Last night in the Rose Garden the roaring powerhouse that is the Charlotte Bobcats smoked the Blazers. Wow. The Blazers looked like a bunch of rookies. Imagine that. They couldn't score a single bucket in the final 4:28. This prompted the Oregonian's Jason Quick to speculate on whether or not the team has "checked out for the season."
I find this a bit insulting. It's one thing to question the execution in a late season game, but it's another entirely to question a team's collective heart. This is a team of youngsters who have performed way beyond anybody's expectations. Since Greg Oden was lost for the season before it even started, the goal has been to finish at .500 or better. What a great accomplishment that would be.
Losing to the wimpy Bobcats didn't help in making the goal a reality. The remainder of the season is going to be tough. They were supposed to win this game. They didn't and they looked like dog poop after a heavy rain. I hope they dry out by the time they head for the Staples Center in L.A. on Wednesday.
But hey, is it a dire situation? Will the Blazers forfeit in L.A? Nope. They'll show up and play their hearts out. It seems to me that people get their own egos involved when their team gets hammered by a lesser force, like it's a reflection on their own prowess and stature. Allow me to say this once: It. Is. A. Building. Season.
Okay. Remember that. We all get caught up in the fervor and the passion. The Blazers had a lousy game. I don't know why. And the Oregonian doesn't either. But if that headline was supposed to be some kind of motivational tool, it was an ill-timed, shallow, and kick-somebody-when-they're-down sophomoronic effort.
J.R. Stewart
