Start Sergio

by TheGreatDane17 on Oct 30, 2008 1:32 PM PDT

Steve Blake? Jerryd Bayless?

No.

Sergio Rodriguez. Why?

Blake. Hits the 3 occaisonally, does a decent job of passing to wings, terrible at getting the ball down low. Plays off of Roy like a crutch. No fast break.

Bayless. Hits the 3, attacks the hoop. Does not look for the open pass, only as a last resort. Some may call him "selfish". He will want to score many points, something we might not ask our starting PG to do, especially with the "Big 3". Would be best this year coming off the bench and scoring from the PG position. No fast break.

Sergio. Can hit the 3 when he is confident. Does not attack hoop, below average touch so far. Good ball handling, great fast break, great passes. This is what we need in a starting PG, just let him dish it around. He doesn't need to take more then 5 shots a game. He could easily dish out 10 or more assists per night if McMillan gives some confidence in him. I want to see more of him. Put Rudy in as a main swing player & you have a potent offense. People will pay attention to them, leaving at least one other player open. I am going to be upset if McMillan doesn't make the best of this talent.

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I think Sergio would be

awesome starter if we didnt play a perpetual half court offence. The 2nd unit is more run and gun now, especially with Rudy.

I miss Martell.

Sophia

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by BlazerFan1 on Oct 30, 2008 1:38 PM PDT 0 recs

+1 to missing martell

count me in on that camp. I love that guy.

I’m proud to say that out the the three jerseys I have up on my wall, two are roy’s and the other is martell’s.

He who laughs last thinks slowest.

by prezofdeath on Oct 30, 2008 1:56 PM PDT up 0 recs

agreed.

With out Martell things are looking weird for the first unit. Hope he makes a quick recovery.

by doggpound84 on Oct 30, 2008 2:55 PM PDT up 0 recs

No joke!

I’m sad as well…

by CaptainSexyJacob on Oct 30, 2008 10:20 PM PDT up 0 recs

Steve Blake plays off of Roy like a crutch?q

Hasn’t Nate tried to surround Roy with guards who can play “off the ball” in the back court with him? If that’s what you mean by using Roy like a crutch, then I think Nate would say mission accomplished there… Sergio doesn’t play well or do the right things as much when the ball is not in his hands… actually, it kind of seems like he doesn’t do much of anything (right) when the ball isn’t in his hands…

I agree that Sergio could have ten dimes a game if he played enough minutes… the problem is the number of turnovers would probably hit double digits too… something that Blake has never struggled with regardless of his minutes, IMO.

by Blindsteepler on Oct 30, 2008 1:41 PM PDT 0 recs

While I agree that Blake makes a far better starter right now...

Sergio’s turnover problems are being exaggerated. He had a lower turnover rate than Jack last season (higher per minute since he has the ball more), and he had a lower turnover rate than Bayless in preseason (again, he had the ball more than Bayless). He’s fine in turnovers IMO. Obviously, Nate disagrees though.

by poster on Oct 30, 2008 1:47 PM PDT up 0 recs

...

He better get more PT against San Antonio. Show em we have a pretty nice international team ourselves.

Start Sergio. Blake can't run the fast break for ****

by TheGreatDane17 on Oct 30, 2008 1:49 PM PDT up 0 recs

I agree.

In the past, Sergio has had some horrible turnovers that were upsetting. However, I think with enough minutes (and from what I’ve seen so far this season) that’s a thing of the past. Still, Blake, for now, should start. I never “worry” when Blake has the ball. Sergio would have to earn that trust.

by Rake on Nov 1, 2008 1:07 AM PDT up 0 recs

I see Sergio as a starter too . . .

but not yet. he is still 1-3 years away from starting in the NBA. This year he needs the trust of his coach and 12+ minutes a game to steadily improve.

Free Sergio! http://www.freesergio.com

by sergioFTW on Oct 30, 2008 1:44 PM PDT 0 recs

i was gonna post this

but as always you beat me to the punch

i love sergio but he isnt ready yet. i dont think there should be a rush to start him either. sergio may not have the mental toughness as other players and right now is at a stage where he might break if he has more shots to his confidence. he should be protected on the 2nd unit much like quarterbacks often need to be babied early on in their careers to build up their confidence.

i have every confidence that sergio will succeed…but it’ll take patience.

by Philthyanimal on Oct 30, 2008 2:05 PM PDT up 0 recs

...

If McMillan can’t teach a young PG how to take care of the ball then he needs to hit the road. He is not doubt a talent but McMillan can’t seem to harness it. He shouldn’t be yanked after one turnover in a game.

Start Sergio. Blake can't run the fast break for ****

by TheGreatDane17 on Oct 30, 2008 1:46 PM PDT 0 recs

Sergio should play

Blake should start.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Oct 30, 2008 1:51 PM PDT 0 recs

yup

You can’t start someone without a 3 point shot, otherwise they all collapse on oden.

Let Sergio and Rudy run together. Let Blake and Martell open things up inside for Roy, LMA, and Oden.

He who laughs last thinks slowest.

by prezofdeath on Oct 30, 2008 1:57 PM PDT up 0 recs

Sergio cannot make points

No way this guy is going to start until he shows some aggressiveness on the offensive side. A team needs to at least be worried that the PG might go to the hole.

by everett on Oct 30, 2008 2:01 PM PDT up 0 recs

yup, exactly

can’t start him till he can score consistently. of course, Blake isn’t the master of going to the hole either, but at least he can drain the 3 ball

He who laughs last thinks slowest.

by prezofdeath on Oct 30, 2008 2:03 PM PDT up 0 recs

...

If it wasn’t for someone passing it to him too late for him to setup, that 3 he drained would have counted.

Start Sergio. Blake can't run the fast break for ****

by TheGreatDane17 on Oct 30, 2008 2:06 PM PDT up 0 recs

he doesnt

need to be agressive necessarily, but he does need to pose a threat so that defenders cant sag off of him the way they do with pryz.

by Philthyanimal on Oct 30, 2008 2:07 PM PDT up 0 recs

...

Blake can’t run for ****. Sergio is the superior player. Blake performs like that when he has the team under control. We will see what happens when he gets in the game more.

Start Sergio. Blake can't run the fast break for ****

by TheGreatDane17 on Oct 30, 2008 2:08 PM PDT 0 recs

Blake can run

He’s been to playoffs with the ultimate up tempo team— Denver.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Oct 30, 2008 3:06 PM PDT up 0 recs

Thank you

Great point… and I thought winning was the goal…not running

Sometimes I feel like I'm going in different directions...

by porterfan30 on Oct 30, 2008 5:53 PM PDT up 0 recs

Sergio looked good in the preseason

I’d like to see him get serious minutes on the 2nd team, but I don’t think he should start. Playing with Rudy will really help his confidence and the 2nd unit is better suited to Sergio’s skill set.

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by Magnum on Oct 30, 2008 2:40 PM PDT 0 recs

Sergio's game does not suit the physical intensity and toughness of the NBA

He’s fine in preseason and probably in Europe too, but at crunch time in the NBA he just doesn’t have the size, strength and toughness to get by in the NBA — not without a phenomenal skill set, and I haven’t seen signs indicating that he is capable of developing a phenomenal skill set. Again, not enough natural strength and poise.

The perfect is the enemy of the good.

by fisheyes on Oct 30, 2008 3:05 PM PDT 0 recs

...

He is the same size as Steve Nash, so throw that out the window. He has handles, he can drop dimes like no other PG we have. McMillan should take advantage of this, it taylors to what we need at the position.

Start Sergio. Blake can't run the fast break for ****

by TheGreatDane17 on Oct 30, 2008 3:07 PM PDT 0 recs

we also need

someone who can shoot the ball, both to play off of Roy and to force the defense to respect his scoring potential and avoid overplaying the lanes. Steve Nash is an incredible shooter, which is one of the reasons that he has space to pass. Sergio is a below-average shooter, so the defender can back off and wait for the pass. This was obviously LA’s plan, as they intercepted him twice (iirc) on the Rudy alley-oop and on a simple entry pass to the post. And handles don’t mean squat if you can’t finish, or if the defense knows that every move is going to be a drive and kick.

by abdelnaby on Oct 30, 2008 4:12 PM PDT up 0 recs

The Unit Shuffle

1st Unit Now (Everyone Healthy)
PG – Blake
SG – Roy
SF – Webster
PF – Aldridge
C – Oden

2nd Unit Now (Everyone Healthy)
PG – Sergio
SG – Rudy
SF – Outlaw
PF – Frye
C – Przy

1st Unit Future (With our current roster)
PG – Bayless
SG – Roy
SF – Webster
PF – Aldridge
C – Oden

2nd Unit Future (Wth our current roster)
PG – Sergio
SG – Rudy
SF – Batum
PF – Frye
C – Przy

by as11osu on Oct 30, 2008 3:08 PM PDT 0 recs

Start Sergio!

Trade Oden! Fire Nate!

It was one game for our young, tight, inexperienced team, against an extremely fiesty, defending Western Conference Champion LA team.

Let it ride.

He needs to play more, no doubt, but start him?

Let’s see what happens, shall we?

"When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car"

by you'vegottomakeyourfreethrows on Oct 30, 2008 3:30 PM PDT 0 recs

Sergio Rodriguez ...

should play with the second unit alongside backcourt teammate and fellow Spaniard Rudy Fernandez.

by AK1984 on Oct 30, 2008 4:18 PM PDT 0 recs

yuupp

He who laughs last thinks slowest.

by prezofdeath on Oct 30, 2008 10:17 PM PDT up 0 recs

Don't Agree

I think that Sergio could someday be a starting PG. He isn’t lacking in size, he has great court vision, and he can thread a needle with his passes. With all that said, he doesn’t have NBA level defense yet, and no one is afraid of his offense. These are the reasons though that he needs 15-20 minutes a game. He needs to play so he can develop the timing for defense and be put in tough situations. We need to take our lumps with him in the beginning so we can extract the gold later.

In fact I think that he has a much better chance of developing into an excellent point guard than Jerryd Bayless. Bayless has the body and defense of a PG but doesn’t have the court vision, passing ability, or even the past first mindset. I believe that mindset is probably the hardest thing to change.

by Blodgett on Oct 30, 2008 4:39 PM PDT 0 recs

+1

Nate’s a defensive-minded coach and, if you’re not playing what he thinks is adequate defense, you’re gonna sit. Sergio’s D isn’t good enough… yet.

In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.

by TTRocks on Oct 30, 2008 5:54 PM PDT 0 recs

yuupp

He who laughs last thinks slowest.

by prezofdeath on Oct 30, 2008 10:17 PM PDT up 0 recs

One game into the season...

I was wondering how many games it would take before we started hearing people criticize Nate’s line-ups/roatation. Good to see we got through one whole game… oh, and there is no way Sergio should be starting in front of Blake.

Sometimes I feel like I'm going in different directions...

by porterfan30 on Oct 30, 2008 5:57 PM PDT 0 recs

dont you know better

you cant make all the fans happy. If you play Sergio then fans of Bayless start complaining. Nate knows this thats why he does not listen to fans. He knows if can motivate Blazers to win then most fans will be happy.

by RipCity on Oct 30, 2008 6:04 PM PDT up 0 recs

yeah

Sergio is going to get better and our future might just be him and Bayless. All he need to do better is shoot from downtown better, finish at the rim with consistency and play better defense. We know that Nate likes defensive minded shooters.

by RipCity on Oct 30, 2008 5:59 PM PDT 0 recs

Sergio on the floor with Pryz = playing 3 on 5 on the offensive end.

Bad fit.

Unhappy camper.

Trade or cut now.

"It's not a joke -- it's not a game." — B-Rex

by timbo on Oct 30, 2008 7:24 PM PDT 0 recs

Reasons to respect or listen to anything timbo says anymore

…

by as11osu on Oct 30, 2008 8:18 PM PDT up 1 recs

trade and sign.....

Steven Hill?

He who laughs last thinks slowest.

by prezofdeath on Oct 30, 2008 10:17 PM PDT up 0 recs

Not exactly a great offensive pivotman either...

by Norsktroll on Oct 31, 2008 3:17 AM PDT up 0 recs

Hill is Przybilla without the rebounding.

He should only played next to a good rebounding PF, which is something we don’t have a ton of.

by poster on Oct 31, 2008 9:38 AM PDT up 0 recs

Trade...

Bayless, Outlaw & Frye for…

Allen Iverson, let him play point.

"I just know that I can't get big, I can't eat whatever I want to. I have to eat healthy, I have to stay right, I have to stay involved and ... I have to be here at practice because you know what? I can play pretty quick."

by TheGreatDane17 on Oct 30, 2008 8:06 PM PDT 0 recs

I was thinking about that the other day

I think you’d need RLEC in there too. I would welcome AI on my team, although I think I’m in the minority here with that …

by kickbrass on Nov 2, 2008 2:51 PM PST up 0 recs

...

Trade Iverson from Detroit for…

Raef
Bayless
Outlaw
Frye

It works. Lock it up Pritch.

by TheGreatDane17 on Nov 4, 2008 1:16 PM PST up 0 recs

NBA Trade Machine Tells me it works perfect.

by TheGreatDane17 on Nov 4, 2008 1:16 PM PST up 0 recs

I think that Blake should start since he fits best with Roy.

I think that that Sergio should stay with the backup lineup because he fits best with Rudy setting up the Spanish Connection.

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by LaMarvelous on Oct 30, 2008 9:56 PM PDT 0 recs

agreed

i like sergio…but i don’t want him starting either the same way i dont want trout starting.

i could picture sergio starting in the future…but not now.

Honor Terry Porter

by Philthyanimal on Oct 30, 2008 10:15 PM PDT up 0 recs

I can tell you a coach who would start Sergio right away

He coaches for the Knicks now

Could be fun…

Rooo-D!

by truls on Oct 31, 2008 4:32 AM PDT 0 recs

its really funny

because you would have figured sergio would have been a good fit for the suns getting minutes behind nash – yet they sold us the pick to buy him with…

by idoltime on Oct 31, 2008 5:09 AM PDT up 0 recs

yeah…can you imagine how much the Pringles man would drool over the spanish fly backcourt?

I’s like his wet dream come true

Rooo-D!

by truls on Oct 31, 2008 5:49 AM PDT up 0 recs

...

Pritch bought him, because he saw the talent…

Wonder what he thinks about MC limiting his minuets.

by TheGreatDane17 on Nov 1, 2008 1:30 AM PDT up 0 recs

Actually

Allen bought him because he saw the talent. Nate and KP weren’t too high on him when Phoenix was shopping their pick, but Allen insisted on picking him up. Hey, it’s his money right?

by kickbrass on Nov 2, 2008 2:52 PM PST up 0 recs

A second team PG

Averge offence and below average defence makes this problematical. What you gain on the offensive end, you could very well lose on the defensive end. As a result, Sergio shows up better when playing against the other teams 2nd team PG. As far as the Bayless vs. Sergio comparison, you’re looking at one player in his first year after one year of college ball, and a second in his third year in the NBA.. The entire issue for Bayless will come down to adjusting from a focal point of offense and being expected to carry the offensive load, to learning a different position in a new system in the NBA where he must focus on the flow of the game and the other players. If he can make adjustments, he’ll surpass Sergio, simply because he’s already shown that his offense and PG defense is likely to be better. Judgements at this point are entirely premature. The claim that he is selfish ignores the fact that he did what his coaches wanted him to do. To claim that he cannot learn- is to imply that he has a low BBIQ. Mac tells a different story. His intensity is well known, and his willingness to out practice and out work everyone else, has also become known. He will take awhile to transition – that we know. But the only one’s who seem to think he can’t or won’t make that transition – are not running or coaching the Blazers. We’ll see.

But right now, starting Sergio and having him defend the 1st team PG, as opposed to the 2nd team, is not likely to happen.

Sergio, after all, is also young – and learning. And he’s not yet all the way there, either. Right now, his best shot is to play the 2nd team, and development the skills necessary to play the 1st team.

Will he make it? I don’t know. And, I could say the same about Bayless.

by Eben Calder on Oct 31, 2008 6:28 AM PDT 0 recs

Sergio

He knocked down the 3 tonight. I expect him to keep improving on his shot inside… If McMillan gets off his back maybe Sergio could prove himself.

No. Bullcrap…

McMillan should just sit Sergio down & make him watch every single game Tony Parker has ever played.

by TheGreatDane17 on Nov 1, 2008 1:28 AM PDT 0 recs

...

Update.

Sergio’s got range !

Get his confidence up, keep increasing his minuets. Liked his defense over Blakes as well. His performance was the best of the PG group. I am sure MC loved what he did yesterday. 3 days of practice should help him in the Jazz game.

by TheGreatDane17 on Nov 2, 2008 11:57 AM PST 0 recs