Comments on: Time to pick through the rubble of Blazers-Rockets Game 4

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:07:21 +0000

I would not mind the refs betting on the game so much if they’d just bet FOR the Blazers once in a while.

Also, Nate is a joke. The Blazers will be the champs with him as the coach.

By: eric k

eric k — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 04:57:07 +0000

Chris,

Have you seen Prince play lately?

I like trading Outlaw, but between Batum, Webster and Rudy/Roy in a 3 guard lineup we are fine for minutes at SF.

PG is where we need the biggest upgrade, our best assets to trade our Outlaw and Sergio, use them for that. Blake is a solid bu.

We can also let Fyre go and sign a solid veteran back-up PF to take Outlaw’s minutes there with our mid level, guys like Kurt Thomas, Joe Smith, etc. There are a few of them available every year.

By: eric k

eric k — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 04:51:16 +0000

Danny,

Nice job spouting the party line from the NBA, inside/ aggressive teams get the calls, blah, blah blah.

Sorry that doesn’t cut it. Przybilla and Oden get called for BS touch faouls when Yao tries to get position, He runs down the court and runs over Oden, foul on Oden. And he comes over Pryzbilla’s back on a rebound, foul on Joel.

Artest and Battier are grabbing and hacking Roy all over the court and no calls. Check out Roy’s big turnover late in the 4th quarter when Artest supposedly knocked the ball off his leg. The reality is Artest hacked him across the arm and barely touched the ball.

I’m not saying there is some conspiracy to screw the Blazers. I’m sayin’ the refs are human and the BS whining by Adelman and the calculated PR offensive by the Houston press is affecting them.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:49:06 +0000

Every game the officiating has been the same — early foul trouble on Pryz and Oden. No one can touch Yao and the officials are afraid to call anything on Artest. This forces a complete change to Portland’s strategy and size advantage due to foul trouble, and the consequence has been Houston opening up early leads and staving Portland off. The foul disparity and the free throw shooting disparity, and overall the kid gloves we are forced to use while Houston slaps and mauls on defense. It’s desensitization of the refs and it works. Aggressive teams usually win, right? And to Nate, I would say, are you kidding me? If this is my team I am out there giving McCutcheon the biggest beezzzznitching out you have ever seen. Same thing in the game before and the game before. Sure your team isn’t playing well, but it’s because they are not being allowed to use their size equally and fairly….SO COMPLAIN COMPLAIN COMPLAIN. GET SOME FREAKING ENTHUSIASM, NATE!!!!

By: CalCthulhu

CalCthulhu — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:16:32 +0000

The refs again? It’s all their fault, right? Come on, Portland fans, grow up.
Right now I’m thinking that if the Blazers had a good coach like Rick Adelman, they’d be moving up to face the Lakers. Shane Battier said it after the game. Adelman’s team has a first, second, third and fourth option.
Something of which the Blazers could not be accused.

By: Riles

Riles — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:24:40 +0000

Forget how many fouls Yao is called for. Battier and Artest are averaging less than 4 fouls per game between the with Artest averaging 1. Ron Artest fouls more than that taking off his warmups.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:11:11 +0000

This has been a great series really — although I hate the refs, PDX’s mental breakdowns and Nate’s unexplainable distrust of Rudy. But we’re so close to being a really outstanding team — it’s f’ing frustrating!

What I’d like to see is for KP to work his magic and land Prince — I know we’d have to give up some talent and/or draft picks and I haven’t ran the GM deal on ESPN. However, we should work to make it happen — Detriot would be a willing trade partner.

Imagine if we just had Prince for say, 20 possessions, divided between games 3-4. We’d be up 3-1. I know he’s older, but I think it’d be great to have someone like that to basically defer to down the stretch.

Imagine if Prince caught that ball at the end of the game instead of Outlaw — I know as a fan I’d feel better, and I’m sure the players would too. The truth is we probably wouldn’t have been down at all that late in the game with Prince in the lineup.

Prince would be great to provide some leadership, be the #2 or #3 scoring option, and play some lockdown D on the 1, 2, 3 or 4.

I think we’d be a legit title contender with one simple move. (And I’m not suggesting that Outlaw is the fall guy here, he just happens to play the same position as Prince.)

By: ItsMrHarris2u

ItsMrHarris2u — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:41:27 +0000

Houston is taking what we give them and beating us with it. You have to give them credit. Battie hit 2 huge 3’s last night and Landry sealed it with a jumper. Without Outlaw’s scoring lift, it’s too much pressure on Roy.

By: DannyinHouston

DannyinHouston — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:44:51 +0000

First of all, I’d like to say that I am a diehard Rockets fan…
To much of your suprise, probably, the fans in Houston are not that happy with the officiating in this series either. The main concern that I have read from Portland fans have to be regarding the officiatong of Yao. Understand, he is probably the toughest person to officiate in the league. There aren’t that many 7′6 centers with that kind of skill that he possesses.
Houston fans think the JP is a flopper….. and that Oden is just in there using MMA techniques to fight Yao for position. Granted, there has to be some contact in the post… but if you watch the tape, you have to see that if Oden or JP was to use that kind of defense and fronting on any other center in this league, they would be easily thrown on the floor since there is so much contact. Where is the line drawn? depends on the individual official… The refs just made those calls early in game 4 indicating that these techniques would not be tolerated. Just like in game 2 where there were 1000 calls on both teams, the teams have to adjust.
Secondly, when Roy goes to the hoop, you have to admit that he gets his fair share of calls. 13 foul shots compared to the contact Yao takes and he shoots 8? fair?
Thirdly, your team ISN’T going to get as many calls is because you are a jump shooting team. Besides Roy, who is aggressive to take it to the hoop to draw fouls?
So complain all you want, it’s the nature of the game. The team that is more aggressive, forces the action, will likely get more calls compared to the team that has blake’s 3s, fernandez 3’s, outlaw jumpshot, aldridge fadeaway… etc etc…

By: Jason Grigsby

Jason Grigsby — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:32:24 +0000

I want the most effective relationship between the Blazers and the refs. By effective, the one that is most likely to result in a fair game being called or better yet, one that is called to the Blazers advantage.

By that definition, an effective relationship could mean complaining all game long, using the media like Phil Jackson, Adelman, and the other coaches do, and sending tapes to the league.

It could mean stoic so that when you complain, they know it means something.

I’m not sure. But I’ve been wondering this whole series–in fact all year long–if the Blazers weren’t complaining enough.

I don’t want to see a bunch of whining on the court. It isn’t attractive. But if it gives other teams the advantage–which I fear it does, then I don’t think we should abstain from complaining based on some misguided sense of proper etiquette.