Event Was the 99/2000 team wrongly maligned all these years?

[julius]

(for @THE HCP, maligned means to speak about (someone) in a spitefully critical manner.)


We've had 25+ years to let that 99/2000 team stew in our hearts, and it got me thinking about a few things. Some of what Damon Stoudamire said resonated with me.

First though, I'd like to clarify things. I always preferred the 99 team over the 99/2000 team, but I think common sense and logic has prevailed that the 99 team massively over achieved. Especially given it was a weird ass year. That was the year that cemented Brian Grant as a fan favorite. The hustle and grit of that 99 team should be spoken of when speaking of Blazer teams that we admire. The 99/2000 team though, for some reason, seemingly doesn't get the respect or adoration it deserves. Be it unfairly comparing it to the 77, 90-92 teams, or weirdly assigning the term "Jail Blazers" to that team when that was far more evident in subsequent seasons.

Yes, Trader Bob tinkered with that team and it careened straight into a buzzsaw that was the Lakers of 2000-01 (having only lost 1 game in the playoffs that year). Yes, that loss in 00 was arguably one of the most painful experiences we've had as Blazer fans. But I'd argue that most of the things that get lumped onto the 00 team (in retrospect) isn't fairly dumped onto them.

I don't think we should blame the 00 team for the actions of 00 and onward, especially since if you look back at those teams, the teams post 2000 just were a clusterfuck of TB trying desperately to cling onto the magic of the 00 team. Not necessarily in keeping the players, quite the opposite actually (they added lots of players that were underwhelming at best).

Looking back on the post title teams, and the post 90-92 teams, those teams were aging and lacked a lot of oomph. I think it's why a lot of people don't really look back on the 93-96 Blazers fondly. Same thing was true with the 01-04 teams. But I think a lot of the stupid shit that the 01-04 teams did are saddled onto the 99-00 teams reputation.




*caveat* I know that the 99-00 team wasn't perfect, but most of the "Jail Blazer" reputation shit comes from after that team. So I don't consider that team part of the "Jail Blazer" era.

 

[STOMP]

I'm fully with Antonio Harvey's comments during the TV broadcast... if the officials had called the PDX v LA series straight up, Portland wins and goes on to best the Pacers with ease. The better team was vilified (look it up @THE HCP) all season by the media and predictably lost to the one that got much better ratings. That was maybe the best Trailblazer team ever and I'll always remember them as such.

STOMP

 

[julius]

I'm fully with Antonio Harvey's comments during the TV broadcast... if the officials had called the PDX v LA series straight up, Portland wins and goes on to best the Pacers with ease. The better team was vilified (look it up @THE HCP) all season by the media and predictably lost to the one that got much better ratings. That was maybe the best Trailblazer team ever and I'll always remember them as such.

STOMP

Agreed, top to bottom, there was probably not a team with more talent. I remember the joke being that the 2nd five would probably win 45 games as starters.

 

[julius]

 

[tlongII]

I think the 90-91 team was better. We kicked the Bulls ass in the regular season.

 

[wizenheimer]

if the 1977 Blazers championship team was playing today, under today's rules, they'd be giving OKC a run for the money

 

[chris_in_pdx]

I watched the game in real time, and the one thing that I cannot get on board with on the "refs were against us" theory is that the Blazers went 0-15 from the field during the Lakers 4th Q comeback run. Any one or two of those buckets would have broken the momentum and changed the course of the game.

The Blazers had the game in their hands and blinked. And Scottie Pippen, who almost singlehandedly willed the Blazers back from a 3-1 series deficit, had nothing left in the tank to stop it.

 

[Hoopguru]

When you look at the guys on that team, it makes you realize just how far away we are in being a contender.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Agreed, top to bottom, there was probably not a team with more talent. I remember the joke being that the 2nd five would probably win 45 games as starters.

And they played unselfishly.

 

[Phatguysrule]

When you look at the guys on that team, it makes you realize just how far away we are in being a contender.

That's kind of what I've been doing. We aren't close. We probably (almost certainly) don't have the pieces to contend in the 2nd round. And we don't have the pieces to get enough pieces to go deeper.

And everything's going to change in next year or two anyway.

Meh. Sharpe is fun with his dunks. I wish Scoot were healthier.

 

[blazerkor]

They're my second favorite Blazers team in my lifetime.

I absolutely loved watching those guys. We had a historical breakdown in that 4th quarter but that game was the actual NBA finals and being that close to going against a much worse team in the finals was a huge accomplishment.

I think the Memorial Day Miracle the year before took our heart out of that WCF series that we also could have won despite the fact that we were swept.

Again, I loved that team and although I love Dame more than any single player on that team, we've never put a team around Dame that it was realistic for us to win it all with. That team 98'-00' was a great team that could have one it all more than once.

God we haven't been a contender since then, only fools in our fanbase didn't love that team.

 

[BlazerWookee]

I watched the game in real time, and the one thing that I cannot get on board with on the "refs were against us" theory is that the Blazers went 0-15 from the field during the Lakers 4th Q comeback run. Any one or two of those buckets would have broken the momentum and changed the course of the game.

The Blazers had the game in their hands and blinked. And Scottie Pippen, who almost singlehandedly willed the Blazers back from a 3-1 series deficit, had nothing left in the tank to stop it.

More than just a couple of those 15 misses (and/or subsequent rebounds) were a direct result of uncalled fouls.

 

[crandc]

My worst sports memory forever. I paid scalper's price for tickets and drive to Los Angeles for game 7. Even took time to put together a cake, back when that was allowed. Sitting there surrounded by Lakers fans as the world ended.

I could see in my sight line Paul Allen court side with Steven Spielberg. If I was dying how in hell did he feel?

 

[HailBlazers]

My worst sports memory forever. I paid scalper's price for tickets and drive to Los Angeles for game 7. Even took time to put together a cake, back when that was allowed. Sitting there surrounded by Lakers fans as the world ended.

I could see in my sight line Paul Allen court side with Steven Spielberg. If I was dying how in hell did he feel?

Wow. I think you've got just about every Blazer fan beat.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

Short answer yes. Damon was a jerk to me as a kid. I had such high hopes for acquiring him. But he quickly became my least favorite player, regardless of my run in with him. Sabonis called me a piece of shit too. Doesn't change that he was a great player and that team deserved better from its city.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Short answer yes. Damon was a jerk to me as a kid. I had such high hopes for acquiring him. But he quickly became my least favorite player, regardless of my run in with him. Sabonis called me a piece of shit too. Doesn't change that he was a great player and that team deserved better from its city.

Why did Sabonis call you that?

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

One of my favorite Blazer teams of all time.

Honestly, I enjoyed watching the Roy, Aldridge, Oden, Bayless, Rudy, Batum teams the most.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

Why did Sabonis call you that?

Because I was trying to get an autograph and I was able to make it to his car before leaving the garage.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

One of my favorite Blazer teams of all time.

Honestly, I enjoyed watching the Roy, Aldridge, Oden, Bayless, Rudy, Batum teams the most.

This is my answer, too.

 

[julius]

One of my favorite Blazer teams of all time.

Honestly, I enjoyed watching the Roy, Aldridge, Oden, Bayless, Rudy, Batum teams the most.

I have almost no connection to that team. Besides I didn't have the channel, I was going through a weird stretch of my life at the time and didn't really pay attention much to the team like I did in previous teams.
I hate that those teams were almost 20 years ago.

 

[STOMP]

More than just a couple of those 15 misses (and/or subsequent rebounds) were a direct result of uncalled fouls.

Going into the 4th quarter, the friend I was watching it with literally broke out cigars and said congradualtions to me. He wasn't much of a hoops fan but was legit happy for me. I said, just watch it's far from over. Predictably Portland started getting called for everything under the sun while on the other end the Lakers hammered the Blazers every time they went inside knowing no calls were coming because it's Stern's league. Preferencial treatment is a big part of why guys like Shaq and Kobe forced their way there. So not getting any calls inside and knowing the deal, the Blazers went outside where they missed more shots while getting hounded by the emboldened Lakers. Same song and dance the next year vs Sac

STOMP

 

[STOMP]

The Blazers had the game in their hands and blinked. And Scottie Pippen, who almost singlehandedly willed the Blazers back from a 3-1 series deficit, had nothing left in the tank to stop it.

IIrc, he broke a finger on his shooting hand late in game 6.... that didn't help

STOMP

 

[KingSpeed]

Kobe choked on FTs at the end. If the refs called the foul on Steven Smith, we might’ve won.

 

[crandc]

I remember Shaq knocked Smith to the floor. All the Blazers stopped because it was such a blatant foul. Nothing called and wir no one on defense Lakers scored uncontested basket.

 

[SharpeScooterShooter]

I told my game 7, fourth quarter, sitting in downtown king county jail story before…