My goodness… THAT was some downer of a Trail Blazers finish
Chris Paul wide open at the end of a game for the eventual game-winner? The ball in Jerryd Bayless’s hands in the waning seconds for a jump shot? That’s what we saw last night. And in the end, the Trail Blazers gave back one of those hard-fought road wins they got last week.
Ugh.
Paul got open in a bit of a freaky play, falling down — and apparently out of sight — before getting up and finding himself open for what amounted to a free throw to win the game. It was like one of those football plays where the tight end goes to the ground as if to block and then gets up and into a pass pattern.
Then the Trail Blazers inbound to Bayless — way out almost near the halfcourt line. Now Brandon Roy might be able to get you a makeable shot in that situation — since just about any shot is makeable for Roy — but Bayless? Well, if he isn’t going to attempt to get the ball to the basket, I’m not sure I like his chances with a jump shot.
But that game was lost in the minutes before those last two possessions. The Trail Blazers, no doubt fatigued from their trip, didn’t seem to have enough energy to finish. Andre Miller, especially, seemed to have nothing left in the tank.
Next time around, I’d love to see Martell Webster or Rudy Fernandez get that final shot, by the way. It was another excruciating loss, quite obviously. And with the upcoming schedule, there may be more to come.
The All-Star break can’t get here soon enough for this team. It needs a few days off.
NBA, Trail Blazers | Dwight Jaynes | January 26, 2010
Chris Paul, Dwight Jaynes, Jerryd Bayless, Martell Webster, New Orleans Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, Rudy Fernandez
The team needs another go-to player in crunch time, unfortunately LMA isn’t that guy. I don’t think that player is on the roster right now either.
It is strange how this team just does not look to LA down the stretch in games. He just is a non-factor. Washington game, Boston game, Pistons game (I know he poked the ball away from Rip…) now this game last night-we just get nothing from him in the last 5 minutes.
With LA it is not so much energy level, its will and pride that he needs to have to be the man-or at least the other man, with Brandon out.
The reason they dont give it to him is because he’s doing everything wrong. Missing shots, Not posting up, turning away instead of facing the basket, i mean, how hard is all that stuff?
Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, Pau Gasol, they are power forwards. Lamarcus? Unh-Uh
Deron Williams is a power forward?
lol… one of the shortest in league history.
He’s taller than Sir Charles was….
Boozer is a PF?
I don’t think it’s so much doing things wrong – ie missing shots – so much as is going completely out of his way to avoid shots. Go back to the Boston game, and see him catch the ball wide open, and watch the near-panic with which he shuttles it over to Martell (who hit a double-clutch 3, if I remember right).
Why go to someone in crunch time who passionately, desperately does not want to be gone to?
so much as his*
In LA’s defense, end of game situations rarely go through front court players. Because the defense overplays, it’s always a guard starting way outside. The only way LA hits a game winner is off someone else’s dribble penetration.
The two previous posters summed up a huge reason why KP blew it when signing LMA to that big deal. He is far too talented to be content to play second banana.
The Blazers gave up way too many easy buckets down low last night. I have never been too impressed with Okafor, but he seemed to be the type of guy the Blazers could use right now.
Roy is, without question, the best player on this team. But Juwan showed last night why I think he is the teams MVP so far this year.
I don’t have a problem with JB taking the last shot, it is good for him to get the experience. Also, don’t you want the ball in the hands of someone who can get his own shot? Martell might be good if he can come off a screen, but in those last second situations how often is a team able to pull that off directly from the inbounds pass? I don’t remember the exact details, but I am assuming Rudy had someone stuck on him as NO probably assumed he was the #1 option.
Yes Stinky, I agree – with only a few seconds left, Bayless was a decent bet because you knew he’d get at least a so-so shot off.
In case the point isn’t clear, I would have liked Blake for a 3, but if you get him the ball and he’s not open, time would have run out without his being able to attempt a decent shot. Bayless isn’t as good a shooter as Blake, Martell, or Rudy, but you knew Bayless would get up at least a mediocre shot, rather than a terrible one, because of his quickness and ability to rise up into his jumper.
I agree Dwight. They seemed to play so well in the second period to get back into it. Played well enough to stay ahead most of the game and then just ran out of gas at the end. The one positive to take away. Mr. Batum looked really good. After watching Bayless drive to the rim like he is shot out of a cannon, it was a thing of beauty to see how silky smooth Batum looked going to the rim. I hate to put a label on the kid, but he sure looks like a young Scottie Pippen. His plays going to the rim just look so effortless compared to everyone else in the game. Okay, back to reality. It really doesn’t matter that he is back, because the next stretch of games have losing streak written all over them.
And there I was, yelling at the TV, “Bayless??? Really??? He’s taking the last shot? You’ve got Martell, Rudy, and Blake on the team, and Bayless is taking the shot?” As Dwight would say, “Come on.”
My thoughts exactly, warner. You also had Andre throw up two bricks at the end of the game. It’s disgusting how he called his own number twice, instead of geting it to better shooters. It’s like he purposely ignores Blake when he’s on the floor. New attitude my *ss!
Can’t wait until B-Roy’s back and Andre’s minutes go way down.
The shooters were covered pretty well. If no one is going to cheat over on ‘Dre he needs to take that post up shot. It would have been nice if he worked it a little deeper though.
When Roy comes back, it’ll be Blake that loses minutes. Miller’s a big minutes guy from here on out. And the team’s best PG. Guess you probably won’t give him credit for his play the last month, either. Hater.
nope natroy will want blake in MORE.
Did you not see the 3 or 4 beautiful setups Andre had for his teams in the forth? He had tried legs, and an off night, shooting wise, but he did have 10 assists.
FYI Aldridge was the first option for most of the 4th, but he just wouldn’t pull the trigger, so Andre was forced to try and create on his own.
Such negativity. Why?
Hard fought game by the Blazers. Lots of hustle. Juwon Howard showing everyone skill and knowledge are just as good as athleticism. Great game by Rudy. We got burned by the best point guard in the NBA. Not gonna lose any sleep over this. Plus, everyone here must admit…if Brandon were playing, we would have won that game.
As long as the Blazers keep scrapping and playing well, I’m fine.
These win-able home games will kill you at the end of the season. You need to beat a barely over .500 team at home. When it comes time to determine seeds or even making the playoffs, these are the games we’ll all look back to.
Not scoring in the last 3+ minutes of a close game is a problem. Being up by 8 with those 3+ minutes to go and losing is not good.
Blazers have Utah then 2 brutal games on the road wihtout Brandon….they needed that game last night.
It’s not if you lose-its how you lose.
+1
This group is still impressing me. We’ve stole a few this year, it’s ok to give one away.
-1
Dissagree. At the pro level and the millions. That’s MILLIONS of dollars these players are demanding. It is NEVER ok to “give” one away. Not acceptable … this is not your local junior hight school team
It was great to see Batum back. I hope they let him play more in the next 12 games, all of which appear to be tough. I could see both Batum and Webster in the game at the same time, with one or the other guarding the 2 position. With the way Martell has been playing I think it would be a shame to not see both of them on the court at the same time. They both bring hustle and energy on a consistent basis.
agreed… either at the 3 and 4 small ball style or at the 2 and 3 with a lengthy guard line-up. Those guys both add a ton of versatility. Batum can play the 1-4 depending on match-ups and Webster the 2-4 also depending on match-ups.
Not sure I agree with Webster taking the final shot. Based on my observations (don’t have statistics in front of me) Webster is a great shooter when wide open, decent coming off of off the ball picks and awful when at all off-balance. Rudy would have been a good option as he is a good off-balance and fade-away shooter. I agree with Nate after the game… normally ‘Dre would handle the ball (without Roy in that situation) but he just wasn’t beating his guy last night. I don’t think the Bayless call was a bad one by Nate. You can complain about him not taking it to the rim but there was help defense there and refs tend to swallow whistles at the end of games. That shot was (IMO at least) a decent percentage shot and hopefully good for Bayless as he realizes the trust Nate and the Blazers have in him. I think what killed us is going to the grind it out style with about 4 minutes left. We should have continued what got us the lead; playing to preserve a lead is not always a good idea unless you are far enough ahead that all you need to do is work the 24 second clock for the victory.
I think Webster is pretty good moving or fading to one side, but does not shoot well (or just doesn’t shoot) fading away.
Up 8 with 3 minutes and change- you need to close it out.
New Orleans moved the ball over to the weak side several times and got something good out of it (wide open Collison). They also got people driving to the key and getting fouled.
On the Blazer end, I didn’t see anybody even get a look on the weak side. It was basic two-man plays (called from the bench?) that were easy to defend.
Dumb play calling down the stretch- we gave this one away.
That was a game that championship caliber teams close out and win….even with all our injuries. We built a sizable lead AT HOME against a team just barely over .500 then frittered it all away, and it wasn’t just because we ran out of gas.
Two major issues -
1. Porous, half-hearted defense by many players throughout the game. Even without our centers, they got inside far more than they should have and had way too many uncontested wide-open looks from every distance.
2. Far too few points in the paint, especially towards the end of the game. McMuffin should have had someone driving into the paint to at least draw a foul, make a basket, or both. Instead we settle, as we so often do, for an outside jumper.
L.A. is just too soft, but Juwan Howard – who will be 37!!! in a few days, was inspiring !! What a joy it was to watch him last night.
Old Man River!
True Dat
Dwight, I don’t think you’re being at all fair. The biggest mistake I saw at the end of the game? The Blazers didn’t anticipate NO pushing the ball on their last possession, assuming they’d call a timeout. The Blazers were totally on their heals that last possession.
Bayless with a jumper–what the hell do you expect? 3.3 seconds left–you wanna set up a pick and roll? It was a great look and he gets it again, he’d stick it.
We’ll be fine, we are barely getting the band members back.
Batum is our glue guy, when we get him going for longer stretches I can see us rattling off a long winning streak. Batum brings so much defense and versatility on both sides of the court.
One little criticism. You have to make your free throws Andre. Missed technical foul shot. Missed foul shot under 1 minute = 1pt loss. If you don’t have the legs to shoot the technicals, give’em to Rudy, Blake or Webster.
Juwan needs to have a serious sit down with LMA and ask him, why are you passing turning down shots at the end of the game and passing me the ball with 1 sec. left on the shot clock.
…it would be a rhetorical question.
I had to leave for work with about 5 minutes of the game left.
I was stunned they lost this game.
This loss is damaging.It also laid out this team like a cadaver
for the basketball world to see.I haven’t been this disappointed
in a loss for a long,long time.
I just got through watching the end of the game(I taped it).
Ohhh what horrible play calling. That is a disgrace to lose this
game after they battled back and worked so hard.
Then suddenly it seemed like the coach didn’t make any good calls.
My goodness that was embarrassing to lose that game.
I just got through watching it like I said..and it still isn’t clear with hte weird line up,plays called etc.
Wow..either we have a bad coach or something.It seems like he calls the same bad plays that didn’t work over and over,even tho the guys didn’t score on the play,so he calls the same play the next time.
Damn this loss really leaves me disgusted.
Also,I am starting to despise the very lazy La Marcus.
Sheed cost us many games with his no show,and I’ll be damned if we don’t have another almost 7 foot man who plays sissy and small.
Get your ass to the basket La Marcus
And another thing..if the brass have any brains at all,they will hire Juwan Howard and keep him here forever.
I think the reason Bayless got the last shot is he is able to create his own shot. Rudy and Martell work off screens and there was not time.
I didn’t mind the shot, what bothered me more was poor execution down the stretch. Nobody was driving, creating, or getting to the foul line.
I am not gonna hammer the team. They were clearly exhausted and have been overachieving for quite sometime.
Big game on wednesday against Utah
At the end of close games it’s always 50/50. If Bayless makes the shot, it would be a great coaching decision. If he misses, it is poor coaching. The real problem is the games shouldn’t be that close in the end anyway. When was the last time we have seen LaMarcus win us a game late with offense? I can’t seem to remember a time lately that he lifted us to a win late in a game. With Brandon out, he should be the one winning the majority of our games. Maybe LMA and Rudy could get us someone really nice in a trade.
Sadly, LeMarshmallow won’t bring us nearly as much as we’re paying him as the word is out in the NBA that cotton balls have more backbone, gumption and spine than he does. To have the height, strength & shooting touch he has, yet to play as soft as he does ?? – inexcusable !!! He needs to go visit Brian Grant and get some lessons in heart…Buck Williams and get some lessons in fearlessness…and Maurice Lucas for some lessons in ferocity.
we need a different system…
Agree with C.I.S. and Raftman. I am disheartened that LMA has shrunk away from the plate rather than step up to it. Especially when there are times when he actually plays like a power forward, going into the chest of his defender rather than fading away. Again, if he isn’t a power player that is ok, so long as he could shoot like Nowitzki and perform as well down the clutch. But he doesn’t.
This team has quite a few quality players, some of whom I will own up to badmouthing at times: Trout, LMA, Rudy, Bayless, Batum, Miller, and Webster. Problem is, we only have one go to guy. We need that second go to guy, and I am not sure that person is on this team. Bayless could develop into that threat, and we all know the potential Batum has (perhaps second only to Oden in the ‘upside’ department).
As much as I don’t want to see anyone go (with the exception of Travis, whom I have basically given up on) it is time to go get that . At least try, ‘cuz LMA doesn’t seem to want that role. 60 mil for 15 and 8, C’MON MAN!
I can’t watch this shit anymore. Both Nate and Aldridge SUCK. You don’t have Blake and Webster in the game at the end instead of Rudy and Bayless. And Aldridge is a complete joke and along with Nate will take this team NOWHERE. I’m done with this team, I love watching the games but am done until they get rid of this hack coach and somebody teaches softie how to play PF or puts his sissy ass on the bench until he wakes up and starts giving a shit.
Now if only this were coming out of Paul Allen’s mouth during an interview on ‘Talkin Ball’…
yes but we all know how much he loves his fellow Sh**TLites. My guess natroy is our coach till paul allen passes away.
I don’t get the criticism of LA. I really don’t.
I thought last night was a reminder of the value of Travis Outlaw. He’s a proven 8-ball shooter even though he gets tons of abuse on this blog. He also can rise up for his shot higher than most.
This was the second time recently that our weaknesses were really exposed and the heart wasn’t enough to compensate.
The first was against Cleveland down low. We’ve been doing sort of okay with our current roster in the paint, but we had no answer for Cleveland.
Last night we had no answer for CP3, talent-wise. In every game this year, Andre was able to get a few easy lay-ups. Not last night. New Orleans took that away with superior talent. Not just with CP3, but he’s the force field. He’s a bona fide NBA monster, and he knows it.
There’s no shame in losing to that kind of a talent.
While I don’t care for Travis’ complete lack of defense, rebounding, or general court sense, he would have been a good guy for the situation to end the game last night. Actually, he would have been the #1 option without Roy in the game, or at least use him as a decoy to spot up Rudy or Martell.
CP3 is a stud, no doubt. It was interesting to see how he didn’t really look for his shot early in the game, trying to get others involved. Down the stretch, however, was a different story.
I would like to see at least one game where the Blazers play good weak side defense. I am convinced half of the rebounds LMA gets hit the floor before he grabs ‘em.
I would like a new system that uses our strenghts but,,,,it aint happening.
CVO- In defense of Dre’s last two shots, you seem to have dialed in on as bricks, were taken by a guy who has been ridden hard the last 6 games, and is the main reason we won those road games. Tired legs make short shots! Now the reason he HAD to take those late last minute shots, was that no one else would. He feed the ball inside to LAM with plenty of time to turn and face up and make the shot. But like most times, LA didn’t want to man up for the job, and passed the ball back out to Dre for him to bail out the shot with just zip on the clock. If you can’t go to your big for an easy inside score, due to the huge pussy factor he posseses, take your bitching some place else! As a PG, Dre may have finished his lowest in the passed 6 games, but I’ll take 6 points, and 10 assist, any night over the performance we got from LAM.
Well said. I though Aldridge would break out, given the opportunity to be the main man in crunch time, But man he just won’t, or can’t setup up, when it matters. He totally panicked when Andre feed him inside that one time, and was 5 ft from the basket. Your second best, number two draft pick needs to make that play, but no he passes the ball back out in panic.
Don’t you have something to say about Oden’s schlong?
That’s what I came here for.
If you can blow out a knee in your 3rd leg…Oden will find a way to do it.
Stay tuned.
Am I the only one who finds this whole media frenzy surrounding Greg Oden’s recently leaked nude picture to be an altogether non-issue?
To me, it’s no big deal.
Agree.
Just wanted a expert opinion on it is all.
He was just on the air on BFT on 95.5 and handled himself and the issue quite well. He was forthcoming, sincerely apologetic and understandably embarrassed. According to what he said, the photos are a year and a half old and he’s learned a lot since then. I agree with AK1984, ’tis a tempest in a teapot and not worth wasting more time on. Young men have been making mistakes like this since time began, it’s just that now we have the internet to broadcast them globally.
Is that a pun? Please tell me that NO ONE that comes to this site has seen the picture!
Ha-ha, I guess my “it’s no big deal” line could be seen as a pun.
All kidding aside, though, numerous athletes — such as Grady Sizemore, Santonio Holmes, Chris Cooley, et al. — have had similar photogrpahs of themselves leaked to the public. It, therefore, isn’t as if Greg Oden is alone in this case.
And, when it’s all said and done, everything blows over and stuff returns to business as usual, which is the way it should be.
Since Oden’s NBA career is a bust, he could always become a porn star….
No. Not Even Close.
They’re joking about it, not setting up a deal with Playgirl.
If anything, he could go back to Ohio State.
What a wang! Rip City baby!
Does it have its own locker stall ??
No, but I heard the Post Office already gave it its own Zip Code.
I heard Nate’s going to start it next game. It’s gonna wear a throwback jersey.
Ok, now that I’m almost done laughing over those last few posts, I have a question:
Bayless went out with 4 fouls late in the game. Now, I think Nate had a tough decision, choosing from the 7 or so players that he chose from to decide who would close out the game. If he had had Bayless in, fine; if he chose who he chose, perhaps also fine….
Now, THAT SAID, did he make that decision NOT based on who he wanted in, but based on Bayless’ having FOUR fouls? Again, I’m not knocking the decision, but if the answer is ‘yes’ then I am knocking the thought that went into a decision. You don’t change your game plan regarding who plays crunch time based on a FOURTH foul late in the 4th quarter.
Here’s hoping that was a coincidence and that the staff is making its decisions based on an intelligent weighing of the proper factors.
Bayless was taken out because he was playing PG, (Not quite sure why though), and made some turnovers, and the team was starting to get stagnant. He also missed some assignments on defense also, and Paul was starting to assert himself. So Nate went back to Miller, who did a nice job running the team. He’s legs were tired so he wasn’t much of a scorer, but he had some great passes, and played enough D on Paul to give them a 9 point lead.
Not sure why Bayless wasn’t playing along side Miller though.
Blazers now 1 loss from a tie for 11th in Conference. Assuming Roy will be back, they still need a Center to make the playoffs. Dalembart? Haywood? With Batum finally back, I think the logical trade bait (if more is needed than expirings and euros) is Rudy. I”ve seen people write that he can play 10 minutes at 1-2-3, but he can’t. He is a pure 2. Roy is a pure 2. The thing is, Rudy will be an 18 ppg guy as a starter, so we HAVE to get a better player if we part with him. Dalembart probably played his best 2 games of the season vs. Portland, so I may have a skewed view of him.
How about this: http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ylmzp73
Rudy and Blake for Kevin Love and Pavlovic?
Haven’t seen this one before. Maybe Rudy helps them bring Rubio in next season?? Of course if it really sucks there, it makes it harder.