Rip City Reflections

Feb 02

Once again, Blazer fans turned on their televisions, hoping and expecting a win from one of the most competitive teams in the western conference, a team that has beaten OKC, Denver, and both LA teams. Seeing the opposing team as the Sacramento Kings, this seemed all but assured. But then they realized that the game was on the road and it was lost before the game even began. How is it possible that a team that demolishes a team by 40 points one night loses to a sub .500 team the next? I understand the physical demands of the condensed season, but this constant underperformance by the team on the road is still immensely frustrating.
Gerald Wallace exemplifies this perhaps better than any other player on the team. At home, he is the consumate energy guy, getting hustle points and boards, but on the road he seems to fade into the woodwork. Once again he proved this rule, going for just 8 points tonight. Perhaps the one steady player throughout this entire stretch has been LA. Once again he provided a 20+ performance and pulled down rebounds, but even he could not save the Blazers from themselves.
What does this mean going forward? Well obviously the team has to make a shift, but they should have recognized this already. It's time for Aldridge to step up past his steady performance and have leadership performance. He needs to be able to motivate the guys in the locker room to go beyond themselves and finish. If he is not able to do this, it might be time to chalk this season up as another one in mediocrity and start planning for free agency.