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too bad the 77 team would get their pushed in in today's game
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/in..._river_default
"I think this team is great," Jack Ramsay said of the 2013-14 Trail Blazers. Ramsay knows a thing or two about great, having led the Blazers to the NBA le in 1977.
He’s biased, of course. But as far as Jack Ramsay is concerned, there’s never been a closer, more skilled or more fun-to-watch Trail Blazers team than the legendary group that won Portland’s only NBA championship and kindled the birth of Rip City.
“I had the most fun with my team,” the former Blazers coach said Tuesday afternoon, chuckling about the 1977 le winner. “It was the best.
“But this is close.”
“This” would be the latest edition of the Blazers (18-4), an unselfish, entertaining and Ramsay-esque team that surprisingly sits atop the Western Conference standings a quarter of the way through the 2013-14 season. And while each Blazers win is converting more and more people into believers, the most revered coach in franchise history doesn’t need any more convincing.
“I think this team is great,” Ramsay said. “Everybody is pulling a share of the load. They’re getting critical performances from a lot of people: The point guard, big forward and center. That’s three critical positions. And then the other starters are filling in and guys off the bench are stepping up. All these things have to happen if you’re going to have a good team. And they have a chance to be a great team.”
How great?
Only time will tell. And Ramsay, who spoke to The Oregonian by phone from Pennsylvania, where he is battling health issues and undergoing treatment, isn’t ready to anoint them as le contenders just yet. But the more he watches the Blazers play and the more he thinks back to that magical 1977 season, the more similarities he sees between this team and the most celebrated in franchise history.
“They can match up with anybody, they defend well and they can score when they need to,” Ramsay said of the Blazers. “I think (coach) Terry Stotts has done an incredible job with that group. It’s kind of reminiscent of the Trail Blazers team that I got when I first came to Portland. Nobody expected anything from that team — they had never had a .500 season — but everybody did his share. I think this team has similar components.”
After finishing that sentence, Ramsay rattled off the players who formed the backbone of the le team. Bill Walton, “the kingpin.” Maurice Lucas, “the big forward and intimidator.” Bobby Gross, “the relentless runner at the small forward.” Lionel Hollins. Dave Twardzik. Johnny Davis. Herm Gilliam. Lloyd Neal. Corky Calhoun.
The calling card of Ramsay’s team was its unselfish, we-above-me style, and the Blazers were a work of art on the court that season, as they bought into the exciting, selfless brand of basketball the Hall of Fame coach created during his first season in Portland. The Blazers loved to pass. They ran at will. They shared the ball. They moved without the ball. And above all else, they played together.
When Stotts was hired as the 14th coach in franchise history, he said it mattered how a team played — independent of whether it won or lost — and promised to bring a similarly exciting brand of basketball to Portland. A quarter of the way through his second season, his vision is unfolding to perfection.
The Blazers rank second in the NBA in scoring, averaging 106.2 points per game, and lead the league in offensive efficiency. They are one of the best-shooting teams in the NBA, ranking second in three-point shooting (41.5 percent), sixth in effective field goal shooting (51.4 percent), ninth in field goal shooting (45.8 percent) and first in free throw shooting (81.7 percent). And they are one of the sharpest passing teams in the league, ranking sixth in turnovers (14.3 per game), eighth in assists (22.9 per game) and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.60).
Beyond impressive statistics, they have evolved into a team that is, quite simply, a joy to watch. Loaded with shooters, capable passers and creators, the Blazers are running Stotts’ “flow” offense with precision and ease, while embracing his “trust the pass” mantra. Stotts’ offense gives his players the freedom to create and navigate through a system that flourishes on movement, instincts and rhythm. And the players have thrived with the freedom, willingly sharing the ball, regularly passing up open shots to make the “next” pass because it might result in a better shot and trusting each another to make the right play.
The Blazers’ passing and ball movement has been as fluid as any time in recent memory in Portland, a fact not lost on Ramsay.
“One factor that I think is overlooked,” Ramsay said of the le team, “is that every player on the team was a very good passer. So the players on the entire squad knew, if they got open, they were going to get the ball. Walton was the leader in that regard, but everybody else was able and willing to make the next pass. That brings unselfish play into the whole team and really makes it a unit. That Blazers team had that to a high degree, and I think the current Blazers do, too.”
Hearing such high praise from Ramsay about this season’s team practically makes Stotts blush. He has spoken highly of the legendary coach since the day he was hired, and he so respects what Ramsay did in Portland, Stotts had a mural created and mounted in his office at the Moda Center. The metal work of art features an iconic picture of Ramsay and one of his quotes that Stotts has always identified with:
“Teams that play together beat those teams with superior players who play more as individuals.”
The quote seems especially apropos in light of Ramsay’s comments regarding this Blazers team, a humbling reality for Stotts.
"It’d be a terrific compliment to be compared to a championship team," Stotts said. "We have a long way to go to get there. But I think it’s something that we aspire to.
"Honestly, there’s only been a few teams in the history of the NBA that I’ve really appreciated, and that '77 team is one of them. Those teams don’t happen just by accident. What (Ramsay) did in basketball goes well beyond that team. He’s been an ambassador for the game. He’s coached at different levels, did television commentary for years. He did so much more than win a championship in Portland, and very few people have done what he’s done."
And very few Blazers teams have drawn comparisons to the '77 team — especially from Ramsay.
too bad the 77 team would get their pushed in in today's game
The 70's were terrible in the way of quality basketball--parity to the max. Thank goodness for the Bird/Magic era...you had the Warriors, Sonics, and Trailblazers (along with the Bucks and Bullets) winning chips in that era...
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RIP Jack Ramsay
my Venti doin' work
Ramsay killing himself so he didn't have to see this Spurs/Blazers rapefest
Dr. Jack would not be proud.
RIP city indeed
is this the same ramsay or related to the ramsay down here who also passed away? another billionaire who left behind +$3billion to charity organizations
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