Duh! I'm so ashamed of myself for not nailing this right off the bat. Gonna chalk it up to it still being kinda early in the morning.
Yes, 10+ seasons for the main list, and 7+ for the active list, otherwise the lists would be massive. Yeah, probably a better choice than Steele. Good call.
Have you not been watching? Have you not noticed? The bigs have been hedging or trapping the pick n roll a ton these past 2 games and it worked. This defense is better for Lillard when he returns. Why? Because Lillard struggles to get through screens quickly. How is this a factor in different pick n roll schemes? Well, when sagging the big man and "icing" the pick n roll, it's required that the on-ball defender stay attached to the ball handlers hip throughout the screen, or else the ball-handler will get too much space and be able to manipulate the big at will. This pick n roll coverage does not work because 1.) Lillard struggles to get through screens, and isn't able to stay attached, thus giving the ball-handler too much space. 2.) Our bigs aren't big or athletic enough to both contest mid-range jumpers and stop the ball-handler from getting to the rim. HOWEVER, a hedge is designed as a road-block for the ball-handler, stopping his progress, and giving the on-ball defender time to get back to his man. Once the on-ball defender is almost in front, the hedger returns to his man by running between the ball-handler and the roll man, taking away the passing lane. This defense would help Lillard out a lot, and suddenly Lillards biggest defensive weakness is no longer a factor. Plus, our bigs are better equipped to hedge then to sag, and we've seen this the past 2 games. This is stuff I've been saying for 2 years and the continuing scheme of icing the pick n roll has been my number one problem with Stotts as a coach. Switch it up, and we do better. Last year, we got back in that OKC game where Lillard went off by getting stops because we were hedging the pick n roll. We won a game in the second half earlier this year because Stotts made an adjustment. Now, we held the Raptors to 95 points and Kings to 89 points with that scheme. Lillard not playing is a small factor in the defensive success we've had the past two games. The main factor is how we're playing the pick n roll.
I still think that Oden would have been the right pick had he not had any knee problems. His talent was immense, he had the potential to be a Duncan-like defensive anchor as well as a fulcrum on offense. If both Oden and Roy had remained fully healthy, Portland would have emerged as a homegrown superteam.
I have never been so excited for a season as that year we got him...that roster healthy would have contended...when he and Roy went down I was crushed
He was a lot more explosive going to the hoop than Mutombo and had a better touch around the hoop. He also had a better spin move than Mutombo and could pass. He wouldn't have been dribbling the ball with much dexterity, but the ability he showed at Ohio State reminded me more of Dwight Howard on offense. He wouldn't have been Shaq or Duncan on offense, but I think he would have made a good offensive complement to Roy.
