Page 8. Portland Observer, November 5, 1986
~ B I a z e ra I e rt
1300By Eyem id
Welcome to this year's "New Edi
tion” of the Portland Trailblazers
whose inept style is akin to that of
the Oregon State football team
Maybe they should be entitled the
Poregon State Trailbeavers?
Sure, they're only 2 games into
the new N B A season, and they
will get their chance to get on the
good foot; but first they have to air
out the Memorial Coliseum, be
cause they sure stunk up the place
in losing the season's opening game
,27 110 to the "new edition II"
Seattle Supersonic«.
After going 7 1 in the pre season
and weeks of hype from Blazer offi
cials and their lackeys, it is apparent
that somebody hasn't been forth­
coming in regard to the present
state of this year's Blazer team.
Will Kenny Carr tie able to de
fend, score and rebound game in
and game out against quicker, taller
and more offensively minded oppo
nents? Are Sam Bowie s shins real
ly fracture free? What is the truth
about "the truth"?
Can Steve
Johnson stay out of foul trouble
long enough to do what he's paid to
do? Scorell Blazer fans want an
swers on the court, not in the press.
Blazer officials' and players' re
sponse to this rhetorical prose could
(,'■ tell us something we don't al
ready know
If they don't know now, they
might come to realize later that their
fans may no longer idly accept the
same steady diet of equivocal
excuses they've become accusto
med to hearing from Dr. Jack du
ring his tenure
Remember Joe
Avazzano? It's time to put your
money where your |ob is.
Portland lumped out to a ,4 6
lead early in the 1st quarter by utili
zing a combination of fast breaks
and deft shooting Seattle was for
ced to call a time out, and when
play resumed, they quickly forged
to a tie Portland finished the quar
ter leading 30 29
Although Portland was playing
well enough, three things were be
coming obvious to all 1, no team
rebounding. 21 no low post offense.
3, an unpervasive defense The last
point was to be exposed the next
night in Utah where Portland fell
119 1,0 to the Jazz.
The next quarter was much better
for the Blazers, it allowed the fans
to get into the game vocally Early
in the second quarter, Sam Bowie
(15 ptsl picked up his 3rd personal
foul exit Sam enter Steve John
son, a bonafide low post terrorist
Within 4 minutes Portland had built
a ,0 point advantage against the
shell shocked Supersonic« - enter
Maurice Lucas (19 ptsl
Upon his
arrival on the court, Lucas promptly
drew the 3rd personal foul from
Steven Johnson and forced Coach
Shuler to remove him; at that mo
ment Portland's low post offense
became a moot part of their overall
game plan
At the half, the Trailblazers led
63 58 however, as soon as play
resumed, the lead would quickly
evaporate and turn into a deficit
The second half of the game
could have been entitled "The
Young and the Breathless". Seattle
being "The Young" and the Trail
blazers. "The Breathless".
A betwixted Portland team took
to the court and continued to play
as if they had no real zeal for the
liability
He was practically tho
team's entire offense in the 3rd
quarter.
However, alot of credit
must be given to Terry Porter
game, with one exception — Kiki V
There is no doubt Vandeweghe
(8 assists), and Clyde Drexler
(4 assists) by Kiki for the majority of
his 12 points in the quarter In con
tiast, Seattle got consistent scoring
has been, and is, the team’s most
prolific scorer and biggest defensive
from mo»t of their «farter» and led
95 84 going into the final stanza
Seattle continued only to get
stronger, thanks in part to Tom
Chambers (27 pts). Dale Ellis (23
pts), and Xavier McDaniel (20 pts.
,1 rebs) These three Supersonic»
simply took the starch out of Port
land - Maurice Lucas shot his way
to 19 pts
Minus their low post offense and
defense, the Blazers had very little
to counter with The fans picked up
on this right away, and the subse
quent exodus to their cars sponta
neously materialized
What to do? What to do? What
to do? That seems to be a ques
tion with many cogent answers, but
very few correct ones
Portland
must establish a potent low post
offense now in order to keep from
further embarrassment when they
play high calibered teams like Los
Angeles. Milwaukee, Philadelphia,
Washington, Cleveland and Hou
stonll
One other area that requires im
mediate, successful results is in the
guard position
Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter
should have plays designed to fully
exploit their polytechnic skills (i.e.
their offensive skills are unlimited
and should be showcased the same
way they did with former Blazer
star Billy Ray Bates and current star
Kiki Vandeweghe )
Word has it that the Trailblazers
"never had it, never will” . I per
sonally believe they have it.
Dare to be More
Urban League
News
Low Income Energy
Assistance
The Low Income Energy Assis
tance Program funds should be re
leased to distribution agencies De
cember 2nd.
The Urban League Energy Pro
gram staff will begin calling seniors
served last year in the month of No
vember If you did not receive assts
tance last year call 280 2649 to be
added to the list.
The Energy Program is not an
emergency program, the funds are
to help you keep warm during the
cold months.
Needed, Volunteer
Drivers
The Piedmont/Carter Loavee b
Fishes Nutrition Site needs volun
tear drivers to deliver meals to
homebound seniors.
The site is
open five days per week, meals
are delivered between ,1:00 a.m.
and noon
Homebound seniors would love
to have you volunteer to help them
receive a hot nutritious noontime
meal
>
S U R G E O N G E N E R A L'S W A R N IN G -. S m o kin g
By P re g n a n t W o m e n M a y R e s u lt in F e ta l
lrt|ury. Prem ature B irth. And Low Birth W eigh t.
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1? mg te»", 1.3 mg nuotine » per cigarette by FTC method
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