Small Ball is Killing the Blazers

by wingzeta on Nov 3, 2009 10:00 PM PST

Okay, we all know that with the acquisition of Andre Miller we now have four guards that deserve playing time. I knew we would have some three guard line ups. When I predicted before the season that we would see Miller and Blake on the floor at the same time with Roy, no one believed it. I just can't believe we are seeing it this much. Miller, Rudy, Roy, same thing. It is costing us games. It cost us this game against the Hawks. We can't have a small line up against a long athletic team like them. They are a good team, but we made them look great, by having them play against smaller defenders. It also allowed them to dominate the boards, and have bigger guys on Roy most of the night, which really hurt his game.

We need a center in the game. One of our advantages in the league is the fact that we have two quality centers. One of them should be on the floor almost all the time. I'm fine with trying smaller line-ups. Like I said, I knew we would, with the four quality guards we have, but I think we have to get serious in a tight game where defense is just as important as offense, and our centers have not fouled out. This just seems very obvious.

The team is having some chemistry issues right now, but I believe we still could have won every game so far, in spite of those growing pains, if we were playing a balanced unit that can play defense against the other team's best group. We've now lost to Denver and Atlanta due to too much small ball. I'd like to see small ball, only if the other team goes there first for the next few games. The team looks like crap right now, but they should still be able to win these games if they don't throw the defense out the window for the whole fourth quarter with a small lineup.

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i dont mind three guards (as long as miller and blake arn't together)

but have a center in there at all times

bayless leaves over my dead body
andre miller>hedo, blake
START MILLER
hey nate, PUT A CENTER IN

by thomasikehara on Nov 3, 2009 10:02 PM PST reply actions

This is why Dejuan Blair would have been a good draft pick

…definitely skipped over that one KP

by clarkbar17 on Nov 3, 2009 10:04 PM PST reply actions

blair is the worst defender on san antonio

and they still have finley.

dinasour type of guys choir boys

by mittsabishy on Nov 3, 2009 10:54 PM PST up reply actions

We can't keep the centers in for any length of time because they keep getting fouls

I think the frontcourt players aren’t getting the job done on D, which leads to the bigs trying to stop slashing smalls. We need less Roy-Miller-Blake and more Martell at the SF.

"Its not that I can't read and write, its just that I don't like to read and write."
-Charlie

by ninjasocks on Nov 3, 2009 10:05 PM PST reply actions

Neither center fouled out, so going small was a choice Nate made.

A bad choice.

by wingzeta on Nov 3, 2009 10:34 PM PST up reply actions

Nate apparently has a phobia about ever finding himself center-less

His solution? Play without a center. THIS is my #1 peeve about Nate McMillen’s coaching.

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on Nov 3, 2009 11:39 PM PST up reply actions

FYI, "frontcourt players" ARE the bigs. Guards are backcourt players

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on Nov 3, 2009 10:45 PM PST up reply actions

The Blazers are suddenly looking very small.

We talk and talk about the Blazers having perhaps the best center tandem in the Association, but then we have only one true power forward who can play and we play him at center and what do you have? A small team that can’t defend the post or the fast break and the Blazers play a type of funnelling defense on the perimeter anyway, so they end up funneling drivers right into guys that aren’t ready to protect the paint. Bad idea.

by FlyingOutlaw on Nov 3, 2009 10:06 PM PST reply actions

good point

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on Nov 3, 2009 11:40 PM PST up reply actions

Nate's Lineup Choices

Are hurting us more than the small ball opposing players are hurting us.

Enjoy the Ride

by DigitalDaggers on Nov 3, 2009 10:41 PM PST reply actions

I'd say it's the same thing.

The lineups that aren’t working, are mainly the small lineups, that are not getting it done on the defensive end, or the offensive end.

by wingzeta on Nov 3, 2009 11:01 PM PST up reply actions

I'm a small ball fan

But I don’t like it when the Blazers do it, especially against a team like the Hawks. When one of our centers are in the game LMA goes against a power forward and is able to post up and do some moves. We also don’t run when we go small and in the half court our guys don’t move very well without the ball. This year Oden is has a presence on the court when he doesn’t get fouls and on BE today it said Joel is a top 10 defensive player. I love small ball, but we have two good centers and more importantly we don’t know how to play small. You don’t just put small guys out there and magically you’re playing small ball. We drafted Oden to beat teams inside. If we wanted to go small we should have taken Durant.

Your confusing thesis has captured my attention. Tell me more.

by terryisntbald on Nov 3, 2009 11:04 PM PST reply actions

I totally agree. I have nothing against "small ball". It has it's place, but not in the situations we've been using it in.

And, as you say, we are not doing it well, and have personnel that are better suited to a different style. I also think even a good small ball team can’t get too far against the Nuggets, or even these Hawks, due to them being strong at the forward positions. Small ball works better against teams who’s best players are their guards.

by wingzeta on Nov 3, 2009 11:28 PM PST up reply actions