The state of the Blazers really isn’t anything new
I’ve always felt that you can tell easily how disciplined a basketball team is — is it doing what its coach wants it to do?
If you apply that reasoning to the Portland Trail Blazers, the answer would have to be “No.” And even though coach Nate McMillan has that reputation of a tough guy and a nickname (“Sarge”) to match, I don’t believe the Trail Blazers are a very disciplined team. Certainly, they can’t be doing what their coach wants them to do — not just in the last two games, but for most of this season.
Fact is, what’s going on now with these guys isn’t new. It’s the way they’ve been playing all season. They’ve just been getting away with lackluster defensive rotations, allowing lots of open shots and, in general, not moving the ball or moving bodies on offense. They have become VERY stagnant, in fact, on offense — four guys standing around watching one guy with the ball.
I’m not saying what McMillan is asking them to do is correct, either. At this point, I’m not sure what he wants them to do. They’re basically not doing much of anything.
I’m not sure if they’ve tuned out their coach or they’re just bewildered about their roles and responsibilities, a result of the coach’s sometimes erratic, sometimes rigid, substitution patterns.
If they have a defensive system, they aren’t following it. They don’t help each other. They don’t hustle. They don’t close on open shooters and they allow a lot of uncontested shots. And as I’ve said before, it’s not good enough to merely allow penetration and then depend on the centers to block all those shots. NBA players these days are too skilled on offense. They’ll score on the centers, draw fouls on them and create havoc.
I can’t even remember how many times Greg Oden or Joel Przybilla has slipped over to block a shot on somebody else’s man, only to have the ball passed back to their own man and a Blazer teammate failed to switch over and cover the center’s man. It happens way too often. It’s as if Portland has no system of help defense.
On offense, the Blazers continue to rely on one-on-one stuff. They talk wistfully about pick-and-rolls, but really — even last season when they were running a lot of them – most times the screener was never a real part of the play, it was just a way to set up the man with the ball for another one-on-one play.
I’ll say something else, though. To lay all this on the coach is wrong. Nate McMillan has trusted his players and it may be his downfall. So much responsibility has been put in Brandon Roy’s lap and so far, I don’t believe he’s justified that trust.
This season has brought us a different Brandon Roy — right from the start of training camp. He’s made it obvious, through his actions and words, that he didn’t care to play alongside Andre Miller. He publicly lobbied for Steve Blake to start. He’s pouted on the court and in print more often this season than in his entire career.
He wants the ball in his hands. Yes, he’s made that clear. But at times he’s made himself sound pretty selfish with his declarations.
It’s as if Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge wanted this team to forever retain the same players it had last season, when they got all the shots they wanted. But to get better than 54 wins, the Blazers ”added” a talented “new” center this season, a healthy Oden. And they went out and signed a new point guard in Miller. That’s improving your team at two positions.
But to hear Roy talk about it, those additions are a reason he and the team have not been as effective. It’s as if the team has gotten worse for adding two better players. I don’t like that. I think it’s disburbing. Lately, it’s as if Oden is being blamed as much as Miller — all that stuff about “We don’t know if we’re playing inside-out or outside-in . . .” Good grief — this is crazy.
Man, good thing Chris Paul and Dwight Howard didn’t show up here — the Blazers would be horrible, right?
And the thing is, nobody seems to want to take the blame here. The players say they’re confused about their roles and the way the team is supposed to play. The coach says it’s up to the players to figure it all out.
McMillan has been so anxious to say this is “Brandon Roy’s team.” Roy is anxious to make it his team. Problem is, Roy isn’t a coach, he’s a player — and one who is still not all that experienced. I had a former NBA coach ask me a month ago, “They’ve handed him the keys to the car, are they sure he’s ready to drive it?”
So far, he hasn’t been. There’s a lot more to being a leader than being just the best player on a team.
Of course, this team has been undercoached. I don’t think there is any question that so much of what goes wrong is systemic in nature. This is a team that isn’t getting points in the paint and isn’t getting many fast-break points. It allows a lot of open shots. Those are system-related problems.
That means the coach is at fault.
But I don’t think the Blazers are playing hard, either. The players are at fault, too. Last season, they overcame the problems with the system by playing hard and getting a lot of rebounds. If they stop playing hard, it’s all going to come tumbling down on them, as it has lately.
There’s still a lot of the season left to see if either problem is addressed. But trust me on this, it’s not too soon to worry about it. And to think about some pretty drastic solutions.
Coaches, NBA, Trail Blazers | Dwight Jaynes | November 29, 2009
Andre Miller, Brandon Roy, Dwight Jaynes, LaMarcus Aldridge, Nate McMillan, Portland Trail Blazers
I think it is a bit premature to worry so much. Yes, they looked awful the last two games. Let downs happen, even against weak teams. I don’t think we will really know where we are at until midway through the season. Even if the sky is falling, is there anything that can done right now? What is Nate supposed to do that would make you happy?
How about telling Brandon to STFU, learn to play like a 2 guard instead of a hybrid point/shooting guard, insert his best point guard into the starting lineup, work the ball through Oden and Lamarcus INSIDE, and after putting up their best offensive night in years don’t allow his team to lay down and die for 2 of the NBA’s doormats.
Good teams don’t have let downs against 2 of the NBA’s worst teams consecutively. They may get beat, but they come out and destroy that second team.
I am not sure that Nate could “tell Brandon to STFU” if he wanted to, and if he could, I am not sure that would be a wise thing to do for his career or for the Blazers. This is not a new dynamic to the NBA (many NBA stars have big egos; many NBA coaches have trouble getting players to listen). There are issues to work through. Roy is currently our best player and he is not going anywhere. At the end of the season, the Blazers will have to think hard about whether Nate is the right coach. Until then, let us see if the team can pull it together. I think they might be able to. The season is still young.
Guess what Damon, these guys are going nowhwere even “if they turn it around”.
Have fun living mediocrity.
How about his question, what has Nate so far this season as head coach that gives you the urge to go to bat for him? Your not the only apologist, there are plenty of others out there. So, any of you can answer this question. What has Nate done as head coach that makes you want to keep him around and not hold him accountable as head coach? Why are you so quick to make excuses for him as an apologist? Isn’t this semi neglectful behavior as a fan on your part? Shouldn’t it be your goal to see your team improve and get better, year in and year out? Is mediocrity just dandy to for you?
I’m just dumbfounded by some of the fans and their responses.
What has Nate done so far? 21-32-41-54
I know those numbers are not this year but I do think they give some reason to extend some benefit of the doubt. The signing of Patty Mills over Ime is another reason. I imagine some help at the small forward would make Nate look a little better instead of relying on a 3 guard line-up for most of the minutes played. That line-up would be much more effective as a change of pace.
I have a tendency to think the Blazers will be able to right the ship. These are the times that teams are tested and discover who they are. This team has not found that identity yet. I think they thought they could cruise on talent and they need to learn how to play hard again. They play hard for stretches and then seem to hit cruise control.
Nate has always seemed to be able to motivate his team. Maybe these are signs he is losing their ear…Maybe they just need to get more time to work through all this stuff. It is a long season.
And again I ask, what if this team, this year, only wins 50 games or less and is outed again in the first round?
I REAAAAALLLLYYY think the Blazers front office is just waiting for this season to be done with already. They will likely ship out Outlaw and Blake, either via trade or just letting contracts expire. McMillan is also done. He and KP have never been on the same page.
Never on the same page…so why do they keep wanting to talk extension? Honestly some of the narratives about this team and the relationships between coaches, players and management that circulate on the blogs are laughable.
Dwight, how much better would this team be if Roy would just get over himself and play the traditional 2 guard with Miller at point?
Miller is clearly our best point guard when it comes to dishing the ball to our big men and Miller is one of the few players who will actually try and rebound the ball and actively look for steals. Sure, it’s nice to have an option like Steve Blake for the open 3-pointer, but Steve can’t seem to handle the ball and Steve doesn’t know how to get out of a screen. He doesn’t even communicate with the team like Andre does. I don’t ever recall seeing Blake conversing with Oden on the bench about options like Andre does.
Not any better. It has nothing to do with Roy getting over himself.
What makes Roy so good is his ability to control the flow of the game and utilize his teammates. He can’t do that playing as a traditional 2.
Sure, it would be good if he developed more off-ball skills. But I don’t see the point of having him play as a traditional 2. It’s not a matter of him getting over himself. It’s a matter of what style of play his skills are best suited to. He’s an amazing hybrid guard. He’s not much above average as a traditional 2. It’s not a matter of choice. Can Roy learn to play a traditional role better? Yes. But it’s not a switch, and it’s probably not something he will ever do as well as his hybrid role.
A big part of the problem is the Blazers’ inability to figure out how to use Miller with Roy. They simply have Miller play like a Blake clone. Blake’s not a great starter, but Miller playing like Blake is even worse. Somebody–McMillan, Roy, Andre, whoever–needs to figure out how to use both players at the same time in an effective manner that maximizes both of their strengths. Taking the ball out of Roy’s hands and having him be a spot-up shooter and slasher isn’t the solution. Nor is the solution to use Miller as a spot-up shooter and spacer. Each needs to use their skills as a creator and penetrater.
How would you characterize Nate’s expression during the 31-2 run the other night? Perturbed?
I’ve had school band teachers that showed more emotion than that. It’s true. One guy got so mad at the wise-asses in the trombone section that he threw his baton at us. It hit a music stand and ricocheting up towards the ceiling.
Did you see the Denver coach Thursday night talking about “winning the m*ther-f*ucking game.” I like it when the coach goes off sometimes. Not all the time. But there are times when it is needed.
I’ve done it myself in my banquet captain days. I went to a hotel in Spokane where I had to order a bunch of entrenched employees around who all thought they had some sort of territorial advantage because they had been there a while.
Here’s my exact speech that I used to give, only updated for this Blazer team:
“Every day when I drive into work, I look up at the sign on top of the building. I don’t see any of your godd*m names there. You just work here too and what you did last season or the year before doesn’t count anymore. You were paid for that. And nothing makes me madder than seeing a bunch of people head-trip a newcomer just because they’ve been there a while and they think it’s their call. You should try being nice. Some of you act like this is your team but until I drive to the Rose Garden one day and see a sign on top saying “Home of Brandon Roy’s Team” or “Home of Greg Oden’s Team” I’m going to be the one telling you what to do. That’s my job.
And if you don’t like it, don’t worry, we have plenty of surgeons in Portland. They’ll be happy to remove the bench splinters from your sorry asses when the season is over.
(Pause here to break something)
Oh, and one other thing, next time you guys let a team go on a 31 to 2 run against us I’m going to bench all of you for 3 games. Paul Allen, me and 3 guys from the stands can play better than that. Now go win the m*therf*cking game.”
(Turn and walk out while throwing a chair through the locker room TV set.)
While throwing a chair might make a great youtube moment, it would probably get Nate ejected from the game–and while it might motivate college kids, professionals are unlikely to be impressed by such theater.
Your High School Band teacher sounds like the guy I had at Wy’East middle school in Vancouver. Right down to the “throwing the baton at the trombone section”.
Your point is valid, I was screaming for Nate to undress one of the officials with a verbal tirade that would have made sportscenter. It is about time he stood up for his team when they get bogus calls like they did early in the Memphis game. Then in the second qtr he should have done the same to his team, as they gave up on him.
Awesome speech Bill. I have been asking Nate to take a couple T’s for the sake of the players for as long as he’s been here.
Brandon Roy is a max contract player and he’s trying to act like it. He’s new to the role and he’s not sure how to handle it. It strikes me as if he’s feeling his way around being a leader. Unfortunately he’s going about it half immature and half insecure and creating problems that can’t be easily resolved.
“The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.” Wilhelm Stekel
B-Roy has been trying to play the role of the martyr this season. Essentially saying, “Remember me, I’m the golden boy, I’ve been sacrificing this season with the three guard lineup and now its time for others to sacrifice. Heck, just give me the ball and let me do what I do and everything will be just fine.”
Brandon, today the Blazers are a better team with the ball in your hands! No question. But that got the team KILLED by Houston in the playoffs. The goal is not to be a better team ASAP, as in the short term! The plan should be to develop the team for the playoffs and long term.
Your the leader of the team Roy and its your job to help develop this team. The fact of the matter is that the long term growth of the team comes at the expense of other players developing and contributing. The question for Roy is this, is he willing to champion the development of the team at the expense of his stats? Or, is it enough for Roy to be the big fish in a small pond? But I think Nate’s already asked him that question….
Brandon, the first few years were easy for you. People wanted to believe. They needed to believe. Rookie of the year and two-time all star when you were the break-out star from no where! You were on top of the world when you made that 3-pointer against Houston.
But when the Blazers where lead like lambs to the slaughter against the same Houston team it showed the flaw. That flaw created a domino effect that has created the adversity the Blazers face today.
Let me quote you Roy from the Utah game, “…why the change from last year, when we were a good team. I think we have somewhat changed our focus. Instead of keeping that focus and just improving around it, we have adjusted.” Again… Just give me the ball and all the problems are solved.
Adversity reveals character. Brandon you have not been misquoted or mischaracterized. Your character is being called into question a bit and the words falling from your mouth seem to be coming straight out of the Terrell Owens playbook. “Just give me the ball and everything will be fine.”
Brandon, will you “Rise With Us” or will we watch you doing push-ups in your driveway some day and read your book that claims the reason Nate got fired was that he wasn’t feeding you the rock enough? I wonder what the book will say in 15 years about this season?
Many of these problems were apparent to me last year. Mostly revolving around the lack teamwork with Greg Oden despite the fact that he was taking so much heat (being blamed personally) and was obviously in such a state of anxiety over it. Secondarily, there was a lack of concern over two obvious deficiencies, 1)the lack of easy fast break baskets and 2)the lack of an overall inside game—too many jump shots.
This is nothing new. For me it is getting very old at this point. And it is not going to be, “turned around,” with a few minor adjustments. We are talking about some major changes here!
I am so disappointed with Roy. I literally cannot put it into words…
“”Me and L.A. talked about how things were different,” Roy said. “And more than anything why the change from last year, when we were a good team. I think we have somewhat changed our focus. Instead of keeping that focus and just improving around it, we have adjusted.”"
This B-Roy quote really irks me. It is apparent that Roy is trying to do the same things that led to the Blazers getting bounced out in the first round last year. This team has to evolve if it wants to be a contender. I would rather this team struggle to make the 7th seed and actually win a series then get the 3 seed and once again get bounced out in the first round. This team has to evolve. It is obvious that what won the team 54 games last year is exactly what lost them the 1st round. I believe the Blazers beat 1 quality (western conference) team on the road all of last season. But we can’t put all the blame on the max contract guy… coach needs to take the reigns. Roy may struggle with it but it will be best in the long run. This season is not about winning the title. This season is all about finding the tools that make you a title contender. Let Oden foul out and fail, let LA work on his post game and find his more physical game, let Roy struggle learning to play off the ball, and let Miller teach these guys how to play team ball. I hope Roy realizes what a huge asset that Miller is. I don’t care that Miller is a private guy and if he isn’t friends with anyone off the court but Roy has got to start talking to Miller on the court. Stupid guaranteed contracts… when you think about it there is no real leverage that the team has to make Roy listen. Sorry for rambling.
There seems to be a lack of fire in Roy or LMA this year, they are often just going through the motions. Makes me wonder if KP was thinking about moving either one of them, it certainly took long enough to re-sign them. I doubt it, but nobody on this team should feel as though they are above being traded.
If Roy doesn’t step up, he needs to go. He needs to adjust his game, he needs to be a leader. He still has 4+ months to prove he belongs here. If not, I can’t help but think how good he would look in a Nets jersey.
If they play this poorly in December they won’t get away with it; the quality of the opposition is too good. Nate should have pulled a Bobby Knight in the Memphis game, maybe throw a water bottle at that lazy ass Roy when he lets someone go right around him.
Of course, as long as every game is a sellout, how much can we expect things to change?
It starts and ends with the coach, and the coach is often easier to dump than a player with a max contract. Start with a new coach, but you better be damn sure you get the right one, whoever that is. Problem is, if Roy and LMA can’t find the motivation and fire from within, can we really expect someone to provide it for them?
Winning in the NBA involves 3 things:
Talent – this team has good talent- in most spots
Effort – playing hard keeps you in the game
a System – knowing what to do when is like a well tuned motor
I’ve never been able to figure out what is Nate’s system. It is either extremely simple or not really a system. So how can one criticize the players if you cannot even describe what they are supposed to be doing? It’s as if you go to a new job and nobody tells you what to do- unlikely to be very productive.
Of course there is too much one-on-one and jump shooting. Those are symptoms not the cause of the problem.
And if my conjecture is wrong and there is a well-tailored system, well then Nate has done a very poor job of teaching his players how to play it.
heres the way i see it. this team is like 15 total strangers meeting at a park and then, never having played before, try to win a city championship. nate is doing what he can. up until this year the majority of us were in nates corner, but a good dose of ego mixed with apathy can be a bad receipe and usually the coach gets the blame or the ax. its time now for KP to step in and lower the boom if necessary on the players and tweek their attitudes a little. coaches coach and nate has been very effective in his tenure here. the general managers job is to manage and their appears to be a need for a strong, pointed, and direct management message sent to this team letting them know that this kind of play and attitude will not be tolerated no matter who it is. he should send the message that deals will be made if needed to make this team a winner and to alleviate the consternation in the locker room and on the floor.
taking another tack don’t you wonder what greg is feeling right now. he finally has his game coming together and all this crap is happening. and what about martell, coming back and looking forward to a fun and successful season and all hell breaks loose.
time to lower the boom KP and put everyone on notice including the coaching staff that things better change or HE will make changes.
one thing to remember is that we are still in the first quarter of the season. the situation needs to be handled right now though so we can get on with the rest of the season and make this a productive year.
you know just a thought…. it sure is a good thing for this group that they arent the new york blazers! the press there and the fans would eat this group and coach nate like a kinish on the streets. the kincks are taking huge amounts of heat and they werent expected to be much better than middle of the pack this year. what if the blazers were there with all the expectations this team has on it this year?
there is a silver linning to every gray cloud, portland is to pc and caring to bar-b-que them in the papers or on sports talk radio like the ny crowd.
How is that Roy quote blaming Oden? It’s clearly blaming the coach for not COACHING the team into what sets/plays/offense they are running. It’s not saying he doesn’t wanna play inside-out or outside-in … it’s saying “what are we going to play”!? How do we work together!?
He’s the player. He needs to be coached.
I’ve been thinking for the last few days that, beyond just the X’s and O’s, that both the coach and the ‘team leaders’ just don’t seem like they can handle the pressure of higher expectations and change.
Dwight = Harbinger of Discontent
It’s hard to take your criticisms of Nate seriously when I don’t think I’ve ever read anything of yours in which you’ve given the man credit for molding a ragtag fleet of youngsters into a group of winners. Sure, you’ve given Nate props as a hard-nosed, scrappy player. Does he need to take a team to the Finals, like Adelman, to be in your good graces?
Traditionaly star players, like Roy, have a bit more influence on a teams play. Roy suggesting who should start is nothing new. In a recent Jason Quick article on Johnny Davis, it mentions how Walton lobbied for Davis to start over Larry Steele when Twardzik went down with an injury. Did it bother you last year when Roy pushed for Nic Batum to start over Outlaw? We now know that this was the right choice. It’s also widely reported that Roy also had influence on Randolph being traded away. It’s clear that Roy has a good understanding of team play and team dynamics.
You have valid points on the teams state of play. Hopefully they will address these now that their schedule has let up a bit.
The worst thing about this whole scenario is how Portland fans have grown into deserving the reputation as panicky, low BB IQ turncoats.
Growing pains are part of growing. Chill out everyone.
The opposite could also be true – High BB IQ.
We know a dysfunctional team when we see it.
This.
You are absolutely correct.
+1
Some stats on the two losses.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/Dreydin/TwoLosses.png
Don’t get me wrong I love Roy, but in my eyes Oden is the most dominate player on the floor for the Blazers. I don’t claim to be smarter than Nate or have a High BB IQ, but wouldn’t working the ball down low to Oden and LA create more open looks for Roy, Webster & Rudy?
If anyone is wondering how Oden, Roy, LA, Rudy & Martell can play together – read Dwight’s post from the playoffs last year:
http://www.dwightjaynes.com/the-magic-my-new-favorite-team-to-watch
Orland lost Hedu, but still is strong in the east with a known game plan – feed the beast and the rest opens up!!!
Ughh…as a Blazer fan, I hate to say I agree with Dwight on this one. But I do. For those saying don’t worry so much? It’s still early? Well when do you want to start worrying? We lost to Memphis on our own home court. Our just this summer signed, cornerstone All-Star is sounding frustrated and detached from our head coach. Our Coach seems unable to affect any change and our Players sound clueless. So yes, I think we can start worrying NOW.
For those saying don’t worry so much? It’s still early? Well when do you want to start worrying?
Those that are saying that really don’t have a clue. They are just hoping and assuming things will get better. But even if they get better, it doesn’t mean the primary issues won’t revisit itself to to the team someday.
You can’t mask a problem and hope it goes away. And for many, that’s their prescription.
I call it neglection.
Could they also be basing it on the fact that the team has improved every year over the past 3 and the team has had cohesion in the past and might thus be able to gain it again?? Most are not masking the problem. They are offering an optimistic view point that has some basis on evidence from past seasons. Roy, Aldridge, Blake, Rudy, Przybilla, and Miller (on other teams) have proven to be effective players and should be able to learn how to play together. Nate has coaxed wins out of these guys as recently as last year. It is pretty obvious things haven’t clicked yet, why does that mean it never will??
Very well done Dwight.
The words have been taken RIGHT out of my mouth.
I agree – great article Dwight – right on the money.
Completely agree with you Dwight. Time for these guys to wake up and put the egos aside and get to work. The talent is there.
Hey anybody catch Sergio Rodriguez and his career high 24 on 9-14 shooting. I had a feeling we made a mistake there.
There is a great article on Sergio Rodriguez today in the Sacramento Bee. I don’t know the rules on links but check it out.
The summary is this. He is a heck of a professional and has shown patience, 3 years battling McMillan and his own game not meshing and him not performing like he knows he can. Rigid substitution patterns. etc…
Folks there is a pattern here. Channing Frye is leading the NBA in made 3 pointers. Sergio is finally hitting his stride. We don’t want to be the developmental team for other NBA teams.
I think McMillan needs to be evaluated soon because I think Rudy might want to play with Sergio in Sac or with Channing in PHX. In fact I have a feeling anybody we trade (Bayless or Webster) will find more success than they will here.
Ouch!
Sergio and Channing… really? you gotta be kidding me here, a pattern?
Channing is averaging over 12pts per game. He’s made 47% of his three’s and is 2nd in the leage in 3 pointers made at 46 out of 98. And 6 Rebounds per game. His numbers kill all of our players long distance #s.
All Channing did in Portland was collect DNP’s coach’s decisions. And when he did play his confidence was shot because when he played well his reward was the bench, when he played crappy his reward was a DNP.
Don’t you remember his killer jump shots versus the Lakers 2 yrs back? Now Channing and Sergio are playing out of their minds.
This is what is called a pattern.
Somehow all those practices in 2 years and Nate had no idea the guy could shoot or couldn’t figure out how to use him. Same with Sergio.
I’m happy for Channing, he’s a good guy, to say Nate somehow made him regress, isn’t really fair. Where were minutes for Frye going to come from? LMA and Travis sent him to the bench more than Nate did. That said, I am starting to question Nate’s system, or lack of one.
When Roy starts saying “We really miss Travis” (any day now), I think I’m gonna puke.
Even when they were winning, it was pretty clear that there were deep problems with this team. Now that they’re losing, it’s becoming even more obvious.
First step is to put Blake on the bench, to start Miller and tell Roy to get used to the idea, and to use The Rex off the bench as the backup. Blake is a free agent after this season and he has been extremely ineffective this year, in contrast to his quality play last. Bayless is one possible future. Use him or eventually lose him.
Problem 2 is that Roy must be FORCED to play defense. On good nights he talks about “OUR” good defense — even though he often takes plays off “pacing himself.” If he can’t play hard for 40, he shouldn’t be on the floor for 40. If that means more time for Rudy, that’s a good thing, not a bad thing.
I totally agree that the weakside help on the boards when the “goalie” Pryz or Oden makes a block is pathetic. This is often on Roy, sometimes on Marty. It’s a coaching problem and it needs to be fixed.
Blazers can’t run and never have been able to run. Maybe when Nic comes back a unit of Andre + Rudy + Nic + LMA might be able to make it happen, but the plodding Blake and the methodical Roy are not gonna be able to do it, no matter how much Nate screams. If you want a running team, both of those guys have got to go — and at least one of them is going nowhere.
Too bad Patty Mills got hurt. I’d like to see him and Rex on the floor at the same time. THAT would shake it up, at least for a few minutes a night…
It’s just sad that Brandon Roy has become the latest NBA star to go into the tank after signing a big contract. The guy is a horrible defender and is proving to be all about himself.
And now that he’s got that big huge contract anchor hanging around his neck, it’s going to be hard for the Blazers to get rid of him. But that’s what they need to do. Get rid of him. If a guy doesn’t want to play hard, and play a TEAM oriented game, the Blazers need to get rid of him.
And if they wait until this situation completely blows up, they will end up with another Zach randolph situation where they can’t even give the guy away. They better get of Roy NOW before it’s too late.
Remember Dwight’s book The Long Hot Winter, back in those glory days? I remember Coach Adelman writing in that book about how they were emphsizing team defense, and guarding their own men. Seems like back then, there was a problem with players expecting teammates (especially big men) to come over and erase their mistakes. Sounds kind of like deja vu, in that teammates aren’t playing top defense, and just expecting GO, LMA, and Purzy to clean up their mistakes.
KP was a better coach (while he acted as interim coach) than Nate has ever been. The thing to do now is fire Nate and trade Brandon, after first making it abundantly clear to the league that it was Nate’s faulty coaching style that led to Brandon’s discontent. That way the organization is more likely to get fair value for Roy, who can be a superstar in New Jersey, Charlotte, Minnesota, or any team that needs a marquee player to put butts in the seats. With Roy gone, the players left here would have a clear message that they must play hard or get out of Dodge.
Portland, you have been a loving, forgiving, rabid basketball town for almost 40 years now, but you still haven’t learned how to tell when when your lover is cheating on you. If you open your eyes, you’ll see that there’s lipstick all over the collar, motel receipts in the pockets, and you haven’t had a decent roll in the hay since the 1990s. Time for a change.
Don’t think Roy needs to be traded. I do think Roy needs someone to manage this startling behavior of his. I think it needs to come from someone above him. The Lakers with Shaq and Kobe never became anything until Phil arrived. And they needed management just as bad as Roy needs it now. But you saw what happened to them once they did receive it. They came together for the good of the team. They dropped most personal agendas and they learned to embrace and play with each other. Same thing can happen here with the right kind of coaching. Call Nate Del Harris if you will because really that is the kind of coaching he is putting in with this team.
The team isn’t playing with effort. Pin that directly on BRoy and LMA. They make the money and play the minutes.
We have a stretch coming up where we practice more than we play. I’m looking for a dramatic improvement to come from this stretch, both in defensive roles and in effort.
What we got here Dwighty is failure to communicate. Some men you just can’t reach, so you get what we got here…which is the way they want it…well they get it!
I don’t like it anymore than you do.
Seriously, we have alot more managers on this team than workers. The ship has lost his command or is so set in his ways that he cannot embrace the new reality.
I tend to believe Nate just doesn’t embrace reality all that well
This whole question of did they give the keys to the car to Roy too soon. Before he learned how to drive. Did they not just go thru this with their last suppose to be franchise player Zebo? Wasn’t Roy the one who at least helped speed Zebo on his way out of town? Is this not da ja vue all over again. The reason Zach was run out of town was because, tho he was a 20-10 player, he was also deemed a black hole. A selfish player. It was decided that even tho he was the best player on the team and could carry the team on any given night. His style of play was not condusive to maximizing the talent of his teammates or the team.
Anything about that sound familiar or relatable to what is going on with the team in the present day? I think there is a serious question as to whether or not they gave the keys to the car over to Roy too soon. I think there is serious question about whether they should have ever at any time given the keys over to Roy. Unless you have a Lebron, Wade or Kobe type talent I don’t think it wise to ever give the team over to a young up and coming player. You should have to earn that over time with post season wins and leadership. Like has been done by Steve Nash, Dirk or the Tim Duncan’s of the league. All this adds up to a lack of leadership from the top down KP and Nate.
No structure or discipline on the team? No accountability or responsibility to be found. Sure sounds like this team has no coach to me.
I was expecting maybe getting one level deeper into the playoffs this year….no huge championship dreams…and I took for granted the team would play its guts out like last year….no way in hell did I expect to get blindsided with a retro faux Jailblazer team meltdown this year….I have not forgiven this organization for the Lost years it dumped on us…no way I am putting up with much more of this crap….not from these guys….when you KNOW they are dogging it the thrill is gone…
wow, never saw this coming. gee, it was so obvious sergio couldn’t play when he was here. could it be obvious is not so obvious in the observation of sarge? oh well, another miss for sarge. they can’t all have a big red neon sign flashing over their head saying “THIS ONE CAN PLAY”
I agree with Dwight and thought Sergio was a good player…In fact I think Dwight summed things up very well… I loved Sergio’s ball movement and hustle and interaction with Rudy…figured I was missing something when they traded him…I actually drank the KoolAid and believed the stuff the Oregonian printed about team comraderie and Roy being a heroic demigod and Sergio being expendable for example…hell they were playing like demigods last year and I got on the Blazernation train….my bad….won’t happen again…at least until someone takes charge and fixes this mess of a team
On a side note – did anybody watch Blazers Courtside last night? Jason Quick more or less confirmed my belief that BRoy is acting like a selfish, spoiled brat. He suggested that part of the solution would be for Brandon to not talk so much to the media. No, the way to fix it is to be a man, quit pouting like a child and show some hustle and effort out there. Part of me can’t help but think that if there was better leadership on this team this sort of thing wouldn’t happen, but it is ultimatley up to the individual (especially if that individual is supposed to be the leader!)
Quick made a comment where Roy compared himself to DWade – this is part of the problem. Roy isn’t in the same class as Wade/Kobe/Lebron – he needs to realize this. He hasn’t shown the same killer instinct or ability to lead as these guys have. Seriously, if roy wants his to be his team he needs to accept the responsibility that goes with it. If not, KP would you please trade him to NJ for a draft pick?
Andre Miller was a monumental mistake. This years problems started when the Blazers drug out Brandons contract and unlike last year it made BROY wake up and realize its a cold hard business not just a game. Then came the Aldridge contract which the Blazers also drug out. Then the Andre Miller signing which is pretty obvious to me that Pritchard didnt even bother to run by the team star. People need to get off BROYS ass. He IS our star and we must keep our star happy. The organization is responsible for that not being the case. I remain a diehard Blazers fan even with Oden and everyone else down! GO BLAZERS!
Stinky you and anyone else that suggests Roy should be traded is not only ignorant but a complete MORON
Jason Quick, Kerry Eggers etc are idiots and if you listen to these angry supposed journalists you are not paying attention. Confirms. Please. BROY is the consumate team player and the teams star. Go become a Clippers fan if you think that he should be traded.