The Book on Sergio

by Dave on Oct 6, 2008 11:53 PM PDT Comment 108 comments

We haven’t even played pre-season game one yet and already the Sergio rumblings are starting. I said it a couple weeks ago and it’s true: never has there been this much fuss about a 10^th-11^th man on a team. I assume for most of us the early chatter brings up the specter of last seasons all-out firefights surrounding Mr. Rodriguez. I, for one, am not eager to see those repeated. While I’ll not be banning Sergio conversation or anything like that, I’m going to attempt the next best thing. I am going to give you the truth--complete and unadulterated--about this guy, his possibilities, and the fan-storm that surrounds him. If you’re tempted to start a Sergio conversation, read this first, ‘kay?

There are plenty of legitimate things to like about Sergio. His passing is prescient. He’s the kind of guy everyone loves to play with on offense: unselfish with the ball, nonchalant about getting his own shot. He loves assists more than points. He’s also quick as a hiccup and twice as annoying to defenders that try to contain his dribble. That combination of vision, unselfishness, and speed made him an NBA first-round pick even when he was as raw as a month-old cow. It wasn’t an accident that the Blazers drafted him. The potential they saw in him definitely is there.

Furthermore, Sergio is doing nothing to harm this team. He doesn’t cost much. He isn’t taking a roster spot that somebody else could fill better. He’s not keeping more deserving players on the bench. There’s no reason to dislike having him on the roster. There’s simply no downside to it. Blazer fans don’t even have the incredibly weak “But we could have had…” draft pick argument with Rodriguez. He was picked 27^th in 2006, a draft pick purchased outright from the Phoenix Suns. The only players of note that came after him are Paul Millsap and Daniel Gibson. However Portland had two picks following #27, either of which could have been used to take said players. You might as well get mad at Joel Freeland or James White. Unless you really have a hankering for Mardy Collins or Maurice Ager, the two players in between #27 and #30 when Portland picked again, there’s no reason on earth to hold Sergio’s draft pick against him.

Perhaps people were expecting more from the guy, given his flashes of skill. Personally when the Blazers pick a guy at #27 and when that pick was flat-out sold to Portland, meaning the team that gave it up couldn’t find a single player they thought was worth a minimal guaranteed contract, I expect the guy to be a project. This was not a Cliff Robinson slippage pick. This was a guy who didn’t start or play major minutes for his national team. Plus he plays point guard. Other than center, you can’t name a position that screams project louder when the pick comes that late. The definition of “project” is: takes a long time to develop and may or may not pan out. Sergio hasn’t done anything more or less than that. He hasn’t underperformed. He hasn’t shed the label either. He is pretty much what he’s supposed to be. Calling Sergio a bust at this point is flat-out unfair. He’s just a guy who had a promising rookie season, couldn’t progress on that promise, and ended up still needing to work on his game.

This brings up the other side of the coin. Sergio does need to work on his game. There are plenty of holes in it. Multitudes of players have one or two skills that rise to the NBA level…that would even let them succeed at the NBA level if those were the only criteria. Those guys are long on stories and short on tickets to the Show. The Sergio we last saw was not ready to be a big-minute NBA player yet. He may not have been as ready for small minutes as the guys in front of him who actually got most of them. His defense, his shot, his recognition when he didn’t have the ball in his hands…when you’re playing a team game you have a hard time absorbing those flaws and still keeping integrity. If those flaws are still there, if they continue to be repeated, there is no particular reason to award him more minutes this year either. This is not a developmental team. It wasn’t really last year and it’s certainly not this. The team is not there to make sure Sergio gets better as much as Sergio is there to make the team better.

I say this clearly to illuminate an important point: there is no conspiracy against Sergio. Believe me, that would be an interesting story and blogs thrive on interesting stories. If this guy really were the Next Big Thing being kept down by The Man and The Evil Media we’d love to write that post. It’d get Truehooped. It’d get tens of thousands of unique visitors if we did it well enough. The problem is, it would be bogus. If there’s a conspiracy against Sergio, everyone is in on it. Nate McMillan doesn’t play him. Kevin Pritchard doesn’t pressure him into it. Sergio’s countrymen conspired to keep him off of the Olympic team. He should have been starting when he did play for them. 29 other teams in this league employ managers and scouts who thrive off of reading players’ abilities. Right now if he was a star in the making and not being valued or used he could probably be had for a steal of a trade, either in isolation or as a throw-in with one of the Blazers’ other young players. Apparently nobody has made that phone call yet.

Some Portland fans expect Sergio to be farther along than he is and they react to the current situation by bashing him. Some Portland fans expect Sergio to be farther along than he is and they react to the situation by bashing everybody else around him. The second is as misplaced as the first. Read a Channing Frye or Greg Oden thread and you’re going to hear talk about positions, strengths, experience, and expectations. Read a Sergio thread and you’re going to hear words like “conspiracy” and “bias” and a lot of invectives thrown against people who comment or observe, even when those comments and observations are honestly-made and legitimate. This often makes following the guy frustrating…even when you want to root for him. It also provides an easy target for naysayers who want to rile people up. Ironically, Sergio supporters have helped create the monster of Sergio detractors. It’s pretty much guaranteed that without the vitriol against Coach McMillan, the media, and other fans nobody would be talking about the significance of trading our second or third string point guard any more than people talk passionately about trading Martell Webster or Ike Diogu or (when they were here) Von Wafer or Josh McRoberts.

And that’s it. Those are the ins and outs of the Sergio situation. Here’s the point. We haven’t seen a single thing that would suggest this situation is changing and we’re not going to for quite a while. Pre-season doesn’t prove much conclusively. Training camp counts even less. When Sergio is averaging at least 12 minutes a game and is making a consistently measurable impact while doing so, then we’ll have a basis to re-evaluate. Until then there’s not much else to say. For those who want to make the Sergio story more negative than that, I don’t see how his impact can be that negative unless, you know, he actually plays. For those who insist that he’s a budding superstar being held down…sorry. He’s had two years to show it and it hasn’t come out yet. That doesn’t mean he can’t be, it means we have to see it first on the court before that claim can be believed or given credence.

Until that point, when he has either garnered enough playing time to merit further evaluation or been traded or fades from the league, I believe the response to Sergio is simple. You give him credit for the things he does well, basically shading towards giving him the benefit of the doubt, much like you’d give anybody learning their trade. You don’t get that worked up about his mistakes…in fact at this point they’re just assumed until proven different. This is not Lamarcus Aldridge or Brandon Roy. The team is not going to rise and fall with his play. He doesn’t have to shoulder that kind of burden or endure that kind of scrutiny. He gets a polite clap for the things he does well, a rousing cheer for those wonderful passes, and nothing else is a big deal until he becomes a key guy. No slamming…no conspiracies and great injustices…no “Sergio sucks!”…no “I can’t believe Nate didn’t put him in!” He’s not a disappointment. He’s not a Jermaine O’Neal-like wunderkind. He’s just the 10^th-11^th man on this team struggling to make it like everyone else in his position.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

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YES

Right on Dave! This was on the tip of my tongue but I just hadn’t realized it yet. Or, I HAD realized it but not formulated my thoughts into coherent content. Yea, the second.

by Ditez on Oct 7, 2008 12:06 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes.

Dave,

Thank you.

Love,
Mortimer

by Mortimer on Oct 7, 2008 12:23 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs

so...

are you trying to say we shouldn’t trade Brandon Roy to open up more time for him?

by TFan on Oct 7, 2008 12:39 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Keep on working hard Sergio

I love how much heart Sergio has. He makes unreal plays, and couple him with R-U-D-Y on a fastbreak… I really hope we can keep Sergio!

G-O Blazers ’08

by j-rog on Oct 7, 2008 12:52 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Some Sergio Truths

No one on the team turns the ball over more.
No one on the team gets more assists.
No one on the team facilitates more easy shots for his teammates.
No guard on the team shoots as poorly from everywhere on the court.
No player on the team is better suited to be a point guard on a fast break basketball team.
No player on the team is more useless in half court sets.
No guard on the team is as ill-equipped to be a lockdown defender.
No one on the team gets more steals.

There is a reason Sergio is either loved or hated by almost all fans. He’s an extreme. He has some of the biggest assets and detriments of all the players on this team. The way I see the breakdown, has a lot more to do with what kind of team we’re going to be. If we’re going to be in half court sets all the time with our second unit, Sergio absolutely will not fit. If we’re going to be trying to implement a fast break style, there isn’t a better option to lead the attack than Sergio. Nate in the past has preferred to be more of a half court team, and that has served most of our players well. In my opinion, with the overall talent we have on that second unit, I’d prefer to get as many possessions out of them as possible.

I liken the strategy to football. Everyone knew last year, if you wanted to beat the New England Patriots (the best team), your job had to be to slow the game down and reduce the amount of possessions each team got. The more plays in the game, the chances of the lesser team winning decrease. I think in the next couple years we’ll find ourselves being the better basketball team, and eventually the best basketball team in the NBA. The more possessions per game, the better chance we’ll have of winning. For those of you that want to point out the Suns in this scenario, and their inability to beat the Spurs, I’d counter by saying that the better team in those games year in and year out DID win. If you’ll remember with me, its not like the Spurs were winning games 80 something to 70. They simply scored more points per possession, and the games ended up going into the 100’s almost every night. That is not a counter to the increased possessions argument, it actually defends it (if you believe the Spurs were the better team which I do).

by as11osu on Oct 7, 2008 1:11 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs

The extremes of Sergio

Is a good way to describe him.

I was always turned off by the extreme love and attention he got, and the hate Jack and Nate got, especially when I feel that ultimately Sergio playing 5 more minutes or not would nearly never decide whether we win or lose.

When he’s on, it’s fun, but when he ain’t he hasn’t been much use. Once he learns how to play without being the focus (and while he is praised for his unselfishness, ironically he really has to dominate the ball to be any sort of useful), plus stuff no one cares about like defense, Sergio could earn more time.

Like Dave says, you gotta trust that the coaches and the franchise have nothing to gain by holding a great player back. If Sergio deserves more playing time, he will get more playing time.

My vote is for whoever helps us win, and while I care about the rest of the players it isn’t fair to care so much about ‘the rest’ to the detriment of those the coaches feel help us win. Obviously it’s normal and fine to have your favorites, but some seemed to have a fixation on Sergio that far exceeded his current (or at least, last year’s) talent level.

I’ve always wondered if Sergio would get the same attention if instead of Spanish Chocolate from the mythical (perhaps made up) land of “Spain”, he was Jarell Washington from Syracuse University, super flashy with no defense, few fundamentals, and no shot. I daresay we’d say “nice pass, but just another flashy street baller with no substance, I do daresay” when he got on the court.

I’ve never been upset with Sergio, just annoyed by the level of importance it seems like he gets elevated to.

Ya know?

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Oct 7, 2008 1:32 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

If he was Jarell Washington from Syracuse University, we would say "he could have benefitted from a year or two more at college"

Sergio came over a little too early, and now he is stuck in between the extremes.

Odenied: If you're given lemmings—make lemming-ade (Bow4Meow)

by Norsktroll on Oct 7, 2008 1:59 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

morty merrrr!

our back up pg isn’t important enough to be deemed important?

"the Knicks are an ongoing experiment in sporting altruism, with the motto "We suck, so you don't have to." This is the designing principle. Stop overcomplicating things."
-jawaan oldham

by faith on Oct 7, 2008 7:16 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Of course they important

But not STOP THE PRESSES LET’S ALL GET ANGRY OVER A 3RD STRING PG important.

Basically, I object to raising the Sergio’s of the NBA to the level of importance as the Brandon Roy’s or LMA’s, and Sergio got as much attention as they did (and I don’t think I am exaggerating). Nate gets asked about his minutes every game, endless debates on the fan sites occur, and I’m not sure any of that happens if Sergio is NOT an Exotic Euro.

We all have our favorites, and our own pet peeves, and we’ll naturally focus on those more even if, in the grand scheme of things, they ain’t that “important”. So if Sergio is someone’s favorite, I don’t mind that.

But as a fanbase, it seemed like we gave the situation much more attention than ANY 3rd string, not-real-good PG deserves, in a league packed to the gills with not-that-good 3rd string PGs. Last season especially, I think it became more about some people attaching their own ego and self worth to Sergio, not being able to admit he was playing pretty awfully and THAT was the reason he didn’t play more… not the rest of the world (or Nate) being blind to his brilliance. I think some WANTED Sergio to be good and to have their high hopes validated, more than the actual play warranted.

I mean, I know we don’t really know how many minutes Rudy will get, but I see no reason to worry that Nate won’t play him— and MANY people felt it was a good chance Nate wouldn’t play Rudy, using Sergio as a basis for this theory. So because Nate wouldn’t play a not-that-good player much, he wouldn’t play a really good player because they are from the same country? That’s just illogical silliness to me, and tells me people think there is much more to the lack of Sergio minutes than his actual play, extending to some wierd biase that Nate has for whatever reason against Sergio.

The “conspiracy” Dave mentions above, for example.

If anyone thinks there was a concerted effort by Nate to not play Sergio in games we were trying to win, I think they need to step back and look past Sergio and realize the rest of the team is a lot more important… since, of course, we’re trying to win these days, and not develop one at the expense of 11 others.

Right now, we’re only developing those who will help us win along the way— Oden, Rudy, Bayless, etc. If Sergio has become that, then it is great! I love love love more good players, and I do love Sergio when he is on.

When he is off though, and not affecting the game in any other way, I want him off the floor. At this stage in our Return to Rip City, NO ONE should be spoon fed minutes they didn’t earn, and we as fans shouldn’t expect any less.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Oct 7, 2008 10:17 AM PDT up reply actions 3 recs

lol...

+1. bravo

"the Knicks are an ongoing experiment in sporting altruism, with the motto "We suck, so you don't have to." This is the designing principle. Stop overcomplicating things."
-jawaan oldham

by faith on Oct 7, 2008 12:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm takin' a "step back and look past Sergio"

and loftin’ a shot from beyound the Three Point Line, forThe PTB!

"You're really making me feel good about myself, little man," says Oden as he starts dancing after scoring a goal. "You better come harder than that."

by BlueBooYay on Oct 7, 2008 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's an interesting monster

And self fed too. I think in the same way some people attach their ego to the team entire, and take umbrage to anyone attacking any player on said team. I think the bloodline can be traced back to the assist per minute performance.

Since then (and compounded by the fact that Serge came in during the amazing franchise saving draft that brought us Roy and LMA) expectations have been sky high. A fan favorite WITHIN a fanbase was created. These people looked at what seemed to be a disparity between the treatment of Sergio the savior and Jack the incumbent who had some great play but some infuriating turnovers and started to blame the coach (looking back at once heartening stories of a young Jack putting in extra hours after the game with Nate with a conspiratorial eye) and crying favoritism.

The a splinter of the fanbase attacked one of their own, and another responded in kind. Such is the manner in which civil wars begin.

by zaruga on Oct 7, 2008 4:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No player on the team is more useless in half court sets

I was going to say “you mean, besides Joel Przybilla?”

Then I remembered that JP sets a mean screen and will go after O rebounds

by two4larue on Oct 7, 2008 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

This article is biased and just proves BE is part of the conspiracy.

62,198 seconds until first preseason game!

"Thanks for coming to the game." - Kevin Pritchard

by DarthBlazer on Oct 7, 2008 2:14 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This is the most well-written article that I've ever read from a blogger.

by AK1984 on Oct 7, 2008 2:27 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

You haven't been reading BE very long

This was up to Dave’s usual standard.

The most amazing thing about my amazing ego is I have amazingly little about which to be egotistical.
The pick and roll this year will emphasize "roll" followed by "dunk", followed by the wailings and lamentations of your women.

by jscot on Oct 7, 2008 7:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

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

by sergioFTW on Oct 7, 2008 8:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

Ditto

G.O. Blazers

by Hookah_John on Oct 7, 2008 9:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good article

1 minor quibble:

Pre-season doesn’t prove much conclusively. Training camp counts even less.

Remember, Martell earned a starting spot (coming from 3rd on the depth chart at his position) in pre-season/training camp…it certainly can affect their fortunes in a big way.

Maybe if you meant that it doesn’t prove much to the fans that would be a little more accurate.

But…as I said…good article. My thoughts (almost) exactly.

by jamon51 on Oct 7, 2008 2:31 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Good quibble

Another one:

Just because Sergio was drafted #27 doesn’t mean nobody should have high hopes or expectations for him. KP bought the pick and used it to get a European player at a time when not all GMs seemed to be fully aware of the kind of talent you can pick up overseas. If Sergio had been playing at a major US university, his skill set might very well have made him a lottery pick.

Regardless, it will be very interesting to see what Serge makes of his present opportunity. I am hoping that he does show enough improvement in his defense, shooting, and finishing to earn minutes in the regular season. Va Sergio!

[This space temporarily left blank.]

by CatMan2 on Oct 7, 2008 7:42 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It can affect them

but that has to be confirmed by many regular season games before we know. The regular season trumps the pre-season 100% and there’s no recourse. Your accuracy correction is…well…correct. It’s not that pre-season is useless and should be scrapped, it’s that pre-season is only of marginal use for making definitive predictions. It shows a player could excel, but not that he would.

—Dave

by Dave on Oct 7, 2008 8:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Right

There’s just something really special about playing well when it counts, versus just when you know there won’t really be any consequences like summer league and preseason. But there are some serious decisions to be made based on a player’s body of work which does include the preseason and training camp performances. It’s a matter of degrees rather than “Good Training Camp = Starting Spot” … no hard equations here. Just a lot more weight on regular season performances.

However, someone who played decently last year and then who comes in out of shape and has a HORRIBLE preseason, bricking everying and generally playing terrible D…they could definitely shoot themselves in the foot for the first part of the season. So maybe there’s not much to gain but a lot to lose.

Sergio has a knack for making passes that lead to layups and dunks, for both teams. - Ben G.

by jamon51 on Oct 9, 2008 2:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Very good analysis and post. Hopefully it will have a preventive effect.

Sergio + Rudy = 16
Sergio + Bayless = 16

by amlmart1 on Oct 7, 2008 3:09 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Timely posting that seems right on the money. Thanks.

by jaywalker on Oct 7, 2008 4:26 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

right ...

Until we see him This Season and what he does with the minutes he gets while Blake is down, there is no need to praise or bash the dude.
And if little happens in those minutes, no need to talk about getting rid of him.
A good analysis, Dave.

"They are all human. There's nobody I'm really scared of, or worried about playing against." -- Bayless

http://www.myspace.com/y5k

by Y5k on Oct 7, 2008 6:08 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Go Chacho!!!

Ser-G-OOOOOOOO!

I’m sorry dave, that was a great write up, I’ll discount the part after “the other side of the coin”

thanks dave!!

"the Knicks are an ongoing experiment in sporting altruism, with the motto "We suck, so you don't have to." This is the designing principle. Stop overcomplicating things."
-jawaan oldham

by faith on Oct 7, 2008 6:28 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I blame Hollinger

Mr. PER salivates over Sergio’s advanced statistics and never misses an opportunity to suggest that he would break-out with increased minutes.

I want to (he claps his hands twice) but I gotta (he makes a serious face)

by jnstarbird on Oct 7, 2008 6:51 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

he also said

aldridge wouldn’t amount to anything.

Ford: Bill, you're claiming victory already? Have you had a "Mission Accomplished" banner printed yet?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008/columns/story?page=DraftDebate-080624

by ratbastird on Oct 7, 2008 7:26 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The reason I watch basketball

is the same reason I really dislike reading hollinger and his take on basketball. (It’s also the same reason I didn’t build a computer algorithm to figure out if I should ask a girl (who would later become my wife) out on a date.)
The unexpected can happen. Someone can break out. People band together and do better than they should be expected to. Hollinger says the blazer should have had a losing season. We didn’t. Basketball 1. Hollinger 0.

by Montavilla Steve on Oct 7, 2008 9:23 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

should read "Blazers"

by Montavilla Steve on Oct 7, 2008 9:24 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good Comments.

Very good post. Arguing over Sergio would be the same thing as arguing over Ike Diogu. Save Ike was drafted a lot higher, yet invites far fewer general comments. Many players have some skills, but not enough. Or, are just young and need time to develop. Or, like Ike, was a down low physical player who will always perform better in a 1/2 court offense, than in the typical Nelson run and gun, and had some injury problems as well. All of these things make a difference.

Most of us don’t like of dislike Sergio, hope he can gear his game up a notch, and all would like to see him succeed. I’d personally like Ike to succeed, but I don’t have a clue if having Frye and Aldridge in front of him will ever enable him to get the minutes he needs to have that success.

If Mac ultimately believes that Blake, Roy, Fernandez and Bayless are a better fit than Sergio, I’m certainly not going to get upset. After all, 4th and 5th guards are just that. Anymore than I’d get upset if Aldridge and Frye get the nod over Ike.

Ironically, I’m more fascinated by who ends up being the 4th guard, than the 5th. Competition this year has really gone up a notch from last. And that’s a good thing. It was great seeing Blake work out so hard, watching Rudy in the Olympics and hearing Nate’s comments, and also watching Bayless and his fierceness in the summer league. I’m also much more interested in how the battle for the SF position plays out.

Mac’s been diagramming plays like mad – count on it. Figuring out who plays where, with who, and in which sets, and how the guards and SF’s fit together, will be the entire issue.

Sergio and Ike, and at some future date Batum, will be secondary.

by Eben Calder on Oct 7, 2008 6:59 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The Sergio Wars

To me—an admitted Surge Idolator—the debates rage because we had two different players in two different seasons.

I still maintain we had a very genuine PG controversey when JJ was starting and Surge was leading the league in assists per minute and other meaningful categories. He was scoring as well. He was awesome!! It was normal for people to get excited and I still believe he deserved more playing time.

Then last year: he was a miserable failure. No arguments from me on that.

What I DON’T believe is that last year’s failure vindicated all the people who—like above—claim that Surge is a low draft pick, has holes in his game, is a 10th man, etc. He was undeniably the sixth or seventh man one season, then in the next took a step backwards and became the 12th man or something close to it. He was as an exciting and full-of-potential rookie as there was in the league once and then fell hard in his sophomore year.

I think now, we have people who want to be right. The pro-Surge crowd want to see him do well and the anti-Surge crowd want to see him continue last year’s trajectory.

This is good and natural: sports is about predictions and analzying data and wanting to be right. It’s rather like a political debate or picking stocks… someone’s right. It’s ok that you want it to be you.

For my part, I’m looking forward to this season as the “tie-breaker” season between the last two. Will Surge proceed? I don’t know. But I am looking for real data—not conspiracies—but data to break open this argument between the pro- and anti- crowds.

Buck Williams for the hall of fame

by Phizbin on Oct 7, 2008 7:54 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks, Dave, for injecting some rationality into the topic

Sergio is like the little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. When he’s good he’s very, very good and when he’s bad he’s horrid. Because his game is currently shildlike I think he brings out the child in many of us fans and we all know children are ruled by their emotions and not by their rational mind.

Great post on your part.

Free Joel Freeland! (with the purchase of 1 Wafer)

by LaughingJon on Oct 7, 2008 8:08 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

there is no conspiracy against Sergio.

the first rule of fight club is you do not talk about fight club.

honor terry porter

by Ben. on Oct 7, 2008 8:49 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Death match

So … Sergio and Bayless in the “caged ring of death” … not fair to Sergio. T-rex would eat him alive.

"They are all human. There's nobody I'm really scared of, or worried about playing against." -- Bayless

http://www.myspace.com/y5k

by Y5k on Oct 7, 2008 8:54 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Horatio Nelson´s right arm could tell you something about

fighting against people from the Canary Islands.

Sergio + Rudy = 16
Sergio + Bayless = 16

by amlmart1 on Oct 7, 2008 9:04 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Spanish-French fleet sunk at Trafalgar could say you something about Horatio Nelson too ;-)

Sergio + Rudy = 16
Sergio + Bayless = 16

by amlmart1 on Oct 7, 2008 9:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I've been holding off on teh Nelson's Blood recently for health reasons ...

… but there a bottle of Pusser’s awaiting for me soon.

"They are all human. There's nobody I'm really scared of, or worried about playing against." -- Bayless

http://www.myspace.com/y5k

by Y5k on Oct 7, 2008 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

So we acquire Ben Gordon next year because he is English?

Odenied: If you're given lemmings—make lemming-ade (Bow4Meow)

by Norsktroll on Oct 7, 2008 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Loul Deng

is also a British citizen, despite his Sudanese root, I think.

"They are all human. There's nobody I'm really scared of, or worried about playing against." -- Bayless

http://www.myspace.com/y5k

by Y5k on Oct 7, 2008 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, we might be in trouble against the Bulls.

Sergio + Rudy = 16
Sergio + Bayless = 16
Batum 8+8=16

by amlmart1 on Oct 7, 2008 11:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

can we exhume Lord Nelson?

"They are all human. There's nobody I'm really scared of, or worried about playing against." -- Bayless

http://www.myspace.com/y5k

by Y5k on Oct 7, 2008 11:06 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

B.Roy>Admiral Nelson

(G.Oden>Godzilla)

"They are all human. There's nobody I'm really scared of, or worried about playing against." -- Bayless

http://www.myspace.com/y5k

by Y5k on Oct 7, 2008 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was thinking about a nickname

For a Sergio-Rudy backcourt…how does “The Spanish Armada” sound?

(Or does it take 3 Spaniards in the same lineup to make an “armada”?)

BTW, What’s Fernando Martin doing these days?

(I saw him play live in a summer league game, back in the day)

by two4larue on Oct 7, 2008 2:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That'd be cool except

The Spanish Armada is mostly famous for failing. The fleet was composed of around 130 ships, 8,000 sailors and 18,000 soldiers. It went up against a much smaller English navy but the more manuverable British ships suffered very little damage. In the end the scoreboard for the Spanish reads 67 ships and around 10,000 men surviving and the planned invasion of Britain didn’t happen – though a lot of that was from shipwrecks and ignorant navigation than in battle.

Spanish Armada does sound cool though.

Free Joel Freeland! (with the purchase of 1 Wafer)

by LaughingJon on Oct 7, 2008 4:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The defeat came due o the weather conditions which was not expected by the spanish army. In fact there were not battle against the britts but against sea storm.

by cbp on Oct 7, 2008 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That is correct

The Spanish ships were less sea worthy and the Brits rode out the storm and got credit for the famous victory

by southern oregon on Oct 7, 2008 6:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

He died 1987 (I think). He died because of a car crash in Madrid.

Yes, the Spanish Armada is the trademark of spanish tennis lead by Nadal but you can use it by adding another spanish in the team. I don’t think Blazers may draft Ricky but the other spanish guy who will be draft in the next future is Victor Claver (he is playing power forward but he will play small forward). This season is very important for him. If he does what everyone expects here in Spain KP should be in alert.

by cbp on Oct 7, 2008 4:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

He made a pre-draft work-our for the Blazers this year and then decided to retire of the draft.

I think he is not prepared to defend at NBA level.

Sergio + Rudy = 16
Sergio + Bayless = 16
Batum 8+8=16

by amlmart1 on Oct 7, 2008 4:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I didn't know that....

Yes I think he is not prepared yet but this season can be he start to be prepared to.

I really like Victor although it seems he’s got not the energy or mind to step up his level.

by cbp on Oct 7, 2008 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agree.

Sergio + Rudy = 16
Sergio + Bayless = 16
Batum 8+8=16

by amlmart1 on Oct 7, 2008 4:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

work-out

Sergio + Rudy = 16
Sergio + Bayless = 16
Batum 8+8=16

by amlmart1 on Oct 7, 2008 4:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wrong! There is a conspiracy!

Stay with me here. Jerry Colangelo is the master of USA basketball. Team USA’s primary rival? Spain. Where are the Spanish players in the league?

Sergio Rodriguez – Portland
Rudy Fernandez – Portland
Jose Calderon – Toronto
Jorge Garbajosa (last year) – Toronto
Juan Carlos Navarro (last year) – Memphis
Pau Gasol (until the give-away) – Memphis

Notice the USA basketball connection of those three teams? Coach Nate McMillain, GM Bryan Colangelo, Coach Iavaroni (former assistant coach of the Phoenix Suns).

Moreover, who traded both Spanish players to Portland? The Phoenix Suns, where Colangelo used to be the owner , of course.

It’s right there in front of your face—Colangelo has been leading an elaborate scheme to stifle the development of the Spanish national team by sending his proxies out to bench star Spanish players. But he couldn’t just draft MJ-caliber Spanish players and bench them in Phoenix—those guys have been contenders. Everyone would have noticed. So D’Antoni shipped those guys off to Portland where they could sit under Team USA assistant Nate McMillain.

Of course, when David Stern found out about this, he apparently had first Amare Stoudemire and then Greg Oden whacked in the knee. Hopefully this will have been enough of a deterrent to get these Spanish wonders into the game. Clearly, it was so frightening to the Grizzlies that they unloaded Gasol at the first possible opportunity. This conspiracy may be breaking up, but if you see the D’Antoni-led Knicks draft Ricky Rubio next year, you’ll know that it continues.

by Harry Manback on Oct 7, 2008 9:03 AM PDT reply actions 8 recs

Grand Illuminatus Pope Jerry Cagliostro

"They are all human. There's nobody I'm really scared of, or worried about playing against." -- Bayless

http://www.myspace.com/y5k

by Y5k on Oct 7, 2008 11:01 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

so I'm assuming it's bad form to give a rec and not announce it?

has that been established as an un offical rule of this site?

(+1 for the above comment)

is that the right way to do it?

"the Knicks are an ongoing experiment in sporting altruism, with the motto "We suck, so you don't have to." This is the designing principle. Stop overcomplicating things."
-jawaan oldham

by faith on Oct 7, 2008 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Harry Knows

The Green G of Conspiracy Theory

"You're really making me feel good about myself, little man," says Oden as he starts dancing after scoring a goal. "You better come harder than that."

by BlueBooYay on Oct 7, 2008 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good Ole' Sergio

Sergio is what he is. In regards to our second or third tier players, it is actually Batum who concerns me more than Sergio. Batum’s TiH is far too high this season at 88. Sergio (11), Bayless (4), and Blake (2) all have TiH’s that are well within the acceptable range. If we are truly concerned about the impact of the lower tier players, and the Blazers are going to make a serious playoff push, then KP might want to consider moving him.

Blazers Edge has an alarmist vision

by tominhawaii on Oct 7, 2008 9:04 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Batum 8+8=16

Sergio + Rudy = 16
Sergio + Bayless = 16

by amlmart1 on Oct 7, 2008 9:19 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

At least he got the math right

Instead of the “new” math (15 = 16 motto)

by two4larue on Oct 7, 2008 2:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dave this post is Long

and I just dont have the attention span to read it thoroughly. Thankfully, you know what a topic sentence is and how to use it effectively . :)

In regards to Sergio, the season has not even started. We have little bursts of info from Ben and his limited view from the PF. (OMG, like, Ben is on his way to the PF w/ his BFF Dave RIGHT NOW! ) How much can we really expect from Sergio? I think we save this one for a couple months down the line when he & Martell suck , still, together THHEEENNN we argue about the value or valuelessness of Sergio.

Thanks though Dave, your a G.

Sophia

"Feminism encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcreaft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians. [speech at GOP Presidential Convention 1992] Rev. Pat Robertson

by BlazerFan1 on Oct 7, 2008 9:45 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Martell

will not suck. I’m not sure I’d ever say Martell has sucked. He’s just been, like he admits, inconsistent.

by DrivetheLane on Oct 7, 2008 9:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

She's just jealous

because Martell has been making Batum look silly. (Read Ben/s post on Monday’s practice)

by NWfan on Oct 7, 2008 11:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pretty much yeah....

am I that transparent? 0:-)

"Feminism encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcreaft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians. [speech at GOP Presidential Convention 1992] Rev. Pat Robertson

by BlazerFan1 on Oct 7, 2008 1:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not sure if this was mentioned earlier or not,

but the fact that Jack was the pg involved in the Bayless trade and not Sergio might indicate something in terms of what people outside the Blazers organization think of Sergio. I don’t know whether the Pacers asked for Sergio and were forced to settle for Jack or that they simply decided Jack was the better player, but there is no reason to continue to magnify his situation unless it turns out that he starts getting minutes and is not using them as effectively at the expense of some of our better guards. That is when it would be appropriate to magnify it, rather than now, when it is just a non-issue.

College Football Doghouse warden: Why are you here?

Me: I got kicked in the nuts by a 5-7 beaver.

by premthegrem on Oct 7, 2008 10:01 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

To most GMs

Jack CERTAINLY had more value than Sergio, and worth more to a GM who wants to make a good team now…

Sergio might be a favorite of some GMs based on his potential, but a trade for him is a trade for the future, not much help to the team now (again, using 2nd year Sergio as my definition of "Sergio"). 3rd string Sergio plus a late lottery pick doesn’t get as much as starter/6th man Jarrett Jack plus lottery pick gets, because Jack has shown he is a FOR SURE NBA guard who, at the very least, can be a good scorer.

Right now, Sergio has more of a “hidden prize” value, where he is the part of a package that the GM secretly has his eye on, and the GM hopes he can somehow become a rotation player or more. Sergio is still a risk for any GM to trade for.

Jack is a known commodity, for better or worse, plus is still really young and could improve. Even if someone disliked Jack’s game for the Blazers, ya gotta admit he is a real NBA guard. I think Sergio will BECOME a good NBA guard, but he ain’t one yet.

Thus, Jack certainly has/had more value than Sergio.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Oct 7, 2008 10:27 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

the pacers wanted jack, never considered sergio.

that’s coming from a pacers scout at summer league.

honor terry porter

by Ben. on Oct 7, 2008 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

did yer buddy KP

say anything to you about Sergio’s future?

"They are all human. There's nobody I'm really scared of, or worried about playing against." -- Bayless

http://www.myspace.com/y5k

by Y5k on Oct 7, 2008 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I heard

KP would motion towards Sergio on the court and roll his eyes and make a jerking motion with his hand to suggest that Sergio means less than nothing to him.

And that our shooting coach just wanted to go on a Canary Island vacation, and sending him to “help (sniggle) Sergio (snort) with his (smirkle) shot” was just a way for Paul Allen to be able to foot the bill.

I’m just saying, KP has openly wished Sergio would die in a car crash. Just one man’s opinion, true, but I happen to think what KP says matters to us all.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Oct 7, 2008 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jesus Morty ...

Sniggle-snort-smirkle … lay off the rum or LSD or whatever’s got ahold of you so early in the day.

"They are all human. There's nobody I'm really scared of, or worried about playing against." -- Bayless

http://www.myspace.com/y5k

by Y5k on Oct 7, 2008 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

lol...again,

but -1 for bad form, “kp” shouldn’t be hackin on his own players. ;)

"the Knicks are an ongoing experiment in sporting altruism, with the motto "We suck, so you don't have to." This is the designing principle. Stop overcomplicating things."
-jawaan oldham

by faith on Oct 7, 2008 12:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

i haven’t heard him speak on sergio, at least not recently.

sergio doesn’t come up all that often in press conferences, either with nate or KP. that may change now with blake down.

i still maintain sergio will not be with us next year.

honor terry porter

by Ben. on Oct 7, 2008 12:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

that would make your "Adios Sergo"

Nearly one year too early, my friend.

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

by sergioFTW on Oct 7, 2008 1:04 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Thanks Dave.

I hope you’re nipping this in the bud — I can’t stand the thought of the Sergio wars erupting again this season. It was Blazers Edge at its worst.

by Corvid on Oct 7, 2008 10:21 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

C'mon!

Are you kidding me?

There’s one inescapable fact: if the Sergio wars do NOT erupt this season, it means that Sergio is having the same season he did last year. That means bad play from him; that means Surge is not fulfilling any expectations or realizing any potential.

If the wars DO erupt, then it means he’s playing well. Or, at the very least, tantalizing us with some good play. We should WANT that!! We WANT there to be competition for the PG spot! We should want KP and Nate to have to decide between three awesome PGs in Blake, Surge, and Bayless… not the alternative we have today, which is Blake and—well—a nobody and a rookie.

Understand what you and many others are saying here: having no controversey = having no good bench play from what is apparently as of today our backup PG.

Buck Williams for the hall of fame

by Phizbin on Oct 7, 2008 10:34 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You agreed above

That Sergio was not that good last season.

Yet, last season, the Sergio Wars occured!

Should the wars occur again even if Sergio duplicates last season’s effort, an effort deemed worthy of starting wars over?

We want Sergio to be WORTH the wars, if the wars must occur. Last year, he simply was not worth the trouble it caused amongst fans. Brother against brother, father against son, it must stop! This Sergio is tearing us apart!!!

I say we come to a temporary peace treaty: Sergio War II may NOT occur until if and when Sergio becomes a good player who is clearly better than those in front of him. Until then, no Sergio war may occur and you are commiting a Blazers Code convention violation by supposing Sergio should be voted for next Jesus BEFORE he is actually seen to be walking on water.

I got news for ya pal, last year Sergio kinda stunk. Part of that was his 50 tacos a day diet, the other part was his game on the court. The wars were not deserved.

HAVE WE LEARNED ENOUGH FROM THE PAST TO REMEDY THIS IN THE FUTURE?

Only time will tell…

“Begun, the Sergio Wars have…” is what I hope wise Dave never has to say again.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Oct 7, 2008 11:04 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ahh... yes, I think we agree

If Sergio repeats last year, there is no war. That is what I am trying to say.

Certainly, if we get more ugly shots and turnovers and no pretty assists… then, as far as I’m concerned, there is no controversey.

I just think that that particular scenario is undesirable. I want the Sergio from two season ago only improved. I want Bedgers arguing about two awesome PGs in Bayless and Surge rather than who would be the least damaging.

Are we in agreement on that?

Buck Williams for the hall of fame

by Phizbin on Oct 7, 2008 12:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Totally

Though ideally, I hope one out of the pack really stands up and ends the controversy for us, taking the PG position by its neck and wringing the life out of it in a show of alpha dominance.

I’m always pretty pro-player, and I’d much rather have Sergio play really well and create a controversy that way… even if I’d be worried that any positives done by Sergio will be magnified to heroic levels while whatever rookie foibles Bayless has will be spit on, I just want ’em both to do really well and let problems come from that, and not from one or both sucking.

Having sucky players helps even less than a sizeable group acting like a sucky player is playing less sucky than another.

It is in all of our best interests for any of these fellows to get better and keep improving, and I sincerely sincerely sincerely hope Sergio has improved… it’d be sad, after his fun rookie year and last year’s dismalness, if he just faded away as our team’s star became all the brighter.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Oct 7, 2008 12:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No one's saying we don't want controversy

But the debate got ugly last year and left scars. It was far beyond civil.

(Jeez, I was just working on a longer response that quoted Mortimer, and lo-and-behold, Morty chimed in. Perfect. He often explains my point better than I ever could.)

by Corvid on Oct 7, 2008 11:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I thought it was fun to read

It sucked for Dave, but it was cool for me because it was on topic, heated, and irrational.

Blazers Edge has an alarmist vision

by tominhawaii on Oct 7, 2008 2:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

A well written and well reasoned post, Dave.

Let me add, that I’m really pulling for the guy, and I think anyone who isn’t pulling for him isn’t really a Blazer fan. To put it more clearly—the better the ‘Sergio’, the better the team. We should all be pulling for him.

Heizer

by Heizer on Oct 7, 2008 10:38 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree 100%.

Nothing frustrates me more than Blazer fans rooting against a Blazer.

Blazers Edge has an alarmist vision

by tominhawaii on Oct 7, 2008 2:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

WahPah!

(that was a whip noise, BTW)

Keep ‘em in line, Dave. Great stuff as always. You might need to do a really crappy analysis sometime just so your readers don’t get complacent and assume your brilliance when it comes to all things Blazers.

Pull a TiH or a JScot or a Me sometime and we’ll be reminded that you, too, put on your pants one leg at a time.

by DonkeyShins on Oct 7, 2008 10:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

What makes you

think you know how I put my pants on?

by jscot on Oct 7, 2008 12:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

I’m seriously sitting here in just boxers. it was hot when I got home from work and I don’t have AC.

Blazers Edge has an alarmist vision

by tominhawaii on Oct 7, 2008 2:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

My neighbor puts the A/C on when it gets over 70.

Pretty weird to be closing windows because of the cold outside and hear that guy’s A/C unit kicking on.

"Personally, I'd rather give an elephant a prostate exam on Chili Day." --Dave on rooting for the Lakers or Celtics

by MiledAnimal on Oct 7, 2008 3:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Rats, you guys got me off-topic again.

"Personally, I'd rather give an elephant a prostate exam on Chili Day." --Dave on rooting for the Lakers or Celtics

by MiledAnimal on Oct 7, 2008 3:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not me

It was TiH. You didn’t respond to me at all.

by jscot on Oct 8, 2008 12:54 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Greg Oden just swatted that lame spin move into the upper deck.

"Personally, I'd rather give an elephant a prostate exam on Chili Day." --Dave on rooting for the Lakers or Celtics

by MiledAnimal on Oct 8, 2008 11:42 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dave:

This was an excellent post. Honest, insightful, and most of all, fair. There is no conspiracy aimed at Sergio beyond finding the key to producing a consistent NBA player. He has many necessary skills, with room to develop others. From what I’ve read, Sergio has improved his shot and his defense. I hope he puts it all together because he has the overall game to enhance a strong team. He can be a contributor and that’s the goal.

I agree with others: This year is Sergio’s window. I think he can succeed with the Blazers.

by pusster1 on Oct 7, 2008 11:16 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Best Sergio Piece Yet

Nice work, Dave. Very thorough and eminently sensible. I’ll try to remember this when my emotions start prodding me to fire off some jackass remark.

If you say "basically" at the beginning of a sentence, you probably also put ketchup on everything you eat.

by CosmoPlavix on Oct 7, 2008 12:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Could Sergio turn into Steve Nash II?

Some Sergio supporters seem to think so. They are encouraged in this by the play of low draft picks who turned into stars, like Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and even Nash himself, who at #15 was not a high pick.

Compare Sergio’s career so far to Nash’s:

Nash played four years in college, led his team to three NCAA Tournament appearances, and twice was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year before joining the NBA. Sergio was the star of an ACB student league and MVP of a junior league on a team that won the gold medal, but was a backup on the Spanish national team that won the 2006 World Championship before joining the NBA.

Nash was the third-string PG in Phoenix for two years before being traded to Dallas. Sergio finds himself at a similar point in his career right now with the Blazers. Nash became the starter for the Mavs and in his third season with them became an All-Star before joining the Suns and becoming a two-time league MVP.

Both players have excellent court vision and passing ability and are similar in size. Neither is known for playing defense well. Comparing them as 22-year-olds, the biggest differences between them is Nash’s college experience and shot, especially from beyond the arc. Nash’s stats otherwise were not impressive until his fifth season.

I wrote this under the assumption that Sergio is a long way from ever being able to approach Steve Nash’s skill level and success. My attitude about Sergio all along has been that I would get excited about him when Nate gets excited about him and I didn’t see what all the fuss was about. Now, I think Sergio’s potential is a lot closer to Nash than I assumed it was. He definitely is behind where Nash was at 22, but I believe he can take a major step forward and throw a huge monkey wrench into Nate’s guard rotation plan simply by improving his shot.

Rudy’s arrival has to be a real boost to Sergio’s motivation and morale, and I’m hoping that the intangibles Rudy brings rub-off on Sergio. Steve Blake’s injury is an opportunity for Sergio to shine and get the minutes he needs to practice what he’s been taught. Sergio has a lot more to improve than just his shot, but if he has Nash-like potential I hope he reaches it on the Blazers.

"Personally, I'd rather give an elephant a prostate exam on Chili Day." --Dave on rooting for the Lakers or Celtics

by MiledAnimal on Oct 7, 2008 12:40 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree 100%

I’ve never been quick to judge Sergio. He didn’t get the nickname “Spanish Magician” for nothing right? Let’s hope he busts out his wand this year.

by blazerbeliever on Oct 7, 2008 12:51 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

everyone's right but...

I’m still surprised that people actually HATE Sergio. He didn’t play enough to really impact the outcome of any games. If he was playing poorly he was immediately pulled. If he happened to be playing well he got a little extra burn. If it was a blowout he was lobbing half court alley oops to Travis Outlaw.

If Jack hadn’t been playing so crappy last year there would have been no debate.

by nlj on Oct 7, 2008 12:56 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

My take

I could never bash a player based on mistakes or not contributing enough to get minutes…A player has certain abilities and that is that…and a player such as Sergio will need minutes to get his confidence back…Unfortunately his window ( and probably minutes) has become smaller with more talent now on the team
   For Sergio the two things that could get him minutes are defense and his shot. Bad defense (something that is inherited somewhat by the European system) is basically hard work, proper position, and a basic foundation of the fundamentals. If you don’t have the fundamentals coming in then defense becomes a dedication by the player to learn.
    And the one comment I would like to make on the decline of Sergio’s shot: He was better in his rookie season because he took shots in the flow of the offense…taking what the defense gives you…when he got into his second season he became a regimented play-maker only …….This could have been what the coaches wanted, given the scoring capabilities of others on the team ….But IMO he has to shoot the ball to be effective at dishing off and setting plays (keep the defense honest). ,,,,,,If he feels the freedom to shoot, when the opportunity is there, then his confidence will not be a factor in whether he makes the shot or not.
     So I never have thought of him as bad or good, but somewhere in between. Right now his skills are probably not enough to get him to the point guard rotation….. but there is only one true point guard on this team until proven otherwise….he could still break through

by 67 on Oct 7, 2008 1:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The Blazers

More so than any other team in the league would benefit from a change to 60 minute games.

by southern oregon on Oct 7, 2008 1:29 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

With no timeouts

Just line changes, like in hockey.

No half or quarter breaks either.

—Dave

by Dave on Oct 7, 2008 1:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sergio

Dave, I’m not sure why you’re so hung up on not wanting to talk about Sergio just because he’s the 10th-11th player on Portland. Everyone in Dallas talked about Tony Romo before he even threw a pass. Jermaine O’Neal was one of the top stories even while the Blazers were pushing for a championship and he was only playing 5 minutes per game. That’s the way it works in sports. For a good 75% of NBA players, being a “right fit” on a team can mean a difference between making $5-6 million and being a starter or if you don’t fit, it can mean you will be buried deep and playing for the minnimum.

As one of the bigger Sergio supporters, I’ve come to accept the fact that Sergio will never be the right fit in Portland, at least not while Nate is the coach. He’s simply not his type of player and I can respect that. But to say that Sergio hasn’t shown star potential is simply ludicrous. He had more impact in his rookie year than any other Blazer rookie point guard that I can remember. The kid was flamboyant, unselfish and pretty much made everyone better. If someone else was coaching the Blazers, Sergio would have been the starter by the end of his rookie year. Talk to your boy Pritchard about Sergio. Teams were calling him left and right about Sergio after that first season.

Last year was a completely different story. Nate simply killed any confidence he had by first telling him he was out of the rotation before training camp even started!!! And then blamed him for a loss in Philly where he played less than 10 minutes. C’mon. These guys aren’t robots. How would you take that as a 20 year old kid living in a foreign country and playing for a coach who hates your game??? If you don’t believe that, then ask yourself why Jack never got pulled for stepping on the end line or blowing a fast break. For all the things he still needs to improve, Sergio would start tomorrow if he was playing for Don Nelson or Mike D’Antoni.

Just out of curiosity, I’d really like to know what your thoughts were back when Jermaine O’Neal or Drazen Petrovic were buried on Portland’s bench???

by pitar on Oct 7, 2008 3:55 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

U betcha!

I’m jonesing for a Steven Hill war right about now. I’ve got nothing better to do than avoid work while discussing players that have little or no impact on my favorite team.

Free Joel Freeland! (with the purchase of 1 Wafer)

by LaughingJon on Oct 7, 2008 4:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

One of each

I pretty much knew Drazen Petrovic could be a good scorer but never would be a great defender, which ended up correct. There was no way he could start over Clyde Drexler though, or even eat into Clyde’s minutes a little. I didn’t think it was a big deal we traded Jermaine O’Neal. That was before my blogging days. Before the trade I remember writing friends something along the lines of, “I don’t know if he’s every going to do anything in the NBA, but if he does it’ll probably be for someone else. He’s not going to make it here.” Obviously I was wrong in my assessment of him, probably my greatest miss ever. Like Drazen, Jermaine was stuck behind players he couldn’t hope to win minutes from at that stage of his career.

Sergio is in a different place than either Jermaine or Drazen were. I don’t believe for an instant that the Blazers would mind giving Sergio some of Blake’s minutes if he were really ready right now. There’s a reason he’s not getting more time. Your assessment that he’d start in Golden State or New York goes too far. If that were true either team would already have offered the Blazers some kind of deal to get their starting point guard of the future. They wouldn’t have to give up that much.

—Dave

by Dave on Oct 7, 2008 6:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dave, what's your take on Sergio's game tonight?

"Personally, I'd rather give an elephant a prostate exam on Chili Day." --Dave on rooting for the Lakers or Celtics

by MiledAnimal on Oct 7, 2008 10:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

See game recap

He played well. Compared to last year he looked much more comfortable and had more of an impact. Defense still needs some work but again, we can talk about that more in depth if he starts getting put in there. Overall he deserves a standing ovation, which is exactly what I would have given him had I been there.

—Dave

by Dave on Oct 7, 2008 11:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Should have added

I’m not really saying you shouldn’t think as you do. Everybody has their guys and everybody sees things differently, which is cool. You’ll just understand, I hope, why not everybody else is taking that view….and it’s not because they are crazy, blind, or hate Sergio.

—Dave

by Dave on Oct 7, 2008 11:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

:) when can we start hammering this "conflict" bayless vs. sergio out?

"You just WATCHED history No need to study it! You LIVED it."
Mortimer

by faith on Oct 7, 2008 10:05 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

When either of them starts playing

12+ minutes is when I’d bother. Until then, just cheer for both! (C=

—Dave

by Dave on Oct 7, 2008 11:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

k :)

"You just WATCHED history No need to study it! You LIVED it."
Mortimer

by faith on Oct 8, 2008 1:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is Sergio's book bound in Spanish leather?

This subject has been covered so many times, that maybe it’s already in paperback.

Blazers Edge has an alarmist vision

by tominhawaii on Oct 8, 2008 6:03 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The is a special edition bundled with "The Book of Job"

Odenied: If you're given lemmings—make lemming-ade (Bow4Meow)

by Norsktroll on Oct 8, 2008 8:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No consiparcy

No, I don’t believe there’s a consiparcy against Sergio, no matter how much I would like to see him play. The reason why he hasn’t played is that he’s not Nate’s type of player. Period. That’s the only reason.

There’s coaches in the NBA who would drool over his court vision, unselfishness and passing ability at such a young age that they would be a lot more willing to overlook his defensive deficincies. That doesn’t carry as much weight with Nate. In his system, the PG is a tough, hard-nosed defender, not a flashy showman.

by pitar on Oct 8, 2008 8:51 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs