We'll agree to disagree. And I'll bet the people who think the way I do know more about basketball than do you. There's a reason Nate is in the running for COY.
It's because the Blazers win in spite of him(counting the 6 guys that are out at a time). Nate has added nothing this year.
For the most part I agree, but tonight was pretty ridiculous. Running ISO plays for Roy when he is at 60% is not a winning strategy. Roy's +/- was -30 tonight or something close to that and the sad thing is that wouldn't surprise anyone who had watched the game.
That's still a BS statement. Despite a HORRIFIC slate of injuries all season long, we're still only a few games behind OKC. I'd like to see them without 4 of 5 starters for two months, and then with a hobbled Durant for the next month and a half.
It's not enough we have to endure a season where we loose half our team to injuries. No, someone really hates us. I can't remember a season with so many heartbreaking loses. - Oden's missed FT's Vs Denver - Double Digit 4th quarter lead, barrage of t/o's, and a loss at Atlanta - Lamarcus Phantom Call in OT loss at Milwaukee - 8 point lead with 3 minutes left vs Memphis - 8 point lead with 3 minutes left vs Hornets - and lose at the end by leaing Paul open with 1.7 seconds left. - 25 point lead in the 3rd quarter, melt down, OT loss vs Utah. There are a lot of other close losses that hurt, but these are games (most of them) that we should have won. On the contrary. I can't think of any games where we were down by 8 points with 3 minutes left and came back to snatch victory for the jaws of defeat. Or I can't think of a game we've won at the buzzer. Nor can I think of a game where we were down 20 + points and came back and won. This season with all of these injuries and tough losses has broken my heart so many times. And somehow we're still in 8th place. Why am I not happy about that?
Interesting side-topic developing in this thread (imo): Does Nate's future depend on whether or not the Blazers make the playoffs this season, or will he be back regardless? A lot of people believe he's done a wonderful job this season with all the injuries, but then again, KP clearly didn't get Marcus Camby on this team for next season... Thoughts?
For the life of me, I can not believe some of you go STILL go to bat and believe in Nate McMillan. His offense was EXPOSED tonight. Literally. Jerry Sloan sliced and diced and did a hell of a job of defining Nates offense this evening.
I'm really, REALLY starting to hate our offense. It's either throw it into Aldridge and let him go one-on-one, or give it to Roy and let him go one-on-one. Where's the cutting, the backdoor passes, the pick and rolls??? We must have the most predictable offense in the NBA, and it sucks.
Why Nate is up for Coach of the Year, despite injuries to 9 players: 1-1 vs Lakers 1-1 vs Nuggets 2-0 vs Mavs 1-1 vs Thunder 2-0 vs Suns 3-0 vs Spurs
Yup. That's why we lost. Like a scared turtle hiding in it's shell. Self imposed 6 second shot clock.
You have no opinion about the offensive ineptitude this team showed not only the second half this evening but many other times this season. You don't want something better?
Need a tissue? I said there was a reason Nate was in the running for COY. It's because he's thought of doing a good job by people who know a bit about hoops, not we internet yahoos. Lighten up, Francis.
I think that people, especially national writers who don't watch every Blazers game, look at things like this and make the mistake that Nate is the reason why. Isn't it possible that KP may be responsible for this, by putting together such a deep team? Or the players themselves, for stepping up during adversity? If anything, Nate has actually had LESS control with substitutions and playmaking options when he's down to 8 or 9 players - which is actually a good thing. A monkey could push random "substitution" buttons and come up with a better rotation.
Okay, glad you think so, but that is not the case. I mean, go ahead and like Roy iso's and being a jump shooting team, when we are off with our jumpshots we lose 10 times out of 10 because we have nothing else. When a team like Utah is off, which they were tonight, they find other ways to win. Wish we could find other ways.
Like I said, we'll agree to disagree. And most of the people that coach in the League disagree with you as well. Was Nate a shitty coach when we beat SA, DAL (at home) and PHO at home for the first time in years? Like I said, Nate appeared to decide this was the game he was going to try to get Roy back in his groove. It was a mistake, IMO, but not a firing offense.
