Joe Freeman: "Makin' excuses"

[Nikolokolus]

OK, that's actually not the title of his article, but it might as well be.

Blazers notebook: Crazy pace of opening month running players ragged
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/11/blazers_notebook_crazy_pace_of.html

he Trail Blazers used a slew of creative phrases to sum up the reasons behind their lethargic 108-92 loss at Utah on Saturday night, and the consensus of the words pointed to one truth:

This team could use a break.

Saturday night marked the conclusion of a hectic start to the season that featured 19 games over the first 33 days. Since opening at the Rose Garden against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 27, the Blazers have enjoyed consecutive days off just once.

And while they have played their share of cupcakes -- including the NBA's worst teams, Minnesota and New Jersey, a combined four times -- the Blazers have played more games (19) than any team in the league, which has included five grueling back-to-backs.

"I think we were a little fatigued," Brandon Roy said of the Blazers' debacle at Utah. "Guys just looked like they were a step slow. But the thing about it is we are finally out of this stretch of games where we play every day, or every other day. We'll get some rest and try to find it."

Way to give 'em an out Freeman

The feeling up and down the Blazers' roster, from McMillan to team captains Roy and Aldridge, is that their recent malaise can be fixed -- in part -- with a few quality practices.

"I'm not overly concerned," Aldridge said of the Blazers' recent woes. "We have played every other day, so (Saturday night), I just lost my legs and ran out of gas. The next few days, we can get our timing back and actually rest a little bit, which will be good."

The Blazers play just two games this week, the fewest over a seven-day stretch thus far, and will have their first three-day break of the season after playing host to Miami on Tuesday night. Starting with a practice today at the facility in Tualatin, the Blazers will have four days to tinker and fine-tune before playing Saturday night against Houston.

"I just think these next two days are going to be great for us," Roy said. "And after that we get three days. It'll be big for us."

Uh? Sure.

McMillan said before and after Saturday night's loss that the Blazers were in the midst of an offensive evolution because star players Roy and Aldridge were learning to adjust to life with a player of Greg Oden's scoring ability in the post.

The past two seasons, the Blazers have built their offense around Aldridge and Roy and it has produced both success and a comfort level for the two players. They knew when and where their shots would come and felt at ease with game plans and schemes designed to capitalize on their strengths.

But with Oden becoming more and more of an offensive threat -- he's tied with Pau Gasol for the NBA lead in field goal percentage (63.3) and ranks third on the team in scoring (11.6 points per game) -- the Blazers are trying to learn how to play off of him on offense.

Well at least Nate's not just saying "they have to figure it out for themselves."

Who knows, maybe the team's problems really do boil down to tired legs, but I'm having a tough time swallowing this as a means of explaining away what has looked like a truly disjointed and uninspired team 19 games in.

What do you think, am I being overly critical here?

 

[ucatchtrout]

I agree.
They are making excuses for a poor effort.
After getting their asses chewed out at halftime during the Memphis game, the team did come out and played defense hard. Trouble was....their offensive execution and play selection still sucked and they had dug such a big hole that they couldn't work themselves out of it. If they had played as hard in Utah as they did in the second half the night before the results would have been different. Everyone including me has bitched about the offense....and with good reason. But the effort on defense HAS been spotty at best. If we aspire to be a championship caliber team that kind of half assed commitment to defense isn't going to cut it.

 

[Darkwebs]

I think this might be a legitimate excuse. They probably are dead tired, playing 19 games in 33 days. That's an insane rate, more than 1 game every 2 days. We'll see how valid this is, when we play the Heat with 2 days off and then we better beat the Rockets with 3 days off after the Heat game.

 

[B-Roy]

I don't think they are tired. Only Roy and Aldridge are playing 30+ minutes per game and even their minutes are down from last year. The lack of practices, however, is a legitimate argument.

 

[Driew]

There was a stat during one of the last home games (New Jersey I believe) where they said Roy was number one in the nba in minutes played.

 

[B-Roy]

There was a stat during one of the last home games (New Jersey I believe) where they said Roy was number one in the nba in minutes played.

Only because they've played the most games. His MPG however, are way down there.

 

[STOMP]

I think this might be a legitimate excuse. They probably are dead tired, playing 19 games in 33 days. That's an insane rate, more than 1 game every 2 days. We'll see how valid this is, when we play the Heat with 2 days off and then we better beat the Rockets with 3 days off after the Heat game.

it's insane for professional athletes to play hoops for 30 minutes every other day or so? Geez color me unimpressed. In my 20's I played hoops on pavement for hours most every day year round. I'm 42 now and still ride my bike or run pick up hoops for an hour plus at least that often. Am I insane?

STOMP

 

[PapaG]

it's insane for professional athletes to play hoops for 30 minutes every other day or so? Geez color me unimpressed. In my 20's I played hoops on pavement for hours most every day year round. I'm 42 now and still ride my bike or run pick up hoops for an hour plus at least that often. Am I insane?

STOMP

You're really going to compare your playground days to competing against athletes in the NBA?

Quick question. How many injuries kept you out of your rigorous playground games, or rec league games, over the years?

Second question. Really?

 

[Darkwebs]

it's insane for professional athletes to play hoops for 30 minutes every other day or so? Geez color me unimpressed. In my 20's I played hoops on pavement for hours most every day year round. I'm 42 now and still ride my bike or run pick up hoops for an hour plus at least that often. Am I insane?

STOMP

Dang, I guess I'm out of shape then.

 

[STOMP]

You're really going to compare your playground days to competing against athletes in the NBA?

I'm not claiming running pickup hoops is as rigorous per minute as running NBA games. I don't jump as high, run as fast, ect... no one does. Does that really have to be pointed out... isn't it kind of obvious? I also said I played on pavement (as opposed to wood) and for hours (as opposed to 30 minutes)... I know my shoes were sometimes beat to hell too. I didn't directly compare the pickup games to the NBA crazy, but the bumps and bruises are the same sort.

I've a buddy that wins 100 mile races... at altitude. Dude runs round the clock taking breaks every few hours. Can you guess what his training is like? Again, color me unimpressed with the rigors of the Blazer's early season schedule.

How many injuries kept you out of your rigorous playground games, or rec league games, over the years?

Until my early 30's I suffered mostly pulled hammies, back spasms & shin splints all related to having flat feet/bad arches... the Superfeet shoe inserts really helped me mitigate that. Plenty of black and blue ankle sprains too but (knock on wood) never any trouble with my knees. The most time I ever missed to playing regularly (besides a year in Europe) to injury was maybe a month. A couple car accidents around 2000 compromised my lower back sidelining me for about 2 1/2 years. Multiple summers hiking the High Sierras for Cal Dept of Fish and Game working on a Biology project helped me regain my health and then some.

Since the car accidents, I've cut back and unfortunately the IR time has increased... but I'm still pretty regular overall. I sought out the best runs around me. I've seen guys blow out their knees, hamstrings snap & lots of different bones break. It's a rough game on anyone.

STOMP

 

[fumanchu]

It's a legitimate reason. A week ago they destroyed Chicago, and Roy Aldridge and Oden had us thinking championship. They just need to get their legs back, refocused, and a few more practisces.

In in perfect world, these pro-athlete machines would lay it all on the court and shed blood sweat and tears for 48 minutes all 82 games. But that's not reality, they're human.

Now if they come out with no effort and they lay eggs against Miami and Houston then it's time to be concerned.

 

[Blazer_Hippie]

Now if they come out with no effort and they lay eggs against Miami and Houston then it's time to be concerned.

I tend to agree with that.

I hate the excuses, and if I hear about being the youngest starting rotation in the NBA or playing 19 games in a month (as opposed to the 16-18 the other team have played) my head is going to explode in frustration! If you want to use those excuses, shouldn't they be mitigated by the fact that they are tied for the second easiest S.O.S. so far?

 

[Mediocre Man]

Yeah, Freeman seems to have a case of don't stir the potitis.


Who could possibly be tired? It's eraly in the season, no one but Roy and Aldridge play more than 30 minutes a night either.

 

[e_blazer]

I doubt that there's anything much easier to show statistically in the NBA than the fact that the more rested teams usually win over the teams that are playing more frequently and not having practice time. The only thing that I can think about those of you who aren't admitting this obvious fact is that you simply don't want to give credence to anything that comes between you and your "Nate is an assclown" blather.

Like I said in a post yesterday, the time to judge Nate and the Blazers is after this week. If they're still lost after a week with only two games, then the problems go beyond simple fatigue and lack of practice.

 

[MIXUM]

joe is just following this boards lead... make excuses for the shitty blazer play

 

[ucatchtrout]

I think this might be a legitimate excuse. They probably are dead tired, playing 19 games in 33 days. That's an insane rate, more than 1 game every 2 days. We'll see how valid this is, when we play the Heat with 2 days off and then we better beat the Rockets with 3 days off after the Heat game.

Yeah....it fucking kills me when I have to work 19 out of 33 days. Cry me a river. If these guys are in shape it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

 

[yenniedn]

Yeah....it fucking kills me when I have to work 19 out of 33 days. Cry me a river. If these guys are in shape it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

Yeah, because that's exactly how the NBA works: do nothing but sit around playing xbox until game time, then get your 12, 20 or 30+ minutes of PT in, hit the showers then back on the xbox until the next tip-off, right?

As a guy working to earn every dollar I make, trust me, I don't want to make any excuses for guys making multiple millions playing a sport - but there's a lot more to playing pro basketball than just running around between two hoops. Don't disregard all the travel and prep that has to go into playing 19 games in 33 days - and if they can't keep their regular practice schedule, that can only hurt them, not help.

Hell, I take an occasional business trip mid-way across the country and don't want to do anything but either sleep or grab a drink after I land because I'm beat from the trip there . . . and I don't have to look forward to defending Dwight Howard later in the night either! Yeah, yeah I know - I don't get to travel in chartered planes & buses and have the other amenities that NBA players do but you get my point.

Put it this way, try going to 19 client meetings (sales presentations, conferences or whatever you so do for work) both at home and away throughout the US in 33 days and tell me how well you hold up???

 

[ucatchtrout]

Cry me a fucking river. I'm sick of excuses for half assed effort. Sell the stories somewhere else. For the amount of jack these guys are getting paid there should be one hundred percent effort every day. Period. No excuses, no bullshit.

Its a damn shame its not like the NFL where a player can be cut without having to fork over tens of millions of dollars on the back end of a contract to a guy who doesn't deserve it anymore. An end to guaranteed contracts would put an end to this contract year bullshit.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Cry me a fucking river. I'm sick of excuses for half assed effort. Sell the stories somewhere else. For the amount of jack these guys are getting paid there should be one hundred percent effort every day. Period. No excuses, no bullshit.

Its a damn shame its not like the NFL where a player can be cut without having to fork over tens of millions of dollars on the back end of a contract to a guy who doesn't deserve it anymore. An end to guaranteed contracts would put an end to this contract year bullshit.

True that.

 

[Cake]

What do you think, am I being overly critical here?

You're certainly paying attention to the last 2 games and ignoring the 12 wins, some of which we've looked absolutely amazing, no matter who we were playing.

 

[Nikolokolus]

You're certainly paying attention to the last 2 games and ignoring the 12 wins, some of which we've looked absolutely amazing, no matter who we were playing.

I've watched all but 2 of the games this season, and the only game I watched that actually had me excited was the Bulls game -- coincidentally the only game where they seemed to play inside-out. Other than that I've been pretty unimpressed with the way they have played; to my eyes they've just gotten away with lackluster ball movement and one-on-one offense because guys were able to hit perimeter shots or their opponent just wasn't very good.

The last two games have been much the same as the previous 17, with the exception that they seemed to play with absolutely no effort on the defensive end of the court against the Grizz and the Jazz.

 

[yenniedn]

Cry me a fucking river. I'm sick of excuses for half assed effort. Sell the stories somewhere else. For the amount of jack these guys are getting paid there should be one hundred percent effort every day. Period. No excuses, no bullshit.

Right, of course. We all know that if you got paid millions for playing a kids' game, had access to groupies lined up at every hotel you stayed at and are surrounded by all of the other evils that a shit load of money brings - all you'd concentrate on is your love of the game because you're being paid millions, right? It ain't right nor is it justified but a whole lot of the people in the world aren't as righteous as you are.

 

[ucatchtrout]

You're certainly paying attention to the last 2 games and ignoring the 12 wins, some of which we've looked absolutely amazing, no matter who we were playing.

Which ones were "amazing"? Chicago....gotta give you that one...but thats it.

And which ones were we lucky to win?

The team has been struggling. The players themselves admit that. As for our record...that is all fine and dandy. I'm glad it is what it is. However we have played some awful teams, one of which kicked our asses on our home court and in the process of doing so went on a 31-2 run....something not even Magics Lakers or Birds Celtics were able to pull off against a Blazer team.

The Detroit victory was hardly a thing of beauty, and the two losses to Atlanta were both games we should have won. We were lucky to win opening night, played poorly in the rematch with Houston a few days later....and were never really in the game with Denver.

Thats just off the top of my head. Being an apologist for the team isn't going to help anyone. I want these guys to win as much as anybody, but the fact is they haven't played that well, and they've been playing against lousy competition. The good teams have beaten us. And if we don't up our game we're not going to be sitting quite so pretty at the end of December, because this month the schedule gets more difficult.


MIAMI
HOUSTON
@ New York
@ Indiana
@ Cleveland
@ Milwaukie
SACRAMENTO
PHOENIX
@ Orlando
@ Miami
@ Dallas
@ San Antonio
DENVER
PHILADELPHIA
LA CLIPPERS

 

[ucatchtrout]

Right, of course. We all know that if you got paid millions for playing a kids' game, had access to groupies lined up at every hotel you stayed at and are surrounded by all of the other evils that a shit load of money brings - all you'd concentrate on is your love of the game because you're being paid millions, right? It ain't right nor is it justified but a whole lot of the people in the world aren't as righteous as you are.

We aren't talking about me.
Even though you admit I am right even though it pisses you off you now want to make it about me.
It isn't.
Its about the athletes we the customers are PAYING to watch.
Why you want to be an apologist for them is beyond me.
As for me...I am a customer. And I have a right to demand what I want....since I am paying for it. The team knows this too. They have been much nicer to season ticket holders over the last few years. Once the team realized that season ticket revenue wasn't some sort of endowment fund and that people would actually cancel their tickets and suites and sponsorships and the arena could wind up half full on most nights they've changed their tune.

 

[Shooter]

it's insane for professional athletes to play hoops for 30 minutes every other day or so? Geez color me unimpressed.

I agree. The Blazers are a very young team, and playing every other day--especially with the depth they have--shouldn't be a problem. This is a bogus excuse.

 

[hasoos]

Hmmm I guess nobody is in shape this year? Most of the players are in their early 20's. Clyde Drexler used to go run after practices and would sometimes go like 12 to 14 miles. Are these guys just sitting in front of the PS3 and eating Doritos or something?

 

[yenniedn]

We aren't talking about me.
Even though you admit I am right even though it pisses you off you now want to make it about me.
It isn't.
Its about the athletes we the customers are PAYING to watch.
Why you want to be an apologist for them is beyond me.
As for me...I am a customer. And I have a right to demand what I want....since I am paying for it. The team knows this too. They have been much nicer to season ticket holders over the last few years. Once the team realized that season ticket revenue wasn't some sort of endowment fund and that people would actually cancel their tickets and suites and sponsorships and the arena could wind up half full on most nights they've changed their tune.

Oh hey, sorry I couldn't get back to you right away. I had to go do this thing called "work", which today I haven't devoted my full effort to because some other guy on the internet opted to also not focus on his work 100% because he's trying to figure out why he perceives his pro basketball team isn't putting forth the effort they're supposed to.

I'm not making it about you - nor am I trying to be an apologist for guys that make more money this year than you and I combined will make during our entire working career. I only bring out these points because you seem to want to trivialize the fact that they have played the most games of any team and act as if it's inconsequential. Whether or not their whirlwind schedule thus far has been the cause of their lackluster play of late - we'll probably not be able to know for sure until they get back to a more "normal" schedule in the weeks/months to come. But you can't just disregard the FACT that they've had a busier schedule than the rest of the league (regardless of the quality of teams they've played).

So what would your solution be again? Should we just cut any players that the "fans" on a basketball forum perceive to not be putting out full effort? Then sign a bunch of players from the NBDL because those guys are hungry, motivated and will "bust ass" every night? And when that team goes 13-50 the rest of the season, will you be much happier because you get the sense that they're trying a lot harder and putting up a good collective effort?

The team is playing .600+ ball and it seems like 1/2 this board is planning their lottery party. Have they played against a bunch of cupcakes so far? Yes. Could they be playing better? Yes. Have some of the wins been ugly? Yes, but I didn't know that you not only had to win your games in the NBA - but you also have to make them pretty wins??? It's November, they're nowhere near peaking and it's hardly time to EJECT. Who knows, if you don't want to give their hectic schedule any credit, maybe they're playing down to their competition and their play COULD get better with more rest, more practice and better quality oppponents?

People just need to chillax the F out - if/when they start going under .500 with extended losing streaks mixed in there, I'll light my hair on fire and run around with the rest of you folks.

 

[ucatchtrout]

Oh hey, sorry I couldn't get back to you right away. I had to go do this thing called "work", which today I haven't devoted my full effort to because some other guy on the internet opted to also not focus on his work 100% because he's trying to figure out why he perceives his pro basketball team isn't putting forth the effort they're supposed to.

I'm not making it about you -

Actually....you are.

And as a matter of fact, I am off today.

And in about an hour, I will be leaving to spend the rest of the day HERE, with my family.

 

[BrianFromWA]

The team is playing .600+ ball and it seems like 1/2 this board is planning their lottery party. Have they played against a bunch of cupcakes so far? Yes. Could they be playing better? Yes. Have some of the wins been ugly? Yes, but I didn't know that you not only had to win your games in the NBA - but you also have to make them pretty wins??? It's November, they're nowhere near peaking and it's hardly time to EJECT. Who knows, if you don't want to give their hectic schedule any credit, maybe they're playing down to their competition and their play COULD get better with more rest, more practice and better quality oppponents?

People just need to chillax the F out - if/when they start going under .500 with extended losing streaks mixed in there, I'll light my hair on fire and run around with the rest of you folks.

Out of curiosity, were you one of the people last year who thought everything was fine right up to the moment we got beaten with HCA in the first round of the playoffs?

And why is it that we have plenty of time and room to "peak", but somehow the other teams we'll be playing against don't?

You're correct--it's hardly time to eject. But, uh, if there are glaring weaknesses, what is your explanation to the reason why we shouldn't correct them now? Do you surmise that these weaknesses will be mitigated with our inevitable "peak"?

 

[PapaG]

Out of curiosity, were you one of the people last year who thought everything was fine right up to the moment we got beaten with HCA in the first round of the playoffs?

And why is it that we have plenty of time and room to "peak", but somehow the other teams we'll be playing against don't?

You're correct--it's hardly time to eject. But, uh, if there are glaring weaknesses, what is your explanation to the reason why we shouldn't correct them now? Do you surmise that these weaknesses will be mitigated with our inevitable "peak"?

Brian seems to have his index finger an inch or so above the EJECT button, and it's getting closer and closer to paydirt.