Dr. Jack’s opinion of the Trail Blazers
I was so lucky when I started covering the NBA back in the mid-1980s. Jack Ramsay was finishing up his magnificent career as the coach of the Trail Blazers and he was so open and honest, you couldn’t help but learn from him. The man was so generous with his patience and time, putting up with endless stupid questions from me with a smile and expansive answers.
More than that, his practices — organized to the second, upbeat and thorough — were always open to the media. That’s where I learned more basketball than anywhere else in my life.
I was speaking with him yesterday by telephone — he’s doing great, by the way, after a serious fight with cancer that stood no chance against his stubborn will — and the subject turned to the Trail Blazers. Jack’s still doing radio for ESPN and between his vast array of contacts, friends and a trusty NBA League Pass, he still knows all about what’s happening in the league.
So what do you think about your old team?
“I like that team,” he said. “A very flexible group — a lot of versatility. Good depth at every position. I have their game at Utah on Dec. 11 and I’ll get a more closeup view then. There seems to be good rapport among the players. They get things done. I think they are going to be around for a while in the playoffs.
“Greg Oden is still feeling his way, especially on offense. He’s got to find a game, which I haven’t seen yet, but I think it will come. The good thing is, you know he’ll rebound and be a defensive presence. And if he doesn’t do any more than that, that’s good.
“Brandon Roy is special. LaMarcus Aldridge may be a notch behind him but that’s pretty good.”
I was surprised at how much Jack liked the Portland point guards.
“I like them a lot, whether it’s (Sergio) Rodriguez or (Steve) Blake,” he said. “Rodriquez is very skilled and he flies under the radar. Most teams don’t realize what a good team player he is. I’ve always liked Blake. He’s a shooter. A threat. He’s a bit inconsistent with his shooting but he sees the floor well.
“I like Batum, too.”
And the coaching?
“Nate McMillan is a very conscientious worker at the craft of coaching,” Ramsay said. “I don’t think there’s any sham about him. He is who he is. That’s a very important trait for a coach. He knows the game and he’s played it. And now he’s working at coaching. There are no pretenses about him. He’s very effective and efficient. He doesn’t draw a lot of attention to himself and he’s the boss of that team.”
Coaches, NBA, Trail Blazers | Dwight Jaynes | December 2, 2008
Brandon Roy, Dwight Jaynes, Greg Oden, Jack Ramsay, LaMarcus Aldridge, Nate McMillan, Nic Batum, Portland Trail Blazers, Sergio Rodriguez, Steve Blake
It doesnt get any better than this Dwight!
I love posts like this…Great insight from Jack, great writing. Thanks for the insights. I am digging the blog and it is great to have something new to read from you everyday. I am hoping that your consulting business takes off, so that you can afford to blog on the hour.
Man, Dwight, you always got it going on. Thanks so much.
I was just wondering what Dr. Jack was up to, and now I know.
Is he still in those plaid pants, by the way?
Dwight, thanks for getting Jack’s take on this year’s model. I appreciate it. – Elgin
Thanks for this post. Just wish that he had shared his views on Rudy. Go Blazers!
Hey Dwight, there are others who like to reminisce. Good insight about Jack.
Really interesting post, Dwight. Please do follow up with other visits with Dr. Jack — say at the 1/2 and 3/4 points of the season…
I liked Dr. Jack’s description of Nate McMillan