Is Steve Blake helping or hindering us?

but his shooting is killing us, he takes smart, open shots and they just wont fall.  Hopefully he turns it around because he could really help us win games if he can get his jumper right...

Roy's not getting assists, and the lane is clogged due to his abysmal shooting.

when paired with guys who can take it to the hole with authority.

Such as Iverson and Carmelo.

or...remembering his last Blazer stint...guys like Maryland buddy Juan Dixon, and Ruben Patterson.  Even Bassy, for all his faults, was good at driving the ball (though he often would miss the layup at the end of the drive...).  Neither of these are in the same league as AI and 'Melo, but both will draw the defense to them.

He doesn't have those teammates on the current Blazer squad.  Webster is still not good at creating his own shot.  Brandon can, but his game is more multi-faceted than the straightforward I'm-gonna-drive-it-see-if-you-can-stop-me play of an Iverson.

Blake helps the team by not making mistakes, but he hurts the team by not being what the Blazers probably want most in their other starting guard (point or shooting).  The best counterpart to a Brandon Roy is probably someone who can drive and dish quickly, and who can play good perimter D.  Sergio shows promise of the first, but is woefully deficient in the second.  Jarrett can drive and dish, but also has trouble defending opposing guards, and seems better suited to coming off the bench.  Green and Koponen--we don't know enough about them.

I would expect Blake to be in the Blazers plans through the season.  However, he would be better off being paired in the backcourt with a guy like a Dwayne Wade, or a Kobe, or a LeBron--or back with the Nuggets in Denver.  Long term, I don't see him as the starting PG in Portland.

was a big part of that 4-0 homestand with his solid play.

He's been an equally big part of this nightmare 1-7 stretch.  His inability to hit wide open shots has badly hurt the team.  

Martell Webster's poor shooting has also hurt the Blazers.  After that torrid start, he's below his career 3 pt %.  Kudos to him for improving the rest of his game, but we still really need him to hit 40% or more of his threes.

Blake needs to shoot more. He's certainly a better shooter than what he's shown this year (comparing him with his first go-around with the Blazers).  

Now, it's as though he's afraid to miss, or perhaps he believes too much in his role of being a 'pass first' guy. They are leaving you open Steve ... take those shots, over and over if need be until they start dropping.  It's not like anyone else is shooting the lights out from distance so if they're not dropping at first, put it out of your mind.      

future as a starter, I don't think he ever has been, a back-up perhaps.  The critiques of his play this year are spot on.  He doesn't make many mistakes, and consequently is the best option for now, was very helpful in our win streak, and has been a serious contributor to our losing streak due predominantly to his shooting slump, and secondarily to throwing some really deflating bad alley-oop passes.  He's still producing assists though, so it could be worse!

To somewhat echo TwoDeep, he just seems like he doesn't want to shoot.  When he gets the ball wide open, he seems like he hesitates for a second as he thinks about it.  If he doesn't already know when the ball is in mid air on its way to him, he's toast.

We have 4 point guards who have 4 different strengths.  

Steve Blake has solid basketball I.Q.
Jarrett Jack has size, strength, and can finish.
Sergio Rodriguez can penetrate and break a defense down.
Taurean Green is a solid defender.

If only we could put these guys in a blender.  Then we would have a sizable point guard, who can run an offense, able to break down a defense for easy assists, who could play defense.

As it is, our point guard play is usually one dimensional.  It usually isn't all that dynamic, that's for sure.

This season:  37%

Also:  6'2", 172 lbs

'nuff said.

He's a second unit guy for most teams.