Opening Night: Start With Length

by JordanLeDoux on Oct 13, 2008 1:10 PM PDT

With Martell out, a lot of people have been discussing who will start SF in the season opener.

A Blake/Rudy/Roy backcourt would be intense. Personally, I love the idea of starting all three. I think that it would be an amazing lineup to run, but there are a few things unique about our season opener.

1. It's against the Lkrs. They run a triangle offense, which means we'll want length and athleticism on defense.

2. Odom will be their starting SF. Can you imagine Roy guarding Odom?

For our season opener I can't realistically see anyone but travis starting. Travis gave Odom complete fits every time they matched up. And Travis is the only one with both the length and the experience to start against that kind of size.

For a lot of the start of the season though, I think it's up in the air. I'd love to see our three favorite guards start the backcourt, but not for the season opener.

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I think Trevor Ariza will be SF starter and Odom and Walton 3/4 backups so...

Blake/Rudy/Roy

Blazers Fans are my boys, Celtic my bhoys.

by Nakamura on Oct 13, 2008 1:19 PM PDT 0 recs

If Ariza starts

Then I’d pray for a Blake/Roy/Rudy start. But I’m not convinced he will. Odom seems like the type that would throw a fit if he didn’t start, especially in a contract year.

by JordanLeDoux on Oct 13, 2008 1:27 PM PDT up 0 recs

Odom has ego...

but Phil Jackson has more & 9 rings. I think i read Phil wanted Lamar to come off the bench too.

Blazers Fans are my boys, Celtic my bhoys.

by Nakamura on Oct 13, 2008 1:42 PM PDT up 0 recs

heresay

I don’t see any reason why Odom wouldn’t start in this game.

by MavetheGreat on Oct 13, 2008 5:38 PM PDT up 0 recs

I believe Odom is coming off the bench in a Travis-like role.

If that is the case, Batum will have to guard him at times. Frankly, that is a matchup I can live with, unless the preseason turns up being some sort of farce. Anyways, Ariza is probably going to start as a defensive perimeter stopper so we could counter with a stopper of our own for Kobe (Batum) or an overload of scoring threats (Travis or Rudy at the 2 and Roy at the 3)

by Jiggamant on Oct 13, 2008 1:20 PM PDT 0 recs

Hard to say WHAT Odom's role will be.

Training camp’s been just a mess for him.
Bad play, bad chemistry, and in a contract year.

Also, Bynum is showing SERIOUS rust.
Given the lack of decent centers, the L[xxx]rs might have to put Pau at center a lot,
which means Odom at PF – a lot of time with the lineup they took into the playoffs.

Those La-Las are having an awkward little pre-season . . .

"Mister Oden is a very, very big human being." - Jerryd Bayless

by QualityPie on Oct 13, 2008 4:38 PM PDT up 0 recs

Batum will take him to the cleaners

book it and all that nonsense.

No, seriously, Batum matches up well against Odom.

I must admit, watching the Dow tank 500 points on Monday felt something like fun. All those dazed and confused investment bankers walking out of the Lehman Brothers offices with plants in their hands, scared about their future, not knowing how they're going to make rent on their $2,700 studio apartments--it was pretty freakin' sweet. These are the people who are happy to live in the Matrix and go along with the plan.

by bilingual octopus on Oct 13, 2008 1:36 PM PDT 0 recs

Why not consider how they would match up with us.

Think about how they would match up with Roy at SF. Nate will go with one starting option and stick with it until Marty gets back, and who knows whatever Nate decides may work well, forcing Marty to come off the bench.

by Titlein2011 on Oct 13, 2008 4:34 PM PDT 0 recs

headlines....

“We’re having Lamar come in and play off the bench so that he can start thinking about how he can help the team and what he can do when he does that,” Coach Phil Jackson said. “But I don’t know if I’ll experiment with it in a game yet.” Jackson recently said

seems like he is having odom come off the bench in practice as the man, in hopes that he will bring that same intensity to the starting lineup, that is what i read from it anyways, (along with maybe some uncertainty in the scouting report).

by contemnor on Oct 14, 2008 6:08 AM PDT 0 recs

You forgot Girth

Girth is good too.
Make sure Oden starts. He is girthy.

Blazers Edge has an alarmist vision and a poet's heart.

by tominhawaii on Oct 14, 2008 6:46 AM PDT 0 recs

Channing Frye

Is the answer to this question. Channing’s a better option as a starter at the 3 on the offensive end than Travis because he can catch and shoot (and space the floor) as well as Webster. On the defensive end, it may be a “wash” between Frye and Outlaw when it comes to lateral quickness and overall I favor Channing’s BBIQ

If Jackson puts in a quicker SF, Nate can counter with Rudy and slide Roy to the 3

by two4larue on Oct 14, 2008 3:43 PM PDT 0 recs