An offensive night to remember for the Trail Blazers
And one would hope they’d actually do that — remember what they did and how they approached the game Monday night against the Chicago Bulls.
Portland played inside-out… almost all night long. Established all the big people — Oden, Przybilla, Aldridge — inside. Got them the ball early, often, late, frequently, and in position where they could score. And it opened so much of the court for the guards to operate.
And I’ll say this, too… since Andre Miller showed up with that killer lob pass, it’s become something like a new toy for his teammates. It’s as if it’s some new invention they’d never seen before — everyone wants to try it! Passing is infectious and the Blazers have that disease all of a sudden.
Offensively, it was as good as we’ve seen from Portland this season. They played — dare I say it? — the right way. Now, lest you thought I was just going to gush all over them, it’s only fair that we point out another thing about that game:
The defensive end wasn’t so hot. Portland still doesn’t close out on three-point shooters. I lost count of how many open jumpers the Bulls got. They didn’t hit a lot of them, though. In fact, in the second half, they really struggled from the outside. But the shots they wanted seemed to be there for them. And they couldn’t rebound at all and that killed any chance they had of staying in the game.
Oden continues to improve, though — and Portland’s defensive improvement is tied almost strictly to his improvement.
And for a guy who wasn’t expected to be much of an offensive force, he’s turning into a beast, real quickly. Now he’s not going to do that against every team. But some of these teams just don’t have anyone who is physically capable of defending him. And he simply overpowers them, the way he did against the Bulls.
And the only way he’ll keep improving is if he continues to get those chances with the ball. He’s not polished or perfect yet — far from it. A Kareem he’s not. But he’s already better than a lot of people thought he’d be this season and improving at a rapid rate.
And I’m sorry, doubters, if you can’t see the potential of what this guy means to an NBA team, you really don’t understand the game.
NBA, Trail Blazers | Dwight Jaynes | November 24, 2009
Chicago Bulls, Dwight Jaynes, Greg Oden, Joel Przybilla, LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers
They were really fun to watch last night. Greg got under Noah’s skin which probably isn’t hard to do; but him working his as* off was the catalyst for everything they did last night.
Dwight, what say you about Brandon’s small quip about “I want nothing but what’s good for this team and I don’t know why everyone is hating right now? But, it’s cool.”
I have to say also, maybe you can confirm this Dwight, but don’t most superstars get to decide who is on the court with them? LeBron, Kobe, Wade, hell Paul Pierce all get to decide. Don’t get me wrong, Brandon is not in there class but he is a 2 time all star and really when it comes down to it this is his team. Nate says it and I think all the players agree and believe it to be that way. This team is not at the top of the division this morning without him.
Furthermore, Andre was really good with the 2nd unit last night…really good. Maybe it is for the better.
The question is, how much can Roy and Webster, especially, up their games to help out the big guy on both ends of the court. All that off-season work is paying off for GO, and I’m delighted to see it, but for the Blazers to take on the elite teams, obviously he’s going to need more help.
Any season sweep over the Chicago Bulls is a big deal to me. They have the great star Derrick Rose, and other superstars like Kirk Hinrich, superstar Joakim Noah, all-star Brad Miller, and the star Tyrus Thomas. I greatly value this season series sweep.
Well – it made Nate’s decision look a little better. The offense still lacks any real plays – it’s usually just a two man game.
But that being said, if Roy will continue to more consistently look to get the ball inside to the big guys, they should have more nights like this. Honestly, if Aldridge and Oden can consistently be interior forces, I don’t see how too many teams can stop Portland, despite the simplicity of this offense.
Miller makes the backup group look a hell of a lot better, and seems to work fairly well with Rudy. Still think Miller would work well with the starters, but he does make the non-starting group a lot better offensively.
The defense, particularly the perimeter and help defense is still pretty dicey. I still find it amusing that McMillan (and Jason Quick) has been gushing about the improved defense of late, but honestly, I’m not seeing much other than Oden’s improvement.
It’s as if they think that only guy that has to play defense is the Center, and the only good defense is a blocked or altered shot. Pick and roll, penetration from quick guards, and closing out on shooters are all still big defensive holes.
But it looks like if they keep going inside, it might not matter.
Lastly, I don’t want to get too carried away, since it’s only been a few games, but Aldridge is finally looking like he should. He’s working like a beast down on the block in a big way. Finally. It’s good to see. Frankly, I didn’t think I’d see it, and I want to see a lot more before I’m sold, but it’s a good start.
I’m dating myself, but you know what duo ran a “two man game” that I kind of liked? Moses and Jeff Malone, when they were together in Washington. Moses was the dominant inside scorer and rebounder, while Jeff was the pure shooter. How well do you think Andre and Greg can run a similar two man game, even though Andre’s outside shot is nowhere near Jeff’s?
I’m happy for Oden that he’s playing better, and I’m happy for the Blazers that Oden’s playing better, but one thing about his game just drives me crazy.
Why in the world, does he need to do that absolutely ridiculous pull-up on the rim every time he dunks??? Does he think he’s the first person to ever dunk? He’s 7 feet tall, for crying out loud. It’s not that big of a deal to dunk when you’re that tall. It just looks amateurish. I wish, just once, he’d dunk the ball calmly through the net, like Bill Walton used to, and focus on getting back up the court as quickly as he can so he can be in position to play defense.
He actually wastes a couple of seconds hanging on the rim, as if to say “Hey everyone, look at me!!! I just dunked the ball!!!”. He needs to quit acting like a high school kid who just gained the ability to dunk. He needs to get his rear-end down the court and get back on defense as quickly as he can.
He’s exercising.
Actually, if you’re a big heavy dude like Oden, it’s not entirely unwise to hang briefly on the rim before coming down, just to make sure you have a good place to land. Injuries can and do occur when dunkers land incorrectly on the leg.
If Oden starts getting T’d up for hanging on the rim, then you can flag him for excessive showboating. But the “no hanging on the rim rule” (and how its enforced) does permit brief hanging, for this precise reason.
It’s called a ‘signature move’. Maybe they’ll work it into the next NBA Live release.
Why not ask Ewing why he always traveled across the top of the lane before he launched that floater. Ask Jordan why his tongue hung out. Ask Rudy why he always puts up 3 fingers after a trey.
My athletic director referred to it as a “Shaquille O’Neal pullup,” when training recreational referees on the “hanging on the rim” rule. He said, hanging to avoid injury is fine, but “not a Shaquille O’Neal pullup.”
I remember when sorry 5’10″ me used to go to the playground with friends, where they had low dunk hoops, and I’d hang on the rim after dunking!
I’m just going to leave it at that he’s 21 years old, give or take a year.
Man if that’s the only thing to complain about, build a bridge.
It’s Oden’s signature dunk since highschool and not everyone can do it, or else more would, duh.
I find it quietly intimidating. it’s his equal to swatting a shot, that “I own the rim!” statement.
Do you really think that doing a pull-up on the rim actually intimidates ANY nba player? No way.
If that’s his signature move, then he needs to get a new signature because all that signifies to me is that he’s a big dork who thinks that it’s somehow a big deal when a 7 foot guy dunks a ball.
Oden needs to act like a pro before he can play like a pro. He needs to quit acting like a high school kid.
And, in response to Scotty who says he does it to protect himself from injury….well, he does it ALL the time, even when there’s no one around him. He’s doing it because he thinks it looks cool. What he needs to understand is that it DOESN’T look cool. It looks dorky.
I’m with you here. I think it’s a bit immature and will result in a technical sooner or later, either for hanging or for kicking someone in the face by accident. I get a little embarrassed of him every time he does that, and I don’t want that distracting from the pride I already feel in him and the team.
Again if that’s the only thing to complainabout then build a bridge and get over it.
Seriously, Oden doing that doesn’t represent any immaturity on his part, but rather his style of play. You don’t have to like it, but let’s not say that because of it he’s not a pro. That’s drawing conclusion from aspects that are not entirely related. I’ll leave it at that.
That don’t bother me. What absolutely drives me nuts is the constant licking of his fingers.
Grrrrrrrrrrr!
then you should ask him to keep his fingers out of your mouth.
He must have seen film of me when I was in high school. I was only 5’10 and every time I dunked it I had to hang on the rim so I wouldn’t land on my back……….be original Greg
This kid is gonna be an unstoppable monster when he reaches his physical prime in 5-7 years. Oden haters beware, your time is coming to an end.
It also blows me away how many people are waiting in the woodwork to hate on Roy. A part of our fanbase is a real joke.
Let me be clear, I love Roy. A lot. And Dwight I think you’re being unfair with your last post and the 100 or so commenters who seemingly think it’s okay to trade Roy…really? Come on!
NBA players need at least three years to define the direction of their career, with an extra year or two for big guys. Big guys usually take longer to develop, so I’m willing to give him five years (including his injury rookie season) before classifying his selection over Kevin Durant as a mistake.
Why was everyone hating on you Brandon Roy? Because those of us who have watched thousands of games over the last 30 years know if you keep playing 1 on 5 you were heading for another first round playoff loss. And then along comes Andre Miller, someone who knows how to pass, hit LA and everyone on fastbreaks, get the ball to Oden in good position for high percentage shots and takes a 2-3 team to go 7-2 and you get him benched? That’s why everyone was hating on you. So, keep getting the ball to Oden, play to make your teammates get easy baskets( and not only outside unreliable shots) and you should win 60 games buddy. Best stat on the first half, only 1 heave by Blake because we went inside so much.
I agree completely. Roy is a great player, but this team isn’t going anywhere until they play like they played last night. I’ll always put my money on a team that gets dunks and layps rather than fadeaway jumpers.
I’ll also tip my hat to McMillan, Blake and Roy for at least trying to push the pace and look for the bigs inside to start the game. Even though Blake looked silly when Hinrich stole the ball on that 3 on 1, at least he’s trying to get them a few easier points.
Agree. The 1 on 5 concept simply won’t work. Brandon shouldn’t get the ball while in the corner, because he gets double teamed too often and has nowhere to go.
Roy’s offense is polished; let GO, LMA, Rudy get some love in the regular season so we can actually get somewhere in the playoffs.
Thank you for saying this. I hope Brandon reads this to find out why we’re all ticked at him. Brandon, did you read this? Make it your class project to make your teammates look better than they are, and we’ll get off the hate wagon.
If there is a whole wagon full of haters in this town, let me be the first to set it on fire and push it off the bridge.
Seriously, there’s a hell of a long way to go for B-Roy and for this team to start treating him like he’s the 2nd coming of AI. It amazes me how quickly some people have gone from “Thank goodness they’re not registered sex offenders” to “Our two-time all-star is playing the game the right way to bring us a championship.”
If there’s anything that needs to be called out, it’s this sudden growth of Fan Entitlement Syndrome. As if somehow a dynasty has been foretold for Portland by the Basketball Gods and it’s the job of our players to not muck up the hand of fate with their mere humanity.
Puhleeze. There’s 29 other teams that the hate wagon could be rolling on. The Fakers, Thuggets, Spazz and Blunder are all good choices, but rather than talk smack on the enemy, you nitpick at the guys who made this team what it is today? Stupid stupid stupid.
Dwight, the best words ever written on your blog:
“And I’m sorry, doubters, if you can’t see the potential of what this guy means to an NBA team, you really don’t understand the game.”
Oden doesn’t have to score 24 pts to justify his value. He’s such a force in the paint. His presence alone draws attention on both ends of the floor. That is something that is so valuable, but not measured statistically. He usually has more than one guy trying to box him out on the defensive end and teams are starting to double him offensively. He opens things up on both ends. The great thing about last night was how the team played inside out. That was encouraging because the game looked easier to everyone as a result. Also, Oden’s competitive spirit really fired up the team. That was my favorite part. Another great thing, Andre Miller played his best game as a blazer. He sure looked like he was “buying in” to his new role for last night at least.
RE: Roy haters….since when does legitimate criticism of a players liabilities constitute lack of loyalty to a team ? I’ve had some criticisms of Roy – ones largely cited by Dwight as well – and stand by them.
That doesn’t mean I want to trade him.
That doesn’t mean I don’t love this team.
It’s like that tired old – my country right or wrong – song. Constructive criticism doesn’t mean you don’t care or are unloyal – quite the contrary – you care enough to have a strong opinion.
Great game, especially from Andre and Greg, but an overall fine effort…but yes, the defense was highly suspect. They gave Chicago so many wide-open jumpers & 3s. A team like L.A. will make those jumpers, and then you get a completely different result. The perimeter defense has a long way to go.
I have no interest in moving Brandon either. Brandon is special. Very special.
But that doesn’t mean we need or have to respect his lack of professionalism here of late. He is going to make mistakes. It’s all part of being the age he is and him being a human being. But that doesn’t mean he get’s a free pass when he is error just because he is Brandon Roy. And so far this seasoon, he has been. He needs to be called out on it. That’s where the problem comes in. There isn’t a coach or general manager in this organization willing to do that.
Too much talk about Blake or Miller at point. I don’t think there is that much difference between the two, so put the guy Roy likes better on the floor with him. How far this team goes will depend on the big man. It was great watching Oden on the floor for extended minutes. The more we feed Oden down low the better he will get and so will the team. Oden is the key to winning in the playoffs and going all the way.
and you think Blake is going to feed the beast? Blake and Andre a push….seriously? Dre is the one mentoring Oden…not Blake…not Brandon….think about it….
If you don’t see the difference, then you’re not paying attention my friend.
The whole problem with Blake IS getting the big men easy points down low and on the break. Have you not noticed that the bigs have gotten more dunks and layups in the 15 games that Miller has been here than they have in the previous two seasons with Blake??
And read the game story from the Oregonian today and see if Oden thinks there’s a difference between Miller and Blake. “A breath of freash air” was the quote, I believe. And I’d bet both him and Aldridge would have A LOT more to say about Miller not starting if the microphones were turned off.
I have been saying it before and after every game. As soon as Nate, Brandon, and Blake realize this is NOT THEIR TEAM, AND as soon as ODEN & LMA realize this IS THEIR TEAM, the sooner we’ll be ready for the playoffs. G.O & LMA have to demand it from their own team & opponents.
AMEN!
We’ll see if they can keep it up. Last night on inside the NBA on the NBA channel, Brent Barry interviewed Oden after the game and asked him, “did you guys talk about pounding the ball inside and taking advantage of the Bulls and their lack of size, was that your game plan?”
Oden quickly replied, “No, I was just told to rebound and play defense.”
But I hope the light switch goes on permanently at some point with this team.
Yes!
Well said Arvydas!
The really annoying possessions are those in which Blake dribbles for 12 seconds, then spends 6 seconds trying to enter the ball to a heavily denied Roy on the wing, then Roy gets doubled, dribbles a bit, then passes to a teammate who has approximately 1.4 seconds left to hoist a prayer–all of this amidst total stagnation. This happens at least a half dozen times a game. Hopefully, Nate will scrap that little gem soon.
so true… haha, that last sentence is great.
Remember Anthony Mason of the NY Knicks? I remember that he’d get the ball in the post, pound pound pound the ball, pass it out to a teammate with less than a second to get the shot off, and he’d be there glaring at his teammate for missing the shot.
Man, where did that Franklin character go off to? I kind of miss his ill conceived notions of Greg Oden being a bust so soon. It’s shame he’s not here, to swallow some humble pie on this post, huh?
I mean I enjoy a good counter point … FRANKLIN.
Greg Oden is the alpha wolf. If Brandon wants to do everything to help the team, he’ll buy into that.
And Dwight, what the hell are you talking about with this invention of the lob pass bit?
Sergio, baby. He was all over the lob pass. Remember Rudy streaking in from the baseline?
Oh well. Credit where’s it’s due: You proved two points yesterday. The comment count shows the Maestro of Misery knows what he’s doing, and the first sentence was a classic:
“Nate McMillan handed the keys to the bus back to Brandon Roy Saturday night, right about the same time both men threw Andre Miller under it.”
That is why I’ve read Dwight Jaynes columns since around 1975.
McMillan does the right thing, BRoy speaks the truth, and both are skewered. Turn on the daytime soaps if you need that kind of drama. It’s way too early to be throwing either of these guys under the bus.
It may or not be. I would urge you to keep what you saw last night in perspective.
It was just one game after all.
It has nothing to do with last night’s game. People need to chill out. How much drama can you manufacture around a team that’s 11-5? Perspective….
IMO, Nate goes out of his way not to throw players under the bus. Dwight’s choice of headlines is rather unfortunate.
I think the reason the response was so energized yesterday is that Nate and Brandon presented this thing as, “The 3 guard line-up isn’t working, so Blake has to start.”
Now, maybe that is the best option. Maybe that sets up the 2nd unit to deliver.
But to act like the other possibility – that Andre starts with Roy – doesn’t even exist?
That was what set people off in my opinion. That was when people felt like they were getting spin, and we get enough of that elsewhere. That’s what the politicians are here for.
He said he needed Andre to run the (now depleted) second unit, not that Blake has to start. Do you really want Blake to run the second unit? The only guy in the second unit that would be able to make any plays (if the starters were Miller/Roy/Webster/Aldridge/Oden) would be Rudy.
I’m very happy to see that Andre is finding Rudy and lobbying it to him, much in the way his boy Sergio did. With a few more practices, their timing and the placement of the ball should get better.
Second of all, Oden did look good last night. He is becoming the guy on this team. When I say this, I mean the best all around player on this team. Offensively and defensively. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Greg take that label away from Roy sometime next year. With the way he is progressing. He can be so dominant. But right now, he is just providing a nice steady force for the team. He has been the consistent player in the starting five so far this season. Which is great to see.
wow been waiting a long long time for an effective inside out game. very impressive. that should be s.o.p. you know dwight, i don’t think there is a crew of bigs in the entire league that can handle our group. especially with the maturity process of young mr cunningham. but to your point about not getting out on the 3 shooters, they have not done that in the last 4-5 years. was my biggest beef when i was on the trailblazer boards. i hope they continue this trend, but im just uneasy about something….don’t know what it is for sure but there’s just something…
“i don’t think there is a crew of bigs in the entire league that can handle our group.”
Really? I think the Celtics or the Lakers have crews of big men who might be up to the task of handling the Blazers’ inside guys.
maybe individually but the way our bigs are rotated in and out there’s always a fresh, starting quality big in the game. it tends to wear you down after 48. some teams can bring in a quality big man off the bench but the blazers have 3 quality bigs they can rotate in and then they have the rookie cunningham who is blossoming in his own right. i stand by my statement. i do agree tho that the celtics are tougher than boiled owl, but i dont think the lakers match up that well. and who do they bring off the bench? not saying on a team level their not tough but i think the blazers will win most battles of attrition in the middle.
Noah got massively rained on.
He got so frustrated, he started cursing God.
Then he got in his ark and split.
Laughable: In 2006 I believe, after Florida beat UCLA for the championship, I was hoping he’d come out, and that the Blazers would pick him, because I believed that he’d be the athletic franchise center the Blazers could rebuild around. I SWEAR he shoots with two hands. He’s kind of emotional, too.
I liked a lot of what I saw last night but to me Roy is still in a funk. I think the teams lack of defense falls on Roy. He is almost lazy on the defensive end, frequently failing to close out on defenders. I don’t care if you suck at defense but don’t be lazy about it especially when you are the leader. Portland has so many offensive weapons that if Roy sacrifices on the offensive end to put more effort out defensively I think it is for the better. I mean look at Rudy. The guy obviously has physical limitations that hurt him on defense but he makes up for it with his activity. I want to see that from Roy.
I will be a stand up guy and admit that Oden is performing much better that I ever thought he would this season. If he continues to improve at the rate we’ve seen thus far he will, dare I say, possibly be great.
its all smoke and mirrors…poof!!
Oh my .. could it be true, Franklin???
Franklin,
You are a stand up guy
Franklin — you bought yourself a hell of a lot of credibility with that one, pal. Nice going. You’re gold here now.
Franklin — you bought yourself a hell of a lot of credibility with that one, pal. Nice going. You’ve got the first-ever commenter gold card. (just don’t try to buy anything with it).
Thanks Dwight.
Who logged in under Franklin’s name? Fraud!
The Blazers finally got it right last night…inside out ball is fun to watch….but the game felt like an intrasquad scrimmage considering the Bulls front line….the real competition is coming soon folks….I hope this group is ready for some real basketball…..the balanced scoring was great to see…I hope that goes down OK with Coach Roy….again….the secret password for this team is OdenDeepInThePaint
Ok, We’ve got Franklin on board for one game, how about Bumpity? Where is he? We aren’t asking for much, just a little respect.
Come on Bumpity, show that you’re human.
Yawn…. Oden or the Blazers have not played anyone yet…..
thats the bump we all know and love!!!
you’re such a tool
That was a most enjoyable game. It was an effective game. I give Nate credit when credit is due. Be it by design, I do believe it is, or be it just the way things are going. But they are more and more going to the bigs. Working the game thru the big men. Even Joel was looking for shots and receiving passes last night. Miller even makes Joel look like a scorer. One of my most enjoyable moments in the game was the pass Oden got on the right wing and then zinged a pass back into a cutting Rudy for his one assist! I left my chair like a rocket for the moon on that one. Oden was right as rain last night.
I also have to say at the same time Oden is really starting to show so, is Rudy! Where are Rudy’s props? He is really starting to show what he can bring to the team as well. He is the man in motion at all times. His motion is starting to catch on with teammates too. His passing is maybe a bit risky at times for some, Nate, to me I love the way he plays for the gold at all times. All Rudy needs is a cape out on the floor cuz dude is “El Matador” “El Toreo”, Toreo, Toreo my friend, a man in motion! He is also dialing in that 3 ball. I dunno … I just love his game. His defense is baby stepping into better too.
It seems maybe a bunch of us were jumping the gun some with Roy’s comments from the day before. Miller played very well in his role last night. There still is no way Blake should start over him. He showed no ill will or sulking from the move in last nights game tho. A couple of his passes were SUHWHEAT!! It is infecting every one too.
Roy played a great game too. (I wonder if his smile was for real or only on the outside?)that was such a stupid statement. He played with his teammates for the most part in the game. Not played for his teammates. The defense has to improve to make that big step up as a team. I was surprised in the final box Bulls were 46% shooting. For they were getting a ton of open looks. At one point I know they were shooting over 50%.
This team just may never be a very good defensive team as it is. I think Dwight is probably right in that the only real hope for improved D falls to continued improvement with Oden. The D sure as heck isn’t improving much of anywhere else. Rudy is making small strides. Web plays his ass off on D but to me his D looks like mostly overly energetic busy work. He doesn’t really accomplish much with it.
Looks like maybe Cunningham can compete with Howard for back PF minutes. The talent is there for this team. Coach has the players. I don’t agree with the path or the tact that Nate is taking this season but; If he gets them to build off of that game last night. Not much to complain about.
are you mike barett in disguise?!?!??!
conspiritor5 thinks that if you know something about ball, and have an opinion, than you are a hater. Constructive comments help to make things better, and if pointing out facts makes you a hater, than where is the room to grow or improve. Too many years passed by with the “faithful” fan base thinking things will get better if you ignore them.If your kid brings home all “D”‘s, would you reward them because they are not all “F”‘s?
As good as last nights game was to watch, we still can improve. Oden may have played this way in the last few games, if Nate didn’t have his stupid 2 foul rule. Miller fed the post like a vet. Let him play what he does best. LA, finally,finally, manned up and played, behind Oden. It made it easier for him to slip in. I still saw too much of Blake, and not enough Rudy. (Nate pulled Rudy way to early, and waited to long to reinsert him). I’m glad to see the effort from webster, but still not sold on him showing up every night.
So if these views make me a hater, than you will hate me for this fact. Roy’s defense is still one of the worst on the floor. Last night (watch the replays) and you will see that Roy’s man would be left alone to hit the corner shot, as Roy would float around in hope of a rebound. If you take away his guys shot, there is no rebound. Its simply called “defense.”
Once again I just have to laugh at the Nate and Blake haters. Nate has done a great job of developing Greg from the very beginning and it is now starting to pay big dividends. At the very beginning of the season after Oden showed he was obviously extremely nervous and not really wanting the ball against the Rockets in the season opener, Nate told him not to worry about it, just to go out and rebound and play defense. He did it to take pressure off the big guy (and to let the game come to him when he was more comfortable and ready to take it on), and to allow the team to function effectively and win games in the interim. At the time when asked about it, Greg actually sounded openly relieved that he was not being asked to shoulder the extra pressure of being relied on to carry a primary scoring load.
Greg has shown a sensitivity to pressure in the past when his confidence plummeted early on last season, and he has responded quite well to Nate’s approach as we can see now. As Greg’s confidence has slowly grown he is beginning to be able to operate offensively with some assurance and the team is appropriately looking for him more and more. Just exactly what Nate envisioned would happen and wanted. Many people whined that the team MUST pound the ball in to Oden from the get go (even early last year when he was clearly troubled and had no confidence at all) because he would NEVER develop otherwise… To that it can only be said, YEAH RIGHT. As they say, scoreboard baby, scoreboard… Like I said, Nate knows what he’s doing (and many of the naysayers and talking heads certainly do not).
Regarding Blake… It simply amazes me to now hear someone say that just because of Andre being on the team that “everybody is now passing” and “throwing lobs”. LOL. If the Blake haters would have just taken off their blinders they would have seen the same thing before. Steve has been throwing lobs all along, some from nearly half court. The same thing with the throw ahead, over the top passes to Aldridge on the leak out. Of course he’s not on quite the same level as Andre is, but to say he can’t/doesn’t pass is just a joke. And it’s hilarious these comments people make saying nobody gets Greg the ball except Andre, yet as an example he was fed the ball repeatedly in the post most of the first quarter when Andre was on the bench in the last game… Reporters and the talking heads always want to spin things their way but I think it’s safe to say that Oden’s comments about “a breath of fresh air” referred to his just being looked for in general now. People’s minds are funny things. They can never admit they are wrong and have to have some kind of excuse to give credit where credit is due instead of just giving it outright. Just the way it is I guess…
So now that we have heard from the blazers PR office, lets move on.
Nobody said that the ball was never fed inside to Greg or Joel, it is the quality of the feed we question.
However, feeding Greg or Joel has not been Blakes first option. He ALWAYS looks to Roy first reguardless of who bay be opened. How many times, have you seen a player steal the ball, push it over to Blake, break up the floor, only to have Blake come down, freeze out the open player who started the steal, and wait for Roy to slowly strole down the floor and demand the ball.
Move him to the bench, and let Miller run the floor!