Every thread seems to turn into an Outlaw bash, so I thought I'd start a thread. So...pile on Travis! Let it all out! I'll start. He almost had a turnover on a pass that ended up an assist, and he took two tough shots that went in the basket!!!
There is no scapegoat in a game like last nights. Everybody played bad. The only way last nights game could have been worse is if the Blazers suffered more injuries. The way I can tell? If you read the post game interviews, every player and coach on the team was trying to take the blame for the loss. It was a complete breakdown, and the team was not ready for that intense of a game.
Hey, that's great, but perhaps you could clue in some posters here to this fact. Plus I read how "great" Rudy and Batum played in a bad loss. If the entire season on this site is going to be BBF/ Jarrett Jack redux, but this time starring Outlaw, I am going to take things to the extreme. He is asked to score. That is Travis' role on the team. Why doesn't anybody bitch about Joel not scoring? It's like Travis needs to be the one player who has all the tools. I don't get it.
I disagree. History has shown that I am one of the biggest Outlaw bashers there are. He played find last night. I still think Batum should have played more but Outlaw played fine.
You know it's interesting you bring that up about Joel. The dude can not score. But they ran at least 10 plays for him last night. I can not help but think that had to been a mistake.
OK, I'll bite: I've asked multiple times, and I'll consolidate them here. No one has answered me yet. And just so I'm sure, what should my takeaway be? That Travis is a great player who wants to be a Carmelo Anthony All-Star and shoot from wherever he wants, whenever he wants (paraphrasing his words, not mine). And when it goes in, I should be ecstatic and effusive in my praise that he is the starting SF for the next 10 years? And when it doesn't (57% of the time--or if you prefer, w/a TS% of 49), I should just shrug it off as a "bad game from a streak shooter?"
Outlaw isnt a bad player, he is actually better than Webster who was drafted in the lottery. I guess people were expecting the next Gerald Wallace in him. I think he would fit in with the Heat really well with Wright at the 3, send Outlaw,Frye and LaFrentz for Marion,Joel Anthony and a conditional first
That's a fundamental difference between us. I disagree. If you want to say "better scorer", fine. It'll be hard to substantiate any claims further than that, like "better shooter", "better passer", "better rebounder", or "better defender".
people were saying Webster was the next Glen Rice because of his offensive ability but he just hasnt shown it. Outlaw has pretty much been what the scouts said he would except not being able to be dominate consistently on offence.
Outlaw played very well last night. Unfortunately he didn't play this well during the preseason. Batum should have started.
One: Webster has consistently beaten out Travis for the starting spot over the last 2 1/2 years. Two: When given the opportunity to be in Travis' "me-first gunner" role, he scored 24 points in a quarter. Three: Nate's said that Martell's a better fit for the starting role. Four: When Travis is given the chance to start, he keeps the same game he has in his 'other role' as a me-first gunner. I don't know what all those mean. I just wanted to say them. Sorry.
Your more likely to give minutes to someone you invested more into which is why Webster has gotten more minutes. Webster isnt alot better Outlaw and Outlaw isnt alot better than Webster so give the one who you have more to lose on start.
We need our SF to be the energy guy who scraps on defense, rebounds, and gets us extra possesions. That's not Travis's game, that's Batums. I understand Nate switching the lineup last night but I hope he goes back to Batum starting. Travis is one dimensional and coggs down the 1st team offense when hes in there. There is absolutely no movement because they know 99% of the time he's going to shoot. That's fine for a great scorer or a gunner off the bench but not for the 1st team unit.
There will always be an argument between the two. The difference I believe is that if Martell is out there and not getting shots, he still gets something done, and defends. What does Outlaw do if he is not making shots? Nothing.
Huh? According to scouts Outlaw was going to be able to dominate consistently on offense? What are you talking about? Ed O.
The premise of this thread is a bit silly... hyperbole with a side of martyrdom. Outlaw was fine last night. He's about the only Blazer that played at the level we expect him to. I'm more of a Webster fan, myself, but I'm not going to ignore that Outlaw was pretty good last night and/or blame HIM for the loss when Roy and Aldridge and Oden all were so weak. Ed O.
Complaining about Outlaw is like whining about how you don't like your refrigerator while your house is burning down. Sure, it may be a crappy refrigerator. But it's kind of hard to evaluate it when beams are falling on your head. Similarly, it's pointless to say we should start Bayless or Batum or whomever. There are only two lessons to be learned from this experience: 1. We have a really young team, and they look to be a lot more fragile than we hoped (at least on opening night against the champion favorite while playing on the road and on TNT and during Oden's much-hyped first NBA game.) 2. Oden is injured again. Actually, even #1 doesn't sound so bad the way I put it. In retrospect it's surprising somebody didn't throw up at tipoff.
