Nate on why Oden didn't play and Oden's response

Durant, through 33 games last year, was shooting 40% from the field.

 

I couldn't agree more! Change the defensive scheme, make our guards slide through the screens instead of switching our big man onto their guards.

If Nate is ever fired it will be because he doesn't know how to use Greg properly on defense or on offense. Seriously I'm tired of his excuses 13 minutes is not acceptable, the kid needs to be in the game find a way to keep him in. BTW don't use the excuse he's in foul trouble who gives a shit he still had 2 fouls left so let him foul out.

 

Oden will never dominate like Shaq did in his prime. Of course, no player since Wilt or Kareem has dominated the NBA like Shaq dominated in his prime.

 

If Greg is not used and his confidence starts to slip this could be a mess. We all know that our PG's can't get the ball to him and watching Lopez get 20 while Greg sat on the bench pissed me off!

What is clear is that Greg will not resign here if he's not seeing the ball or developing. Who would? I'd fire Nate in a heartbeat before I'd let a talent like Greg end up in Boston or LA with a coach that knows how to use a center!

Nate has always worried about not being around when this team comes together and starts winning championships. Not developing your 7 foot once in a decade center would be a good reason why you'll be buying a ticket vs being on the sideline. I'm sorry but Nate is not a championship coach. His play calling is making Oden look like Ostertag or Dudley. WTF???????

There is no excuse for Greg not being an impact, cause I guarantee in LA he'd be tearing it up nightly. Phil would know just how to use him!

On a side note watching Sergio reminds me so much of Damon it's not even funny! Dribble, dribble, dribble, uh oh..... make a bad shot.... shot clock expires. Another Nate decision that is one month to freaking long and not working.


KP should be knowing now that the ball isn't going to Greg enough to make better, let alone a stand out! It's the coach bud!

 

I don't ever reply to his posts, but I really don't have a problem with what he posts, even though I disagree with 99% of it. If we all had the same opinions, what would be the purpose of the board? I don't believe in the ignore feature unless somebody never posts about the team.

 

It really can't hurt at this point, can it? I think it's a good idea to zone up, especially since opponents are lighting it up from 3 early in games against the man-to-man anyhow. If the team could ever consistently get a decent start, a lot of these nailbiters would become comfortable wins.

 

I remember that too. KP acknowledged that Durrant would be 20-25 ppg immediately back then. He didn't necessarily call Greg "a project", but I think he sensed that they would take some heat for picking Greg during the first few years b/c Oden needed a lot more seasoning. I think KP expected a larger learning curve than we did. Us fans definately thought Greg would storm the league - at least with his defense. That hasn't happened. Greg has 4 blocks in his last 11 games, and we all know how much foul trouble he's been in so far.

He had a terrific half in Chicago - that was encouraging. I know some point to that and say the Blazers need to feed him the ball more. I don't believe it's a question of perimeter players being too selfish. Greg is still learning on how to get post position AND be in a spot where there is a nice passing lane, and he doesn't seem to know what to do when the defender fronts him. Could our guards be working harder to get Greg off? Yes. I'm sure the coaches are working with Greg on using that big body so that the perimeter guys have a big target to throw to. He needs to shield off the post defender better - too many times they reach around him and slap the entry pass away. The game is so much easier when you play inside/out.

 

true.

if we all had the same opinions, it would just be a huge freaky circle jerk.

i can talk to myself if i want to agree with everything i hear.

 

I didn't get to see the Chicago game. How was Oden used in that game? Did we pass it in to him a lot or did he get his points from garbage collection? Did he switch a lot?

I'm trying to get at the contrast in his play between Chicago and Philly and between Chicago and NJ.

Chicago has no large inside presence. What else can those of you who watched both games say?

 

Against Chicago we basically ran the offense through him for an entire quarter. Post pass after post pass after post pass. Oden just destroyed them.

That's the thing--we didn't even pass it into him last night. I could understand going away from him if it isn't working, but they didn't even seem to run plays to enter it into him. I just don't get it.

 

I think Nate's inability to use Oden will be his downfall as coach of this team. Nate was a guard, so it seems like he's perfectly happy running our offense through the guards, rather than our two quality big men. With that said, Oden still has a lot to learn. He isn't Dwight Howard, but Howard wasn't exactly dominating in his rookie season either.

 

The even more frustrating thing is that it was working. Oden scored easily on one possession, then drew 2-3 fouls on Lopez. And then never saw a pass after that.

 

I agree with you guys on this. Nate seems to be reactive on this.... pulling Oden. When I think he should be proactive and give Oden the ball more... and force other teams to foul him.

 

Pretty much. Punish teams on the offensive end for trying to attack Greg on defense. Most centers in the NBA can't guard Oden. They're either going to let him score, or they're going to foul him.

Half the problem is that we're not setting up Greg properly. How many times have we seen Greg at the top of the key receiving a pass from the point guard? Why should that ever happen? He should be down in the paint setting up shop. I remember back when Shaq was in LA, he'd get down the floor quickly, set up position, and punish you before you could even set up your defense. Why can't we do this?

 

What I don't understand is why LA and Oden aren't running picks for each other in the low post passing out to the cutters like Roy, Bayless and Rudy? I see so many ways to use LA and Oden, I just can't see how Nate doesn't? I'd wake up every day estatic with all the plays I could create for the kind of team he has. Wouldn't you?

 

The entry passes are so slow too, and it's so easy to spot when they're going down low, it's like we play in super slow-mo when we're doing that...
It's probably part of the reason why they're having issues..

 

If Greg can get good at going against defenders that are clobbering him imagine how good he will get at moves against defenders when they realize that they cant just foul him everytime cuz he can hit a good free throw percentage and cuz they cant afford to get into foul trouble that gets us in the bonus. I agree we should just be punishing teams over and over and over and over till they buckle. Then at that point we can start kicking it out.

 

I think the fact the Gregory is such a good passer out of the post (in my eyes at least) is all the more reason to play through him... at least more than we are.

 

He's also very patient and doesn't force a pass out. The only time I can remember him screwing up a pass is when he was on the left side of the post and Batum was going to cut around him for a dunk but their positioning was wrong and Batum got pushed too close to the baseline and fumbled the ball out of bounds.