Speechless (Updated 1/31/08)

Updated: If you're a fan at a Cavs game, please don't taunt LeBron James... That was his catalyst from him bringing his team from a 20 point deficit at Toronto to win and was the case last night in Portland. I wish the camera would have gotten a picture of the "heckler" so we could give him the ol' Steve Bartman treatment (Remember, he was the guy that ruined the foul ball catch for the Cubs a few years ago)...

I am lost for words on how the Blazers just blew an 11 point lead with 4 minutes to go to Lebron James (oh yea, and the Cavs too)... The only thing I am thinking right now is why wasn't Joel Pryzbilla in the game on the final play on defense?? Remember those 2 separate block shots he had on Lebron alone??? Nate... Explain yourself???

Also, Martell Webster was playing some major crunch time 4th quarter minutes and to my memory, didn't so a thing in the quarter... He finished with 30 minutes, 3-9 shooting, 2 rebounds, and 0 assists... Why was he playing in the 4th when he hasn't had an okay game since Jan. 9th vs. the Warriors... that's 3 weeks!! Nate... explain yourself???

Gilbert Arenas Gives his 2 Cent (Brain) on Who Should Make the All Star Reserve Team

In his recent blah-blah-blog from nba.com, Gilbert Arenas, aka "Agent 0" (Yup, he is a zero) gives his take on who should be making the Western Conference All Star Reserve Team... His take on who should be the reserves for the West caught my eyes... Below is a copy of "Agent Zilch's) remarks for (WC) pick Brandon Roy...

Here’s who I’d take to fill out the All-Star rosters:


WEST RESERVES
F - Dirk Nowitzki
F - Carlos Boozer
C - Amare Stoudemire
G - T-Mac
G - Steve Nash
WC - Chris Paul
WC - Brandon Roy (you’re averaging 20 and five, is that really an All-Star? I know your team is winning, but, come on), Marcus Camby (great defense), Baron Davis (that’s going to be hard with all those guards).

Remember Gil, your team was 0-5 with you in the lineup when u played this season showing you what a leader you are to your respective team... Your numbers remind of former Blazer Zach Randolph, who was and still is, 20-10 guy on a lousy Blazer team the last few seasons. Isn't that All-Star number material in your mind Mr. Arenas when you can't even help your team win most of your games?

Also, I read your blog on how you want to opt out of your contract by the end of this season... Either a long term, big pay deal with the Wizards, or take less money and go somewhere else deal to win a championship... Tells me what you really think about your team and that when it comes down to it all, you're a greedy pig!! Good luck with the new contract... Agent Zilch...

Wrong Day to be Out of Town

Was in Washington on Sunday and missed the Blazers and Hawks game... I checked the score at halftime and was stunned that the Hawks had a 15 point lead... But that wouldn't be the biggest surprise as the Blazers would rally and end up the victors by a point!!

Looking at the boxscore, ALL of the Blazer's bench that entered the game had at least a (+/- ratio) of + 5 with James Jones being the highest at +15. Sergio, who had a phenomenal 1st game vs. Atlanta finished with a +8, 3rd best overall and best out of the PG spot.

Martell Webster was once again, a no factor (5 points on 2-8 FGs; -14 on +/- ratio). His play has been reminiscent to that of Damon Stoudamire when he played for Portland... With the exception of the first 5 games this season or so, Webster had 1 good game for every 5 or 6 bad games...

Abysmal 3rd Quarter Carries Over to the 4th as Blazers lose to Rockets 1/25/08

After such a great finish to the 2nd quarter vs. Rockets after sustaining there run, the Blazers would take not only an 8 point lead (50 to 42) to the 3rd quarter, but momentum as well... or so I thought...

But then turnover over turnover and missed shots piled up brick walls and by the 6 minute mark of the 3rd quarter, the Blazers would not have a field goal and the Rockets would start off with a 14-1 to take a 5 point lead. I was very unimpressed with Nate McMillan's decisions in the 3rd quarter and would like to here him explain his logic for leaving He left Webster (2-5 FGs after 3rd) and Blake (1-6 FGs after 3rd) in there WAY too long and were inefficient.

Also, Channing Frye was a + 20 in the game and am thinking, "How can a guy be a + 20 in a game and not even play 20 minutes...

Twelve points in the 3rd quarter and 29 total in the 2nd half doesn't translate to winning games... but then again, neither should any team with Nate McMillan coaching... The NBA... were amazing happens...

Classic Rasheed Wallace

One of the best lines ever in the media room quoted by Rasheed Wallace. Sure, it's not as sublime or energetic as Jim Mora talking about "playoffs" or Denny Green's "They are who we thought they were!! We let them off the Hook" rant, but still, it's a masterpiece! Damn, I missed Sheed here in P-town...

David West and Jannero Pargo Ripping R.I.P City

You know WWE's Randy Orton: Legend Killer... Well, David West is David West: Blazer Killer... It rolls of the tongue just right. I usually give

David West is joining the ranks of Bonzi Wells, Tyron Lue, and Wally Szczerbiak just to name a few. What do these guys have in common you ask? Well, they are simply average (or under) players that seem to always kill the Blazers. David West, though, has had a phenomenal season and is now above average but still, he normally produces more than his averages against us. David West: Blazer Killer... It rolls of the tongue like WWE's Randy Orton: Legend Killer... West was the reason in the 1st quarter why the Hornets weren't down by 20 dominating the paint and getting to the foul line.

The same could be said about Jannero Pargo... Even during his Laker days where he barely got off the bench. The last time we played the Hornets, he was a huge reason why we couldn't pull away and blowout the Hornets. Pargo wass the main catalyst for the Hornets in the 2nd quarter why the Hornets where able to pull away from the Blazers erasing a 6 point deficit from the start of the 2nd period for the team to be leading by 4 at halftime.

Second half to come...

Here is something Nate McMillan could learn from Byron Scott (my lead candidate for Coach of the Year)... Janerro Pargo is normally a dud and maybe relieves Chris Paul for 8 minutes a game... BUT when he is playing well, you let him finish out... Why couldn't Nate do that with Sergio?! In fact, Sergio only plays five minutes tonight and gets the hook in the 1st half after missing one shot... WTF Nate!!

Blazers vs. Hawks 1/21/08: Sergio Rodriguez Soars to New Heights and Ex-Blazer Steve Smith Appearance (updated 1/22/08)

Just got done watching the replay of the Blazers and Hawks game (damn the 11am start time) and wowzers!! What a game!! I don't know where to start but I must say my man Sergio Rodriguez is magnifico!! From driving layups to burying threes to pump fakes to razzle-dazzle no look passes, Sergio was firing on all cylinders... He only played 16 mins (I guess Nate is still a non-believer of Sergio) but made the most of his time going 6-7 from the field (with the only shot he missed was a shot being rejected by Josh Smith), 2-2 from the line, 2-2 from downtown, dished out 4 assists and had 2 rebounds... Without his play tonight, there was no way the Blazers would have come back from an early 11 point deficit.

How big has Travis Outlaw been on this road trip?! With the exception of that missed dunk "T-Law" aka "Trout" aka "TO" has been automatic with his outside sharpshooting! The game winner was pretty sick in which he was guarded by Superman-superhuman defender Josh Smith and with a hand in his face, Outlaw sunk the long deuce game-winning shot in OT.

This game could have easily been lost thanks to poor coaching of Nate McMillan, the so-called Coach of the Month in December... How can somebody play someone scorching hot as Sergio for only 16 minutes and not let him play in regulation and the OT at all?! Instead, Nate puts in a struggling Steve Blake in the 4th quarter, who air-balled a three pointer immediately after entering the game... Blake was completely removed from the OT for shooting guard that played the point Jarrett Jack, who by no means, was as efficient tonight as Sergio...

If the Blazers were to have lost this game, I'm sure the forums would be all over Nate for this... Even though the Blazers won, he still should be drilled for his incompetence of leaving Sergio out... I mean, did you see the Blazers blow a 6 point lead in the 4th with him out and not to mention, that we almost lost this game in OT because of Nate's mind-boggling decision... Need more proof... Here were the lines of guards of the night:

* PG Steve Blake: 7 points in 32 minutes going 3-8 FGs with 2 rebounds and 7 dimes. Overall +/- in the game was +5
* SG/PG B-Roy: 18 points in almost 41 minutes on 8-22 FGs with 2 rebounds and 3 dimes. Overall +/- in the game was -10
* SG/PG Jarrett Jack: 4 points in almost 17 mins on 2-2 FGs with rebound and 1 assist. Overall +/- was -5
* PG Sergio Rodriguez: 16 points in 16 minutes on 6-7 shooting; with 2 rebounds and 4 dimes. Overall +/- was +14



Mike Barrett, the Blazers lead TV play-by-play commentator (and blogs here) made mention to former Blazer and Hawk Steve Smith, who I didn't know, was now doing the color commentary for the Hawks... Steve still looked like he did a few years ago, this time wearing a suit and tie compared to the casual attire of our commentators (which I prefer casual attire). Barrett had a great conversation with "The 6'8" great from Michigan State" about the young Blazers and Smithy brought up Sergio saying something in the likes that he was his favorite player and etc... Maybe he should play more (hint to Nate)... And when they showed the highlight of Sergio doing a fake on Josh Smith and then hit a bank shot, they cut to the ATL color commentary and my man Steve Smith and his jaw looked like it was going to hit his desk!! Great stuff!! If anybody can find a photo of that, please send it to me or post here...

Another footnote that shouldn't be ignored is Nate leaving in a struggling LaMarcus Aldridge instead of a hot Channing Frye... Aldridge is one of my favorite Blazers, but when you're shooting abysmaly and getting outhussled on the glass, you need to benched in the crunch time. The main reason why Frye got to play the OT was because the same Atlanta crew that messed up Shaq's personal foul count (got fined $50,000 for that) and couldn't figure out how many foul's Aldridge had.

Aldridge/Comparsion:
* Aldridge: 8 points in 28 minutes on 3-12 FGs with 5 rebounds and 0 dimes/steals/blocks. Overall +/- in the game was -12
* Frye: 9 points in 25 mins on 3-8 FGs, with 7 rebounds, and 1 dime, steal, and block a piece. Overall +/- in the game was +10

And what about Joel Przybilla's almost no show in OT... He was subbed into the OT to rebound a possible FT miss but then was never put back into the OT... It felt like Atlanta had 20 offensive rebounds in the OT which second chance opportunities kept them in the game... Why would Nate put in his best defender and rebounder to limit their 2nd chances?! Mind-boggling isn't it yet somehow, this team young, inexperienced team is good enough to overshadow McMillan's questionable decisions...

Joel was effective in the limited 18 minutes he got... Ended with 7 pts on 2-2 FGs, 3-3 FTs with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block (felt like more since he alters so many shots).

On to New Orleans...

Welcome to Trail Blogging Blazer Fan

First off, I'd like to welcome you to my trail of blogging and opinions of the Portland Trailblazers ongoing season... I know that I am a late blossom to this season as it is half passed, but then again, it took the Blazers the 18th game of the season to start playing some fantastic/sensational/stellar basketball! You're never to young/old or early/late to blog. So just like the Blazers slogan is for the season, slightly modified, "Rise with me" and enjoy the bloggin'.

A little background of me:
- Joey Wong
- West Linn/Portland, Oregon
- 24 years old
- 5'2... 108 pds.
- Lifelong and lifetime Blazer fan... Favorite Blazers past: Sheed, Uncle-Cliffy, Ruben Patterson, Clyde Drexler. Current Blazers: Sergio Rodriguez, Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, James Jones, Travis Outlaw
- I also love poker and have a separate blog for poker stuff

I'll start off with some of sampling two of my achieve blogs from earlier in the season... I'll blog the truth with what I see from my two eyes whether how great or terrible a player did or if the coach (Nate McMillan) made the correct decisions. You'll notice that despite Coach Nate McMillan's winning Coach of the Month in December award, you'll get my insights on why I think that it's a fluke and point out some of the flaws that Nate does throughout the season (I believe that on the Blazers 13 game winning streak, we could have easily blown out more teams, but b/c of Nate's poor decisions, most games were literally LeBron James nail-bitters in that being too close to stomach and made you bite your nails like he often does when shown on the bench)... Feel free to argue or support me and post your comments here.
Now onto the blog archieves:

Sample #1 from November 18, 2007;
"This Week in Rage: Nate McMillan"

I'll borrow this title from my favorite radio show's segment: The Adam Carolla Show. I won't have a top 5 like he does... I just have one thing in mind and if you read my last post or scroll down, you will know it's on none other than Blazers coach Nate McMillan...

I'm angry:

After the last two Blazer road games (a heart-breaking choke to the 76ers followed by a massacre to the Gilbert Arenas-less Wizards), I think its time KP (Kevin Pritchard) scrutinize really hard on who should be coaching this team in the future...

Having a 25 point lead vs. a very unimpressive 76ers team (minus there second best player Kyle Korver too may I add) and a 17 point lead going into the 4th quarter, a coach must think, "ok now, we have a 17 point lead on a team that just shot 70% in the 3rd quarter (and eventually in the 4th quarter too), what do we need to do to stop these guys?? Well, Joel Przybilla is a great hustle guy, my best defender, and best rebounder and the 76ers keep crashing the boards and are still shooting 70% from the field... "I think I'll let him sit the entire 4th quarter" thought said Nate in his mind while I'll let the 76ers come back and beat my team... Job accomplished... WTF!! This isn't rocket scientist Nate... And then to go into the post-game conference to say that we need to do a better job of rebounding... UUUGGGHHH!!

Now if that wasn't enough, onto the game vs. the Arenas-less Wizards... Let's continue with the same lineup of having 3 guards in at the same time and have our opponents crush us on the rebounds again... Well-done... Oh, and let's bench Sergio Rodriquez for Taureen Green after Sergio made a couple bad plays in the 4th quarter last night... WTF Nate?! How dare you bench the most electrifying point guard "Spanish Chocolate" after the 76ers game... Did you ever realize that everybody was making bad plays last night in the 4th quarter (with the exception of Aldridge and Roy)... Did Nate ever think, "Well, maybe this is my fault and not just Sergio so I shouldn't bench him b/c of my terrible substitutions and brainless coaching abilities...

Oh, and this comes to mind... Nate McMillan is a big "blowhard" (as Adam Carolla would say)... Remember last week after the Pistons game where he praised Sergio letting him play deep into the 4th quarter... Well, I guess his memory isn't the best either...

Just imagine a few years ago, when we had a chance to hire the Suns assistant coach Mike Ivaroni where we could have adopted this successful blueprint and have the flashy Sergio running the show...


Sample #2 from January 13, 2008
"Blazers vs. Raptors"

Unfortunately. I missed the first 3 quarters of this game but turned in just in time when the action was getting wicked. Blazers had a 6 point cushion going into the 4th and basically, Nate McMillan, coach of the month or not, blew this game for my Blazers. Chirs Bosh was absolutely having his way with LaMarcus Aldridge and was the main catalyst behind Toronto's comeback. They turned a six point deficit into a 7 point lead with about 4 minutes to go. But, with an all-star game from Brandon Roy and great shooting from "Mr. 4th Quarter" Travis Outlaw (Mike Rice's nickname for "T-Law" aka "Trout"), the Blazers would mount a comeback of their own. I wasn't too happy with Nate's usage of timeouts... He burned 2 timeouts around the 1:25 mark in the 4th quarter after the team had advanced the ball past half-court of all things too and ran out of timeouts by the 45 second mark or so, thus the Blazers would not have extra timeouts to advance the ball. Way to go dumbass, but because of Travis Outlaw's sick 4 point play to force OT, he bailed Nate out.

You figure that after getting dominated by Chris Bosh that Nate McMillan would redeem himself in overtime by putting his best rebounder and defender into the game to guard Bosh... Nope... Blazers played well and maintained a 2 point lead throughout most of the 1st OT, but in the end, Bosh and Calderon were too much... Again, it took another bailout three, this time by Roy, to salvage Nate and the Blazers...

2nd OT starts off w/Bosh winning the jumpball again and scoring a quick 4 points that would catapult the Raptors to victory... Again, after the timeout, no Pryzbilla...

I am still mind-boggled by the Blazers winning streak w/McMillan as the coach... the guy seems to be clueless in matchups and substituting players in the right situation, yet the team keeps unbelievably winning and thus, somehow, gave him Coach of the Month honors... Maybe this current road trip will test Nate's coaching ability, but its scary to think how great this Blazer team can be with Greg Oden and Rudy Fernandez coming next year, and/or getting a coach that knows what he's doing...