MY TAKE OF WHAT'S GOING ON

As a Blazer fan for the past 30 years, who has seen most games either as a ticket holder or on TV over the years, here's my take of what seems so obvious to me and others I talk too as well.  It is like the nursery rhyme of the Emporor Wears No Clothes, which was seen only by the child who was not politically correct to say what everyone was seeing, but couldn't say.  Maybe, what I am about to write is off base and will rankle some feathers of other die hard Blazer fans who believe everything they hear and can't quite accept the politically incorrect version of what their eyes are seeing and comments heard from those they so want to believe.  This will be a bit long.  Oh well, there's always a delete button.  I've rarely posted, but feel I must.  Maybe this will stir up some interesting rebuttals and convince me I'm wrong in so many areas, but I doubt it, so here goes -

1.  First, I have some real concerns with McMillan as a coach who I believe is only as good as his players, not a coach who makes them better.  Some mediocre coaches have good to excellent records inspite of themselves, because of the quality of the talent they are surrounded with while others with poor records are actually much better coaches than their records would suggest as their coaching talents gets the best out of the least.   These coaches are often unceremoniously dumped (fired) as if the mediocre talent they have to coach should somehow do the impossible.  Unfortunately, I don't believe the latter is the case for McMillan.  I believe he is riding the wave of the roster Prichett has put before him on a silver platter, but which is at risk of crumbling from frustration and dissention, much like the feelings last year of Frye (given away for nothing and is now resurecting in Phoenix) and Sergio (which lead to his being virtually given away and now thriving when given a chance to play his game in Sacramento the last 4 games) and I suspect are smoldering now among more than Andre Miller, Jerred Bayless and Rudy Fernandez.  Further, is anyone impressed with McMillan's robotic substituion tendencies and patterns, apart from the debacle in Utah the other night when he threw in the towel early and allowed Bayless to show a glimpse of what we might expect if he were given quality minutes and gave Cunningham more than trivial minutes.  Minutes from Nate generally are fairly rigidly doled out, regardless of how one is playing.  Obviously, there are some exceptions as in the Utah farce.  Further, I don't see any evidence that McMillan is a capable in the flow of the game strategizing coach, someone who can make adjustments on the fly as other top tier coaches seem to be able and willing to do with their personel, especially in the playoffs, where he has been so out coached in my view.  McMillan may be a wonderful non-game coach, drill sargent, whatever, but I just don't see it under the lights.  I would love to see McMillan not follow his roboticness as in the Utah game, when it could be seen from the very outset that the Blazers were going to be buried with their lackadaisical approach to the game from the opening whistle.  The time out should have come within the first minute for him to get in their faces and turn it around before it was 11-2 or something after 2:30 minutes.  It would be so refreshing to see substitution patterns not pre-ordained, because of matchups not making sense relating to the usual patterns of minutes awarded, etc.  While it sometimes occurs, it is a rarity.

2.  Brandon - McMillan made a major blunder in my view to so publically annoint Brandon as the "second coming" and saying many times that "this is Brandon's team."  No it isn't (or shouldn't be).  It should be his (McMillan's) and all the players making up the Blazer's, team.  McMillan happens to be the coach of a budding superstar in Brandon, but it should not be viewed as his team.   While McMillan may believe his world revolves around Brandon, no player should become bigger than reality for his team without losing credibility of the rest of the team, being viewed as a coach who doesn't treat everyone the same, that there are two sets of standards.  The risk is for the development of a team of the "haves" and "have nots", those with the ability to screw up without accountability and those who play looking over their shoulders (Sergio, Jerred, Rudy, Frye, over the past two years are just examples).  This phenomenon is clearly at play on this team now and was there last year as well.  It has just so become clear to some with the addition of a premier point guard over the past decade who the "annointed one" is having difficulty adjusting to, and I believe has passive aggressively (maybe not knowingly on purpose) played in the manner that has sabbatoged Andre's ability to bring what he is still capable of bringing, namely, the ability to get everyone involved, especially Oden and Fernandez, but also Brandon if he would allow.   The worst of this I've seen was the recent Warrior debacle where Roy often made no efforts to help Andre, standing around, making no efforts to come to the ball when there was a need, at least once leading to a steal of the ball because of his nonchalant play.  We keep hearing ad nauseum that "this is Brandon's team."  Now with his obscenely fat contract and it is "his team", why should he adjust to the new dynamics of the team roster and what others bring to the table if it doesn't fit what he is comfortable with.  It means he would have to change/adjust, and why (he asks) should he be asked to do so if everything was so hunkie dory to award him with the contract he was awarded for what he has done in the past when paired with Blake.  It appears that McMillan acqueses (?sp) to the likes and dislikes of Brandon, anything to keep him happy.  Brandon's play, or lack of, in the Golden State game for anyone else would have have had him yanked from the game, as Andre was so unceramoniously in the last Utah game.  The communication between coach and players, other than with Brandon, LA and now maybe Oden, has been atrocious.  While McMillan says any player can come to him anytime with his concerns, he needs to initiate this much more than he does.  The fired coach of the Nets had the respect of his players from what has been said about him since his firing, because he dealt with the last spot on the roster player just like the top guys.  This is definitely not so here in River City.  It sounds like major decisions go through Brandon to get his blessing on major matters, anything to make him happy.  Brandon's comments recently indicate his own perception of his having nobility status, that he has final approval, that his teammates happiness will only occur if he is happy, etc.  That, plus his not honoring his country by standing in the hall during the national anthem most night, is bordering on viewing oneself as above everyone else, a prima donna view.  Brandon must develop (comes from the coach's help and his desire) the ability to move without the ball to get easy assists from others, not to just pace himself and turn it on when he wants, as he does at end of games.  Watch him.  He is terrible in moving without the ball, which is what makes the combination of he and Andre so painful to watch.  It is not that Andre has lost his abilities as a point guard.  Rather he is playing with someone who just wants the ball to do whatever he wants to do with for himself.  For those wanting us to sign Chris Paul as a free agent, the same would happen, but even in a more magnified manner.  How sad.  Having said this, I think Brandon is a budding superstar, but he needs to come back to earth and make adjustments in his game like everyone else is expected to do.  He will always be able to take over games when it is on the line in final minutes if that is what is needed, but that is NOT what is needed for most of the game.  We need a team, not just Brandon, if we are ever to achieve to the next level.

3.  Blake - What is up with McMillan's cover for the incredible mediocrity of Blake. 

     a)  Yes, Blake hits 3's in mid-games when the game is not on the line, but he has choked more often than not when games are on the line in shooting or free throws in pressure packed situations (Orlando I think last year at home with 4 of 5 missed free throws at the end of regulation and then in the playoffs).  He has no abilities to break down the defense or provide penetration abilities such as Jerred (11 foul shots in about 20 minutes against Utah the other night from penetration for the most part) or Miller. 

     b)  Blake has minimal assist making abilities unless he makes an unspectaular pass to Brandon of LA from which they shoot and score, giving him one of the limited assists per game he gets.  Of course he has few turnovers.  Playing with such lack of risk always leads to few assists, but the rewards then are few.

     c)  Blake does not (likely can not) provide the up tempo game that our roster would thrive on with Andre and Jerred with the current roster except Blake and Brandon  who seems to prefer the  "give me the ball and let me create for myself" game, which doesn't require that he do much more than trot upcourt (save himself) and then do his one on one magic.  That may be great to have that ability for the end of games, but it destroys the offense of the team for the bulk of games when everyone is so dependent on Brandon or LaMarcus.

     d)  Blake is an atrocious defender of the now many super quick point guards in the league.  Jerred has shown that he has the quickness to play head to head with these top tier guards in defending them and will only get better with more experience/playing time.  Other teams are playing very young players significant minutes and being rewarded in doing so, and so should the Blazers.   

     e)  One of the best things that could happen for the Blazers would be for Blake to be traded to force the issue of this being a game built around a team of many gifted players, not just the "annointed ones".  I don't see that happening, unfortunately.  At this point, I think Jerred has conducted himself more professionally in holding his obvious frustrations as one could have ever hoped for, but, like Sergio last year, I don't think it will last, at least beyond this year if McMillan doesn't show more trust in him and his abilities.  I wonder what Pritchett thinks that he can't say publically if different from Nate.  We keeping hearing that Jerred is one of the hardest workers on the team and spends a huge amount of time and effort to improve his game.   He has and always will be a player who can penetrate and score.  His outside shot this year looks much improved, I suspect from Bayno's working with him.  With more playing time, his assist making abilities will also improve.  They already have, as has his shot and shot selection.  His defensive abilities and work ethic toward that haven't ever been in question.  The problem if Blake doesn't start is that he would harness the second unit which is so full of verve and energy that must not be dampened when you have such energetic and capable race horses.

4.  Andre - Unfortunately, unless Brandon has a metamorphosis as a player to one who is willing/can move without the ball to be set up, their playing effectively together is doomed.  This is not Andre's fault.  Andre is the only one who seems to know how to or have the ability to feed Oden and get him involved and with easy shots for him.  Unfortunately, neither Blake or Brandon provide that for Oden.  It is no wonder as I watch this why Oden's offensive development has been stymied to some degree, since he is mostly on the court with Brandon and Blake.  I suspect if stats are kept of the time he is on the court with Blake and Brandon vs others, it would be very telling.  Oden's offensive game MUST be allowed to flourish.  You don't draft a guy with his potential without so doing.  I've been impressed by Andre's comments of team first, when I know he has to be agonizing, much like Jerred over what is going on.  It is probably true that he will provide the most when paired with other players than Brandon who does nothing to allow Andre to do what he does and has for his entire career, namely get the most out of everyone else's abilities.  Is there any wonder of the very positive comments Oden has made of Andre.  Andre brings out the best of what Oden can bring at this point in his career.  It was very telling in pre-season when Andre's play was singled out by a reporter in a very positive manner to Brandon, who immediately deflected that to defend Blake's play rather than acknowledge Andre's play.  Good grief.

5.  Oden - See above comments about he and Andre.  I think Greg has made huge strides to show he has the abilties to become what we had all hoped from him when he was drafted.  His offense is much improved and will continue to depending who he is surrounded by and whether he is given the confidence of getting him involved, as Andre has done when together, but much less so when paired with Blake and Brandon.  He is an after thought with them.  Also, I am impressed with his improvement in foot work and fewer fouls.  I don't agree with McMillan's yanking him early as he often does.  Let him learn as he uses up his fouls. 

6.  LaMarcus - When is LaMarcus going to be the tough big man we so need?  I remember last year he so hated the label of being a "soft" big man, the same label that Frye has held his entire career.  Unfortunately, then, as now, it is so absolutely true, especially on defense.  LA relies way too much on his gifted athleticism and not as much on just being tough and on fundamentals, such as blocking out.  What an incredibly gifted athlete LaMarcus truly is, but what a waste of much of it.  He truly has the potential to be a superstar power forward if he only had the Karl Malone mentality.  I hate it when we start games force feeding him and he is content with setting the tone with a jump shot.  If he hits he, he seems content to stay with it.  While he has a phenonmenal outside shot, it sets a lazy tone for him and others when he does it rather than play the inside game he is also so effective at playing, but at the cost of being banged up a bit. 

7.  Rudy - Cut him loose.  Give him whatever slack he needs.  Let him do what he does.  He is one of the most natural, basketball intelligent and unselfish (sometimes to his detriment) players I have seen with such talent.  To waste him as primarily a 3 point threat when he has so much more to bring is ludicous.   I see chat of "would you trade him for this or that player."  Have you watched some of his games when representing Spain on in the Olympics?  Some of his play has been mind boggling.  Take the harness off of this guy and let him play with abandon.  He is so energizing and exciting.  The entire team responds to this style of play far more than they do to Brandon.  If anything they stand around for Brandon, but energize with Rudy.  With some other coaches and other supporting players, like the coach of the Knick's or playing with Steve Nash or Chris Paul - oh my goodness.  Would that be exciting of what?

8.  Others -

a.  Webster -  He is only a shell of what I think he could become with the right coach and mind set.  He seems so wanting to please that he is not playing free and easy, leading to these yo-yo levels of play from game to game, never knowing for sure what you are going to get from him.=.  I fear another Jermaine O'Neal about to happen.  We risk giving up on his potential as we did with Jermaine when the coach at that time (Dunleavy) was too afraid to give him a chance though he tore up practices we hear, getting virtually nothing in Dale Davis in return.

b.  Cunningham - Where did this guy come from?  How was he so missed after playing for 4 years in college in a quality program like Brandon did?  There is something to be said for staying in for 4 years and maturing both as a player, but also as a person.  What a find for a second round pick.  This guy is the real deal.  He is so fundamentally sound and also another very gifted athlete.  He has so much more potential than Outlaw has shown after 7 years or so.  He is both intelligent on and off the court.  His basketball IQ must be pretty high and certainly far beyond that of Outlaw.  He does naturally what Outlaw can't do even with reminders/screaming in his ear.  He seems to do everything asked of him and well, has a great mid-range non-hesitant jump shot, is excellent at boxing out and rebounding and even shot blocking and is fearless.  I would keep him in a heart beat over Outlaw next year.  With the return of Batum next year, the two would be dynamos.  If Cunningham is this good right now, imagine what he will become if given the opportunity, which he probably will get, if only because he has ingratiated himself with Brandon.

c.  Prizbilla - A glue guy year in and year out.  What you see is what you get.  Andre will get him even more scoring opportunities around the hoop than he was ever used to playing with Blake and Brandon.  It is a blessing for him to be paired most of the time with Andre.

d.  Howard - I thought from pre-season that there would be more left in his basketball tank than what we've seen so far.  Now with Cunningham's play, I would give those minutes to Cunningham, first because he has so outplayed Howard, but also for his ongoing further development. 

e.  Mill - Yes, I know he hasn't played a minute and probably won't this year, but I credit Paul Allen for speaking up to keep him over Collins and Udoka who are going nowhere when this kid I believe, as Allen must, has a real future in this league as another quicker than lightening PG, who may have more PG instincts than Jerred.  I hope he recovers from his injury soon enough to get some NBADL experiences before next year.  He really played very well in college and in the Olympics against top competition. 

f.  Pendergraf - Seems also to have potential from the summer league play.  He also needs to get some quality time in the NBADL, but has certainly lost a lot of positioning as Cunningham has taken his opportunities and hasn't disappointed. 

g. Pritchett - I am one of his biggest fans, but I think he was saved of a collosal bad decision by Tukoglu's decision to stand him up at the last second.  Maybe by now he is less pissed and realizes how lucky being jilted he was.  Same for not getting Millsap.  I think we are far better off not having either of them and allowing this team to continue to jell.  I think of future trades or signings, if Brandon is king, then they need to take that into consideration more than I think they have so far.  For example, as much as I would love to steal Chris Paul in free agency, what we have seen with Brandon's inability (so far at least) to modify his game to accomodate what Andre brings, bringing Paul in would also probably not work, just like it probably wouldn't have had we been able to pry away Steve Nash.  Both of them, like Andre, need the ball in their hands to create and boy do they to the betterment of their respective teams.

Oaky, I feel better.  It's all off my chest.  Does anyone else see the emperor has no clothes?  If you missed out on nursery rhymes in your childhood, you likely have no idea what I'm talking about. 

Now, Go Blazers!