Roy calling out Nate? Rift between coach and players?

Finally, some fireworks from Quick: http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/11/utah_108_portland_92_another_d.html

I can't tell which is more concerning. Nate expecting the players to "figure it out" a completely new dynamic without any guidance, or Roy having to require someone to remind him of Oden's effectiveness. Regardless of that, the last quote by Roy is most revealing about Nate's inadequacies. There's only so many times a coach can call out his players for more effort before they stop responding. It's clear that the preparation is not there. Can Nate update the offense and define the roles? What about defense?

And, apparently, the players are bonding around Miller in response to his benching today, and that might be leading to a rift between the players and coach:

More confirmation that the players and coach are not on the same page.

 

Reading that "that's why coaches coach" comment by BRoy again has me feeling a bit sympathetic towards Nate. Just a bit.

 

Nate's partially correct in that it is up to the players to figure out how to play well with each other. With more time playing together they will eventually strike a balance between Roy, LMA, and Oden. The success of these three playing well together at a high level is the key to Portland making any kind of big run in the playoffs. The problem is that right now this team looks totally discombobulated because they are still "figuring it out". The coach's job should be to help accelerate this growth, but right now it appears that Nate isn't help this at all.

 

I think our problem is that we've played the MOST games so far and haven't had time to practice and iron out the kinks. I think with the upcoming longer breaks between games things will get ironed out.

I was expecting a blow out tonight. Nothing surprised me really. If the Blazers played like crap on Friday why wouldn't they play the same the next night with no time to fix the bugs?

 

And the truth comes out. Roy doesn't get it.

 

From the thread title, I expected a face to face argument between Roy and McMillan. Instead I get a mild comment from Roy to a reporter. He just said that it's not his role to tell the media the details of "how all three offensive options can work together." Big deal.

As for "McMillan says it is up to the players to figure out how to make that dynamic work."--He means players have to look to pass to Oden. Miller has no trouble doing so, why does Roy need McMillan to tell him how?

As for Miller being benched in favor of Webster, "It appears Miller has the team's full support." So Webster has the team's unanimous opposition?

 

Seems Roy is just admitting what some of us have suspected all along - he doesn't like playing with Oden.

The notion that a player of Roy's caliber can't figure out his role, or figure out how to play with a guy like Oden, is just silly. He doesn't *want* to adjust.

 

This has been going on for a while now. Nothing new here, other than the players are finally going to the media.

Roy wonders why they changed from what worked last year? Does he really not get that no one took us seriously last year? This year we are the hunters, and this year teams have their crosshairs on us. He doesn't seem to realize that good teams, that have the ability to go deep into the playoffs have an inside post game. That might not be a center, but you have to be able to score in the paint to be successful.

Nate saying it's up to the players to figure it out is true, but it's up to Nate to put them in the best possition possible to do that. IMO, we pissed away our training camp and preseason by trying so many different lineups. Knowing Greg had improved his offensive game over the summer should have been the first clue that Nate needed to expand the offense to include him. Instead, Nate decided to run more ISO's for Roy?

Roy, Aldridge and Oden should all take 15 shots a game, and whatever is left for the others is what's left. A very simple motion offense, that my 9th graders can run should do the trick.

 

Greg Oden's ability to be an offensive weapon in the post, is crucial IMO to POR future success. POR cannot just be a jump shooting team, and LA apparently refuses to play post, often settling for jump shots....not good from your 6'11 power forward....

I'll add when Aldridge DOES play in the post he can be remarkably effective...

As for Roy, this isn't last year....teams know his trick...they are not going to let Roy get the ball at the top of the key and go 1v1....why would they? He has got to give up the damm ball and MOVE to get open...that is why you get the ball out of his hands, so you can run him off a cut\screen to get open, receive a pass and THEN make a move in a much more advantageous position...not 2v1....

Someone needs to sit Roy down and explain that to him...It is not rocket science...simple basketball strategy....

 

The Blazers started training camp with Batum and Outlaw in the mix. Losing those guys and having to improvise on the fly while in the midst of the busiest schedule of any team in the NBA would be tough for any coach. This week the Blazers finally get a little bit of a breather in the schedule, which should equate to some time to work things out in practice. Seems to me that the way the Blazers look by Saturday's game against the Raptors will tell us a lot about Nate's abilities to adapt to changes in the roster.

 

its been a disaster.

this team isnt making the playoffs.

 

+1

My sentiments exactly.

 

Right. Except they're playing the Rockets on Saturday.

 

They just came off a 4-game home stand where they had a day off between each of the games. Yet, they got blown out of the gym by MEMPHIS at home. What were they doing on those off days between the games? Seriously, they had training camp, 8 preseason games and now 19 regular season games (almost 1/4 of the season) to iron out the kinks. Yet, I'm not seeing progress. If anything, the team is regressing.

I blame the coach. His indecisiveness with the starting line-up has the players confused and not knowing their roles. That's what the preseason is for. Andre Miller was not brought here to be Steve Blake's back-up. He should have started (at PG) every preseason game and every regular season game next to Roy (at SG). THEN, if there was a problem, a change should be made. Instead, we are 1/4 of the way through the season, and we have yet to see Roy and Miller start together at their natural PG and SG positions.

Nate doesn't have a clue how to use the talent he's been given and his cluelessness has started to rub off on the players.

BNM

 

thanks for the insight, i'm sure everyone really gives a shit right now

 

You know things can really look bad when a team doesn't put effort into playing hard. Everything looks like hell, when the only problem is the effort, because effort effects everything. What does coaching have to do with getting beat on defense for fast break buckets because you didn't get back? Even if things are not well chemistry wise, they could play with more effort.

 

I'd almost buy that if the SF spot was the cause of this team's problems. It's not. The backcourt is. Roy, Blake and Miller are all healthy. None of them have missed a day of training camp, a preseason game, a regular season game or a practice. Yet, they still can't play together. Why, because the coach keeps changing their roles. One week Roy is a starting SG, next he's a starting SF, then a SG. Miller is coming off the bench, then he's starting then he's coming off the bench. Blake is a starting PG, then he's a starting SG, then he's s starting PG.

All these changes, and yet we still haven't seen, not even ONE FREAKING TIME a line-up that features these players in the roles they were born to play:

Brandon Roy - Starting SG
Andre Miller - Starting PG
Steve Blake - Back-up PG

Why is that so hard to figure out? 19 games into the season, we've seen all sorts of other goofy ass combinations, but not once have we seen THE most obvious lineup. It's like Nate has deliberately avoided using his guards in their most natural roles.

And people are wonder why the players seem confused and the team looks lost.

BNM

 

You know, this is just vindication for some of us who have been saying this shit since preseason. We haven't been "complaining" or "monday morning quarterbacking". We have been stating the truth and discussing the obvious. Now that it's finally caught up with the team, and it is clear that the Blazers have some real issues to work through.

 

And don't forget the newest plan, bench Miller and play Bayless. Nate is a fucking moron if he thinks our problems are the result of Miller.

Something tells me Miller is being labeled the scapegoat by some of the players (Roy), and others are backing him up (Oden).