More fodder for the "Clownshoe Henry Abbott" file

[BrianFromWA]

Mr. "Hey, I'm not a homer, look at me say bad things about the Blazers, I'm just being real, but I'm from there so I'm an expert" Abbott had another one today:

Despite expectations to the contrary, the Nuggets, Timberwolves, 76ers, Raptors and Trail Blazers have all come out of the gates firing, and now each team finds itself on John Hollinger's list of sneaky good teams in 2011-12.

But can they keep it up?
Henry Abbott, ESPN.com: Sell. The team is in the pack among the West's better teams, but not ahead of it. All those long, active, handsy guys -- Gerald Wallace, Marcus Camby, LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews -- are doing a nice job hassling anyone who tries to drive into the paint, which led to quality wins over the Thunder and Nuggets. But that West-leading record includes two cupcake wins, and they're also tied for first in rest days to date.

Meanwhile, just a couple of weeks ago:

Henry Abbott, TrueHoop: I'd say there's about a 1-in-3 chance that a team with LaMarcus Aldridge as its best player makes a Western Conference finals in the next several years. (How's that for sounding really specific while being really vague?)

So he went from 1-in-3 chance of being a WCF in the next few years, to picking them 8th in ESPN Winter Forecast, to "they're in the pack of the West's Better Teams", but he's "selling." Hm.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Portland often gets a reputation as a haven for free thinkers and individualists ... After being a Blazers' fan for my teenage years and my whole adult life, I now completely reject that characterization.

 

[noknobs]

I can't believe how some Blazer fans after just 5 games need to criticize anyone who doesn't think we're going to win the west.

Compared to other teams we have had rest. Majority have been home games as well.

I can't believe even the biggest homers would think Portland is 'ahead of the pack' based on such a small sample size. These will be the same individuals that think the sky is falling if we lose a couple in a row.

As Lamarcus said, I like the good start but they haven't done anything yet. Put it back in your pants, at least until we're over 10% through the regular season.

 

[BrianFromWA]

So, noknobs, in your opinion changing your analysis from "8th in the West" to "1-in-3 shot of being a contender in the next few years" to "among the West's better teams" mean that you should sell the Blazers' being "on the sneaky good list?"

I criticize Abbott regularly. Mostly for incompetence in the "analysis" he posts, like he did here. Nothing to do with the Blazers winning the West.

Why, again, should road wins at OKC be discounted? Oh, that's right....because they were unanimous picks to win the West a week ago. You know, when the sample size was zero games.

What's magical about 10%, again? Why not 20%, or the All-Star break, or when the playoffs start? Huh?

 

[noknobs]

So, noknobs, in your opinion changing your analysis from "8th in the West" to "1-in-3 shot of being a contender in the next few years" to "among the West's better teams" mean that you should sell the Blazers' being "on the sneaky good list?"

I could care less what lists the Blazers are on...

I criticize Abbott regularly. Mostly for incompetence in the "analysis" he posts, like he did here. Nothing to do with the Blazers winning the West.

Congratulations.

Why, again, should road wins at OKC be discounted?

I didn't read the article, so I wasn't aware he said it should be discounted. Clearly that was a good win.

What's magical about 10%, again? Why not 20%, or the All-Star break, or when the playoffs start? Huh?

Um, nothing is magical about 10%. I was pretty obviously being sarcastic and picked 10% because we're not yet 10% done... Get it? I recommend keeping it in your pants for quite awhile longer.

 

[BrianFromWA]

So, uh, you didn't read the article, you misconstrued the whole point I made the thread about, and you missed on the criticism of Abbott being b/c he's inconsistently negative, not b/c we won't win the West.

Perhaps you should just recuse yourself from the thread, then. You're not adding value here.

 

[SnakeOiler]

Portland often gets a reputation as a haven for free thinkers and individualists ... After being a Blazers' fan for my teenage years and my whole adult life, I now completely reject that characterization.

Portland also has a reputation for survivalists, timber industry, and child molesters

 

[magnifier661]

And you forgot we have BIGFOOT!!!!!! Or is that Washington? I remember there were areas close to Clackamas that had sightings.

 

[noknobs]

So, uh, you didn't read the article

I read the parts you felt were important enough to quote. If you'd like me to read the article, feel free to post the link. Otherwise, in the future you should maybe quote the parts that you feel are relevant to whatever point you're attempting to make... just a suggestion, although I see you don't take those very well.

Oh, and just an FYI - The part you did quote, Henry said "quality wins over the Thunder and Nuggets", which doesn't exactly sound like he discounted the win over OKC as you seemed to imply...

misconstrued the whole point I made the thread about, and you missed on the criticism of Abbott being b/c he's inconsistently negative, not b/c we won't win the West.

Perhaps you should just recuse yourself from the thread, then. You're not adding value here.

So the whole point of your little thread is to attack someone simply because he exercised his right to change his opinion? At any rate, I don't see how he's inconsistent - it seems like he's selling us b/c while he thinks we're a playoff team he doesn't view us as a contender.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I read the parts you felt were important enough to quote. If you'd like me to read the article, feel free to post the link. Otherwise, in the future you should maybe quote the parts that you feel are relevant to whatever point you're attempting to make... just a suggestion, although I see you don't take those very well.

I don't take suggestions well?
Um, I posted his words, my conclusion. I don't know what else you think is relevant. Do you care about what he says about the 76ers? Start your own thread. What Denver bloggers say about us? Not for this thread or this point.

Oh, and just an FYI - The part you did quote, Henry said "quality wins over the Thunder and Nuggets", which doesn't exactly sound like he discounted the win over OKC as you seemed to imply...

Of course it does! What are you smoking? What part of the

...quality wins over the Thunder and Nuggets. But that West-leading record includes two cupcake wins, and they're also tied for first in rest days to date.

did you think makes his point to "sell?" PHI is a cupcake? Meanwhile, he'll "buy" the Nuggets (who we beat, just to mention) in part b/c of their "tough schedule", when they've lost to us and LAL and beaten the superpowers of SAC and MIL. Wait, I thought SAC was a cupcake win? See what I mean?

So the whole point of your little thread is to attack someone simply because he exercised his right to change his opinion? At any rate, I don't see how he's inconsistent - it seems like he's selling us b/c while he thinks we're a playoff team he doesn't view us as a contender.

No, the point was to attack him for his propensity to take (as I stated in quotes in the OP so you shouldn't have missed it unless you didn't read that, either) "Hey, I'm not a homer, look at me say bad things about the Blazers, I'm just being real, but I'm from there so I'm an expert" positions. Or, in the words of another poster

Seems like every time the team comes up with him these days, he’s always got a very guarded and somewhat negative take on the team. I think maybe he hasn’t gotten over the fact that Roy/Aldridge/Oden have not and now we know will not turn into some kind of basketball dynasty.

I think it’s fair to be dissapointed, and I think he probably can’t afford to be too much of a homer in his role with ESPN, but I get the feeling like he goes out of his way to find the raincloud behind each silver lining these days. As an example, he really took Greg to the mat not too long ago at a time when nobody was talking about Greg at all. Just raised him up out of the blue to kick him around a little bit.

Has the East Coast grind finally gotten to him? Is this a coping mechanism? Is he still a fan of the team beyond a pro forma hometown affiliation?

Sorry, Henry, but this thread may not be for you.