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soundman58's Blog

Return to blog listing -> What Could Have Been !
soundman58

May 18

What Could Have Been !

By soundman58
 Ive been thinking about how late game instant replay challenges could have affected the outcome of playoff
games past in the blazers playoff history ! If we would have late game instant replay challenges 2004  on back
might the playoff series turned out differently ? What about the playoff series against Dallas , which was
Zach Randolphs comming of age party  in becomming a  proficient low post scorer ! I remember a lot of calls
the referees called against us ,a lot of them seemed like phantom calls which went the Mavericks way , and
greatly affected the outcome of that playoff series. if we could have challenged  some of those calls with
late game instant replay challenges , might not that have swayed the series to give us even one more victory
which  could have won the series for us , and helped us move on to the semifinals ,who knows how far we
could have gone that year ! And what about the 2000 western conference finals against the hated Lakers,it
seemed like there was a lot of phantom calls that went against us ,that had late game instant replay challenges been in place could quite possibly swayed that unforgettable series our way ,and in that series
one more  victory would have made the difference for us and sent us on to play the Pacers ,which i dont
think there would have been a problem for the blazers to win ! One thing in that deciding 7th game which
the lakers won , which  could have changed the out come of the game,was when we were up by 15 points
with somewhere around 11 minutes or left, I remember coach Mike Dunleavy taking a timeout , we were red
hot and rollin , and were on a shooting roll. Even though the blazers were tired,If I were the coach , I would
have never taken that timeout ! i would have kept on going and rode them into the ground and had them
keep on playing,our hot shooting would have continued,and we might have had enough points to have
outscored the lakers and have won the game and moved on ! If Nate Mcmilliam ever gets in a position like
that again,  in a western conference final ,that he doesnt  take a timeout that would kill our shooting
momementum ,and just let us keep on playing till we have no more left to give ! But then again the team
we have now is alot different and younger than the team we had in 2000, and I think this team like that 2000
team has the heart of a champion , and the refuse to lose attitude ! Dont forget the 1999  playoff series
against the Spurs , I would have liked to seen a late game instant replay challenge against the famous call
the referees made on Shaun Elliot ,he had clearly stepped out of bounds on the 3 point series clincher,
I would have loved to have seen a late game instant replay challenge on that call , and other phantom
calls that I saw a lot of in that series, that might have helped  extend that playoff series,and dont forget
the 1993 playoff series against the spurs ,there were a lot of calls that went against us , That I would have
like to seen challenged ,late game instant replay style , a lot of ticky tack calls in that one. But I think the
one series in blazer playoff history where late game instant replay  challenges would have made a big
difference, was the 1991 western Conference Finals against the lakers. There were alot of fouls that went
against us ,a lot of them phantom calls that went against us ! There should had been a late game instant
replay challenge against Magic Johnson when he took the ball away from Cliff Robinson in the final seconds
Im sure he must have touched him the more I look at the play,although I think some one else other than
Cliff , would have been better suited to inbound the ball on that play. I would have either had Porter to
Ainge , or Ainge to Porter ,which ever would have gave us the best chance to get a shot off !  I also
wonder although this is another subject ,what might have happpened and youve porbably heard this many
times before , If we would have taken Michael Jordan in the draft ,he could played along side Clyde with
no problem,  Michael would have had to play  point guard , which he did latter in his career, or he could
have played his natural position ,and Clyde could have somehow played small forward. And might that been
enough to convince a Young Arvidas Sabonis to come over to play for us ,that would have been something
to see ! And what about the rumored trade of Charles Barkley comming over to play for us ,if Charles
would have been traded to us , we could have had a lineup which Included a Young Arvivdas  Sabonis,
a young Michael Jordan , a young Clyde Drexler,and last but least Charles Barkley.  Can you imagine what
it would have been like to see a team like that jell and grow together like that. I am sure it might have
started our championship run and at least brought us a few championship rings , and a team that could
have really challlenged the Lakers at the time on there own level. Just call this imaginary team the best
Blazer Team that never was !
Next Story: Odds And Ends !

1 Comments

  1. I am pretty tired of revisiting all this. If there would be a Federal Investigation on all this I am sure a LOT would come out that would drive us mad. As far as Sabonis goes, it wasn't he who didn't want to come over here, it was Lithuania's government that would not allow him to. Then only after their doctors botched a knee surgery on him did they allow him to play in the United States. With all the Jake O'Donnels and Tim Donaugheys in the league there are more skeletons in that closet than I think the league could withstand. It could kill the NBA when it all comes out. I think until the inevitable happens, I would rather pretend to live in ignorance and only visit these feelings during the regular season.

    by RipCityRevival on 5/18/2009 4:52 PM
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