The Blazers and GM Kevin Pritchard are once again very aggressive when it comes to the NBA Draft, this time acquiring the 27th pick from the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for cash considerations. This extra pick in the first round, to go with the 13th overall selection, will bolster an already dangerous up and coming, young, talented team. The question is who do they take with these two picks. The Blazers have talked about trading the 13th to move up in the draft (because they have an abundance of young talent that could entice some teams), possibly far enough up to take the coveted versatile Joe Alexander, a player that Pritchard is enamored with. Alexander is a player that could help fill one of the Blazers few needs, as they don’t have a consistent shooting guard/small forward at their disposal with the roster that they currently have.
By obtaining the other first round pick the Blazers now have a chance to get a small forward or maybe another center. There has already been talk about them taking Memphis guard Chris Douglas Roberts with the 27th if he falls that far, or if not, taking another big man to bolster an already strong front-line (they have a healthy Oden, Lamarcus Aldridge and Joel Pryzbilla at the power forward/center position), possibly Ante Tomic, a overseas standout.
With the news of Rudy Fernandez joining their squad, a point guard that would be a consensus top-5 pick if he was in this draft, the Blazers don’t really need anything other than a shooter. They, now with Fernandez, have 3 solid point guards, the others being Jarrett Jack and Steve Blake. Portland has some leverage to either trade one of either Jack or Blake, or stand pat and have incredible depth at that position. The big problem I see is that they have so much young talent, they almost have too much. Their starting five will look something like this: Brandon Roy, Rudy Fernandez, Lamarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, and one of either Travis Outlaw or Martell Webster. A very good one, one that will surely contend this year. With this setup though, what kind of minutes will players like either Outlaw or Webster get, as well as players like Jack, Blake, Pryzbilla, not to mention their two current first rounders. This is why I can see the Blazers trading one of their now bench-bound point guards just because they are stacked at that, and nearly every other position.
With how aggressive the Blazers have been in past years, I can’t see them not making a move. Great depth like they currently have is a asset that every team in the NBA would love to have. They have two point guards that most likely won’t start that could start, or have a big impact, on nearly every other franchise, as well as a very dependable center in Pryzbilla that will now also be sent to the bench. If they take a center with either the 13th or 27th pick I could see Pryzbilla being moved, because the Blazers need someone who can backup Oden effectively.
Even though their is a lot of excitement surrounding Oden and Fernandez, and rightfully so, they will still be first year players, and for a young team like Portland it will be vital to have sound backups. Of the two backup guards I would, if I was Pritchard, find a simple deal to trade Jack because he isn’t proven, nor has he been very consistent in his current tenure with the team. Blake is the player that has been solid for the Blazers during his two stints with the team. He is very smart and could be a very good sixth man. He plays well beyond his years and is still young, 28, and could provide a good sounding block for Fernandez.
I don’t know what the team will decide to do with their two first round picks as well a few players on their roster, but I do know that the Blazers will send out a squad that will be reckoned with in the Western Conference.
Manu Ginobili slithered threw the defense at will, the three pointer was falling for every Spurs shooter and Tim Duncan was his usual self. A recipe for disaster for the Hornets rang true as the San Antonio wins Game 7 91-82. The Spurs shut down Chris Paul and David West, or atleast contained them enough, take control of the pivotal game. Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 26 points, including 4 of the teams 12 threes. The offense as well as their defense was flawless, holding West and Paul to a combined 38 points on 18-37 shooting. Especially at home, 20 points by West and 18 by Paul won’t cut it if you want to defeat the defending champ Spurs. Though Paul had 14 assists, his role players were nearly non-existent except Jannero Pargo who also finished with 18 points. The inconsistency of the bench, as well as starters Peja Stojakovic and Morris Peterson, proved to be a huge difference in the game. Peterson and Stojakovic combined for 12 points on 5-18 shooting, 1-9 from three point land.
Unlike the Hornets, the Spurs spread out their offense, playing at their tempo with ease. Once the Hornets double-teamed Tim Duncan, which was on nearly every possession, a shooter was open. That is how the Spurs outscored New Orleans by 24 from three, finding the open guy to sink the Hornets time and time again. Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley, Ime Udoka, Robert Horry each hit two threes apiece, greatly taking advantage of the help on Duncan. Despite being doubled, Duncan finished with 16 points, though he shot 5-17 from the floor. The strategy by the Hornets and Byron Scott, their coach, worked for containing Duncan, as was shown by his horrid shooting night, but backfired with leaving shooters wide open. So pretty much the Spurs toyed with the Hornets defense all game long, evenatually leading to a Western Conference Finals berth. San Antonio led throughout, by as much as 15, but let the Hornets back in the game, as they led by only three, 83-80, with just over a minute left.
Jannero Pargo scored 10 straight points for the Hornets during the 4th quarter run, but missed a ill-advised three that would have tied the game. Off the miss Spurs guard Tony Parker hit a jumper to stretch the lead to five. Pargo had the hot hand, but the play that was drawn up wasn’t a smart one, as he came off a screen with 17 seconds (plenty of time left in the game…. a quick two would have been more efficient at that point of the game) on the shot clock and missed. That was how the night was going for the Hornets, as they tried to battle back from a deficit for nearly the whole game. They were down by 9 at halftime, and were lucky to get that close at intermission.
New Orleans in their three wins at home in the series, they had put away San Antonio in the third. Not in this game however as the Hornets couldn’t afford to trade baskets with their deficit. The abysmal third for New Orleans, scoring only 14 points in the peiod while being outscored by six, down by 15 going into the 4th. The lack of experience ( I hate using that term… but in this game it was a factor) rang true in the third, playing with no momentum whatsoever and at times, intensity. Even though Pargo scored 16 points in the 4th, he shouldn’t have had that much control over the outcome. The ball should have been in the hands of Paul, and the offense should have come from either him or West. Most of the time Paul didn’t take the ball up the court in the 4th, as Pargo, the backup ran the show. Although Pargo is a jumpstart off the bench, someone who can score in bunches, his ouburst should have come in the third, where the Hornets desperately needed his explosiveness. The Spurs gaining a double digit lead after three sunk the Hornets. During a time when the home team should wake up and grab the tempo, it was San Antonio playing the contest their way. The one man show of Pargo is not how a offense should be run, especially in the fourth quarter of a game 7. It’s something that is allowed when you are the team in control of a blowout, not the team behind. That is not how New Orleans won games this season. During the season, as well as in thier wins during these playoffs, they played with an insurmountable amount of chemistry, led by Paul not Pargo.
The Spurs deserved to win game 7, they played with more intensity,and played tremendous defense. In this series I desperately wanted the Hornets to win, but in the back of my mind I didn’t think they could win four games from the Spurs, and they didn’t.
David West was frustrated with his play in the previous two games, and rightfully so. He felt he had to redeem himself in a crucial game 5 by leading his team to victory. Man, did he ever. West had the ultimate line, dropping 38 points, racking up 14 rebounds and swatting 5 shots in a dismantling 101-79 win. The Hornets crushed the Spurs in the third quarter, outscoring them 28-11 thanks to West and CP3, who combined for 20 of those points. Chris Paul rebounded from a tough offensive start to punish San Anotnio in the second half, finishing with his usual 22 points, 16 in the 2nd half, 14 assists and just one turnover.
The Hornets defense was as good or even better as their offense in game 5, holding down the Spurs considerably, especially in the 3rd. Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 20 points and Tony Parker added 18 for a team that shot only 37% from the floor while scoring only 32 points in the second half. Though Tim Duncan grabbed 23 rebounds, his offensive performance was dreadful, scoring 10 points on 5-18 shooting. After gaining a three point lead at half, the Spurs bowed down to the Hornets in the third.
New Orleans started the 3rd period on a 20-4 run, turning a deficit into a thirteen point lead, 64-51. Paul scored 9 points during the 20 point outburst as well as tossing an alley-oop to Tyson Chandler for a dunk. Morris Peterson’s three on an assist by Peja Stojakovic put the Hornets up 68-54, and in complete control. New Orleans superb defense, closing the lane on drives and bothering jump shots, was the real difference in the game, allowing Paul and West to terrorize the Spurs on offense.
David West kept New Orleans close in the first half, scoring 22 points. Even though Paul scored only 6 points in the first half he was his normal unselfish self, getting his teammates, mostly West, involved. Stojakovic had another off night offensively, but grabbed 11 rebounds. Backup guard Jannero Pargo scored 10 points, most of which coming late.
The Spurs cut the deficit to eight, 85-77 with just under five minutes left on a Ime Udoka three, but the Hornets finished the game on a 16-2 run.
Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili each scored 31 points to lead San Antonio to a must win over the New Orleans Hornets, 110-99 in game 3 of their Western Conference playoffs series. The Spurs went on a 11-0 run early in the 4th quarter to jump ahead to a double digit lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Tim Duncan added 16 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks in the win, pretty good considering he was double teamed most of the night. The double teaming of Duncan shooters like Ginobili and Bruce Bowen open. Bowen hit 4 threes for all 12 of his points while Ginobili and bench player Michael Finley each chipped in three of their own.
Chris Paul dueled Parker for most of the game, and was dominant in his performance, scoring 35 points and dishing 9 assists. The Hornets lead by as much as 8 points in the first half until Bowen and Ginolbili hit back to back jumpers at the end of the second period to take a one-point lead 43-42, heading to the break. The game was a seesaw battle in the 3rd quarter, it seemed every time the Spurs would hit a big shot, New Orleans would do the same. San Antonio would finish the quarter strong on a 8-2 run to grab a 5 point lead, 83-78 going into the pivotal 4th period.
The Hornets Julian Wright and Chris Paul scored the quarters first 4 points to dwindle San Antonio’s lead to one. Ginobili scored 7 straight points on the Spurs next two possessions, in between buckets by Paul and Bonzi Wells, to increase the lead to six, 90-84. David West of the Hornets scored 4 straight points to cut the lead to two before San Antonio went on the games’ decisive run. The Spurs scored 11 straight points over the next 4 minutes of play to take a 13 point, 101-88 lead. New Orleans could get no closer than 10 points as the Spurs won a must win game on their home floor. If it’s any consolation to Hornets fans, like myself, the same thing happened in the last series against Dallas, as they won games 4 and 5 to take the series.
David West finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds but the Hornets didn’t get the same production from their role players that they had received in the previous two games in the series. Peja Stojakovic, after two 20+ point performances, scored only 8 in this contest on 2-7 shooting. Though as a team they did shoot 49% from the floor, (mainly because Paul shot 15-25 and West shot 10-19) their bench that worked to their advantage in their first two games was mediocre in game 3, shot a combined 8-24 for 18 points.
Tony Parker added 11 assists and Ginobili chipped in 6 and 4 rebounds in an all-around effort by the Spurs. The spurs shot 48% from the floor and outscored the Hornets by 27 on three point baskets to eventually take game 3.
Chris Paul scored 30 points and dished 12 assists to lead his New Orleans Hornets to another resounding victory over the San Antonio Spurs, 102-84. The Hornets took over in the 3rd quarter by outscoring the Spurs by 18, to take a 17 point lead into the 4th quarter. Paul made up greatly for the offensive absence of the previously dominant David West, who scored only 10 points on 2-11 shooting after he poured in 30 in game 1. Peja Stojakovic added 25 points, including 5 threes, to go with 6 rebounds. David West, despite the poor offensive outing, chipped in 10 rebounds and 5 assists. New Orleans shut down the Spurs in the third quarter after they had come back in the second period to take the halftime lead. The Spurs shot only 42% for the game and scored only 18 points in the pivotal third.
Tim Duncan bounced back from a horrid Game 1 to pace San Antonio with 18 points and 8 rebounds. They got good bench performances from both Manu Ginobili and Brent Barry, who scored 13 and 14 points, respectively. Ginobili also grabbed 4 rebounds and dished out 7 assists and Barry made 4 threes, but the defending champs didn’t get enough production from the rest of its starters besides Duncan. Tony Parker, who was brilliant in the first round series versus the Suns, shot 5-14 for 11 points. Bruce Bowen and Michael Finley, two outside shooters that the Spurs definitely needed to heat up, did not, scoring 4 points apiece, combining to shoot 3-14 from the floor.
Chris Paul ran the Hornets offense to perfection once again, especially in the third quarter. With West struggling, Paul repeatedly fed Stojakovic for outside shots, contributing to his 8-13 shooting, as he heated up during the period . Morris Peterson added 12 points, making all five shots from the field, including a three pointer in the decisive third period run. Paul, the runner-up for the MVP (because of Kobe’s lifetime achievement award since he hadn’t won one before) turned the ball over only once, as his team only coughed up the pill 8 times in the game, 4 of which coming from West.
San Antonio struggled throughout the game with turnovers, committing 15 in the game, 5 coming by way of Manu Ginobili, who turned the ball over on consecutive possession in the third, jump-starting the Hornets run.
David West poured in a career playoff high of 30 points to lead the Hornets past the experienced Spurs 101-82 in the first game of their playoff series. Experience wasn’t a factor in this one as the Hornets dismantled the Spurs in the second half, outscoring them by 23 over the final 24 minutes to pull out the easy win. Chris Paul heated up late, finishing with 17 points, 9 in the 4th period, dished 13 assists and collected 4 steals. San Antonio was hot from the floor in the first half, making 9 threes to climb to a 4 point half-time lead despite nearly no production from Tim Duncan. After scoring only three points in the first half, Duncan scored only 2 in the second half to match his career playoff low with 5 points in 37 minutes, shooting just 1-9 from the floor.
The Hornets dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Spurs by 16, 50-34 and the paint, where they out-scored San Antonio by 20, 46-26. David West led the Hornets in the 3rd quarter outburst, scoring 11 points in the frame, including 4 in a 13-0 run to gain a 7 point lead, 61-54, midway through the period. The Hornets defense, especially Tyson Chandler, were tremendous in the this game. Chandler guarded Duncan, and was benefited by double teams to disgruntle the Spurs star center, getting the ball out of his hands. Once the outside shot left the Spurs, 3-14 on threes, 12-33 overall in the second half, they couldn’t do anything else. The Spurs, throughout the year, have been a great defensive team, but couldn’t contain a relentless Hornets attack. New Orleans was lights out in the second half, shooting 25-44 in the final two periods, 50% overall for the game. They went inside at will, with Paul’s penetration into the lane and West’s outside shooting killing the Spurs all night.
Tyson Chandler, as well as holding down Tim Duncan, was an offensive force as well, scoring 10 points to go with 15 rebounds, including 6 offensive. Of the Spurs thirteen turnovers in the game, 11 were steals by the Hornets, leading to 25 points off turnovers throughout the game. Besides shutting down Duncan, Manu Ginobili cooled off as well. After scoring 11 points in the first quarter, including 3 threes, Ginobili scrambled for only 8 the rest of the game.
Peja Stojakovic led New Orleans in scoring behind West with 22 points on 9-15 shooting. Bonzi Wells made a solid contribution off the bench, scoring 10 points in the game, 8 of which coming in the 4th quarter to put the Spurs away. The Hornets were 24-44 in the second half to complete the comeback. They were down by 11 at one point in the first half, but hot shooting in the second led to a 30 point turnaround. The Hornets took care of the ball very well, committing only 7 turnovers, and just two for Chris Paul.
Tony Parker led San Antonio with 23 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, but with the ineffectiveness of Duncan, the Spurs were going nowhere. Manu Ginobili added 6 rebounds and 7 assists to go with his 19 points for a Spurs team hat shot only 40% for the game, compared to 50% for the Hornets.
Chris Paul wasn’t about to get on a plane for Dallas, instead he was determined to send the Mavericks home alone. He did just that. Dallas goes on vacation because of CP3’s triple double: 24 points, 11 in the final quarter, grabbing 11 rebounds, dishing 15 assists as well as turning the ball over, um, 0 times. David West added 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists as the Hornets led most of the game in a 99-94 victory. New Orleans led by as much as 17 points in the second half, disrupting Dallas’s pace while setting their own. Paul had 10 of his assists in the first half, as his team led by 15 at the break. Jannero Pargo added 17 points off the bench, 9 coming in a second quarter in which New Orleans stretched their margin and set the tempo for the second half of play. Tyson Chandler scored 10 points to go with 14 rebounds, snatching 7 offensive. CP3 got his triple double on a pivotal offensive rebound off his own miss with 6 seconds left. With the Hornets only up 3 at the time of the rebound, Peja Stojakovic, one of the best free throw shooter in NBA history, came to line to try an put the game and the series away. He calmly knocked down both free throws, making it a five point game, eventually sending New Orleans into celebration.
Dallas suffered another first round blow, losing 4-1 in this series after the debacle in last years’ playoffs. In this 5th and final game, the Mavs produced seven players in double figures in scoring with Dirk Nowitzki leading the bunch with 22 points while shooting only 8-21 from the floor. No one else scored over 14 points, as three bench players, Jerry Stackhouse, Brandon Bass and Deaven George chipped in 11 points apiece. Jason Kidd and Jason Terry rounded out the double digit scoring for Dallas with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Bass gave them a great lift off the bench by grabbing 9 rebounds, 6 offensive, giving them extra chances to claw back into the game. They couldn’t overcome the deficit and the Hornets as Dallas struggled shooting the ball all night long, shooting 42% for the entirety.
The Mavericks came back from a 10 point margin with under two minutes left. They scored 7 straight points to get within three with 33 seconds left. Dallas couldn’t get the rebound off a miss by Paul as it was batted back to the star point guard, icing the game.
Paul didn’t disappoint in his first playoff appearance, averaging 24 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds and just 1 turnover per game. West was tremendous as well averaging 22 points a game throughout the series. Jannero Pargo gave them a much needed lift off the bench as the backup point guard, averaging 14 points a game. The series was dominated by Paul though, as he carved through Dallas’s defense all series long and continued his unselfish play.
David West provided a strong performance after a horrid game 3 to lead the Hornets past the Dallas Mavericks to take a 3-1 series lead. West scored 24 points and grabbed 9 rebounds and Chris Paul did his usual bidding with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists. After a mediocre first quarter, the Hornets took control, leading for most of the next three quarters. New Orleans benefited from a flagrant foul by Jason Kidd with just over seven minutes remaining, who close-lined Jannero Pargo and threw him to the ground. The foul was out of pure frustration and malcontent, directed to the waxing his team was being dealt on their home floor. He was immediately ejected, eventually joining his dejected teammates on a plane to New Orleans to face elimination.
Chris Paul directed the game to his teams’ tempo in the second half, leading his team to a margin that was as big as nineteen. Peja Stojakovic continued his solid series, scoring 19 points, hitting 3 threes in the process. The Hornets also got good production from their key bench players. Jannero Pargo and rookie Julian Wright scored 11 points apiece. As ateam they shot 50% compared to only 36% from the Mavs. The win for New Orleans was their first in Dallas in 10 years. The Hornets went on a pretty decisive run in the second quarter when Paul was on the bench, Pargo led a 15-2 run to erase what was a 9 point Dallas lead, 32-23, in the second quarter.
Dirk Nowitzki scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in another solid effort on his part. Only two other Mavs scored in double figures, Jason Terry with 20 and Brandon Bass with 12. New Orleans youth and altheticism proved too much for the aging Mavs. Like in the previous three games of the series, Paul took it to Jason Kidd in every department. He held the Mavs guard to 3 points 4 rebounds and 3 assists and frustrated him enough to commit a bush league foul.
Tony Parker scored 32 points and Manu Ginobili chipped in 29 as Spurs take advantage of abysmal third quarter by Suns to pull out a 102-96 victory. San Antonio was down 61-54 at half-time, but bounced Phoenix in the third period, outscoring them 27-11 to grab a 81-72 lead heading into the 4th. The Suns, who dominated the first half behind 25 points in the first two quarters by Amare Stoudemire, went scoreless for the first 6 1/2 minutes of the third, losing all of what was a 14 point lead early in the game. San Antonio went on a 17-2 run, starting in the closing minutes of the first half, to get control of the momentum that would carry them to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven first round series. Tim Duncan didn’t have to take the brunt of the scoring load in this game, after his 40-point performance in game 1, but he did have a great all around game, scoring 18 points, snatching 17 rebounds, dishing 4 assists and blocking 3 shots. After the Spurs big three, Parker, Duncan and Ginoboli, scored all but 3 of San Antonio’s points in the first half, the supporting cast showed up in the second half in a big way. Michael Finley hit three jumpers in a row, on three identical plays (him rolling off screens for an open look) to keep the momentum on the Spurs side. He finished with 8 points, but they were all pivotal in his teams’ comeback.
Amare Stoudemire finished with 33 points, but scored only 8 points in the second half, going from being aggressive throughout the first half, to shooting bricks from the outside in the second. His ineffectiveness as well as Boris Diaw’s, (who was fed multiple times in the 3rd and 4th quarters but came up empty) gave the Spurs extra possessions, particularly in the 3rd, resulting in San Antonio widening the margin. Shaquille O’Neal had a very good game, scoring 19 points to go with 14 rebounds, and played a huge role in the first half by staying on the floor, and out of foul trouble.
Chris Paul had another masterful performance (an MVP type performance), scoring 32 points, dishing 17 assists, 10 by half-time, grabbed 5 rebounds and committed only 3 turnovers to lead his New Orleans team to another impressive win over the Dallas Mavericks, demolishing them 127-103. Nothing new for Paul, as he controlled the tempo, got all of his teammates involved, and put in his scoring input in a pretty easy win for the Hornets. They took a ten point lead after one quarter, starting strong right out of the gate to score 39 points in the first 12 minutes. They kept up the pace in the second period, resulting in a sixteen point half-time lead. David West scored 27 points, and Peja Stojakovic added 22 points, including 5 threes in a great supporting effort by the obviously better team.
Dirk Nowitzki lead Dallas with 27 points and Brandon Bass and Jason Terry played terrific off the bench scoring 19 and 16 respectively. Dallas has just run into the better team in New Orleans, without the ability to contain any of the Hornets players, including Paul.
Chris Paul scored 35 points, 24 in the second half, to go with 10 assists, 4 steals and just one turnover to lead the Hornets back from an early deficit and defeat Dallas 104-92 to take a 1-0 lead in their playoff series. The Hornets, down by 12 at halftime, outscored the Mavericks by 24 points in the second half. Paul led the comeback with his scoring, passing and leadership ability and the rest of his team shutdown Dallas’s high scoring attack to close out the win. David West led the young Hornets behind Paul with 23 points and 8 rebounds. The Hornets made 15 more field goals than the Mavericks, resulting in 33% shooting for Dallas. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 31 points and 10 rebounds while making 9 of the teams’ 26 field goals. Tyson Chandler added another great all around performance for the inexperienced Hornets by scoring 10 points, and grabbing 15 points, 7 of which were offensive.
Dallas led throughout the first half, capping off the efficient two periods with Josh Howard nailing a three pointer at the halftime buzzer to give the Mavericks a 52-40 lead, and the momentum. They couldn’t hold their lead to the gutsy Hornets, as New Orleans clawed back throughout the 3rd quarter, outscoring Dallas 36-20 to lead by 4, 76-72, heading into the 4th period. Nowitzki made the first shot of the final quarter, but Dallas could only manage 6 points over the next 9+ minutes as New Orleans jumped out to a commanding double digit lead. New Orleans gained a 15 point lead two times in the 4th quarter as Dallas couldn’t overcome cold shooting in the loss.
Josh Howard led the Mavs behind Nowitzki with 17 points but shot just 4-16 from the field. To put the abysmal second half in perspective, Chris Paul made 10 field goals for the Hornets to just 9 total for Dallas (10-15 compared to 9-36 shooting). After New Orleans had a cold shooting spell of their own in the first half (18-47), they followed Paul’s lead in the second half, raising their shooting percentage dramatically (47% for the game, 23-41 in the second half) by controlling the tempo, playing their type of basketball. They committed only 8 turnovers, compared to 14 for Dallas, contributing to their resounding success to pull away for the win.
