot in the rotation. I'm very hopeful that he'll be our starting SF next season.

 

[B-Roy]

Had that been from LaMarcus, it would've been a text like this.

"y'know, Marvin, we need you. Y'know, someday, y'know, you'll be a big star for us. y'know"

and Moe would've responded.

"I got you"

LaMarcus then would've texted back.

"Who this?"

When LMA receives a text from a Blazers player:

"new team who dis"

 

[BlazerCaravan]

For some reason, early in the season, I felt like there could be something special between Lillard and Harkless. The two seem to fit together really well on the court. Nice to see that Harkless is starting to carve out a regular spot in the rotation. I'm very hopeful that he'll be our starting SF next season.

I love that, faced with losing his rotation spot, Harkless decided to re-invent himself as a HARDER worker, a garbage man, a junkyard dog. And Stotts was smart as hell to give him the positive feedback loop to keep him in that role. No sulking, no pouting, just work harder.

 

[e_blazer]

Oh, come on.

It's just Jason Quick.

Who happens to be a pretty damned good writer.

 

[julius]

When LMA receives a text from a Blazers player:

"new team who dis"

I was trying to figure out a way to use that kind of wording but couldn't think of it.
Well done.

 

[theprunetang]

Quick takes some heat from us sometimes, however, this was one of his better written pieces. I enjoyed the hell out of that article.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Very nice article. Pelton and Locke describe the Blazers as a "happy team" because many of the players are getting their first shot at extended PT:
http://lockedonsports.libsyn.com/
Episode 6: Kevin Pelton

they talk a lot about the blazers, a very good listen if you have 41 minutes.

 

[SIeepwalker]

damn i hope the "drinks like a fish" gag never gets old. It's hilarious still (not being sarcastic).

How did it actually start ?

 

[noknobs]

Good article, thanks for posting.

 

[TBpup]

For all the flak Quick takes, that is one of the best articles on the Blazers by anyone in quite some time.

 

[theprunetang]

For all the flak Quick takes, that is one of the best articles on the Blazers by anyone in quite some time.

You are correct sir.

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

How did it actually start ?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't BGD first say "I hear Lillard drinks like a fish"?

 

[Natebishop3]

Had that been from LaMarcus, it would've been a text like this.

"y'know, Marvin, we need you. Y'know, someday, y'know, you'll be a big star for us. y'know"

and Moe would've responded.

"I got you"

LaMarcus then would've texted back.

"Who this?"

You forgot the part where he says "you'll be a star.... but not a big star.... because I'm the only big star around here."

 

[BBert]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't BGD first say "I hear Lillard drinks like a fish"?

Yes. And Julius will never let him off the hook for it.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Yes. And Julius will never let him off the hook for it.

 

[-Ace-]

Now you're just baiting a retort.

 

[Strenuus]

How did it actually start ?

BGD.

Need I say more?

 

[Strenuus]

http://www.csnnw.com/blazers/how-trail-blazers-became-hottest-team-nba-love-learning-and-losses

Or it could have been the copious amount of home games lately. #therealist

 

[Strenuus]

Along the way, an informal credo surfaced among the team: Trust the process.

When did Hinkie become our GM?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? :MARIS61:

 

[KeepOnRollin]

Or it could have been the copious amount of home games lately. #therealist

You need to vote for what you think our seed will be in the playoffs then realist (and yes being out of the playoffs is also one of the options).

http://www.sportstwo.com/threads/pick-our-playoff-seed.296291/

 

[Daweez04]

“But right now it’s easy to say it’s getting tough, that they are in the thick of (adversity), and they’ve lost two games. That’s the easy thing to do. But our vibe is still the same: we still laugh with each other, we still practice hard together, we still go into games thinking we can win. And that’s the bottom line.’’

Well that is one way to do it.

I prefer the method of flying back by yourself and separating from your teammates.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Or it could have been the copious amount of home games lately. #therealist

What about the wins against Memphis and Houston on the road? We have a couple of quality road wins. Plus OKC and Golden State at home are no slouches. I think we can rack up a few more quality wins.