Damn you and your advanced statistics. Maris doesn't need your silly facts, he's got his assertions and beliefs.
What if his assertions and beliefs were actually more advanced than any stats or observations? Wouldn't we all feel silly?
Solid win. However, I think dealing with LeBron et al with an injured Batum is going to make for a tough outing. I hope he (and LMA) are ok for tomorrow. I don't want to create a battle, but am I the only one who thinks Sergio got a bad deal here? Granted, Blake had a terrific game - especially shutting down Ford. However, the drop-off from Blake to Bayless makes Blake look like an allstar. In addition to the bad TOs, Bayless had NO Points and NO Assists. Maybe, it would be better to give Bayless more of a SG role, which would take some pressure off of him, since he would not have to run a complicated NBA offense. I think Bayless is just not ready to be an NBA PG yet and I think Sergio deserves another chance. I was very impressed with Oden's play - no mistakes, good defense, and timely jam after a nice feed from Blake.
Sure. Make it so. I would love to see Sergio tear the league apart as a Blazer. Unfortunately, I do not think it will happen. For the record - 82Games shows that we win 60% with a +5.9 net pt. advantage per-48 when Blake is playing point. It is just clear that Blake is our best point, and it is a shame that Sergio, in his 3rd year lags behind Bayless who got an awful lot of minutes in garbage time...
Again, going by advanced stats - the Blazers are more successful when JB plays PG (44% wins) than SG (33%) - but I think they calculate the position by who you guard - because JB plays SG a lot next to Roy - he just guard the opposing team's PG.
No such thing as a "bad" win....but with LMA and Batum both getting hurt, this comes close! Head injuries always make me nervous.
That's pretty much how it has turned out with Outlaw, whom I was ridiculed for supporting as an essential part of our core since the day Bob Whitsitt drafted him, but this situation is quite different as Sergio edges Bayless in nearly every statistical category in existence and blows him away where it counts for a PG, directing the team, choreographing the plays and assisting on them. In great magnitude. That's my preference for entertainment. Fast, wizard-like passes and flying windmill dunks. Blake and Bayless are never going to be able to bring that style I like, the game I want to find time to watch twice maybe. For all their plusses they don't have the magic and it can't be learned, you either got it or you don't, and Sergio does. He enables the players to play their "liveliest game", they attack on offense, they get into a groove. They look like they're really enjoying themselves. I think KP has a similar taste for the game, and that's why Sergio and Rudy are here.
who gives a shit how you prefer to be entertained? the blazers are trying to win games, not entertain maris. bayless gives them a better shot to do that.
True, the Blazers shouldn't care what entertain MARIS. But he certainly can approach analyzing the game that way. Understanding where his analysis is coming from, perhaps, will help alleviate frustration in arguing with him.