The boys in red, white, and black will be squaring off against the Denver Nuggets at 7pm tonight. It is rumored that our very popular center Robin Lopez will be back in the lineup, and boy is that a relief. Robin has been out of action since December 15th after suffering a right hand injury while playing the San Antonio Spurs.
Over the last 10 games, Portland has won 2 out of 9...with 1 game postponed due to inclement weather in the Northeast. While it is hard to point to one primary reason for the skid, having 3 of your front court players suffering injuries is never good (Robin Lopez, Joel Freeland, Lamarcus Aldridge). While Lamarcus Aldridge has chosen to forego surgery on the torn ligament in his hand, he is still playing hurt. The best part is, you wouldn't be able to tell. He has been regularly scoring 30+ points a night, and has been doing it all while refusing to shy away from inside contact.
The good news is, we all know how much having Robin Lopez on the court benefits Lamarcus. Lopez is a solid interior defender, with the ability to change and alter shots close to the rim. When he is out of the lineup, Portland struggles to contain shots in the paint. In addition, having Lamarcus guard bigger players when Chris Kaman is on the bench is problematic. When Lamarcus plays the "5" position, he is subject to more punishment inside, which leaves him vulnerable with that injured hand. I am very happy to have Robin back because it will allow Lamarcus to play his natural power forward position.
Aside from his defensive savvy, Lopez brings a quirky and vibrant personality to the team. You can tell from his infamous "Lopez bench celebrations" that he genuinely cares about his teammates. Plus, if you can win games and have fun while doing it...that is a win-win situation. I am optimistic that having Lopez back in the fold will be critical for righting the ship and getting the team back on course. My keys to the game tonight for a Portland win?
1.) Strong perimeter defense on Utah's top scorer Gordon Hayward. Look for Nic to step up and have a strong defensive performance tonight.
2.) Control the boards-keep Kanter and Favors off the glass and limit Utah to one shot per possession if possible. This is where having Robin Lopez back will be extremely valuable.
3.) Fuel the fire- Damian Lillard being snubbed from the All-Star game must fuel his performance for the second half of the season. Capitalize on the rookie Dante Exum at the point guard spot, and look for 3-point field goals in transition.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
The Shark Tank: Selling Your Personal Brand
One of my newest addictions includes watching the show Shark Tank, which has taken ABC by storm. The premise of the show is basically that there are five "sharks" or venture capitalists that look to contribute their financial backing and business know-how to young entrepreneurs. The show features big names such as Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, Kevin O'Leary, Kevin Harrington, and Lori Greiner. Each shark has made it in the business world, bringing a diverse range of specialized knowledge and a big pocketbook to match.
As Mark Cuban has said on the show, "It's good to see that the American Dream is alive and well." What I think he means is that people getting up the courage to start their own businesses is essential to our country's success. I am a big fan of Cuban not only because of his demonstrated business acumen, but because of his quirky personality and desire to have a little fun while making money. I think that it is refreshing to see people just "keep it real" when it comes to a business situation. This personality is best exhibited by the picture of Mark Cuban with a cigar in his mouth and the NBA championship trophy in his hand while relaxing on his private jet...(I am a little jealous, just a little).
The eccentric Dallas Mavericks owner is my favorite shark by far, so go check him out. If anything, you will be entertained by his quick wit.
The reason I am writing this post is to encourage you to watch the show!
I was a business major at the University of Oregon, specializing in the field of sports marketing. I must say, the show has cultivated an interest in the entrepreneurial spirit. The ability to pitch an idea or "sell" is becoming more and more critical to success in the business world. As I search for a career that better matches my educational background, I have come to find that marketing and the ability to sell are highly intertwined. While sales can be a daunting career for the faint-hearted, it does offer skills than can be transferred to my field of interest.
As I work on my ability to pitch myself, I have come to find that people are quick to be skeptical in today's world. With the job market on the rebound, more and more people are highly qualified for the open positions available. Does one take a job doing something that is uninteresting simply to be employed? I would say it depends on your individual situation. What I do know, is that I want to work in a position where I can apply what I learned in college to a real world situation. That's every college student's goal thought right?
As Mark Cuban has said on the show, "It's good to see that the American Dream is alive and well." What I think he means is that people getting up the courage to start their own businesses is essential to our country's success. I am a big fan of Cuban not only because of his demonstrated business acumen, but because of his quirky personality and desire to have a little fun while making money. I think that it is refreshing to see people just "keep it real" when it comes to a business situation. This personality is best exhibited by the picture of Mark Cuban with a cigar in his mouth and the NBA championship trophy in his hand while relaxing on his private jet...(I am a little jealous, just a little).
The eccentric Dallas Mavericks owner is my favorite shark by far, so go check him out. If anything, you will be entertained by his quick wit.
The reason I am writing this post is to encourage you to watch the show!
I was a business major at the University of Oregon, specializing in the field of sports marketing. I must say, the show has cultivated an interest in the entrepreneurial spirit. The ability to pitch an idea or "sell" is becoming more and more critical to success in the business world. As I search for a career that better matches my educational background, I have come to find that marketing and the ability to sell are highly intertwined. While sales can be a daunting career for the faint-hearted, it does offer skills than can be transferred to my field of interest.
As I work on my ability to pitch myself, I have come to find that people are quick to be skeptical in today's world. With the job market on the rebound, more and more people are highly qualified for the open positions available. Does one take a job doing something that is uninteresting simply to be employed? I would say it depends on your individual situation. What I do know, is that I want to work in a position where I can apply what I learned in college to a real world situation. That's every college student's goal thought right?
All-Star Woes
Given the fact that I am a huge Portland Trail Blazers fan, I thought that I would combine my passion for writing with a long track record of following the pinwheel protagonists.
The first topic I would like to discuss is Damian Lillard being snubbed from the All-Star game.
In today's era where the fans get to vote for the starting five players of the big game, many big name players (a little past their prime) are being selected simply because of their popularity. Most notably this year, Mr. Kobe Bryant. I think that we can all agree that the "Black Mamba" is easily one of the greatest players to ever grace the hardwood, but the fact that he was selected for the game is a waste of a spot. Kobe will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn rotator cuff, and I feel bad for the guy honestly. My point here is that the All-Star game should not just be a popularity contest, it should give credit where credit is due. Is Kevin Durant an All-Star? Absolutely. He is one of the top 5 players in the entire world. However, as Charles Barkley noted, the man missed more games then he played in this season.
Now, even though Demarcus Cousins is clearly having a monster season (23.6 ppg, 12.6 rpg, 1.6 bpg), his team is having a less than stellar run once again. Sacramento starts today off with a record of 17-29, putting them 20.5 games behind the surging bay area bombers. Conversely, despite Portland's recent slump they still find themselves at the top of the Northwest Division with a 32-16 record. Damian Lillard is having another fantastic year (21.6 ppg, 6.3 apg, 4.6 rpg), and we have seen the growth in his confidence become very evident. Surely, we can agree that Cousins is statistically more than qualified to be on the All-Star team...however how much should a team's record be taken into account? I would have to argue that being an All-Star is not just an individual award. All-Star performances can be heavily influenced by the teammates that are around you. More consideration needs to be given to players that are on winning teams and are still putting up elite level statistics.
This is where I really like Adam Silver's idea to possibly expand the All-Star Roster to match the maximum number of players that a typical NBA team can have on a given night. I like the idea. Not just because I wanted Lillard on the team, but because there were quite a few very deserving players that were left to wonder what could have been.
The first topic I would like to discuss is Damian Lillard being snubbed from the All-Star game.
In today's era where the fans get to vote for the starting five players of the big game, many big name players (a little past their prime) are being selected simply because of their popularity. Most notably this year, Mr. Kobe Bryant. I think that we can all agree that the "Black Mamba" is easily one of the greatest players to ever grace the hardwood, but the fact that he was selected for the game is a waste of a spot. Kobe will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn rotator cuff, and I feel bad for the guy honestly. My point here is that the All-Star game should not just be a popularity contest, it should give credit where credit is due. Is Kevin Durant an All-Star? Absolutely. He is one of the top 5 players in the entire world. However, as Charles Barkley noted, the man missed more games then he played in this season.
Now, even though Demarcus Cousins is clearly having a monster season (23.6 ppg, 12.6 rpg, 1.6 bpg), his team is having a less than stellar run once again. Sacramento starts today off with a record of 17-29, putting them 20.5 games behind the surging bay area bombers. Conversely, despite Portland's recent slump they still find themselves at the top of the Northwest Division with a 32-16 record. Damian Lillard is having another fantastic year (21.6 ppg, 6.3 apg, 4.6 rpg), and we have seen the growth in his confidence become very evident. Surely, we can agree that Cousins is statistically more than qualified to be on the All-Star team...however how much should a team's record be taken into account? I would have to argue that being an All-Star is not just an individual award. All-Star performances can be heavily influenced by the teammates that are around you. More consideration needs to be given to players that are on winning teams and are still putting up elite level statistics.
This is where I really like Adam Silver's idea to possibly expand the All-Star Roster to match the maximum number of players that a typical NBA team can have on a given night. I like the idea. Not just because I wanted Lillard on the team, but because there were quite a few very deserving players that were left to wonder what could have been.
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