2008-2009: Alley-Oop team?

by ranma on Dec 23, 2007 5:35 PM PST

I was watching some of the highlights on Rudy Fernandez earlier today, and the thing that gets shown more than anything except his shooting is his dunking off of lobs. He moves without the ball really well, and knows how to catch it above the rim and finish. So I was thinking... we don't Alley-Oop much this year, even though we have some athletic players who should be able to catch and finish a lob pass. Anyone remember that stretch of two or three games in which Steve Blake (who is coming from Denver, and I'm pretty sure I heard the Mikes say Denver is the #1 Alley-Oop team in the league this year) tried a bunch of different Alley-Oop lobs that failed utterly because no one was able to catch them?

Next year Rudy Fernandez presumably joins the Blazers, along with Greg Oden. Fernandez will be a rookie, but with Sergio on the team already and very familiar with Rudy's game, a Sergio to Rudy Alley-Oop would presumably happen regularly. I don't think it would take Blake that long to follow suit trying to lob to Rudy, and to Oden as well. Once Fernandez makes it clear how to move without the ball, catch and finish, will people like Oden, Outlaw, Webster, Aldridge, and maybe even McRoberts pick it up and make the Blazers into a dunk centric team off lobs from Sergio, Blake and Roy?

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I doubt it

This would take McMillan letting his foot off the throat of the offense and ungluing Sergio from the bench.

Summer league 08' should be off the crazy though.

by jonestr on Dec 23, 2007 7:41 PM PST reply actions

I am hoping that they use Oden much like they

do Howard and Bynum which is Alley-Oops off of back cuts and pick and rolls. That is a big part of why they are the top two in the league in dunks. No reason why Oden should not be as well with his athleticism and power.

by jferg on Dec 23, 2007 11:11 PM PST reply actions

I remember a couple nice alley oops to Freddy

Laast year Freddy Jones had a couple of nice dunks off of alley oops. That dude can jump like a frog. I heard he started a couple games for the Knicks recently. Good for him.

I can see Rudy becoming a go-to guy on the alley oop, like Freddy.

Nature bats last.

by fisheyes on Dec 24, 2007 9:38 AM PST reply actions

My thought was,

it's difficult for guys like Maurice Lucas and Nate McMillan to show people how to jump and catch a lob pass for a dunk. Maybe Monty Williams could fake it.

Anyways, I'm hoping Outlaw, Webster learn a lot from Rudy's ability to do that. I'm not sure, but I'm guessing that Oden already has it down.

by ranma on Dec 24, 2007 9:48 AM PST up reply actions