A key to tonight's victory? The team looked refreshed and sharp throughout, did they not? http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/03/blazers_practice_report_shooti.html
I've been pretty favorable in my opinions of Nate all along. Call me crazy, but I think he's done a fabulous job getting a really young team competitive and consistent in fairly short order -- not perfect, but really good overall.
There is no doubt. There are a lot of bad coaches out there. Nate is just not one of them. He is always teaching. Sure all coaches screw up with substitution patterns at some point, but there is way more to coaching than that.
The basketball experts know Nate is one the top coaches in this league... ...the other half of people just so happen to voice their incorrect opinion here!
Oh that's right you've been liberated from O-Live recently ... yes, it is permissible to post non-rants and non-bitchy threads here, but don't get too carried away.
I think the vocal minority around here give off the impression that there are more Nate bashers around here than there really is. The blind complaints usually come from people who think NBA offensive and defensive schemes are similar to the to the ones they see in their recreation league. The remaining few complain about the coach regardless of who it is or want the rookies to play more regardless of who it puts on he bench. I love Nate, and I think there are a lot of people like me around here who know how great of a coach we have. Hopefully you are one of those, and you are willing to speak up against the idiots!
Nate gets his props tonight for getting his team ready to play and up for the moment. He's gotten his team to: - Beat any team at any given time at home - Beat all the medicore to average teams on the road Next step is beating the elite Western Conference teams on the road, which probably won't happen until next season. But the progress is obviously there.
This place is more anti-Outlaw than any other "anti-", although there are times when there are multi-page threads about how Nate needs to be fired, how Nate needs to run the offense through Oden, how Nate can't coach defense, how Nate can't coach offense, how Nate is too rigid in his rotation, how Nate is too quiet on the bench, etc. etc. It would be nice to find a place to just be a fan.
Nate also got this team to play some D this game. It was very nice to shut LA down to their season low in points for a first half this season, and just 56 through three quarters. Good job Nate!
Przybilla after the game: RH : "What was the key to you grabbing all those rebounds Joel." Joel : "Good Team Defense." Unselfish answer, you da man Joel!
Perhaps, this goes back to that reality that this is a good, albeit, still very young team. The proverbial "turning it on, turning it off" mentality continues to leak through at times. Geneally speaking, playing good/great defense is more attitude than anything else, is it not? The Blazers players need to have that same attitude and approach while playing the Timberwolves that they do when playing the Lakers. As they grow and mature, they'll continue to develop that mindset. At least, that's what I hope.
