How can the Blazers help Fernandez?

What do you think is the best way to get Rudy out of his slump? It's obvious he's missing even the widest open shots. Almost scarry how his game in the post season declined offensively.

I was thinking maybe running cut plays to the basket. Maybe getting him to the line and making some foul shots to get him back into rhythm? On game 3, it really helped Batum get back into the game.

Whatever reason, we need to find out ways to get Batum, Fernandez and especially Wallace in the offensive flow. If they are firing on all cylinders, this team could be unstoppable.

 

I think Nate is already doing it - by praising his defense - to get him loose.

 

I think he just needs to focus on the game. According to an article posted on Blazersedge, he just fired his agent. Not sure why he did this right now in the middle of the playoffs, but he needs to let all that outside stuff go. Get some practice shots up and play care free.

 

Maybe a little chat with Roy can help. Probably make the game fun for him again? It seems the more loose Fernandez is, the better he plays. Don't worry about turn-overs as much as just being assertive on the court?

 

Just tell him to focus on defense (and, as andalusian mentioned, praise him for his efforts) so that he's not obsessing over each shot he takes. He can shoot, but he might be psyching himself out. As soon as he stops thinking and just shoots, in rhythm and instinctively, he'll probably begin making shots again.

 

Good ideas. This is the coaching we don't get from the unimaginative McMillan. If you asked him, his answer would be like the other posts in this thread--that it's not the coach's job to improve the player, it's the player's job.

 

I have a better idea. Bench him; he can't miss shots, or avoid taking them when he's not on the floor.

 

Rudy seems to be the guy that does best at getting in the face of Barea - I really do not think that Benching him is that great of an idea in this series. The Mavs have too many good players to waste Batum tracking Barea - so Rudy has a place in this series - even if his shots do not fall.

 

I agree, his defense on Barea has been worthwhile. I still want Rudy to keep shooting wide-open shots. He's too good a shooter for his luck not to even out and shots to start falling. I don't want him to start pressing and fire up contested shots. So I hope he can play within himself, expend a lot of effort on defense and shoot only when open.

 

I meant pure shooting skill, not productivity. I don't think he's a guy who's a great scorer against defense, but I think with no defense he's a very good shooter. Which is why I don't want him shooting anything contested. But who knows? Maybe he's lost the ability to even hit shots in an empty gym. I don't know.

 

Thanks, but I'm not one to put a lot of stock in stats. Stats can say anything you want. I'll wait for some empty gym video to be released.

 

When you guys figure it out can you let the Lakers know for Pau.


Damn Spanish pussies

 

How can we say that "Rudy is too good of a shooter"? besides his first yr in the league his shooting stats are sub par and simply awful this year. Lets get over the illusion that Rudy is a good shooter - he is not. Once in a while he gets hot but then reverts to form.