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Quick Notes

Kitten_tiny by Dave on

Good stuff by Jason Quick over at OregonLive today.  Most of his story is about the arrival of Jerryd Bayless, but there are more tidbits in there.  Among the high points:

--Nate gave Bayless a nice, big hug as a greeting.

--Nate envisions Bayless playing mostly point guard.

--Petteri Koponen will start alongside JB in the backcourt at Summer League but Bayless will see time at the point.

--Ike Diogu will also play in a couple of Summer League games.

--Nate McMillan reportedly turned down a contract extension this summer, preferring to get closer to the end of his deal before renegotiating.

--The starting small forward spot on next year's team is still open, though Travis Outlaw may find himself playing with the second unit not because of talent, but because he will have more opportunities to score there.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

0 recs | Comment 89 comments

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Also ...Petteri will be going back to Europe

for next season

"Some of Dave’s greatest gifts are unanswered posts."

by 92wastheyear on Jul 8, 2008 9:30 AM PDT   0 recs

Petteri said earlier

that he hopes not to go back. But it sounds like the Blazers had already made up their minds.

by MavetheGreat on Jul 8, 2008 9:49 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I wonder if quick meant to write that.

The pictures kinda small, but Im giving the C's a big thumbs down

by Blazermaniac77 on Jul 8, 2008 9:53 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Bwahahahaha

I can feel the glee emanating from Nate in his quotes in this article.

“When McMillan turned around and returned to his desk, his eyes lit up.”

“That’s a pretty good-size point guard, huh?”

Well, Nate, I feel the same glee as I shudder with excitement in my desk chair. Is it fall yet?

by joelor on Jul 8, 2008 9:49 AM PDT   0 recs

Notes at end of article

If the season started today, McMillan said he would envision a starting unit of Steve Blake, Brandon Roy, Martell Webster, LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden. The second unit would be Bayless or Sergio Rodriguez, Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw, Channing Frye and Joel Przybilla. “But I will leave the starting small forward position open…”

Interesting that Sergio is still considered “in the mix” for the backup point guard.

As I wrote last week, I would expect to see either Blake or Roy playing the majority of “meaningful” minutes alongside either Rudy or Bayless, at least until they learn the league. Throwing two rookie guards simultaneously to the “wolves” is not a good idea

by two4larue on Jul 8, 2008 9:58 AM PDT   0 recs

Once Nate sees Rudy play in person, he'll squeeze him into the starting lineup

Filefax it!

"Man I want to rec it again." - pualo talking about jscot's long comment

by tominhawaii on Jul 8, 2008 10:08 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I known that's your take

But defense wins championships and Rudy will take awhile to learn how to play D (if he ever does)

by two4larue on Jul 8, 2008 10:09 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

defense doesn't win championships

being the best team wins championships. This generally requires both good D and good O.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Jul 8, 2008 10:19 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Tell that to the Lakers

They got through the western conference playing offense, then got shut down by Boston’s superior defense in the finals. Yes, it takes both O and D to get to the playoffs, but championships are won by the team that gets the most stops in crunch time

by two4larue on Jul 8, 2008 10:25 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Goes both ways

If you can’t make shots or get shots in crunch time you aren’t winning anything either.

Defense wins championships=Cliches make fanposts

by Replacement Level Poster on Jul 8, 2008 10:26 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Who are you, Steve Jones?

You sound like the Snapper arguing offense vs defense with Mike Rice, back in the day

I’ve got NBA history on my side of the argument. You can put a pretty-boy offensive team together that wins 50+ games (like Phoenix, recently) but when push comes to shove, they’ll go home in May and defensive teams (like San Antonio) play for the title in June.

You could look it up, this trend goes back as long as the NBA has been the NBA

by two4larue on Jul 8, 2008 10:39 AM PDT to parent up   1 recs

PHX

was good at O but not D. San Antonio has been good at both for years. People just tend not to notice the O because its boring and because the scores are relatively low (due to pace, not lack of offensive efficiency).

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Jul 8, 2008 10:49 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Magic Johnson's showtime Lakers

Weren’t exactly knowing for their defense.

by Replacement Level Poster on Jul 8, 2008 10:49 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Remember Magic's famous line?

“No rebounds, no rings”

(I had a feeling someone would reference showtime. But it wasn’t “winning time” until they played team defense

by two4larue on Jul 8, 2008 10:54 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Its just a saying people say

You can’t win on defense alone. You can’t win on offense alone. You need both. You need to be a well balanced team, that’s all I or jksnake are saying.

by Replacement Level Poster on Jul 8, 2008 10:57 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

And what I'm saying

Is that Nate is a defensive-minded coach, so I expect him to set up his rotations with D in mind. Sure, he’ll play Rudy. But he won’t lean on Rudy in crunch time to hold a lead, at least not until Fernandez proves he can defend (you could see offense-for-defense substitutions at timeouts, of course)

by two4larue on Jul 8, 2008 11:12 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Not so sure

Remember that Joel wasn’t getting a lot of PT at the end of games because ….of his offensive limitations

"Some of Dave’s greatest gifts are unanswered posts."

by 92wastheyear on Jul 8, 2008 11:21 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Ahead, or behind?

Depends on game conditions. If the Blazers were behind, no, you wouldn’t play Joel. To protect a lead, it’s more likely you’d see Prz (especially since he improved his FT%)

But we’re talking about opposite ends of the spectrum, here. Joel doesn’t need to be guarded on offense, unless he’s at the hoop. Rudy has to prove he can defend, or he’ll be watching at the end of the game, like Sergio was

by two4larue on Jul 8, 2008 11:31 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I just got back

I was talking about Rudy starting, not playing in the end of the game. Also, I may be wrong but I don’t associate rebounds with defense. I know they are related because a missed shot might have been missed due to the defense. Zach got a lot of rebounds and I don’t associate him with good defense.

Defense may win championships but its the team with the highest score that wins the game. If memory serves me correctly, most scoring is done on offense.

"Man I want to rec it again." - pualo talking about jscot's long comment

by tominhawaii on Jul 8, 2008 12:54 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Rudy knows what to do on defense

While I think some are just saying he can’t play defense for whatever reason, he is known as a smart defender who knows what to do and gets tons of steals.

His problem will be his SIZE; he’s tall and long enough for the SG position, but he’s really skinny and he’ll get beefed up by bigger SGs as they try to penetrate on him or take him on the block. Roy will likely use his big body on the SGs, and Rudy will tackle the smaller PG, and he’s smart enough to funnel a super quick PG to the right bigs (LMA, Oden).

When we say Outlaw can’t defend, it’s cause he just doesn’t know where to be. Athletically, he should be awesome. But in actuality, he doesn’t defend where he should defend. Rudy is different because he won’t be big enough to muscle up as a defender, but he’s got good BBIQ to offset that. Think Steve Blake, but a lot quicker.

I mean, 2 steals a game is 2 steals a game, and while he likely gambled a lot he isn’t known as a bad defender. Just small.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Jul 8, 2008 1:41 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'll have to see it

2 steals a game in the Euro league only tell me that he has quick hands and anticipation in the passing lanes. Youtube highlights don’t show much re: defense, unless it’s the tipped pass that leads to the fast break, etc. Rudy “may” be able to funnel a player to help, but can he overplay a PG to deny him the ball, then recover in time to prevent easy penetration? Can he rotate to the open shooter correctly in a team concept? I think there’s only a few int’l scouts around that may know the answers to these questions, and even they won’t know for sure until RF gets into a game at the NBA level

by two4larue on Jul 8, 2008 2:06 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

A couple of things

The decision to start Rudy will depend on what wants to establish at the beginning of games, and how Fernandez may fit with the other 4 starters. You notice Nate said he prefers to bring Trout off the bench because there are more opportunities for #25 to score if he’s playing with the white unit. The same may be true for Rudy. Also, perhaps it would not be best for Roy to start the game off defending the opposing PG. It depends on matchups, and what tempo the Blazers are trying to establish in th efirst quarter.

I guess what I’m saying is…it’s not as simple as “Rudy will prove he’s the best guard other than Roy, so he must start” There’s more to it than that

by two4larue on Jul 8, 2008 2:01 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm being a homer

But I’m going on experience and scoring ability. I love Blake, and I could easily see Rudy’s offensive production, in regards to assists to our bigs around the basket, offsetting any defensive liabilities. You add in his ability to attack the basket, and get the other team’s bigs in foul trouble, having Rudy start is even more likely.

Roy starts as the point guard and Rudy starts as the shooting guard. Coaches always send in a guy early, at commercial breaks and whatnot, so after eight or ten minutes you take out the guy who’s not hot, and throw in Blake or Bayless. At the start of the second quarter throw in the other guy. Nate can play it by ear after that.

"Man I want to rec it again." - pualo talking about jscot's long comment

by tominhawaii on Jul 8, 2008 4:17 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

On the contrary

Magic Johnson’s Lakers were very strong on defense. You don’t get fast breaks without stops, steals and rebounds. They had Kareem, AC Green, Kurt Rambis, Michael Cooper and Magic. I don’t remember how Byron Scott and James Worthy were on D, but I do remember that was a tough team.

by jtanzer on Jul 8, 2008 1:51 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I always thought Snapper was more the voice of reason

Was the entomology of Snappers nickname ever revealed?

Your point is true, and the truth gets a rec. Defense does win championships; but a talented offense doesnt hurt. ALthough would you put the celtics down as a great defensive team or that they just drew lame competition?

"Meow" --- My cat Bonzi on whether or not Travis Outlaw is a core member of the PTB.

by bow4meow on Jul 8, 2008 12:59 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Doc had them playing hard

I was skeptical re: the Celtics because you usually cna’t throw superstars together and 8 months later get a trophy. And then when Atlanta took them to a game 7 in the first round you had to figure they weren’t going to go far. But the proof is on the scoreboard. As much as I hate Garnett and his motormouth the Boston Three Party shut down K-be and they’re wearing the rings. Do they rank with the best defensive teams of all-time? Not sure, but they were good enough for ‘08

by two4larue on Jul 8, 2008 2:40 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Snapper

The nickname came out of the ABA and everyone who knows it’s origin isn’t talking (Costas, etc) That tells me there’s a level of embarassment involved

No doubt you’ve gotta put the ball in the hole. But in the last 2 minutes of a playoff game it’s all about getting a stop and posession of the ball

by two4larue on Jul 8, 2008 2:44 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Pretty Boy Offensive Team

Are you talking about Wally’s World Scerbiak?

by BlazerD on Jul 9, 2008 2:17 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Defense is key

San Antonio and Detroit have been good examples of low-scoring teams that have won championships recently. I agree with two4larue that the defensive element is weightier.

However I disagree with him as well because one guy being a below-average defender doesn’t make us a poor defensive team.

by MavetheGreat on Jul 8, 2008 10:39 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That's true

You can hide a poor defender in a zone defense, for awhile. But in a playoff series the mismatches will be exploited. Rudy will have to learn how to play man defense and rotate correctly, or he will not start (or play during critical minutes)

by two4larue on Jul 8, 2008 10:45 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Wait

Why are people saying Rudy doesn’t play defense? I doubt there are many highlights of players playing defense. If people don’t think Rudy plays defense because they haven’t seen highlights, then that is just silly. If people are saying he doesn’t play defense, because he’s European, then that is somewhat sexist. If people say he doesn’t play defense because they read it, or heard it somewhere, then I’m cool with that.

P.S. I don’t really think saying Euro’s don’t play defense is sexist, I just didn’t want to use any of the other -ists. I still think he smokes and I question his use of deodorant.

"Man I want to rec it again." - pualo talking about jscot's long comment

by tominhawaii on Jul 8, 2008 1:02 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Just a thought

Rudy averages over two steals per game. His quickness has the potential of being a great help on defense – I just wouldn’t mark him up on a point guard.

by wilbjammin on Jul 8, 2008 1:44 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm pretty sure

That Rudy understands how to rotate on defense and where to be. His problem will be his size when compared to other beefy SGs.

My solution: Roy tackles the beefy beefcakes like himself at SG, Rudy tackles the smaller PG, and he uses his basketeering skills to funnel the PGs where we want them to go (The Wall of Oden).

Rudy isn’t a bad defender, and has good instincts for steals. Steals don’t equal defense to be sure, but he understands WHAT he is doing out there on defense and will only be a liability because of his size.

Unlike Outlaw or Sergio, who just don’t know where to be on defense.

Morty-murr

by Mortimer on Jul 8, 2008 1:44 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

But...

Rudy is a SG. His 6-6 frame isn’t really suited well to speedy little PGs like DJ Augustin, Iverson, etc.

by wilbjammin on Jul 8, 2008 1:46 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

If he's quick enough

He’s quick, but yeah, not quicker than them—just like Roy, he’d be outquicked.

So in those cases, a smart defender funnels the quick PGs certain direction by cutting off the angle to the place the enemy PG wants to go. With LMA and Oden and Pryz down low, we can do that very easily.

From his Orlando pre-draft camp times, Rudy is as quick as those dudes. I don’t expect it to hold up during a game, but even if he isn’t as quick there are defensive tools the smart dudes do that will help us out.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Jul 8, 2008 1:50 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

low scoring yes

but mostly due to number of possessions. Those teams were very solid offensively on a points per possession basis.

Boomshakalaka

by jksnake99 on Jul 8, 2008 10:50 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Many teams focus on offense

No one is saying that offense isn’t important, or that a team can win with poor offense. Every team will spend a great deal of time on their offensive schemes, and game plans. The teams that win championships are the ones that succeed on the defensive end of the floor as well. That’s why its worth mentioning.

by MavetheGreat on Jul 8, 2008 10:57 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Nate's take (from the article)

“For us, Bayless is going to need to play point next year, and he hasn’t played a lot of that,” McMillan said. “So we want to put him in that position as much as we can now, so he can play it this season. The thing is, he’s going to have to be more of a (point guard) than a (shooting guard). We’ve got shooting guards. So for him to play, he’s going to have to be at the point, because that’s where we have the room.”

Sounds like Nate sees Roy and Rudy as 2 guards, doesn’t it?

In particular, McMillan is curious to see if Bayless can handle opponents’ defensive pressure and apply fullcourt defensive pressure.

Nate wants his PG to defend. Roy could play PG for short stretches, but not 82 games 35+ minutes. This is why Blake and Bayless will get the run at the 1

by two4larue on Jul 8, 2008 10:22 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Are you saying Nate don't know how to coach no defense none?

"Man I want to rec it again." - pualo talking about jscot's long comment

by tominhawaii on Jul 8, 2008 10:43 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

good call on the starting SF

its not necessarily the best 5 players who start, its the the best 5 the fit together. Martell makes more sense in the starting lineup

Woof

by Charles Barkley McLovin on Jul 8, 2008 10:09 AM PDT   0 recs

I almost spit my coffee out...

When I read about Nate turning down a contract extention. Let’s get this straight…..he wants to earn his money? WOW! You’ll be hard pressed to find a person with more integrity than Mac10. I’ve been a detractor of Nate from time to time, but always with the caveat that he his a stand-up guy and a straight shooter. But today I’m one happy Blazer fan.

2-4 the who

by 24thewho on Jul 8, 2008 10:31 AM PDT   0 recs

He also said

that he wasn’t sure that we’d want him for longer, or that he’d want to stay longer… I sure hope were winning enough to lock him up by then. Not just for Nate, but also because winning > losing.

by MavetheGreat on Jul 8, 2008 10:37 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Agreed

Gotta hand it to Nate. But remember this day during the season when fans start calling for Nate’s head (for whatever reason…) KP and Paul Allen offered him an extension in July. That tells me he’s the long-term Blazer coach, unless he doesn’t want to be

by two4larue on Jul 8, 2008 10:41 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Dito

And I’m sure that there will be times this season that I will be qestioning his decisions, as I have many times in the past. But look at the coaches that have got BIG $$ and have been payed for bailing on there teams i.e. Zeek, Larry Brown, ect ect the kist is too long to type. I’m just saying that it’s refreshing.

2-4 the who

by 24thewho on Jul 8, 2008 10:48 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Not Zeke

You can’t include Zeke on the list of coaches who bailed on their teams—he wanted to be there but was (rightly in my opinion) relieved of his responsibilities.

Larry Brown is definitely on that list as a repeat offender. Pat Riley comes to mind as well.

by rcandiog on Jul 8, 2008 12:04 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Don't be so quick to make him a saint yet

If things actually do turn around, as expected, then Nate’s value is going to skyrocket during the next two years. He’ll stand to make a LOT more money then as compared to now

by TB-till-I-Die on Jul 8, 2008 10:50 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That's fine

He already makes 6 million a year, which is damn good for a coach. If he does so well and gets bumped up to 8, say we nearly win a title and he makes Phil Jackson-level 10 million, big whoopie.

He probably coulda’ got 6+ million a year for the extension, which is nothing to sneeze at. I don’t doubt Nate likes money, but I don’t think it was the major impetus behind turning down the extension.

“I gotta earn it” is music to my ears, even though I’m a big Nate supporter and I think he’s the right coach for this team and wanna lock him up both to keep him and to help alleviate the “FIRE NATE” talk when Bayless turns the ball over in the last 5 seconds after a perfectly drawn up play by Nate.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Jul 8, 2008 11:22 AM PDT to parent up   3 recs

Nate seeting an example

Mortimer’s commnet made me think, Nate actions are setting the tone for all these young players we will be extending soon. Which is good for our team. If the coach won’t take the contract until he’s earned it , why should the players expect a fat raise unless they’ve earned it(read: Martell/Frye). Roy & LMA just need to continue steady growth and they’ll earn thier payday.

Nate shows exceptional leadership by example, in this case.

by NWfan on Jul 8, 2008 12:28 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

True but

Nate is less likely to suffer a career ending injury sitting on the sidelines.

2-4 the who

by 24thewho on Jul 8, 2008 12:38 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Bad dog!

Let’s never speak of this again!

2-4 the who

by 24thewho on Jul 8, 2008 12:50 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

haha

Nate stomps up and down the sidelines.. ACL ?

I remember the good old days. The Rasta Monsta days.

by GreatOden'sRaven on Jul 8, 2008 1:56 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Point taken...

but it’s not the impression that I get, Nate is a company man 1st. Look at his playing career. I’m sure that he could have got more money over the years if he would have leveraged the Sonics with other teams, but that’s not his style.

2-4 the who

by 24thewho on Jul 8, 2008 11:26 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

How lucky is he that he ditched the Sonics for the Blazers?

"Man I want to rec it again." - pualo talking about jscot's long comment

by tominhawaii on Jul 8, 2008 1:06 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

How quickly Nate's fickle heart turns

...away from his Jarrett Jack man-crush to a new Bayless love-fest.

by DonkeyShins on Jul 8, 2008 11:03 AM PDT   0 recs

True..

But Bayless is a person the entire organization is excited about, not just Nate.

He’s not part of any future trade. he’s the guy they really wanted.

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 Jul 8, 2008 11:22 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I think this means he has a cutt butt

"Man I want to rec it again." - pualo talking about jscot's long comment

by tominhawaii on Jul 8, 2008 1:07 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Nate's late night meetings

Perhaps he’ll have more late night meetings where Nate and Payless just order in room service, see what’s on pay-per-view, and just talk about their feelings all night.

Plus hugs. Lots and lots of hugs.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Jul 8, 2008 1:45 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

The Coach Weighs in

Now that the coach has weighed in, the line-up is self evident. Outlaw and Webster will battle to start, but he likes Outlaw on the 2nd team because he’ll get more touches. And Bayless will be positioned to point, simply because we have room there – and that’s where he’‘ll get the most minutes. This doesn’t mean that his point duties won’t be different, than say a Nash’s – given Roy/Fernandez, but the open spot is at point. A better comparison would be to Parker – who is a scorer at point, and gets his six assists – which isn’t even in the top 10 in the NBA. And Mac knows one thing from his own experience, and that is if you have the other basic skills, you can learn to be a competent point. Then, we have everyone so concerned about Rudy’s “defense”. Personally, if the kid is as talented, determined and aggressive as he seems to be, then he has the intelligence, length, talent and will to be a good defender. Sure, he might need to improve his skills – but rest assured, defense, like offense, is something you can learn. Does it mean that a 6’6” guy might not have some problems off the ball with a 6’ PG? Sure. But Roy could too – which is why we call it “team” defense. On the other hand, that 6’ PG could find Rudy to be a nightmare on the other end. How many teams have 2: 6’5/6’6 guards? The sense I get is how eager everyone is to get this team together. It’s been a long wait for Oden/Fernandez, and the all seem happy with Bayless as well. And Mac’s right. If Bayless is competent at point, then combine that with his proven scoring and size – and he’ll be a handful for a lot of the other points. And while the beat goes on – Batum is in playing with Frye and Webster. Another story.

by Eben Calder on Jul 8, 2008 12:28 PM PDT   1 recs

Ratbastird

Liked your comment – because I don’t think we can understimate how thrilled the Blazers were to get Bayless. I believe that when they said they had him as the 4th best player in the draft – that they were being absolutely sincere about that. And let’s not forget what the 4th best player in the 06 draft got us. I think they really believe that they’ve found another Roy/Aldridge. And since Mac is always an intimate part of everyone of these draftys – as KP says so often – you know he thinks the same thing.

by Eben Calder on Jul 8, 2008 12:35 PM PDT   0 recs

Draftys?

I’ve never head KP call them “draftys.” I wish he would though. “Just another little drafty. Just making the team a little bit better….”

< /war >

by Diesel10 on Jul 8, 2008 1:55 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

He actually calls them

these drafty thingies..

I remember the good old days. The Rasta Monsta days.

by GreatOden'sRaven on Jul 8, 2008 1:57 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

the Trout vs Web starting SF debate

Travis deserves to start over Web. He’s earned it. Let Web get those touches off the bench so he can finally understand what it means to earn something. Travis off the bench is a solid plan, he creates shots and lengthens the floor. Web has got to turn the corner this year and it wont happen if he starts.

"Meow" --- My cat Bonzi on whether or not Travis Outlaw is a core member of the PTB.

by bow4meow on Jul 8, 2008 1:09 PM PDT   0 recs

Bow....you seem to be contradicting yourself

“Travis deserves to start over Web.”

“Travis off the bench is a solid plan, he creates shots and lengthens the floor.”

Which is it? Tell me.Tell me now!!!

jk

"Some of Dave’s greatest gifts are unanswered posts."

by 92wastheyear on Jul 8, 2008 1:24 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Travis off the bench is a good plan

in fact it might be a better idea then starting him because Web is no spark plug as a starter or bench player. Im saying Trout should start because he deserves to, but I can understand the thinking of bringing him off the bench. Neither is a Web endorsement.

"Meow" --- My cat Bonzi on whether or not Travis Outlaw is a core member of the PTB.

by bow4meow on Jul 8, 2008 2:07 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

he did earn it

Webster came into training camp last year in great shape with his head on right and won the starting position. As I recall, he had the best time among guards in Nate’s sprint drills, and played a great preseason. His competition, admittedly, was not that stiff&mdfash;an out-of-shape Outlaw and an injured Jones—but he maintained his hold on the starter’s spot even as Outlaw played his way into game shape and Jones came back from the disabled list. So the suggestion that Martell doesn’t know what it means to earn something is inaccurate, I think. Should we hand the starting role to Travis just because he scored more points last year? Or should it be awarded to the player who arrives at training camp in the best shape this year, and who is best suited for the position this year?

by abdelnaby on Jul 8, 2008 1:38 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

bah

curse these typos, and my love of the m-dash.

by abdelnaby on Jul 8, 2008 1:39 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

You're trying

At least you’re using the m-dash on purpose and coding it in, rather than being caught out by an auto-formatter. Now, whether, excessive use of the m-dash is good or not is a very different conversation.

< /war >

by Diesel10 on Jul 8, 2008 1:57 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

+1

Well said, sir. Stick to your guns, even if those guns are stuck to a sinking ship.

< /war >

by Diesel10 on Jul 8, 2008 2:38 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

no he didnt earn it

How can working out with Co- B. Bryant all summer be a good thing. I dont think Martell’s enamore of that guy is a positive, unless he wants to insta