Nate Is Learning

Good article.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2010/03/trail_blazers_marcus_camby_an.html

 

Nate's issue isn't the ability to coach, it's his ability to let out the reins. He should listen to a little .38 Special and trust his players a bit more. I loved the quote from Andre Miller a few weeks back which said something to the effect that every team hates turnovers, but we REALLY hate turnovers.

Pops and Sloan are rigid coaches, but they experienced real success when they trusted that their coaching took hold and they let their teams play to their strengths. My fear for Nate is that he becomes Jeff Van Gundy or Mike Fratello--too stuck on their philosophy of grinding and executing to ever take advantage of game situations.

 

Yep I have noticed that as well. The curl play is finally getting some run besides being a decoy. Part of that reason is, somebody is finally capable of making that pass.

I think the team has been running more lately as well, just a little bit more.

 

You got my hopes up. At first glance I thought it read: "Nate is leaving"

FML

 

BTW, I think GO, LMA and Camby would make a hell of a three player 4/5 rotation next year.

 

Are you expecting Pryz to be out all season...or, perhaps, gone?

 

Half the season minimum and he will not be right until the season after is what I expect.

 

I don't think we're ever going to see the same Joel Przybilla ever again. I love Przy, but that injury really messes with your career. I think next year his greatest contribution will be as an expiring contract. I don't expect him to suit up before the All Star Break next year, if at all.

 

You know tearing it twice doesn't help. It's bad enough that he tore the tendon once, but twice? Youch.

 

At the same time, I think every NBA player is insured for injury. So it won't be so bad.

 

At this point, after a major setback? yeah pretty much; he might be back by mid-season, but there's no counting on that, and with GO's fragile health do they really want to rely on a 3 forward/center rotation of GO, LMA and Przy? That seems like a bad play.

 

I think we should bounce pass more.

 

Of course they can practice implementing it by playing 4-square.

 

high-low basketball and using bigs as backdoor passers has always been effective basketball. The 80's Celtics were masters at it.

 

So was:

 

So were the L*kers with Kareem...or, better yet, the Blazers with Big Red.

 

It's one of the reasons I'm kind of intrgued by Greg Monroe ... even though he doesn't jump off the screen as being particularly tough or athletic ... but damn can that guy pass the ball.

 

Wow. Sabonis makes Olajuwon look so small in that picture.

 

Yeah, Monroe intrigues me in that aspect as well. Thompson III plays that Princeton style offense where it seems like 70% of the offense is run through him. He could be a great pickup in the fact that he could add another wrinkle in our offense as a facilitator. Imagine Brandon and Batum cutting to the hoop as Monroe's posted up at the free throw line looking to dish.