A Three-Part Prescription for the Blazers

Is there anyway you can fax this to One Center Court?

it was sure difficult for jack to run last year. i would expect that fast breaks would improve if sergio was in…as that is his specialty. i’m less concerned with fast breaks than i am with a legit post game. i was hoping that greg would be our man down low opening up the midrange game for LMA…but i guess LMA will have to playing in the most for a majority of the game again.

I am with the Philthy on this one. The Blazers first and foremost didn’t have that many fast break opportunities to mismanage and turn the ball over (There was only one that I can remember that was ugly). However, it would be nice to know that when we have a 3 on 2 or 2 on 1 advantage, the ball is going to go in the hoop for an easy bucket rather than holding our breath and hoping for the best. My fingers are crossed that the team can develop some consistency here. I think Rudy will play a major factor. I LOVE how this guy reads passing lanes on defense. He is like Champ Baily out there picking off passes.

I don’t think one game is enough to call something broken anyways. Maybe 3 or 4 games with poor execution but let’s let Nate see what he can do in a couple practices.

Oden and Fatty Burritos
I know the dude is huge and has an above average appetite but fat burritos from Chipotle aren’t exactly the healthiest rehab food. Channing hired a nutritionist over the summer and was in the best shape of his career before his surgery.

Oden and the High post
Thirteen minutes isn’t exactly enough time to establish a rhythm on the floor but I would have liked to have seen some high and low post game between Oden and LMA. This aspect of the Blazer’s offense will allow both players to showcase the best of their offensive arsenal as well as open up outside shooters in a modified triangle offense. This didn’t happen in LA. Since GO is out for the next 2-4, my guess is close to two or less, it may still be a while before we do.

Last game, LMA showed zero ball handling which he said he worked on during the summer. It was disappointing since he got the ball so many times at the elbow or wing and decided to just chuck a 19 footer. I’m looking for him to actually attack the basket this year and draw some FTs. None of this drifting around the perimeter, get in the paint and mix it up! Maybe I’m expecting too much from a POWER forward, but it’s kind of sad to know Channing Frye is more physical than LMA.

Do you really think GO hasn’t been working on his shot or his nutrition? Re/ the latter, he’s lost a lot of weight over the past month or two. Prior to that, it was inevitable that he’d put on a few pounds, as his activity level was limited by his injury. To expect him to lose weight while he’s out with his current injury is unrealistic for that very reason. I’d say the best-case scenario would be for him to maintain his present weight.

Speaking of this much-discussed topic—GO’s weight—remember that Andrew Bynum’s reported dimensions are identical to GO’s—i.e., 7’ and 280 lb. That’s not necessarily overweight. Remember, GO played at only a few pounds less in college, and he was a teenager then. Most players fill out as they age: that’s ordinary maturation.

they gotta start playing like it….

i read somewhere that LMA is the blazers best wing defender at 6’11", so basically if u went with a big lineup of broy/rudy/LMA/frye or pryz/oden it would be tough for a lot of teams in the halfcourt

you make see 6’10" Randolph getting more minutes..9.8/5.5 pts/rb steals blocked shots drew charges…high BBIQ ..

10 pts in 1st half at Utah -

he was practicing with the “black” unit last week ..

There’s a scene in Woody Allen’s film, “Stardust Memories,” where his character is followed relentlessly by fans who ask absurd questions, press him for favors, and generally attach themselves to him in the hope that somehow, by identifying with him, their own miserable lives can be improved.

I bring this up because Oden is probably suffering from the weight of media parasites whose weight on his back has begun to drag him into the muck. The unrelenting gawking, commentary, and heavy breathing that follows his every breath is a terrible and undeserved burden, and it is no less destructive than trying to grab a rebound with three Lakers on one’s back. Oden’s injury is a sad-but-accurate metaphor of what his recent life has been. While trying simply to do his job, the necessary effort tore up his foot.

The weight of unreasonable and manic expectations helped hobble Bill Walton in 1978, when he was pressured into using medication rather than sit out a game (also because of a foot injury), and the franchise was dealt a blow it has not yet recovered from. It’s okay to love the golden eggs, folks, but, for God’s sake, let the goose live!

Basketball is a team game, and the media focus on one guy, to the exclusion of the others on the team, is always harmful. No matter how a coach tries to insulate the team from it, when reporters, bloggers, crazy fans, and random fruitcakes relentlessly pursue a “story” about one guy while ignoring the big picture (It’s a GAME), the unfair, unnecessary, and unproductive attention eats away at the team’s morale.

Therefore, I think it would be great if everyone in Portland who calls himself or herself a Blazer Fan would simply shut up about Greg Oden. Watch the games, scream at the TV, and read the blogs. But leave Greg alone for a while. He’s just a human being with a hurt foot. Leave him alone, for his sake and the sake of the team you “love.”

Hey Dave

Whatabout the results from the jersey contest? Does anyone actually know who scored the first blazer basket? Maybe this got lost in the fold, many stories as there were post game.

I’m disappointed as a fan but not upset as a Vulcan Logician after the game…

… but for the fact you mentioned.

What has it been? 3 seasons? 4 seasons since we saw a credible fast break? We blamed it on Stoudamire; we blamed it on Telfair; I saw someone mention above we need Sergio in for a decent fast break…

Really?

I’m starting to think I haven’t seen a good break since Dunleavy or maybe Addelman. And I believe it’s a big part of the game. It’s immeasurably demoralizing to the other team; the other team’s fans; and puts your own team on a big high.

Not to mention it sells tickets.

I wonder if Nate just doesn’t give a crap about the break because it seems strange to me that all of our players just happen to be deficient in this category.

clinging on for dear life….

Really great comments on 95.5 this morning from a physical therapist stating that these injuries all happening on his right side could mean his nervous system is over/under compensating to correct. He said if he was training Greg there would be quite a bit of balance work incorporated. I tore all the ligaments in my ankle playing hoops a few years back and was informed by the doctor it was the worst he had seen in 20 years. I spent 6 months with a sports therapist and the majority of the work involved was fast muscle twitch exercises. Basically training the body/brain to subconsciously have a knee jerk reaction (pun intended) to situations where a joint is at risk and essentially auto-correct before any damage can occur. I hope I am stating the obvious and this is being done. Also regarding Greg’s diet. These guys are young and burn this stuff off even when they are sedintary. They have metabolisms by comparison to us mere mortals are off the charts. That being said Friday Greg was sitting next to me at Five Guys Burgers and then I see the photo of him at Chipotle. The Blazers could easily as was mentioned above assist or even hire a nutritionist that when combined with the strength, conditioning and cardio he is doing get him where he needs to be in 1.5 to 3 months.

TK

I totally agree with Dave’s comments about nutrition. GO – and every player – needs every competitive advantage they can get. Good nutrition can be one of those advantages. I was rather dismayed to read something about GO recently – that article talking about how he slugged down a Red Bull before going to bed, counting on the sugar crash to get him to sleep. Caffeine and sugar – not good things to be putting into your body.

Here’s how to fix what ails this team:

1. GET LMA AND CHANNING LOW. We don’t need a 6’11" jumpshooter. We need someone to ruck for rebounds and score the ball low. Pryz can do one of these things superbly, the other not so much. Give the opposition something to fear low so that they can’t cheat on the perimeter defense.

2. RUN, DAMN IT!!! Watch some old Blazer film. What do you see — OUTLET PASSES. Hello? Hello? This is a young team that plays like a senior recreational league team. There’s nothing wrong with a solid half-court game, but THAT’S ALL THEY CAN DO. They plod, they run the same boring pick-and-roll and then they take their 18 foot jumpers which either clank or fall. That’s a recipe for disaster.

3. END THE SERGIO ERA AND END IT NOW. Get him out of here. Play Rex and play him now. Think Tony Parker. Rex is our Jordan Farmar, putting it differently. Get him in games, let’s see what we can do. We’ve seen the Sergio song and dance already — nothing has changed… A few snappy passes and FEAR on the court. Say what you want about Rex, but FEAR will not be a problem. Sergio is nothing more than a dinner companion and glorified alley oop machine for Rudy. Move him for pennies on the dollar; or cut him and send him to Europe. It doesn’t matter. Get him OUT OF HERE.

Oden Schmoden.

t

for a long time that there is no emphasis on the fast break. When the bigs get a rebound they mostly hand it or short pass it to a guard standing nearby instead of looking to pass it to a teammate streaking down court.

Greg should take some weight off his knees and feet? Duh!! How long have I been preaching this? Ever since Nate became upset when he saw how heavy Oden was getting from all the weight workouts with Bobby Medina.

To bolster his cardio fitness during this next rehab he should be spending hours doing whatever cardio exercise is allowed, such as swimming, or possibly bicycles or eliptical machines or whatever. And he should be maniacal about doing it. Judging from his current lack of fitness, I wonder how truly committed to this type of activity he was during his knee rehab. Stay away from the weights for awhile and focus instead cardio-vascular stuff.

And I also agree with PtownJake …. stay out of Chipotle’s for awhile — at least until he starts burning heavy calories by playing full time NBA ball (oh how we all hope that day will come — and I’m sure nobody hopes for it more than Greg).

 and probably not even a goal…….the Blazers do not have anything going for them as a fast break team…They are a hundred miles away

1. fast breaks get generated out of many different parts of the game
first and foremost……
          A. Aggressive defense
                 stop the ball( get them out of their first and second option so they are working against the clock)
                 play the passing lanes
                 try to breakdown the first option(force them into taking a less desirable shot)
                 fundamental position (both on the boards and man on man "D")
                 hustle plays, reaction plays, anticipation, etc.

once you get the basics of defense (and I left out some things for sure) then as some have said, you need to move the ball quickly down court…this means forget dribbling the ball….once you start dribbling you allow the defense to catch up….you get the outlet to(at least) half court before any dribbling occurs…this may take two passes…but the idea is to get the defense on their heels (you beat them in transition)…..(this also means the players have to stack their transition positions to allow the ball to be passed instead of dribbled …then the ball needs to get to the middle of the court (only time a few dribbles may need to happen (but still passing gets it there faster) This gives you 3 lanes to attack the basket ( and if you have an active team, this will also allow a return pass to a trailer steaming to the hoop) …..this option you almost never see anymore in the NBA, because most players rely on their athletic ability to finish the play…however, there should be no excuse for not returning the pass when you have the numbers…. A very effective finish, that has some demoralizing effect as well….

These examples are just a few of ways to get a fast break into your game….The Blazers aren’t even close…they are missing the fundamentals of it all and their coach has not installed any gears to add to the mindset of the players for it to happen…..until this team realizes the value of getting easy hoops, they will always live on the edge and the outcome of games, in which they have the lead, will always be in doubt….They won 41 games last year…How many of them were decided early on?

I’m like one of those patients too depressed to take my prescription. I might need in-patient therapy.
Dr. Dave, can you just beam a memory eraser directly into my head and make a new memory of the game … one where Oden isn’t hurt in the first quarter, one where Canning and LaMarcus don’t take three-point clankers like Bukowski did whiskey shots, one where Bandon CAN hit the broadside of a barn, one where Sergio is “much improved” over last year, one where defense and offense don’t look shaky as miniature greyhounds pulling an Iditarod dogsled?
 … um, please?
I have health insurance now, if that helps.

1) Our team will be forced to play like they did last year (sans Oden), and they can reestablish that Roy and Aldridge are in the offensive drivers seat. Oden will blend into this team… the team doesn’t blend around Oden.

2) Oden will miss the added pressure of playing against the NBA’s established great big men right off the bat, many of which were going to be in the opponents arena. He can ease into his career with a couple of softies and get his feet under him (no pun intended).

3) I might be able to go to the home opener where he is finally unveiled as the starting center. I’m unable to go to Friday’s game and was quite livid about missing the first introduction to the home crowd of Mr. Oden. Yes, I am so selfish as to have actually listed this as a positive to him being out for a couple of weeks… sorry.

some real discussion inspired from the results of an actual basketball game that counts. The Summer was driving me nuts reading all of these well intentioned, but pointless (in the scheme of things) posts.

All athletes (anyone for that matter) will benefit from a nutritionists. However, Oden eating a burrito is not cause for concern. At his age and size, he will burn off that burrito playing ‘guitar hero’ for an hour. It would take me a full week at the gym…as soon as I make it to the gym.

Just get Oden back as soon as possible. Even though he did not score, you could see how much space he takes. On the injury play, no one would even go near him while he was jumping around until Bynum finally threw him to the floor (look closely, Oden did not just fall).

Fastbreak did look pitiful. That will change.

As everyone says, we our a very young team. That was only Brandon’s and Lamarcus’ third opening NBA night. We were all nervous all day before the game. Imagine how they felt. I think everything was just a case of the nerves.

If he wants to be something special, or mean anything to this team… He will use this as an opportunity to get in shape physically, mentally and not sit on his ass.

As usual.

Your points about Greg’s diet and regimen are particularly apt.

If Greg is ever going to become even half the presence on the court that fans want (or expect), then he is going to have to become very serious about his diet. From what I have read Greg is almost totally clueless about nutrition and diet. He needs to go from clueless to scrupulous immediately… yesterday… should have been strict about it years ago with his huge frame.

especially on #1. I cringed when we posted up Oden- we should do this occasionally, but not a lot. Early in games, the ball needs to go to LaMarcus. All the time.

Are the Blazers really not hiring a nutritionist? Buy him food, whatever the hell you have to do to get your multi million dollar investment/franchise saver in shape physically & mentally.

please never use the phrase Blazer Nation again.