With nearly any franchise player, you have to add pieces that complement his skill set. The unique skill set Roy has is versatility. He does everything well--driving, passing, dribbling, rebounding, shooting--you name it, he can do it. That's why I don't really care how Miller "fits in" with Roy, because it's only a matter of time until Roy makes it work. It really boils down to how Miller fits in with Aldridge and Oden. And I think he'll do quite well.
Conversely, Miller needs to change his game to fit in with Roy and LMA, who are better scorers than he is. More passing and less shooting; Roy can't be expected to completely alter his game to what Miller does, IMO.
My thinking on this is along the same lines as Luther: I think it hinges somewhat on the PG/SF combo. First, Greg will start. If not immediately, then soon. It is not contingent on whether he benefits more offensively fom playing with Miller or Blake. Greg will be our starting center when it makes the team better to start him, and it is all up to Greg when that happens. I'd bet by opening night. Second, Miller should start. I can see the appeal of the Miller/Rudy/Martell/Travis/Joel lineup. That lineup rocks off the bench. Even if Miller doesn't start early in the season, he'll play more minutes than Blake to get him on the floor with different combinations. But sooner or later, he's got to start. Where it gets dicey for me is in the SF combinations. If Nate wants to start Nico for his wing defense, which benefits the team generally and Brandon specifically, and if Nico is not a better outside shooter than Martell (by that I mean this season, not historically) then I can certainly see starting Nico and Blake then giving Miller the majority of the PG minutes during the game. If Martell outshoots Nico in preseason, and especially if Martell's defense is decent, then that will clear the path to start Miller, with Martell at SF. Or, obviously, if Nico is stroking the long ball, it's moot and Miller can start with Nico. That would change the nature of my dream second unit quite a bit, but hopefully a Miller/Roy/Webster (or Nico)/Aldridge/Oden starting lineup will be crushing teams in the first quarter instead of having to fight back from double-digit deficits every other game.
I disagree. With Andre Miller in the starting line-up, we are a much tougher guard. Quick may be right for the start of the season, but I suspect Miller will be the eventual starter. I want our starting line-up to pound the hell out of the other team. Tire them out and get them in foul trouble. Miller and Webster are the two I am really looking forward to start. They have a ton of size and weight for their position, plus they are better defenders, IMO. Lastly, I think Oden needs to start as well. Then Roy and LMA will be the 1-2 punch offensively. Having Rudy, Blake, Pryzbilla, Batum and Outlaw coming off the bench is extremely versatile.
I agree that Miller is an upgrade over Blake defensively (if only because he's got the body to fight through a pick), but Martell has never been a better defender than Nic was in his rookie season and I don't see that changing after a year long layoff from basketball.
Well as far as "Webster" is concerned, it's more to do with his physic. He is a lot stronger than any of the other 3's we have on our roster, so hopefully he takes the challenge to be a "more physical" defender. He doesn't have to have steals or blocks. Just put a nice body on his man and attack the basket when given the opportunity.
I agree with those who say Miller will be twinned with Oden. The point is to get the big men the rock where they can easily score. That is the single biggest reason why the team got Miller. iWatas
Joel is, and has been for awhile now, one of the best centers in the league. To expect Greg to just walk in and be a smarter, more efficient player just seems unrealistic especially with all the down time he's had from injuries. If Greg has earned a starting spot then Sergio earned one his first year here.
Doesn't this really say alot more about how much of a pile of shit Blake is then how good Miller is? Really, if your starting point guard can't pass the ball into the post, why in the hell is he your starting point guard?
I do not know if it will be Miller moving to the starting lineup or what, but here is the point I would like to make. The problem that sunk the Blazers often through out the season, and I felt definitly sunk them in the playoffs when they met a high end defensive squad, was a lack of firepower on the starting unit. It is as simple as this. When facing high end opponents with good defense, you cannot afford to have several players who aren't scoring in the lineup to start the game. How many times did slow starts make the team struggle through a game? How tough were the playoffs because Houston had more than enough defenders to defend our main scorers in the starting unit? Now that being said, if we go into next season with the same starting lineup, and unless somehow Batum or Blake has become a scorer, what has really changed? Why would you expect any different results if nothing has changed? I really don't expect much of an improvement out of Roy, because he is who is is. He is already awesome. We might get a bit more out of Aldridge. But unless somebody else steps up, this unit has the same problems it had last year, the same weakness, the same slow starts, and the most important thing, the lack of ability to take pressure off of Roy.
One of the things I heard Roy say was that with Miller and the development of Rudy and Greg - he expects to be able to start going hard from the start, and not have to conserve his energy to later in the game. This, right there, might be all that is needed to fix the problem of the slow starts. Also - on another note, I hope Roy is about as good as he is going to be - just like he was when drafted, after his ROY campaign, and after his first all-star game. If this happens - we are in for a treat and the league is in for some pain.
While I agree with you about a lack of scoring, I also think a huge hole in our offense was a point guard who actually moved the ball and found the open man. Sergio could pass, but he was terrible at directing traffic. Miller on the other hand, has already exerted himself as a floor general in training camp. I'm looking forward to actually having a true point guard on our team this season.
I'm not sure I get why you put 'Webster' in quotation marks? ... but regardless, I couldn't care less what kind of physique Martell has, he doesn't have the read and react skills or lateral quickness of Nicolas nor the length; those are the primary skills that matter in a wing defender, raw physical strength is nice if you are matched up against a wing that likes to post people up, but there aren't a whole lot of swingmen in the league who fit that description. Aside from that Nicolas showed a better handle, better court vision, better passing skills, finished with a higher field goal percentage than Martell ever has and nearly matched Martell's supposed sharp shooting 3 pt percentage as a rookie. Don't get me wrong I think Martell will be an effective backup 3 this year, but I'm constantly amazed at the how his legend has grown with an absence from the court for a year -- he's just not that good.
I think you'll be surprised. We haven't seem him in his prime yet and I think he's matured quite a bit since he was last healthy. But I also have a very high opinion of Batum so I'm not sure Martell will ever start, but I think he's going to be right there and may even play more minutes than Batum. Until the opposing team guards Batum on the perimeter like they do Martell, I'm not going to simply look at their percentages. There's no doubt Martell is a better perimeter shooter than Batum, at least for now, and in that regard I think Martell is a better fit alongside Oden, at least for now. And I think Nate has to start Greg. You simply don't bring a center that is supposedly going to be your franchise off the bench. Roy, Aldridge, and Oden need to start, and the other two starters need to be the best fit alongside them. That's my opinion.
I expect Oden to be both better than last year and to play more minutes than last year. As a starter, I think he'll help us get out to better starts with his defense and rebounding but also a little offense. Teams can ignore Joel but they better put a body or two on Greg. Especially with Miller feeding him the rock. Miller can score. He can't shoot threes, but he can run an offense, run the pick and roll, make an entry pass, and score at the basket or on pull-ups. All of that will help us get out to better starts. I think the Martell doubters will be in for a nice surprise. Either that or I'm going to be in for a big letdown. Martell has an NBA body and an NBA stroke. He can score and defend. He can help us get off to better starts -- if he starts. Nicolas Batum is going to be a star. He's my favorite player on the team. My hope for him is that he has greatly improved his shot from last season -- his numbers weren't bad for his age but his shot looked shaky. With a year under his belt, a little more muscle. a little more experience, and if he's worked on his shot this summer, I expect him to be more consistent, more effective, and help us get off to better starts -- if he starts. Roy is Roy. Maybe even moreso. Aldridge is Aldridge, only no doubt improved. Can you imagine if he's also playing for a contract, LOL? We'd see Beast Aldridge in the blocks. It's natural to be critical, but jeez we are looking at a great group of players. Getting used to playing together is their only limit. Gone are the days of the double-digit first quarter deficits! Don't worry. Be happy!
