Quick Breaks The News: Oden to Start
by Ben Golliver on Nov 24, 2008 1:46 PM PST
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PrintGreg Oden will move back into the starting lineup tonight when the Blazers play host to Sacramento.
"I think it's time,'' coach Nate McMillan said Monday afternoon. "I feel like he is ready.''
Oden started the Blazers season opener in Los Angeles, but has played the last seven games as a reserve after he came back from a right foot injury suffered in the opener. He missed six games with the injury and returned on Nov. 12 in Miami as a reserve behind Joel Przybilla.
Przybilla said McMillan informed him of the decision after Saturday night's loss in Phoenix.
"I have no problem with it,'' Przybilla said. "I expected it sooner or later.''
I'm good with it. Theoretically (Thunder excepted), it's hard to think of a less pressure atmosphere than at home against the Kings. So why not? The PT with Blake, B. Roy and LMA will surely speed his progress.
Right move? Wrong move? What do you think?
-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)
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you're my hero.
"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 Nov 24, 2008 3:30 PM PST up reply actions
i'm sure the folks at Disney will be very proud of you.
when i get sad, i stop being sad & become awesome again. true story.
can i have your autograph?
perhaps on my chest?
by DominicanAvenger on Nov 24, 2008 3:32 PM PST up reply actions
lol nice
perhaps i can get one as well, then you and i could perform a celebratory shirtless chest-bump.
when i get sad, i stop being sad & become awesome again. true story.
o my that's my godson right there!
that my godson! that’s my godson!
Whoever was posting Oden up....was just stupid.
by Eventine
Man, I have to say, I LOVE the way Przy has been playing.
Sacto at the Rose Garden is a good place to get Oden going, but up till now, Przy has been looking great.
Do they make Przybill jerseys?
Rudyculize: The act of Rudy making others look slow, dim and generally oafish.
http://www.myspace.com/y5k
by Y5k on Nov 24, 2008 1:51 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Good.
The sooner we get this team to the rotations we expect to have at the end of the season the better. They need to learn to play together. Blake, Roy, Martell, Aldridge, Oden. Those guys all clicking together will be a scary lineup to face indeed. Oden needs to mature and Aldridge needs to get used to playing with him. I believe Pryz will prove to be the best backup center in the league (at least defensively) so that will be great to solidify the white unit.
by ericande on Nov 24, 2008 1:54 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
I concur.
Aldridge and Oden need to get used to playing together.
One of Two Official Blazer's Edge Poets Laureate for the 2008-2009 Season
"In vino veritas." - Latin proverb
"Ich sitze hier und trinke mein gutes Wittenbergisch Bier und das Reich Gottes kommt von ganz alleine" - Martin Luther
"μηκέτι ὑδροπότει, ἀλλὰ οἴνῳ ὀλίγῳ χρῶ διὰ τὸν στόμαχον καὶ τὰς πυκνάς σου ἀσθενείας." - 1 Timothy 5:23
Too Long
I think Nate took too long toying with Oden on the bench. It will be another period of adjusting for the entire team with this NORMAL rotation.
Also, the lineup with Batum and Pryzbilla together has always been suspect offensively. Other teams just key up on Roy and Aldridge. Rudy and Outlaw has been struggling offensively with Oden in the 2nd unit.
No way around the adjustment period. It has to happen, I’d rather it be soon.
I think the bench was good for Oden, of course we’ll never know what would have been but given all the crap he’s gone through to get here he needed all the help he could to just get going. Might have taken him longer to start playing well if he matched up against starting centers to start out.
disagee
I don’t mind him comgin off the bench a few more weeks actually, but starting him now is fine also. That’s not my disagreement, Other than last game, Rudy hasn’t been struggling offensively. Rudy and Greg have moments or developing a nice two-man game. Watch for it at times.
Travis has been inconsistent regardless of who starts at center, although given his proclivity toward attempting to create instant offense, I agree that he should be better with Joel in theory. The biggere issues, as previously stated, is getting Greg used to all of the other starters. I can’t wait to se how this can work with Martell.
This isn't the Lakers,...
"It's not Show time. It's GO time!"
almost, not quite ready.
Unless Greg has been demanding it in a place where no one can see or hear, Greg should continue to come off the bench. Przybilla is a solid pro and Greg isn’t up to that level yet.
That being said, if it happens tonight, I hope Greg gets 30 and 20, and in hindsight it looks like a no-brainer. – Elgin.
All the kids who played the blues would learn my licks with a bottleneck slide. - Richard Palmer-James
The future is now
It’s not like Nate’s going to make him play 35 minutes yet. Everyone knows this is the future, might as well make it a reality.
My biggest hope for tonight
is not for Oden…
More importantly, I need to see Aldridge play well. And it can’t just be in a second quarter splurge; I want to see consistency.
--
by CaptainSexyJacob on Nov 24, 2008 2:01 PM PST reply actions
Against Sacramento at home? Sure.
You can do whatever the heck you want tonight and still win. Heck, let’s see Sergio play 45 minutes tonight.
Blazer Fan
Sac has been playing tough on the road,not a gimme
but I like the match up and the timing,good move Nate
by southern oregon on Nov 24, 2008 2:14 PM PST up reply actions
no team in the NBA
is a “gimme” win – its the NBA, any team can win any night….
Rip City Baby...People have no idea what is coming.
Follow my twitter www.twitter.com/PDXBlazersFTW, @PDXBlazersFTW. Lots of random Blazer Posts from links I find around the blogosphere.
I agree
But the Thunder in the Garden might be a semi-gimme
by southern oregon on Nov 24, 2008 4:24 PM PST up reply actions
I just want to see
Oden come out with a mindset not of I gotta get my feet wet and learn the game
I wanna see him come out and demand the ball, try and block EVERY shot, go after every rebound. I know he might get a ton of fouls and maybe even foul out. But he needs to start trying to get that mentality. Pryz got his back and its the freaking KINGS
"Why would we lie to ourselves dude?"
"Be excellent to each other."
"All we are is dust in the wind, dude."
"Strange things are afoot at the Circle K."
The Wisdom of Bill S Preston Esquire and Ted Theodore Logan
by GreatOden'sRaven on Nov 24, 2008 2:08 PM PST reply actions
Me too
The one asset people tend to forget is having someone like Oden, who can get the other team’s big guys into foul trouble. If we get Greg the ball in good position, he should be drawing all sorts of fouls on people. Let’s get other team’s centers into foul trouble for once and get some free throws.
Can I buy you a fish sandwich?
Not Yet
Joel has been playing like a true NBA starting center, and it’s too soon to throw Greg into the fire, disrupt the team’s rhythm, and risk losing Joel’s conditioning edge. I expect Greg to accumulate fouls quickly, which will get Joel back into the game, anyway.
I suspect that Greg starting is less a case of Nate wanting him in there than it is of Paul Allen pressuring Nate to showcase his prized rookie. If that’s the case (and I apologize to Paul Allen is it’s not) it’s too bad executives get to make basketball decisions.
What’s the rush? This team is going to the playoffs.
If you say "basically" at the beginning of a sentence, you probably also put ketchup on everything you eat.
by CosmoPlavix on Nov 24, 2008 2:10 PM PST reply actions
Paul Allen does not medle in that way.
Greg needs to get acclimated to playing with the first unit, period.
"if i started a beer company and sold one beer for every time he(timbo) replied to himself, i'd be a millionaire, check that, a billionaire". - prezofdeath
"14 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks, no turnovers. Standing ovation for Travis tonight." - Dave
by Outlaw is Rejector on Nov 24, 2008 2:48 PM PST up reply actions
It's cool, he only said he suspects
He didn’t imply that his suspicions are ever correct or based on reality.
huh?
what on earth are you reading to give you that impression?
I’ve never picked up on Paul Allen demanding to see someone on the court (other than Dr. Darius).
"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 Nov 24, 2008 3:32 PM PST up reply actions
I know we don't hear about it, but seriously...
To what extent he is involved I don’t have the foggiest, but to assume that he watches the organization like it is in a snow-globe would be ridiculous.
I heart taxes.
I likey!
Against Spencer Hawes…I like it alot. Pryz has been playing great, but I agree that it is time to put Oden in there. I think having Oden start the season in the opening lineup was a mistake, but the time is right.
Besides, we want to hear his name announced for the starting lineup.
Now if we could just move Rudy in there somehow…..hmmm
-Shad
"If a doctor ever gives me six months to live, I want it in basketball time." - Marc Acito
exactly
this is a great time to get his feet wet, because spencer hawes can’t handle him. we definitely need him to build a better rapport with roy and aldridge.
that said, i wouldn’t be at all averse to Joel playing more minutes than Greg off the bench for awhile. Just need more of Oden’s minutes to come with Roy and LMA
by DominicanAvenger on Nov 24, 2008 2:29 PM PST up reply actions
I just hope the Blazers don't dump the ball into Oden
Let the big guy work on the pick and rolls.
BINGO, BANGO, BONGO
THIS IS A HUUUUUUUUGE MISTAKE!!!!!!!
HUGE!
ODEN IS NOT READY. He’s doing very well but he’s not ready. He needs to play. He needs to force himself into the starting line up not be put in it early because he was the first pick. Did you see him game one? Dear god, he forgot how to jump up and down.
Oden will one day be the best center in NBA history but the more you coddle him the longer you’re going to have to wait.
And Zilla is playing great AND is the better fit for the first unit.
I spoken on this matter. End of Post.
Nate is sealing his own doom. Welcome couch Porter.
Let Me Get This Straight
Pryzbilla fits better with Batum and Blake? That means you only have Roy and Aldridge as the only offensive threats in the starting unit. Oden belongs with the starters.
Rudy and Outlaw needs more touches so Pryzbilla is the better fit. Ever since Oden came back, Rudy and Outlaw’s production has been on the decline.
Blake is an offensive threat
Dr. Blake can play off the ball and knock down open shots and has started to be able to hit jumpers off the dribble when his defender goes behind a pick.
Blake is
our or someone elses future backup point guard. That starting point guard will be 6’ 5" or taller and probably be acquired as a free agent. Bayless looks like a 2 and not a 1.
Top quality NBA point guard. The last piece in the Blazers puzzle.
that's true
I love Blake and Nate and KP do too. But Nate is longing for a player much like himself (or Gary Payton) at point guard for this team. – Elgin.
All the kids who played the blues would learn my licks with a bottleneck slide. - Richard Palmer-James
Interesting take
How would you argue Pryz is the better fit for the first unit?
Seems fairly obvious that, while Pryz has been playing great, he’s not a good fit at all with the first unit, especially Blake and Batum. Not enough firepower. Not against good teams. Have to get Greg acclimated to playing with those guys.
Pryz is a better fit with the second unit – which actually has MORE scoring firepower between Travis and Rudy and Sergio. A lot of times, Roy or LMA is out there with Sergio/Rudy/Outlaw.
The theory being, you always need three legit offensive weapons on the court at any given time. Guys that will demand the defense’s attention. The Blazers have five of those guys: Roy, LMA, Oden, Rudy, and Trout. It would be crazy, long term, to only start two of them.
You’re asking to put yourself in a hole if the threes aren’t falling for Batum and Blake. The entire D starts keying on LMA and Roy and there’s no room to operate.
Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.
by KP Corleone on Nov 24, 2008 3:12 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
i hope you're a troll...
Welcome couch Porter
and
Oden will one day be the best center in NBA history but the more you coddle him the longer you’re going to have to wait.
so… we should start him now?
JAH
What is a couch Porter?
Is that someone who brings you food and drinks when your sitting on your couch enjoying the game?
lol i was waiting for something like this to come along. nice work. you’re two for two today.
by Ben Golliver on Nov 24, 2008 3:59 PM PST up reply actions
I was about to chastise you for putting a picture in a gameday thread
then I realized
1. Who cares?! I have high speed internet!
2. This ain’t a gameday thread
Whoever was posting Oden up....was just stupid.
by Eventine
BE's TOP TEN
Looks like someone needs to keep track of BE’s TOP TEN. Net Ranger’s Photo Shop special will certainly make it.
Oden needs the ball...
at the right time and place! He has been getting the ball out of position and too far from the hoop too much. I think this will improve with the starters. Aldridge will figure out to move to the open spots when GO gets double/triple coverage …. it takes time. I’ll be in section 314 tonight screaming my lungs out!
GO BLAZES!
Great for Oden, and for team
Ive been hoping that nate would make this move since the suns game, didnt expect it though.
- Greg fits much better with the first team, he has played his best ball with Roy picking odens spots for him offensively. when he has been playing with the 2nd team they never know when to give it to him and force the ball to him at odd times forcing him to make tougher decisions. the 2nd teams strength is to push the tempo and score.. oden hinders this becuase it slows them down and they are much more tenative looking for thier own shots with a big man who deserves the ball down low. joel will let them launch away and hit the boards hard to keep possesions alive. With oden in the 2nd unit he is forced to rely much more on post moves to score, while with the 1st unit he can get alot of dunks of dump downs when teams are jumping out on LA and doubling roy. Blake and Roy know when to give it to him and oden trusts thier decision making building his confidence. he can just focus on what he does best with them, when with the 2nd unit he is forced to think to much about his weaknesses.
the first team is much better defensivly so Oden wont be asked to do quite as much. to often the 2nd team gambles for steals (which is great) and oden keeps getting caught in no mans land as he tries to help really exposing his lack of quickness (its just gunna take a while til he gets it back). the nba game is happening way faster then anything hes used to and he just cant seem to decide which plays he needs to help on and which ones not to. pryz does. with the first team he really can just sit back and pick his spots to throw opposing shots into the stands.
On another note, greg does alot better when he isnt tired, and starting allows him to play for 2 seperate stints each half as opposed to one long stint
This move should accelerate Gregs progress a ton
(ive been reading blazersedge religiously since that fateful lottery night, first time ive posted. I love the quality of basketball disscussion here, cant get enough of it)
The more Oden and Roy play together
the better our team will be. end of story
Woof
by Charles Barkley McLovin on Nov 24, 2008 3:04 PM PST reply actions
Wait. I thought this was just the beginning of the story.
You mean I stuck around for all those crappy years and the story is over? Lame.
Not ready.
I find this extremely odd considering that Pryz played out of his mind against Phoenix (and in general lately), whereas Oden struggled mightily.
In the long run I don’t think it matters, but if it were me I’d wait at least another week and let him get in a few good games in a row to get that Suns game out of his head.
MLB2PDX!!! (someday...)
by The Cactus Leaguer on Nov 24, 2008 3:06 PM PST reply actions
well
i don’t think it matters either,,,but Pryz has been one of our best players of late…Is the starting role symbolic for a #1 pick…….???? Where’s the reward for playing better and also earning your way into the starting lineup……It’s not worth arguing over, but it was a mistake in the beginning to start him, and still makes little sense now…….it has to be just a symbolic gesture and is neutral on the effect to the team…..except….they will probably come out and force feed him right away again……
'Liability on defense, is an asset on the bench" a quote from my basketball coach, who believed good defense won games and made the offense a product of it
by 67 on Nov 24, 2008 3:32 PM PST up reply actions
I suspect the thought is
that we get three winnable games in a row to make the adjustment before we go out on the road. If we’re making that kind of adjustment in those road games, we get destroyed. Do it now, at home, when there’s a few days to practice, and games which we should be competitive even if we have rough spots.
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.
it's just like Joel said
it was going to happen sooner or later…you may as well get acclimated to the players you are going to be playing with most of the time
Oden will have his ups and downs
that being said, it’s time to start him. Remember this is a marathon, not a sprint as the old saying goes. He’s going to be our starting center (hopefully) for many, many years to come. GO needs to go heads up with the best centers in the league. Bringing him off the bench just delays his growth as a player. As he gains confidence, he won’t back down or commit silly fouls to the likes of Shaq, Yao, etc..
Kp Corleone
Exactly!
Oden’s mere presence changes the oppositions defensive scheme…Roy and LMA WILL get easier shots as they work it all out!
It's time to do it to it.
FIRST QUARTER & THIRD QUARTER
Six Minutes
C: Greg Oden
Six Minutes
C: Joel Przybilla
SECOND QUARTER & FOURTH QUARTER
Four Minutes
C: Joel Przybilla
Eight Minutes
C: Greg Oden
At the pivot, that’s 28 minutes per game for Greg Oden and 20 minutes per game for Joel Przybilla.
Good timing, I'd say
The sooner the change is made, the sooner the team can start settling into their “permanent” rotation. Better to get GO inserted into the starting line-up before Martell returns so you’re not trying to adjust to TWO new guys.
I’m thinking Nate didn’t want to make the change on the road with GO matching up vs Shaq. GO at home vs Spencer Hawes? Perfect!
"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla
True, Being a #1 pick garnishes you a lot of perks... even if you haven't earned em yet.
I’m thinking Nate didn’t want to make the change on the road with GO matching up vs Shaq. GO at home vs Spencer Hawes? Perfect!
when i get sad, i stop being sad & become awesome again. true story.
People are pretty passionate about this.
I don’t think it’s a big deal.
Oden just played this team and knows what to expect. It’s a home game and the crowd should be a nice lift for him. Blake has been hot the last couple games, so if he’s going off with Roy and Aldridge, there’s less pressure on Oden. Oden needs to get into first unit speed, what better way than to play with the first unit?
As long as they establish the same gameplan they’ve been doing (which is NEVER centered on Przy… he only gets the ball when somebody drives and dishes), Oden will be fine… he’ll get some dunks off drives… he’ll get some offensive rebounds… maybe a few set plays just for him.
I’m looking forward to it.
"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 Nov 24, 2008 3:44 PM PST reply actions
It's time
for GO to shatter a backboard! He’s plenty big and strong enough to do it. I can’t remember the last time it happened. It was Shaq I believe. Thats the way to let everyone know he’s not messing around.
Do backboards still shatter?
I thought they made them unshatterable…
I know the stanchion can be brought down given enough force…
"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 Nov 24, 2008 4:05 PM PST up reply actions
I don't recall one shattering since they introduced the hinged rim
Anyone else remember David Thompson’s backboard breaking dunk in the MC? I’ll never forget that one.
"But we need a center", Inman said. "So play him at center!" Knight yelled back. - Bobby Knight on Michael Jordan prior to the Blazers' 1984 draft pick of Sam Bowie.
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Nov 24, 2008 6:28 PM PST up reply actions
Greg Oden is a good basketball player
So, I think this is a smart move.
The Classical
You won't find anything more ridiculous, than this new profile
razor unit, made with the highest British attention to the
wrong detail, become obsolete units surrounded by hail.
THE CLASSICAL!
WORD UP. STAY. FRESCO.
it's more important who finishes games
And I want Pryz out there at the end of the game. No question about it.
The Odenphant is true king of the jungle.
GO should be out there
at the end of the game. Pryz can play D but on the offensive end it’s 4 on 5. You need 5 players that are offensive threats. Force the other team to play man to man defense. That means BROY can go one on one when the game is on the line.
This should free up LMA
Oden + Aldridge on the court together should be really good for Aldridge. (That’s what we were all saying a month ago, isn’t it?) Oden should have up games and down games depending on the opposition, but I think his basic game will be strong either way. And Przybilla can only get better against reserve centers, right?
I think what's cool
is that most people are cool with either of them starting and either of them playing. We’re just happy it’s not Frye.
"I believe in [Joel]. I just love the way he plays." - Nate McMillan
Oden needs more time on court with Aldridge
And visa versa, so this is good news.
I just cant get me enough Oden monster dunks and blocks
MORE ovaltine shake please
"All our holes," says shooting guard Brandon Roy, a surprise All-Star last year in his second season, "are holes that Greg is going to plug."
Well...
based on tonight’s boxscore, I’d say starting Oden was a mistake. He never really got in a rhythm. If Oden can’t dominate Hawes and/or Brad Miller, then he really is raw. I know that +/- is not the best stat, but Oden was -22 and Przy was +23.
Joel has no offensive game, but I don’t think he gets in the way either. Whenever Oden is out there, he still seems unsure of where he should go or what he should do. His poor conditioning is affecting his defense as well.
Let’s not forget that the dude has played just one season of non-high school ball and most of that was with a busted wrist. He’s still raw. Yeah, one day he’ll be great, but he needs to be brought along slowly to keep him from getting too discouraged.
No real argument here
After watching that game I’d probably change my vote. There’s no question in my mind that the line-up change almost cost the Blazers this game. But I don’t think the problem is so much GO’s raw-ness (although he certainly is a work in progress). The greater problem is that GO and the starters have hardly ever played together—even in practice. By contrast, those guys have played with Joel for years now. So naturally they were out of sync tonight—as a GROUP.
I feel Nate gambled that even with the starters out of sync, the team could still beat the Kings at home. But the gamble almost backfired, and this one game—plus practice on Tuesday—won’t be enough to fix the problem. If I were the coach (thankfully for the Blazers, I’m not!), I’d keep GO coming off the bench until the All-Star break. Only then will there be enough practice time to make this change.
BTW, when Martell returns next week, we can expect to see MORE confusion and indecision from the starting unit. Not good…
"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla
Good point
You’re right. Przy is no offensive threat so there is never a need to run a play for him so he never disrupts the flow. I saw him post up once and Roy looked at him like he was crazy. With Oden in there, there seems to be a desire to establish him and run an inside-outside game. Unfortunately, his hands haven’t been great so he fumbles the entry pass and then doesn’t kick it out fast enough. He just needs more time and more work. Unfortunately, I don’t think that should be game time if it costs Portland a playoff spot. Let him get his feet wet maybe 15-20 minutes a game until the All-Star Break.
The best news is that even a “bad” or “rusty” Oden is still better than all but a handful of centers out there.
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