What evidence can you provide that Nate has taught ANY player how to defend? Ever? In the time he's been here this team has been the weakest defensively of any Blazers team in history, and they still can't perform basic skills such as switching on picks. Knowing how and teaching others how are 2 completely separate skills, and Nate appears to have trouble with the second.
While I agree with you to an extent, you can make a pretty strong argument that Nate was key to the defensive success of the U.S. Olympic Men's basketball team, and many of the players on that squad have mentioned him specifically. For whatever reason, he hasn't been able to translate that here in Portland. My guess is that as an assistant, he's better able to focus in on one aspect. As a head coach, he has a lot more responsibilities and he hasn't figured out how to handle all those and still improve the team's and individuals' defense. I think his skills are there - the organization just has to figure out how to build a staff around him to maximize those skills. Right now we aren't showing the commitment to defense you would think Nate would excel at teaching. -Pop
Actually, Nate has done a pretty good job of making the most out of his point guards. Nobody thought that much of Ridnour, Jack or Blake before he coached them. Telfair was parlayed into a #6 draft pick. None of these guys are world-beaters, but that's their nature. None of them made any real progress in their game after they left McMillan. Overall, I think he's done a nice job of getting the most out of their limited talents. Telfair may be the exception to that general rule, but he was a high school draft pick. You expect a point guard drafted at 18 to take several years to bloom. And really, he's had half a dozen decent games recently. Even that might be an aberration. I was a big Rodriguez fan, but I've come to accept that he just isn't going to be very good, or if he is, it won't be under a traditional NBA coach. He's got to be coached by a D'Antoni-type, and even there I have my doubts. (Marcus Banks coudn't hit a three while with the Suns either, and he was a failure at PG under D'Antoni, despite somewhat high expectations.) Rodriguez is the second coming of Omar Cook (another brilliant passing point guard I fell in love with, only to realize too late he had absolutely no other redeeming qualities). Cook averaged 10.4 assist per 36 minutes with Toronto. (Rodriguez's best was his first at 9.1 assists.) Cook lasted 2 seasons in the NBA. Rodriguez is already in his third season, and is not likely to last past his 4th.
What planet are you living on? The other day, only one of the most proflific basketball players ever, Lebron James credited Nate McMillan to his improvement defensivly. There was even a thread on this board about it.
Nate for Sergio floating around my office now too. Oh no... this could not be good lol. Why would we do this? Is there a bigger picture to get Lee? If we had to let Sergio go, I think NYK is the best spot for him. But damn, we DO NOT need another PG. Clear damn space for BAYLESS!!!
Wow if this is true that is very unprofessional. Sorry for who ever said they got it from a listener and I doubted you.
Re: Nate for Sergio floating around my office now too. Depends on what office you work in. If it's Taco Bell like Beer Boy..............
Re: Nate for Sergio floating around my office now too. Nate's going to take off the suit, put on a uni and play point as a player/coach? Awesome . . . now people are going to gripe about both his coaching and his point guard play!!!
Re: Nate for Sergio floating around my office now too. That's his night job... His day job is as a janitor at Darcelle's.
Re: Nate for Sergio floating around my office now too. Depends on the office like HCP said. It's floating around my office, so it doesn't really matter because I don't work for the league. Wait......Did somoene just give themselves up as KP?
We were just talking about how Lebron credits his defensive improvement to Nate last week, and Lebron is pretty good. http://www.sportstwo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132818&highlight=nate lebron
Re: Nate for Sergio floating around my office now too. OK. Makes more sense now that I merged the threads. Ed O.
lets think about this..... Sergio.... a point guard who couldn't make his own national team, a point guard who cant shoot a jumper OR finish at the rim, OR defend. Robinson... who can score, can shoot, and is a decent defender. PLEASE NO...DONT TRADE SERGIO! HE HAS POTENTIAL! WHERES JOHN NASH AND HAP?
Actually he is. It's amazing, but he doesn't get posted up nearly as often as one might think he would... probably because he's stronger than most of the guys he's playing against. He gets steals and rebounds pretty well. Nate's really impressed me the last year or so... I'm not sure that he'd be ideal for Portland, but I don't actively dislike his game like I used to. Ed O.
I agree. Every game i watch the knicks play, he seems to take over. Every time some team trys to post him up he jumps up and steals it. The guy was an amazing DB in the pac 10 before he decided to concentrate on Basketball. Not sure if I want him, but the guy fills a need on this team.
