What would you tell the players to do over summer?

I wasn't very clear. Of course he's going to dribble on most post ups, especially as far out as he normally catches the ball. But too often when he gets the ball close to the basket, all he needs to do is make some kind of move to get a shot off, but he either dribbles or gathers the ball waste high or lower, in traffic, and ends up losing the ball. It seems like other teams have scouted this. I just think he needs a couple of power moves at the basket that dont involve putting the ball on the floor in traffic. And I definitely want him to slow down on some of those catches going to the basket against defense. That's when I want him to use some patience and set up the defender but not fumble the ball.

I think Nurk can do all these things and he'll continue to get better. He's a must sign.

 

Dame - Tactics & Efficiency.
Learn to navigate doubles without picking up your dribble or jump passing. Reign in the Long bombs (less hero ball) and off-kilter shots to set up easier shots. Be prepared to commit on defense for the whole duration of plays and RUN on offense (set-up transition near half court - not under our own basket).

CJ - Passing, vision and strength.
Work on your body for strength and stamina - it's the key to the next level. Work on finding players for the assist out of your array of moves. Become better at identifying offensive opportunity (Reign in the hero ball - 1 on 3 & 1 on 4 are not good opportunities!)

Nurk - Conditioning, patience.
Learn to take time establishing your legs/feet in the post before making a move. Use that strength in the core to push opponents towrds the rim - don't tip-toe like a ballerina through the key. Work on patience in the post - set -up your body first, then pump fakes, feigns etc.

ET - Conditioning, Core balance.
ET needs better conditioning to increase endurance and overall body control. Looked off-balance a lot when playing IMO due to being slightly out-of-shape. Keep working on the shooting stroke.

ED - Work on going right. Work on leaping.

Collins - Please ignore Stotts and come in from the three point line. They have already polluted your shot. Just work on what you always have - Post moves & footwork. Keep practicing the up & unders and the drop steps etc in the post. Add in plenty of weight room for slow addition of weight.

 

This is a perfect answer .

 

I completely disagree that the dribble is the problem.

When your kid gets in a car accident, you don't take the car away, you MAKE them drive it more.

 

Dame: Stop dribbling so much and taking bad shots. Learn to deal with double teams. STOP LEAVING YOUR FEET TO PASS!

CJ: Stop dribbling so much and forcing shots.

ET: Stop everything and leave Portland.

Aminu: Work on shooting, more passing, less dribbling.

Harkless: get a sports psychologist.

Collins: work on shooting, hope we get some other guys that know how to play basketball.

Nurk: footwork, basic post moves, finishing strong not fast.

Baldwin: Hope you get traded to a team that knows what a fast break is.

Patty: work on your changeup.

Davis: Don't get lazy after you sign.

Meyers: investigate pro beach volleyball.

Swanigan: figure out how Zbo does it or find another career.

 

Where were you when I was 16 !!

 

Well WAAAAAAAY back then half of my DNA was sperm, half was egg.

 

When jlprk was 16, that probably describes our parents

 

If I could have Nurk work on one thing I'd tell him he needs to work on taking advantage of a match up.
A lot of Portland's offense when they started to click was taking advantage of match ups.
Turner/Harkless/Aminu/Collins/Davis were all looked @ when they had a smaller or slower defender.

I don't ever want to see Nurk allow Harrison Barnes to check him again.
Literally that was the most disheartening thing I saw during the season.
The worst part about it, is Portland clearly wanted to take advantage of that match up in the post.
Portland threw it down to Nurk, Nurk didn't take advantage.
Portland calls a time out, and throws it into Nurk again.
Nurk fails to take advantage, and he gets pulled. Rightfully so might I ad.
Nurk is too talented to allow players like that to check him.
It's on Nurk to say. 'This fool can't guard me'.

 

Dame: the usual

CJ: lasik

Turner: cut his turnovers, get in better shape

Connaughton: baseball

Baldwin: shooting, finishing

Collins: weight room

Swanigan: weight room, conditioning

Nurkic: post moves

Aminu: ballhandling

Harkless: post game, ballhandling

Papa: conditioning

Meyers: flights

 

We don't know exactly what year he was born.
Documentation was difficult to prepare and read by gaslight, so there are a lot of unreliable birth records out there.

 

LOL

 

In theory that's fine but it took Stotts 16 quarters before he realized Nurk could do whatever he wanted with Mirotic. That was our most successful quarter because we finally got Nurk involved. He can be so good if Stotts integrates him properly in the offense like he did when Nurk first arrived in Portland.

 

How many times do I have to repeat myself?

Most of his success when he first arrived in Portland was out of the high post.
Nurk would get the ball with a foot outside the paint facing up and make decisions. Players would cut off him, etc.

Nurk throughout this season Nurk was inconsistent in the low post, with his back to the basket.
See Nurk allowing Harrison Barnes checking him on the block. I mean really how many times does that need to be said?
Nurk did get better with this as the season went along, but Portland DID open the season giving Nurk block touches.
Only to have Nurk have turnover, after turnover, after turnover, after turnover, after bad shot, after turnover, after turnover. How many times does that need to be said as well?
See this forum complaining and calling Nurk shit/turnover prone/bad shot prone. To start the year.
A coach cannot make a player be aggressive. A coach can only put a player in a position to succeed, and tell the player to be aggressive...
But it's been said countless times over the year that the players & coaches are blue in the face with telling Nurk to be aggressive.

Now if you want to talk about Stotts not putting Lillard in a position to succeed in the playoffs that's legit. Nurk though, is inconsistent.
Shit the first play of game 1 got Nurk an easy dunk at the rim with no defenders.
What did he do? He tossed up a bunny runner. Got his own rebound and tossed up a hook shot.
After he made said hook shot, he raised his hand because he KNEW he should have dunked the ball.

Nurk has to make the decision to come into the 18-19 season that he's going to be aggressive and break rims. No coach can do that for him.

 

Sorry. I'm calling horseshit on this post. Nurk at 23 years old can't make mistakes? That means we shun away from him every opportunity we get? He clearly excelled in the second half of the season due his new body and playing as a consistent starter for the first time in his career. It's on coach to put him in a position to succeed. Nurk may have had a rough first half of the season (although he was still great defensively), it's on Stotts to exploit the matchups... something which Stotts has never done well in his career. No discipline in the offense is why you see lower fg percentages throughout the season and playoffs for nearly everyone on the team. A "good shot" to Stotts is an Evan Turner three. Give me a break.