Size matters...

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from espn.com's John Hollinger...

Biggest Strength: Size

One reason the Blazers can seemingly play like such an old team is because they're so big. At every position, Portland lines up an inch or two taller than the league average, and although McMillan likes to play small he can also send out some freakishly huge lineups this year.

Up front, they have Oden, a dominating 7-footer who should control the paint, and Przybilla, the 7-foot-1 shot blocker who held down the fort a year ago. At power forward they have two softies in Aldridge and Frye, but both players are 6-foot-11 and can create problems with their length as wing defenders in zones. Some teams don't have any players that big; the Blazers have four (or five, if you still count LaFrentz as a player).

Go down the list and the size advantage gets more daunting. Small forward Webster is 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, and backup Outlaw is 6-foot-9; either can slide down to shooting guard when needed and provide an even more imposing height edge.

Roy is big for a shooting guard at 6-foot-6, 229, and what's really scary is that he is comfortable playing the point and often closed games at that spot a year ago; when he does that the 6-foot-5 Fernandez can come off the bench. Even at the point the Blazers are big: Blake, Bayless and Sergio Rodriguez all stand 6-foot-3, making them the shortest players on the team.

All that length should make the Blazers an unusually good zone defensive team, especially with Oden as a goalie in the middle and the young players on the outside gaining experience in playing NBA defense.

This may be what I like best about our team.

 

[THE HCP]

Sure does! Ask my girl the ex-Mrs DaRizzle!

 

[STOMP]

This may be what I like best about our team.

I love not having an undersized player who regularly needs help on D. Having good sized athletic guys at every spot should have a cumulative effect on winning the boards and loose balls. Having multiple long shotblockers helps shut down post play and encourages deep jumpers which often turn into fastbreaks going the other way.

Lots of good stuff is going to be happening next year.

STOMP

 

[Denny Crane]

Reminds me of 2 Bulls teams. The 2nd threepeat team had 4 guys around 6'7" (Rodman, Jordan, Pippen, Harper).

Then there was the 80-81 team: Theus, Wilkerson (6'7" each), Gilmore (7'2"), Greenwood (6'9"), Kenon (6'9"). Won 45 games.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

People are so uninformed when they say LMA is a softie

 

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People are so uninformed when they say LMA is a softie

I agree, but last season it wasn't a stretch to call him that.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

I agree, but last season it wasn't a stretch to call him that.

I can understand Frye being called a softie, but LMA would try to stand up for himself even if he was smaller than some guys. It's not his fault Joel was always there to back him up cause Joel probably just wanted to fight lol