| New Attitude Leading To Victories Authored by Holly Bromeland - November 15, 2006 - 1:26 pm
The Young Portland Trailblazers have been of to an impressive 4-3. What makes this team different?
The Attitude
Last year the Blazers were a team without a heart. If they were down 10 in middle of the fourth, they simply threw in the towel. This year all the wins have come by heroic rallies. On Friday, they overcame a 27 point deficit to beat the New Orleans Hornets. It is more then just wining. It is the way multiple players will fight for a loose ball. It is how they have slowly become one of the better free throw shooting teams. It is the way they are grabbing the boards with a sense of urgency. These little things were neglected last year, which resulted in sloppy play and made it unbearable to watch. These little things are giving fans a reason to cheer.
Zach Randolph
This guy has made a complete turn around. Last year he was settling for long jump shots and being timid on the boards. This year he is all around beast in the paint. His numbers speak for themselves: 27.3 ppg and 10.3 rebs. He is trusting his team mates by passing out of the double team. Randolph is even showing signs of effort on the defensive end. This is huge. Zach Randolph is the most talented player on this roster; his success is directly correlated with the team's success.
Roy for ROY
Brandon Roy has shown that he is worth all the hype. He is a difference maker player. He has shown intelligence, versatility, and leadership. All of this while playing through a heel injury! The Blazers will be cautious of this injury, because they know he is the future of this team. However, I suspect once the pain has subsided he will be back with a vengeance and continue his campaign for Rookie of the Year.
Signs of growing up
Travis Outlaw has been impressive and instrumental in the Blazers’ victories. At the home opener against the Timberwolves he had his best NBA game to date with 18 pts ,15 rebs. This Friday, he had a career high 6 blocks against the hornets
Jarrett Jack is showing fans why Steve Patterson traded away Sebastian Telfair and Steve Blake to give him reigns of the point guard. Although he is a little high in turnovers, overall he has had solid play. He is also one of the league's leaders in steals.
Martell Webster’s stat sheet isn't too impressive, but he is showing signs of maturity. He is not settling for dumb shots and isn't afraid to drive it in the lane. He also isn't afraid to take a big shot in a clutch situation. I suspect as the season progresses so will he will continue to improve.
The Blazers are an impressive 4-3 despite being hampered with injuries. They have been without all these players for multiple games: Darius Miles, Joel Przybilla, Raef LeFrentz, LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy. Imagine what they can do once they get healthy!
Holly Bromeland can be reached at holly.bromeland@gmail.com for comments on this article. |
