On now for the next two hours (95.5 the game, blazers.com and Comcast SportsNet). Should be interesting to see the season wrap-up show. Brian T. Smith, Nate, and KP to guest.
Nate interview: - Thinks the guys gave them all they had through all the adversity, and compete in the playoffs. Rice: Were injuries a plus to look at all the players more closely? - Yes. If there was anything good out of the injuries, they had the opportunity to look at all of the guys and what they need to add to the team to compete in the regular season and playoffs. With the depth, they got a look and they were all productive and saw what they could do. Wheels: Update on Coach Lucas - Nate just left the hospital. He's doing good and that's something they'll talk about. Lucas gave his input on the season but right now, they want Luc to get healthy and will look at coaches the next few weeks coming up. MB: Play of Jerryd was big in the playoffs, and Martell had a solid series. Happy with it? - After losing Brandon, they had to make an adjustment. Thought Rudy would be the guy to spread the floor but Bayless' attacking the basket and apply pressure was more needed. Martell played well, and was always ready to play even though his PT fluctuated and kept his head up. Rice: With Rudy, he didn't sound enthusiastic about if he wanted to come back. - It was a difficult season for Rudy in the way he was used this season compared to last year. He got off to a slow start and had the surgery. With the injuries, they had to sacrifice. Nate understands Rudy and how he was used this season. Rudy was B-Roy in Europe, and they're asking him to accept a different role. Last year, Sergio was a big help to him and Rudy obviously missed that. But the team needs him, and wants him back. Rice: Monty about being interviewed for NO job. - Is happy for Monty to get the chance to be interviewed. All the guys on staff do a great job. As he tells the guys, as long as they have success, teams will be interested in their personnel so it shouldn't come as a surprise. Wheels: Aldridge, and people wanting more from him and where he's at in this stage of his career and his ceiling - He's got to face the basket a lot more on the post. That's why you see guys like Amare and Duncan and Dirk, those guys are hard to guard and hard to double when they face the basket. And he needs to work on his drop step and working on his left hand and getting to the FT line. Defensively, Nate wants LA to be dominant. The last few years, he's come on toward the end of the season. Nate wants LA to be a double-double guy, and block shots and do everything. He's one of the few guys who can dominate the league on both ends of the floor. MB: The high point of the season? - It's not just one. When Greg went down, Joel went down and all the players.. the team still won. It was great to see the team come together and different players step up each night and determined not to let the team lose. It was like what else could happen? They kept their composure and come together and fight, and not let injuries be an excuse. The last game was big, and the fans showing their appreciation by standing up and applauding was a class act. Rice: Was Greg excited to come back next season after his exit interview, and what does he need to do in the summer? - It's very important that he stays attached to Jay Jensen, and not in summer school. He needs to stay with Jay, and be ready physically and have him stay in Portland all summer and not go back home. He needs to be mentally and physically ready. Greg is working hard and motivated to getting back to being with this team and help them win games next season.
The only interesting thing to come out of it to me was how they want Greg to stay in Portland all summer to work out to get back in shape, and not go home and go to school.
KP interview MB: Can only imagine exit interviews went well (softball question again) - If being honest, everyone was upbeat last year because they reached the goal of making the playoffs. But this year, they were upset because they felt they could've won the series. They were "unfulfilled." Getting to the playoffs is not what it's about. Didn't get the impression that the players were satisfied with just making the playoffs. Rice: On the availablity of Bosh - Bosh controls his situation. They'll explore all possibilities. You just never know. Wheels: Rudy and his wanting more of a role. - If you don't think you have an opportunity here, then you're wrong. Nate always played the guys that earn the PT. Rudy earned the opportunity here and that's all you can ask for when you play in the NBA. MB: Greg and where he's at right now, what they want to see from him - KP has never seen Greg in a better frame of mind. Greg said he is going to show everybody and not going to talk anymore. He's done talking and wants to show people what he can do. Rice: Was Oden missing in the middle, and how much did they miss his 60 percent FG shooting? - The team needs a low-post presence and Greg looked like he was going to be it. The team was able to win games earlier in the season because of the rebounding of Greg and Joel that gave them extra possessions. Should be even better next season and be one of the best rebounding teams with Greg, Joel and Camby. They're all great rebounders per 36 mins. Rice: Will there be a temptation to change after what happened this season? - They're not afraid to make changes. If they see a deal, they'll do it. But Nate has expressed it over and over, that we've never seen the team at 100 percent. Just think how good the team will be at defending the bucket with the bigs healthy. The lesson learned is you can never have too many good bigs. - It's important they get away for a bit, and take a step back from basketball and come in and meet as a group, and find a way to improve the team personnel wise. They have to look at the mirror and get better. Either you're getting better or getting worse, and KP admits he could do things better.
Absurd. Greg needs to rehab at his own pace, and on his own time. Whatever makes Greg comfortable, since that has obviously worked well in the first three years of his Blazer career. Nate is really being an asshole here. Leave Greg alone!
If LMA plays everygame with the intensity and aggression he gets after the all star break then Bosh is still an upgrade but the question is then is the upgrade worth what we would have to give. If its LMA before all star break then half the team and it would still be an upgrade.
Yeah, the team having Greg get super top heavy during his microfracture rehab and come into camp close to 300 pounds during the 2008-2009 season was super smart (because remember, Jay Jensen and Bobby Medina wanted him to be a big, muscular thing of the past).
It was a pretty embarrassing statement by MB.. but of course, he's the most homerish of the guys so it wasn't very shocking.
Despite what folks think, I think the team as a whole does still support Rudy. The last game of the PHX series, on one play Rudy went down on a heap on the floor, right in front of the Blazer bench. 3/4 of the team jumped up to get him up.
He played in 61 games in 2008-09. Say what you want about his size, but at least he stayed on the fucking court after staying in Portland to rehab. Last summer, it's back home, and he gets hurt again and plays 25% of the season.
I think the majority of the team (who don't need the summer to rehab) should follow Andre Miller's offseason regimen. Keep the legs in shape somewhat, but don't do much else, let your body heal & recover. And naps! Don't forget naps. The reason there are so many injuries in the league these days is because guys work hard all year long. At some point your body is going to break down. We've got a lot of high-character guys on the team who really work hard, and in years past have come to training camp way early, etc... Yet after a year such as this, I think it's time to reevalute the intelligence of working so hard in the offseason. I'm not happy that Batum is once again going to play for the French team even though I know it's great experience for him. It's pretty funny that a team that missed 311 games this season to injury, has the leagues iron man in Miller. They need to look at him for ways to stay healthy. And Greg... No matter how rehab goes, no matter how you're feeling come training camp, you need to wear knee braces/pads for the remainder of your career. Seems like common sense at this point.
It's certainly worked well for Andre, who looked out of breath on a nightly basis all season and then there's all those years where he went deep into the playoffs...
