Who?

I feel really sorry for the guy. I have a fantasy based on something I heard or saw somewhere (that his favorite subject was math) that he will retire healthy (whether that means early or not) and get his teaching certificate and teach math in North Portland and lead a renaissance there. Complete Hallmark fantasy, but hey, there it is.

The sadness from losing Greg will take a thousand different forms depending on the game. Last night it was the spectacle of Varejao scoring in the paint at will.
It's no knock on Joel - he can't afford to play too hard because we have no margin for error with the foul calls.
Time to redirect the focus onto something else. I love the Blazers but I'm not in it for the misery.
Anybody want to form a band? That's my go-to move in down times: Form another band.

After the euphoria of winning the first round draft pick and Greg Oden's arrival in Portland, it is nauseating to think of him being traded because of his injuries when his contract expires.

"Roger, go with throttle up."

Of course, the Blazers' woes are not limited to Oden's trauma. The other missing players just compound the pain to come this season.

And lastly, Oswald was a patsy...

The Trailblazers are weak at the 1 (Point Guard) and 5 (Center).

Furthermore, they need a coach who is going to turn them around from a bunch of Roy sycophants who make it their duty to please the queen that is Brandon, into a team who is going to bang you around on the inside and assassinate your chances from the outside.

They will not get that from Nate and a front office who coddles Brandon Roy. The very fact that the front office knew the T-Blazers were weak at the 1, picked up Andre Miller, and are now benching him just shows how much influence for worse that Roy has in the direction of the team.

Paul Allen is paying the bills, he should be deciding along with the coaching staff who plays, not Brandon effing Roy.

RyanLeo,
I hear you on this. What I really hate are those wasted seconds before the play. It's the Church of Brandon where everyone stands there waiting for the spirit to move him to begin his one on one move. That is downright boring. I feel restless watching it like a kid listening to a dull sermon.
Tonight at the end of regulation Brandon happened to make a sensational All-Star behind the back dribble then drained the shot, but often - since everyone in the NBA knows what's coming - they smother him. This often leads to free throws, but tonight it led to crucial turnovers.
It also leads to great wear and tear on Brandon's legs because he is relying solely on his athletic quickness to get to the rack.
It's just not good basketball. Instead of everyone else standing there waiting for the benediction, the team should be trying to get an advantage through running a play.
But Michael Jordan had clear-outs! Yeah, but that's why they called them the Jordan rules. He was different. Brandon doesn't elevate on his shot like Michael did. Often he's making contact and flipping up a little lay-up. We're giving Brandon, Michael Jordan-like respect at the end of games and he needs to run plays.
Instead he bows his head and waits, motionless as the 4 other Blazers look on like a congregation.
One second, 2 seconds 3,4,5,6.. 'til finally...it is the moment. He raises his head and....now!...it's time to go. It's working less and less as time goes on.
It's as if the basketball gods are punishing the Blazers this season for not following the right hoop path. What Phil Jackson calls "Sacred Hoops."
Nate might worship in the Church of Brandon, but the basketball gods see it for what it is:
A pagan ritual to a false prophet.

You almost get the sense that the refs are seeing it that way, too. If the Blazers don't show more creativity -- if everybody in the arena knows that it's going to be the Brandon show at the end, every game -- Portland is not going to get close calls down the stretch.