It amazes me that people still can't see that apparently worse players can be better for the team. I guess that's why Allen Iverson got a job in Memphis. As did Zach Randolph. Were you clamoring for Pritchard's head when he got rid of Zach's 20 and 10?
Define "completely eclipse"? To me all that matters is if the team does better with him on the floor over Joel. Prove that and you'll have a case.
Depends. Given that we won 54 games, by almost all measures overachieving, I'd guess things are okay. Presumably you think we'd've won more starting different players. The way to prove that is to show that your preferred starting lineup would do better. But not just that. You'd also have to show that the lineup of the players left over works off the bench. Because if it doesn't, and the team loses more games despite having a stellar starting lineup, then I'd have to say your idea is dumb.
Newsflash: that's not Przybilla's role. And Oden can do that just as well coming off the bench, where his scoring is more needed and Przybilla's defense less needed.
A.) If you are comparing Oden's abilities to generate more shots and score effeciently to Iverson and Randolf, you are high. Have you even seen Greg play this season?
B.) I hated Stat-Bo with every fiber of my being. Lazy ball hog pile of horse shit. It is insulting to Greg to even compare the two.
C.) No evidence, yet. If Portland is 20 games into the season and playing .500 ball with this starting line-up then I will. BTW, in last nights game Portland fell behind in the first quarter. Again. Came up short, too. I wonder if having more offensive threats on the floor would have helped?
D.) I would say that Oden has played better then Joel by a wide margin. During the games I watched, he did every single thing Joel did. Plus he could score and the other team had to guard him.
E.) If you believe that playing the last 3 quarters of every game from behind is a reciepe for success I have no way of convincing you otherwise. My take is that the best teams get ahead early then don't let the other team back in the game.
Also, I would direct you to Portlands road record versus West Coast playoff teams last season. IIRC, it was 2 and 11, with one win only coming because CP3 got hurt at the begining of the 3rd quarter. Not exactly an awesome winning percentage. Could it be possible that falling behind to start the game had some sort of role in this horrific win/loss record? I would say yes.
Since the only teams Portland will face in the playoffs are the best teams and scoring slows down in the playoffs, it stands to reason they don't want to establish a playing style that requires that Portland get behind before giving it their all.
If they continue to do so this season, expect another first round exit.
The bottom line to me is that Portland played well enough to beat bad teams by coming from behind. That strategy doesn't work for shit against a good team. If Portland wants to become a contender they are going to have to figure out how to get the jump on the opponent. If that requires Joel start, so be it. However, we have nearly 60 games of evidence that suggests last years starting lineup couldn't get it done.
To continue to do the exact same thing over and over again expecting radically different results is foolish/boarderline insane.
