I think this is the make-or-break year for Webs. He can't live on potential forever, and he needs to make the jump from below-average SF to excellent all-around player. I won't look to his stats, as the talent on this team will dilute anyone's numbers. I will analyze how into the game he is. How he asserts himself even if he's not getting touches. How he defends his man. How he moves without the ball. How he crashes the boards. And how he makes everyone around him better.
I think his ability to punish defense from doubling Oden will be the key to whether he stays or goes. He doesn't have to be spectacular, he just needs to be able to hit 3's and play good D, which I thought he did fairly well last year. Supposedly his ball handling has gotten better..which is good.
This is a make or break year for Webster. He needs to be more consistent and to drive the ball more. I honestly think he shouldn't be starting right now. Outlaw, as of today, is our best small forward.
With Rudy, Roy, & Jerryd, penetrating becomes less of an asset and 3-point shooting becomes more of an asset. If Martell can hit his shots and have good cofidence at taking good shots, then he should be good.
The biggest area I am looking for him to improve in is his on the ball defense. We drafted him because Nate thought he had great potential to be a defender in the NBA and I remember reading in an article leading up to that draft that he had sound fundamentals to be a perimeter defender. Other than that his passing and three point shooting are the only things we need from him, anything else he adds to his game would be icing on the cake.
Webster is a couple of years younger than Rudy, and comparing them at this point isn't entirely meaningful. Further, Webster is about three inches taller than Fernandez, which helps him man the 3 more effectively (and, therefore, fit in with Roy in the longer run more easily). Ed O.
I was half kidding... "How he moves without the ball. How he crashes the boards. And how he makes everyone around him better." All area's Martel needs to improve and all areas that Rudy is very good at.
A Player I would not mind Webster modeling himself after would be Rip. If he would replicate what he did to Utah last year even if it is only on again off again, Portland would become impossible to defend. Coming off screens and making threes, I want to see Mcmillan call that for him more often so he can get even more confidence in his game and begin to truly break out like Travis.
