http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/ian_thomsen/04/17/weekly.countdown/?eref=sircrc Are the Blazers too young? Or will youth provide them with the energy to ultimately give the Lakers a second-round fight? This is the most intriguing team of the playoffs, a mystery of young talent and potential that is being realized much more quickly than anticipated. I share the conservative view that the Rockets will be too physical for Portland -- but I also admit to never having believed these Blazers could win 54 games and home-court advantage in the West while Greg Oden struggled. That's what makes this the first-round series to watch. Can the young Blazers exert their will against a Rockets team that can't afford to lose another first-round playoff series? Brandon Roy (Blazers) vs. Shane Battier (Rockets). "You can throw Ron Artest in there, too. I'm sure both of them will have a shot at guarding Roy. "Brandon Roy has a lot of help, and they've got a lot more weapons than him. He doesn't have to dominate the ball as much as, say, Paul does for New Orleans. Roy can pick his spots more ... but in the fourth quarter they do look to him to take big shots. "The Rockets will be very physical with him, and those two guys having 12 fouls between them to use on Roy is going to make it a long day for him. Can Portland win without him having a big series? I guess the answer is that I don't look for them to win. Houston has toughness and size. If the Rockets get [Carl] Landry back to go with what they get from [Luis] Scola, I think they've got the edge up front. They're the deeper team with more experience."
Hmmm.. I could have sworn that Carl Landry has been playing with us for quite a few games now.... Guess he hasn't been watching any of our games! What a surprise!
