Yes, like when Oden played. Always rolling to the hoop and no one passes to him. I also hate when they don't see him on the break. He races down the floor and no one throws him a lob pass. Frustrating.
don't hold your breath with a lockout likely and a limited season and camp likely if we even have a season
If we had picked up Kobe Bryant at the trade deadline, no one would be saying, "Give him time to learn the system." We'd expect him to start contributing right away. I'm not saying that Gerald Wallace is in Kobe's league, but he certainly came with lots of rave reviews--and it's a little surprising to see him struggling so much.
Would Kobe be coming off our bench? Would he be sitting around the 3 point line like a glorified James Jones? Wallace IS contributing, just not in the scoring department. He had 10 boards last night. Seriously, if you thought he was going to come in here and average 20+ points, you clearly have no idea what he brings to the table or what his strengths are. He's not a volume scorer. If we had traded for Melo and he came in here struggling to score, you might have a case, but Wallace is a do-everything man. He rebounds, plays defense, and slashes. He's not a Kobe or a Melo. Get your facts straight.
Probably not, but if he were, you can be sure he'd be contributing in a significant way. And whose fault is that? Wallace should be moving without the ball and trying to get open. I doubt that McMillan told him to hang out at the 3-point line. To say the least. So far, he's not a scorer at all. He chucks up awkward jump shots from about 20 feet with a man on him, and they clang off the backboard. It's one of the ugliest-looking jump shots I've ever seen. Even when he drives to the hoop he looks awkward. The rebounding is good, the defense is good. I've got no complaints there. The "slashing" is a joke, so far. He looks completely out of control when he goes to the hoop; it's as if he has his mind made up to go up and dunk it before he evens knows what the defense is going to look like. As I said, I hadn't watched Wallace a lot before he came to Portland, so I didn't know what to expect. So far, he looks like a very unpolished offensive player.
Who else did you want playing the 4 last night? Andersen played 38 minutes and Turkoglu played 41 minutes. One of those guys usually played PF. Combined they took 10 three pointers. The Blazers had to go small IMO as Camby is no help on the perimeter. I guess Wallace feels he can not over power a PF like he can as a SF. But the game has changed a little bit. He is stronger than a lot of P'sF out there. I also see it has an advantage as he can go around bigger slower players. I like the smaller-quicker line-ups at times, and when he plays the 4, they are quick. I say get your best 5 players on floor at the end of games. LMA at center and Wallace at PF enables that.
No, Kobe would be pouting on the bench if he wasn't starting. There's no way he would "contributing in a significant way". Wallace is doing what the coaches told him to do. He doesn't know the system so he's floating. Trying not to get in the way.
Please, can we make it a trade for LeBron James so the scenario is not so repulsive? I think Shooter still has me on ignore, but his analogy does not hold up. Had the Blazers acquired LeBron, his role would be EXACTLY the same as it had been on his previous team. To be the center and focus on every offensive possession. And everyone on the team would know it. Gerald Wallace is having to adjust to a new role. And while a good player, he is not a top 3 in the league and no one claimed it. Also remember the Blazers, having painfully adjusted to playing without Roy and Camby, now have to readjust to playing with them. Good in the long run, but still an adjustment. Essentially they are integrating/reintegrating 3 players on the fly. And BTW, have just won 3 consecutive games.
Having Wallace makes trading Batum for the PGOTF much easier. I say make a play for Nash while Brandon can still walk. Go for it now!
In time, (maybe Camby is not 100% yet), LMA at the 4 and Camby at 5, will be/should be the starting lineup or first unit.
True. And Camby did start last night. But Wallace has to play the back up 4 because we have no-one else especially against teams who have PF's that hang out on the perimeter and shoots 3's pretty well. Batum can guard some as well, but obviously Wallace is better suited as he is a better rebounder and is more physical. Bottom line it is not ridiculous to play him as our back up PF. IMO it is a good idea. (Depending on the match-up)
Nate is the only coach in the entire NBA that would bring a former all star and first team all defense player off the bench in favor of a dude that isn't now, nor is likely to ever be, either of those things. This notion that the team needs better outside shooting in the starting unit is great and all, except in half the games Batum's 3 point shooting is only marginally better then Wallace and Batum does absolutely nothing else even close to as well as Wallace. I would prefer to have all the guys who play hard every play start. That isn't Batum right now, even according to Batum himself. Miller does, Mathews does, LMA does and Camby does. But none of them play as hard as Wallace. Not even close.
What a testament to the amount of Respect Nate gets from his players. It's so refreshing in today's NBA to have players buy into a team first approach. It's clear in every interview these guys will do whatever it takes to put the team first. That being said, depending on the match-up, I expect to see G start fairly soon.
I'm with Nate (Bishop, not Mac!). Give him an off-season to get integrated with his teammates and a starting role (where he belongs) and I think alot of these frowns get turned upside down regarding his play and fit so far -- this comment is strictly limited to his role on offense. Defensively, he's been pretty great. He's an instinctive in the passing lanes, he's strong as an ox, quick, rebounds great and injects a heavy dose of toughness into, what is often-times, a milquetoast team.
The thing that makes Wallace so great to me is the fact that he doesn't need his number called at all to make a huge impact on the game. Thats a very underrated trait in the NBA.
Not me. Keep him coming off the Bench. Even if he comes in after a few minutes. He gives us the spark we need.
