The Blazers summer league season is underway in Las Vegas, but so vexing is the absence of the franchise’s most important player that it has driven me to verse. Must be the heat...
Scoot, oh Scoot
Are you learning to shoot,
There in the shadows,
Where no fans can root?
This summer will you transform,
To a player beyond the norm,
One Joe Cronin can build around,
And to whom defenders will swarm?
We aren’t seeing you in July,
And a part of me wonders why?
Shouldn’t you play a game or two,
And show that you’re ready to be The Guy?
Fans are latching on to Clingan,
Who looks ready to be a wingman,
To you, Shaedon and Ant,
And to help Rip City win again.
As a rookie you were inconsistent,
So you can’t blame those who missed it,
When you showed flashes of stardom,
That on some nights felt not so distant.
In a class with no Wemby or Chet,
You’d look like a seasoned vet,
The star of Las Vegas,
A rare surefire bet.
We see Brandon Miller out there,
That Miami guy with really great hair.
Second-year dudes, like you,
Showing they don’t easily scare.
I checked with someone whose expertise is well known,
Kept nameless here so their cover is not blown:
“I think guys need to play games.”
“But to each,” said they, “their own.”
In case you think that an easy-to-disregarder,
Here is another source, someone even smarter:
“Jaime Jaquez Jr. is playing,” they said,
“And he was a playoff starter!”
Summer league ball is erratic,
Much of it just noise, mere static.
So while I’d like to see you out there,
I concede the decision is far from automatic.
Last year you got hurt,
And I don’t want to just blurt,
That I know what’s best,
Because you’re needed for more than just spurts.
What matters is that you’re ready come fall,
When there is meaningful ball.
No one will remember Summer League then,
Not if you’re looking super... um... starrable!
I really do hate to nag,
This may be a non-issue or just a tiny snag.
Give it time. Next year I’ll turn my focus
To poems about Cooper Flagg.
