Rival Report: Blazers.com’s Mike Barrett
January 23, 2008
Throughout the 2007-08 regular season, Hornets.com will be chatting with writers from other NBA websites to obtain unique insights on the Hornets’ opposition, prior to home games at New Orleans Arena. With the Hornets hosting the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, we caught up with Blazers TV play-by-play broadcaster Mike Barrett. Barrett is a frequent contributor to the team’s official website, Blazers.com, including writing the popular Barrett’s Blog.
Hornets.com: Good afternoon Mike. Thanks for visiting with us a second time in the 2007-08 season. The last time we chatted was early November; it’s amazing to consider how much has changed for the Trail Blazers since then. After starting the season at 5-12, Portland opened eyes around the NBA by going on a 13-game winning streak. The Blazers now look like a very formidable team, even in the rugged Western Conference. What do you view as the catalyst for that turnaround?
Barrett: A couple of things, really. In my opinion, the first was James Jones getting healthy. The first game he really came back and was a part of things, was the game against Memphis, on Dec. 3. That was the first game of the 13-game winning streak. In that game Jones started on the path that has led him to the top spot in the three-point-accuracy category. He’s helped bring a veteran presence to the team, and having him on the floor helps spread opposing defenses. Even in games where he hasn’t had huge numbers, he’s kept defenses honest because you always have to know where he is. He doesn’t start for the Blazers, but usually plays most of the fourth quarters.
The other big factor is, Brandon Roy, before that Memphis game, went to Nate McMillan and asked that the ball be in his hands more. In other words, he wanted to have the chance to have the offense run through him. Roy makes such good decisions with the ball, and of course, can attack, and hit from the outside. With the ball in his hands, the Blazers ripped off 13 straight wins, and made themselves a contender in the West, despite having the youngest roster in the league.
Hornets.com: Blazers guard Brandon Roy, the 2006-07 NBA Rookie of the Year, has been a huge reason behind Portland’s surprising push into playoff contention. Some have listed him as a dark-horse candidate for MVP this season. Do you buy that? If so, what would your case be for why Roy should at least be considered for the award?
Barrett: I don’t think he’ll be considered for the award, and I don’t think he’ll make the All-Star team. But, ask opposing coaches about both. They are his biggest fans. As far as the MVP is concerned, it depends on what exactly that means to individual people. To me, I always think about what the Blazers would be without Roy. There are only a couple of players in this league who are as valuable to their respective teams. Brandon is a shooting guard, who is probably better at the point. He’s a good rebounder, a great passer, and a very solid decision-maker, especially late in games. He can stroke the three-pointer, and can post up smaller defenders. Mostly, he makes everyone on the floor better. He took the third-youngest team in NBA history to 13 straight wins in December. That’s pretty valuable. Maybe the best thing about him is, he doesn’t really care about either honor. He just wants to win.
Hornets.com: Particularly after No. 1 pick Greg Oden was ruled out for the season due to a knee injury, many analysts said that Portland’s improvement in 2007-08 would be largely contingent upon the development of its young talent. From an outside perspective, it appears that unheralded 20-somethings like Travis Outlaw, Jarrett Jack and James Jones are thriving right now. Why have several Portland youngsters made such major improvements? Is some of this coaching?
Barrett: A lot of it is coaching, and I have to think Nate McMillan is the frontrunner for Coach of the Year honors right now. We were just in Orlando, and Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said before the game that Nate is absolutely deserving of that honor right now. Again, considering that youth almost never wins in this league, Nate’s doing something right. When he was the coach of the Sonics, he helped that team consistently overachieve. Back then, he usually only went with seven or eight players. With the Blazers, he routinely goes 10 deep, and always has this young roster ready to play. There aren’t usually many big surprises in professional sports. Most of the national experts said Portland would win 20 to 25 games this season. They’re at 24 with 42 games left to play. And, throughout the first two months of the season, their schedule strength was rated in the top five in the league. Some of the young guys have developed quickly, but that wouldn’t have happened without McMillan and his staff.
Hornets.com: How does Oden view the success that his teammates have had without him so far? How do you see him fitting into the mix when he makes his expected return next season?
Barrett: He’s loved being around his teammates, and is a big part of things, despite not being able to play. He’s gone with us on several road trips, and is with us now on this monster seven-game trip. He’s been one of the biggest cheerleaders on the bench, and only gets bummed out because he wishes he could be more a part of things. The Blazers have really tried to make sure he is right in the middle of everything this team does. That’s why he’s on these trips. He’s learning the cities, the travel, and the grind of the schedule. On this trip he’s seen guys like Shaq, and Dwight Howard, and is in all the huddles during timeouts. It’s been an education for him, that’s for sure.
I don’t think he’ll have much trouble fitting in next season, because he’s not a player who will demand the ball. He won’t be a big part of the offense, at least early on. His strengths, at least in the beginning, will be playing defense, blocking shots, rebounding, and setting picks. Without him, the Blazers have been a little undersized, and have even been bullied on several occasions. I don’t think that’ll happen when Greg is in the middle.
Hornets.com: Earlier we discussed how much has changed for the Blazers since the season tipped off. When asked about a very young Portland team’s expectations in our November talk, you said this: “I am thinking perhaps 38 to 40 wins this year. Most of the national predictions have them coming in around 30 to 32 (they won 32 last season).” Now that Portland is 24-16 (entering Monday’s game at Atlanta), what do you think is a realistic goal for the Blazers now?
Barrett: As you said, my initial prediction was 38 wins, and obviously we’ve all had to adjust our expectations a bit. During the winning streak I was still thinking that finishing above .500 would be a huge achievement. While I still believe that, I think 45 wins is not out of the question. That won’t be easy, and this team will have to stay healthy to pull that off, but it’s a reachable goal. It’ll probably take 42-43 wins to sneak into the playoffs, and if this team can somehow make it to the postseason, McMillan will easily win Coach of the Year honors. There’s a long way to go, and you won’t find any players or coaches addressing questions about the playoffs right now. McMillan has been successful in getting this team to truly take them one game at a time.
Hornets.com: What do we not know but should know about the Blazers?
Barrett: People probably realize the importance of chemistry in this league, but the Blazers are a good example of how powerful that can be. The players reported to camp five weeks early last summer, and I’ve heard them attributing most of the success they’ve had back to that. It wasn’t just about getting into shape, but was about getting to know each other. This is a very nice and respectful group of players. In fact, we’ve had the gall to complain at times that at times they seem maybe too nice. I think there have only been one or two technical fouls called on the Blazers for complaining to referees this season. They don’t trash talk, don’t pound their chests, and don’t feel they’re entitled to anything. I haven’t heard one complaint about playing time, or who’s in and who’s out of the starting lineup. Maybe that’s why we haven’t seen more of them on the national highlights. There’s not much flash, or drama, here. It’s amazing that the third-youngest team in NBA history actually won 13 straight games. The fact that they did it, and are still under the radar, is maybe more amazing. But, again, they don’t really care about that stuff. They are a reflection of their leader, Brandon Roy, who is a reflection of his coach, Nate McMillan.
Throughout the 2007-08 regular season, Hornets.com will be chatting with writers from other NBA websites to obtain unique insights on the Hornets’ opposition, prior to home games at New Orleans Arena. With the Hornets hosting the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, we caught up with Blazers TV play-by-play broadcaster Mike Barrett. Barrett is a frequent contributor to the team’s official website, Blazers.com, including writing the popular Barrett’s Blog.
Hornets.com: Good afternoon Mike. Thanks for visiting with us a second time in the 2007-08 season. The last time we chatted was early November; it’s amazing to consider how much has changed for the Trail Blazers since then. After starting the season at 5-12, Portland opened eyes around the NBA by going on a 13-game winning streak. The Blazers now look like a very formidable team, even in the rugged Western Conference. What do you view as the catalyst for that turnaround?
Barrett: A couple of things, really. In my opinion, the first was James Jones getting healthy. The first game he really came back and was a part of things, was the game against Memphis, on Dec. 3. That was the first game of the 13-game winning streak. In that game Jones started on the path that has led him to the top spot in the three-point-accuracy category. He’s helped bring a veteran presence to the team, and having him on the floor helps spread opposing defenses. Even in games where he hasn’t had huge numbers, he’s kept defenses honest because you always have to know where he is. He doesn’t start for the Blazers, but usually plays most of the fourth quarters.
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Hornets.com: Blazers guard Brandon Roy, the 2006-07 NBA Rookie of the Year, has been a huge reason behind Portland’s surprising push into playoff contention. Some have listed him as a dark-horse candidate for MVP this season. Do you buy that? If so, what would your case be for why Roy should at least be considered for the award?
Barrett: I don’t think he’ll be considered for the award, and I don’t think he’ll make the All-Star team. But, ask opposing coaches about both. They are his biggest fans. As far as the MVP is concerned, it depends on what exactly that means to individual people. To me, I always think about what the Blazers would be without Roy. There are only a couple of players in this league who are as valuable to their respective teams. Brandon is a shooting guard, who is probably better at the point. He’s a good rebounder, a great passer, and a very solid decision-maker, especially late in games. He can stroke the three-pointer, and can post up smaller defenders. Mostly, he makes everyone on the floor better. He took the third-youngest team in NBA history to 13 straight wins in December. That’s pretty valuable. Maybe the best thing about him is, he doesn’t really care about either honor. He just wants to win.
Hornets.com: Particularly after No. 1 pick Greg Oden was ruled out for the season due to a knee injury, many analysts said that Portland’s improvement in 2007-08 would be largely contingent upon the development of its young talent. From an outside perspective, it appears that unheralded 20-somethings like Travis Outlaw, Jarrett Jack and James Jones are thriving right now. Why have several Portland youngsters made such major improvements? Is some of this coaching?
Barrett: A lot of it is coaching, and I have to think Nate McMillan is the frontrunner for Coach of the Year honors right now. We were just in Orlando, and Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said before the game that Nate is absolutely deserving of that honor right now. Again, considering that youth almost never wins in this league, Nate’s doing something right. When he was the coach of the Sonics, he helped that team consistently overachieve. Back then, he usually only went with seven or eight players. With the Blazers, he routinely goes 10 deep, and always has this young roster ready to play. There aren’t usually many big surprises in professional sports. Most of the national experts said Portland would win 20 to 25 games this season. They’re at 24 with 42 games left to play. And, throughout the first two months of the season, their schedule strength was rated in the top five in the league. Some of the young guys have developed quickly, but that wouldn’t have happened without McMillan and his staff.
Hornets.com: How does Oden view the success that his teammates have had without him so far? How do you see him fitting into the mix when he makes his expected return next season?
Barrett: He’s loved being around his teammates, and is a big part of things, despite not being able to play. He’s gone with us on several road trips, and is with us now on this monster seven-game trip. He’s been one of the biggest cheerleaders on the bench, and only gets bummed out because he wishes he could be more a part of things. The Blazers have really tried to make sure he is right in the middle of everything this team does. That’s why he’s on these trips. He’s learning the cities, the travel, and the grind of the schedule. On this trip he’s seen guys like Shaq, and Dwight Howard, and is in all the huddles during timeouts. It’s been an education for him, that’s for sure.
I don’t think he’ll have much trouble fitting in next season, because he’s not a player who will demand the ball. He won’t be a big part of the offense, at least early on. His strengths, at least in the beginning, will be playing defense, blocking shots, rebounding, and setting picks. Without him, the Blazers have been a little undersized, and have even been bullied on several occasions. I don’t think that’ll happen when Greg is in the middle.
Hornets.com: Earlier we discussed how much has changed for the Blazers since the season tipped off. When asked about a very young Portland team’s expectations in our November talk, you said this: “I am thinking perhaps 38 to 40 wins this year. Most of the national predictions have them coming in around 30 to 32 (they won 32 last season).” Now that Portland is 24-16 (entering Monday’s game at Atlanta), what do you think is a realistic goal for the Blazers now?
Barrett: As you said, my initial prediction was 38 wins, and obviously we’ve all had to adjust our expectations a bit. During the winning streak I was still thinking that finishing above .500 would be a huge achievement. While I still believe that, I think 45 wins is not out of the question. That won’t be easy, and this team will have to stay healthy to pull that off, but it’s a reachable goal. It’ll probably take 42-43 wins to sneak into the playoffs, and if this team can somehow make it to the postseason, McMillan will easily win Coach of the Year honors. There’s a long way to go, and you won’t find any players or coaches addressing questions about the playoffs right now. McMillan has been successful in getting this team to truly take them one game at a time.
Hornets.com: What do we not know but should know about the Blazers?
Barrett: People probably realize the importance of chemistry in this league, but the Blazers are a good example of how powerful that can be. The players reported to camp five weeks early last summer, and I’ve heard them attributing most of the success they’ve had back to that. It wasn’t just about getting into shape, but was about getting to know each other. This is a very nice and respectful group of players. In fact, we’ve had the gall to complain at times that at times they seem maybe too nice. I think there have only been one or two technical fouls called on the Blazers for complaining to referees this season. They don’t trash talk, don’t pound their chests, and don’t feel they’re entitled to anything. I haven’t heard one complaint about playing time, or who’s in and who’s out of the starting lineup. Maybe that’s why we haven’t seen more of them on the national highlights. There’s not much flash, or drama, here. It’s amazing that the third-youngest team in NBA history actually won 13 straight games. The fact that they did it, and are still under the radar, is maybe more amazing. But, again, they don’t really care about that stuff. They are a reflection of their leader, Brandon Roy, who is a reflection of his coach, Nate McMillan.
