So instead of talking Celtics with all of you out there (I assume that's no more than Mom, Tyler and Asian Dave), I thought I'd take this time to tell y'all that I am going to see the Blazers (my other home team and mistress) play against Kevin Durant and the artists formerly known as the Sonics (instead of changing their name to some fruity symbol, these guys adopted the fruity name of "Thunder" and changed into some nice computer blue uniforms to really drive the point home). I am sure that at least two of you laughed at this without needing an explanation, but for those of you going "huh?," that was actually a two tiered Prince joke, so allow me to take a bow... Thank you.
Where was I? Oh right, live NBA action tonight, get psyched! Although the Thunder are one of the Association's worst squads, I'm actually really excited to go watch the game in Portland's lovely Rose Garden tonight. First of all, live NBA is always astonishing and entertaining because it really lets you see the combination of size, grace and speed that most NBA players have. Yes, you can appreciate the athleticism of KG, LaMarcus Aldridge or Amare Stoudemire on TV, but there's just something different about watching the game live that adds a whole new dimension of understanding and appreciation of the physical gifts of an elite NBA player.
Secondly, tonight's game will be my first opportunity to watch a pair of young stars in Kevin Durant and Greg Oden and evaluate them without the intermediary of television (again, there's just something different about seeing it live). I'm excited to see Durant in person, because he's not only super talented and possibly going to be one of the greatest players of this era, but because I hardly ever get to see him play (neither the Thunder nor the Sonics were/are regular staples on ESPN and TNT). Comparisons to Alex English and Ice Gervin are already happening with Durant, so I feel obligated to bear witness and see for myself.
I'm also excited to see Greg Oden play in person, and not because he's super tall and I want to see in person just how tall he actually is (already had the opportunity to do that when we saw him in the club for his 21st birthday. And yes, he is really, really, really, really tall). I'm more interested in observing Oden as he moves around the court and how he plays within the flow of the game. Though he's steadily improved in most areas of his game this year, there are still times where Greg can be a bit disruptive to his team's rhythm on offense. Because he doesn't have any reliable scoring moves in the low post and because his handle and footwork are still progressing, Greg has to do a lot of hard work to get a look at the basket which has thrown off his team's timing in the past. Add to that the fact that he is turnover prone, and you can see how his presence, gigantic and intimidating as it is, can be occasionally more detrimental than helpful to his team.
So what do I expect from Greg? Post moves like Duncan or McHale, passing like C-Webb, and defense like Bill Russell? Not yet. I realize that Greg is a first year player and that he's experiencing the inevitable growing pains that come from having to adjust your game to the NBA level. Everyone goes through these, and big men doubly so. Heck, look at Kevin Durant's first year. He was chucking up so many bad shots even Allen Iverson blushed, but now he's efficient and could be an All-Star player as early as next season. So while I don't expect Greg to be the best center in the game or to even validate his selection over Durant in the 2007 NBA Draft, I want to see some signs of improvement in his game, perhaps just a flash or two of brilliance that shows some of the hard work he's put in this year. After seeing somebody play live, you can definitely get a feel for where they're headed and what they can do that's unlike anything you can experience through watching the game on TV.
Oh yeah, the third reason I'm excited to see this game is that the Thunder play at a fast pace and have been known to be negligent on defense, so the Blazers should have no problem filling it up tonight. It will also be interesting to see if Portland can get out in transition a bit more (something I've been dying to see from them) and get some easy baskets to establish a rhythm. I get that the Blazers like to play a controlled tempo game and grind it out with defense, ball movement and good shot selection, but they should run more, plain and simple. they don't have to be the Knicks or Philly or Golden State, but the Blazers need to get easy baskets in transition. They should model themselves after a good team like the Spurs, Celtics, Hornets or Cavs, all of whom play a controlled tempo style and rely on defense to grind out wins, but run when they can in order to get easy baskets. Turning good defense into easy offense is a huge part of what makes all of these teams so good, and it's what has won the Spurs so many championships in the last decade (not solely, obviously, but definitely to a much higher degree than people realize).
Not only is it a winning style to push the ball in certain spots, but the Blazers have ideal personnel to become one of these teams. They have a play-making point guard who is creative and brilliant with the ball on offense (Sergio Rodriguez), guys who can spot up for three-pointers in transition and stretch an already off balance defense (Rudy Fernandez, Steve Blake and Martell Webster when healthy), a slasher who can score with either hand at the rim (Brandon Roy) and a pair of long, athletic, explosive forwards with great hands in dire need of more easy basket opportunities (Aldridge and Travis Outlaw). Combine their personnel who seem tailor made for transition offense (seriously, LaMarcus Aldridge was made to run the break) with their defensive tenacity and ability to rebound the hell out of the ball with just two guys, and there will be ample opportunities for the Blazers to get easy scores off of their defense in the future. I suppose I can dream about it all I want, but tonight I may just get the chance to see if it could ever be a reality. I may be coming back with some analysis/reaction after the game depending on my state of mind, but it will likely come tomorrow at some point.
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