Subscribe Feed (RSS)My bad. All along, I was thinking in terms of a point guard being the answer to Portland’s problem of getting the ball more frequently into the low post. But as David Thorpe points out on True Hoop today, it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way.
The side pick-and-roll is the most devastating play in basketball and Portland didn’t have a lot of success running it last season. Mostly, that was because nobody looked (or had the ability) to dish the ball to the guy rolling to the basket. Greg Oden got so tired of not seeing the ball on the pick-and-roll that his frustration was apparent. And face it, Joel Przybilla used to thrive on this play when Damon Stoudamire was still a Blazer. Damon used to tell me later what an underutilized offensive player Joel was in Portland once he left — Joel really was a pretty good finisher on this play. But he had nobody to run it with here the last few seasons — only Sergio Rodriguez was skilled at making the pass on the end of that play.
Hedo Turkoglu can run it, though, and run it just about as well as any big player in the league:
Thorpe says that if the Portland rumors are true, Nate McMillan should already be watching the Magic and planning to add a side pick-and-roll to the playbook with Turkoglu and Greg Oden.
“Dwight Howard was amazing at diving to the hoop on the play, running straight down the lane to make himself a threat to catch the ball at the hoop. Greg Oden will have to do that, and then if I were LaMarcus Aldridge, I’d spend the summer mastering the NBA 3, like Rashard Lewis — because when the small forward and the center are running this play , the help usually comes from the power forward who can be wide open in the corner.
But Thorpe sounds a warning, too, and it’s one that would concern me if Turkoglu becomes a Trail Blazer. The guy needs the ball, needs to be “engaged” to get the best out of him. I’m not sure how that works with all those touches Brandon Roy gets:
Thorpe cautions, however, that he does not believe Turkoglu would thrive in any system. “He’s a little bit like Lamar Odom. The game comes so easy to him, and he’s so talented, that sometimes he loses focus. Stan Van Gundy handled that really well. He was very smart. He ran a ton of side pick and rolls for Turkoglu, which forced him to lock in. People criticized Van Gundy for that, saying he should have gotten the ball to Dwight Howard more … but a lot of those side pick and rolls ended in dunks for Dwight Howard. If you just stuck him on a team as complimentary player, and expect him to hit some open shots, then I don’t think he would be nearly as productive. But when you keep Turkoglu engaged, he’s a very special small forward.
“Turkoglu may have been the third or fourth best player on the Magic this season. But he played better than that, because of how the team forced him to be playmaker, which is what he does best. Now, his sense of urgency still wavered some. But in the playoffs, his focus was just about always there, and that’s a huge part of the reason the Magic made it so far.”
I appreciate the knowledge. I’ve gone from being anti-Turkoglu to now being a little more accepting. But you must remember, a lot has to change for Portland to have success with “The Michael Jordan of Turkey.” Brandon Roy is not only going to have to give up the ball some, he’s going to probably have to expect to score fewer points. Not only will Turkoglu score, he’ll get Oden points, too. Aldridge must learn to hit that corner three-pointer. And the point guard must be a pretty good spot-up shooter, too.
It would make for a fascinating new approach.
Tags: Brandon Roy, David Thorpe, Dwight Howard, Dwight Jaynes, Greg Oden, Hedo Turkoglu, LaMarcus Aldridge, Nate McMillan, True Hoop
So, Turkoglu is a good fit because his presence would push Aldridge even further from the basket? No. And as far as the Blazers running a side pick and roll is concerned, I’ll believe it when I see it. With this team, if a play doesn’t involve Roy, it isn’t run. Not consistently anyway. And it sounds like Turkoglu needs consistency.
Since he spent years watching Detlef Shrempf and Gary Payton live on this I’m sure Nate is thinking along the same lines.
I also think Batum has a lot of the skills for this as well, so a couple years playing behind Hedo might be great for his game
Judge,
Aldrigde wouldn’t only be living on the corner 3, that offense results in lots of dunks for Howard, those could go to Oden, they could also go to Aldridge.
I have to say pass on Hedo. I’m just luke warm on the guy. I don’t see him being a good fit for the amount of money he wants. He’s a good passer, decent shooter, but I’m not convinced we couldn’t get the job done with Batum and Webster. Batum is a better defender than Hedo already, so I’d be reluctant to buy into this Hedo stuff.
I love watching Hedo play. But what you describe seems really…’high-maintenance’.
I was with you Dwight. I was anti Turkoglu before that article as well. You made a point at the end; “Brandon Roy is not only going to have to give up the ball some, he’s going to probably have to expect to score fewer points.” I don’t think that would be a bad thing. Roy is superb with the ball in his hands but look at what happend in the playoffs. Houston found out we were a bit one-dimensional and Roy was the only scoring threat. Now if we have Turkoglu, we create a better oppurtunity to score buckets with Hedo’s ability to drive, shoot and pass. This could be a very good move for us and it doesn’t require spending 10 mill on Hinrich who is a wee bit better than Blake. Hedo would be a huge upgrade at the 3.
One thing Hedo can do is handle the ball, and with a three as an extra option as a ball-handler it would allow Roy and Rudy to be on the court at the same time. Remember, Hedo played point in the 4th quarter nearly all of the Celtics series before Jameer returned. It would allow us another season of seeing what Bayless and now Mills have to offer, but what does it do to finding out about Batum and more importantly Webster?
eric k,
My point is that Aldridge already takes plenty of long jump shots. The Blazers as a whole take a ton of jump shots. That Rockets series should have opened everybody’s eyes to Portland’s greatest need, but the fanboys have already forgot. This team must find somebody who can either get to the basket or run an offense that creates shots in the paint. I just don’t think Turkoglu is the answer.
Aldridge does not need to shoot more 3pointers/long jumpers. He needs to hone that sweet ‘Sheed like turn around hook/extended shot.
Dwight, wouldn’t you agree that the reason that Oden didn’t see the ball in the post as much as he should have was because the entry pass was almost always being delivered from the 3-point line. The athletes in the NBA are too fast, too long to get away with that very often in a game. With that being said, I feel that’s a Nate problem. Oden needs 6 ligit touches in a half to best tale advantage of his skills. He needs to stay interested and sharp on offence to best take advantage of his defensive skills. They don’t need anouther 3 point shooter, especially Alldrich, they need a player that can get to the rack and get Oden involved.
Like I have said all along Hedo would present another excellent weapon. He is a smart and savvy with the ball and puts alot of pressure on oppossing teams. This will create many opportunities, and also take some needed pressure off Roy to have to do it all.
He doesn’t always have to have the ball (remember him with the kings?) but with the magic he was the best player to have the ball in his hands at crunch time. He will open up lanes for rudy and roy, while also help to feed some easy baskets for Oden/Pryz.
We have some prized bigs people and Turk is just the guy to maximize their use
Look at the Laker/Magic series and you will find that win or lose Turk was the one magic player that did not wilt under the pressure. He is the one Magic player who found ways to score consistently. For 6′10′ he is nimble and caused the Lakers fits on both ends.
He’ll make a sometimes stagnant Portland team fluid. He is a proven and experienced playoff vet who can help take our team to it’s next desired level
It’s a no-brainer folks…go after him
I’ve been looking at all of the potential free agents with an eye for how well they run the pick and roll and that possibility of getting Aldridge and Oden rolling to the basket. More easy shots for the bigs.
Based on this, I’m less interested in Hinrich and more interested in Kidd. Kidd would be good at hitting bigs in translation and running the pick and roll.
Harris would also be great–although I’ve got to admit to being unclear on how well he executes pick and roll plays. I haven’t seen enough of him post Dallas to know for certain. That said, if you have a chance at Harris, you take it.
This has always been one of my main interests in Mike Conley. Look at the chemistry of Rudy and Sergio. If someone could make Greg that much better, it would be worth it. A better Oden is worth more than almost anything we could pick up this summer.
If Turkoglu can also make Greg better, then he’s got my vote.
Judge,
The side pick and roll offense gets you mismatches in the paint, when they switch to take that away you get corner 3s, all jump shots aren’t equal, wide open corner 3 off a switch is one of the best weapons in the game today.
I’m completely sold on Hedo either, but it may be a good 4th or 5th option.
Assuming I can waive a magic wand and make teams take my trade offers I’d prioritize this way:
Fantasy scenario (ie never gonna happen)
Outlaw, Rudy, Bayless and future picks for Chris Paul
Real options:
1) Outlaw and Blake or Bayless (OB/B) for Devin Harris.
2) OB/B for Calderon
3) OB/B for Hinrich
4) Sign Kidd for 2 years
5) Sign Hedo for 3 years
BTW, my fear about Turkoglu has to do with the fact that he doesn’t seem to be too concerned with fitness.
Anthony Johnson was quoted in the New York Times saying that he was the most out of shape person playing in the finals. Johnson joked about how he eats pizza before games.
Without a commitment to fitness, his ability to maintain his game into his 30s is something to be concerned about.
Typo that should of course say “not completely sold”
Jason,
Good call on Conley, forgot about him, I’d make a trade for him my 4th option above Kidd and Hedo
Jason G: I hear you on the fitness. The most in-shape cyclists I know with the least amount of body fat chow on pizza all the time. Let’s also remember that most of the NBA frequents places like The Cheesecake Factory all the time (and no I’m not slamming the desserts, I’m slamming chain-restaurant food quality)…
Hedu would be great at running the side pick and roll, too bad he shot horribly in his contract year, which tells me he is on the decline. He motivation problems also spell doom to the team the actually gives him what he wants on a contract. The Blazers should steer far and wide around Turkey’s MJ, he is OverRated.
Why is Ron Artest not being discussed? Any idea if the blazers have interests in him? He seems like he would be a better fit than Turk. He is a better defender a better shooter and we could probably sign him for less.
We could have a Artest/Batum rotation defending Kobe.
Kobe said Hedo was “crafty” – that’s an interesting comment.
Something else nobody’s mentioned here: My people in Orlando – okay, it’s just one comedian – say that Hedo is a road warrior. He often seems to perform better on the road, although I don’t have the numbers to back that up.
We could use a road warrior but who would go besides Channing Frye?
This is getting exciting.
Okay. So maybe I am starting to drink the Hedo kool aid. At first, I was opposed to adding a big name free agent such as Hedo. Earlier this summer, I was leaning towards just adding a veteran point guard to compliment our team.
But as the old saying goes, if your going to spend the money, you may as well get something with real value. I would rather they overpay for Hedo, who adds a very interesting dimension and is fresh off the finals…what I don’t want is a broken down point guard, or a guy past his prime.
Adding Hedo would allow us to groom Bayless and keep Blake and maybe we get lucky with Mills, all the while we improve ball movement and shots for our big, and save the wear and tear on Roy.
We are going to have some sweet ball movement.
I agree Panama. No brainer folks!
eric K,
You’re talking about the Blazers like you’re playing with them in a video game. All those side pick and rolls sound great on paper, but the fact is the Blazers under McMillan don’t execute anything other than Roy isolations, high post ups for Aldridge or double baseline screens for Fernandez. Remember how everybody was so excited about how well Fernandez moved without the ball and how that would give the offense a major boost. By midseason, he was a jump shooter. A friggin jump shooter. The Blazers just need a small forward who can defend and hit 3s, and that’s not Turkoglu.
I think Hedo would be an excellent fit for the team…but, I don’t think he is the type of player Nate would like to acquire or utilize well for that matter.
Side p n r is gonna be great but we don’t need to bring in hedo to do that . Hinrich and Kidd can certainly run that play as well as Hedo. Plus Hinrick/Batum or Kidd/Batum would be far better than Blake/Hedo in defensive end – which IMO is the bigger problem for the BLazers this season
Judge,
Did you ever consider that Nate runs the plays he does because of the talent he currently has? Take a look at the teams he coached in Seattle
The question is whether the blazers continues as a finesses team, or whether they develop into a team with a stronger inside presence. By all accounts Portland is building a team similar to Orlando, and obvious Hedo would fit in nicely if thats the long term goal. My concern though is I just don’t think that style of play can beat the Lakers. While I hate the Lakers, I love how there offense, with the exception of Kobe, is setup to get the ball inside as much as possible. Portland is already too in love with the three pointer, and that would only get worse if Hedo comes on board.
I’m with you eric K, and am concerned with Nate’s simplistic offense. To be fair though, the Blazers started to get it together on both sides of the ball towards the end of last season. The playoffs though were a reminder though, of how far they still have to go. Hopefully the Nate supports are correct, and he will continue to develop more schemes as the gets more experience.
http://www.draftexpress.com/blog/Pooh-Jeter/#Pooh-Jeter-I-Just-Want-to-Be-Successful-3291
blog of former Pilot player Pooh Jeter, where he rates Claver as the best player overseas, better than Rubio
NIck,
no one is talking about Artest because no one want’s a nut job screwing up the team! I know the media was all over the “new ron” during the play-offs, but he imploded as usuall. Hedo does sound good, and i must say, Nate only runs plays for the guy’s that can make ‘em. That’s why they’re run for Brandon & LaMarcus.
I have been behind Hedo since day 1. Having a big guy that can handle and distribute is huge. It opens up all kinds of options. Plus when is Roy going to finally have surgery on the bine chip in his heel. Hedo could help to limit Roy’s minutes. My biggest fear withthis team is that by the time Oden and Aldridge are big time Roy will be worn out. With Turk you can take some of the pressure off of Roy to handle the ball and let Blake play as another spot up shooter and Bayless can play his natural Scoring-PG position. There will still be plenty of opportunities for Roy to run the offense. I guess we will see what is up. BTW what is Orlando thinking? VC is a great player but Turk was the glue of that finals team.
I understand why Hedo may be attractive for this kind of play but cant we coach some of these kids to be better at the same play?? I know a lot of it has to do with “feel” and BBall IQ but I am thinking we need an upgrade on defense more than offense. The Lakers have solid, well coached players and fully committed to playing defense. Outside Pau and Kobe, they dont have such an explosive offense. They are just well coached. I dont think the blazers need to try to have an all-star offense at all positions, or fill-in-piecemeal players that may not buy into the whole system. Better to get a banger, someone to rebound, intimidate and defend. As some others have said, offensive improvement (especially where oden is concerned) falls more on the coaches.
eric K,
No, I never considered that, and I hope McMillan is better at coaching than I am at figuring his team out – and that’s not setting the bar very high. Still, when I think back, most of the time the Blazers are effective on offense it’s mostly because they’re hitting outside shots or playing a weak team. They just never look to me like they have much of a plan on offense. Or maybe the Blazers aren’t equiped to execute those plans. Either way, they’re a frustrating team to watch from a fan’s perspective. Just goes to show, it doesn’t matter how many studs you have if the track is muddy and the jockey is fat.
Tayshawn Prince is much more like it. Better defender, almost as good at the 3 point line.
I apologize for the incomplete thoughts, but let me add: prince is a champion, Hedo a runner up. Is Hedo a champion player?
Dwight- I’d like your comment regarding Greg Oden and his decision, with the Blazer’s blessing, to return to Ohio State this summer to attend school. I have nothing against Oden going to school to finish his education. If education was that important, he should have remained at Ohio State to do that and improve as a player. However, he has a job now–it’s called playing center for the Portland Trailblazers. Dwight, you know as well as I Stu Inman would call Oden a “project” with great potential but needing enormous amount of work to improve his skills. There have been no reports of Oden’s activities this summer other than a mention regarding he and Bayless doing some training. I’m fearful without enough time spent concentrating on getting better this summer, the Blazers will fall well short of moving forward towards their goal as NBA champions.
@ merseykersey:
That’s fantastic and all, but Prince isn’t a free agent, Hedo is.
ZigTic: Detroit is now rebuilding. Just fired Coach Curry. Send em outlaw and whatever change to get it done. Prince’s name had been floating around awhile back so I am guessing they are at least entertaining offers. Besides, if you bring in Hedo, you probably gotta move T.O. anyway.
Harry, please reserve judgement until you see Oden playing again. I would suggest tuning in to see the team USA scrimmage that will happen at the end of the month. At that point we should get a little peek at how Oden has been spending his summer so far.
I’m not buying it. There’s no “D” in Turkoglu AND he sounds like a bit of a high-maintenance headache. Nate wants a strong defensive club and the Blazers’ defense will not be better with Hedo on the floor.
Grammar/spelling rant: why can’t people, even supposedly professional journalists understand the difference between “complimentary” and “complementary”? While it might be nice for Hedo to heap praise on his teammates, it would be better if he were one piece of the puzzle.
David,
For a tough minded, defensive coach, Nate sure has a lot of finesses players on the roster especially at guard. I agree with you, and hope they pickup a more defensive minded player, but I would not be surprised if they pick up Hedo.
Judge,
Just to let you know a stud is a male bovine used for breeding purposes. I don’t think that fits your “track” analogy.
Charles,
Uh, have you seen Oden run?