another guy i said sucked 2 years ago. its really amazing how some needs per stats or just stats in general to form an opinion. all i need is a tv. your eyes dont lie. bayless sucks.
Video clip of Bayless admitting to Nate that he has a big head and little arms. [video=youtube;IWoM8Fr1z4w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWoM8Fr1z4w[/video]
Same. I haven't been impressed with him yet. Every time I have watched him he has been a turnover machine, and to me looks for his own shot just as much if not more than Bayless but he isn't as good as scorer.
I went to the game down here against the Warriors. Johnson got a lot of PT. While I don't think Armon has as much pure, general basketball talent, or pure athleticism, he did play the PG better than Bayless. Armon's man-to-man defense was also better than Bayless, while trying to guard Curry and Ellis. I'm not saying I would put Armon in front of Bayless for the PG rotation yet, but I don't think there is a huge gap. If Armon can prove to hit the open jumper, he very well could be the better fit at PG for this team.
The problem is Bayless is not good at running the fast break, IMO (watch his head, he isn't surveying the floor while pushing the ball but more keeping his head down making sure he doesn't lose the ball). I personally would like to see Bayless start with Roy and bring in Andre at about the 5-7 minutes mark (of course that would disturb all kinds of chemistry issues) . . . but I think Nate wants a run and gun second unit and Bayless doesn't provide that from a PG standpoint. I think Roy slows this team down (not saying that is a bad thing) . . . but a change of pace second unit could be effective on a Roy team and I don't think Bayless provides that.
That's kind of funny, the other day when watching the highlights from the first game against Golden State there were 5 highlights. All of them were fast breaks. 4 out of the 5 it was Bayless making the pass. The other was Miller. I get the feeling that a lot of people don't like Bayless because he is an alpha male and his attitude rubs them wrong. Not because of how he plays. You know how it is. Bayless leads the Blazers to victory over San Antonio, it's top of the world! Next day he doesn't score so much and it's back to hateville.
I won't speak for anybody else, but actually, his Eff-U attitude is one of the things I like most about him; this team has been in woefully short supply of attitude for years and Bayless gives them a little bit of needed edge. I loved what he was able to do in that game and I remember being pretty damn excited and happy for him (and the team) and then later it kind of sunk in that he was basically playing the mini-Roy role -- which has sort of been my point all along in this thread and others almost exactly like it; as long as Roy is here and filling that primary scorer role Bayless is unlikely to ever flourish as this team's starting point guard along Brandon, and becuase so many of the second unit guys require a decent setup man to be effective (Rudy, Dante, etc.) it's tough to put him in that group and hope to maximize it's productivity.
I may be wrong about Bayless, but not because I think he is an alpha male. That is the part I really like about him . . . his highlights with all that intensity is good stuff (some of the best highlights during intro) Heck he can spray his scent on whatever he wants. I just agree with others here that he isn't a pure PG which is what is costing him PT. You have mentioned those highlights before and I'm not doubting he can make an assist, but I'll stick to my analysis that I don't think he has good court vision. Forget the highlights, from when you watch Bayless, do you think he has good court vision and runs a good fast break? I'm not even dogging Bayless. I pointed out I wouldn't even mind seeing him starting with Roy and bringing in Miller to spark the running game. You have a valid last point . . . I think many fans were feeling good about Bayless from his playoff performance and then all of a sudden people seem to have soured on him (myself included). I don't know what to make of Bayless, but I'm not surprised to hear that Johnson is challenging Bayless for minutes at the point.
Well I think just about everyone knows my stance on Bayless so I am not going to beat a deadhorse, but if Rudy has taught any of these Blazer players anything, bitch like you have never bitched before and you will get playing time.
Rudy has earned his playing time. (not saying that Bayless has or hasn't, just addressing EGame's comment about Rudy)