Can we now please put an end to the whole Brandon Roy-is-a-small-forward thing?
He took one shot in the first quarter last night. He scored points in runs, but for the most part didn’t get the ball in comfortable spots or often enough. He’s not getting the ball enough, either.
Simple point — Roy is NOT a small forward, he’s an all-star off-guard. One of the best in the business. I do not believe he’s even an all-star at small forward and they’re doing him a disservice by playing him there.
On top of that Portland is now at a disadvantage on the boards. Roy tries, but he’s overmatched against the bigger small forwards and spends so much time boxing them off, it’s wearing on him.
And on top of that, we saw once again last night that decent defensive teams — and the Pistons looked like one — are NOT going to let Roy go one-on-one at the end of games. Detroit ran an extra player at him, took the ball out of his hands and limited his ability to influence the game.
Look, you can use that flat 1-4 offense in the final possession of a game, if you want. But trying to use it any more than that is a total, futile joke. Just run the offense, make teams defend FIVE players instead of one — then any of the five has a chance to get open and score. Maybe even get an easy basket. This is a good TEAM — this is not D-Wade or LeBron running around carrying a pack of stiffs on his back. It’s a talented bunch.
I’m getting real tired of having to complain about this stuff. Man, it gets old watching it. Didn’t this team learn anything from the playoffs last season?
Get Andre Miller (funny aside — they introduced Miller on the PA last night before the game as the starter at “forward”) at the point full-time where he belongs and Roy back to the off-guard. Get Martell Webster at small forward, get off his tail and see if he can handle it over a 10-game span.
Look — Webster missed an entire season last year. Cut him slack for his inconsistency. He plays hard and he needs just to get comfortable. Nobody was all over Oden when he stumbled around for a good part of the season last year — because he’d sat out the year before.
Why doesn’t Webster deserve the same understanding?
And besides, he’s probably the only small forward on the active roster right now so why not use him? Even playing Rudy Fernandez there causes all sorts of problems defensively and on the boards. I know they need to find minutes for Rudy, but cut to a three-guard rotation with Miller and Roy — that will do it.
Yes, their record is fine. Not great, but fine. But come on — the mission this season is to be a better, improved team. And this team isn’t playing as well as it should — and still has yet to play most of the key teams it needs to pass in the Western Conference.
Man. It’s that old definition of insanity again — keep doing the same old things and expecting a different outcome.
NBA, Trail Blazers | Dwight Jaynes | November 19, 2009
Andre Miller, Brandon Roy, Dwight Jaynes, Martell Webster, Portland Trail Blazers
Nate won’t change until we lose … and by that time (when we’re playing actual “good” teams) it will be too late.
Jason’s exactly right. EXACTLY right. Nate isn’t a good coach who innovates & implements things that will catch other teams off-guard. He just reacts to things that don’t work, and NEVER soon enough.
There’s a lot to love about Nate as a head coach, but Xs & Os is just not one of them. He needs a specialist assistant on both sides of the ball.
Nate started the season with the deepest, most versatile team in the league- and still couldn’t find a way to include a small forward in the starting lineup? First it was a PG thing, now it is a SF thing: he continues to be tempted to play his best player out of position. The guy’s skillset makes him a top-3 SHOOTING GUARD. But those same skills can’t magically make him an above-average player at other positions. Let him flourish in his natural spot, rather than languish at other spots.
At the same time, starting Roy with Miller & Martell leaves him prone to double teams. Other teams simply will NOT respect Miller & Martell as shooting threats, and there is no good reason to. Martell is a decent 3-point shooter when he’s on, but he’s not going to torch you for leaving him open. Most nights, he’s more likely to go 3-7 from the arc- not 4-6. Other teams will accept Martell going 3-7 from 3 if it means neutralizing Brandon Roy’s impact.
And we all know about Miller’s shooting.
3 for 7 from distance isn’t good enough for you?
That’s 43%!! Who, besides me, shoots 4-6 (67%) on a consistent basis from beyond the arc.
Correct. What Dwight is leaving unsaid is that KP ought to force Nate to do the right thing and trade the expiring Blake contract for a forward, probably a true 3. I don’t dislike Blake, but it is inevitable that he move on, so let’s do it and get Bayless some minutes. Names of $4 million dollar 3s who we could maybe get: not many, Amir Johnson (more a 4?), Trent Hassel (more a 2), James Jones, (had him and he has 4 more years and he’s always hurt too), Deshawn Stevenson (more a big 2?).
Slim pickins. Doesn’t mak sense to get a guy better than that, because someday our guys will return and the new guy won’t play.
ideas??
i’m amending and think we should go ahead and pull the trigger on Blake for Jamie Jones. He is out right now with H1N1, but assuming he returns, even with a long contract, he can play. I’m not sure about his history of foot injuries, etc., but let the pros look that over.
Miami might even do it, because they want a shot at an off-season signing, so it helps them with their cap. they are even toying with Iverson, so Blake gives them a real point to pair with Wade, much like he has played here.
How about this idea? Nick Collison as a “big small forward.” He can shoot turnarounds and hook shots over the smaller 3s, and you’d have a killer rebounder (that LMA doesn’t give nearly as much as we wish he would). And, despite Collison’s size, he does a surprisingly decent job guarding 3s out on the floor. The Blazers have had some big 3s, like when Clifford Robinson, Harvey Grant, and even Rasheed and Brian Grant gave it a short try. If you want to go more defensive, maybe OKC will give up Jeff Green for the right price.
Seriously…………………………….
Agree 100%. If Nate doesn’t understand get this sometime soon Pritchard needs to make the decision for him by trading Blake or Miller. I hate to say that because I love Blake…but Miller is the best player at that position and its obvious.
It still doesn’t address the issue of Miller’s shooting though. If we are talking about doing things that help Brandon, starting Miller next to him is definitely not the answer.
However, Miller makes Greg better and really facilitates the running game so it still may be for the best. But starting Andre + an actual SF is not- NOT- a “let’s help Roy out” decision. Yes, it would free Roy up from guarding bigger men, but it would also allow the opposition to double off of Miller and also off of Martell.
Which means that Aldridge will see his share of double-teams too. If you were an opposing coach, and you looked at our big 3 studs, what would go through your mind? You’d think “I need to double these guys when they get the ball- can I get away with leaving a guy or two open around the perimeter?”.
With Miller and Martell in the game, the answer is a resounding “Yes.”
Disagree. Martell will eventually find his game again and will NOT be someone opposing teams could just ignore on the perimeter. And as for leaving Miller open at the perimeter, I’ll take it – midrange shots he’ll bury, and he’s got the quickness, smarts and moves to get from the perimeter into that midrange position.
i agree wholeheartedly with Dwight – playing Roy as a forward is effing ridiculous. and miller is SO far and away the superior PG vs. blake it’s not even funny. He and Roy WILL figure each other out, but it’s like Nate’s afraid to lose a few games to let that relationship develop.
I think you really have to just bench/trade Blake, start Roy and Miller, and say “Sink or swim, boys” and let them work it out. It might mean a rocky December/January, but I’ll take that if it means a better March/April…
Well said Rob… Your comments on Martell and Andre are spot on! You take the hit now, so your playing your best basketball in the spring.
Not only did we run the ineffective 1-4 set, Roy dribbled the shot clock down under 10 seconds before he even tried to score. So not only did we have four guys standing around doing nothing, we gave ourselves no time to get a decent shot off.
Before the bench let most of the 20 point lead slip away in the Fourth, we were on the verge of blowing out the Pistons.
The line-up that you are criticizing is the one that built the lead and expanded it in the third.
Until I actually see the problems with this line-up that you are harping on every other day, I’m not going to buy it. You could be right, but it’s 6-1 thus far.
Blake let most of the 20 point lead slip away … not the bench.
The starting unit that played most of the third quarter held Detroit to 12 points and pushed a 10 point lead to 20.
Roy typically didn’t shoot much in the first quarter last year either, preferring to set up his teammates before turning it on in the 3rd and 4th quarters.
I just think Dwight calling this line-up, and their current 6-1 run, “insanity” is a little strange.
The top two small forwards are hurt. This whole argument hinges on (an inconsistent) Martell starting and being better than Roy at the position. Where is the evidence to support that?
because this team should be much better….not record wise…but blowing these sorry teams away…we should have beat atl and denver by ten….
but nate and blake play to not lose…not to win.
Record wise we should be 12-1…we are that good….with blowouts
our talent level is way ahead of some of these teams
Dwight is right
The only teams in the whole league that we should lose to are:
LAL
Den
Dallas and SA on their courts
Phoenix on their court…..
Some eastern road games……
I said before that game that the blazers should beat Detroit by 25….they are not a good team…nor up and coming
plus if i wasn’t a blazer fan….
they are boring and methodical to watch
Oden and rudy excite me……Miller passing to lma on the break excites me
Remember…there are blogs and threads out their just dedicated to benching blake
This team is 6-1 during the 3 point guard experiment. However, that’s not saying much. In the teams’ wins, the combined record of the opposing team at the time we played them is 14-36 or 39%.
These are bottom dwellers of the NBA, with only Detroit having any respectability. Minnesota, Memphis, New Orleans, Charlotte… Not so much!
Good points Dwight. Sometimes I think this team is to caught up in the now instead of thinking about the future. Although one of the guards is going to have to play at the 3 at some point because Martell can’t go 48 minutes.
Ohh the Blazers look awful.
The tema that played last night is not a 54 win
team.
The basketball gods are not kind to us,with 2 of
our key players out for what surely will take the team out of the plsyoffs.
The team is playing so hard to win the game,it’s hard to watch them.I feel sorry for them.
Brandon looks very ordinary at that position.
and when he looks ordiary,the entire team looks
ordinary.It’s a shame,I reallty thought they
coild make the second round this year.
When the two players come back,they will need
time to mesh with the team,and the team will look
out of sorts again.
I’m not complaining,I feel sorry for them.
And to tell the truth,sorry for myself.This team is so much fun to watch when they are all healthy and together,it’s a time when you can forget all
your troubles and scream and laugh for the team.
Please Travis and Nic Batum get well quick.
Batum is hugely missed this year. Travis with
his clutch shots,and Brandon as the star.
Sorry for my typing,I just got my glasses on and I misspelled several words.
Dwight, your critique is excellent, but come out and say it straight out – this is about Nate and his intractability when it comes to his decisions.
A great coach makes mediocre players better – as discussed in earlier posts about Houston and Adleman. We have talent & depth to burn, and our coach is seemingly making great players be something less than what they are capable of.
The Blazers need to figure out a way to get something from Webster they just can’t afford to let him waste away. I agree with Dwight the coach needs to cut the guy a little slack. He’s averaged 12 minutes and 3 shots the past 4 games.
Dwight is 100 percent correct. Nate should quit clinging to Blake. Miller is the better point guard.
Fully agreed. Get Steve Blake out of the starting and crunch time lineups, pronto.
I agree completely about the 4th quarter isolation stuff, but I’m not sure I agree about Roy playing small forward. While it’s certainly true that it would be far better if Roy could play his true position as SG, the reality is that we only have on SF on the team now and he’s playing terribly. Roy is, by far, our best “small forward” right now, which means we can field a better lineup with him playing at that position. It’s less than ideal, but it’s called making due with what you got.
Moreover, if we start Webster at SF, who’s going to come in at SF when Roy and Webster have to sit? There’s no one else who can even remotedly defend that position. You have to have either Roy or Webster manning the SF position at all times.
The best we can do is play Roy slightly fewer minutes at SF by maximizing Martell’s court time. But given how unproductive and turn-over prone Martell’s been, that’s a big sacrifice.
Dante Cunningham could back Webster up for 10 or 12 minutes a night. All we’d need from him would be rebounding and defense. Also, Starting Webster doesn’t mean Roy absolutely won’t play the 3 in spots. At some point during the game it’s ok to play the 3 guard small ball, just not for 40 minutes a game.
It’s painfully clear that this “whistle while you work” quick lineup (three-guard lineup) isn’t best for the team. While I agree with Dwight on the small forward issue (Martell over Rudy), I still got a laugh, thinking about how Rudy is considered such a non-defender, and Webster is such an upgrade! It’s not that I think Webster’s a sieve, but to think that HE’S the better answer defensively over somebody, is humorous. Over a decade ago, in Miami, they said that when Steve Smith teammed with Harold Miner in the back court, Miner drew the tougher defensive assignment! That’s like saying that, alongside my guy friend, I’m the one who attracts more women! Relativity…..
Sorry if I’m being the contrarian on this thread, but doesn’t Portland currently hold opponents to the lowest point total of any team in the league? This was especially true over the last seven games since we switched to the current three-guard starting line-up. Where are these HUGE defensive problems?
If teams start to torch that line-up, I’ll be all for making a change. Wait and see….
I was impressed with, at Charlotte, where the Blazers had the Bobcats at only 51 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter! And, Mario Elie at 6’5″ did a GREAT job of defending small forwards, so it can be done (not calling B-Roy an Elie defensively). Plus, with Aldridge and Oden, there are no “undersize” problems there.
The reality is we are playing a lot of crappy teams though. Sure, we held Atlanta low. And lost.
Keep preaching our defensive numbers, which completely rely on our slowdown offense slowing the game down overall, meaning less possessions for both teams. This is what those boring knicks and pistons teams of the 90s did, when they nearly destroyed basketball.
The longer we cling to Blake like a security blanket, the harder it’s going to be to fully realize the potential of this club. Oh, and I’m still waiting to find out why Cunningham can’t give us 10 minutes at the 3 spot. It’s a constant playing not to lose mentality. That’s why Nate doesn’t play rookies, that’s why he sticks with what he thinks works, and can’t adjust and be flexible. It’s the same reason anytime anyone makes a mistake they get yanked.
Good coaches get their young players and backups run in the second quarter, so they get quality minutes, rest their good players, and know that even if they are not far ahead at halftime, it’s not a big deal. And in the process, they develop their talent, not waste it away on the bench. Nate’s not that guy, unfortunately.
Agree – Roy is wearing out from playing SF and has to work harder for his points. Rebounding is not as good late in the game due to fatigue and smaller line-up
Disagree – Martell has to earn the right to start. Oden got benched last year and nobody whined too much about that. And yes Webster is coming off a year-long injury, but have we ever seen the type of player everyone expected out of Webster? At what point do you bite the bullet and say he just doesn’t have an A-game and we made a really, really bad choice to trade down and take a kid from Seattle?
I’m the king of “hindsight 20/20″ and “armchair coaching,” but I feel your pain. I can’t help but to occasionally think that the Blazers could’ve had Deron Williams or Chris Paul, had they kept that #3 pick. I liked the trade at the time, because I thought that Jarrett Jack could’ve become an Eric Snow with more offense. Don’t follow me to the casinos or OTB!
Please don’t mention this again.
That was nearly as bad as the Bowie over Jordan thing.
Probably worse because Portland had a good player at Jordan’s position at that time.
Portland didn’t draft CP3 because they already had their point guard of the future, Bassy.
I still feel sick about that.
You got it Dan. I share your pain. I’m shocked that I don’t get sick EVERY time I watch Paul or Williams, but at 36 (figure how old I was at Bowie), I’ve learned that it does little good for me to agonize.
A friend texted me during the game last night saying that Roy was out of sync and I replied, “because he’s not a SF”. Playing players out of position rarely works…if at all. You said it best, Dwight, he’s an all-star SG…or he WAS an all-star SG. He can’t be that anymore by playing the SF. Also, a big problem is that Portland doesn’t know what to do when the ball is taken out of Roy’s hands. Blake nearly killed the Blazers last night with his “deer in the headlights” look in the 4th qtr. IMO, Outlaw was missed dearly last night in the 4th qtr. He’s the one guy that knows what to do with the ball when Roy gets doubled. LA didn’t want the ball and Blake sure as hell didn’t know what to do with it. I like Blake spotting up , but he’s being put in a postion to have to create for his teammmates and that’s not his strength. Right now, I don’t think the blazers have an answer when Roy is taken out of a play by the D. Out law was that option. I guess Rudy is supposed to be that guy, but he was on the bench.
For those who watched him in his prime, please give me your views: Wasn’t Clyde drafted as a small forward originally? And more importantly, didn’t he spend some time even in 1991-92 as a small forward for certain stretches (when Danny Ainge teammed with Porter)? In 1992-93, were it not for injuries, didn’t we hope that with Rod and Terry, Clyde would play some 3?
Now, I’ll quash my OWN point here: At least Clyde was 6’7″, and had more leaps than Roy.
I’m not trying to stir anything up, but just a thought occasionally plants in my mind: Kevin Durant will become a free agent in the next couple of years. Mmmm……And, while they never played together, Aldridge and Durant are both Texas Longhorns. Imagine the Blazers with Oden AND Durant AND Roy AND Aldridge. Whew! I thought that Durant shot under 40% in his rookie year, but he was at 43%! Check out his 2008-09 number: 48% field goals, 42% on threes, 86% from free-throws, and 25 points! Imagine Durant’s game when he gets open looks with an improved Oden, and Roy playing his TEAM game. And, isn’t it common knowledge that OKC may lose Durant, anyway? Just a thought (and dream)….
Dwight, a little off-topic, but I wanted to say I really hope you can take over the reigns of Talkin’ Ball. While Ian was out and you were leading the show during the road trip games, I thought you did a fine job of keeping it interesting. Its hard for me to buy into Ian Furness because I know deep down he’s a Seattle guy, it just seems like he’s there for the paycheck and would dart back to Seattle in a starbucks minute if they ever got another NBA team. You’re Oregonian through-and-through and it shows.
Also– I could tell you didnt like narrating the highlight packages at first, but it seemed like you worked on it and did a great job for the Atlanta highlights. I know thats a small part of the job, but I liked how the show flowed when you were running the desk. Keep up the good work.
I listen to Ian every day from 1-3 on 950 KJR. I kind of wonder how he makes that quick back-and-forth trek between Portland and Seattle for all of those home games. I love the drive too, but 30-plus times a year would be a little much.
“Ball” is better without Furness.
Webster was shooting well, defending well, and playing good hustle basketball the first five games of the year. Since then, he’s been a complete disaster.
Is it a coincidence that this complete unraveling occurred at precisely the same time as his demotion from the starting unit and drastic cut in minutes? One wonders…
Honestly, I cannot fathom Nate’s love affair with Steve Blake. The guy completely panicked over and over down the stretch, and yet stayed in the game throughout. Since we went 3-guard lineup, he’s playing like 35 minutes per game, mostly at the off guard, where we have better off guards available.
In my mind, Blake and Miller should almost never be on the court together. Miller should start and finish (that’s why we went and got him!), Blake should run the 2nd unit. Start Martell and tell him to defend and shoot the open kickout as the 5th option among the starters – he played that role pretty well to start the season. Since going to the bench, he’s tried to be more of a creator, and that’s not his strength. Play the 3 guard lineup with the 2nd unit – Blake, Bayless, Rudy (LA & Joel) in the early 2nd quarter, then bring Roy back in when LA goes out.
Allen Iverson just twitted, “You are talking about an MVP caliber player like Steve Blake….And you want to talk about practice?”
“He’s the only guard in the league who should be starting over me. Steve Blake is my dog…he’s that good!”—A.I.
Ya’ll are freaking out.
We’ve lost four games and each one of them was close.
Three of the losses were against definite play-off teams and one of them was against a really tough Houston team.
This is one of the best Blazer starts to a season in a decade. They are still ironing out the kinks and learning to play effectively with Andre…and now they are adjusting to injuries.
The time is NOW to start Rudy. Yah I know he is only 6-6 but if your gonna go with the 3 guard line up, Rudy is the best equipped to guard the forwards.
However, if the blazers were to do this, it would force Nate to get real about Blake. Nate appears reluctant to see the reality that Blake would be an excellent bench player, but not a starter. Nate is still pissed what happened to him back in his playing days when Gary Payton came in and took his job.
Deep down Nate knows Miller is better. Hell this whole town knows that Miller is better. Psychologicallt however, Nate is still scarred from his own past and it is affecting his present decision making.
Sorry Nate but Gary was a better player than you just as Miller is a better player than Blake. Basketball and the NBA is not about fairness. Rather it is about putting your best out there when it matters most
Blake is just not in that company
Rudy should get a shot at being a starter even if it is as a showcase for a future trade. Rudy’s offense is more diverse than Blake’s and he is a better defender.
I agree that nate is scarred about his playing days……he got his job taken from by payton
Since the 3 guard lineup started, Roy is out-rebounding the opposing team’s small forward 49 to 45. Before it started, Martell was getting out-rebounded by the opposing team’s small forward 15 to 27. The problem here is that starting Martell isn’t really working for Portland. All this talk about not wanting to hurt Blake’s feelings, or not wanting to piss off Roy by benching Blake is all silly speculation. The fact is that Martell isn’t cutting it as a small forward and I seriously doubt he’s going to shake off the rust of not playing for a year in 10 games. It took Oden most of a season to do that. Nate is starting Roy at small forward because it’s his best option. I don’t disagree that you don’t want to do that long term, but since we signed an injured backup point instead of a veteran defender who knows Nate’s offense and has played with some of these starters before, Nate isn’t left with a lot of options. What kills me is the constant criticism of Nate I see from you Dwight (whether you’re being explicit about it or not, it’s clearly criticism of Nate) but not calling out KP for giving him a difficult roster to work with. Nate is getting results, and you’re finding fault with it anyway. Take a deeper look and stop reacting to things that can’t be substantiated.
The idea that the small forward issue is KP’s fault,(“not calling out KP for giving him a difficult roster to work with.”)is really quite humorous.
How many of the coaches in the NBA would gladly trade their rosters straight up for the Blazers roster? I think that number would be very high. No coach gets to go to run with the Dream Team during the regular NBA season.
Good coaches bring the best out of their players!
KP, Allen, whoever it was that decided to take an injured, late second round pick over a veteran, defensive-minded small forward who can hit the three, already knows much of McMillan’s offense, has already played with some of the key players on this team, understands how to be a role player… yeah, it’s just so humorous I’m laughing and laughing. I don’t care what coach you put into place, they won’t have improved the win total of this team from year to year as much as Nate has, and they’re not going to make Martell get his game back any faster.
I am not really trying to be overly impolite or offensive to you, but you are getting funnier by the post and I just cannot resist letting you know (just in case you are saying these things other places). “Nate can’t help Webster get his game going again,” ??? Unfortunately I think you may be right, but for all of the wrong reasons!
You can arm chair all you want, but until Nate is no longer on the payroll and hopfully takes his little trained monkey “Blakey” with him, it won’t get better!
Nates problem with ” Rudy not being as good a defender as Blake”, only goes to show Nates lacking ability to coach.
Blake CAN NOT PLAY THROUGH A PICK! His lost “small”, becomes a larger players assingment. We lose points on our lack of defense! He’s to slow and can only run along side his man until he can only foul to stop the drive. Rudy can “visualize” where he should be, as does Miller.
Blake has one job, acording to Roy, and that is to get him the ball, regardless of how many other players are opened.
Blakes freeze outs, should be enough for most coaches to bench him. It’s a disrespect to Miller, to even men-
tion Blake in the same breath.
When Roy is at the SG, his defense is just ok. At SF, its non-existant. His man scores way to easy.
Changes need to come! We have a train load of talent, it just need guidence. Right now, I don’t see us at 54 wins, even if we had Jordon,
No one got on Oden’s case last year whe he didn’t live up to fans and media expectations. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Dwight, were you out of town last season. Fans, Canzano and Quick were all over Oden last year. Both Oden and Martel missed an entire year. The difference is that everyone remembered only that Oden was an overall #1 pick and not that he was returning from microfracture surgery.
Regarding the Blake issue. I agree that Blake should not be starting, However I would start Rudy instrad of Blake. He is 6’6″ compared to Blakes 6’3″. Rudy plays better defense (note the steals) and can take it to the basket better than Blake and Rudy is a better rebounder.
Regarding Brandon not being a small forward, that is true but Brandon will do what’s best for the team. It’s between him and Nate if he is getting worn out playing the 3. Many of you including you Dwight were saying this 3 guard lineup wouldn’t last more than a couple of games.
We are 6-1 since implementing this lineup and that includes starting Blake. I get frustrated with Nate’s sub patterns, but let’s not forget that none of us have ever been NBA coaches. Nate is accountable to management for winning games, not us.
I bet not very many NBA coaches would change a lineup that has gone 6-1. Heck, Don Nelson has had a lot of success playing “small” ball. Besides with Oden/Pryzbilla and Aldridge as part of the lineup, I’d be hard pressed to call it small. Finally, how many of you knew that Portland has the highest positive rebound number over their opponents (+4.8 per game).
I love all the people who are using Portland’s record with this lineup as evidence that no change should be made. They are, ironically enough, the same people who said “at this point of the season it’s so early the record doesn’t mean anything” when the Blazers were 2-3.
Can’t have it both ways, people.
I agree that we are basing all of our opinions on a small number of games and that this isn’t science. My only point of criticism is that you had a post about the three guard line-up being a terrible idea the day after they rolled it out in the San Antonio game. Then, flash forward two weeks, and you say the line-up is an example of insanity after they go 6-1 and are holding their opponents to the lowest point total in the league.
There isn’t a lot of proof of anything, I just think your criticisms of Nate are a little harsh. Their offense isn’t pretty, but they are winning games and keeping the other team from scoring. I’ll take it over losses…
im not….
i don’t care if we were 14-4 after november….this team is not playing well….
we can’t sneak up on good teams anymore….i would take a 45 win season if it meant giving oden more touches,
making lma go to the whole more and rebound more, and if rudy and martell got to play most of blakes minutes
blake is not big part of this teams growth and potential
miller looks for oden, rudy, and lma….he will help their growth…
blake stimeys the growth by handing the ball to roy…..
What did Blake do down the stretch? Missed shot, turnover, turnover, turnover, missed shot, made 3 pointer. Nate will look at this and say “man, Blake saved us with that last 3 pointer.” Keep Blake, but does he really deserve more than 15-20 minutes a game?
Obviously, no. Either he or Bayless is totally expendable.
WE MIGHT BE SHOWCASING BLAKE AS PART OF A TRADE?
Except you’re glossing over the people who say both matter. When Martell started at small forward, the team struggled, and when they switched to Roy at that position, they’ve won more games. Your point that Roy isn’t suited to playing small forward is correct, but you’re ignoring that it’s still the best option Nate has. The problem here isn’t the choice Nate is making, it’s the choice he’s been forced to make because of personnel decisions above him.
You know, Marc Stein (as much as I dislike him) said a while back that the only reason Portland signed Miller to that deal was to use him in a trade later on. I don’t buy that, but at the same time it makes me wonder if its true the way McMillan has been using him.
I guess my question is, at what point do we start looking at trades? I hate the idea, but something has to be done. Obviously Webster has fallen out of favor with Nate. We just don’t have much we’d be willing to let go that other teams will want. I don’t think the CBA will let us trade Outlaw either.
I like the energy, the hussle, the defense, the post play, and the fast breaks; but our 4th quarters suck. We’re falling flat on our faces either from fatigue, improper rotation schedules, or something. It’s time for a different look.
The CBA doesn’t prevent trading Outlaw. However, you’re not going to get a lot of value out of a player that is out 3 – 5 months with a broken foot. You might find teams that want to shed salary after this season, but the question is who will you trade him for? Do you include another player? Do you risk disrupting chemistry even more? KP doesn’t like to make mid-season trades and he’s already said he doesn’t want to make any moves right now. So the question is, who do you start at small forward? I personally don’t believe Martell is going to show much progress in his game for several months at least.
Keep telling it like it is Dwight. Maybe someone at center court one will hear you; but I guarantee you it won’t be Nate. I also agree this whole topic is getting dreadful to have to keep harping and reading about. I’ve said my piece on it too many times already. So a few different points I see of late.
Miller’s shot is not that bad. His shot is usually pretty much on line. It is just he shoots SUCH a flat shot it is like he is throwing darts at a board. Not shooting a ball thru a hoop. I am not a basketball shooting coach. I never played ball beyond pick up games with other street ball wannabees. Even I can see it tho. His shot is so dang flat it has to be a perfect shot for it to go in. If someone, gee I dunno coach maybe, would instruct him to get at little arc and air under his shot he would be decent shooting PG.
LA. I mostly like the way LA is playing of late. He is playing better now that Miller and Rudy are on the floor more with him. He is posting up a little bit more. He is running and being rewarded for running more.
He is still soft on his defense and even more so rebounding. He is sometimes just flat out lethargic and lazy with his D and rebounding. I watch him and there are several times a game when he just doesn’t even try to block out or grab a board. You can count 3-5 times a game he could get additional rebounds but he just flat out won’t go get them. He just stands there while Oden, Priz are battling 2-3 opposing players for a board all by themselves. They’ll tip it and it will bounce 2ft from LA and he just stands there while an opposing player grabs it. Rebounding takes effort and desire. LA could easily be a consistent 10-15 boards a game if he just had some effort and desire to go get them.
Rudy is playing pretty well of late. Shooting much better of late. Not a great defender but he is playing hard on defense most of the time. His passing and ability to create shots for others is getting much better too. I just wish that the other players would realize with Rudy he is always in motion and they need to be in motion too for him to set them up. I wish Rudy would sometimes forgo trying to make a play for someone else and just go to the rack. Is it just me? Rudy will take off on a fast break and have a good shot at getting to the rim or at least a foul. Then he pulls it back out or stops at the 3pt. line and tryies to set up someone else. I love that he is trying to be a set up guy. He has the skills to do it. Sometimes I wish he would just attack the rim himself.
KP needs to think of this season as a rebuilding year; injuries, point guard debacle,etc. The best thing for this team, for next year, is to not make the playoffs this year. Of course, that might just cause more panic in the front office and result in an even worse offseason than the last
agree
look, if there was a better option at SF, Nate would use it. This is the best team we can field with the injuries we have, live with it. BRoy is not a SF, but Webster is not an option either, or he’d be starting.
I think we should play webster alot even if that means we lose games…we are not there this year…let people develop instead of roy and blake running the show….
Roy and blake are preventing growth of the others
At the end of games I would go to Oden and to LMA……
Even it meant more losses…..
I am….and I know basketball fans are excited whenever he touches the ball
I would love it if Oden got 14 shots a night…even if missed 10 of them
I want LMA to become a 23/11 guy
LMA does not look like an all-star, that is because miller is not touching the ball and mcmillan can’t teach him
Just because outlaw and batum are injured doesn’t mean we can’t trade one of them….
I think it makes it more likely we trade outlaw…..soon
Teams want his expiring contract….and we could get a good player on a bad team with no hopes of going anywhere……
LIKE GERALD WALLACE!!!!!!
Charlotte might want to dump the 3-4 expensive years that awallace has left for a couple of our expiring contracts……Blake and outlaw
I just realized we might be showcasing blake
ARE WE SHOWCASING BLAKE?????
It’s more likely we’d get somebody in the Andres Nocioni ilk than Gerald Wallace. Maybe John Salmons? Either way, at this point…I’m not sure Noc or Salmons wouldn’t help us for the right deal.
Yeah 9 and 4 sucks.
Only 1 of those 9 wins was against a quality team. All of the 4 losses are against quality teams. The worst 9 and 4 I have ever seen.
Well said, Dwight. I’m thinking the same thing. Put Brandon back at the 2, start Miller at 1, and make Webster your guy at the 3. Natural positions, and we’d have a chance for these guys to settle into to some roles that might actually work long term.
I also *like* the stability of Blake in the 2nd unit, the energy and creativity of Rudy, the glass-eating Pryzbilla, and would love to see Cunningham get some run at the 3. Not sure Juwan is the answer at the 4, but LaMarcus would probably spend some time with this unit, too, for the time being.
This team seems like it is still trying to figure out roles, and there is awkwardness and inconsistency accompanying that. These (awkwardness and inconsistency) aren’t so bad if they look to be temporary bumps on the way to finding a long-term winning groove/system. Trouble is, it’s not likely to get better with this group. I think everyone (including the players) realize this 3-guard deal is not sustainable in the long term. Blake is headed to the pine. Let’s just get on with it.
It’s like the relationship where two people both know their best days are passed, things aren’t going to work out, but because they’re both nice, and want to honor the good times they had, neither will actually do the break-up. So they muddle along, trying to make it work, while things continue to grow more strained and awkward.
If we’re going to spend time with awkwardness and inconsistency, let’s at least spend that time with a group that might turn out to be a sustainable starting 5: Miller/Roy/Webster/Aldridge/Oden. It’s RAMWO!