Subscribe Feed (RSS)Carmelo Anthony didn’t play in the fourth quarter. Enough said.
And really, even with LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Fernandez out, there are still so many players who need minutes that it was hard to get a flow.
In fact, I don’t think the Trail Blazers have played very well at all in the exhibition season. A lot of that is just because the rotation players haven’t had a chance to play enough minutes together to find a cohesion. In fact, I’m astounded at how poorly the team has played in the early going.
And while you can point to individual things by certain players, as a unit this has been a very disappointing preseason so far. There are just too many people to plug into the equation and that means some players pressing too hard, worried about minutes, and others not getting enough time to get into a rhythm or not knowing their role.
If you ask me, a lot of the exhibition season has been a waste. I see little progress at all on defense, which was the priority. I think replacement referees have made it hard, too, to get any flow into games. But that’s not the sole reason. What they have done, too, is make it difficult to see if Greg Oden has made any progress with foul problems.
I mean, I think he has but you won’t know that until the real guys get back.
And maybe about that time we’ll see the real Blazers back, too.
Tags: Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Jaynes, Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers
Sooo… maybe the Blazers did me a favor by not televising the pre-season?
Whats the latest on the ref situation? Will the NBA really go into the regular season with these guys?
With all due respect, Dwight, I disagree about “getting too excited”. I was at the game last night and saw the real Greg Oden. To me, you can forget all of the other stuff (refs, defense, etc..) because Greg Oden dominated against Denver’s starting front line in the 4th quarter. None of those guys (K-Mart, Birdman and Nene) had a prayer against an angry, energized beast named Greg Oden. That is what I took from last night’s game. There is no denying how good he looked and he did it against the team that the blazers will be fighting all year long. I’m not worried about the other stuff. Roy will be fine, Miller will settle in and the rotation will be worked out. Also, there were stretches in that game where the defense stepped up. Sure, they were inconsistent, but there were flashes. Batum got under Anthony’s skin a few times and Joel & Greg patroled the middle. Are there some things that need improvement? Sure, but they’ve made progress since game one of the pre-season. There’s no reason to think that they won’t continue to get better. It’s only pre-season, but it’s clear that they have the pieces and the desire to become one of the league’s top teams.
Drex, the reason why I’m a little worried about the rotation being worked out is because if Oden doesn’t start, he won’t play as much as he needs to play. And, he won’t be able to play with Roy and Aldridge (and possibly Miller) as much as he needs to. In other words, the longer McMillan takes to make Oden the starter, the longer it will take for the Blazers to reach their full potential. He should start and play 36 minutes a game, or until he fouls out, whichever comes first. All this “it doesn’t matter who starts” banter is so boneheaded. Of course it matters. If he doesn’t start, that’s about six to 10 Oden-less minutes right out of the gate for a team that, as we all know, has made an art form out of falling behind early. That’s not even considering the missed opportunity of getting Oden playing time with fellow pillars Roy and Aldridge. Name one other coach who would do that. On almost any other team, Oden would start, play 36 to 40 minutes a night and touch the ball on almost every possession. Opponents would rack up fouls trying to guard him and Oden could average 10 points a game shooting granny style. But no, from what we’ve seen and heard so far, the Blazers will be a perimiter oriented team again, much to the relief of Roy, Aldridge, McMillan, and every other team in the NBA. I’m depressed.
I have some of the same concerns you do about Oden’s role, however, it just seems like a no-brainer that he starts regardless of what has been reported so far. I cannot believe that Nate will not start him. Maybe I’m just naive. If the Blazers continue to be a perimeter team like they were last year, Oden’s talent will be wasted in my opinion. I just think that Oden has shown so much promise during this pre-season that it will force them to go inside more. I watched Juwan Howard and Andre Miller make sure that the ball went in to Oden last night. I believe Howard will be more valuable than first thought. You can tell that he gets it. He knows how important G.O. is to the success of the team. Miller is also interested in seeing Oden establish himself. KP did a great thing by adding these guys and I think Nate will use them to facilitate Oden. I’m going to give Nate the benefit of the doubt. He’s a smart man and it just doesn’t make sense to have a weapon like Oden on the bench when he needs to start and play 36 minutes. If Nate goes ahead with the old starting 5 I will also be depressed.
Another thing that is alarming is our poor starts at games. This is something that has always haunted this team (remember first game against Lakers, then later Houston in first round).
I agree with Dex about Oden. He truly came alive when it mattered most and the Nuggets had no answer. What was most impressive is Oden appears to play smarter when in foul trouble
This team is at a crossroads and at some point will have to make some tough decisions. There is alot of talent but only so many minutes. With that said, the NBA season is a long one and most of that talent will get a chance to prove themselves. Make the most of it…
The only really good thing about pre-season is seeing Oden in such good shape. I saw a fire in his belly last night, and for once somebody other than Roy lead this team, which ironically inspired Roy!
8 days till the opening tip…
maybe its time to streamline this team and start loading up on draft pics and future considerations. just a plain case of to many and to much. to much talent, to many quality bodies. take the strongest 10 and and market the other 5 and consolidate this roster. we could do a lot more with a lot less.
Dwight what do you think about the replacement officials? I have noticed the increased fines on coaches, it seems like everyday a different coach is being fined for criticizing the officials. Have you read Canzano’s piece about it? I usually don’t agree with him, but on this I do. Since you are the Godfather, I think you have seen replacements before. Can the NBA let this get into the regular season when it will really matter? It’s going to be an exciting season all around with the way teams have made upgrades, but I think the focus will be on how bad these replacement refs are.
The exciting part was Oden’s 4th quarter against some very good post defenders in Nene, Martin, Andersen.
I fully agree with Dwight that the result isn’t meaningful, with Anthony sitting out the 4th and the Blazers missing some key players as well. I also agree that, by and large, its not been a great preseason. Hard to gauge where the Blazers stand, really.
I still think having a feel good (if meaningless) win is a nice thing and hopefully they can end the preseason on a good note and get the season off to a good start.
Dwight’s also right that defense, once again, is the big question mark. The pick and roll D has to be improved… right?
Oden was great.
How about creating two “starting” teams and let them alternate games for playing purposes. On “A” squad nights, they carry heavy minutes and only get breathers as necessary. Then on “B” squad night the reverse happens. We will wear every other team out by the second half of the season. If all these players are good enough to start, then why is this a bad idea?
Another similar idea: If we just double the amount of time they practice, they will be twice as good, and therefore win twice as many games.
Basketball isn’t a spreadsheet.
But twice the minutes, twice as tired and twice the injuries in a season that is way too long.
Question: You know how to tell when the NBA finals are upon you?
Answer: When you can’t remember who won the NCAA tournament.
………..and give ribbons and participation trophies too! Everyone is a winner!
We have players and coaches that are afraid of progression and change. That’s not helping.
I think that Chris “Bird Man” Andersen is the kind of player who you love if he’s on your team, but hate if he’s on the other side. I’d love him if he were a Blazer, but I hate him because he’s on the Nuggets, a team I don’t like.
It is refreshing to see the Odenade drinkers still at the trough… Please keep in mind that the 1st pick draft bust has not matched up to anyone yet in this PRESEASON…