Oct 15 2009
Player Preview: Travis Outlaw
Let’s agree to disagree.
Very few players get defined by something that is entirely unconscious. I can only think of Michael Jordan’s tongue wag at the moment. Well, one Blazer is famous among the fans for his own unconsciousness. Of course, I speak of Travis Outlaw and his total unawareness of where his feet are in relation to the three point line. Here’s a fun drinking game, folks. Take a shot every time he steps on the line with a jumper. Don’t blame me when you go blind.
Okay, that’s rude. Travis is the strange character that stirs up intense feelings in all Blazer fans. It’s not that you can just like certain aspects of his play. You must LOVE him. Nor can you find certain things he does annoying. You must HATE him. Well, let’s make this season with Travis the one of the middle ground.
He won’t be playing as much with the return of Martell Webster, and when he will play this year, it will be behind LaMarcus Aldridge. This is great news. Simply put, last year, Travis Outlaw the small forward was one of the worst players in the NBA, statistically speaking. He killed the team often. When he swung to power forward, he not only plugged in fine for LaMarcus – he thrived. He dragged his defenders out to the arc (occasionally even stepping behind the line) and did a serviceable job on defense. Outlaw, if we’re lucky with injuries and Nate uses him sparingly, could be an effective weapon this year. If he plays a ton of minutes, we’re in trouble.
So, let’s just break down Travis. He has a hell of a personality. He’s funny, and generally pleasant to be near. Unfortunately, this has nothing to do with his skill in basketball. If basketball was a contest of seeing who I’d want to go play laser tag with on my birthday, Travis would be a frontrunner. Too bad there are pesky points to deal with and games. It’s here where Travis occasionally falls short in majestic, explosive fashion. I don’t hate Trav, but I don’t want him on the floor (except as a power forward). I know there are some of us out there who consider him an ideal option for the team. I’ll just defer to Kanye in this matter: let’s agree to disagree.
