I heard you mention this on Talkin’ Ball last night too – how Detroit was without Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you they were on a seven game winning streak, most of which were without one or both of those guys anyway.

So while I agree with you on the pick-and-roll defense, the rebounding, the lack of offensive play-calling for Oden, etc., don’t discount the Pistons because they were down a couple guys. Detroit managed to do just fine the last several games without those guys.

And any time you still have a guys named Iverson, Prince, McDyess, Maxiell, Stuckey, etc., in your lineup, you’re a team to be reckoned with.

Why did u address me?

They used Oden and Pryz together a little bit last week. Probably a concern is foul trouble, we talk about GO’s foul porblems, but lets not forget Joel picks up a fair amoutn too, getting 48 minutes out of the pair of them with one of them on the court most fo the time is porbably the goal.

I might add a few more:
-The Blazers start Batum because he supposedly is the team’s best defensive player, so why not put him on Prince during that 4th quarter. 26 points for Prince is way too much.

-is there some rule in Nate’s book that disallows the Blazers from running a big, and I mean huge lineup. Lamarcus, Batum or Outlaw, Rudy Oden, and Pryz. Most teams barely have one 7footer and we have 4 and 5 if you count Batum’s arms.

-likewise, why can’t we run small at times, with 3 guards

-They need to trade Sergio, I’m tired of seeing this kid get tossed in and out of the lineup, he’s improved this year. It might be best for him. Just once I’d like to see him get a whole 40 minutes, I’d eve settle for an entire half.

-Along those lines, there is nothing more annoying than those wannabe GM’s, that sit behind me at the Rose Garden who analyze trades all game long, and rip on Sergio like they know so much about playing point guard. They talk trades during the entire game about everybody on the roster and then switch back to talking about shooting characters in their video games…these are grown men by the way. Not making this up.

I love this team, just like almost every other person on this blog, but I am not blinded to their faults. They are young and still learning. But they definitely have a lot of heart, and that is why I remain a Blazer fan.

As I have said before, this team is poised for a breakthrough. It may not be this year, where I fully expect a first round exit from the playoffs, but it is coming. And if they are beating good teams now, just wait until they actually reach that breakthrough point. It’s an exciting time to be a Blazer fan!

Bob, don’t go away mad, Bob just go away.

Were you excited about your Lakers last night?