Rumors: A new plan for Greg Oden emerges... (MERGED)

Re: Rumors: A new plan for Greg Oden emerges...

In each of the instances you cited, there were significant problems with the way players were playing. It appears that McMillan used his few real powers (minutes played, bully pulpit) to impact those problems positively:

Oden not part of the offense --
Problem: Oden put too much pressure on himself last year. He was developing a really depressed attitude, and it was affecting his play at times.
Nate's solution: Through his statement McMillan was trying to make it seem that Oden's role was no different from Przybilla this year, and if he had more hiccups it was really no big deal, because his playing time was basically interchangeable with Joel's. (Whether Nate actually felt that way himself is impossible to say. I hope he was lying.)
Oden is now flat out dominating, and forcing his way into offensive sets. He's got a big grin every game, and he just seems like a different player.
Nate's "flip flop": Is Oden's success entirely (or even at all) due to McMillan's "plan"? Impossible to say. But if our coach was Phil Jackson, we'd all be nodding that his brilliant mind game succeeded. Instead we are pointing out how his plan "failed" because Nate was able to ditch it.

Three guard lineup --
Problem: Our perimeter defense in the early games was pretty porous. We'd lost 3 of our first 5 games. Nobody was happy. Something had to change.
Nate's solution: Nate inserts Miller into the starting lineup, and we immediately beat the Spurs, and win a total of 8 of the 10 following games.
Now I definitely would've preferred benching Blake instead of going with Miller and Webster at the time, but in hindsight I'll gladly take the results we got.
Nate's "flip flop": Now Webster has a nice game so we can feel a little better about starting him at SF. Blake has a rare decent game. Our bench looks pretty sad though, and Roy is tired of getting beat up at SF. Rather than play out the three guard lineup until it completely breaks down, we ditch it and hope that whatever was wrong with the original starting lineup has been cured.

Oden's one foul per quarter --
Problem: After a full season of picking up fouls at a ridiculous rate, Oden started this year without any sign of progress in that department. In the first 6 games he was averaging 5 fouls a game.
Nate's solution: Nate makes a new rule that immediately puts the spotlight square on this issue. Suddenly the only thing that matters to Oden is to not get that second early foul, because he's going to get the yank every time. Oden gives up on a play here and there when he's clearly beat. But because he's not in as much foul trouble, he's suddenly given the freedom to be much more aggressive on the offensive end.
Results: Over the past 7 games he's averaging 3.5 fouls a game.
Nate's "flip flop": Nate's policy pretty much cost us a win against Golden State. Nate almost certainly knows it. This probably seemed like a good a time as any to see if Oden's sudden attention to fouling can translate into bigger minutes. So Nate's ditching a rule that somewhat succeeded in reducing Oden's habit of fouling, but cost us a win in the process. I don't think the rule was ever intended to be anything more than a wakeup call for Oden, and it appears that he did indeed wake up.

I'm no Nate apologist. I'd personally prefer Blake to never see a start again (barring injuries to Rudy, Miller and Fernandez). I hated the way he sent Aldridge to the bench for early fouls. I can't begin to understand what Bayless has done to draw so much misuse by Nate.

That said, there often is some kind of method to the madness with some of his plans. And I wouldn't hold it against him for abandoning them when the solution no longer seems to fit.

 

Re: Rumors: A new plan for Greg Oden emerges...

I APPROVE OF THIS MESSAGE. REPPED!

 

Re: Rumors: A new plan for Greg Oden emerges...

The thing is, Nate went against his own rules against Golden State. Neither Oden or Aldridge were in foul trouble. Greg had zero fouls in the first quarter. He picked up two quick ones in the second, but that should have fallen within his "one foul per quarter" rule and he should have continued to play. Regarding Aldridge, I had no idea he was even playing under the same foul rules as Oden. Leaving both of our starting big men off the floor was moronic, and it bit him in the ass.

 

Re: Rumors: A new plan for Greg Oden emerges...

Yeah, I'm not at all trying to defend the Golden State game. I have no clue what he was thinking in benching Aldridge. Even benching Oden was pretty questionable. *shrug*

All I can say is that sometimes when you obsess over fixing a recurring problem, you start seeing the problem where it doesn't even exist. That seems to be what happened here.

Hopefully as Nate unclenches with his foul-a-quarter rule, similar mistakes won't happen again.

 

Re: Rumors: A new plan for Greg Oden emerges...

It seems to boil down to one thing for nate regarding Oden. At some point you have to push the bird out of the nest and stop "babying" them. Every other team in the league seems to understand that you are going to have some ups and downs with young players and it may cost some games in the beginning but in the long run you will benefit from those learned lessons.

 

Re: Rumors: A new plan for Greg Oden emerges...

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying here. I think you are interpreting Nate's rule as if Greg gets to the second quarter he gets two fouls to commit, third quarter three, etc. I don't think it was ever specified whether they accumulate or whether it was really just one per quarter.

I think people need to get over their intense hatred of these things. Like andalusian mentioned, it lasted a grand total of eight games and as we've all seen, including Roy, it's actually helped Oden in his approach towards playing D and getting fouls which was the whole point. I think too many people place too much faith in the ability of players, especially young players, to just go out there freeballing without any goals or plans.

 

Blazers Want Oden To Work Through Foul Trouble

Blazers Want Oden To Work Through Foul Trouble

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archi...azers_want_oden_to_work_through_foul_trouble/

I like this! I thought the 2 fouls in first half and you are out rule is freaking stupid. Nate really needs to go. You teach your players to control themselves with fouls, not to ride the pine once you get 2.

 

I'm sort of in shock that it even came to this. I....just can't believe it.

 

Re: Rumors: A new plan for Greg Oden emerges...

I have to agree. Makes me rethink my opinion of McMillan.