I have always believed in quality over quantity. But if I can have them both, then life is so much sweeter. The Portland Trailblazers are hurt with the latter and are made to set the NBA on fire.
Looking at the possible starting five will have any Blazers fan drooling in anticipation of the future and other NBA fans wishing Paul Allen was a penniless bum. With bursting stars in 3 of the 5 positions and perfect complements to the others, this fabulous five could be one of the most powerful to ever grace a Trailblazer uniform.
However, on the offensive side, this group seems to lack the spark that could really drive an expectant crowd wild (save for the occasional rocker from Oden). I hope this part of the entertainment package is brought to you by the Blazers’ new secret weapon, “Hustle Bench Inc.” Don’t get me wrong, Roy can do amazing things with the ball in his hands, but the driving skills of Rudy “Sky Walker” Fernandez and Jerryd “Energizer” Bayless are the best on this team. In the Olympics, Rudy showed that offensively he was more than capable of handling his business, even against an all-star NBA team. On more than one occasion, Rudy made up for his lack of man-to-man defensive ability by jumping a passing lane or providing well-timed help to the D-side to force a fumble. And who doesn’t want to see a spot up three ball or a fast-break alley-oop with a high-flying Spaniard at the rim. Bayless spent the entire summer league proving that he was a man among the boys. All the players who tried to protect him were attacked by the Italian mob and forced to wear cement shoes, which allowed him to average more points from the free throw line than his opponents were able to score during the game. If those two don’t equal emotion, I don’t know what does.
If either team can figure out how to obstruct the lane, then these next two stalwarts will be waiting to take advantage. Channing “Silky” Frye and Travis “Easy” Outlaw have two of the smoothest jumpers this side of the Mississippi (where Travis was born). Channing’s propensity for jump shots has drawn a lot of criticism during his time with the Blazers, but he at least knows what kind of player he is (an excellent middle-range shooter). Trying to do what you’re not good at is a quick exit from the NBA. Outlaw’s leaper has increased range and is nearly unblockable with his incredible vertical. On a counterattack, featured reel dunks are always a possibility, though I’d rather be the trailer for the play.
This brings us to the cog that turns the wheel, Joel “Block Party” Prizybilla. The starter for the past few years and the defensive machine have never needed shot setup for him, he’s happy with the clean-up basket, which with this unit might be all he can see. With the defensive shortcomings of the other four, Joel will have ample opportunity to do what he does best, protect the house from him.
Enough people have glorified the first unit, I think it’s about time the bank got the publicity it deserves.