Jan
11
A game like the Blazers played in Oakland really does take the stuffing out of you. Barrett didn’t blog, Freeman and Quick didn’t write for the Oregonian, ESPN didn’t have anything about Portland or GS in their Headlines. It was quite a painful game to watch. Playing an away game, on a back-to-back, flying in at 2am, with Blazer starters having played 40 minutes each the night before, playing a GS team who didn’t play the night before – who didn’t expect the game to be a bit sloppy or even ugly?
But, Oh My.
- Ben Margot /AP Photo
LA: Seriously dude?
Landry: Sorry
LA: That's smell horrible!
Landry: You sure that's me and not your team's play?
Shooting 23% through the first half, Lillard (3) and Hickson (2) were the only Blazers with more than 1 basket made – yikes. Then late in the 3rd quarter Lillard went “HAM” (as his mother described after the game) – an expression I am unfamiliar with, but gathered from the context she approved of his new career high, 37 point effort (7-12 from 3). I don’t recall Barrett or Rice ever calling “heat check” as a shot went up and it actually going in, but ya, that happened. Just an utter shame that no one else did much to help in that effort. The Blazers, I mean Lillard, cut it to 3 at one point, but came up empty. Portland just stunk up the place for too long this night. It appeared as though everyone retreated to taking the night off in hopes of perhaps collecting their thoughts in the morning.
I’m taking a different approach. I’m going to change the subject completely:
ESPN pre-season ranks and predictions!
ESPN Rookie of the Year predictions for 2012-2013
Anthony Davis (20 votes), Damian Lillard (11), Andre Drummond (2), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (1), Jared Sullinger (1).
News Flash: Lillard won
ESPN projected 2012-2013 Blazer record
Blazers 28.6 Wins 53.4 Losses
Chances the Blazers won’t win 9 out of a remaining 46 games? It’s gonna be an up road battle but I think they just might get 9.
ESPN 2012-2013 playoff chances for Portland
Blazers 0%
I am positive that is a typo, and they meant “Lakers 0%.”
And my favorite little nugget of not so spot-on-edness: the 104 "experts" that comprised the ESPN pre-season player rankings for 2012-2013. The current (as of January 11th) Yahoo! fantasy, ESPN Fantasy, and Hollingers Stats for each player are listed respectively.
Still thinking about that GS loss? I know, I know, I just reminded you. Ok, seriously, how awesomely not good were most of these ranks and predictions?