Just got back from the game after waiting the scalpers out and getting a good seat for almost half price and sitting amongst some pretty cool Blazers fans. I'm sure most of you saw it on TV so I'll breeze through the obvious points (like how we're short and have nobody except Carl who can finish at the rim and sucky free throw %) and take a look at some of the things that might not have shown up on the tube. 1. At one point in the first half, the Blazers had 23 rebounds to our 8 and 6 blocked shots to our 0. Though somewhat expected, what was noticeable was disturbing: the Rockets looked to be intimidated and were visibly hesitating whenever the ball was delivered anywhere near the basket... the hesitation didn't fool the primary defender and often allowed a secondary defender to close and challenge as well. Scola and Ariza were the primary culprits. I can't really blame Scola because we all know he has no lift and the Blazers have a bunch, but Ariza was adding superfluous spins because he didn't think he could get the shot off. (By the way, Blazers fans HATE Ariza... I guess from some cheap shot he took as a Laker.) More than once the Rockets would have been better served taking it strong and creating a chance for a foul. (Oden has improved over the summer, though I don't think he'll ever be a decent offensive threat.) Chuck was pretty aggressive and had some nice baskets. 2. Roy was coasting, or at least that's what it looked like to me. Some of the Blazer fans sitting around me were convinced that Andre Miller has messed with Roy's mojo. Anyway, he never really took over the game and I couldn't believe we had Chase on him for so long in the 4th without serious damage. He could get around Chase whenever he wanted. 3. Lowry is a man. Sure, he made a couple of bad passes, but he had one rebound that made my jaw drop... one little Rocket against three bigger Blazers and he came out with it... in real time it was awesome. He was always pushing the ball... much more than Brooks. There were several times after a Blazer turnover that I thought he was going to get mad at the refs because they wouldn't get him the ball to inbounds quick enough. He's fun to watch. 4. Ariza played within himself and looked great... for about 7 minutes. After that, he started to try and do too much. You could see it when he got the ball... the Blazers would close down and box him in without fear that he would make the shot or a killer pass. I was somewhat amazed that he started on Roy. I guess Coach Rick though Battier would be more valuable helping. Regardless, there was a noticeable uptick in team defensive intensity when Battier took Roy. Ariza has a ways to go before he's close to a great defender. 5. Andersen looks like a legit second team center to Yao. He played hard, got pushed around a bunch, and looked a little lost in the first half, but he stretches the floor and can hit the shot. He hustles and avoided fouls much better than I was expecting. While he seemed unsure of himself in the first half, in the second half he didn't appear to be intimidated and was a big reason for the mini-comeback. 6. Waterbug ball is effective in stretches. When Brooks and Lowry were in the game together, the Blazer's perimeter defense became tentative and reactive. They are so quick they force the D to get out of position and open things that wouldn't normally be there. They will be fun to watch. I hope Brooks gets more consistently aggressive and Lowry gets more consistent. 7. Budinger is a talented rookie, with emphasis on both "talent" and "rookie." You probably saw the turnovers in the first half Blazers run, but what you may not have seen is how lost he looked on D. Twice he rotated to a spot on the floor that had no Blazers and twice the Blazers scored because of it. I'm not sure, but it looked to me that Chase missed a switch that led to a monster Outlaw dunk and that's what got him started. Once, when Bud was guarding Roy, he lost him, but instead of following through with the switch (I think it was Lowry that picked up Roy), Chase went and double-teamed him away from the basket, which led to a pass and a basket. Then there was that dunk. Oh my. even the Blazers fans were oooohing over that... and even when it doesn't go in, his shot looks sweet. In Morey we trust. 8. That's the season. Unless we get McGrady back with anything close to his pre-pre-pre-injury self, the Rockets will play every game like they played this one... they will work and fight and lose to more talented teams. When they get down by a bunch, it looks like Rick is not going to run the starters but let the youngsters play and develop. I see many more games, particularly those on the road and against sizable opponents, playing out just like tonight. It will be frustrating and fun at the same time... and other teams better get their licks in now, because when Yao is there to warp the floor, this will be a dangerous team.
how was the crowd? I went to a Nuggets game once and the crowd was surprisingly young (lots of kids). Not very corporate.
We really lack a guy that can create his own shot which in turn, opens things up for others. Good effort from the guys, they never gave up.
If you watch the first angle of the Chase dunk that Clutch posted, I was sitting 2-3 rows outside the frame directly above the basket. The folks around me were loud but not obnoxious... good, knowledgeable basketball fans and not very corporate. The two guys to my left worked construction and the couple to my right looked middle class... both pairs were season ticket holders.
Took a look at the video where he attacked Fernandez, and I'll admit I'm surprised that the hit was hard enough to where Rudy had to head to the hospital. It's not like Ariza went after Rudy's head or anything.
repped, good stuff from the game rim, appreciate the good insight. we need a very healthy TMac to have a chance for a decent showing this season. we don't have anyone who needs to be double teamed and we don't have a post game except Scola and Landry and I don't think either can really be a number one scoring option. we have a great set of role players waiting for 2 superstars. is what it is I'll be in front of the tv watching and cheering (occasionally )
To be somewhat argumentative just because...to be fair to Chase, it's not like he was the only Rocket backcourt player that looked lost on defense. What about Ariza? Other than his amazing start, he was bad on more than just offense. Instead of being a Shane-light, he seems to be a Artest-light...which is disastrous. He completely lost Roy around some baseline picks multiple times in the first half, and more than once completely overplayed Roy, allowing him to drive and forcing rotation by the defense. It was not very clear why Rick decided Ariza should guard Roy when Battier was on the floor and more than capable. The outside pick and roll defense needs a lot of work. Some of the time the guard tried to fight through, some of the time the defender tried to clamp down to force the dribbler into a double team, some of the time neither player stayed with the dribbler. One time in the first half the big switched and essentially forced the dribbler into the corner on the three point line where he had to pick up his dribble. For some reason Shane, who was then switched onto Outlaw - who set the pick - goes over to try and pick up his original man, effectively double-teaming a player who was already forced into a corner with his dribble picked up and leaving Outlaw, the Blazers hot hand, wide open for a top of the key three. You could see the team was regularly late on the rotations, especially at the 3 point line. The Blazers are a solid, effective team, but when they shot 10-21 from the three point line it isn't normal, or luck. It's because they were wide open. That said, I think the defense can improve. Chase clearly can and will improve. They did have 12 steals and force 26 turnovers. And aside from that one atrocious quarter, the Blazers never scored more than 23 in any other quarter. Rebounding does seem to be a bigger issue.
Agreed - he looked bad on defense. Not only did he lose Roy but he also didn't seem to know how to fight through or around screens. At one point he was about ten feet away with his back to Roy because he got bounced around. Otherwise, he is just like Artest last year in that he would not work to stop the penetration very well. Artest seemed to do it because he was so confident he could catch back up and do something from behind. Ariza...just seemed disinterested or unable. Ariza also seemed to get the most frustrated when the Blazers were dominating in the middle of the game. Contrast that to the two "real" defensive monsters in Battier and Hayes who were killing for the most part.
Agree with most of what you said here, but I also like to add that Lowery definitely kept us in the game first half he drew multiple fouls and allowed Rockets go to the line when they couldn't make any shot. He also had few key steals. David Anderson is much better rebounder than I thought. Although he still straggled with the physicality of NBA and got pushed around a lot of times, he did box out big guys on most rebound and drew lose ball fouls on Oden and Przybilla. This means he has the basic skills to do well round and hopefully on defense.
Hayes was unbelievable last night. Granted, still not sold on Oden, but Hayes certainly had you believing he could start at center all year long...which would have to be some kind of modern day miracle (a 6'6 starting center for a whole season). The only thing that might change that would be if Andersen (who played better than expected defensively, too) looks as solid as he did last night. But yes, Ariza's poor defense was the most concerning to me. I know a lot want him to be a go to guy offensively, but honestly, he doesn't need to be that. If he could basically just be Shane, both offensively and defensively, that would be fine. He gets paid less than Shane...and it would allow us to trade Shane and pick up a good young player that fills a different role. I can see Trevor's offense coming around. First, he had about 5 open threes that he should have just shot after his hot start. He was hesitant for some reason. Just shoot those. Second, he over-dribbled and forced to much on his penetrations. I think both are fixable, and the offense and Tervor will eventually flow better. But one on one defense, or running around screens shouldn't take time to figure out. It's concerning. Artest, for as much as he gambled, actually could recover and didn't lose people so easily around screens.
I agree with pretty much everything. Except Andersen... don't get me wrong he is a solid find and I like what he can do but he plays so far below the rim. Its just not what we need right now. He will be great alongside or behind Yao. But out there alone? He just can't rebound and as far as I am concerned that makes him a liability. Well.... except for the fact no one else on the team off the bench can really rebound either. We want to run. Makes sense. But you have to rebound if you want to run. Most teams aren't as talented, focused, diverse, well coached, and tough at home as Portland. So things aren't as dire as they seem but we are going to have to play perfect games to hang.
