khandor’s sports blog

Yesterday’s action finished with the following results:

W-L: 0-2
Units: -3.16

which is a long way from par.

Overall, after Day 3:

W-L: 3-6
Units: -6.53

The good news is that with each game that passes, more is learned about the current state of these 16 playoff teams and where exactly the better investment  opportunities can be found, as the Playoffs progress.

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Tue Apr 21 2009

Game 1 - 1/CAVALIERS vs 8/Pistons

Do not like the way the Pistons caved in during the latter half of the 4th quarter in Game 1. LBJ & Co. have their pedal to the metal right now and may open up even earlier this game vs what looks like a dispirited crew of from the Motor City. Can’t help but be leary, however, when asked to lay that many points against a tested outfit like the Pistons. Will sit back & watch, instead, with an eye focused on the upcoming Game 3.

Detroit +11/+104
CLEVELAND -11/-112
Call: Pass

Game 2 - 4/BLAZERS vs 5/Rockets

As much as Portland seemed like an attractive move on the weekend, there was much to like about the vim & vigar which Houston brought to the table on the road in Game 1. Aaron Brooks is going to be a tough cover for the Blazers all series long … unless Nate McMillan is brave enough to see the solid match-up possibility he has on his bench with the under-utilized Jerryd Bayless, who is thought to be a poorous defender overall but who is also quick enough, in this instance, to at least cause some worry for the diminutive floor general of the Rockets. As was mentioned in this space earlier this season … a major weakness for the Blazers heading into this post-season is the defensive deficiency of Steve Blake [PG]. A second viable which McMillan has at his disposal is to finally go with the Blazers best option at the PG-spot, i.e. Brandon Roy, right from the start, instead of waiting to “close” with him. Closing is not an option when you’re down by 30 in the 3rd Q. This would accomplish several things for Portland, not the least of which is get their best offensive player away from the “Deadly Duo” of Ron Artest and Shane Battier at the Wing positions for the Rockets. Who would Portland then go with on the Wings, in place of Roy? It would be terrific if they had a healthy Martel Webster ot insert right about now. In lieu of that, however, Rudy Fernandez would begin the game at the Off Guard position as the running mate to Nicolas Batum, with Travis Outlaw then sliding down to the SF position, where he is a much more physical presence for the Blazers … necessary to combat the size and strength of Ron Ron & Shane … and opening up a big man slot for Channing Frye [who can stretch Houston's D with his J] to get additional minutes as the 4th player in their front-court rotation, i.e. Przybilla & Oden at Center; Aldridge & Frye at Powr Forward. Moves like these are what separate the Top Notch coaches in the NBA from the also rans. For their part, the Rockets need to realize the opportunity which they now have in this series … against a rattled, inexperienced outfit like the Blazers, who were really shook in Game 1. Play with similar intensity and unselfishness again this evening … centered around the stellar work of Yao Ming, Aaron Brooks, Luis Scola [who just really knows HOW TO PLAY THIS GAME, like his Argentian brethren, Manu & Fabricio], Battier, and Artest - but also very ably supported by the likes of strong, physical role players like Carl Landry, Chuck Hayes, Kyle Lowry and Von Wafer, at their respective positions - and the Rockets will be sitting in the catbird’s heading home to the Toyota Center.

Houston +6/-103
PORTLAND -6/-105
Call: Houston [2 units]

Game 3 - 1/Lakers vs 8/Jazz

The Lakers are going to win this game; take that to the bank. What is far less certain, however, is whether their relative lack of depth [in comparison with the Jazz's lengthy list of capable subs] and all out focus on the prize at the end of the rainbow will in fact allow them to pull away and THEN sustain their energy to get the cover. With 10 seconds left on the clock in the 4th quarter of Game 1, Utah was down by 13 points, intercepted a Lakers’ pass and had a wide open 3 from the TOTK to make the final margin 10 points, when the closing numbers were LA -11.5/-110. There’ll be far better games ahead on the schedule for the Lakers during this post-season. Trying to stay healthy and get to Utah with a 2-0 series lead might just be all the Lakeshow cares about this evening, and the cover be d*mned.

Utah +11.5/-105
LOS ANGELES -11.5/-105
Call: Pass

The Portland Trail Blazers are 2nd in the Northwest Division with a 43-26/.623 W-L Record, 1 game behind the Denver Nuggets, and hold 6th place team in the Western Conference … after failing to qualify for the playoffs last year. 

This is the Box Score from their game last night, a tough loss at Cleveland, in OT [92-97].

This is the Full Play-By-Play.

These are some of the observations made by Henry Abbott, a die-hard Blazermania Fan, based on what he saw in this game and hoped for Out-of-the-Box-thinking which he felt might have made a positive impact on the eventual outcome for Nate McMillan’s team coming down the stretch.

What you might not realize, however, about this current edition of the playoff-bound Blazers is that they are doing this work this season without the services of their Starting Off Guard-Small Forward, Martell Webster, who put up these numbers for their squad last year:

and has missed 68 of their 69 games played, so far, this season.

Instead of going with the crunch-time line-up suggested by TrueHoop’s author, what yours truly is really looking forward to seeing from the Blazers down the road … whether later this spring or next season … is this specific 5-Man Unit on the floor together with the game on the line:

PG - Brandon Roy [6-6, 211]
OG - Martell Webster 
SF - Travis Outlaw [6-9, 207]
PF - LaMarcus Aldridge [6-11, 240]
C - Greg Oden [7-0, 285]

When the Blazers’ overall team health is such that they can field that specific group, in a playoffs series, with the likes of:

PG - Sergio Rodriguez
PG - Steve Blake
PG - Jerryd Bayless
OG - Rudy Fernandez
SF - Nicolas Batum
PF - Channig Frye
C - Joel Przybilla

in reserve, they will be a legitimate contender to reach the Western Conference Finals.

Coming out of the annual All-Star Break and heading toward this week’s Trade Deadline  [Feb 19, 3:00 PM] … as different trade rumours swirl about the NBA [on-line & elsewhere] … it can be instructive to assess where certain marquee players rank amongst their brethren, at the specific position[s] they play the best.

When considering Big Men [i.e. Centers/C and Power Forwards/PF], it is also imperative to understand what their fundamental role is within the NBA game and what qualities are the most important for them to exhibit on a consistent basis, if their respective team’s are going to have a legitimate chance to win a League Championship, now or in the not-too-distant future.

Big Man Ranking Criteria

* Leadership
* Rebounding [which includes: i. Defensive; ii. Offense]
* Team Defense [which includes: i. Interior Rotations; ii. Perimeter Rotations; iii. Execution of Pick & Roll Techniques; iv. Transition Effectiveness; v. Shot blocking off the ball; Switching off the ball]
* Low-Mid Post Scoring
* Passing Effectiveness
* Individual Low-Mid Post Defense [which includes Shot blocking on the ball]
* Individual Perimeter Defense
* Screening Effectiveness
* Picking Effectiveness
* Perimeter Scoring
* Offensive Transition
* Physical Traits: i. Quickness; ii. Agility; iii. Explosive Power; iv. Size & Strength
* Psycho-Emotional Traits: i. Stability; ii. Intelligence; iii. Intensity; iv. Toughness 

These are the current rankings, according to this corner:

Use the “comments” section to provide your feedback.

Nate McMillan and LaMarcus Aldridge are two highly successful people.

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A changed Aldridge: Blazers’ unassuming forward blossoms into an impact player
LaMarcus Aldridge was in the midst of a comfortable night on Jan. 9 when his cell phone rang.

With his television tuned to the Cleveland-Boston basketball game, Aldridge was extended on his couch, his feet outstretched on an ottoman, when he looked at who was calling.

PRIVATE NUMBER, the phone flashed.

“That can mean one of two people,” Aldridge said. “Jay Jensen or Coach.”

As he reached for the phone, he was certain it was going to be Jensen, the Trail Blazers’ athletic trainer. Instead, it was Nate McMillan, the team’s coach, who this season had made a habit of initiating spur-of-the-moment conversations with his third-year power forward.

Much like his other talks with Aldridge, usually done in one-on-one film sessions, McMillan’s phone conversation that night included a visual aide. The prop was the television and the Cavaliers-Celtics game. The point was how Aldridge could dominate a game like Cleveland star LeBron James was that night, when he excelled at both ends of the floor.

He asked Aldridge if he was watching the game, which was early in the fourth quarter.

“Yeah, I’m watching it,” Aldridge said.

“Nah, are you really watching it?” both recall McMillan saying.

“Yeah,” Aldridge said. “LeBron is killing them for 30points.”

“Well, you aren’t really watching it, then,” McMillan said.

Aldridge was confused. He asked McMillan what he meant. That’s when McMillan — who spent the past three summers harping defense to James while serving as an assistant with the U.S. Olympic team — drove home his point.

He pointed out to Aldridge how James was impacting the game both offensively and defensively. Yes, everyone would notice his 38 points scored that night, but equally important were his seven rebounds, four steals and three blocks.

A light bulb might as well have popped above Aldridge’s head.

“I told him, ‘You are right, I wasn’t watching it that way,’” Aldridge said.

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A terrific piece about the healthy relationship which exists when neither party involved has the WRONG attitude about life.

Nate McMillan was not afraid to tell someone that, in his opinion, what the other party was thinking and seeing for himself that night was in fact incorrect.

i.e. You aren’t really watching it, then.

LaMarcus Aldridge … without getting upset, or angry, or dismissive, or rude, etc. … although HE WAS CONFUSED … took the time and had the AWARENESS to ask Nate McMillan a clarifying question, in return.

i.e. He asked McMillan what he meant.

It was THEN that McMillan DROVE HOME HIS POINT.

i.e. He pointed out to Aldridge how James was impacting the game both offensively and defensively.

It was THEN that the light bulb popped on for Aldridge.

i.e. I told him, ‘You are right, I wasn’t watching it that way.’

———-

In general, it’s a 5-step process during which both parties NEED to do their respective part.

Part 1 - The first party which sees what’s really there, hiding in plain sight, NEEDS to be, both, fearless and helpful.

Part 2 - The second party which is looking at the same thing but is initially confused by what’s being offerred up by the first party NEEDS to be open-minded, curious and humble enough to ask a clarifying question.

Part 3 - The first party NEEDS to Drive Home His/Her Point.

Part 4 - The second party NEEDS to be respectful and aware enough to recognize and acknowledge the correctness of what it is s/he has just heard or seen, brought to light for their mutual benefit.

Part 5 - Both parties agree to move forward … either in the same roles OR through an exchange places.

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Afterall … How challenging can THAT really be?

What is ksb about?

Well, in part …

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One of the favourite meeting places on the net today for yours truly is located at RaptorsRepublic.com, where the Dino Nation faithful get an opportunity to express their opinions [expert or otherwise] about their favourite NBA team in a mostly unfettered way.

Assuredly, this is a good thing.

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The State of the Raptors
No matter where you stand on the optimist-pessimist spectrum one thing is undeniable: so far this season has been a massive disappointment. If you were wise enough to predict what has transpired so far, good for you, you’ve earned a right to say, “I’ve told you so”, just don’t rub it in every time. If you’re in the other category, the category which thought that this team just might have what it takes to progress in the playoffs, this season has been a total letdown peppered with disheartening losses that invalidate anything you might have believed in.

Raptors fans are often called bipolar because of they way they react to the team’s successes and misfortunes. A lot of that criticism is warranted but it is also bred by the fact that we seem to know all too well just exactly what we have in this team. We lose to the good ones, we beat the bad ones and we go .500 against teams that are on par with us. It’s a massive generalization but it is a correct one. After two years of humbling playoff exits it is perfectly natural to want more and so far this team has done little in showing that it can do any more than the last two versions. That is simply not good enough. Raptors fans would rather see a plan in place that strives towards attainable and sustainable success rather than see the GM assemble a team that hopes rather than plans for success and is impervious to the flaws in the product assembled.

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And … here’s a sample of what you’ll find there … sometimes … from this observer:

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Indeed, it is very interesting to read today, a persective like this one, on the Raptors’ current plight, which echoes some of what was first published on-line back on September 22, 2006 … Credit where credit is due … more than two full years ago.

What someone like this can surely tell you is that one of the most important things in life, when it comes to determining success or failure, is the ability to read accurately the risks and rewards associated with a specific opportunity that presents itself, in advance of others who are operating in the same environment.

Do THIS enough times and, regardless of the field, riches will eventually flow your way.

Conversely, fail to do THIS, regardless of the field, either enough times or, perhaps, even just once when a significant opportunity is presented … say, like, the chance to choose No. 1 overall from amongst Andrea Bargnani, LaMarcus Aldridge, Tyrus Thomas, Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, etc. … and, it is going to be an uphill struggle from there, where only the very best in their chosen field will be able to recover fully due to their authentic expertise and the gradual passage of time.

When a person like Mr. Buffett speaks, although it might not always be easy listening, it is foolish to disregard those words, given in advance of others, if/when the topic is the successful financial investing of your own hard-earned money.

Within the realm of basketball and sports, in general, who are the equivalents to Warren B. that you should be atuned to … with your ears and eyes wide open [rather than Wide Shut] … on a regular basis?

Food For Thought … on a merry New Year’s Eve day morning.

Enjoy, and please be safe tonight … one and all.

There are no dress hearsals in this life.

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Jaques:
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.

As You Like It Act 2, scene 7, 139–143

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should you have occasion to drop by for a quick visit with the likes of Arsenalist, Raps Fan, AltRaps, Fluxland, Dave, phdsteve, Hollywood Gino, etc.

FINAL SCORE: Raptors 89, Blazers 102
Game Info; Box Score; Full Play-By-Play

This game was decided at two crucial moments in the 4th quarter:

Number One
At the 08:06 mark of the 4th quarter … with the score POR 76, Tor 74 … when the Blazers called a Full Time-out, and the following 4 substitutions were made:

* The Blazers subbed out Sergio Rodriguez/PG, Travis Outlaw/PF and Joel Przybilla/C for Steve Blake/PG, LaMarcus Aldridge/PF and Greg Oden/C, leaving on Brandon Roy/OG and Rudy Fernandez/SF;

while,

* The Raptors subbed out Chris Bosh/C for Jermaine O’Neal/C, and left Anthony Parker/OG on the floor along with Andrea Bargnani/PF, Joey Graham/SF and Jose Calderon/PG;

and,

Number Two
At the 06:35 mark, five [5] possessions later … with the score POR 82, Tor 74 … when the Raptors called a Full Time-out after the visitors had failed to convert on their 2 jumpshots [a very makeable J2 by Bargnani; and, a J3 by Parker], and the home side had made good on all 3 of their shot attempts [a J2 by Roy; a Driving Layup by Roy; and, a J2 by Aldridge].

Then, when play resumed with the Raptors having made 3 more substitutions:

* Bosh/PF subbed in for Parker/OG; Jason Kapono/OG subbed in for Bargnani/PF; and Moon/SF subbed in for Graham/SF

this game was effectively over.

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How come?

If the Raptors would have gone with a line-up of, either:

A. 1/Calderon, 2/Moon, 3/Graham, 4/O’Neal-or-Bargnani & 5/Bosh

or

B. 1/Parker, 2/Moon, 3/Graham, 4/O’Neal-or-Bargnani & 5/Bosh

coming out of either one of those two specific time-outs with a solid defensive & rebounding Group-of-5 on the floor, then they would have been able to stay with the Blazers at the critical moments of last night’s game … much like they were able to use line-up B against Sacramento the previous night, shutting down the Kings on the final two meaningful possessions of that game.

It’s a fundamental mistake in basketball judgment to believe that the best way to play the game at crunch time against a High End team is to load-up with a one-dimensional spot-up shooter like Jason Kapono - seeking his additional offensive production - at the expense of Rebounders/Defenders like Jamario Moon & Joey Graham, in concert with one another … especially when working against a player like Brandon Roy.

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The eventual outcomes of NBA games are determined by the slimmest of margins and it’s not always just what a team “makes” that creates the difference but also what it “leaves” on the table for its opponent to take advantage of coming down-the-stretch in a hard-fought contest.

Given how the Raptors deployed their chess pieces …

What set Inbounds Play was Toronto trying to run yesterday during its final possession of the game vs Portland?

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Here’s the best read this corner has to offer:

Initial Player Alignment

PG/#1 - Jose Calderon [vs Blake] - Left Baseline Corner
OG/#2 - Anthony Parker [vs Roy] - Left FTL Extended
SF/#3 - Jason Kapono [vs Outlaw] - Inbound Passer, Right Sideline
PF/#4 - Chris Bosh [vs Aldridge] - Left Elbow
C/#5 - Jermaine O’Neal [vs Oden] - Right Elbow

First Offensive Action

* Parker was to cut above Bosh and O’Neal [who were to set stationary Staggered  Screens at the Elbows], in order to free himself in the Right Wing/Corner [outside the 3PT-line], to receive the 1st Pass from Kapono.

If Aldridge tried to Switch this screen, Bosh was to Dive toward the Right Low Post position for a direct entry pass from Kapono.

Second Offensive Action

* Kapono was to step in-bounds; then cut hard to his left, above O’Neal and Bosh [who were to set Staggered Back-screens], in order to free himself in the Top Of The Key area [outside of the 3PT-line, to receive a Flare Pass [the 2nd Pass in the sequence] from Parker.

* O’Neal was to set his Back-screen then Dive hard toward the basket.

If the defense tried to Switch this screen, O’Neal should have been open Slipping toward the basket.

* Bosh was to set his Back-screen, then step out beyond the 3PT-line as a potential pass recipient, if Parker was not able to pass the ball to either Kapono [for the 3PT-shot] or O’Neal [for the Layup inside].

If the defense tried to Switch this screen, Bosh was to Slip towards the basket, as well, in the wake of O’Neal’s into the lane.

* If Bosh received the pass from Parker, on the perimeter, he was to attack the basket towards the middle of the floor with his strong hand drive.

[Option I] If there was no Help coming off [A] Kapono [spotting up at the Left FTL Extended] or [B] Calderon [spotting up in the Left Corner], he was to [i] get to the hoop vs his defender, or [ii] get fouled on his drive.

[Option II]  If there was Help coming off either Kapono or Calderon, Bosh was to ”Drive & Kick” to either of his two open teammates for the uncontested 3PT-shot.

* If all three passes of these passes were Hard Denied, Parker was to drive against his solo defender, in a 1-V-1 isolation play from the Right Wing/Corner. 

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What did the Blazers do to disrupt the play?

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First Defensive Action

* Travis Outlaw Sagged Off Kapono toward the Right Corner, denying an easy pass to that area on the floor.

Second Defensive Action

* Aldridge stayed with Bosh; held him, and prevented him from diving into the Right Low Post. 

Third Defensive Action

* As Parker cut above the first set of Staggered Screens, Oden Sagged Off from O’Neal to deter the easy pass from Kapono.

Given the Blazers’ First, Second & Third Defensive Actions vs this set play, Jason Kapono … remembering the difficulty the Raptors had inbounding the ball successfully against New Jersey, in a similar scenario two weeks ago … made the first available “safe” pass he could see, which was a direct entry to Jermaine O’Neal [stepping towards the ball].

For his part, O’Neal immediately recognized that the original play had been broken; quickly found and then got the ball to Bosh [the Raptors "best player"], at the Top Of The Key, and took his own defender away from the ball [by diving into the Right Low Post position].

For his part, when Bosh got the ball from O’Neal, he quickly recognized the situation and drove the ball towards the Left side of the floor, vs Aldridge [in a favourable match-up for the Raptors], using his strong hand.

For his part, Aldridge made a good defensive play, initially, by tipping the ball away from Bosh, when he changed hands with his dribble [beyond the 3PT-line], going from Left-to-Right; and, then defending CB4 by moving his feet, not reaching in, and not fouling Bosh, on his drive toward the basket. 

For his part, Blake did a solid job, Hedging in from the Left Corner vs Bosh’s drive to the basket, while remaining in a good position to still Close-out hard vs Calderon, if Bosh had tried to pass the ball to the Raptors’ PG.

The Raptors main problem this season is not going to be solved by the unjustifiable firing of Sam Mitchell.

FINAL SCORE: Raptors 97, Balzers 98
Game Info

48 Rebounds for the Blazers … with 18 of those coming at the Offensive end.

31 Rebounds for the Raptors …  with only 4 Offensive Recaptures.

That is everything you really truly need to know about the way in which this game was lost, from the home team’s perspective.

Adding Jermaine O’Neal [and Nathan Jawai, C, out indefinitely with a heart condition] this summer, at a salary of $21 Million/per, was the wrong move for this team to make. Period.

Until the Raptors address the glaring deficiencies they have in their current roster, which include …

* No credible back-up PG [outside of Anthony Parker, who they refuse to play at this spot]

* No credible back-up C [outside of Jermaine O'Neal, of course, who they refuse to play at that spot ... because of the $$$ they are paying him; and, possibly, Andrea Bargnani, who they also refuse to play at that spot ... because he is the former No. 1 Selection from the 2006 NBA Draft]

* No credible back-up OG [outside of Jamario Moon, who they refuse to play at that spot ... despite the fact he has improved his shooting noticably this season: [i] FGM-A/% = 42-90/46.7%; [ii] 3FGM-A/% = 12-33/36.4; [iii] LS-FGM-A/% 14-21/66.7% [LS = from outside the lane on the Left-hand side of the floor]; and, [iv] LS-3FGM-A/% = 6-9/66.7%]

related to the domino effect of that transaction, they are going to lose a slew of games like this, this season.

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re: the Raptors’ Defense and Rebounding on the Blazers’ final two possessions

2nd Last Possession

* Parker did a solid job on Brandon Roy
* Chris Bosh did a solid job coming to help, providing a shot-blocking presence [he may have actually blocked the shot] in arears of AP [which was a necessary rotation given the move which Roy attempted to make]
* O’Neal did a solid job “Middling” LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden, i.e. the two players he was responsible for defending in that specific situation
* Unfortunately the ball was tipped and ended up deflecting to Oden
* O’Neal recovered well and challenged the shot by Oden, forcing a miss
* Because of their initial defense on the drive by Roy, neither Parker nor Bosh were able to establish solid inside position, vs Roy & Aldridge, respectively, and the ball was tipped out to Fernadez on the perimeter [Joey Graham was in the key attempting to rebound as well]

Last Possession

* The error Jose Calderon made was not forcing Blake to penetrate inside the arc for the pull-up J … but, given the time & score and the way he contested that Final shot, the inidividual D he played was acceptable.

Steve Blake hit a tough shot, off the bounce [with the benefit of an offensive foul that wasn’t called, to give the Blazers the lead; but, the Raptors still had more than enough time left to win the game.

————

Unfortunately, the Raptors then ran an in-bounds play poorly and lost the game instead; something which happens every day/night, in the NBA.

Time to move on … because they are going to have their hands full in Cleveland.

Each season in the NBA, some organizations make an effort to slide by with something less than a full comportment of capable, high calibre players on their roster … e.g. see the Toronto Raptors this season, as Exhibit A … while still seemingly trying to make some noise in the post-season tournament.

In sharp contrast to this strategy, other top notch outfits, in the NBA, either (i) at The Apex of the League already, or (ii) in The Up-and-Coming category … e.g. see the Celtics, Lakers, Pistons, Hornets, Rockets, Jazz, Suns, Spurs, Mavericks, Magic, 76ers, Cavaliers, etc., as Exhibits B thru some-other-letter-in-the-alphabet … seem to understand implicitly the basic folly involved with this method of operation, in a League where injuries, both minor & major, are a constant hazard over the course of an 82-game regular season schedule pock-marked with back-to-backs, mini-stretches of 4 games in 5 nights, and extended road trips. 

How important is it to have outstanding QUALITY DEPTH on your roster, if you hope to ever compete legitimately for a Final Four spot in the NBA?

——————————————-

Webster out at least eight weeks with foot injury
The euphoric aftermath of the Trail Blazers’ electric start to the exhibition season was dealt a somber dose of news Wednesday when Martell Webster, the front-runner to start at small forward, was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot.

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Pretty darn important, according to this corner.

When one of a team’s key players goes down with an injury … the only squads that can survive & eventually conquer are the ones with a plethora of 1st-class NBA players on their roster, ready, willing, and capable of stepping-up to meet the challenge when the opportunity presents itself.

It says here that the Portland Trial Blazers will still be able to give a good account of themselves this season, primarily, because they now fit firmly into The Up-and-Coming category of Top Notch teams in the NBA with outstanding QUALITY DEPTH on their roster … which should allow them to replace a solid young player, like Martell Webster [No. 6 (overall) Draft Pick, 2005], with yet another solid youngster, like Jerryd Bayless [No. 11 (overall) Draft Pick, 2008], and insert him into the mix with the other burgeoning talents they have right now in the form of Greg Oden, Brandon Roy, Travis Outlaw. Rudy Fernandez, LaMarcus Aldridge, Channing Frye, Sergio Rodriguez, Ike Diogu, Nicolas Batum, etc.

It is pure nonsense for anyone … e.g. a casual fan, a so-called NBA Expert, or a real life GM … to think or suggest that an NBA team could conceivably have too many talented [and, therefore, highly serviceable] players on its roster … at any point in time, given the nature of the competition in this League, on a game-to-game basis.

Anyone who trys to tell YOU that Less is somehow equal to More, in this League … in regards to the overall QUALITY DEPTH on a specific team’s player roster … is quite simply doling out the KOOL-AID, big-time, to you.

Fore-warned is fore-armed; and, shame on you, if you choose to drink it.

Sometimes … fully animated pictures do tell the story much better than 1000’s of words ever could.

As I’ve said before …

the Lakers best do their part to win the NBA championship THIS year!

It’s been a stretch of 31 seasons, in Portland, but … it’s safe to say that,

The Mojo has now returned to The Rose Garden … for REAL … with ‘The 2nd Coming’.

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[Please Note: Someone NEEDS to make a Photoshop poster, right now, of these 6 Young Guns, together, in the Pacific Northwest, as they set off on 'the trail', in search of 'The Holy Grail', last seen in this part of the USA when the original 'Mountain Man' walked these hills, at the very apex of his game ... with the Final Destination already determined, in advance ... cause it says right here, that ... It's ONLY A MATTER OF TIME, for a wrecking crew like this.]