Well, yes--I know Bernie's not the Multnomah County Sheriff anymore, but if I said "Call Bob Skipper" in the title, how many people would have connected the name and the job? So don't call Bernie; it's not his job anymore. Don't call Skipper, either. I was just trying to make a point.
Trying to make it--but I still haven't gotten to it yet, have I, and I'm already into the second paragraph. The point's not to be found even in the first sentence of the second paragraph, or apparently now the second! Of course it's pretty obvious though, right? The Blazers had no business winning this game. Granted it was left out there for them much of the time by the Pistons and thus they were amply offered "the business," but they had to work for it and get some breaks. To their credit (and luckily), they got both. Plus they got a renewed taste of heroics with an old 4th quarter hero, and another rookie's coming out party.
The keys going in had to be:
control the guards, plus the giant Geremann, Heremann, from executing outside
get to the line against a willing Detroit front, but YGMYFT!
maximize the rebounding advantage, especially offensively
get one of Blake or Rudy hot, for God's sake
It was striking how poorly the Blazers did on these for much of the first half, and then some. At first it was just that the Pistons could not miss, going 7 for their first 8. But then the Blazer zone started breaking down, as Oden in particular wandered out and left the underneath open time and again. Rudy, while being plenty active throughout the game (and who did find his shot tonight, fulfilling goal #4), was no help whatsoever for much of the first half defensively, either refusing to help the bigs or simply not comprehending where he needed to be in time.
{more, including some good post-game commentary video, below}
In the obvious burnout/lull period after such an historic and exciting election, I've lately been drawn to something newly developing: the coming of age for Oregon's only major sports franchise, into not just the top-character squad we had hoped for (verily demanded), but a highly competitive, potentially dominant set of new young stars and surprising role players.
The growth and optimism for the near future was high before the season, but the team has responded beyond anyone's expectations, much more quickly than anyone could have predicted. Already a team with deep cultural roots in the Beaver State (particularly in the Willamette Valley), something is developing that--while early--could return us to those previous magical days when the Blazers won their only title, and Portland was proudly known as Rip City. So I'm going to start covering the team and their path to the playoffs a little more than before, trying to check in after most games. This is starting to look like something special, and if they do what it looks like they might be capable of, I want to cover it.
Before I go on, let me disclaim and recommend. I am not a basketball expert; I've never played the game on an organized basis. I grew up cheering the Blazers' only title from northern Virginia, where I became a big fan of the Bullets during their own glory years around the same time in the 70s. I came back to Oregon and was disgusted at the chumps that had infested the team. Now I'm smitten, and I certainly understand the game well enough. But if you're looking for a deep understanding of the minutiae that are making the Blazers click, I'm not the guy.
That would be Ben and Dave, the twin towers at Blazer's Edge. Now THOSE guys know their ball, and they do both previews and lengthy, detailed recaps with every game. The open threads for each half are positively packed with hundreds of comments during the game as well, to keep you company. So any serious interest in the Blazers this season should start with BE as your main weapon of information. But if you still want more, or you're a little more casual in your appreciation, I'll try to provide my own relatively educated take.
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