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January 31, 2008GAMBLOG Picks Of The Week
January 31, 2008
As Rick already mentioned, LeBron James did it again. With the Cavaliers struggling to amass much of an offense for most of the contest, James took over in the fourth quarter – per usual – as Cleveland outscored the Blazers 22-15 to win by one. How about this for a fantasy line:37 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two blocks, two steals, three 3-point field goalsSeventeen of said points were in the fourth quarter, including the last two with .3 seconds left on the clock to seal the win. While this win was not of the same magnitude as the win over the Pistons, it definitely had to rekindle a few memories as James went virtually untouched for the game-winning lay-in.What are Blazers fans saying?
They are obviously not happy after putting up 45 minutes of winning basketball, only to squander the lead with less than a second remaining. Dave from Blazers Edge offers up his stance on what Portland should have done on the defensive end in that final stance. While I’ll let you read his recommended match-ups on your own, the final thought raised my eyebrows.
Had the results been the same as they were Sunday when Brandon was covering Joe Johnson we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
With all respect to Joe Johnson and his (All-Star) ability to score on a young Atlanta Hawks team, is he even in the same ballpark as LeBron James when you’re speaking of playing on the opposing end? That would be like saying that the Cavaliers should not have had to draw up a game-winning play had they been playing, say, Memphis. Brian Windhorst shares the same sentiments.
Yes, its a tough loss for a surprising, young Portland team. But while the Cavaliers are not among the dominant teams in the league, you cannot be surprised if you give up a fourth quarter lead with LeBron James on the other side of the ball. Of course, the heckling may not be helping either.
In other quick news:
– Paul Hoynes definitely does not think that C.C. Sabathia will be in Cleveland come this time next season
– Those that think the Cavs are getting Jason Kidd may want to focus their desires elsewhere
– All attention regarding Ohio State has turned towards Terrelle Pryor. And for good reason, as even Dan Shanoff (notorious OSU-basher) is starting to admit his interest.
– And, did you know that there is a football game this weekend? I’m holding out for WaitingForNextYear to send me to Arizona sometime soon. Perhaps to bowl with Matt Leinart?
Have a great Thursday, all.
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8 Comments
I appreciate this Blazers team, and once Oden joins them, I can see myself somewhat rooting for them in the West….but this big deal they’re making of Roy and his last second defense against Joe Johnson is kinda funny. I don’t want to bash the Blazers and their fans, because we were just in the same position not too many years ago, but you can tell it’s been a while since their team has been relevant in a positive way because they are really reaching on this one. Joe Johnson is one of my favorite players to watch, but he’s much more one dimensional to guard than LeBron is. Congrats to Roy and the Blazers on a nice win over the Hawks, but stopping LeBron in the 4th quarter is a totally different monster.
I think Hoynes is jumping the gun a little bit…this doesn’t slam the door on negotiations for Sabathia. I remain skeptical, but you had to figure Santana would get this kind of money right? He has twice the career of Zito. Great take on the Cavs/Blazers. Makes me wish I’d waiting until this morning to write mine!
LBJ is a treat to watch. I must admit that I had to go to bed before the end of this game. I didn’t think the Cavs & LBJ could pull it off. I should’ve known better.
If we lose CC, it will be another kick to the gut to Tribe fans…reminding us of the loss of Manny, Thome, etc. But this one could hurt more. It’s already taken years for the Tribe to recover from the Thome & Manny defections. The fans are finally filling most of the seats again. Losing CC would drive everyone away again. He is only getting better. We need to throw all the money possible at him or lose the fans trust once again. Personally, I won’t be able to take it.
I hear ya Rick. In fact, Hoynes article is the impetus for the next post I’m working on.
Im not sure I would throw any dollar amount at him, but the Mets/Johan deal will surely set the tone. We just have to assume that C.C. feels that he is in fact due less money than Johan, despite winning the CY…
Gotta love Shanoff….”All common sense points to Michigan”. Oh, really, Dan? Since when is starting at QB as a true freshman the “common sense” best scenario for a kid? How did starting as a true freshman work out for Jimmy Klausen? Terrelle Pryor would be walking into the same kind of situation at UM. A program in shambles, with no weapons.
Pryor wants to get to the NFL. How many Rich Rodriguez QBs are in the NFL? At OSU, Pryor would get to come in with a group of recruits his is VERY close friends with, gets one of the best o-line recruiting classes OSU has ever seen, he’ll be surrounded with weapons, and he gets to learn at a comfortable pace and take over when he’s ready.
Honestly, people who don’t follow recruiting closely (ESPN does not count….they recruiting analysis is a joke, filled with opinion and conjecture rather than fact and reason) have no clue what’s going on with Pryor. If Pryor ends up anywhere other than OSU it will be a massive shock and upset. That “heavy vibe” Dan is talking about is real, and it’s out there to be found if you know where to look.
This is a standard reaction by a team that gives up a lead in the last seconds after winning basically the whole game. As an Ohio State fan, I am pretty used to somebody minimizing any accomplishments my teams have. I felt very confident of victory the whole fourth qtr. despite our deficit anyway. Love the new site.
Thanks for the feedback Jake!