Sign up for our Portland Trail Blazers newsletter:
Subscribe
Thanks for signing up. You can sign up for more teams by clicking .

Great Oden's Raven!: Blazers Take Care of Bucks

Bart Winkler by Senior Analyst Written on January 20, 2009

Well, since we've gotten our annual "woe is me" Bucks post out of the way for the 2008-2009 season, it's once again time to talk about Bucks basketball. Specifically, their 102-85 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night, and how far this team still has to come before we can celebrate the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.

I'm convinced now that no matter what happens over the rest of the season, Andrew Bogut is the team's MVP. He doesn't always put up the most impressive stat line when he is on the floor, but when he is not this team looks lost.

The defense shuts down almost completely, and any team with size can easily take care of the Bucks' sorry excuse for backup centers.

The Blazers dominating performance was thanks in part to the play of Greg Oden and his utter annihilation of the Bucks' big men, especially Charlie Villaneuva.

Monday night was a vintage Charlie V performance. If you look at the box score, you'll be impressed with his double-double of 23 points and 10 boards. But if you watched the game, you will have realized that his soft defense is why Greg Oden was able to score a career-high 24 points.

If you're going to trade anyone Mr. Hammond, start with CV31.

So the Bucks streak of win one game, lose the next is over at 13 games. They finished a West Coast road trip with a 1-2 record, which isn't the worst thing considering they were without Bogut. When they return home on Wednesday to take on the Mavs, I'd like to see the Bucks a little more rested and a little more motivated.

This is a team with great potential, but if they keep struggling to climb over the .500 mark, they will end up on the outside of the NBA's second season.

Player of the Game: Richard Jefferson

(0)
...
Share This  
Crop_45x45
or to post this comment

0 Comments

There are no comments yet. Get the conversation started by leaving the first comment

Loading more comments...
posted just now
  • Loading...
  • Nobody has liked this comment yet
Cancel

This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete

42
reads

0
comments

written on January 20, 2009 Sports

The best Trail Blazers newsletter on the web

Subscribe Now

We will never share your email address


CBS Sports Official Partner
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Getty Images.
Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Getty Images is strictly prohibited.