Maybe its just me but I found myself screaming at the tv last night when Dirk came back in the game with 2 fouls (in the 2nd qtr I believe) and he was guarding Oden on the block and we simply refused to pass the ball to Oden. Am I the only one that this was so obviously painful to see? And then just when I thought it couldnt get any worse, I had to watch our supposed "best passer" in Sergio struggle to get the ball down low to Oden and then flat out give up and pass it away after 10 seconds of not being about to pass it down to Oden. WTF?!?!? It was obvious to me that this was thing to do and none of the Blazers really even tried or worse even thought to do. I know, I know ... there were many other issues last night and Dirk wasnt really the one killing us but this is the issue that I couldnt get out of my head. This is the kind of thing that even a city rec league team recognizes. We are young but isnt this where anyone on the coaching staff (not just Nate) points this out to the players?
Oden seems to have no idea how to get clear to accept a pass in the paint. He just stands still with a defender draped over him all the time. Bayless and Blake have tried many times only to have the pass tipped or intercepted. Sergio and Rudy recognize when he's not open and go with a player who is, rather than force a bad pass. The only game he was able to get the ball a lot was with LaMarcus feeding him over the top of a shorter defense. I really expected Oden to have been educated better while he was out all year, but he's got a lot to learn.
I disagree, while at times I have seen what you are talking about more often than that is Oden right under the hoop waving his arms wildly like a wide receiver in the end zone and no one seems to see the SEVEN FOOT TALL CENTER And rarely do any of the players look to dump the ball to Oden on the drive.
