Portland Trail Blazers Trends
Top Shelf: “RoLo” playing like YOLO
Robin Lopez might not be the best Portland Trail Blazer on the court, but he sure has looked the most comfortable on the floor these last few weeks. LaMarcus Aldridge is still shaking off cobwebs, Damian Lillard has been up and down and the bench has been straining to fill new roles. Since losing to Indiana a month ago, Lopez has been the glue guy, scoring less than 10 just twice and averaging 2.4 blocks a game. If Lopez keeps this up, Portland might actually be able to steal a series or two.
Middle Shelf: Flashes from the bench
Thomas Robinson finally showed the playmaking we were promised when he got here and boy was it a sight. Combine that with CJ McCollum finding his footing and Dorell Wright swinging games and you have a solid February from the second unit. The question is whether they can string this along for twenty games so the Blazers can grab home court. If they can’t, then we shouldn’t be surprised to see them keep sliding down into the bottom four.
Bottom Shelf: Lillard moments
At least three times a game Lillard will do something that makes me wonder, “What the hell is he thinking?” Even though I know that this is only Damian’s second season and I can’t help thinking that I can never remember (for example), Tony Parker forcing plays like Lillard is now. Every time Lillard crosses the free throw line I have to close might eyes he doesn’t try to wildly kick the ball out or get blocked again. Cut to Monday against the Los Angeles Lakers when, down one with 6.4 seconds left, Damian dribbled out 4 second of the clock from 4 feet behind the arc when the whole building knows he is going to pull up. Jodie Meeks played him perfect (although, to be fair, so could everyone in the building) and the Lakers escaped with a win. Lillard is a fan favorite and is putting up numbers but I fear that if this continues to make these kinds of plays he might become known as “Marbury-esque.”
What to watch as the season winds down
Top Shelf: Will anyone join the contenders?
The race in the east is down to Miami and Indiana. Chicago is hanging way back in case of a big injury or a miracle for Derrick Rose. The west is narrowing down itself with Oklahoma City in pole position, San Antonio in second and a glut of teams behind them trying to prove themselves. The Clippers might be the third best team by default despite a roster that has more questions than Vinny Del Negro at a Sloan Conference. The Rockets can attack in a variety of ways, yet nobody is sure if they can stop anyone in any way. Golden State and Phoenix are dangerous teams, but does anyone think they can win consecutive games against any of the top seeds? If one of these teams (maybe the rolling Clips) can carry some momentum into the playoffs it could invigorate a first round that might only have two or three watchable series.
Middle Shelf: Is Gerald Green Good?
I haven’t seen Phoenix play since the beginning of the season and yet I keep seeing highlights of Gerald Green finishing a fast break or chasing down a killer block. Now that Green just dropped 41 on the Thunder the question must be asked; could he be good? I half expected Goran Dragic to be take off one of these years because how rounded he is. Who could have seen a two-time D-Leaguer to be the third best player on a (non-eastern conference) playoff team. Stay tuned.
Bottom Shelf: Weird Tanking “Solutions.”
The worst part about tanking is people complaining about tanking. We wouldn’t even be in this conversation if the college game still mattered so fans in Philly or Sacramento had something to root for. Both problems would be solved if the draft age was fixed once and for all. The NCAA might be a Ponzi Scheme but a longer college tenure would make players easier to root for and make teams more wary of tanking for a player that won’t be a teenager. Even if they allow high schoolers that a greater risk for teams without a top 15 player so that I won’t ever have to hear about some stupid wheel that limits the league dozens of ways.
NBA Award Races
Top Shelf: Most Improved player
Bottom Shelf: All other awards
Improved player is always a fun award. This year is a two man race between Goran Dragic’s heroics and Anthony Davis’ campaign of terror. Every other award race sucks this year. MVP will either be Durant or LeBron, and Steven A. Smith will complain either way. Defensive Player of the Year is going to Dwight Howard by default and Sixth Man doesn’t have a stud this year. Worst of all is Rookie of the Year, where Michael Carter-Williams will win in a class that has no players shooting higher than 45 percent and averaging more than six and a half points a game. I would like coach of the year if I didn’t have to mention have the league every time the conversation comes up.
Reasons to be thankful for baseball to be back
Top Shelf: Spring
The sky is blue! The air is warm! The grass is so, so green! Everybody is on vacation and enjoying every minute- wait, that’s Arizona. Crap. Regardless, baseballs return means baseball weather is on its way, even if it won't arrive in Portland as soon as we would like.
Middle shelf: He who shall not be played
NO A-ROD THIS YEAR! NO A-ROD THIS YEAR! ALL-CAP WAS TACKY HALFWAY THROUGH THE FIRST SENTENCE BUT I DON’T BE CARE BECAUSE A-ROD CAN’T PLAY THIS YEAR. Although…
Bottom Shelf: The impending Jeter-Palooza
A-Rod’s absence opens up the spotlight for the Derek Jeter farewell tour that the media will never stop talking about. Every week another visiting team will one-up that last with any even tackier gift that one of Jeter’s one-night stands will steal as a souvenir. As a long time Yankee hater, I will be glad to see Jeter walk off into the penthouse but I am not sure it is worth yet another 8 month eulogy of for another overrated Yankee’s career.
Weekend Fare
Top Shelf: March hockey
Just Kidding. This month is going to be pretty dry until the Big Dance starts. Better to watch a matinee of The Wind Rises than spend this weekend on the couch.
Middle Shelf: NCAA conference tournaments
Have they started yet? They’ve probably started by now. Isn’t the Big West Missouri Valley Athletic Conference USA tournament in the second round or something? I should probably watch those so I don’t pick Eastern West Virginia Technical Institute-Clarksburg to make the Edmunds.com Elite Eight (Presented by StubHub). Or whatever.
Bottom Shelf: The NBA on ABC
I work on Saturdays, so I always delude myself that I will be productive on Sunday, then wake up at 10:45 and spend all day watching bad basketball. The early game always disappoints, the afternoon game always feature a matchup that would be awesome in 2012 (this week: Thunder versus Lakers!), the commentators have been even more dull than usual and NBA Countdown is still trying way too hard to be as fun as the TNT guy. Still, count me in to be checking my phone every 3 possessions as the Heat and Bulls drag through another 17 point game because that beats realizing football is gone.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
