Let me start off by saying I think Nate played him perfectly this game. He was used as a spark plug in the first half. He was allowed to make mistakes. When he missed a few, Nate took him out and then put him back in a couple minutes later. In the second half, we were slumping to start, and Bayless was put in at the 5 minute mark. He played well so Nate stuck with him for the rest of the game and rode the hot hand. So, now what? I think we'll still see Bayless in the spark plug role. I think his minutes will increase, and he'll become sort of a Travis Outlaw for us. They will probably then ease him into the starting role. Maybe he starts after the break, maybe he starts next season. In any case, one of Blake/Miller has to either be demoted or traded so this guy can play more when Rudy comes back. There's no excuse for him to be playing 10 minutes a night anymore. Absolutely none.
Well, it's pretty obvious that Nate now wants Blake, Roy, and Bayless in the game during the 4th quarter and I think he'll stick with that. Miller will be traded soon even if we don't get much for him. We just have to make sure Mills is healthy first so that we have our back covered if Blake or Bayless get hurt.
I agree. No reason to start him. (This year) We need a spark off the bench. He will get his minutes. He will still have his ups and downs, but Nates needs to live with it this year.
Miller would thrive on a running team. Plenty of those out there, and some of them might have a small forward we could pry from them.
He will get about 5 points and 3 T.O.'s against the Magic and then everybody will go crazy on here about how he is a scrub! Then he will get 12 points and 3 dimes in Miami and people will not know whether to get mad or not. Then Andre will play well the last 2 games of the trip and Nate will sit him again and then he will play 5 minutes in a loss on XMAS and demand a trade. Then against Philly he will blow up and Nate will be forced to start him for the rest of the season. Then he will lead us to the playoffs after Brandon breaks his leg in January and everybody will claim he is a Hall of Famer! Then everybody will get healthy this summer and we will land John Wall through a crazy ass trade where we only give up Mills and Dante'. Then he will ride the pine the rest of his career and the Bayless jerseys that a bunch of you tools went and bought after the game on eBay will become worthless! How's that?
You know why people like to argue with you on here and shoot down your opinions? Because you shove them down our throats. I just got off work and have been reading this forum for about 20 minutes and I've already read about 5 times about how you dislike Miller and how you think he should be traded. Its like you pick a Blazer as your flavor of the week and constantly pad your post count with your admiration for him and how that player is the greatest thing since sliced bread and will bash another player on the team that plays the same position endlessly to try and prove your point. Your a diva to the extreme.
Bayless will play until Rudy comes back and then Nate will bury him on the end of the bench again. Either that or KP will trade him for a journeyman forward
Or that is the final straw that could get Nate fired? Don't laugh, Bayless has shown us as fans and his fellow players and a National TV audience that he deserves a LOT of minutes. Unless his play collapses Nate simply will IMO have way to much pressure on him to play Bayless. And don't be surprised if Brandon Roy starts whispering in Nate's ear to play Bayless. Roy likes to win and have some pressure taken off him, Bayless is showing he is a guy that can do that.
I agree with B-Roy up there - Bayless is probably best used as a spark plug off the bench, and he's demonstrated that he's fearless in the 4th quarter of tight game on national TV. That's what Outlaw used to do for the Blazers. The Blazers desperately needed a third scorer to step up, without Rudy, Outlaw, and Oden to rely on. Bayless has demonstrated he can do that. Now, he won't be as reliable as Roy and Aldridge, but hopefully, he'll be consistent enough to help.
How can I not help but laugh. As I said in another thread, Nate gave Bayless a chance as a 20 year old rookie last year. Why would you think he does not want him to succeed? He wasn't quite ready last year and the team had more important things to worry about then grooming yet another young player. They had fans like you and me demanding to make the playoffs. I think the coaching staff has done a pretty good job at bringing Bayless along. He was not ready, but he is now. A lot of us said last year it might take Bayless a couple of years to be ready. Seems like he right on schedule. Nate just cares about winning. He doesn't have an agenda like most of you suggest.
He's been "ready" all yr and Blake has played horribly and even with all the injuries it has taken a while to get Bayless minutes. One can't be too confident with the history we've seen so far. and this from another poster I fully agree with; "Blake still played 38 minutes which given the night Bayless was having, was unconscionable. Yes he finally shot over 50% for the first time in a month but in less minutes, Bayless had over double the points, more assists and less turnovers."
Looks like Miller will be traded. If Bayless can play even 50% of how he played last night, he is our answer at PG. He's fast, able to keep up with other quick guards and has the swagga to want to take the big shots. Also, Bayless can make mistakes and he doesn't go into a shell. We need more players like that. Players that can make mistakes and don't worry too much about them.
HCP I think you nailed it. EXCEPT, we probably have to throw in a draft pick pick in the Mills/Dante for John Wall trade. Other than that . . . spot on.
Looking back at last season, whenever Bayless got minutes he produced. So I am not really surprised he had a good game last night against a horrible Suns defensive team without Richardson. There's no doubt in my mind he can produce, just a matter if he will get the minutes. @ Nets: 6/9FG 11/11FT 3Ast 23Points in 25 mins @ Cha: 6/9FG 2/3FT 4Reb 14Points in 32 mins @ Nor: 7/9FG 5/7FT 2Stl 6Ast 19Points in 24 mins @ Dal: 6/9FG 2/2FT 4Reb 4Ast 14Points in 34 mins
I love what Bayless is doing. After the 1-3 road trip, when we were looking at the next 7 games . . . it looked pretty bleak. I just didn't see how we were going to score enough points to even stay close in these games. Bayless has added that dimension we desperately needed - a guy other than Brandon who can make things happen offensively. And he did it in the 4th quarter in back-to-back games. So impressive. If he continues to hit that midrange jumper (even more a 3 pointer or two sometimes) he could be the difference in this team making the playoffs. That said, I don't think he's a PG. At least not yet. He makes me nervous when he brings the ball up - he just doesn't look comfortable. And he's made some questionable passes in the backcourt. It's not that he can't pass (how about that alley oop to LA?) but I'm more concerned with him bringing the ball up/protecting the ball. Maybe he doesn't have to. Maybe Brandon brings it up?? As long as Nate is going to go with a 3 guard line-up to close out games, it's not an issue. But I wonder how long we can get away with that defensively and on the boards.
We don't need a PG. We need someone that plays off of Roy. Someone that doesn't freak out when they take the ball out of Roy's hands. THe penetration ability of Bayless and being so fearless is all Roy needs to give him more spacing. If Bayless can keep this up, then teams can't play "Take the ball out of Roy's hands and the game is won" game-plan.
