Get that twinkle out of your eye, Blazers
You can see it in the way Brandon Roy hugs LeBron as the final buzzer goes off.
You can hear it in Lamarcus’ voice when he is interviewed after the game.
And on nights like last night against Cleveland, you can feel it in the final score.
You can tell this young, young squad feels cool, and even privileged to be playing in the same league as LeBron James.
This isn’t the Make a Wish Foundation fellas.
This is the NBA. And you belong.
There is a giddiness in the collective approach to players like this, that is holding them back from reaching their next level just yet. They are a little too happy to be here. It’s like they haven’t realized the super heroes they are in their own right. They are still high school kids, who love to watch the NBA on TNT. It hasn’t become a job to them. They don’t go about their battling with these superstars with the proper amount of loathing.
This is the kind of situation Michael Jordan always capitalized on. He owned the mystique. He knew what players looked up to him, and he milked his aura to gain a competitive advantage. You can tell LeBron has not started to leverage his status into more wins yet. Unfortunately the Blazers are still all too eager to help him out. I remember the closing seconds of a game a couple years ago, when LeBron was given a wide open path to the hoop for the game winner. It was as if none of these young Blazers wanted to make him mad by putting up resistance. There was a token arm flail, but that was it. Cavs win.
This was the beauty of the infamous ‘Jordan Rules’ that the Bad Boy Pistons used to employ. Once they stepped on the court, they were able to rally a team wide disdain of His Airness. The result were cheap shots and thuggish fouls that made it clear there was no love coming from Motown.
It was encouraging to see Aldridge get in KG’s face the last time the Celtics were in town. That was a little ‘Jordan Rule-ish.’ But for these Blazers to take the next step, to become legitimate contenders, they need to extend that ‘I don’t care what you think’ courtesy to the likes of King James and Kobe.
When Roy talks about Kobe Bryant, his words ooze with reverence. You can tell the kid grew up watching Kobe. That the Lakers’ millennium dynasty was his favorite team. He worships Kobe. As long as this is the case, there is only a certain amount of scrap and chippiness that these Blazers can extend. If you look closely, you can see our Blazers step off the gas slightly when a Kobe, or a King James take it hard to the hole. They don’t want one of those guys directing one of their trademark killer stares at them. They want to play it safe. Better not ruffle any feathers.
Think back to the past Blazer squads that legitimately contended for titles. What are the moments of toughness that defined their never back down attitudes? I think of Jerome Kersey shoving the hell out of Scottie Pippen. I think of Buck Williams getting in Karl Malone’s face. I think of Brian Grant taking an elbow from Malone, and then going chest to chest with him.
That’s the sign of a veteran team on a mission. That’s the sign of a team realizing they belong, and not wanting anyone to take it from them. It’s a sign of desperation and belonging.
Until we see that level of push back, and the treating of superstars as mere mortals on the court, there is a limit to how far we can go.
Don’t believe in the mystique Blazers.
You’re a powerhouse in your own right. Realize it.
