what, the white flag couldn't cut it in crunch time? missed too many FT's? is that why he is "waiving" it?
Wow. Nice meltdown. I was having a reasonable discussion on how certain players would fit on this team and with this coach. At no point did I cross any sort of line in my discussion. You're wound pretty tight little guy.
Nate has always ran an offense designed around getting long jumpers - and he always will. Adding two starters (miller - wallace) that cannot shoot from long distance, replacing two guys (blake - outlaw) who shot well above 40% from downtown is a bad idea. admit that I am right or I shall ridicule you further.
Hank and Hurra, can you guys take this to PMs? I keep looking for content in this post and it is getting burried by your pissing contest. Take it off line.
This team desperately needs another player that can create for themselves and get to the FT line. I like the get Miller - tutor Bayless idea. Getting Gerald Wallace is pretty unlikely.
Yes, I have been paying attention, thank you. I've also been watching, playing and coaching the game of basketball long enough to know that there are many more variations on the high post pick and roll offense than simply finding the open 3-point shooter. For example, I found it maddening to watch Greg Oden regularly set the high pick and then roll down the lane wide open and our guards totally unable, or unwilling to get him the ball. An experienced PG like Andre Miller (or Jason Kidd) would get our 7' super strong, athletic young center the ball in those situations for the monster dunk. It was frustrating as a fan to see our guards consistently miss Oden in those situations, and Oden looked frustrated by it at times, too. I'd like to see Oden get the ball 3 or 4 times a game in those situations - not 3 or 4 times a season. Miller can also drive the lane off the high post pick and roll and draw the help defense and then find the open man, either Aldridge or Wallace, for the wide open mid-range jumper, or better yet running the baseline for the dunk. Miller also has the ability to draw fouls on opposing big men in these situations. He averaged 5 FTA/G this season, compared to 1.1 FTA/G for Steve Blake. Blake is not a penetrator, and he does not draw fouls. There is a reason he spends so much time camped out at the 3-point line. It's all he can do. Miller and Wallace are big upgrades over our current starting PG and SF. I'd glady take one, or both. They would give us additional reliable scoring options beyond Roy and Aldridge, improve our rebounding, draw more fouls on our opponents, and make us much better defensively. And if you're happy with our defense (especially at PG), maybe it's you who haven't been paying attention. BNM
I have a question. Is a certain poster in this thread just a bored troll, or is he a sock-puppet for the folks who run O-Live? Even when he is (arguably) right in his opinions, his approach is designed to create disruption, not actual discussion.
Correct. That's why we need to bring new FA to take us to that next level. You seem to contradict yourself...
Incorrect. We dont need to overspend on overrated players who put up decent numbers on crappy teams and DONT fit the style of basketball that our coach will demand we play. Bayless and Batum are going to be very good players - there is no need to try to artificially speed up our timeline.
Oden is not a good offensive player. He has hands of stone and feet of concrete. The sooner you realize that Oden is going to be a role player for us the better off you'll be. have a nice afternoon.
Outlaw isn't a starter, but for sake of argument, I'll pretend he is. He didn't shoot well above 40% from downtown. His 3FG% was 0.377 - decent, but not great. Now, how about we replace those two one-dimensional players with two starters who can: 1) Get to the rim and score in the paint 2) Draw fouls (Miller = 5.0 FTA/G, Wallace = 6.4 FTA/G vs. Blake = 1.1 FTA/G, Outlaw = 3.0 FTA/G) - that's an extra 7.3 FTA/G 3) Pass the ball (Miller = 6.5 APG, Wallace = 2.7 APG vs. Blake = 5.0 APG, Outlaw = 1.0 APG) - that's an extra 3.2 APG 4) Rebound (Miller = 4.5 RPG, Wallace = 7.8 RPG vs. Blake = 2.5 RPG, Outlaw = 4.1 RPG) - that's a difference of 5.7 RPG 5) Play DEFENSE - Miller and Wallace are both above average defenders. Blake and Outlaw are both below average defenders. You've latched onto the one, and only, area where Blake and Outlaw are better than Miller and Wallace. Time to look at the big picture. Miller and Wallace are SO much better at every other aspect of the game, it's not even close. Think about that for a minute. Think about what wins games in the NBA (better players) and what wins games in the play-offs (rebounding and defense). Now, do you honestly think the Blazers would be better off starting Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw than Andre Miller and Gerald Wallace? BNM
Where do you get this from? How many PG's has Nate had who could competently run the fast break sometime AND play defense? Sergio can run the break.. but yeah his efense is lacking something. Miller can do both.. lets see what he does with a PG who can do that stuff.
Excuse me - the one trying to speed up the timeline is you - This team has a top-10 player leading, an up and coming young inside-out player in LMA and is a monster rebounding team - this sounds like a team that can make a serious deep run in the playoffs now - and is only another good guy attacking the rim/controlling the tempo and defending the perimeter from getting there. The speeding up the timeline issue is you thinking JB/Batum are ready to be major cogs on such a deep-run team - they are not. Nothing bad will happen if we get an upgrade at PG (starter or backup) and allow Bayless to fight for minutes with Blake or the new backup PG for one or two more years while we contend... Batum will get his minutes anyway. I personally do not see a real reason to get a Gerald Wallace type - but fixing out backup PG issue will be big. Unlike you - I am not ready to declare JB ready for it and it seems rather silly not to try and upgrade our PG position now and see how it moves along. If you can get a Miller as your starting PG and Blake as your backup - you can make a deep run next year. If Bayless proves he can replace Blake as the backup during the year - you move Blake at the trade deadline (expiring, should be attractive) or let him expire next year. This is too good a team to put a stop-sign before Roy/LMA and company to wait for JB to develop. If he can do it on the fly - it's great - but it would be stupid not to upgrade our PG situation, hopefully with our starting PG and moving Blake to backup until JB proves he deserves the minutes - or another backup to replace Sergio and allow him and JB to fight it out...
I disagree with you about Oden's potential. But even Joel Przybilla can catch a pass by the rim and throw it down. When you're 7' tall you don't need to be a "good offensive player" to dunk the ball when your momentum is already carrying you towards the basket. BNM
Unlike Sergio, who we all know is a lockdown defender... [video=youtube;bTuojB41iU8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTuojB41iU8[/video] Or, maybe that's knockdown defender... BNM
