Merged: Miller & Blake: who should start?

Re: Miller Best As The Backup

aaaargh! This would seriously piss me off if Nate puts Miller on the bench because he likes to play fast, and Nate wants to keep the starters slow.

Aldridge would be an all star if Blake pushed the ball everytime he could and actually throw LA a lob pass. BRoy wouldn't be as beat up after every game if Blake wasn't de facto SG with the starting lineup.

I really, really hope Nate is just being PC and not committing anything. Unfortunately, I don't believe it to be the case.

PS> Greg starts this year. So does Batum.

 

Re: Miller Best As The Backup

I was just thinking about this, and while it may make some guys' blood boil to pay $7mil for a backup PG, his game is similar enough to Roy's that the style of play wouldn't change much if you do the sub patterns right.

Blake/Roy/Batum/LMA/Greg (1st 12:00 - 6:00) - spot up shooter in Blake, High and low post, defensive specialist, and Roy.

Andre/Roy/Webster/Outlaw/Joel (1st 6:00 - 0:00) - two slashers (Andre taking over for Roy, who relaxes and spots up), spot up shooter, all-round play-maker, defensive specialist.

Blake/Rudy/Webster/LMA/Greg (2nd 12:00 - 6:00) - slasher, play-maker, spot-up shooter, high post, low post.

Andre/Rudy/Roy/Outlaw/Joel (2nd 6:00 - 0:00) - spot-up, play-maker, play-maker, play-maker, defensive specialist. This group is a fast-break machine.

Blake/Roy/Batum/LMA/Greg (3rd 12:00 - 6:00) - same as game start.

Andre/Rudy/Webster/Outlaw/Joel (3rd 6:00 - 0:00) - A lot like the 1st quarter sub group, but with Rudy's spot-up flair giving Andre more room to work.

Andre/Roy/Batum/LMA/Joel (4th 12:00 - 6:00) - Greg and Blake get a rest going into crunch time. A more relaxed Roy (relying on Andre) rests on the court.

(situational)/Roy/(situational)/LMA/Greg (4th 6:00 - 0:00) - Switch offense/defense in the PG/SF roles between Blake (3pt guy) and Andre (slasher); and between Outlaw (slasher), Webster (3pt guy), and Batum (defense).

It could just work.

 

The Fire Nate signs will out in full force if Blake is the starting PG on opening night..if I have to go through another season of Blake starting, I'll hurt myself.

 

Yeah, those 54 wins with the 5th best point differential in the NBA made for a painful season.

 

Is that a promise?

 

I really don't think Blake helped out for the majority of those wins, it was mostly Brandon and LaMarcus and Joel. There was a reason why our play didn't drop off significantly when Blake went out with an injury. Sorry, but the playoffs proved he can't run an offense and teams will just collapse on BRoy, we need another play-maker out there and Dre is just that.

 

It's all about fit. If Blake and Roy fit better than Miller and Roy - you start the game like that. If Roy thrives next to Miller - you start Miller. Either way will be fine. If we can get 28 minutes for Miller and 20 for Blake - we are good - could care less who starts.

 

Re: Miller Best As The Backup

Here ya go. Andre coming up in less than 1 hour:

http://955thegame.com/Multimedia/ListenLive/tabid/69/Default.aspx

 

Wins 55 and 56 were ripped from us at the hands of the two men we most vigorously pursued: Hedo and Andre.

 

When one speculates that the team won 21 games just a few seasons ago, I have a hard time calling last season, and especially the regular season, "painful". If you can't enjoy that ride with a young team, I don't know what else to say.

 

True, but Blake won the Toronto game with a 3. Miller can't shoot 3s.

 

Me thinks, though, he's intelligent enough as to find Roy, Rudy, or Martell in the corner for the win, though.

 

Re: Miller Best As The Backup

Blake 18-24
Miller 24-30

Roy 36
Rudy 18

Batum 18-24
Webster 18-24
Outlaw 18-24

Aldridge 30
Oden 24
Joel 24

I think I added that correctly. I would think that Rudy would need more minutes, although that could be somewhat solved by having him in in the last 6 minutes. I would also bet that Aldridge would cut into Outlaw's minutes as well. Then again, I'm willing to admit I'm an Outlaw hater.

 

Rudy and Martell have never hit a game-winning shot. Why diss Outlaw like that?

 

Re: Miller Best As The Backup

Yeah, it was definitely a rough cut. I have a more accurate swipe in another thread (Rudy got 24, Blake got 18, etc.). I was handling this more situationally. Also, I doubt a 10-man rotation will work for late in the season.

 

Re: Miller Best As The Backup

True. As the season goes on, I think the minutes out of our SFs (including Outlaw) would get settled pretty well unless someone gets injured or is just having a horrible game.

 

Who ever is better should start at the point guard spot. Barring a horrific injury, Miller is far, far better then Blake. It won't take long in training camp for Nate to see this as well.

Why Nate couldn't say they will have to fight it out is beyond me.

 

How is this a question?


MILLER IS BETTER THAN BLAKE PERIOD.

 

I don't want to hate on Blake (he's going to be a great 18-20 minute backup this season) but I had to turn Wheels and Jay off on my drive to get some lunch, the ass kissing they laid on Steve and their ridiculous assertions about Oden coming off the bench was just too much for me to take -- not to mention Jay Allen is probably one of the least knowledgeable people, employed by a sports talk station, I've ever heard talk about hoops.