I know, I know. My last posting was pretty critical, so I will now follow it up with a more up-beat optimistic post. Blazers win in double overtime!!!!
I must give credit where credit is due. Zach Randolph and Brandon Roy really carried the team late in this game.
This huge 42 point outburst by Zach came at the perfect time for him. The coaches will vote soon for the All-Star game reserves. I’m sure most coaches were seriously considering voting for Randolph, but leaning towards not giving him their vote. But, with this 42-point performance, all the coaches will have to reconsider giving him their vote. (Hopefully they can overlook the fact that it was a double overtime game with the worst team in the west, and the fact that he was only 16-40 on field-goals.)
Ultimately, I do not think he will make it to the All-Star team, but he will come close. He did earn it! It will be too bad if (when) he doesn’t make it because this will probably be his only real chance. His numbers are destined to decline as the Blazers further adopt the up-tempo style. That is, unless Zach can adapt.
Overall, this is a great road-win for the Blazers. It does show some character being that they came off a 30-point loss the night before. Tomorrow we play the Hornets… a team with a very similar record as ours. We need a convincing win by our Blazers to prove that we are now much better than our record shows. Go Blazers!
-Blase31
P.S. Look at that, an entire post without mentioning Sergio Rodriguez (or his 7 assists & no turnovers in 18 minutes) a single time.
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3 comments:
No Sergio talk...must be crying over the trade rumor of Aldridge, Magloire and SERGIO for Gasol!
Just imagine Gasol running the floor with Roy! They would make an unstoppable tandem with the both of them able to score the ball. Gasol probably is one of the more versatile players in the league with ball handling skills much like Nowitski and therefore always privides a tough match-up for defenders. I'm sure Gasol can instantly improve the Blazers offense by providing that go-to-guy on offense. Not saying that Zach isn't an offensive threat, but Zach has been known to be very streaky. But the real question is that can Gasol and Zach co-exist on the same offense? Since both players have a dominating presence in the low post, who will assume that position permanently? However I can see Gasol playing on the wing, slashing and cutting while Zach on the low post. Similar to how Nowitski and Dampier can provide that inside/outside threat (Only Zach is much more skilled than Dampier). Too bad that if this rumored trade actually happens, the Blazers cannot have both well known Spaniards on the team. With both Sergio and Gasol I'm sure tickets sales will increase.
If this rumored trade goes through, in my opinion we'll be giving up another Jermaine Oneal. With some work, I think Aldridge can be a dominant big man in the future. He just needs to bulk up much like how Oneal did. Then he can bang down low with the big boys, i.e. Dwight Howard, Amare Stoudemire. He already has that sweet 18 footer. I know, that's high hopes for Aldridge, but he's definitely got the skills and potential to become this type of player. He just needs some work. What do you think? Does Aldridge have this potential? I'm sure Blazers management already knows the answer to that question.
Gasol is a proven commodity. He's no dale davis.
Realized talent beats potential anyday. Atleast that's what sells tickets.
A lineup of Gasol, Zach, Ime/Webster, Roy and Jack next year would make the playoffs.
Maybe 3 years we could compete for a playoff spot with our current roster.
Plus, why wouldn't you do it just to get rid of Magloire.
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