Tuck it back in, Blazer fans
It’s a big deal when you win a bowl. Unless you lose a bowl, then it doesn’t matter at all.
You can easily remove the Holiday Bowl from that quote, insert tonight’s Blazers-Celtics game in its place, and the meaning would stay exactly the same. Listening to The Game today, you would think the Blazers and their fans had already chalked this one up to the loss column. The list of lame pre-game excuses was deep.
- Oh! Brandon Roy was hurt, he couldn’t go.
- Oh! the Celtics are just too good.
- Oh! this season isn’t about winning, it’s about improving.
- Oh! it doesn’t even matter if the Blazers make the playoffs this season.
This game meant nothing.
Except now it does. There’s going to be a little extra pep in Blazer fans tomorrow as they dissect this game. Spare me. It was a fun victory to be sure, but it doesn’t mean anything. Beat Utah next month, then we’ll have something to crow about.
One more thing. It’s time for Brandon Roy to man up. These “nagging” injuries seem to keep popping up right around this point of the season. Last year it was his ankle. The season before that it was his heel. If he wants to be an star in this league, he needs to figure out how to play through “tweaks”.
Agreed, it’s just one home game against an Eastern Conference team. In the grand scheme, these are actually the least important games. Road games against NW Division teams are the most important.
But you’re dead wrong about Roy, for a couple of reasons.
First, he’s already playing with a torn tendon in his little finger, so he’s already playing through “tweaks.” He recently played after having fluid drained from his knee as well. So, yeah.
Hamstring is also the kind of injury that is pretty much impossible for a basketball player to play through. You can’t tape it. You can’t numb it. It not soreness, it’s lack of strength. Try jumping with a bad hamstring.
Second, guards who play like Roy take a beating, and thus, it’s important to let what might seem like minor injuries heal. Kobe has averaged 71 games a season in his career, only playing 82 games twice. Dwayne Wade? Even worse. Devin Harris averages 55 games a season. 63/year for Vince Carter. Tony Parker 77. It’s the way of the NBA to miss some games due to injury.
It’s a calculated risk. You send Roy out last night and he aggravates the hamstring, he’s out for NOLA and Lakers, important WC games.
Then do a Ronnie Lott and just amputate the hamstring.
Ronnie Lott….now THERE’S a guy who manned up!
Just because I love raggin’ you….
Ronnie Lott only played in all 16 games in five years of his career… and had four years of missing 4+ games (or 25%) of the season….
Just Sayin’….
Good to see you back, Bean. Hope the vacation rejuvenated you.
-Dan