Victor as Starter and Matthews sixth man?

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Nate Dogg, Dec 31, 2012.

Moderators: 6

Moderators

  1. BrianFromWA
  2. Chris Craig
  3. Darkwebs
  4. Ed O
  5. PtldPlatypus
  6. SlyPokerDog
Page 1 of 2
  1. Nate Dogg

    Nate Dogg Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2008
    Messages:
    3,118
    Likes Received:
    21
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Occupation:
    Private Security
    Location:
    N.E.P.
    Interesting piece.
    Source: http://www.portlandroundballsociety...tthews-as-sixth-man-makes-sense-for-blaz.html
     
    Nate Dogg, Dec 31, 2012
    #1
  2. BLAZER PROPHET

    BLAZER PROPHET Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2008
    Messages:
    18,725
    Likes Received:
    191
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Occupation:
    dental malpractice claims adjuster
    Location:
    Portland area
    I'm not for it. Matthews is a starter and has earned the additional minutes. Claver is still very raw and is marginal NBA material so far.

    We see this crap all the time. Every single time a bench warner does anything remotely NBAish some nut writer wonders aloud why they don't get more minutes... I never cease to be amazed...
     
    BLAZER PROPHET, Dec 31, 2012
    #2
  3. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2008
    Messages:
    34,328
    Likes Received:
    43,692
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Matthews can very easily have the same amount of minutes while coming off the bench.

    I never cease to be amazed at people commenting on articles without semingly actually reading them. Nowhere in the article does it say that Claver should get more minutes, or even that Claver is even a very good player.

    The entire thrust of the article is that the starting unit as a whole appears to function comparably well with Claver as with Matthews, and that Matthews might actually benefit from a "scoring-as-primary-responsibility" role off the bench, rather than being one of many scorers in the starting unit. I see merit to the concept, and in this developmental year, I think it's absolutely worth a shot.
     
    PtldPlatypus, Dec 31, 2012
    #3
    HailBlazers likes this.
  4. jlprk

    jlprk The ESPN mod is insane.

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2009
    Messages:
    30,672
    Likes Received:
    8,852
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    retired, while you work!
    The writer would rather make us read for 5 minutes than show a simple chart. He says the new starting lineup is 6.3 points over the old one. The new bench lineup is .3 points over the old one.

    And who, early in preseason, saw Claver's talent?.....my 2nd- favorite player.
     
    jlprk, Dec 31, 2012
    #4
  5. HailBlazers

    HailBlazers RipCity

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2008
    Messages:
    20,016
    Likes Received:
    17,259
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    PDX
    HailBlazers, Dec 31, 2012
    #5
  6. Pinwheel1

    Pinwheel1 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2008
    Messages:
    23,230
    Likes Received:
    15,718
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I was thinking the same thing two days ago. I know it will not happen, but I see the advantages for sure. How many offensive weapons do you need to start the game? Batum, LMA and Lillard are three good options. Claver gives them more length to start the game off, he is a solid rebounder, passer, and defender. Good teams in the 80's used to do this all the time. Start an inferior player, so you have a better rotation for the rest of the half.

    Like I said the Blazers won't do it because it would piss Wes off, but I certainly would not be opposed to it.
     
    Pinwheel1, Dec 31, 2012
    #6
  7. BlazerCaravan

    BlazerCaravan Hug a Bigot... to Death

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2008
    Messages:
    28,071
    Likes Received:
    10,384
    Trophy Points:
    113
    http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/clavevi01/on-off/2013/

    Claver definitely hurts your offense on the court, but he's a not a bad defender, as evidenced by Opponent ORtg when he's off the court versus on. I wouldn't start him over Wes, but man with experience, a trapping unit of Claver, Leonard, Batum, Matthews, and Aldridge would be lethal.
     
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2012
    BlazerCaravan, Dec 31, 2012
    #7
  8. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2008
    Messages:
    57,713
    Likes Received:
    56,216
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    NYstateofmind
    The sample size is way too small for advanced stats.

    But I think the whole point of this is to bolster our bench. I'm for it, but it will never happen. One alternative however is to simply change the subbing pattern and get Wes or Nic out early in the first, and stick them back in with the bench unit. We saw it a bit in our game vs Philly where Nic exited with like 5mins left in the first and returned to play the whole second quarter. He was a passer with the first unit, and scorer with the second. We could try the same with Wes when he gets back.
     
    illmatic99, Dec 31, 2012
    #8
    Eastoff likes this.
  9. BlazerCaravan

    BlazerCaravan Hug a Bigot... to Death

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2008
    Messages:
    28,071
    Likes Received:
    10,384
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Agreed, and yeah that's a good idea. At least we don't have to add "But it's Scribbles McAssflake we're talking about, so he'll pobably cross his arms and ship all five bench guys in at once again." to the end of all our posts this year!
     
    BlazerCaravan, Dec 31, 2012
    #9
  10. Eastoff

    Eastoff But it was a beginning.

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2009
    Messages:
    16,060
    Likes Received:
    4,035
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Tualatin
    Batum as Point Forward?
     
    Eastoff, Dec 31, 2012
    #10
  11. Eastoff

    Eastoff But it was a beginning.

    Joined:
    Jun 17, 2009
    Messages:
    16,060
    Likes Received:
    4,035
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Tualatin
    I like that nickname. It took me a while to get the "scribbles"
     
    Eastoff, Dec 31, 2012
    #11
  12. BlazerCaravan

    BlazerCaravan Hug a Bigot... to Death

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2008
    Messages:
    28,071
    Likes Received:
    10,384
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Yeah, but I see it mostly as an offense/defense type of lineup where they use it for one or two plays in crunchtime. But in a steal/fastbreak situation, Batum and Matthews can both handle the ball well enough to finish. Even Claver is okay dribbling the ball.
     
    BlazerCaravan, Dec 31, 2012
    #12
  13. BlazerCaravan

    BlazerCaravan Hug a Bigot... to Death

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2008
    Messages:
    28,071
    Likes Received:
    10,384
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I think it's MM 1.0's nickname for him.
     
    BlazerCaravan, Dec 31, 2012
    #13
  14. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2008
    Messages:
    41,985
    Likes Received:
    26,321
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Ballin'
    I've thought all along that Claver made more sense in the starting lineup because he's a very solid glue guy who doesn't look for his own offense. The trouble is, Matthews shouldn't be allowed to look for his own shot, because he tends to try to do things that he can't - like dribble. I think the only way that Matthews in the second unit is a good idea is if we have a better backup PG who can set him up.

    Y'know what makes scary sense? Matthews and Claver as starters on the wing and Batum as our Lamar Odom/Manu Ginobili off the bench.
     
    Rastapopoulos, Dec 31, 2012
    #14
  15. mook

    mook The 2018-19 season was the best I've seen

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2008
    Messages:
    8,309
    Likes Received:
    3,944
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Buy a recipe binder at CookbookPeople.com
    Location:
    Jolly Olde England
    That's probably what will happen anyway, since Matthews won't be in complete game shape. Subbing him out after 5 mins isn't really disrespectful to what he's accomplished--it's just recognizing he's working his way back in. Hopefully it works in the short term, making it a sensible plan to finish out the season with.
     
    mook, Dec 31, 2012
    #15
  16. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2008
    Messages:
    41,985
    Likes Received:
    26,321
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Ballin'
    I checked, and even as an undrafted rookie with Utah, Wesley started 48 games. So he's pretty damn used to being a starter.
     
    Rastapopoulos, Dec 31, 2012
    #16
  17. BlazerCaravan

    BlazerCaravan Hug a Bigot... to Death

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2008
    Messages:
    28,071
    Likes Received:
    10,384
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Batum has always been a disaster off the bench, though.
     
    BlazerCaravan, Dec 31, 2012
    #17
  18. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2008
    Messages:
    41,985
    Likes Received:
    26,321
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Ballin'
    I've got it: start Nolan, Freeland, Sasha, Jeffries and Claver. Play them for the first 2 possessions, then sit them. That'll fix the bench problems!
     
    Rastapopoulos, Dec 31, 2012
    #18
    BlazerCaravan likes this.
  19. Hobbesarable

    Hobbesarable Cartoon Character

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2012
    Messages:
    6,773
    Likes Received:
    5,490
    Trophy Points:
    113
    No, Claver does not have Wesley's shooting range. I prefer keeping Wesley in the starting lineup (at least for this season) to spread the floor and act as a kind of safety net (along with Batum) for Lillard.
     
    Hobbesarable, Dec 31, 2012
    #19
  20. HailBlazers

    HailBlazers RipCity

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2008
    Messages:
    20,016
    Likes Received:
    17,259
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    PDX
    Would it though? Mathews seems like the prototypical team player that would do whatever it takes to help the team without complaint. Claver has the ability to be a solid rotation player and by putting him in the starting lineup you're only going to accelerate his growth.
     
    HailBlazers, Dec 31, 2012
    #20
Page 1 of 2

Share This Page