It's probably time to start Joel

[The Professional Fan]

I'm just sayin'......

If the Blazers want to be a playoff team, their best chance is with Joel starting (and finishing). I think that's obvious. I still love Greg, but it's clear that he's lost, and Joel should be taking the lions share of the the minutes. For this season, it is what it is. No biggie. The Blazers are still good.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Greg is not the problem. This whole starting Joel thing is stupid. He plays starters minutes because of the foul trouble Oden gets in anyway, so what's the difference? Oden, LMA and Ray need to learn how to play together, or we will just delay the process for yet another year.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

I think some of us are getting very eager for Portland to do well and win the division (very understandable with all the losing we have had to endure). I see us making the playoffs, but for us to be a championship team we need Oden to get playing time and become a better player

 

[The Sebastian Express]

Greg is not the problem. This whole starting Joel thing is stupid. He plays starters minutes because of the foul trouble Oden gets in anyway, so what's the difference? Oden, LMA and Ray need to learn how to play together, or we will just delay the process for yet another year.

Definitely. Greg and the rest of the starters need to learn to play together because there is no championship(s) without Greg.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Greg is not the problem. This whole starting Joel thing is stupid. He plays starters minutes because of the foul trouble Oden gets in anyway, so what's the difference? Oden, LMA and Ray need to learn how to play together, or we will just delay the process for yet another year.

I agree. I was not in favor of starting him in the first place, but now I am not in favor of changing it again. It just doesn't matter. They are interchangable. One thing they do need to do, is back off from trying to post Greg up. Why? We don't post up Joel and he shoots a high percentage. Just let the offense come to him. They were wasted posessions tonight coming out of timeouts.

The Blazers are struggling right now if Brandon has a average game. They need to regroup.

 

[BatumKaboom]

Thank you. I agree 100000000%

 

[craigehlo]

Greg and Batum are too offensively challenged to be starting right now. We need to pick one or the other, but it makes defense way too easy on the opposing teams on most nights. We've been getting off to some really slow offensive starts lately.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Greg and Batum are too offensively challenged to be starting right now. We need to pick one or the other, but it makes defense way too easy on the opposing teams on most nights. We've been getting off to some really slow offensive starts lately.

And Joel isn't offensively challenged? Granted he is shooting 77% this year, but you can't draw up plays and depend on joel on offense.

 

[barfo]

And Joel isn't offensively challenged? Granted he is shooting 77% this year, but you can't draw up plays and depend on joel on offense.

Of course you can. As long as the plays involve handing it gently to Joel under the basket and letting him dunk it.

barfo

 

[Shooter]

Should Oden even be playing? Think about it. He gets burned by his guy regularly, picks up fouls like it's going out of style, and gets the ball knocked out of his hands on a regular basis. If it were anyone but Oden, the guy wouldn't even get in the game. Tonight he got outrebounded by a 5"9 guard.

Oden is the "marquee name" and the future of the team, so he gets to play. If he were a second round pick no one had ever heard of, and were playing this badly, he'd be sent to the end of the bench and have to stay there.

 

[The Sebastian Express]

Should Oden even be playing? Think about it. He gets burned by his guy regularly, picks up fouls like it's going out of style, and gets the ball knocked out of his hands on a regular basis. If it were anyone but Oden, the guy wouldn't even get in the game. Tonight he got outrebounded by a 5"9 guard.

Oden is the "marquee name" and the future of the team, so he gets to play. If he were a third round pick no one had ever heard of, and were playing this badly, he'd be sent to the end of the bench and have to stay there.

1. He got outrebounded by a 5'9" guard because he was battling the 6'10 guy for rebounds and tapping them out only to see Blake, Travis and Brandon not pick up the rebound.

2. No one would have ever heard of him if he was a third round pick because they don't have those anymore and haven't for a good twenty years.