I got the opportunity to attend the Christmas Night Blazer game against the Mavericks. I have a couple thoughts.
Dirk is ridiculous! He is a jump-shooting robot. Watching him go through his pre-game shoot around “routine” was a spectacle. He shoots 100+ buckets, each time he gets deep into his knee bend sometimes touching the ball to the ground and then touching his elbow to his knee aligning toe/knee/elbow/wrist. He doesn’t jump, which makes sense because of his high release, he doesn’t have to. Dirk’s warm-up jumper and his game J are smooth (12 of 18). It made me wonder why more players don’t make use of that hour before the game to go through a little routine. For Dirk practice made perfect.
Another thought. Just a frustrating game. It had a playoff, kind of feel. Brandon didn’t find ways to be of much use. If he wasn’t handling the ball at the top of the key, he wasn’t engaged in the offense. He needs to add a Rip Hamilton-like element to his game. Coming off screens and knocking down a few mid-range jumpers because teams are not going to let him go one on one much longer. My other knock on Roy is right now he starting to act like a bit of a whiner. I don’t mind him wanting some calls but he is getting into the habit of going to the ground on every drive. He then stays on the ground, complains, and is eventually very late getting back on defense. I hate to say it but it’s starting to feel a little Zach Randolph-ish.
Another thought on the whole it felt a little like a playoff game idea. This was a game of process, of one team strategically taking things away from the other team, and the difference was Jose Barea. With blazer defenders unwilling to rotate off of J. Terry, Dirk, and Kidd, Barea and B. Bass were allowed to pick and roll the blazers to death in the final 3 minutes. The blazers found themselves in that same situation late in the second quarter. Sergio got to run wild through the middle of Dallas’ D. At the end of the game the blazers looked lost. On the offensive end it felt stale and a little confused with Outlaw trying to set screens for b.roy when i think he wanted to work without one. Dallas was willing to let their 4th and 5th options take advantage of the blazers strategy but the blazers were just banging their heads against the wall.
Also Josh Howard didn’t want to be there, he isn’t right. He was the only player who didn’t wear the team christmas snowflake shirt. It seems trivial but I can only imagine that it was some sort of childish protest. Either way he got himself thrown out of the game.
Disappointing end to a good Christmas.
