Joel Pryzbilla is out for the year with a broken hand

[redbearde]

Now, you might be saying, "Gosh redbearde, what the fuck are you telling us about that useless lump for?"

here's the thing - without Joel, they have NO inside presence. At all. No shotblocking aside from Outlaw...there will likely be 3 offensive rebounds for the rest of the year for them......and he's their only strong interior defender.

all gone. He's a HUGE loss for them.

We're talking about 30 rebounds/game the rest of the way for the blazers.....with Greg Oden already out, this was the exact wrong thing to have happen to the blazers. They're not a good rebounding team already, and with Aldridge being the rebounding linchpin now, you can just forget it. He loves to fall away and shoot jumpers, and he's just not strong enough to compete on the interior.

here's who they face now.

Next Five Games
Tue, Apr 8 LA Lakers 10:00 pm
Fri, Apr 11 at Sacramento 10:00 pm
Sat, Apr 12 Dallas 10:00 pm
Tue, Apr 15 Memphis 10:00 pm
Wed, Apr 16 Phoenix 10:00pm

do the matchup math putting LaFrentz into Joel's spot. Begin laughing now.

opcorn:

There might not be any value in taking the Lakers, but I would expect a TON of value in Sacramento...and I would expect an absolute SPANKING dished out by the Kings. ...and Memphis may well bust out another long-awaited road win. Wouldn't that be hysterical?

I think this loss actually hurts the blazers more than losing Roy does - yes, Roy is a better player, but they have other guys who can imperfectly do what Roy does. They just don't have anyone to replace Joel......a lot.

:hang:

do with this information what you wish.

 

[redbearde]

one other thing...

There was a bet between Joel and the Blazers trainer. If Joel played in every game, the trainer would have to kiss his ass at midcourt during halftime in the last game of the season.

Looks like Joel loses. I wonder what he does lose........maybe he has to get a tattoo of a giant penis on his skull now....

 

[cogenman]

LOL at the tattoo. But yeah, the loss of Joel will be huge. Like you said, he was their only inside presence.

 

[lifesallover]

All that I can say is thank god this injury didn't happen a month ago. This group of Blazers may be one of the worst team products west of Miami with the loss of Joel. You've already stated everything that matters.

I'd stay away from the LAL game just because they are Portlands biggest rival, and there's know telling how they will come out in that game. We typically play them very competitively.

Sacramento seems to have our number, Mikki Moore should have 6+ offensives rebounds in that game. And they likely won't be laying that much chalk.

Phoenix should roll as well (another team we have had no answer for the past few years). as the Pryzbilla/Shaq matchup is always entertaining. Raef should fall out of that ball game half way through the 2nd period. The idea of Channing Frye trying to fight for position against O'Neal, will be downright comical if not criminal. Amare and Shaq should outrebound the entire Blazers team, probably 20-25 point route for the Suns as they head into the playoffs feeling pretty good about themselves.

I don't know that I agree with some of the criticism to Aldridge, I think he'll be the x-factor the rest of the way. His rebound numbers are inexcusable for his height+length, but a large reason for that is coach likes him to break out earlier and run the floor on fastbreaks to get easy layups or set up deep post position early in the shot clock, so he's hard to gauge. But as far as being soft, it depends. The past month or so, he's really started to come into his own as far as low post offense is considered. He still loves the midrange jumper (and rightly so, he's one of the best shooting PFs in the league), but he's been getting a lot better and more consistent when it comes to interior scoring.

Either way, these last 5 games are going to be some of the worst; most painful games to watch, if your a fan of good basketball.

I just hope the Blazers and Blazer fans take these last few games for they are, and keep in perspective that though the average margin of defeat will probably be around 15 points, to not let the optimism that they've built all year come crashing down.

I second the notion that Joel, with this roster, for this season, was a bigger factor for team success than Roy or any other Blazer.

 

[redbearde]

Aldridge has been better recently, you're right. We'll see how he does now. I wasn't meaning to crap on him, really; I just meant that it isn't his strong suit...or, well, hasn't been.

I haven't bet on the Lakers, and I've been leaning away from it...maybe I'll take a 2H wager. dunno. But I do think Mikki Moore will be able to push him out of the paint with relative ease, and I just can't see the Blazers being able to compete with em.

Any other year, bro, and this blazers team makes the playoffs. crazy crazy crazy. ....and scary for the rest of the division next year.

:shake:

 

[wreck]

before I read this thread all I could think was,

"and this deserves a post why?"

 

[redbearde]

I hope the thread made clear the answer to that question.

 

[brewer]

Sabonis gonna sign a 10 day contract for em?

 

[redbearde]

dunno...they recalled Josh McRoberts from the d-league....

 

[JumpOnBoard]

Sabonis gonna sign a 10 day contract for em?

:36_11_6:

 

[STEED]

boo hoo

 

[redbearde]

ya STEED, I knew you would want to see someone slobber all over Joel's ass, but you'll have to get that at 'the club'......sorry.

 

[lifesallover]

I haven't bet on the Lakers, and I've been leaning away from it...maybe I'll take a 2H wager. dunno. But I do think Mikki Moore will be able to push him out of the paint with relative ease, and I just can't see the Blazers being able to compete with em.

If the game is relatively close (less than 10 points) at halftime, the Lakers 3rd Quarter is probably the best play that this matchup will provide. Blazers time and time again get crushed in the 3rd quarter, outside of rebounding, it's been the Blazers biggest weakness all year long. We can usually match the intensity the first 24 minutes, but it seems like 3rd quarter our opponents just come out with a lot more fire than us. Which is also why we are among the leading teams in 4th quarter comebacks.

In the three match-ups with the Lakers so far this season, the Lakers have won the 3rd quarter by 10, 10 and 6. And yet the Blazers somehow comeback in the 4th to cover (all three games this year, and are 21-6 ATS in the last 27 meetings). It'd be easy to fade the Blazers in this matchup, and rightly so, but bettor be ware, the Blazers treat the Lakers unlike any other team in the league, and it's a game of match up for the Blazers, espacially at home to the chants of 'Beat L.A.'

Any other year, bro, and this blazers team makes the playoffs. crazy crazy crazy. ....and scary for the rest of the division next year.

:shake:

Unless Rudy Fernandez comes over from Spain, I think the Blazers are on the outside looking in, once again. If he comes over and is able to step in and score immediately like he's capable (compared to Manu Ginobili).

My concern for next year, is the piece the Blazers are counting on putting us over the hump in Oden, the guy who fills the Blazers current weaknesses is going to be a rookie next year, and just as we saw this year, with the young talent, there is a rookie wall G.Od is going to hit, and unfortunately it's going to come right at the height of a tight playoff race we hope to be involved in. So if he hits the wall and starts fading down the stretch, I'm not sure we make the playoffs next year either.

All of the teams currently 1-9 are not likely to shake up their rosters, and are going to be in the same situation next year, and I'm not sure the Blazers will improve next year enough to cross that threshold.

It'll be very interesting to see what happens with Rudy, considering he has expressed a lot of concerns about coming to the states, based on the situation with Sergio Rodriguez (A close close friend of Rudy's) who hasn't gotten any minutes (and rightly so), nevertheless Rudy has stated he doesn't want the same situation to happen to him, and is leaning towards staying in spain for atleast one more year.

 

[lifesallover]

:tiphat: Blazers take the season series 3-1 over the Lakers. Should catch the Kings with some good value on friday.

My one concern with that game is the Blazers really want to finish this season .500 or better. With four games left, at 39-39, @Sac, Dal, Mem, @Pho. The Blazers are going to be eyeing Sac and Memphis as must win games inorder to finish 41-41. So this game on friday is going to be very important to the players. With that said, the Kings have had our number, Kings are probably still the play. Hope you laid off the game tonight Red, and away from my bad advice on the 3rd quarter Blazer fade, lol.

 

[Throwback420]

just cuz the lakers D made Frye look like Baby Sheed

 

[BuckytheBadger]

Are they thinking of bringing back Kevin Duckworth? They could really sure up that PF position with the resigning of lets say a JEROME KERSEY.

 

[lifesallover]

Are they thinking of bringing back Kevin Duckworth? They could really sure up that PF position with the resigning of lets say a JEROME KERSEY.

Duckworth fell on some hard times, and turned to every fast food joint in america

And this picture is almost flattering, by his standards today.