the odds of oden getting a rebound on a missed shot were much higher than any other blazer getting a rebound on a missed shot. that's why he was in the game. if roy missed, oden is the best guy on the team to get a 2nd chance. i can't see why you would want anyone else on the court in his place since it was just a 1 point game.
I don't think Greg should be the focal point on the offense, and I don't think he should be the second option either. I do think however that our team continuing to pretty much ignore the pick and roll option with both Greg and Joel, and in addition to staring down Greg and ignoring him when he is wide open in the post or has superb positioning is criminal. Those are easy buckets right there folks, points in the paint that have a great opportunity to force the other team's big men to foul and get us to the line. This opens up things so much for Roy to drive the paint once the other team has endured some foul trouble and either put them in the penalty himself, or reap the rewards of already being in the penalty. Another key is when he does have good positioning in the post against a set defense is that we must pass it to him in a better spot, and he in turn must hold onto the ball tighter when he makes his move. I understand frustrations when Greg gets a little energetic and sloppy, but that's part of his growing process. I'm not saying force feed it to him in this scenario 15 times a game, but I'm saying a few times a game would be nice IN ADDITION to pick and rolls. Joel used to do the pick and roll pretty darn good despite his stone hands when Damon was here and it made him at least have to be accounted for on offense. This option virtually disappeared when Nate arrived to the team, and that either says that Nate has been horrible at using this play or every guard we've had after Damon is absolutely atrocious at running the pick and roll which is bad news for us on one of two fronts: 1. Nate can't teach them to do it. 2. They just can't do it at all. which will be horrible for us in any championship aspirations.
Greg was in to set a screen on the last play, and he did a hell of a good job. Billups was so far behind Roy, he was spiriting to adjust his shot. Roy had more time than he thought and could have pump faked, gathered his feet, and got a clean look. On the play before, having the best offensive rebounded in the league in makes even more sense if you're going 1 on 5. We a player like Roy blows by his defender, it forces someone else to setup and the entire defense to rotate. During those rotations, a guy like Greg will be left to get unbelievable rebounding position in case Roy misses.
I may have had Pryzbilla over Oden; much more experience; although not a great FT shooter, I think Pryz would have made one of the two. "Experience" is perhaps the key to my feelings. What did Oden do after grabbing the rebound (as he was being fouled 24 inches away from the bucket)? He immediately went to kick it out to Rudy - rather than making a move to take it straight to the hole. "Experience" is perhaps key when considering the "what if my big does get a rebound and gets fouled - will he make the free throws?" Pryz has MUCH more experience in these scenarios. IF we want to win games first, and learn from the experience of playing them, second: Pryz should have been on the floor over Oden during these offensive sets - and brought in for Defense. Only my opinion! I appreciate your opinions too!
Thank you for your opinion. I don't share it. You go ahead and blame it on two free throws; I'll look at the whole game.
A 44.6% field goal shooter (as Outlaw is) should make more than 1 shot in 8 attempts. Yet he didn't. A 63% free throw shooter has a 21% chance of missing both free throws. It sucks, but it happens. Oden's misses were just one part of the mistakes the team made, and those mistakes collectively cost the team the game.
His coach has told the world that they don't need him to score. He has made it clear that Greg is in there to rebound and play defense. So instead, our best player throws him a pass in a clogged up lane with seconds left. Yes, this is all Greg's fault
Yeah, just like when Blake missed 4/5 FT's in the final minute against the Clippers early last season. That was long forgotten within a few days. Errrrr, not that much.
I didn't like that decision by Brandon at all. I guess it's just one of those early season mistakes that we probably won't see him make again. He gets the ball and dribbles right and he should have just gone up. Instead he pump faked, which gave Bird Man & Billips time to close in on him and that's why he had to give the ball up. Why did he pump fake? He had space before the fake to get a good shot off. He blew it. Instead, he throws to Oden with 2 guys on his back and 5 seconds left. Literally, the last place you want to go in that situation. Yeah, I was frustrated when Greg clanked them both but he should have never been there. Roy has won enough games for this team that he gets a hall pass for this - no doubt. None the less I can't help but notice he isn't the same B-Roy as we watched all last year. Carmello was in mid-season form. Roy looks . . . "off". Through the preseason, and the first 2 reg. season games he's had about 2 good quarters. Of his 50 points so far this year, 26 have been on FT's. He's not finishing at the basket, he doesn't look as fluid. He just looks like he didn't do much this summer, which is disappointing.
This. You can't put your rookie center on the line w/the game at this point in his career. not yet anyway, specially when he wasn't involved on the Offensive end at all, all game. of course, they blew it before this stuff though....cough blake cough
Not many. Then again, it seems like he picks up silly off-the-ball fouls while setting picks, so maybe there is a reason for not having him set too many picks. I can think of one time this season. Oden flashed into the paint with Hayes on his hip and Roy ignored him. Of course, Oden had about 4 TOs already at that point, and the team was up big without any offensive contribution from him. Again, I can think of one instance where he was "ignored", and that was after a miserable offensive performance by him to that point in the game. I don't feel as if my question has been answered.
Then why the hell have him in the game? Part of being on the court at the end of games is being able to finish. I don't blame Oden at all for the loss (although he does), but the fact is he is a "once in a generation" player who missed two crucial FTs. Plus, Oden isn't a rookie.
Oden needs to play with more ferocity on the court. The one time he got pissed and actually used his strength was ripping a rebound away from Nene, shedding him off and then throwing down a monster dunk.
I love Greg, but much of the loss IS his fault. All of it? Of course not. But you have to hit at least one free throw there. You HAVE to. I don't blame Nate at all for having Roy handle the ball, and I don't blame Roy for passing to Oden... we got a very good result insofar as Oden was on the line with a chance to go ahead. His free throws earlier in the game had looked pure and he will, IMO, prove himself to be a good free throw shooter this season. He just missed them. In the grand scheme of things Aldridge and Outlaw hurt our chances much more than Greg last night, but he failed at the end and that failure was the single biggest impact on the ballgame. Ed O.
Based on what I saw last night, it's going to be a long season Greg Oden. And it's not all the teams fault. It's just as much his. Something has to change up top. He ain't close to being that dominating force inside. And I'm unsure the dynamics are in place for him to be that player. He has to go through a major mental transformation. I don't think he has what he needs to make that transformation. I think players like him and LMA need something different. It just felt a little stale last night. LMA, I don't know what we need to do. LMA is not growing. He has more A LOT more in him than the way he played last night. I don't know if he is being challenged enough or what. Or if he is being challenged, is he taking it seriously enough? I don't know if Nate's words are getting through to some of these players.Or if they are getting through. Are they translating and having effect? Maybe the words have become a little stale for guys like LMA. Some of these guys just aren't growing. They are going to need to if this team has any intent on being elite.
Oden shouldnt have even been shooting FT's. That was a pretty weak foul to call at the end of a game, and the basketball gods took note.
