Game Thread PRESEASON GAME# 1: JAZZ @ BLAZERS - OCTOBER 3, 2016 - MONDAY, 7:00 PM (PST), NBATV & CSNNW

[BlazerCaravan]

Calabro & Hurd pack more information into each minute. Barrett & Rice are more breezy. I found myself concentrating to absorb Calabro's quick narrative.

No more drinking while watching the game!

Maybe Comcast could give Barrett & Rice some football games. There is more small talk time to kill between plays. Verbally, a game of strength, not quickness.

Mike and Mike were perfect in 2008 when they had 22 seconds before the first pass was made in the offense... then another 22 seconds after we got the offensive rebound. Or was Rice still with Wheels back then? Regardless, he needed time.

 

[THE HCP]

Harkless is the starting SF imo and if his shot really is improved, he could easily cut into Aminus PT as well.

Harkless will share minutes with Turner, Aminu and Crabbe...... he won't have the chance to put up the big numbers that a MIP winner normally does.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Harkless is the starting SF imo and if his shot really is improved, he could easily cut into Aminus PT as well.

Yep Harkless is going to be on the floor a lot. He looked very versatile last night. They need his energy. He guards multiple positions and gets his hands on a lot of balls. The only thing that will keep him on the bench now is if he goes into a shooting slump. Which will probably happen at some point. Lets hope it is a short slump when it does.

 

[jlprk]

Yes because the box score tells everything. He looked good to me. Has a good midrange shot, creates his own shot, creates well for others (should've had a lot more assists, guys missed open looks off his passes) and is a solid defender.

That's his reputation, but last night I just saw an NBA substitute. He'll learn the system better of course, but I don't think he'll challenge Harkless for the starting job for many months if ever.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Harkless will share minutes with Turner, Aminu and Crabbe...... he won't have the chance to put up the big numbers that a MIP winner normally does.

Did Aminu play any SF last night? I think Harkless is more likely to take some of Aminu's minutes at PF than Aminu to take any of Harkless' at SF.

 

[HailBlazers]

I don't think everyone is saying ET had a good game. I don't think he has been mentioned much at all. Not compared to the other players. But I also don't need to look at a box score to determine his value. He made some bad passes and he missed some shots....but the team played well when he was on the floor.

His ability to attack the paint is going to be huge

 

[Natebishop3]

I've been thinking more about the Mike and Mike thing and I'm getting more irritated by it. I went into the game last night completely open minded to the new announcing team. By the end of the game I was bored. And then I got angry. Old Portland is dead and/or dying and this is just one more nail in the coffin. For that reason, I hate it. It matters that Mike and Mike possessed obvious civic pride. It mattered that Rice was a little goofy and odd. It mattered that the players trusted them. It really fucking matters that they were adored by MOST Blazers fans. I just want to hold on to one fucking shred of the Portland I grew up in. I've already been priced out of the city. I'll never be able to justify living there again. VQ is closing, Bombay Cricket Club closed, the Rialto is closing, and these are just a few examples of old Portland dying. I hate it. It may not be fair to Calabro or Hurd because honestly they did an ok job. I'm just bitter.

Welcome to the new Fauxtland. It's a caricature of what was once a very real city.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Harkless will share minutes with Turner, Aminu and Crabbe...... he won't have the chance to put up the big numbers that a MIP winner normally does.

Yeah probably not enough minutes for MIP, but still more minutes than last year.

Harkless starting at PF last night to begin the 2nd half seems to suggest that Terry is experimenting with different ways to get him on the floor. He has been raving about his strength.

I still think ET will be mostly used in the backcourt leaving Harkless and Crabbe at SF. I bet Terry gets Harkless 3-4 minutes a half at PF too. Based on the match ups of course.

 

[0-Our!]

I don't think everyone is saying ET had a good game. I don't think he has been mentioned much at all. Not compared to the other players. But I also don't need to look at a box score to determine his value. He made some bad passes and he missed some shots....but the team played well when he was on the floor.

Agreed. I think some ppl may think bc the guys got another early jump on the season that they'd have almost everything worked out (a LOT was ironed out though. Hey, did anyone see that Utah mess? Haha! Not only was Utah unprepared BUT WE MADE them look EVEN worse/exposed!), not so & that's ok. Nothing to worry about w/ ET/how he fits w/ our guys; I think it's going to take ~20 regular season games before you see ET & crew get comfortable w/ 1 another (we're going to see some good stuff along the way but it will take ~ 1/2 of the season to really hit their stride; however, @ that time, there's probably going to be a trade or 2 so things will get another minor adjustment period).

 

[THE HCP]

Agreed. I think some ppl may think bc the guys got another early jump on the season that they'd have almost everything worked out (a LOT was ironed out though, did anyone see that Utah mess? Haha! Not only were they unprepared BUT WE MADE them look EVEN worse/exposed!), not so & that's ok. Nothing to worry about w/ ET/how he fits w/ our guys; I think it's going to take ~20 regular season games before you see ET & crew get comfortable w/ 1 another (we're going to see some good stuff along the way but it will take ~ 1/2 of the season to really hit their stride; however, @ that time, there's probably going to be a trade or 2 so things will get another minor adjustment period).

One preseason game. Can't take much away from our GOOD play or their "Mess" as you called it.

 

[0-Our!]

One preseason game. Can't take much away from our GOOD play or their "Mess" as you called it.

By "Utah mess..." I meant UTAH, NOT our guys; you read that wrong.

ps I edited that post to maybe make it more clear

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Obviously it was only their first game but I'm not sold on Calabro at all. It didn't feel like I was listening to a Blazers broadcast. He sounds like a generic national TV play by play guy.. A good example is that he called Aminu "The Chief", which I don't think I had heard before. That's something an ESPN guy trying to pretend like he knew our team would say. I hope he gets better.

MB used to call him that.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

MB used to call him that.

Mark Mason called him that! It's kind of official.

 

[tester551]

I enjoyed the broadcast team much better. My only complaint is Calabro needs to ditch the "red & black" reference. Go with Blazers, home team, our ball, etc. The 'red & black' seemed forced.

 

[jlprk]

Everyone in this thread is saying that Turner had a good game, but I say he sucked. Look at the box score.

http://www.espn.com/nba/dailyleaders/_/gameId/400899189

Looking at that box score, I notice that Aminu better be sent to the D-League. He shot 0-5 from the 3, and had only 2 rebounds in 23 minutes. In a spreadsheet, I divided the player's ESPN efficiency points (right column) by the minutes, and our worst player was Aminu (.29). Our second worst was Turner (.46). We should send both down together so they won't be scared.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Mark Mason called him that! It's kind of official.

It's what his name means.

 

[Nhawz]

Calabro was a corporate hire to give the team more credibility from the outside. I don't like it, but I get it. Calabro is better than Barrett. The problem is I don't see the chemistry with Hurd ever getting to the level of mike and mike. I actually don't think Hurd will be in Portland for long. I get the impression that he's using the gig to springboard to something bigger, which is fine, but I won't be getting invested in him.

Chemistry? Mike and Mike have called 1000 Trail Blazer games or more together. Calabro and Hurd have called 1. What do you guys expect!?!?!? I really enjoyed Hurd because of his youthful takes, and his ability to relate to a younger crowd. Moe Harkless, mo problems for example is something you would never hear from rice. They are new, refreshing and will become More in tuned with our team as the year goes on, which will result in more of a homer call if that's what everybody wants, and is whining about after one game. Give me a break.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

It's what his name means.

IIRC, they simply called him "Chief", without the "The". At least that's how I've seen it on the Twitter.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

IIRC, they simply called him "Chief", without the "The". At least that's how I've seen it on the Twitter.

Dammit, the guy from the Seattle is ruining the players the nicknames.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

IIRC, they simply called him "Chief", without the "The". At least that's how I've seen it on the Twitter.

"The Chief has arrived" is literally what Mark Mason yelled to the crowd last night. I don't know how they can make that any clearer. Twitter's 140-character limit probably means a lot of "the"s gets trimmed out.

 

[BlazerBeav]

"The Chief has arrived" is literally what Mark Mason yelled to the crowd last night. I don't know how they can make that any clearer. Twitter's 140-character limit probably means a lot of "the"s gets trimmed out.

And it wasn't just last night - Mason ALWAYS uses that to introduce Aminu.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

"The Chief has arrived" is literally what Mark Mason yelled to the crowd last night. I don't know how they can make that any clearer. Twitter's 140-character limit probably means a lot of "the"s gets trimmed out.

Name means "The Chief has Arrived", but his nickname is simply "Chief". Barrett always simply called him "Chief". I can see why someone would say that Calabro calling him "The Chief" smacks of unfamiliarity.

It's not that big a deal, but can't you at least try to see the other guy's perspective?

 

[VanillaGorilla]

MB used to call him that.

MB called him Chief, not The Chief. There's a difference. The players call him Chief, the coaches call him Chief, Calabro calls him The Chief.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

MB called him Chief, not The Chief. There's a difference. The players call him Chief, the coaches call him Chief, Calabro calls him The Chief.

Should we tweet him and tell him his mistake?

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Should we tweet him and tell him his mistake?

How about we tweet @farouq1 and ask him which he prefers, "Chief" or "The Chief"?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

How about we tweet @farouq1 and ask him which he prefers, "Chief" or "The Chief"?

Lets get Canzano on the job!

 

[jlprk]

You'll get over it. Calabro has that vin scully type voice along with the ability to succinctly and charmingly tell a story within the construct of a basketball game. Hurd is young and hip, something Mike rice was the very antithesis too. Of course I miss the Mikes, I grew up with them, but I have a feeling blazer basketball is going to synonymous with calabro and hurd much sooner than you may think.

Thoroughly disagree. Yes, I will admit rices charm is in his old man with no filter persona. That was fine for the organization for a long time, but rice is firmly in his 80s and frankly if you think Mike rice is hip, you yourself are not hip. Hurd is a chiller, a former ball player, a strong African American perspective in a sport foundationally built on African Americans, and yes... hip. He's made me laugh more than a few times already, and I'm a 26 year old millennial.

Does Gen Y suffice? If you were born between the years of 1980 and 2000, you are a member of the generation cohort colloquially known as the millenials. Little lesson for you. Hope you learned. Your argument is that Mike rice, the drunken old man caricature with legs, is not the corny one?!?! Lolll man oh man that's a bigger stretch than what our 3 point shooting is doing to Utahs defense.

I'm insinuating that I'm young and that there's something to be said for injecting some youth in the proceedings. This is professional basketball... a sport most men are incapable of playing past the age of 40. So it's kind of nice to have someone on that side of the age spectrum analyzing the game.

Chemistry? Mike and Mike have called 1000 Trail Blazer games or more together. Calabro and Hurd have called 1. What do you guys expect!?!?!? I really enjoyed Hurd because of his youthful takes, and his ability to relate to a younger crowd. Moe Harkless, mo problems for example is something you would never hear from rice. They are new, refreshing and will become More in tuned with our team as the year goes on, which will result in more of a homer call if that's what everybody wants, and is whining about after one game. Give me a break.

Is this "hip" line coming from Chris McGowan, or Dewayne Hankins? You guys must work for one. Look around at the game. Few ticket-buyers are under 25. You must be either from Southern California, where old women wear teenager hairdos, ESPN, Comcast, or the Oregonian. I better take that back. A quadruple is too much.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Is this "hip" line coming from Chris McGowan, or Dewayne Hankins? You guys must work for one. Look around at the game. Few ticket-buyers are under 25. You must be either from Southern California, where old women wear teenager hairdos, ESPN, Comcast, or the Oregonian. I better take that back. A quadruple is too much.

Ticket buyers aren't watching the TV broadcast. Young poor people are.

 

[jlprk]

Bullshit! Poor old hippies are! Give Rice a token job on the show.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Bullshit! Poor old hippies are! Give Rice a token job on the show.

He should follow Schonley around the arena, cracking wise.

Actually, giving the Mikes Talking Ball would be nice.