So inspired by my post in the Utah game thread: We're so used to handing the rock to B-Roy in the 4th, and just sitting back, and watching his wizardry. Given his injury situation, who do we now turn to to close our games? Dre, with his vet experience? Wes, with his bulldog attitude? L-Train, to encourage the face of this franchise to believe in himself? Who should be our closer now?
Miller closed the games vs New York and Memphis. He's the best we have. Tonight, he tried to do it as a passer, just like did against OKC when he handed the ball off to Rudy. Lesson learned, I guess. Don't pass, Andre.
The answer is, the Blazers don't have an answer. LaMarcus Aldridge is a very good second fiddle, but he's not going to lead the orchestra. Andre Miller is a great distributor and can score on occasion, but if he's all by himself, he just doesn't have the athleticism or whatever it is to dominate. Rudy has done great things under pressure on the international stage, but he's just never delivered like that in the NBA. Wes Matthews is too green... and other than that, there's really no one. Batum is too important as a defender, Camby isn't a scoring threat... The Blazers are missing a major piece of their foundation in Brandon Roy... asking who's going to fill the void is like contemplating what the Lakers would do without Kobe, or the Spurs without Duncan. The answer is: you're basically starting over.
I keep thinking of the Rockets last year, a team of role-players with no clear cut star with Yao out -- nobody to throw the ball into or hand to and expect a high percentage shot or a trip to the free throw line -- and yet they were still fairly competitive and managed a .500 record. It's hard to know what kind of shape Roy will return in and just what he'll be able to do night and night out, I just hope that it's enough to give this team a boost. Best case seems to me that he plays 20-24 minutes per game and expends most of his energy in the last half of a game, but that's going to be a huge adjustment not only for him, but the team as a whole who is so used to deferring when he has the ball. I think we're in for a somewhat painful adjustment period, but maybe we'll get lucky and they'll find some kind of balance ... and maybe Cho will be able to work out some kind of deal that actually fortifies the team's future prospects.
Shit, everybody aside from Armon and LMA had shitty percentages against Utah. I'm not dead-set against trading Miller for the right player, but it sure as hell isn't because of one subpar shooting night.
I know I'll be crucified for this one, but maybe we look to move Roy to Toronto for Bargs (who I think would thrive in this division) and bring him [Bargnani] off the bench as our 6th man to get some scoring depth. Scrap the "white team / black team" thing and opt for rotations that work against our given opponent. At the trade deadline, look to move Andre for a young PG. What sort of young PG might Dre, draft picks...and Oden get us?
And people kill LMA for not rebounding enough ... speaking of crucified, holy balls, Andrea Punani would get strung up by this city for his lack of D and toughness.
But as a 6th man, we'd have his scoring! We simply have no bench scoring unless the second unit is running.....so bring in Bargs - and really run. PS: I'm getting Luke warm on Nate as coach too.
I guess I prefer wings to be my bench scorers, because they usually have the handle to drive the lane and either draw a foul or take a high percentage shot. Bargnani doesn't strike me as a go-to scorer by any stretch.
Living in BC, I subscribe to NBATV - Toronto. I watch Bargs and while lazy on defense (not unlike LMA) he reminds me of a younger Dirk. Not Dirk, but with Nowitzki's 3-4 (big wing) player. I'd like to see LMA, Bargs and Iggy on the floor together, with Mathews and a speedster at the point. I'd start: Pryz with LMA, Batum, Iggy and a new, young PG. Off the bench: Camby, Bargs, Rudy, Mathews and Armon. Roy is my favorite and I have had dreams of a healthy Oden. Sadly, we better start thinking of changes sooner than later.
