This Rocket Game exposed Portland's weakness. The Blazers are deep with good to very good players. But who on Portland's team is the guy who will take them to the promised land? Who will be the beast of burden that will carry them through the play-offs? In the Rocket game, they went to Rasheed Wallace who couldn't get anywhere down the stretch. Steve Smith saved them in OT, but is he going to be the guy to shoulder the responsibility for taking his team to a championship? --- history proves otherwise. And we all know that it won't be Scottie. Basicly, who is Portland's franchise player, their "great one", their MJ, Magic, Bird, or Dream? Last year, the Blazers were almost as deep and talented as this year's version .... and they still got swept by San Antonio (not just beaten, but utterly demolished into a pile of bickering, finger-pointing whiners). As far as I'm concerned, the Blazers have yet to address how they're going to beat the Spurs ... which is why I'm sticking with my pick for this season's title .... our I-10 neighbors, the San Antonio Spurs.
Blazer will suck just Rockets if they keep dump-it-to Wallace and Sabonis all the time. I think M Dunleavey is a even worse coach than Rudy!
I agree with WIGMAN - the Spurs will beat the Blazers in the semis... If the Rockets don't beat them to it. This team has speed, depth, and a post that might even give Tim pause in the postseason. My brave prediction: The Rockets will beat the Spurs in a playoff run. (no, I don't actually think that'll happen, but it'll be a good series - I DO think we'll see that)...
I don't know, but I thought when Smith scores 6 straight in OT for his team that pretty much answered your question.
Really, Dreamshake? Steve Smith will carry the Blazers to a title .... hmmm .... like he did for Atlanta last year? Wonder why Mr. Smith wasn't the go-to guy in the 4th quarter?
Obviously Brian Grant was a "MAN AMONG BOYS" for them in the playoffs last year. He single handedly whipped Karl Malone in the Utah series (which is no easy task). I don't know that the Blazers will have one go to guy this year, and that may be their weakness. But I don't think we can judge how good a team the Blazers are when Brian Grant isn't even close to 100% healthy yet. P.S. I have no love for Scottie Pimpin and hope the Blazer's choke in the first round!!!
If Charles hits the baseline shot in regulation we would have won,but we had our chances in OT and didn't shoot well all game so I believe we can take the Blazers. If the Blazers are the best in the league and we play them this tight then the Rockets are better than their record states,we just have to play smarter.
Wigman...Guess I have to make a list of great players who never one a title... Lets begin with Charles. Lets see. Steve Smith played on some really average Hawks teams. He is an all star every year. He's a dream teamer this year, and a classy guy. Id rather have him shooting in crunch time than Barkley.
Dreamshake, let's not turn this into a Barkley thing .... It's not relevant to the discussion. I agree with you that Barkley has never won a championship (it's an over-stated irrefutable fact). This isn't about whether any of the Blazers have won a championship or not (Pippen has six rings). My point is this: Portland doesn't have any players that can be considered on the level of the great ones -- the guy who's going to be the one they can count on night in, night out (their franchise player - the guy the team is built around). Eventhough Steve Smith is the Blazers' leading scorer, he has proven to be as inconsistent as he has ever been when he was playing for Atlanta (where he was also the leading scorer). Furthermore, Steve Smith has never shown any ability to carry a team through the play-offs. I think you're misunderstanding my point. I don't question Smith's ability to hit a shot in crunch time (Vernon Maxwell hits big shots in crunch time -- but we certainly wouldn't consider him the guy that carries a team). For instance, would you put Steve Smith (or any Blazer player) on the same level of an Hakeem Olajuwon, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson? And would you put Steve Smith on the same level of other great ones who've never won championships: Karl Malone, Stockton, Gary Payton, and yes even Charles Barkley (now that YOU brought it up). Statistically, Smith is not on the same level with any of these guys and in terms of play-off success, he doesn't even come close to any of them either. Any way you look at it, Steve Smith remains a very good player ... just not good enough to carry a team.
One point Wig...Look at the teams that all those players had, and compare them to any Atlanta team Steve ever played for. Not even close. The closest case to be made is actually the Rocket championships (Wasn't a whole lot of talent), but the Rox were a team built on great chemistry. The Hawks (much like the Rox of the past 4 years) are constantly making huge changes to their starting Rotation. Not that Im a Barkley hater, but his case is just soooo strong. Look at some of the teams he's been on with the Suns, and now the Rox. Now do I believe that Steve Smith is in the Category of some of those great players you mentioned....No. Is he capable of carrying a very good team to a title? So far this season, and against the Rox, he's proven it.
TD99: It is given that Blazers are a hugely talented bunch, but they are not that great. They play only one on one basketball just like Rockets, well almost, the do give the "mouse" and Anthony high post pick'n'roll. But that is it, the rest is quite boring. As I believe one on one basketball will not win Championships for any team. So, for now, I bravely predict Blazers will NOT win a ring this year, unless their coach start to get their players to play offense more as a team, something I beg Rudy to do, also. ------------------ Rockets' biggest problem is not player talent levels, it is the coach's ineptitude. [This message has been edited by Caveman (edited November 28, 1999).]
Well, then, we'll just agree to disagree on Steve Smith. You believe he is currently the guy carrying the Blazers and that he may be good enough to take them all the way. I, on the other hand, believe you still need that one truly great player to win a championship.
