The Portland Trail Blazers’ starting lineup will be…
No official announcement yet, but there’s little doubt in my mind what Nate McMillan is going to do when the season opens Tuesday night.
He’s going to start Steve Blake at the point and Nic Batum at small forward, along with Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, just like last season. But the one change he’s going to make is Greg Oden at center. Oden forced this move, playing so well in the exhibition season that he left McMillan no choice. It’s Oden’s job and there’s hope in the Rose Quarter it will be his job for the next decade.
McMillan has been waiting for Blake to come around during the entire preseason and finally, Thursday night in Vancouver against Phoenix, he did. That’s all Nate needs, I think, to declare Blake the starter — even though you could make the case that Miller has outplayed him. Eventually, it could be Miller’s job but for right now, it’s going to be Blake.
It’s been relatively easy for the Blazer coach to make substitutions with the injuries the team has suffered early. But when Rudy Fernandez is ready to go, it’s going to get tougher in a hurry.
I don’t know how much Jerryd Bayless is going to play, unless he passes Miller in the rotation — which I can’t see happening. And Rudy needs his 25 minutes. This is where it’s going to get interesting — because Travis Outlaw expects big minutes, too.
Understand, by the way, I have no inside information here — this is what I think Nate McMillan will do. Not necessarily what I’d do, either. For me, I think Miller would have to start. But I just can’t see the coach doing it — at least for now. I think McMillan’s perception is that his “first unit” functions better with Blake at the point.
My argument is that, given time together, it’s always best to play your best players with each other — and I think Miller is a more talented player than Blake. And I think Miller would fit very well with the others after just a few games together.
NBA, Trail Blazers | Dwight Jaynes | October 23, 2009
Andre Miller, Brandon Roy, Dwight Jaynes, Greg Oden, Jerryd Bayless, LaMarcus Aldridge, Nate McMillan, Nic Batum, Portland Trail Blazers, Rudy Fernandez, Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw
I agree with this move to start out. They’ve looked out of sync but last night apparently they looked pretty good. So just stay with what worked last season to start. I think Miller will most likely be in there at crunch time and eventually may start. But if we continue to win, I don’t think a change will need to be made.
I wholeheartedly disagree with this move. If you want change you have to embrace change, not hide behind your ‘proven’ value, when that proven value showed quite clearly it wasn’t capable of moving to the next level last year.
I still feel that it’s a mistake to coddle LMA and BRoy with this whole “but whaa… Blake complements them better” crap. IMO good players adapt to other good players, and only the ones unwilling to improve stick to their security blanket.
And right now, Blake is Brandon’s ‘blankee’. It’s time to grow out of that.
I agree 100% Toshi.
To me the Blazers are looking to get to “last years” chemistry too much, and Roy inparticular is being coddled.
Feels more like little league team, then an NBA team.
Look, IMHO, this isn’t a case of BRoy or LMA “being coddled”
by them crying about “playing better with Blake over Miller”.
Chemistry, or who plays well with each other is a huge part of team basketball. That’s how our 77 Blazers beat
a really really good 76′ers team… playing as a team, with
good chemistry.
I’m a huge fan of Miller, and I know he’s a better point guard than Blake.
I think having Miller start on the 2nd unit gives that unit someone who can score, drive to the basket, and/or kick out. Blake doesn’t do that well. And our first unit will have Roy who can do that.
Also, Nate can and does manipulate his line-up based on who
is out on the floor for the other team, the score/situation.
AND this is a work in progress. EVEN if Blake starts next Tuesday, by the time the playoffs are here, it could be Miller. or Patty Mills or …. or … or…
Here’s what I see for at least a couple weeks, barring injury:
Starting unit: Blake, BRoy, LMA, Batum, Oden
2nd unit: Miller,Rudy,Webster,Trout,Joel
(or Miller,Bayless,Rudy,Howard,Joel)
And Nate could do these:
In the last 4 minutes, for a scoring punch:
Miller, BRoy, Webster, LMA, Oden
A small unit: Miller, Bayless, BRoy ,Rudy, LMA
A ball handling/guard based unit: Miller, Blake, BRoy, LMA,Joel
Last night I had a dream about the first game and I can clear up this debate about the starting line-up right now.
It turns out the starting point guard is me, but here’s the twist: I had to play with big mittens on. True.
My 1st obsevation is, Blake starts and Oden goes back to a 2 for 7 night from the field. Blake is great for Roy, this much is clear, but not so great for Oden. He needs a better set-up man than Blake, and that guy is Miller. Pull your head out Nate! Roy can get his own but Oden needs help.
I’m still hopeful they will come around, but I never felt either Roy or Aldridge has good synergy with Oden. This is even more apperent with Miller and Howard championing Oden both on on off the court. Roy in particular hasn’t done that for Oden yet. Truth is they are all young, and there are 10 of millions of dollars on the line, you you can understand the me first attitude out of young players. Nate on the other hand should of have made it clear to the team the need to establish Oden, rather then reasure Roy that they will go back to last years style “two” games into the preseason. Seems short sighted, and the wrong message alltogether.
I don’t hate this move if Blake is only in there to start the game (like Batum). I don’t see the team getting better unless Miller’s on the floor for 30 plus.
I do agree with Graham that Miller’s a better player to have on the floor with Oden, though. We need to get the big guy easy buckets.
Look it, Miller takes the Blazer to next level. If Blake wants the point, he’s going to have to learn to finish at the rim. He doesn’t have that tool in the box. Streaking shooters like Blake aren’t worth guarding most of the time, which allows opponents to double-team Roy.
Miller is a top five point guard in the league right now. He needs to improve his team chemistry. Learning where teammates want the ball. But Miller makes the whole team better, and opponents have to guard him, because he has a great inside game for a guard.
Why put an unproven player like Oden in the starting lineup. That is a recipe for disaster as he cannot stay on the floor long enough. Nate will be sticking with Pryz as he is a proven commodity and a winner.
I was at the game last night in BC and liked what the starting 5 was able to get done. They pretty much shut down the Suns offense and played a very smart game on offense. They made the Suns work on defense for most of the shot clock and usually got good looks.
Aldridge and Roy had their game on, Oden looked solid, and Batum was in the right place at the right time. Blake was Blake. I thought he played a better 3rd qtr. with some good passing at the rim.
The bench will continue to be a work in progress, but Miller will be a much more stabilizing force than Blake, so I’m good with that for now. Outlaw finally got it going too, which is nice to see.
This game finally gave the team some confidence going into the regular season that they will be able to compete and dictate the style of play against most teams.
I am not sure how much it matter who starts at PG as long as Miller is getting ~30 minutes a game and either Roy or Miller is on the floor at all times. We must have Roy or Miller on the floor to create opportunities.
Would the starting lineup have enough of an outside scoring threat with Miller starting over Blake?
The starting unit needs 3 point shooters to open up the middle and to take advantage of Oden double teams. This means that either Blake or Webster need to be in the starting lineup. If Miller starts then Webster also needs to start. I suppose Rudy could start but then someone has to play out of position.
This feels both wrong and hypocritical on McMillan’s part. Before training camp, Nate preached that guys would have to earn their starting spots. In what capacity did Miller not earn this spot? Blake’s had 1 reasonable game, but otherwise has looked awful. Miller’s looked generally strong, gives the team another scoring option, and at times has really made his teammates better.
Additionally, while Roy might struggle a bit to adjust to Miller (although I think he’d adjust quickly), Miller immediately improves Oden’s and Aldridge’s game. And seriously, for this team to make the next leap, we need to see (1) – better defense, and (2), more productivity from Oden and Aldridge.
The only way this move makes any sense, other than to mollycoddle Brandon Roy, is if Blake is a vastly superior defender to Miller. He’s not. Bad move.
Well said Pat. If were gonna have any shot at a championship (That is the goal right?), Then we have to surround Oden with players who can feed him. We also have to have players who can create there own shot if need be. Blake can do neither.
Nate you are a complete hypocrite and you threw Miller under the bus. You said it would be a competition for spots, then you flip flopped when you saw Blake struggle and then pulled out the chemistry card. What a croc
I am starting to see your limitations coach. I am starting to believe that if we ever do have a shot at the title, it will have to be without you…
You know why Gary Payton got the starting job over you? He was better than you and he had the ability to take the sonics further. Miller has proven more than once he is better and that he can take us further than Blake
Guess you can’t get over the past huh coach?
Ouch.
YUP!
I don’t understand how Miller “won” the starting role. His numbers may look better, but the role that he was supposed to fill, that of facilitator and easy looks has been absent. The offense hasn’t flowed smoothly with him on the court. Last night, it sounded like it did with Blake on the floor. No one earned the spot this preseason and by default and last year’s promises, Blake should start.
I say this with the strong hope that Miller does become the facilitator on offense, giving Roy open looks, Aldridge room and Oden easy dishes. Once he does that, move over Steve Blake, the Blazers have got someone who creates offensive opportunity for everyone instead of complementing and benefiting from his teammates with wide-open 3′s. But again, he hasn’t shown this yet.
I agree. Apparently quite a few people on this board did not see any of the preseason games this year. They looked awful up until last night. Season starts next Tuesday and you can’t afford to force anything and hope that it eventually works out. As long as Miller is getting PT, the players will eventually get comfortable with each other and then Miller can take over.
This is the starting lineup I have advocated since training camp.
Miller is really good, but he and Brandon basically play the same way. Post up, drive, mid-range pull up, etc. With two big guys in there already, you can’t have two more guys clogging up the paint. And putting Miller in the second unit means you basically have mirror teams, and a second unit that can play with most everyone else’s first team. In other words, unlike most teams, we will have no drop in performance when the subs start coming in. In fact, they might increase any lead we have.
Yah Joe Dumars and Isiah Thomas played a similar game…didn’t seem to hurt them any…
The problem isn’t the players…it’s the coach
Amen!
I think it’s a simple equation … Miller adds more to the second unit than Blake does. So, it’s not that Miller wouldn’t be a better starter, it’s just that Blake would be a worse bench player and negatively impact the second unit’s game.
It’s probably one of the few times you’d see a coach not start the better player, but it makes sense.
Well put Chris.
I don’t like the lineup. None of them seem to recognize Oden in the post. Roy, Blake or Aldridge. If Oden is going to score, it will due to his garbage points. Are we out to further his development or stymie it? At least Andre recognizes him and gets him the ball. Steve is zeroed in on Roy and Aldridge. That’s it. He goes where it’s safe.
I think it’s bs. Roy talks about sacrfice but what has he and LMA sacrificed? Seriously. Roy is a starter, LMA is a starter. Blakey is still side by side with Roy boy. How has his life changed? How has LMA’s changed? Watching Miller with Roy is like watching a mother feed a baby green peas. They ain’t having it. Roy Ain’t either.
Furthermore, If Roy is going to make his team meeting about sacrifice, maybe he needs to look himself in the mirror before stepping into that role. He could piss a few guys off about “sacrificing”.
ya,lets throw three new guys in the starting line up that have only played three weeks together.try changing three tires on your car to another size and see how it handles going down the Banfield at 65 mph.not going to work.
To me it not really about the starting line, it more about reconginizes the team had significant weakness last year that would limit playoff success. I’m mostly concern by Roy, and even Nate focusing on what worked well last year and not on getting better. In Quicks article, Roy mentions about others need to sacrifice, without really mentioning what his role will be in addjusting to the new sitituations. As the leader of the team, I expect more from him.
What’s the line from that movie? “You can’t handle the truth!” Sarge can’t handle the truth. The truth is this team has way more talent than he has playbook. So what’s he do? What the timid and the short sighted always do. Fall back onto the crutches that they walked on yesterday. When the biggest brick falls hard and heavy on his head(Oden)even a stick in the mud(Sarge)has got to budge. But only so much. Only so far. Don’t get to thinking a stick in the mud is not still an entrenched stick in the mud.
Nate is 0 – 0 so far this season. Nothing is f’ed dude. She kidnapped herself. Nate has improved this team dramatically in 4 years. I think he deserves a little bit more credit than some are giving him in this thread. Time will tell what kind of fruit this move will bear.
Tough crowd. If this season is anything like last season, Miller will eventually get his shot, and when he does he better make the most of it. Just ask Bayless. And Sergio. And Oden. And …
It is always fun before the season starts because everyone is right except the Coach. Nate has his eye on the prize and knows the Celtics, Lakers, Magic and Spurs have their fists clutching the Trophy already. So it is fair to ask questions that concern regular season chemistry and playoff chemistry where the rotations are different.
My bet is that Andre Miller is going to take a in-your-face-Nate attitude and guide his ‘unit’ brilliantly while awaiting for Oden and himself to be on the court at the same time. During those times he is going to show Nate, Brandon and everyone else whom is watching how you do it as a real pointguard. Blake isn’t going to feel the heat – Roy is.