The Utah Problem
by Idog1976 on Jan 29, 2009 10:42 PM PST
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PrintI was writing in another fanpost about how Millsap is a registered Blazer killer due to being a PF who likes to operate in the low block with his incredible strength. That strength is what makes it difficult for LMA, let alone Travis (LMAO), to guard Millsap and PFs like him. What's even worse, Okur is always dragging Oden out of the paint with his 3pt shooting, which takes away the threat of a block and our best defensive rebounder. Then it hit me: just as Bayless and Roy switch places on offense and defense, so should LMA and Oden when we are faced with "The Utah Problem".
With Okur, Utah uses an excellent 3pt shooting center to draw out either Oden or Przybilla. This really hurts our defense as our perimeter defenders are, let's face it, not very good. While we have two rookies who have a lot of potential in Rex and Batum, we don't have an established perimeter defender wary of veteran guile. Therefore, it is critical for Oden and Przybilla to patrol the paint. Oden, especially, needs to be down low to discourage drives and block out defenders for the defensive board. When Oden and Przybilla rebound we have a chance to run, which is something else we desperately need against Utah.
With Millsap one of the Blazers' achilles heel(s) is revealed. LMA, bless him, is not good at defending powerful post players. LMA is, however, an excellent perimeter defender for a PF, using his speed and length to make it difficult even for speed demons like Chris Paul to get past.
So then, you solve our problem by having LMA check the doughy soft Mehmet Okur on the perimeter and you have Oden use his beef to deny position to Millsap who doesn't have a great outside game. The bonus of this is you get an excuse to put LMA on the perimeter which then allows him to double team guards and still be able to deny the ball to Okur with his long arms and/or be able to cheat off with his speed. What's more, Oden is now battling Millsap for the rebound instead of LMA. I think this is the solution when defending "The Utah Problem."
Please discuss below and vote in the poll!
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+1
Williams and Okur/Millsap/whoever KILL the Blazers with that
Jerryd Bayless = Marlo Stanfield
- Early stage Marlo at this point, but Bayless is the emotionless killer new to the game. He will take over, and there will be causalties – it’s just a matter of time.
by blazeraddict on Jan 29, 2009 11:06 PM PST up reply actions
The Utah Jazz also run a ton of backdoor cuts out of the UCLA high-post offense, which can cause ...
problems for the Portland Trail Blazers due to Brandon Roy occasoinally being lazy at rotating on defense against Ronnie Brewer. Additionally, LaMarcus Aldridge will probably have some trouble staying with Paul Millsap on screen-rolls — which is even further exacerbated when Greg Oden or Joel Przybilla drifts out to cover Mehmet Okur or Kosta Koufos and, in turn, can’t provide help defense underneath the basket — so that’s an issue. Nicolas Batum should do fine against C.J. Miles, although when Travis Outlaw is brought in to defend him — or his backup Matt Harpring — it’ll most likely be a fiasco, with the constant cutting of the small forward from the ballside wing in the flex motion giving Outlaw a brain cramp. Rudy Fernandez versus Kyle Korver should be a wash; thus, that matchup doesn’t concern me. Oh, and last but not least, Deron Williams should enjoy toying with Jerryd Bayless and Sergio Rodriguez.
Yesterday you took the time to tell us what turns you on
and today you are talking about people being exacerbated. What’s next? C’mon, this is a family site.
I'm a little confused by your tactics
by oderiferous emanations 74 on Jan 30, 2009 9:46 AM PST up reply actions
Huh, I never did consider how "exacerbated" rhymes with a, um, certain word.
Ironically, that means that your mind is further in the gutter this morning than mine.
My mind makes permanent residence in the gutter
I'm a little confused by your tactics
by oderiferous emanations 74 on Jan 30, 2009 1:34 PM PST up reply actions
me to
The reason Millsap gets so many buckets against us is because of their discombobulating PnR and cutting schemes, they swing the ball around so much that we were almost always leaving him open. They weren’t nearly as successful when they just fed him in the post.
worth a try
the other team would likely counter by sending Okur down low to post LMA and keeping Millsap out a bit to drag out Oden.
Still, that’s better than the opposite, so we should give it a try at least.
Rule #1 of nitpicking is to get it right.
LMA plays good post defense against finesse post players
He has a pretty good track record against guys like Dirk. He’d do fine against Okur.
Good idea
Greg and LMA are just starting to learn how to work together so dont be suprised if they dont get it right the very first time
by southern oregon on Jan 29, 2009 11:02 PM PST reply actions
I thought we already crossmatched
Thought we already did this switch. Last year we just rotated everybody and their mother on Boozer, who still killed us, but I though Przy was guarding him the most.
"I don’t have the first clue who he is talking about, because all I worry about is Jerome." – Jerome James, on comments by coach Nate McMillan about Seattle SuperSonics players being selfish.
Oh
And hopefully Oden can put a little pressure back on Okur. Didn’t Greg get them into rediculous foul trouble in a preseason game?
"I don’t have the first clue who he is talking about, because all I worry about is Jerome." – Jerome James, on comments by coach Nate McMillan about Seattle SuperSonics players being selfish.
I'll tell you my Utah problem!
I go to U of O and I swear half the people here come from Utah or Denver, sooo Annoying! but beats the hell out of Boston guys and their annoying voices.
Being a Blazer fan is fun!
by Blazermaniac77 on Jan 30, 2009 12:08 AM PST reply actions
Fire Nate
Hire Idog
Well Ok…….just for Saturday.
GO
THE TEACHER ......come into my classroom "THE PAINT" for some tutelage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The rancor reflected in that remark I won't dignify with comment. But I'll address your general attitude of hopeless negativism." – Everett "O Brother, where art Thou?"
Are you saying Idog is Swen Nater?
GO
THE TEACHER ......come into my classroom "THE PAINT" for some tutelage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The rancor reflected in that remark I won't dignify with comment. But I'll address your general attitude of hopeless negativism." – Everett "O Brother, where art Thou?"
I got up this morning with guess whose name in my head,
Swen Nater.
The more I think about it, the more I like it.
He lives nearby in Issaquah (beautiful place by the way), still plays, still has a passion for the game – obviously, Bill Walton said he’s the best he played against and that says something a lot.
Let’s do it.
GO
THE TEACHER ......come into my classroom "THE PAINT" for some tutelage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The rancor reflected in that remark I won't dignify with comment. But I'll address your general attitude of hopeless negativism." – Everett "O Brother, where art Thou?"
yes this is a very simple solution
it’s more than perfect. whoever decides to bang down low (boozer or millsap) will never leave the low post, and thus will have the bang down low with greg, someone who relishes that type of game.
lamarcus is great defending the perimeter, is very long, and thus, would relish defending okur, who literally lives on the perimeter.
why we havent done this earlier hurts my brain.
Say what you like about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos.
Brilliant
So simple, I’m sure there must be something missing here…
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
I think the only thing missing
is that it was probably already in the plans.. and has even been done before on other teams like this.. (e.g. LMA nearly always is guarding ‘Sheed when he is playing away from the basket with a post orientated PF)
It feels like switching but it really isn’t.. for all meaningful purposes with Milsap out there, Okur is playing PF on offense.
As someone else mentioned, Greg will have to really step it up to handle Milsap’s more versatile game because he does still have a more than adequate lowmid-range game and can play the pick and roll very well..
"Slum dunk? You just go to the rim, and crush.. crush the ball in the rim."
- Nic Batum
Didn't we do this the last time we visited SLC?
I clearly remember LMA on Okur and Oden on Millsap.
yes
you are correct, we did this against Utah already this year, infact we have done it against a few teams that present the same problem this year.
tired
those guys were so tired that second game. It was obvious and painful.
Greg Oden, where posters happen.
I guess
I missed that somehow. I honestly don’t remember seeing that for any length of time at least not the Oden/LMA version. Of course back then Oden was still bummed out about life and was probably gathering dust on the bench. I’ve watched every game this year and I guess I forgot that we had done this. Feel a bit silly now.
He's Coming! Oden Slayer of Giants
its so crazy it just night work
do people really think Nate has never thought of this though?
The Blazers as a whole are far more like my wife than like me in the sense of their physicality on defense.
-Dave
Sounds simple and effective to me.
My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.
I think that's a big "DUH" in my book
People are to obsessed with positions at times.
Frankly, I don’t know why that hasn’t been happening, but the two games I watched in Utah, we were playing so badly we STILL would have lost. I wanted to walk out so badly that second game.
Greg Oden, where posters happen.
update
apparently it did happen the second game. I was in a blur of pain so I blocked out most of that memory. the pink slippers didn’t help.
Greg Oden, where posters happen.
Utah Problem
I think that is an excellent idea.
Do you think Greg is good enough on offense to use Joel on Okur.
The twin tower effect.
I've always wanted to see a lineup of:
C – Pryzbilla (7’1")
PF- Oden (7’0")
SF – Aldridge (6’11")
SG – Travis (6’9")
PG – Roy (6’7")
Our 42 foot high monster.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on Jan 30, 2009 9:25 AM PST up reply actions
That would be like trying to get
your shot off in a forest of trees. Might work in some situations!
My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.
by OCBlazerFan1 on Jan 30, 2009 10:11 AM PST up reply actions
We could pack in that zone
and force them to shoot threes.
The problem is that those threes would be way open, because there is not enough perimeter defense with that lineup. – Elgin
You don't have to wear a clock around your neck to know what time it is at Bob's. Meals cooked with real religious fervor! Thousands of empty seats in the back, for the lonely set. At Bob's you don't have to leave your loved one out in the street - your car is as welcome as you are! - Firesign Theatre.
I can't remember which game they did that
but they went
Roy
Travis
Batum
Aldridge
Oden or Pryz, I can’t remember which one
big ass linuep, but we lost whatever game that was
During the home win over Boston
there was a point when our lineup consisted of
Rudy
Sergio
Travis
Oden
Pryzbilla
We won that game. Let’s do it some more
"It's not who jumps the highest -- it's who wants it the most" Buck Williams
"and if EVERYONE confronted with a tough, disgusting situation pulled out, I don't think I would have been born." Mortimer
by Fund A Mental on Jan 30, 2009 3:05 PM PST up reply actions
Um, they did this last game
It didn’t work, but we have to try again. Okur was stupidly on fire so it didn’t really matter was on him. This sounds crazy but I think Travis would probably do the best job on him, if you recall back to the Dallas game, Travis did the best job on Dirk, whose game closely resembles Okur’s except times a million.
Also Greg
was in the depths of his depression and I think got into foul trouble early if memory serves (clearly it didn’t) so it wasn’t used much or I would remember it. I love when Nate throws out the unexpected and I don’t remember alot of LMA guard Okur and even less of Oden guarding Millsap. A couple of people have pointed that out now, I’m not sure how I missed it but I did. :)
He's Coming! Oden Slayer of Giants
kinda OT
but how about this blockbuster trade, benefits everyone in a way, jazz would be a big player in free agent market
Are you a crazed Knicks fan?
Or do you just hate Utah? I mean I hate Utah too but giving up Boozer (probably needs to be done) is one thing. Giving up Korver with no shooter in return would lock Utah out of the playoffs.
He's Coming! Oden Slayer of Giants
nah theoretically it suits everyone
knicks – get rid of marbury, acquire major veterans who know the dantoni system
jazz – solve boozer/milsap problem and creates cap space
suns – lose talented power forward, gain power forward and 2 role players who suit porters style
unlikely to happen, just something i saw when i was fooling with the trade machine, couldnt find a blazers one that would be realistic
Wow, I don't even hate Utah with that much passion.
1. The New York Knicks decline ’cause Leandro Barbosa cuts into the LeBron James fund.
2. The Phoenix Suns decline ‘cause an injured Carlos Boozer isn’t fair value for Amare Stoudemire.
3. The Utah Jazz decline ‘cause the franchise isn’t run by insane, sadomasochistic mental patients.
All things considered, this is a lose-lose proposition for each team.
On the other hand, though, here’s a trade proposal that was created with the use of common sense.
http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/1/29/742079/blasphemy#11840490
While reasonable arguements can be made against it, that trade proposal is still a very practical idea.
How does Utah rotate on 5 and 4 with Boozer (and Kirilenko) out?
Okur > Kufos (not an outside shooter, so Oden/Pryz should match well with him)
Millsap > ? Harpring? Fesenko?
The only dangerous big man from outside seems to be Okur. That should be manageable without Greg landing at the perimeter all the time. But the general idea of switching LaMarcus on Okur whenever possible makes sense to me.
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