I don't see Bayless being the future PG of the Blazers . . . maybe at times to fill in, but not someone you pencil in at 30 mins a game at that spot. It's the exact same thing I was saying during summer league . . . so I know there are many who disagree with me.
Rudy could start if Nate decides to move Roy to PG - but I doubt he will do that - Roy should not play PG for the entire 35 minutes he is in the game. Sergio will be a starter only if Blake is injured.
If only we could give Bayless' shooting skills and defensive tools to Rodriguez. Then we'd have the perfect point guard.
I am confused. You said your analysis showed no rise in assists/minute after their second year. Did I miss the first two seasons Bayless played?
Good for Sergio. I had every reason to think that Bayless would beat him out, yet Sergio showed a confidence this pre-season that we haven't seen since his rookie year, and it has translated to him being a very good PG option for the way the second unit wants to play.
I don't think that Bayless has what it takes to be a PG in the league right now in terms of distributing the ball. I can see him filling the role of a combo guard instant offense off the bench, similar to what Bobby Jackson did in Sacramento when they were making their run.
Your man love for the Spanish players on this team and "Nate hate" is borderline unhealthy. In what universe does Nate bench the team's best player and all-star so a rookie (albeit a very good one) can take his spot?
you have to wonder if they might be showcasing sergio a bit for a trade this season, either way, whomever deserves the minutes will likely get them. and bayless as our 5th guard? who else has a luxury like that!
You are absolutely correct -- Bayless has not yet played a single minute of regular season NBA basketball. And preseason is a poor place to start. Let's give him more time. FWIW: Sergio was behind only Chris Paul in total assists this preseason (and ahead of everyone else). And in assists/minute, he was at 0.29, which is in the top 5 in the NBA on a season-long basis. That assumes, of course, that he gets enough minutes in the regular season. iWatas
Brandon has already stated publicly that he doesn't feel comfortable at the 3, and Rudy would get abused there even worse than Roy ... it is bad juju to force your team's best player(s) out of position for long stretches of a game. We've already seen a small ball lineup of Blake, Rudy, Roy and it didn't look pretty -- and no, replacing Blake with Sergio is not going to make that pig any less of a pig. I do think that we'll see plenty of lineups with Roy and Rudy both on the floor at the same time, but one of them is going to be manning the "point" and the other at off-guard, while a true small forward (Batum, Martell, Travis) is also in the lineup for defense. I agree Sergio has improved from last year to this year, but he's not a starter yet ... not even close.
It IS a downgrade. Sergio had an amazing game in his rookie season where he scored 20+ points and handed out 11 assists. We should have hung onto him. He was so good that night. We're really missing out.... Not.
