Is Steve Blake good enough to keep Rudy out of the starting line up?
by BroyTheTruth on Sep 4, 2008 6:29 PM PDT
111 comments
I love the guy.....Steve Blake is the man. Goofyness aside, the dude is my homie. I'm in the camp where I think Steve Blake should begin the year as the Blazers starter....
....but like every one else, I dont feel he's our point guard of the future.,
So my question is, is he really good enough to keep Rudy out of the starting line up. It seems to me, why not put the ball in the hands of our best playmaker to start the game. Let Roy run the point in the 1st and the 4th. That way, he can set the tone, and finish it out...I think putting Roy and Rudy out there would be like throwing a quick blow in a boxing match...and unless the other team is on their toes, they're gonna be realing to recover.
My thoughts...Throw out a lineup of Roy Rudy Martell Lamarcus and Oden. When we start to lose steam, swap Martell for Outlaw, or Bayless for Rudy/Roy to give us another offensive look.. But if Bayless isnt up to handling the point guard spot, bring in Blake,as i feel the ship is steady with him at the helm.....
Maybe a combo of Blake Rudy Travis. That way we got a distributor and two scorers. Though i feel very comfortable with Rudy's ability to distribute, so Bayless is interchangeable with Blake........
In certain cases, I think we can go to a 3 guard zone. Maybe Blake, Roy, Rudy. Along with both Oden and Pryzbilla fortifying. That's a pretty intimidating back line. Either way they drive the ball, theyre gonna be meeting a shot blocking presence.
That's just one man's opinion though...What are your guys takes?
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Roy, Rudy, Martell, LA and Oden
is a dynamite offensive lineup, but I’m worried about how we would match up on the perimeter on the other end. I think that lineup would get our bigs in foul trouble. It could work in short bursts or if we aren’t worried about the ability of their guards to penetrate into the key.
I’m not saying Blake is a top flight defender or anything, he’s just more likely to be able to keep up with other PGs than Rudy. And I don’t want Roy chasing a quick PG around too much.
The street lights is on.
by Magnum on Sep 4, 2008 6:48 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
If anybody has got the energy....
to chase the other teams point around, it’s rudy…..
that guy is one giant ball of moving energy
by BroyTheTruth on Sep 4, 2008 7:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
He's definitely got the energy
I don’t think he’s gonna be able to stay with opposing PGs for half to most of the game and I don’t think he’ll be that good of an NBA defender, especially not early in the year. Basically, I don’t think he’ll be good at stopping the other team’s primary ball handler.
The street lights is on.
by Magnum on Sep 4, 2008 7:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
bayless
was the olympics all it took for people to forget abotu j-bay? this guy has superior athletism to rudy and has actually shown the ability to be a lock-down defender
by danevan on Sep 4, 2008 10:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agree. I think it may come down to Martell v. Rudy for the starting lineup.
Brett Pill - Lord of the double.
by malarky on Sep 5, 2008 8:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I take martell
for both the present and the long-term. proven nba player, incredible athlete, solid outside shot. and over a year and a half younger than rudy. I see martell as having far more room to grow in the league once he finds his click. Took travis awhile, martell is up next.
by danevan on Sep 5, 2008 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I take Rudy
Much quicker than Webster, higher basketball IQ, better passer, better slasher, better at moving without the ball. Webster tends to disappear when his shot isn’t falling, while Rudy would stay active and find other ways to contribute.
by trk on Sep 5, 2008 6:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Was summer league all it took for people to forget about Rudy?
Yes – and “yes” to your question, too, unfortunately.
Well, that’s behind us now.
Olympics are over, summer league is over, and the only time we’ll see either Rudy or Bayless in action
is in Blazer action, training camp and games; they’ll get equal exposure, which accords equal hype.
Attention to Rudy and Bayless has been totally unbalanced, but it’ll be fair from here on in.
Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?
by QualityPie on Sep 6, 2008 8:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I meant to include this in the post. Enjoy
by BroyTheTruth on Sep 5, 2008 12:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
We could go zone
with that lineup.
And we might see quite a bit of zone early days anyway, to protect Oden from foul trouble.
One of my fan posts got 50 signatures. And you thought I was egotistical before. But nobody can do Ego like I can.
by jscot on Sep 5, 2008 2:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sorry for redundant comment
I now see this was discussed extensively further down.
One of my fan posts got 50 signatures. And you thought I was egotistical before. But nobody can do Ego like I can.
by jscot on Sep 5, 2008 2:13 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Rudy is much more talented than Blake
I don’t know if he will end up starting or coming off the bench like Ginobili, but I think he will get lots of minutes and be in the lineup at the end of a close game.
by trk on Sep 4, 2008 6:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
If he has a good camp/pre-season
I say start Rex. Then you have a facilitator on both squads. Roy on the 1st unit (Bayless guards the 1) and Blake on the white unit for scorers Rudy and Trout. I like this a lot
Styx -"I'm schizophrenic....and so am I"
by 92wastheyear on Sep 4, 2008 6:51 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
i really dont think...
we’re gonna start a 19 year old rookie with tunnel vision. Especially when we already have so many scorers on the first unit….until he proves otherwise, Bayless is comin off the bench……….
but i feel you…I’m reall interested to see how Bayless does against the likes of Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Toni Parker….Given his competitive nature, i dont see him backing down.
by BroyTheTruth on Sep 4, 2008 7:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
"i dont see him backing down"--Me neither
I want to be clear…I don’t think it is likely …but if it looks like he can get the ball upcourt and get it to Roy….I think that might be the safest lineup….as far as the backcourt is concerned
Styx -"I'm schizophrenic....and so am I"
by 92wastheyear on Sep 4, 2008 8:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Steve Blake's not good enough to keep Rudy out of anything ...
But Rudy is not a PG, and neither is Roy, so Rudy is by default not going to be in the starting lineup until Roy misses a few games due to injury.
"These are dreams that we have." --Rudolfo Fernandez
by bfan on Sep 4, 2008 7:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
i feel..
either could man the point..dont tell me neither has passing skills, and we all know Rudy likes to fast break…….we could jump on teams early with a line up like this……
also in crunch time, i see our most likely line up being
Rudy, Roy, Outlaw, Aldridge, Oden………Those are the most talented players on our team, and i feel they could all mesh well together. I also dont think Rudy is gonna be as bad at defending point guards as many of you think. His quickness is first rate. Not just up and down, latterally too. He beats people to spots….As a quick point guard myself, i find it frustrating playing against taller guys with similar quickness, even if i got em slightly beat in the quickness department..their length allows them to recover….and believe me, we will see Rudy put out a lot of effort on defense..Maybe he’ll gamble, but i feel Oden will allow him to do that, which is only gonna lead to more fast break opportunities……
That’s just my take though…..But its clear, Rudy is gonna deserve big minutes. He could be on a Ginobli level this year, which would be incredible, because Ginobli is one of the top 5 SGs in the league…..
I hope we win the title, with a Roy Rudy backcourt
by BroyTheTruth on Sep 4, 2008 7:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
passing skills
are not the only thing required to man the point. He has to learn every other players role on the floor in the Blazers offense to be the point. He also has to be able to bring the ball up under pressure. He may be able to do the former, as I dont remember the USA putting a lot of full court pressure on, but learning the ins and outs of the blazers both on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor will be no small task. He will also have to be a vocal leader which may be tough for him at first as he will have to have both the respect of his teammates and the verbal skills to make this happen.
I think you will see Rudy and Roy in the back court in the 4th, but it will BRoy running the show.
For these reasons I think we will see Blake in heavy rotation until someone else can prove they can do his job more effectively than he can.
Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.
by jonestr on Sep 4, 2008 9:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
What was interesting about Rudy's passing skills, was that our scout made this seem like his best asset
http://trailblazerscentercourt.blogspot.com/2008/08/over-there-mike-born-talks-beijing.html
Mike Born comments:
- Saw him six times, in five of them Rudy played as well as hoped
- Efficient
- A really good passer. He makes it sound as if that’s Rudy’s biggest strength
- Pretty good scorer
- Attack the basket
- "He can kind of knife in between lanes that maybe a bigger player couldn’t get into"
- Really unselfish
- High basketball IQ, sees things on the floor develop
- Confident / Fearless because he already played for years against better competition than your typical college player
- "Defensively he more than held his own against some pretty good players"
Continue to work on:
- Get stronger, gain some weight, but stay a slasher
- Develop from a good shooter (50, 40, 90 percent) to a "knockdown perimeter shooter", to also make driving inside easier
- Tends to stab and gamble a little too much on defense
Odenied: Asked whether he noticed Oden favoring his right knee, Frye dismissed it entirely. "He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors."
by Norsktroll on Sep 5, 2008 1:32 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
"Pretty good scorer"?
He seems to average a little over a point a minute. (I didn’t look up this info. so sorry if I’m mistaken)
My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.
by OCBlazerFan1 on Sep 5, 2008 8:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
His words, not mine ;-)
They guy is our head of NBA scouting, and that’s what he perceived. Btw, don’t know if all teams cared or could afford to send their scout to the Olympics. The Blazers definitely use all possibilities to get a good scouting book on all opponents / acquisition targets.
At the Olympics, it was less ppm for Rudy. I calculated the numbers for Gasol for an argument about him and LMA. He had a little over 0.7 points per minute as Spain’s top scorer. Wade was best of the tournament with about 0.85.
Odenied: Asked whether he noticed Oden favoring his right knee, Frye dismissed it entirely. "He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors."
by Norsktroll on Sep 5, 2008 8:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree 100 %. Rudy is not PG because of "bring the ball up under pressure".
He never did that on aregular basis in ACB so he is not used to. He can do it but not regularly
by cbp on Sep 5, 2008 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
He did it a few times
against the U.S.
I can easily see Rudy and Roy sharing backcourt duties for 5-10 minutes per game. Not enough to wear either down with PG duties, but enough to wreak havoc on other teams at times.
One of my fan posts got 50 signatures. And you thought I was egotistical before. But nobody can do Ego like I can.
by jscot on Sep 5, 2008 12:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
the whole
“he can’t bring up the ball under pressure” argument is lame……
id say, out of all point guard responsibilites. thats the easiest….Rudy is more than capable…..And he did against the US, against one of the best defender in our league, k*be.
Thats a non issue.
by BroyTheTruth on Sep 5, 2008 4:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I dont buy it
the US was using a trapping offensive a lot of times. If they were putting pressure on the ball a player like JCN would handle and give it to Rudy in the half court.
I dont see why bringing the ball up under pressure is such an easy skill to attain if you are getting hawked down the court by a guy like Lindsey Hunter in his prime, or if you are facing a full court press and decide to dribble through it.
I’ll say this, after 4 years in the league JJack was still not reliable at bringing up the ball.
Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.
by jonestr on Sep 5, 2008 6:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
i think Rudy plays the 1 on defense, and ROY on O.
But I think you nutted it.
by everett on Sep 4, 2008 7:33 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
This is so funny.
When Bayless was lighting up the summer league we had these posts:
http://www.blazersedge.com/2008/7/28/581079/why-jerryd-bayless-should
http://www.blazersedge.com/2008/7/19/574662/bayless-will-have-a-better
http://www.blazersedge.com/2008/7/18/574297/bayless-kobe
And now the pendulum has swung the opposite direction in the BE community. I guess it really is what have you done for me lately.
To be honest, I have no idea at this point and I have ran through ths situation in my head so many times, I have had a headache since Rudy finished the Olympics. I have long been a staunch Bayless supporter, but have been an avid follower of Rudy as well. I figure I have watched about the same amount of games from each of them, but I still want Blake to be on the starting unit.
Here’s why:
With Bayless, he will always think shot first and has decent but not great playmaking skills. Blakes A/TO ratio was 3.66 last year, which was 7th in the Association. This year Bayless will probably struggle to get 3.66 A pg let alone A/TO. However, his saving grace is that he is not behind Roy and can D up smaller PGs.
As for Rudy, while he may be capable of getting a 3.5+ A/TO ratio, he will be torched by PGs and we will have to play zone much of the time to hide his D’ive setbacks. Also with this new team, new culture and new language, it is hard to get the team up and running and off to a good start at the beginning of the game.
I will keep on repeating this until I am proved wrong:
Blake will retire a Blazer as he has the approval of the three heads of state on the team:
Head of the front office: Pritchard
Head of the coaching staff: Nate
Head of the team: Brandon
His sole duty is to get the “team”, aka Greg, Roy and LMA, off to a good start and get them into the game only to give way to the others later in the game. Much like last year we will not see Blake in the lineup in the 4th Q. This leads to another ?? as who do you want on the floor with the big 3 and TO in crunchtime?
Bayless-clutch and fearless, able to D quick PGs
Rudy-playmaker 3pt gunner fearless as well
So in short to answer your question the starting lineup is safe with Blake in it, however, starting does not mean a lot on this team as it is more about fit rather than talent.
by SpyderRyder on Sep 4, 2008 8:08 PM PDT reply actions 5 recs
well posted
and I completly agree with you. The fan base here has a short memory, a couple decent games from rudy and bayless is all but forgotten. I still see bayless as being the future starting point for this team, while I believe rudy is destined to come off the pine as long as he is a blazer, which I hope he can cope with.
by danevan on Sep 4, 2008 10:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes
It is nice.
Did I ever tell you you're my hero?
by tominhawaii on Sep 5, 2008 2:42 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah
Unless Rudy can play the 3, I don’t see him ever starting either.
If I had to start one of Rudy/Bayless at the start of the year, it would be Bayless no question.
The Rudy hype has actually gotten pretty bad, and is turning me off to the guy, who I was probably higher on than anyone before the olympics.
I actually think Bayless will be the better NBA player starting this year.
by Harper 4 Heisman on Sep 5, 2008 6:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
thank you
finally someone on this site who isnt completely over-hyping the spaniard.
by danevan on Sep 5, 2008 10:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep
I was the biggest Rudy homer throughout the season, and would always bring him up on my other message board to make sure people wouldn’t forget about him, and update them a lot on his stats.
But now i’ve been quite turned off by Rudy because of the hype he is getting. People seem to forget that he played well vs. USA the 2nd time, but looked quite average the first time. He had up and down games, and was inconsistent through the olympics, which i expect to carry over for now in the NBA, which is stiffer competition. Gotta give the guy some time and not start him at the PG where he has never started before.
by Harper 4 Heisman on Sep 5, 2008 10:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
He has been 6 years consistently playing in ACB. The first match against USA was a friendly match.
by cbp on Sep 5, 2008 11:25 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
How about
all the other matches that he played average on in the olympics? You can make excuses all you guys want for them (like the USA match being a friendly…) but he was inconsistent in the olympics, with glimpses of greatness.
He is going to need some time. He showed he can play with the best, but he isn’t there yet. I don’t want you guys to be dissapointed.
by Harper 4 Heisman on Sep 5, 2008 12:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
statistics dont tell the whole story..
and except for that one game(3points or so), i thought he played very well, and did more than enough to contribute to his teams success, consistently. Even the games he scored 10 or 12. He was all over the court…..
against lesser teams, he allowed his teammates to carry the load. But whenever the game was on the line, or if his team was slipping too far behind. He took over. Thats the mark of a good player…..
……doubt you’ve seen his ACB games(ive seen maybe 4 or 5), but in the fourth quarter he usualy brings the ball up. Similar to Roy, the 4th quarter is his time to point guard it, and he has done so successfully enough to be considered the best player in europe….the reason, he is a playmaker….so its not like he’s never played the point before. He just hasnt been asked to do it a whole game, but for quarters at a time, sure…..
antihype sucks….but i get youre trying to be realistic
by BroyTheTruth on Sep 5, 2008 4:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Even when he looked "average"
Rudy was still consistently outplaying Calderon and Navarro.
Some of Rudy’s games were better than others, but even during the relatively bad games Rudy still looked like an NBA player.
by trk on Sep 5, 2008 8:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
*sigh*
Its tough to argue when instead of looking at his inconsistent play, you say “some games were better than others”.
by Harper 4 Heisman on Sep 6, 2008 5:44 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why do you think Bayless will be better as a rookie?
If you compare their stats form last year, you will see that Rudy is better in every statistical category despite facing tougher competition. Rudy has a lot more experience than Bayless, and he is clearly a better shooter and a better play maker.
What does Bayless do better than Rudy? It seems like even in the areas where Bayless is strong Rudy is arguably just as good.
by trk on Sep 5, 2008 8:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Defense
Is a big one. The game is 50% Off. and 50% def.
Bayless will be able to play PG much more than Rudy, who is a prot-typical SG, just like Brandon Roy. Bayless is a great fit in the backcourt with Roy, as Roy said himself.
I guess I spoke too early and need to give the Rudy hype a little more time to die down.
by Harper 4 Heisman on Sep 6, 2008 5:43 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am still not convinced that Bayless will be a significantly better defender than Rudy
Bayless has shown he can do a good job defending against college players and scrubs, but we haven’t seen him play against top level competition.
Rudy did a pretty good job defending against Kobe Bryant and Deron Williams.
I don’t think we can say for sure which one will be a better defender until we see them both play against the same level of opposition.
by trk on Sep 6, 2008 5:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Have to applaud the Spyder here.
Sounds like superior reasoning to me.
Plus I’m a Blake fan who thinks people – while liking him – constantly undervalue him.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Sep 5, 2008 7:19 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes
I see Blake here until someone rips the ball out of his cold, dead hands.
PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04
by tssbro on Sep 5, 2008 8:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree for the most part but...
my only quibble is branding Bayless as a player who “will always think shot first and has decent but not great playmaking skills”. You’re probably correct but I’ll put a hold on that judgement until he’s put in a situation where it’s better for him to NOT look for his shot first.
I don’t think he’s seen that in college or in the summer league. We’ll know very soon though.
Free Joel Freeland! (with the purchase of 1 Wafer)
by LaughingJon on Sep 5, 2008 8:18 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oops
Sorry, I just read further down and noticed this point has already been made.
Free Joel Freeland! (with the purchase of 1 Wafer)
by LaughingJon on Sep 5, 2008 8:22 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Are you sure these aren't different people finally having reason to talk about their favorites?
Maybe we’re not seeing amnesia, but a division of blazer nation heroes. (I lost a bet and now have to say heroes whenever I say nation)
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
by hobobob on Sep 5, 2008 11:06 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
No, but...
having Rudy in the second unit (and 4th quarter depending on who is hot, who we are playing, and the circumstances of each particular game) will be more effective. It’s like the Travis Outlaw syndrome… ordinarily you’d want him to start. But when you have such a potent combination of threats in the first unit, you want to save some of your high offensive power for the second unit where they will get more scoring opportunities.
The first unit this year will be able to hang with almost any other starting unit, but it will be the second unit that will outmatch every other team by far. Travis, Rudy, Jerryd and Channing will dominate any other second unit in the league on the offensive end. Defensively, Rudy and Travis, who would ordinarily be liabilities against starters, will hold their own and the other guys will be solid.
I tend to argree with SpyderRyder; Blake will retire as a Blazer. Whether or not he starts for the rest of his career, I’m not sure. But his value will always be underrated in this league, so teams will offer him less than he deserves. Also, since he wants to live here permanently (rememer, he bought a house in West Linn before we even signed him because that’s where he and his wife wanted to base their family?), he will sign with the Blazers as long as they are in the ballpark as far as an offer.
This coming season (barring events we don’t know about yet) I believe Blake will be the starting point guard. Bayless would have to become more of a distributor than Blake in order to wrestle that job away. I don’t see that happening. In future years, Bayless’ overall value as a starter may become so high that he will start regardless of whether or not he is the best distributor on the team. But this year, I betting that won’t happen… especially if we are winning games at the rate I am predicting. Nate will go back to the old adage, “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.”
by Bust a Bucket on Sep 4, 2008 8:50 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
dude
I would include Joel in the second unit. he is going to block shots and rebound, so rudy and bayless could get their fast break started and TO can finish with the dunk.
by RipCity on Sep 4, 2008 10:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Or the wide open pull up jumper (T.O.).
My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.
by OCBlazerFan1 on Sep 5, 2008 8:33 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
The 3-on-1 fastbreak pull up three pointer...
because it’s inefficient for Rudy to waste a possession going in for only two points.
by Bust a Bucket on Sep 5, 2008 1:21 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
2846703 seconds until first preseaon game!
Not sure why you would want Rudy wasting energy and fouls trying to guard PGs in the first quarter.
I think a more interesting debate is who fits best with Rudy in the second unit. I would prefer Blake and Webster rather than Bayless and Outlaw. We know Rudy plays well without the ball. I can see him working to get some open space but will Outlaw and Bayless get him the ball? We know both Webster and Blake will make the pass if they’re not open for a shot. I also don’t see the importance of starting Blake. How hard is it to pass the ball in the post to Oden and LA? How hard is it to hand the ball over to Roy? I think Bayless could handle that easily.
by DarthBlazer on Sep 4, 2008 9:03 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I think they will eventually want to start Bayless.
And thats BECAUSE of the type he is. It’s unfair to call him a ballhog or say he has tunnel vision because he’s always had to be the man on his teams. He’s been told to score most the time. However playing with Roy that would change. All he would have to do is bring the ball down the court, find Roy then play off the ball. Bayless can handle that as well as passing down to Oden. In summer league he was playing with a bunch of butter fingered players, most of his assist attempts were dropped by the receiver so the box score would make Bayless seem like a ballhog, and we all know they wanted him to be the scorer. Yes he has work to do but he could end up like a Tony Parker type PG, great aggresive scorer and handler and a decent passer while Roy handles the real play making.
Rudy and Blake together would work almost the same way which is why I see them working together on the 2nd unit a lot in the future.
Anyway, no I don’t really see Rudy starting unless Roy is out, but not because he isn’t good enough. Closing the 4th quarter with Roy/Rudy will probably happen often though.
by Bskey on Sep 4, 2008 9:28 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Agree!
From the info I heard about the scrimmages, they said that Bayless has deffered a lot to the rest of the team.
It just goes to show that he IS a team player, and that he really does want to be Roys sidekick like he said. And he does want to make Oden and LMA all-stars like he said.
People will be surprised with him. Its quite halarious that people are labeling him after he won MVP of summer league when he just did what the coahces said.
by Harper 4 Heisman on Sep 5, 2008 6:39 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah
It’s stupid to label him shoot-first no-pass based on summer league. Summer league means nothing.
I disagree with your prior comment that Bayless will be better than Rudy this year. I think he may be more key to our success long term, but I think Rudy is more NBA ready.
When we got Bayless, I said the Big Three just became the Big Four. That’s how high I am on Jerryd and what he will mean to this team, by 2009-10 probably, or 2010-11 at the latest.
But I just can’t imagine that he could have gone into the Olympics and performed at the kind of level that Rudy did. Rudy is ready to play at the highest level right now.
One of my fan posts got 50 signatures. And you thought I was egotistical before. But nobody can do Ego like I can.
by jscot on Sep 5, 2008 7:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good point!
But I still feel that Bayless will be the better player. Today, Barrett again said that players were all very impressed with Bayless, and that he can D up anyone.
He has great size, and I think that, along with his D, and the fact that his game will lean more toward PG than Rudy will give him a lot of opportunities to play. Roy has already said how anxious he is about playing with Jerryd and that he thinks they compliment each other perfectly.
While offense is definitely a strong suit for Rudy, I’m still hesitant to call him a better pure scorer right now. I think that Bayless is a phenominal scorer, showed by him gettin’ 35ppg+ in high school, 20ppg in the best conference in the country in college as an 18 year old freshman, and 30ppg in summer league. Bayless will be able to get to the rim and the FT line as good as anyone on our team because of his quickness, and is a high 80% shooter from the line.
But I am not hesitant to say that Rudy definitely has a more complete offensive game with passing, cutting, shooting, getting to the rim and the free throw line, etc. I think that Rudy’s offensive game is more NBA ready than Jerryd’s.
For me, I rate players 50% Def./50% Off. So that is why I like Bayless (along with I think the fact that he may have more of an opportunity to play).
by Harper 4 Heisman on Sep 5, 2008 9:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well, we'll see
Bayless comes in with potentially more opportunity to play, although that depends on whether Sergio can compete for backup minutes, and how many minutes either of them can take from Blake.
I think Rudy is enough of a talent, and we are somewhat vulnerable at the 3, that Roy might slide over to the 3 at times, so that Roy and Rudy can be on the floor with a PG at the same time. With our Twin Towers, we can probably get away with that against a lot of teams. Roy can’t defend Lebron, but nobody can, and he can hold his own against a lot of 3s.
I think you are underrating Rudy’s defense.
I think both have the potential to be phenomenal scorers.
I think Rudy is much better off the ball than Jerryd, and when you have Brandon Roy on your team, that matters a lot.
I think both of these guys legitimately have the talent to be all-stars. I think Rudy will get there faster if the gets the minutes — he’s further along. I think Jerryd is more likely to get there, in the long run, because in the long run he is more likely to get opportunity.
I usually rate players 50% Def/Off, too. But when it is perimeter players and you have Greg (and Joel, off the bench) behind them, and shot blockers such as LMA and Travis as well, that changes the balance a little bit. We have guys that can erase a lot of the defensive failures of our guards, so offensive brilliance can be of more value than defensive brilliance. If you are an unstoppable scorer, you are an unstoppable scorer. But if you are a defensive force, that is less important if your man wasn’t going to score that much anyway because he’s going to be Odenied when he wanders into the lane.
One of my fan posts got 50 signatures. And you thought I was egotistical before. But nobody can do Ego like I can.
by jscot on Sep 5, 2008 12:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
"he can D up anyone"
Wow! if that turns out to be half true or better, Bayless will get a lot of playing time. Last season our point guards’ defense had at times an unfortunate penchant to make even the opponents’ point scrubs look like hall-of-famers on offense.
by jaywalker on Sep 5, 2008 7:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wonder how they can make a statement like that already
Roy and Rudy haven’t been playing in the 5 on 5 games so far, so the only guards Bayless is defending are Blake and Sergio. I don’t think anyone would describe either of them as an offensive juggernaut.
by trk on Sep 5, 2008 8:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Your skepticism is warranted until he proves it in some games.
However, if it IS true, then Steve Blake has more to worry about than most of us thought.
by jaywalker on Sep 6, 2008 9:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Zone Defense
It seems to me that the common feeling about zone defenses are that they are a gimmicky defense only to be used when you concede that your guys can’t check the other guys straight. Which makes me question if Nate would even consider using a zone defense in order to put his best offensive team on the court at the same time.
Am I off base in this thought?
by tingeyga on Sep 4, 2008 9:57 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
yeah
Nate will use zone this year until the other team can figure out what the the blazers are doing. He did it last year alot in the fourth quarter and it worked in the 13 game winning streak. Rudy will be a better deffender than most of us think.
by RipCity on Sep 4, 2008 10:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well executed zone defenses aren't just gimmicks
The Celtics used zone defenses a lot last year, and they were the best defensive team in the league.
by trk on Sep 4, 2008 11:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah it is a situational and matchup based D
Look at the first 3 games vs. UT last year, we zoned the hell out of them and since they did not have Korver (in the 3rd they did but ne had just gotten there) and were a horrible outside shooting team, we beat up on them.
Zones can be very effective as long as everyone is watching each others backs, thatis why it works so well for Team Spain and for us last year and hopefully this year, as they and we really know how to play well as a team, rather than individuals.
Could you see Zach of Miles in a zone?? That would be hilarious.
The only bad thing is that sometimes even if a zone is effective for 80% of the time if somebody gets hot and hits 2-3 outside jumpers on the zone in a row, the team automatically gets out of it and goes back to man. The best way to attack zones is to pass the ball around and try to find the hole that usually develops on the baseline. As long as we do not have major breakdowns like that, I can live with 1 guy getting hot from outside and knocking down a few shots.
by SpyderRyder on Sep 4, 2008 11:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Gimmicky is definately a misnomer.
Zones have a couple of advantages and disadvantages.
The first is that it is difficult to drive on. You can pack the paint and dare teams to shoot over the top.
It also is useful when you have a a player or two who is not a particularly good ono on one defender.
Perhaps it’s biggest advantage is it allows a coach to throw multiple “looks” at the opponent, making him have to constantly recognize new schemes and adjust.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Sep 5, 2008 7:28 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
maybe I'm misunderstanding
are you saying the best offensive team isn’t capable of playing a zone defense? Nate used the zone quite a bit last year (especially during the 13 game win streak) and I’m pretty sure that if its effective against a team consisting of lebron, kobe, wade, howard and anthony (yes we won gold this year but the u.s. squad’s struggles against aggressive zones have been well documented) it could work against your average nba teams in appropriate situations. I don’t think anyone strictly runs a zone defense all game long though. it typically works really well against teams with poor outside shooting and even more so when that team stops executing their offense and starts going one on one instead of making the extra pass or getting the ball inside. sound familiar? yup, thats NBA basketball!
As for Rudy, I’m probably not the first guy to say this but he’s a freaking 3 on our team. bayless is to roy as lamarcus is to GO. they compliment each other PERFECTLY. I don’t really care who starts, I’m just picturing our best 5 on the court to be a 3 guard lineup consisting of rudy, bayless and of course roy. these are things you can do when you have the twin towers backing them up. Rudy will get eaten up by some small forwards (carmello comes to mind) but from what people are saying, he’ll get eaten up by anyone no matter which position he plays. Just like outlaw playing PF last year, he’ll be a heck of a mismatch for opposing defenses. travis can split time with him there and martell will have to settle for backing up roy or fitting in whenever extra minutes can be squeezed. honestly, I’m not too sure he’s going to be sticking around here much longer anyway…
Asked whether he noticed Oden favoring his right knee, Frye dismissed it entirely.
"He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors," Frye said after giving up his share to Oden in the workout.
by chrischa on Sep 4, 2008 10:15 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
My question more was
would Nate have the team play a zone defense in order to get the most firepower on the floor at the same time, or would this violate some principles that he holds about how the game should be played? But if the zone was a consistent part of the defensive strategy last year, then I have the answer to my question then
by tingeyga on Sep 4, 2008 10:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
zone
while a zone can help you reduce defensive liabilities more must be considered before you decide to play one. If you are playing a team with strong wing players who can pass along the arc and shoot the long ball, your zone will get eaten up, while if you are playing a slashing, or post-offensive orientated team a zone can be very effective to crowd the lane.
by danevan on Sep 4, 2008 10:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I see where you are coming from on
Rudy and the 3 but the D does still scare me. Webster v Rudy may be the battle of the year instead of Rudy v Blake or Bayless.
I still think unless Wester comes in with some fire under his belly on D and his sights set straight from the 3pt line, his ass is out by the trade deadline, with Raef and diogu for someone who can give us those things. I do worry that rudy will be a bit redundant with his O and we will need that little bit more help on the perimiter D’ivly, Bayless will hopefully be good, Roy is solid to good, Blake is solid, TO and Webster are OK, and Rudy looks to be on the Ok to solid phase right now. We do not have one player that is good to great in the backcourt, yet we have 3 that are good-to great on the front court with Oden, LMA and Pryz.
LET US PRAY AND MAKE WORSHIP TO THE BASKETBALL GODS, SO THAT THEY LET HIM, THE CHOSEN ONE, (kp) BRING FORTH, SIR (tayshaun) PRINCE OR SIR (shane) BATTIER!!
by SpyderRyder on Sep 5, 2008 12:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Uhhh...
We do not have one player that is good to great in the backcourt
Brandon Roy says hello…
by BlazerD on Sep 5, 2008 12:57 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
No, Roy is solid to good
unfortunately due to his other duties, such as initating the offense, scoring points, passing the ball and everything else. His D is not his first priority, I would imagine that if he focused all his energy on D he would be a great D’er, but that is not his best use.
He can be a good to great D’er but as of now with all of his other duties, he is a solid to good defender. We need to hire another player or hope that Webster can become that defender but I am hopefully pessamistic about him. Starting SF is the most likely starting position up for grabs and if Webster can’t cut it, we need to get someone who can. I surely hope that TO can see the value of his position as a 6th man and accept it but I do not feel that he will be able to become that type of defender as well.
Bottom line is we do not have a great perimiter defender on this team and that is a fact. We can create one in Roy, but we will lose much of the other things he does and he will wear down quicker as well, having to initiate O and defend the best opposing perimiter player. That is a quick way to get him with a 4th knee surgery.
The season cannot get here soon enough.
by SpyderRyder on Sep 5, 2008 2:32 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Rudy and Roy play with a third guard...
Roy will drop to the 3 position. He has the bulk to play there without killing us on the boards. Rudy seemed to rebound well from the guard position in the Olympics but I don’t see him getting many boards against most threes.
I will try to find it later but when Nate was gushing about finding room for Rudy to get on the floor, he mentioned the three guard line-up with Roy playing the SF position. Fairly certain it was Quick’s blog.
PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04
by tssbro on Sep 5, 2008 8:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Statistically Roy was even more effective at SF last year than at SG
(+6.9 net PER at SF to +6.5 net PER at SG) Of course, he only played 10% of the SF minutes, compared with 59% of the SG minutes, but it argues that playing him at SF to get him on the floor at the same time with Rudy and Blake/Bayless is not an unreasonable experiment.
by jaywalker on Sep 5, 2008 7:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The question is not
Can Rudy play enough defense to move Blake out of the starting spot, it is can he play defense as well as Blake. Because if he can do as good a job as Blake can guarding points, than Rudy will start soon enough, as he is much better offensively than Blake. My guess is mid season at the earliest, but most likely not until the playoffs or next season because Nate just doesn’t change his mind that fast.
by usmcr3049 on Sep 4, 2008 11:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Why would he be able to play as an NBA PG?
Unless I am missing something, he has not played PG anywhere else before coming to the NBA. So he comes to the NBA, and because he is a better defender than Blake, he will unseat a five year veteran with two years experience with the head coach at the PG position.
Playing the point in limited stretches like Roy does is different than being the primary PG on a team. Rudy might be able to handle limited stretches like Roy but if he has never played PG at any other level, he won’t be plugged into the starting line up as a PG any time soon.
A few more questions to ask about Rudy: Can he set up an offense? Can he get people the ball where they need it to score? Can he handle full court pressure? Can he recognize who is hot and get them the ball? Can he settle down the team if things are getting helter-skelter? Does he know the plays and all the scoring options off of each play? Does he know how to rotate back and cover against fast breaks?
Blake has been doing all these things since he was in high school. I am not saying that Rudy can’t unseat him, but it would take a concerted effort by the coaching staff and Rudy to say they want to use him in that position and then begin teaching him how to play it.
PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04
by tssbro on Sep 5, 2008 8:43 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
how much rudy have you actually seen...
his playmaking skills make him more than capable..certainly from an offensive standpoint (like roy,in spain, he plays point in the 4th). from a defensive standpoint, he wont be as big a liability as you all think given his hustle……
by BroyTheTruth on Sep 5, 2008 10:19 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Olympics
It sounds like you have seen him more than I but I am fairly certain that he has been a shooting guard throughout his career. I think his playmaking abilities are good from what I have seen. But being a playmaker and a full time point guard are two different things. KP has talked about this extensively in response to questions about whether or not Roy will move to the PG position. Covering the position for 5 or 6 minute stretches with another PG on the floor is different than playing the position with another player who is not a PG (Roy,Rudy).
I just think maybe you are underselling the little things about playing the point that a player learns from the time they are in high school that holds a team together. It can be learned at the NBA level and I am not saying that Rudy can’t learn it over time. But that is a pretty huge task to accomplish while adjusting to playing NBA competition every night. I just don’t see him unseating Blake by mid season if he proves he is a better defender.
When Roy plays the point, Blake or Jack have always been on the floor. When Rudy initiated the offense in the Olympics Calderon, Rubio, or Raul were on the floor. I don’t remember him being out there with just Navarro.
PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04
by tssbro on Sep 6, 2008 9:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Rudy was out there with just Navarro only in the Olympic final and for a few minutes,
because Calderon and Raul Lopez were injured and Ricky tired.
The Midnight Rambler
by amlmart1 on Sep 6, 2008 10:28 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks for the info...
Just wondering if I am missing something on Rudy. You have probably seen more of him than any of us. Has he played much PG? or is he more like Roy, where they play him at the point for some stretches with another PG defending the opposing PG?
PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04
by tssbro on Sep 6, 2008 11:06 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
he is like roy....
though he on occasion guards the point guard….
heres the clip of the gold medal game…..watch 15seconds in and tell me he doesnt have a lot of the same skills as a PG
by BroyTheTruth on Sep 6, 2008 11:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I saw the game
I know he has playmaking skills. Do you have any response to my other questions about what it means to play the PG position?
I appreciate the conversation we are having but we seem to be just repeating the same things. I think he has playmaking skills but, like Roy, he might not be best utilized as the primary point guard. I see him taking time from Webster and Outlaw by pushing Roy to the 3 more than I see him starting at PG, at least early on. I don’t see him becoming the starting PG just because he can pass and defend.
PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04
by tssbro on Sep 7, 2008 9:38 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree. He is not a pure PG and if you use him as a PG regularly you are missing the skills which actually brought to the NBA.
He can bring the ball up anyway but this has to be done not on a regular basis but at specific times.
by cbp on Sep 8, 2008 1:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
He hasn´t played pure PG but sometimes he´s the guy
who initiates the offense carrying the ball on the court as a PG might do.
The Midnight Rambler
by amlmart1 on Sep 6, 2008 1:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
So does Dirk Nowitzki ;-)
Odenied: Asked whether he noticed Oden favoring his right knee, Frye dismissed it entirely. "He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors."
by Norsktroll on Sep 7, 2008 1:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Exactly
That is kind of my point. Caldwell Jones use to initiate the offense for the 76ers back in the late 70s to try to draw out opposing centers, namely Walton in the championship series, but no one was going to try to make him a PG.
PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04
by tssbro on Sep 7, 2008 9:41 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
even kevin pritchard...
said he envisions rudy and roy sharing the playmaking responsibilities…ie playing the point
by BroyTheTruth on Sep 5, 2008 10:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
it doesn't matter who starts, it matters who ends
Roy, Rudy, Travis, LA and Oden will finish games for the Blazers
Woof
by Charles Barkley McLovin on Sep 4, 2008 11:12 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
The second unit as per Nate as of before training camp
You can drop him (to the post) with Frye feeding the ball to Travis, and you put Joel (Przybilla) under the board and you spread Rudy and Jerryd. Travis becomes your post player with that second unit, as long as you have a guy like Frye on the perimeter who can shoot it.
http://www.blazersedge.com/2008/9/2/606016/part-ii-is-out-travis-outl
This again means the first unit as it stands is SergioBlake, Roy, Webster, Aldridge, Oden. And I doubt training camp will change much about that.
Odenied: Asked whether he noticed Oden favoring his right knee, Frye dismissed it entirely. "He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors."
by Norsktroll on Sep 5, 2008 1:22 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
A Group
Blake’s a solid and intelligent glue guy who understands the game and what Mac wants to do on the court. He’s absolutely critical as we bring Rudy, Jerryd and Greg along. Like others, I think the Blazers will keep him a long time, even if he becomes more of a 4th guard than a starter. Blake becomes Mac’s coach on the court during the next year and Mac can count on him in crunch time not to turn the ball over – for example. Rudy and Bayless need time to learn the NBA, and equally to develop some of the additional PG skills. They both have to learn Mac’s system, know intuitively where the other players are going to be, and then be able to deliver the ball. Bayless’s team-mates (Bartlett today) are saying he can d-up anyone, and Rudy is clearly an offensive threat (Mac said also that “you simply have to get a body on him on the offensive end”). Mac also likes his activity on the defensive end, but the question will be for awhile whether or not he can effectively guard points. Both players have demonstrated excellent first steps and quickness and the ability to get their own shot – although Bayless may have some work to do to get it up more quickly. And they’re both fearless, determined and very active. In a sense, I see a three guard rotation with Roy, Rudy and Bayless, but with Blake always being the glue guy, as Rudy/Bayless/Roy (given how active they are) will not always be healthy together, and Blake gives Mac a solid vet to plug in at any time.
Personally, like many, I have a lot of hopes for this group – as as a group. I’d love to see a point where Roy doesn’t have to play 36 minutes a game, but 30 so that he can have a much longer, injury free career.
by Eben Calder on Sep 5, 2008 7:09 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Since when did Rudy move to the point?
First of all, it’s really great that we have ALL THESE OPTIONS to choose from… I guess my theme for the year is going to be that we need to use our outstanding DEPTH to maximum advantage.
1. I think the starting lineup in games 1-20, barring injury, is clear: Blake, Roy, Webster, LaMA and the Big Man.
2. I think Nate, a defensive minded, team first point guard, is going to create a speedy second unit with a defensive, fast break, mentality. I think he wants to see how Sergio does with Rudy in the backcourt. They selected Batum to be the lock down defender, so he’s a natural fit here. Add big guys to get the boards, and that could be an interesting second unit. Rudy might average 20+…
3. The two groups above leave out Bayless. I think he’s an outstanding talent. And I think he and Roy will be finishing most games in the playoffs. But he’s not a clear 1, and he’s not a clear 2. So I think Nate will try to get him familiar with both units, and be a swing player between them.
For example:
Minutes 1 2 3 4 5
12:00 Blake Roy Webster LaMA Oden
…
6:00 Roy Bayless
4:00 Outlaw Joel
2:00 Bayless Rudi Frye
Next quarter
12:00 Sergio Rudi Batum LaMA Oden
…
by Visionary1 on Sep 5, 2008 8:08 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Sorry that didn't come out right...
Time: 12:00 6:00 4:00 2:00 Q2/12:00 6:00
1: Blake Roy Roy Bayless Sergio Blake (Bayless if he’s hotter)
2: Roy Bayless Bayless Rudi Rudi Roy
3: Webster Webster Outlaw Outlaw Outlaw Webster
4: LaMA LaMA LaMA Frye Diogu LaMA
5: Oden Oden Joel Joel Joel Oden
Hopefully this will be formatted better. Basically, I think Bayless will be first off the bench… I know Blake or Webster will be the first subbed for… We should rest the big men around the end of the 1st and 3rd quarters… We can get Sergio and Rudi together at the start of Q2, then, replace all 5 bench players at once, to get the starters back in for the end of half push… repeat above for Q3 and 4… (perhaps switching the minutes between Outlaw and Web… in reality, Nate will just play whoever is the hottest more minutes in the second half..)
This would yield this type of minutes distribution:
Roy: 32
LaMA: 32
Oden: 28 (to start off the year)
Joel: 20 (reducing as Oden gets his legs under him)
Blake: 24 (should decrease over the year)
Web: 21
Travis: 21
Joel: 20
Bayless: 12 (increasing at Blake’s expense over time, esp. in Q4)
Ike: 12
Sergio: 12
Frye: 4
So, critiquing my own post, I don’t really think Ike and Sergio will get as many minutes as Bayless, but at the start of the year, as they ease Oden in, Ike should be getting more minutes now than later… And we really need to see if Sergio can be the man, so I do think he’ll get significant time at the start of the year…
For the playoffs, I think Nate will shrink up the rotation a bit, but probably can still have a 10 man rotation, perhaps something like this:
Roy: 38
LaMA: 38
Oden: 38
Web: 24
Travis: 24
Bayless: 24
Rudi: 18
Blake: 16
Joel: 10
Ike: 10
Sergio: DNP/CD
Frye: DNP/CD
(Batum: DNP/CD)
Man, what options… I wonder if Nate is having a tough time sleeping, doing stuff like the above to try and figure out rotation and minute options, or is sleeping like a baby, dreaming of rings… Great job KP!
by Visionary1 on Sep 5, 2008 9:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Do you think Nate is distributing minutes in his head?
I would suppose that a guy with his vast experience / background is rather visualizing plays he wants to execute or match-ups with certain opponents while thinking about how a player might fit in. But I could be wrong.
Odenied: Asked whether he noticed Oden favoring his right knee, Frye dismissed it entirely. "He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors."
by Norsktroll on Sep 5, 2008 9:18 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
agreed......
and i doubt Bayless gets more minutes than Rudy…All else being equal, meaning both coming off the bench, Rudy is still the one finishing 4th quarters. Book it!
by BroyTheTruth on Sep 5, 2008 7:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Visionary1
Now you know why he said he was up all night after seeing Rudy play thinking about how to play him and who with. I can no more predict this now than anyone. But it is fun trying to figure it out.
by Eben Calder on Sep 5, 2008 9:10 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I really believe who we play in the 4th quarter will depend on match up.
I can see switching between Bayless-Webster and Rudy-Outlaw depending on the strength of the other team.
If we are playing a team with a spectacular point guard(CP3 Deron Williams) we want Bayless and Webster in. Bayless can wear out the guard on both ends of the floor while Roy does his thing. Roy distributes, Bayless drives and Webster keeps the defense honest by hitting his threes.
If we play a team that’s focus is it’s interior game with guards that aren’t the center of the offense we play Rudy and Trout. Now you’ve got two players breaking down the zone and moving around while Roy distributes. Travis can shoot over most players, Rudy can run around and get open and nail his 3’s. On the defense end, Oden and Aldridge take on most of the work.
This assumes that Bayless can guard the better point guards and Rudy develops an NBA range 3 point shot.
by boppitywop on Sep 5, 2008 3:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
i guarantee
travis plays in the fourth over martell….guarantee it….
youre right though, rudy and bayless could switch it up……….
by BroyTheTruth on Sep 5, 2008 4:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
some commented on this a while back....
Roy + Rudy = A lot of offense
Roy + Bayless =Defense (I didn’t say a lot)
by BroyTheTruth on Sep 5, 2008 9:43 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
going back and watching the gold medal game again....
Rudy looks just as quick, if not quicker than Deron Williams. And he bodies him up to….Just another one of many good signs
by BroyTheTruth on Sep 6, 2008 12:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The thing that irritates me about Rudy
is the fact that before he ever played an NBA game, he was already telling the team to not draft Brandon Rush (not that i thought it was likely we would keep him, though I’d have loved his wing defense) AND his somewhat laissez faire attitude that if he doesn’t get enough PT, he’ll just go back to Europe.
I think the guy will be a solid player for us, but it seems lots of people are suffering from short term memory loss…just a couple of months ago, everyone was doing the same thing with bayless (including myself)…
To answer the question…Blakes experience in the NBA game and solid three point shooting will be enough to keep Rudy out of the starting lineup. Also, after watching Bayless use his ridiculous quickness to penetrate at will in summer league, if anyone were to take Blake’s spot in the starting lineup, it’d be him, though I believe Blakey’s job is safe this year
by lefty6283 on Sep 5, 2008 10:41 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
and yes i'm aware that summer league competition isn't good
and Rex only averaged 1.3 assists, but he really didn’t have any NBA quality big men to feed it to, and when he did pass it, our Summer League guys missed quite a few shots. In the starting lineup, I believe Bayless would be a much better distributor than he’s shown previously, as he’d have Roy, Aldridge and Oden to feed it to.
by lefty6283 on Sep 5, 2008 10:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
bayless doesnt even need to be a "great passer"
as long as he is ok at the pick and role game with greg and lamarcus…..all he has to do is be agressive, and feed it to the big guys when the defense commits to the ball. As far as the facilitating, Roy can handle that………But remember how Parker and Duncan picked apart pheonix with the pick and roll game. I hope Bayless and Oden can do the same.
by BroyTheTruth on Sep 6, 2008 3:19 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
lefty6283 you are forgetting Rudy can earn between 3-5 million playing in Europe so it is obvious him to say he wants PT in NBA to offset that money for the wage he is earning in NBA (not sure but less than $0.3M)
In fact that just tells you the kind of guy he is. He doesn’t mind money but basketball so playing with the best basketball players in the world.
by cbp on Sep 8, 2008 2:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Same as I've always said:
Between Bayless, Rudy, and Blake, ANY of them would flourish alongside Roy on the offensive end;
the team would operate like a dream, and Blake might be the least great of the three options for that OFFENSE.
But the big question is: Who guards the opposing point on DEFENSE?
And if, like me, you believe there’s no freaking way Roy should get the defensive assignment
of guarding the other team’s point all game long, night in and night out,
the the question of who (among Rudy, Bayless and Blake) gets to be the BRCG falls to:
Who can defend opposing point guards?
And that’s where Blake holds a decided edge over both Bayless AND Rudy,
and for the long term, between Bayless and Rudy, Bayless seems better suited.
For both of them, the task of DEFENDING (not PLAYING) the point position
will dictate who’s better between those two; and the better in THAT comparison
then has to be better than Blake at THAT task: DEFENDING . . . OPPOSING . . . POINT GUARDS!
That’s all.
AGAIN.
Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?
by QualityPie on Sep 6, 2008 8:06 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Oh - and for the idea of a 3-guard zone (even in just "certain situations"):
The opponent will go at Roy with their point guard every play if we do that.
Not because Roy is defensively suspect (Coby learned THAT, right?), but because going at Roy on offense
with the quickness and time-with-the-ball aspects of the point guard will aim to drive Roy out of the game,
either from fouls, getting winded from running around, or maybe subjecting his knees and heel to a lot of running and cutting,
so that Roy can be removed (or at least minimized) from the Blazers’ 4th-quarter offensive game.
No, thank you.
Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?
by QualityPie on Sep 6, 2008 8:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
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