PRS’ own All-Star artist Maddison Bond sketched the L-Train to enshrine the Blazers latest All-Star.

On draft night in 2006, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Tyrus Thomas out of Louisiana State University  with the No. 4 pick. Nobody could argue the pick, LSU was fresh off a Final Four appearance in the NCAA tournament. Thomas wasn’t a dominant the entire tournament, but when the tournament progressed to it’s later stages, Thomas seemed to get better with every game.

 Against Duke in the Sweet Sixteen he scored nine points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and blocked five shots despite being limited to 25 minutes due to early foul trouble. But it was his next performance against LaMarcus Aldridge’s No. 2 seed Texas Longhorns that was the most impressive. In that game he scored 21 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and blocked three shots. LA was no where to be found this game and did not look to be a sure-fire NBA prospect. 

This, of course, didn’t discourage the Blazers’ front office from pulling the trigger on the draft day trade that sent Viktor Khyrapa (who?) and Thomas to Chicago for LaMarcus Aldridge and a conditional second round pick in the 2007 draft.

Draft night 2006, remember this kid?

As reported by Yahoo!’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter, LaMarcus Aldridge has been selected as a Western Conference reserve for the 2012 All-Star game in Orlando later this month. After a disappointing snub last year, Aldridge will represent the West for the first time in his six-year career. 

Averaging a career-high in points per game (23.7, good for fifth in the league), APER (23.27, 13th in the league), and field goal percentage (51.4%) this selection is in no way an apology for last season’s slight, but a recognition of another stellar season in Portland.  

Congratulations, LaMarcus, for the well-deserved nod. 

 *All stats are from hoopdata.com and no, I’m not counting Jeremy Lin’s APER in this list.

Rockets 103. Blazers 96. 

It doesn’t get any simpler than that. 

But after last night’s loss, Blazers fans are left pondering; What Would Pritchard Do?

Which is why I fully intend for the #WhatWouldPritchardDo hash tag campaign on Twitter to gain momentum with every head scratching defeat.

In light of this, I offer you a Pritchard inspired limerick; enjoy.

Kevin Pritchard is gone and won’t be back.
The Blazers could use his plan of attack.
Taking draft picks to stash,
and plenty of cash.
RIP Kevin, long live the Pritchslap.

Links:

• Mike Tokito of the Oregonian contrasts the coaching styles of Kevin McHale and Nate McMillan. McHale let his bench play a majority of the game, including all of the fourth quarter except a four minute appearance from Louis Scola. 

“Those other guys were playing well,” McHale said. “When you’ve got team where guys are playing well, you’ve got to reward the guys that are playing well, and they played well enough to finish the game.

• The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen has the Texas perspective on how last night’s game shook out.
• ESPN’s J.A. Adande has his take on LaMarcus Aldridge’s mother serving as an inspiration for an All-Star birth.
• Tokito also offers NBA High-5 where he looks at five NBA stories. Tokito looks to the Wall Street Journal to determine which colleges pump the highest paid athletes into the NBA. Ranking No. 1 was the University of North Carolina with the likes of Rasheed Wallace and Vince Carter stacking the most paper. 
• Jeremy Lin for the win. Ian Begley for ESPNNewYork explains why Lin is becoming a star in the Empire State. 
• Just in case you missed the highlight from last night’s Hornets/Bulls match up; Will Ferrell channeled his inner Jackie Moon.

Thoughts, ideas and challenges to 1-on-1 games, are happily accepted in the comments section. 

Towards the beginning of the first quarter, a goaltending call went Portland’s way after a Gerald Wallace layup was swatted after it had already hit the backboard. The crowd erupted—ironically, of course—and the PA system pumped through “Hallelujah” by Handel. Finally, the Refgate madness put to rest.

And with the exorcism of goaltending demons and the ridiculous outrage that came with them, the stage was set for Portland to bounce back after Monday’s emotional loss to Oklahoma City.

Problem, though, was that the Houston Rockets weren’t looking to roll over. Backed by skilled passing—the Rockets had twenty assists on twenty-six made field goals in the first half—Houston put on a clinic of wide open threes and easy shots around the rim. Portland found themselves limping to the half in a deep hole, giving up an uncharacteristic sixty points to the opposition.

The start of the third was no better. A few turnovers, a few missed shots, and the Blazers were on the wrong side of nineteen point lead, a rare occasion for a match in the Rose Garden. They were lacking both energy and focus.

But as goes Gerald Wallace, so go the Blazers. After three early turnovers in the quarter, Wallace visibly shifted into the aggressive video game version of himself. His defense tightened, poking and prodding at the ball at every occasion. His picks became violent. He started running the floor with a wild-eyed frenzy. He was trying to inspire his team.

Nicolas Batum took note. Jamal Crawford took note. The crowd took note. The energy that had previously been lacking came in tidal wave form. Portland forced ten turnovers in the third and ended the quarter on a 20-8 run.

Just like that, midway through the fourth, the Blazers had the lead and were looking primed to waltz into another home victory after a shaky start. But the Rockets knocked back and put up a quick eight straight unanswered points. The Blazers, gassed and frustrated, reverted to their first half selves, running choppy isolation plays on offense and letting Houston get to their spots on defense.

Again, late game execution (and not the refs) downed the Blazers.

The mood after the game was mixed, showcasing different reactions to the team’s recent struggles.

Nate McMillan was peeved, and kept talking about the two sides of his team. It’s clear that he’s frustrated, trying to find the right rotation of players. As it stands, it’s bench by committee, with whoever is hot getting extra time on the court. While McMillan scoffed at mixing up the starting lineup, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Nicolas Batum start to get some extended run. Anything to bring some more stability, as the team goes from outstanding to maddening with what McMillan called “flipping a switch.” He’s clearly grasping for some sort of middle ground, trying to accentuate the highs while minimizing the lows, looking for rotations that can excel on both ends of the floor.

Gerald Wallace was downright angry. Check out his quickness to get to the next question when it was said that the team wasn’t playing well.

Yeah, not happy. More than anyone, Wallace seems to be the one most affected by losses. He’s taking it personally when the team doesn’t play well, and spent a lot of time focusing on his own defensive shortcomings. The Gerald Wallace mantra is not made up—if he’s locked in, the team is locked in, and if he plays well, the team plays well. LaMarcus Aldridge is clearly this team’s best player, but Wallace could well be the most important cog in the (pin)wheel.

Aldridge, for his part, said he had been feeling sick all day. No surprise, seeing as how he slogged through one of his worst showings of the year. LaMarcus seemed tired, more than anything, and those postgame comments were coming from someone clearly in need of some rest.

Wesley Matthews seemed more frustrated than anyone. “What irks me is that I want to go back in my jersey and say run that back,” he said, “but you can’t, and you got to live with that.” He looked cagey, like he was ready to lace up the sneakers and go run for another couple of hours and try to get the stink of tonight’s loss off of him.

For every great win the Blazers have thrown up this year, it has typically been followed by an equalling frustrating loss. The team is clearly on edge, looking for some sort of solid foundation to plant themselves on. A commanding road win could do just that. Good thing the lowly Hornets are the next team on the schedule.

All I could think about the entire game was this: the days when we had this really great back court. Here’s to you Terry Porter, you didn’t end with us, but you’ll always be one of us. As usual, you can see my other works here.

I added two scoops of nostalgia to my coffee this morning.

What resulted was reminiscing about arguably the greatest 20 seconds in Trail Blazer history. Unfortunately, it’s not all puppies and rainbows today. The video echoes the notion that Portland does not have a clutch, go-to, crunch time scorer. Brandon Roy in that game hit not one, but two smooth jumpers in overtime to defeat a relentless Rockets team.

This season’s overtime 107-105 loss in Houston proved the Blazers don’t have consistency on a night-to-night basis. LaMarcus Aldridge is a rock. He’s bringing it every night. But have we seen him crave the ball in pressure situations? And besides who’s the Blazers’ second option when LA has an off night?

In the off-season, all the answers to these questions seem apparent. But sitting at a 14-11, nothing for Portland this season is obvious.

• The Oregonian has your preview and what to watch for in tonight’s contest against the Houston Rockets.
• The NBA released the location of the 2013 All-Star game. It’s to be played in Houston at Toyota Center on Sunday, Feb. 17. 
• Jason Quick at the Oregonian writes that the being selected for the All-Star is not only important for LaMarcus Aldridge, but also for his mother. For those who don’t know, in 2010 Aldridge’s mother was dianosed with breast cancer. She’s now cancer-free but hopes Aldridge will make the All-Star list after being snubbed last year.

It has been quite the quest for the two of them, Georgia trying to beat breast cancer at the same time Aldridge has been fighting for the ultimate sign of respect in a career he views as filled with slights. They are two different struggles, but they have both been therapeutic for the other. For Georgia, her son’s play has provided a reprieve from the sickening treatments and the frightening scenarios of her illness. And for LaMarcus, his mother’s cancer has provided perspective that basketball isn’t everything. 

• Rest assured brethren, “the goaltend” is officially incorrect. The NBA issued a statement yesterday reviewing the play, “With the benefit of slow motion replay following the game, it has been determined that Aldridge made contact with the ball just before the ball hit the backboard. Therefore, this should have been ruled a good block and goaltending was the incorrect call,” a spokesperson said on NBA.com
•  CBS Sports’ Ken Berger says, despite the NBA lockout, the NBA is still putting out a better product than the college game. Do you think college’s top teams – Kentucky, North Calorina, Ohio State – could beat the NBA’s worst? 

Thoughts, ideas and challenges to 1-on-1 games, are happily accepted in the comments section.

Done talking about the game, let’s just revel in our all-star. For other NBA related art follow me back here.

In most cases, Texas on Texas violence is a reason to rejoice.  

But after Texas alum LaMarcus Aldridge was called for goaltending on what looked to be a game-clinching block against fellow Texas alum Kevin Durant, Rip City is feeling sucker-punched. 

And rightfully so after the result was an uninspired overtime period, and a second Blazers loss at home this season.

Sigh.

On to the links:

• Mike Tokito at the Oregonian says the Aldridge’s goaltend is not the sole reason for the loss. 

It should also be noted that the call alone did not lose the game for Portland. Remember, Nicolas Batum had a shot at a game-winning basket but was blocked by Russell Westbrook, a play that seemed as if it might be a foul, but which replays showed was instead a spectacular effort by Westbrook. In overtime, the Blazers bogged down on offense badly, shooting 1 for 9 from the field. 

Also, Portland was absolutely killed on the backboards, getting outrebounded 59 to 39 and giving up 22 second-chance points.

• Aldridge is playing like an All-Star, but would the Blazers rather have a closer to finish games? The Oregonian’s Jason Quick, says that while Aldridge certainly is the go-to man in PDX, his lack of a late game heroics is why the Blazers have blown close games. “Never has the retirement of Brandon Roy this season been felt so much as in late-game situations for the Blazers, who find themselves routinely in position to win games, but painfully absent when it comes time to do what made Roy a legend around here: closing,” Quick said. 
• The Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry chalked up last night’s 111-107 Thunder victory over the Trail Blazers as the toughest win for Oklahoma City yet. Tough win, sure. Tough way to lose a game? Absolutely. 
• Truehoop Network sister site Daily Thunder’s Royce Young recaps the Thunder’s triumph over the Blazers. Young’s thoughts on the goaltend:

I think KD’s little grin while he was watching the replay says it all. It appeared to be a block. At least that’s the side I’m going to take after watching it with my face two inches from the screen about 60 times. I think the point is, that’s not a good call to make either way in that situation. Because full speed, it’s nearly impossible to tell. I think if we were being honest here, Thunder fans would be a tad upset if they were on the other end of that. 

• J.A. Adande for Truehoop resurrects the trite question of what the Blazers could have blossomed into had they chosen to draft Kevin Durant and managed to stay healthy in the process:

It’s hard to forget the Thunder’s roots when they play a big Northwest Division game within driving distance of Seattle, just as with Kevin Durant in town, it’s hard not to imagine what the alternate course the Blazers could follow if they had picked him over Greg Oden with the first pick in the 2007 draft — or if Oden and Brandon Roy could have functional knees to give Portland a duo to match Oklahoma City’s Durant and Russell Westbrook (with LaMarcus Aldridge in Rip City to boot). 

• Bigger news to spring from Harvard this week; Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook filing to be an intial public offering, or Harvard graduate Jeremy Lin starting and leading the Knicks to victory. Lin dropped 28 points last night to lead an Amare-less and Carmelo-less Knicks squad to victory. It’s his second 20+ point performance in as many games. 
• Bill Simmons’ journalistic career could be winding up. He finally interviewed Larry Bird on his podcast. 

Thoughts, ideas and challenges to 1-on-1 games, are happily accepted in the comments section.

Here are a few stats from the Blazers’ Monday home loss to the Thunder:

Oklahoma City rebounds: 59

Portland rebounds: 39

Oklahoma City fast-break points: 20

Portland fast-break points: 7

Oklahoma City second-chance points: 22

Portland second-chance points: 14

Scott Foster’s goaltending call on LaMarcus Aldridge was awful. There’s no getting around that. The game should have been 103-101 with six seconds remaining in regulation. It’s very possible that the Blazers would have won had the correct call been made. But had Aldridge’s block stood, Oklahoma City would have had the ball back with more than enough time to execute a final play for either Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook to tie or win the game. The call absolutely shifted momentum in the Thunder’s favor in the waning seconds of regulation, but a Blazers victory was no sure thing regardless.

You’re not going to win too many games being outrebounded by 20. Aside from Marcus Camby grabbing his usual 15 boards, the most any Blazer pulled down was six. Throughout the game Portland was outhustled for every rebound and every loose ball. Serge Ibaka alone had seven offensive rebounds and created lots of second-chance opportunities for himself.

And then there’s Portland’s continued inability to finish fast-break opportunities, which has been a problem all season. All night, the Blazers’ guards looked tentative in the open court, where Westbrook and James Harden were relentless on the other end. They also blew two late-game possessions that could have put the game away, one ending in a shot-clock violation and the other ending in a forced Aldridge turnaround jumper that had no prayer. That they were even as close as they were is a testament to the scoring prowess of Aldridge.

So, yeah. The goaltending call sucked. It happens. And I get that the solidarity of a collective declaration that your team got jobbed provides catharsis for a lot of fans. But putting all the blame on officiating for the outcome of a game is only warranted in extreme cases, like game six of the 2002 Western Conference Finals. This was not that. What it was is a game the Blazers had plenty of opportunities to win that they simply did not take advantage of, and that will unfortunately be obscured by one ill-advised whistle. ]]>http://www.portlandroundballsociety.com/home/rss-comments-entry-14912051.xmlPortland Roundball SocietyTue, 07 Feb 2012 06:41:17 +0000http://www.portlandroundballsociety.com/home/2012/2/6/rapid-reaction-portland-111-oklahoma-city-107-ot.html483152:5484214:14911736

Oklahoma City Thunder

111

Final Recap | Box Score

107

Portland Trail Blazers

	Gerald Wallace, SF 38 MIN | 2-9 FG | 0-0 FT | 5 REB | 4 AST | 4 PTS | -1 When the Blazers went into Oklahoma City in January and beat the Thunder, Gerald Wallace had 13 points and 10 boards. Monday’s performance—half as productive as in the team’s first meeting—left much to be desired. As you know by now, when Gerald Wallace paves the way the Blazers follow…
	LaMarcus Aldridge, PF 44 MIN | 14-28 FG | 11-11 FT | 6 REB | 3 AST | 39 PTS | -4 I’d be remiss to totally dismiss 39 points because of a bad play or two, but Aldridge’s deferring to Kurt Thomas on the Blazers’ penultimate play is a pretty substantial knock. It almost seems as if Aldridge wanted to offload the responsibility of the big shot. The Thunder have two guys who salivate for those kind of moments. Do the Blazers have one? Also, a few more rebounds would’ve gone a long way.
	Marcus Camby, C 32 MIN | 4-11 FG | 0-0 FT | 15 REB | 3 AST | 8 PTS | -10 The only Blazer who could seem to get his hands on a rebound, Monday.
	Jamal Crawford, G 45 MIN | 6-18 FG | 3-3 FT | 2 REB | 5 AST | 17 PTS | 0 Inserted into the starting lineup in place of an injured Ray Felton, Crawford doesn’t really get himself going, nor the team around him. Plays a whopping 45 minutes and scores 17 points but it takes 18 shots to get there. Also, like Aldridge, Crawford bungles a few plays down the stretch. On defense, fails to body up Westbrook, who pulls down 11 rebounds for the OKC.
	Wesley Matthews, G 36 MIN | 6-9 FG | 4-5 FT | 3 REB | 4 AST | 18 PTS | -1 Considering Matthews’ recent struggles, this one looks like a relative bright spot. Got a rare dunk, but still not truly on track from three point land.
	Nolan Smith, G 8 MIN | 1-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 1 AST | 2 PTS | -2 Despite the opportunity for Smith, a result of Felton’s injury, Coach McMillan keeps the reigns tight. A rookie—and especially a rookie point guard—needs a little more time to settle in if they’re going to be effective.