A Comparison: NOT A RANT
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 20, 2010 8:05 AM CDT
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PrintThis season, this Packers team is devastated by injuries.
Al Harris is on PUP. Nick Barnett and Jermichael Finley are out for possibly the entire season with injuries. Ryan Grant was put on IR. Cullen Jenkins is playing with a broken HAND.
This team just reminds me so much of last year's Portland Trailblazers. Their players missed 311 games to injury combined. 311.
This Packers team could finish with a record number of games missed to injury by impact players. After the jump: comparisons from us to the Trail Blazers.
1. Brandon Roy <- -> Aaron Rodgers. These players are leaders for their team, and they are sweet to watch at the top of their game. Roy missed games last year with a hamstring injury; Rodgers could have missed time with a concussion but didn't (fortunately for us; we'd have lost 39-13 without him).
2. LaMarcus Aldridge <- -> B.J. Raji. Both of these players are young big guys (but Aldridge is nowhere near Raji's weight whatsoever and that's a GOOD thing!) who can do whatever their coaches ask of them. You might not notice Raji, but he's having an impact on every play; and he can rush the passer as well as clog the middle on running plays.
3. Donald Driver <- -> Andre Miller. While Miller might have been acquired just last season, his longevity sets him apart; he has played in over 600 consecutive games in the NBA. Driver's toughness and slipperiness after the catch set him apart as a great complement to Greg Jennings.
4. Nicolas Batum <- -> Al Harris. Love him or hate him, Harris is a great one-on-one defender and he and Woodson are an excellent CB combo. Batum is the best one-on-one defender Portland has. What else do they have in common? Well, Batum was out for a stunningly long time to start out the year but returned at just the right moment to help his team; Harris hopefully returns this week and we badly need him.
5. Greg Oden <- -> Jermichael Finley. While the Packers didn't use the number one selection to draft Finley, he's still an amazing athlete and one of the best TEs in the NFL when healthy. Oden has been a great NBA center when he's been healthy, but injuries have felled him the last few seasons. Both of these players are great physical talents, and while Jermichael Finley might not be stopping opponents at the rim, he's always one of Rodgers's best options in the passing game.
6. Nick Barnett <- -> Joel Przybilla. Joel went down at a bad time (I think a week of Oden's knee injury) and is expected to be out quite a while. He was a great 2nd option at C, but his absence forced the Trailblazers to start the great Juwan Howard at C and play small-ball for a while with Aldridge. Barnett's absence will hurt defensively, and we're not sure how well his replacement will fare.
Someone want to bring in Marcus Camby before the deadline?
7. Charles Woodson <- -> Marcus Camby. While Camby was a recent acquisition, his mettle as a great defensive player has been proven. Woodson was the defensive player of the year a year ago and is a great, aggressive cover CB who revitalized his career in Green Bay.
8. Brandon Jackson <- -> Jerryd Bayless. People question both selections, but when Jackson gets a great carry, you know it. They are both great young talent who get sent to the bench at weird times in weird situations. Bayless might actually have the better end of the deal (because we love BJax's 4.6 YPC, we don't call his number when we should) as he's still got a lot to prove in the NBA; Jackson is a guy whose potential we already know.
9. Martell Webster <- -> Tramon Williams. Webster quietly turned in a successful season and didn't miss a single game; Tramon Williams is off to a great start this season and hopefully can do the same.
Hopefully we don't trade Tramon Williams to the Timberwolves after the season for no good reason... (bitterness)
10. Nate McMillan <- -> Mike McCarthy. Both coaches get lambasted by their fans after painful losses (i.e., Jazz sweep for Nate, Washington and Miami for McCarthy) and make odd decisions at the weirdest times, but they still managed to pull out stunning victories in which they make the fans go "I didn't know this team could do THAT!" (i.e., a stunning knockout of the Nuggets on Christmas for Nate and a stunning blowout of Dallas for Mike). No word on whether Nate's challenging skills are better than Mike's, but chances are they have to be (considering how Mike still doesn't understand when to and when NOT to throw the red flag).
Got any others?
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I think it compares very nicely to the 2008 Packers and the lost season. I hope we can pull out a FEW more wins than that year though
It's probably one of the very few times that the Portland Trail Blazers
will wind up on an NFL blog.
I had to do it lol.
What did you think of the comparisons?
Wisconsin, throwing the Big Ten into chaos since the beginning of time...
I was fined $15,000 by David Stern for complaining about the officiating...
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 20, 2010 1:53 PM CDT up reply actions
REC
I loved it. The comparisons were spot on. As a huge basketball fan, I had the same thought about the Packers=Blazers, but didn’t go as in-depth with it as you.
How about Rudy Fernandez? An electrifying player who made some great plays, but had a down year overall. Who does that sound like?
Rudy Fernandez seems a lot like Jordy Nelson. Fortunately, Nelson doesn’t toy with the idea of ditching his team for Spain every fifteen seconds…
Rudy’s spot on the bench is a valuable part of Portland’s rotation and I’m certain they appreciate that.
Wisconsin, throwing the Big Ten into chaos since the beginning of time...
I was fined $15,000 by David Stern for complaining about the officiating...
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 20, 2010 6:50 PM CDT up reply actions
James Jones would probably work as well.
Although after the addition of Wesley Matthews and the young talent on the wings, I think Rudy is expendable. Try to trade him for a serviceable big to bolster that frontcourt.
Anyone else think the Blazers could go all the way if they stay healthy? They have the kind of roster that can match up with anybody.
I think Portland could go all the way if they could remain healthy.
But before anyone can talk NBA Finals, the Blazers have to take at least two from the Lakers, Spurs, and Jazz. Those five teams and the Suns are still the bona fide contenders in the West.
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 20, 2010 11:22 PM CDT up reply actions
You serious?
What about the Timberwolves? I kid, I kid.
by packallday555 on Oct 21, 2010 3:54 PM CDT up reply actions
Hey!
Don’t you talk trash about the T’Wolves. They signed Anthony Tolliver, so they’re obviously moving in the right direction. The SB fans are pretty nice too.
They're moving in the wrong direction
as they somehow expected Alando Tucker to contribute something in, oh, about 30 seconds of court-time in a couple games late in the year…after he’d spent a couple years on the Suns’ bench.
FAIL. Personnel decisions like that are why the T-Wolves are a bottom 4 NBA team. You need to give someone like Tucker reps or he WON’T be a factor.
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 21, 2010 8:39 PM CDT up reply actions
I feel so bad for Alando.
I really wanted to see him crack the rotation in Phoenix. he seemed like such a nice guy and produced pretty well in the limited minutes he received.
But like I said, they did sign Anthony Tolliver, and that’s as quality a decision as you can make. The fans already love him.
BTW,
I’m planning on attending Creighton next year. That’s where the AT love is coming from. He’s my all-time favorite Jay.
Going in undecided?
I sorta wish I’d done that…but there’s an insane emphasis at UWEC on declaring as speedily as humanly possible.
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 21, 2010 10:01 PM CDT up reply actions
Well the nice thing is...
You usually get 1.5-2 years to really get settled in before you declare a major. Take all those stupid GenEd crap and then go from there. But going in undecided is not a good thing, just ask your pocket book on the way out!!! STROH’ING THAT LAST POINT!!!! YEAAHHH!!!!!
But seriously in this job market, you will want to get done fast, have connections and a network setup, and hopefully that is enough to get a job, otherwise get a masters if no job.
Pick that major wisely as well. There are honestly some pretty crappy ones that guarantee you will be unemployed and strapped for cash. This message is brought to you by the words “philosophy major” and ‘bartender,’ because that is what two of my college peers are doing right now.
My opinion, which I wish I did instead, was get something in engineering. Those are the bling ones.
by Bush League All Star on Oct 21, 2010 10:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Eh, pocket book isn't a worry for me
Step-father GI Benefits FTW.
But I know some people who are thinking they may not be here next semester simply because costs are so much.
In another note… My roommate can proudly claim he was the first detox case of the schoolyear at UWEC. Really, he can.
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 22, 2010 12:13 AM CDT up reply actions
Oh yeah. A buddy of mine from my AAU team plays basketball at Creighton.
by packallday555 on Oct 22, 2010 9:52 AM CDT up reply actions
That boy can stroke it.
One of the quickest releases I’ve seen. Give him an inch of space and he’s gonna burn ya.
One of the few bright spots from last season.
He sure can. When he gets hot, watch out. The same could be said for when he’s cold though too haha.
How did he look in other aspects of his game? Like off the dribble and on defense?
by packallday555 on Oct 23, 2010 10:23 AM CDT up reply actions
Lol. I think I know what that really means :).
by packallday555 on Oct 24, 2010 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions
I figured you'd get it.
He doesn’t really dribble much at all, and his footspeed isn’t exactly great. He fouled a lot last year playing mostly PF. This year he’ll probably play both SF and PF. I’m just hoping he watches some Kyle Korver tape and tries to follow that model.
Extend Jared Dudley!
Yeah he’s got pretty slow feet haha. He’s probably best suited as a SF. He doesn’t have a whole lot of post moves, aside from either fading away to his right or left, which probably doesn’t work now that he’s playing with the big boys.
by packallday555 on Oct 24, 2010 1:38 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, we were lacking in size last year.
We were playing 6’4" guys at PF sometimes, so Ethan was at least a bit taller. We have more size coming this year, so he may not be asked to play there as much.
The question is whether or not he can move his feet to stay with perimeter guys defensively.
Extend Jared Dudley!
I don’t really see it but who knows, maybe he’ll be able too.
by packallday555 on Oct 24, 2010 6:24 PM CDT up reply actions
Oh man, don’t even get me started on the T’Wolves. Kahn is an idiot. Listening to him talk about all these “assets” we have, as if those “assets” are big time players who are going to get the teams wins makes me want to puke. He butchered the hell out of this past seasons draft too. Too me, taking Johnson over Cousins was a huge mistake.
Minute for minute, there probably wasn’t a more efficient player in college basketball season. The guy can do it all. How you can pass up a 7’0" 300 lb. big man, who already has a developed down low game and the athleticism of a guard is beyond me.
by packallday555 on Oct 22, 2010 9:56 AM CDT up reply actions
I just don't know.
Martell Webster will be the T-Wolves MVP this year. He didn’t miss a beat last year and is a good 3-point shooter. I’m still mad the Trail Blazers dumped him.
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 22, 2010 10:15 AM CDT up reply actions
Webster needs starter's minutes to be effective.
With Nico Batum starting, he’s not going to get that. Plus the Blazers just brought in Wesley Matthews who can play both the 2 and 3.
As for Wolves MVP, it has to be Kevin Love. He’s the best player on the team. I think Beasley and Webster will take turns being the big perimeter scoreing threat.
Webster's no longer on the Blazers.
He was sadly traded to the T-Wolves for turning in a healthy season…
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 22, 2010 4:47 PM CDT up reply actions
That's what I meant.
That’s why they traded him: just not enough room.
This way they have Nico and Wesley for now, and can develop the rookie Babbitt.
They made so many odd decisions
with first round picks since Oden. Claver has never been to Portland to my knowledge, and Brandon Rush was dumped as soon as possible. At least the Blazers got an AMAZING one-on-one defender out of the Rush deal in Nic Batum.
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 22, 2010 5:36 PM CDT up reply actions
The Blazers have actually conducted recent drafts masterfully.
Foye <→ Roy. Seriously?
LMA wasn’t too shabby of a pick.
Claver was an end-of-the-round pick right? The Blazers have so much depth, so that’s why they chose someone who would stay over in Europe for a couple years and develop.
Rush+McRoberts <→ Batum. Again, seriously?
Webster <→ Luke Babbitt. Webster is clearly the better player now, but I already talked about the reasons for why they traded him. Babbitt is a young guy who they can develop and bring up slowly.
I’d love to have Kevin Pritchard in Phoenix right now (and Paul Allen as well).
I was referring to their last few selections
but they’ve gotten amazing value out of their picks. LMA, Roy, and healthy Oden are amazing.
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 22, 2010 6:20 PM CDT up reply actions
Wha
The Blazers swapped Rush for Jerryd Bayless. Trades like that happen all the time in the NBA, where two teams agree to select a player based on their slot and then swap.
Claver was a dumb pick, with DeJuan Blair sitting RIGHT there. Even without an ACL he would’ve been the healthiest rebounder on the roster. Imagine that.
Camby is a pretty darn good rebounder, and he's still healthy I think.
I don’t know how the trades went down. I’m pretty sure Rush and McRoberts were sent to Indiana, but I don’t know who they got back. But I Bayless was the 4th pick in the draft. Did IND really trade McRoberts and Rush for the 4th pick?
Nope.
Bayless was the 11th overall selection; still high but a good pickup.
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 22, 2010 10:29 PM CDT up reply actions
You're right. He was the 4th pick in a lot of mocks I saw, and that's what I remembered.
McRoberts, Jarrett Jack, and Rush < – > Bayless, Diogu
BTW, Bayless was just traded to NO for a future conditional pick.
Extend Jared Dudley!
Hmm...
They appear to have gotten a decent pick out of the deal. J-Bay’s now CP3-0’s backup.
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 23, 2010 9:02 PM CDT up reply actions
And they clear up that logjam at guard a bit.
Does this mean Rudy will stay and contribute?
Or do they really like their rookies, Elliot Williams and Armon Johnson?
Extend Jared Dudley!
They're pretty high
on Wesley Matthews.
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 24, 2010 6:42 PM CDT up reply actions
Nash himself
said something to the effect he wouldn’t be surprised if the Suns missed the playoffs, didn’t he?
I imagine the Suns will return the favor in Phoenix later this year. Good luck.
Trail Blazers atop the Northwest at 2-0!
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 28, 2010 12:45 AM CDT up reply actions
He said something to the effect of to an outsider the Suns don't look like a playoff team right now.
A lot of new pieces have been added and guys still aren’t sure of their roles. I think Nash was expressing his frustration with that fact. I don’t expect to see the real Suns until probably January. But I do think the team will be fine.
Congrats on another win. Best of health to everyone on the roster and speedy recover to Oden and Przybilla. If the Suns can’t go all the way, I’ll certainly be rooting for the Blazers.
Extend Jared Dudley!
What did you think
of my McMillan <→ McCarthy comparison?
Wisconsin, throwing the Big Ten into chaos since the beginning of time...
I was fined $15,000 by David Stern for complaining about the officiating...
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 20, 2010 6:50 PM CDT up reply actions
Pretty good, although it would be interesting to see MM fill in in practice.
I’m sure the injuries he would get would be far worse than what Nate sustained, and I’m sure many fans here would like to see that.
If MM can take the team to the playoffs amidst all this turmoil, the comparison will be perfect.
As a fellow Blazer fan, I will rec it
I mentioned it in last game’s thread as well.
However, I’d swap your comparison for Nick Barnett and Al Harris around. Harris is the dirty ol’ vet like Przybilla is and Barnett is the emotional leader of the defense like Batum is.
Well
I was going from the perspective that Batum is the best one-on-one guy, as arguably Harris is, and both have missed a substantial amount of time at the start of the season.
But I do see your point.
What did you think of the Camby comparison?
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 20, 2010 10:01 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't think Harris is the best one on one guy the Packers have anymore.
Harris is no longer a good defender. He’s lost his speed and is going to be put out to pasture soon as Packer fans and officials realize he’ll try holding and grabbing to avoid getting burned by quicker guys across from him. Furthermore, Al Harris wasn’t even that good a one on one guy before his knee injury (see: 2007 NFC Championship) so I can’t imagine how he is now.
Better yet, I’d say Nic Batum is like Clay Matthews. Young guy, made an impact from his first game and never let go of the starting spot, without him the defense starts to crumble, etc. Camby is more like Charles Woodson, people thought he was washed up, we brought him in when no one wanted him, and we adore him and now he’s a valuable piece of the (TBD) Championship Puzzle. I like it.
The premise of the FanShot is comparing the teams with special focus on injuries.
Batum and Harris are both good defenders who missed the first half of the season.
Still, that is fairly valid from vitaminx.
But I think Camby had the huge contract and the Clippers couldn’t find anyone but Portland who wanted to take it on. Woodson had just spent wasted some years of his career on some TERRIBLE Oakland squads (2003, 2004, and 2005) and the Packers badly needed secondary help after Carroll’s spectacular collapse.
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 23, 2010 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions
Let's compare, shall we?
In the past 30 years of the NBA, 8 different teams have won a championship: Lakers, Bulls, Spurs, Heat, Rockets, Pistons, Celtics, and 76ers.
In the past 30 years of the NFL, 15 different teams have won a championship: Steelers, Raiders, 49ers, Redskins, Bears, Giants, Cowboys, Packers, Broncos, Rams, Ravens, Bucs, Patriots, Colts, and Saints.
So, yeah, if you want to compare a 53-man roster in a highly-specialized tactical game within a league that at least pays lip service to its own rules to a 12-man roster in a loosely-organized strategic game within a league that has an obvious agenda, I’m sure we can draw whatever parallels you want to see. I ain’t buying it, and if you had the brains that God gave a slug, you wouldn’t either.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
Wow
Did Greg Oden hit your dog with a car? Lighten up dude, it’s just a fun little exercise.
Towlieppan: "You wanna throw high?"
Apparently someone hates Brandon Roy...
That was rather astonishing.
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 21, 2010 9:36 AM CDT up reply actions
Uh...
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 21, 2010 9:38 AM CDT up reply actions
Lol I understand your anger to towards the NBA. Basketball is probably my favorite sport but I can’t stand to watch the NBA. They certainly do have an agenda, and that is to make as much money as they possibly can, which is understandable nonetheless. Still though, it takes away from the game. From the shorter shot clocks, the defensive 3 seconds in the key, and simply giving nearly any call to anybody who is anybody.
That being said, there actually are some good comparisons between the two teams.
by packallday555 on Oct 21, 2010 3:59 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't give idiot points.
You didn’t like the post? I didn’t even MENTION NBA officiating.
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 22, 2010 10:37 PM CDT up reply actions
Thanks for the reminder
I am from Portland and the only sports team I care more about than the Packers are my Blazers. The comparison is totally there, and it sucks soooo much.
Things happen for a reason they say, but I say there's a reason things happen.
Hey, if the Blazers won 50 games
DESPITE all those injuries, it indicates that they are a much more solid team than people gave them credit for, doesn’t it?
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 21, 2010 9:36 AM CDT up reply actions
As long as I'm not included in that people.
I knew they’d be good. They were really deep, and made some moves during the year to patch some holes (Camby). Like I said, I could legitimately see them going all the way.
Unfortunately, I don’t know if Oden and Przybilla will ever be healthy.
Przy looks to be back in November
and Oden could be back a week or so later.
That would easily be the deadliest center rotation in the NBA with all 3 healthy.
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 21, 2010 12:13 PM CDT up reply actions
Who Knew Packers and Trailblazers shared some of the same fans
My favorite professional teams are just snakebit when it comes to injuries…I will throw in the Oakland A’s in addition to the Pack and the Blazers.
At least there weren't any expectations for the As.
They’re like the Warriors. They were hurt as much if not more than the Blazers, but no one expected them to be any good anyway, so no one cared.
Wow, I got front-paged!
Obviously, Minnesota will hire John L. Smith to be their next head football coach.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Oct 21, 2010 8:41 PM CDT reply actions
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