If I had a penny for every headline I’ve seen about the Portland Trail Blazers that contains the phrase “back on track” or “out of control,” I’d have deeper pockets than Paul Allen himself.
The Blazers have had worse than an up-and-down season. Rather, it’s been more like up, down and out. And if beating the Jazz Monday night in what was one of the most rag-tag games I’ve seen all season means anything at all, it’s simply that Portland may have clawed its way from out to down.
Really though, the only thing anywhere close to being “up” for Portland is their chance of capturing the title this season.
Yes, I know, everything starts over in the playoffs. Yes, I know, the Blazers have been injured. Yes, I know, bla bla bla [insert third excuse here].
But they are completely complacent right now. They are also one of the highest-paid teams in the history of professional sports. And those two things shouldn’t be happening simultaneously.
On Wednesday night, with time winding down in Portland’s loss to Houston, those unfortunate enough to witness the game’s final minutes on television saw the Blazers watching shots fall out of bounds. Not only were the shots within reach, but at that point, so was the game.
So what’s the deal?
It’s just funny if you stop and think about it. Last season, the Blazers tore through the lockout-shortened 50-game schedule, finally getting closed out in the Western Conference Finals.
And it wasn’t just another year. It was the first full season when the core group of Isaiah Rider, Arvydas Sabonis, Brian Grant, Rasheed Wallace, Damon Stoudamire and Greg Anthony got to play together. Learning to play together usually takes time, but not for that group — if it hadn’t been for Sean Elliot’s second-game miracle of the conference finals, Portland undoubtably would have gone all the way.
Yet when the offseason hit, “Trader Bob” Whitsitt wasted no time in getting rid of Rider, who many around the league thought to be a distraction.
Granted, Rider was fired by the Hawks this season. But last season, his only “distraction” was a speeding ticket for racing between stoplights in downtown Portland.
Immature, yes — but who hasn’t done it?
The Blazers’ reasoning for trading the offensive heartbeat of their team was that an often complacent player like Rider couldn’t lead his team to an NBA Championship.
Following that logic, I wonder if Whitsitt is thinking about trading half the team for maybe Tim Duncan? At least then, Portland would have one player who actually cares about winning.
It doesn’t stop there, because complacency isn’t the Blazers’ only problem.
Portland is one of the most predictable teams in the NBA.
The only thing that is remotely unpredictable about them is who the leading scorer will be in each game. However, it doesn’t take a basketball theorist to figure out where Stoudamire is going to dish the ball.
Usually “The Mouse” gives away his strategy when he picks up his dribble at the top of the key, pauses, points to the guy he wants to pass it to, points to the spot on the floor where he wants the guy to stand, pumps the ball a couple of times to make sure the lane is clear, and finally, when he lobs it into the guy on the inside. Oh yeah, the guy’s name is usually Rasheed.
That just about sums up Portland’s offense.
Every time I watch the Utah Jazz play, I can’t help but notice the way they move without the ball. They know how to execute. They can make plays like nobody else can, and that’s almost an unbeatable strength. The Jazz’s starting five has four players age 35 or older, and they still win because they can execute their offense.
Are you listening, Blazers?
For those who aren’t impressed by Utah, why not check out the team that’s probably going to win the NBA title for years to come.
The Lakers win because they have Shaquille O’Neal, but he dominates because his team sets him up. They execute. And they do it because of Phil Jackson.
Mike Dunleavy deserves major props for his ability to juggle playing time between players in an all-star lineup, but if any person on Portland’s roster is the problem, it’s the coach.
Complacency is a terrible thing. When players don’t care, it’s almost impossible to win with consistency. I don’t think anyone but the players themselves can make themselves want a championship.
Yet it’s the coach’s job to create the offense, and Dunleavy’s offensive strategy is well known — give it to whoever’s on fire and let him work.
That’s not an offense; that’s called street ball. Why pay millions of dollars for an aging group of finesse rat-ballers?
Dunleavy’s offense is too predictable. After dominating the first half of the season, the Blazers are losing because their opponents finally caught on.
The pieces are there, and so is the potential. A Portland championship could still happen this season — if they can find it in their hearts to care about winning.
But things being the way they are, the Blazers will only win if the Lakers beat themselves, and I don’t think that will happen. Their execution is just too good to allow anyone to beat them four times.
The Blazers have won their last two, but they’re still out of control, and they’re miles away from being back on track.
And that’s my own two cents.