I did not see the game, so can't offer an opinion. Did see this: http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/69994/20101108/artest_speculates_roy_is_playing_injured/
Camby could definitely do it. He's an excellent passer and had a couple seasons in Denver where he averaged over 3 APG and was averaging 3 APG last seasons for the Clipps before the trade that brought him here. Let's face it, no center is going to look like a great passer playing in Nate's current system. Oden, in the little we've seen of him looks like he has the ability to be a good passer. Yeah, LaMarcus struggles to pass out of the double, but he's going to need to improve on that no matter what kind of offense this team runs. And the Bulls won 6 titles with no great passing big men. Bill Cartright was their starting center for the first three titles and he was a far below average passer, as was his back-up Will Perdue. Horace Grant was an average to slightly above average passer for a big man. Luc Longly, during the second 3-peat was probably the best passing big man on those Bulls teams, but he was no better than Camby. Tex Winter lives in Salem. I've been saying it for the past two years, unless he is still under contract with the Lakers, the Blazers should reach out to this guy and either hire him as an assistant coach, or at least as a consultant. BNM
If Camby were 6 years younger it would probably be a solid plan, but building the triangle around a 36-37 year old Camby is about a day late and a dollar short. As for LMA becoming the linchpin in the triangle, maybe it would work, but I have my doubts.
Teach it to Camby and let him teach Oden. Camby is a smart player. He's played in a number of systems over the years and been playing against the triangle his entire career, I'm sure he'd have no trouble picking it up. That's the thing, the Blazers have some smart players. I think Camby, Miller, Roy, Aldridge and Batum all have above average basketball IQ, and from the little I've seen of Oden, I think he does, too. This isn't like trying to teach quantum physics to the cast of the Jersey Shore. Yeah, the triangle has nuanaces, but start with the basics and build from there. BNM
Yep I caught that too. Earlier in the year (like the first game) I pointed out that I thought Roy was laboring to get up the floor on the fast break. Like one leg was stronger than the other or something. Pardon the pun, but I wonder if it has some "legs"
I don't disagree Camby could pick it up, I just don't think there's time. We'll probably have a lost season with a partial or full lockout, and when they resume play he'll be 38 and potentially a free agent. Anyway, I'm all in favor of it, but it won't happen until/unless Nate leaves and with the way Allen and Cho seem to view him I don't get the feeling they're in any hurry to replace him.
I love when people point to the 54 win season as a reason why we should be playing Royball. How many players are still on the team from that season? How many injuries has Roy sustained in that time? How far did that team get in the playoffs? Right now we're losing because we A) have very little production from our bench and B) can't seem to get any consistency from our starters. Whose fault is that? Nate's? KP? Roy? I'd say it's a combination of all three. This team is coached by Nate, so the system and the rotation is determined by him. If he doesn't have the players to run the system he wants, he needs to adjust his system. This team was built by KP. Regardless of whether he is here or not, the majority of the players were acquired in one way or another by him. This team still carries the Kevin Pritchard watermark. Roy is the leader of this team, and he is paid like it. He needs to step up his game and his attitude. He isn't helping anything by complaining or making excuses. I've been saying it for a couple of seasons now, and I think it still holds true today. For some reason this team is infatuated with youth. When we won 54 games a couple years ago, we were one of the youngest teams in the NBA. Since then we've added guys like Miller and Camby, which is great, but we've also lost veterans at point guard, small forward, and power forward. Every year we seem to add at least one or two rookies to the rotation. Two years ago it was Oden, Rudy, and Batum. Last season it was Dante and Pendergraph. This year it's Armon Johnson and Matthews, who might as well be a rookie with the way he's playing in his second year. I don't think we can keep replacing guys with rookies or second year players and expect to gain ground. Teams like the Lakers, Spurs, and Mavs all add veterans. Every summer they add one or two vets to their roster. Guys who have been there before. We add rookies and sophomores. Look at our active roster compared to last fall? The turnover is amazing. Guys who weren't here last fall on the current active roster: Camby Johnson Babbitt Matthews Elliott Williams Batum Rudy Half the team either wasn't here at all, or wasn't on the active roster with a significant injury. We can't add that many new guys to the mix and expect results.
Really? Then what the hell is Miami doing? Yes, I had to say it. How many new faces did Boston add the year they won it? It's about what faces you add. Not when they are added for the most part.
How many of the guys that Boston added were rookies? How many of the guys Miami added were rookies? They surround their stars with veterans, not rookies and sophomores.
I think passing out of the post is a great thing to have if your running the triangle, it definitely opens up more options, but its not necessary. Jordan didn't really have any great passing big men playing with him. Not like Shaq was a great high post passer either. As for a guy that can teach the Blazers the triangle? Brian Shaw. Greg Monroe would have been a perfect fit if we were going the triangle offense route, same with Hibbert, or any big that played at Georgetown, or with Pete Carrill and ran the Princeton offense.
Two years ago, it was Yao easily. Yao hasn't been healthy for 2 years and when he's played he's slow as molasses. This year when I've watched him all he's done is shoot about 10 foot jumpers from the baseline. Defensively he's soooo slow, he's been having to make up for it by petty fouls. 20 minutes a game and he's racking up 4 and 5 fouls.
I hope that Roy is just dealing with a mental problem that will eventually play itself out, but I'm afraid it's physical. Anyone can tell he just DOES NOT have the same explosiveness he used to have. And that is probably wearing on him mentally. I don't know why he won't come out and admit it. And I wonder what the Blazers are doing about it. Perhaps they found out he has some sort of deginerative injury, or something that will stay with him the rest of his career, and in typical fashion, are hiding it from the fans. Oh god............only the Blazers.
That's good to know, I haven't watched a single Houston game yet. And I'm not trying to disagree much here, Bogut is a pretty damn good center with a lot of skill and he seems to have developed a bit of ruggedness to his game in the past year or so.
It seems like Roy would like to play both guard positions, at the same time... He wouldn't be happy until he gets a chance to run the offense and make the great pass to... himself. It's not Miller's problem. Have you seen Roy with Armon Johnson? ouch. Right now, Roy is 2nd-worst only to Wesley Mathewss in our rotation (not counting Marks). That is my honest opinion based on the games I've seen. I'm not expecting Roy to be something he isn't, I'm not expecting him to be Nicolas Batum on defense or take Rebounds like Camby. I want him to be exactly what he's so vocal asking to be, instead of going out and taking responsibility - and that's being the focal point of the offense. But the focal point of the offense shouldn't be someone who constantly whines and puts himself before the team (going to a psychologist that'll make him a better leader is a complete joke) but instead someone who's confident enough in his ability to make the offense easier for the other players and when the opportunity presents itself (and just then), take what the flow of the offense gives you. Having a better team around him could make Roy's game easier if he buys into the team concept and lets the game come to him. If he continues to struggle with his ego and be concerned about how he's seen by fans and teammates instead of just taking care of business things would go hard. Right now, he's definitely not playing well. I think he should start by taking it easier and focusing on defense. A nice defensive play or two would make him feel better and sooner or later the offense will come. I like Roy as the face of the franchise and I think potentially, he's the player that'll lead us to a championship, but he has to concentrate more on the court and try to 'just play'. He has tremendous ability and once he gets out of this mental-struggle, the team will make a big step forward.
