• One observation I left out of Monday's Daily Dime: This was the first time I'd seen Portland play...

• One observation I left out of Monday's Daily Dime: This was the first time I'd seen Portland play in person this season, and I was very impressed with the improvement of Rudy Fernandez on defense. His activity off the ball was far greater than I'd seen in his rookie season, and he was really disruptive in passing lanes, as well.

My spies in Portland concur that he's improved quite a bit at that end, which is one more reason the Blazers rank a surprising third in defensive efficiency.

Hollinger PER Diem

about 2 years ago usmcr3049 11 comments 0 recs |

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Who's better on defense: Rudy or Webster?

I’ve never thought about this before, because my tendency would be to say “Martell”…but Rudy may have improved to the point to where he’s closed the gap

There’s no doubt that Webster is the better rebounder of the two, I remember one loose ball late last night where Rudy and a Hawk got to the ball at the same time, but Fernandez had the ball ripped out of his hands by the Atlanta player

Size matters, and so does hand/arm strength…the Blazers will need both of these players doing well for the next 2-3 months to stay near the top of the WC standings

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Nov 17, 2009 3:12 PM PST reply actions

That Atlanta player was Josh Smith... the most athletic player on their entire roster.

by JordanLeDoux on Nov 17, 2009 3:34 PM PST up reply actions

Smith was the MVP of that game, to me

Johnson hit the shots, but Josh got the ball back enough times to give ATL the opportunity to comeback in the 4th quarter

Portland could sure use a relentless kid like that…maybe Cunningham will come close, someday

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Nov 17, 2009 4:34 PM PST up reply actions

not sure about this:

There’s no doubt that Webster is the better rebounder of the two, I remember one loose ball late last night where Rudy and a Hawk got to the ball at the same time, but Fernandez had the ball ripped out of his hands by the Atlanta player

Martell is bigger and stronger obviously, so in a rebounding situation that comes down to sheer strength, Martell is better. However, Rudy is much better at reading the ball off the rim, sneaking between players, and getting to the spot of the rebound. He also has a knack for securing clutch rebounds on both ends. In short, he is a MUCH more instintive rebounder than Martell, despite having a disadvantage in the physical tools department.

In then end, I think Rudy’s smarts in rebounding outweight Martel’s physical gifts, and therefore Rudy is a better rebounder. That said, it’s also about matchups. Are you wanting one of them to boxout a much more physical player for a defensive rebound? You go Martell. If you are looking more for a hustle/sneaky type rebound, then Rudy is the guy.

How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009

by douglast on Nov 17, 2009 3:27 PM PST reply actions

good point

I was was going to add “out of area” rebounding skill to Rudy’s side of the ledger, but I was pressed for time. (Dante Cunningham also has this ability, but he’s got a ways to go before we’ll see him out on the floor besides during garbage time)

Webster has got to step his game up, period. Only getting 11 minutes in a big game when the roster is so depleted is just an indictment to his manhood. Sure, we have to “allow” for his “rustiness” after missing a year, but the “pilot light” has to come back “on” for Marty soon, or his NBA career is going to wind up with the label “journeyman”

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Nov 17, 2009 4:22 PM PST up reply actions

"Good Points"

"I don't always read blogs regarding the Trail Blazers
...but when I do... I read Blazers Edge."

- resurrect_ha28

by FiveOhThree-RipCity!! on Nov 17, 2009 4:47 PM PST up reply actions

stats

the stats say that so far, they are pretty even as far as rebounding goes. Both player avg about 4 rebounds per 40, and have rebounding rates in the 6’s, with Martell having a very very slight edge.

Rudy should be starting over Blake, because Blake is shooting horribly, but he should also recieve more than the 20 mins per night he has been getting. With Batum and Outlaw out, Rudy should be avg near 30 mins per game until one of them comes back.
Roy = 36
LMA = 38
Rudy = 30
Miller = 30
Oden = 30 (fouls permitting)

Everyone else is just playing a role and resting the starters until they can come back. Nate needs to rethink his rotation completely and stop putting lineups like Bayless, Rudy, Martel, Howard and Joel on the floor. Keep Roy or LMA on the floor at all times, keep Rudy and Greg on the court as much as possible, and let these guys go to work, they are the best players on the team and they are all playing by far the best basketball of the young season.

Without Batum and Outlaw this teams depth is no more, they can not afford to play their whole bench for extended periods and still hope to win games.

Ben II Blazersedge.com || New to Blazers' Edge?

by usmcr3049 on Nov 17, 2009 4:32 PM PST up reply actions

I think we are all starting to agree on this being our best starting lineup.

Or just plain best lineup.

*Unless KP has a secret plan that makes this statement incorrect.
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by staylost on Nov 17, 2009 4:40 PM PST up reply actions

starting?

many of us have been saying it since the Spurs game…

at any rate, I posted something similar to USMC in another thread. Start Rudy, bring in Blake and Przy about 7 minutes into the 1st. at about the 3 minute mark, put in Martell for Roy. After the first, bring in Bayless for Rudy, leaving LMA with the 4 subs. 3 minutes later, bring Roy back in for Bayless and Howard for LMA. halfway through the 2nd, Miller and Oden should return, with LMA and Rudy returning at about the 4 minute mark. Repeat for the 2nd half. This breaks down to about 38 fo LMA, 36 for Roy, 30 for Oden, 32 for Rudy, 30 for Miller, 18 for Blake, 18 for Przy, 6 for Bayless, 10 for Howard. Either Roy or LMA are on the court at all times. Or by position:

5: Oden 30, Przy 18
4: LMA 38, Howard 10
3: Roy 26, Martell 22
2: Rudy 32, Roy 10, Bayless 6
1: Miller 30, Blake 18

If Martell continues to struggle, you could shift some of his minutes to Bayless and/or Blake by playing even more 3-guard lineup. Although I thought Martell played well when he was given a defined role and consistent minutes early in the year, but as soon as he went to the bench, his minutes immediately plummeted, and he has struggled to get himself together. He appears to be pressing to hard and not playing in rhythm. In those first 5 games, he shot 40% on 3s, and averaged 8.8, 3.0 rebs, with 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks per game, and played some very solid defense during the stretch.

How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009

by douglast on Nov 17, 2009 7:50 PM PST up reply actions

I think we are in agreement about how minutes should be addressed

I am hoping that Outlaw’s injury is a blessing in disguise, in that Nate will be forced to put Rudy into the game more and see what he can do. I wish Outlaw all the best in his recovery, but I feel that more playing time for Rudy is a good thing for the Blazers in the long run.

Ofcourse once Nic comes back he will have to be added back into the rotation, because I think his defense is needed against the 3’s of the league, and because I don’t think Roy can really play the 3 for a full season. But if injuries are what it takes for Nate to discover the core of this teams future, (Roy, LMA, Oden, Rudy, and Nic) then that could indeed be a blessing in disguise.

Ben II Blazersedge.com || New to Blazers' Edge?

by usmcr3049 on Nov 18, 2009 10:41 AM PST up reply actions

I feel like I am often Impressed with Rudy's rebounds this year

I agree that Rudy seems to get important rebounds. He also seems to play better with more time and against good teams. I like the above line up. I would still like a bigger three, both rudy and roy are a bit small against the bigger 3’s, especially on defense. But this way at least miller or blake are not ending up guarding guys like joe johnson and other good two’s that are bigger than our point guards.

by twggyy on Nov 17, 2009 7:35 PM PST reply actions