Game 29 Recap: Blazers 102, Heat 95
by Dave on Dec 20, 2009 9:10 PM PST
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PrintLet's get something out of the way right at the start. ANY win right now is a good win. This was a good win. Let us not lose sight of the forest for gazing at bark and branches. Good win...job well done...end of story.
That win was only secure, however, in the last couple minutes of the game. In many ways this felt like the Orlando contest Part 2. The Blazers played back and forth with the opponent, alternating runs of brilliance with runs of deficiency. Sterling cuts and swished jumpers off the pass were followed by one-on-one futility and shot clock violations. It was the classic accordion game: get a lead, give it back...fall behind, catch up again. The only real constant was that the team controlling the paint at the moment controlled the game. Whichever team penetrated and worked for their shots streaked ahead. Those lofting prayers fell behind. Both teams did some of each.
The difference between tonight's game and last night's was the lack of a dominant middle man for the Heat. The Blazers made off with rebounds they weren't getting last night. They also showed less fear inside. The fact that the Heat had to devote extra men to watching cutters and posters meant more free shots for the Blazers' perimeter players, which brings up the second major difference: Portland hit their threes. 58% worth, in fact. Portland also got production from forwards as well as guards. After disappearing last night LaMarcus Aldridge took 23 out of Portland's 74 shots tonight. Martell Webster didn't take that many but he hit the ones he did take. This also contributed to the Heat scrambling on defense.
In the end, though, it was all down to Brandon Roy. He switched into deity mode in the second half, blistering the Heat with unstoppable jumpers and hesitation moves. It wasn't like he bashed them in the face. More like he ducked under them and simply went about his business no matter what they tried. This game was won because of Roy, pure and simple. To put it in perspective, both he and Dwyane Wade scored 28 on the evening. Wade took 31 shots to do so. Roy did it in 14.
Portland's defense was good in spurts. Overall the Heat had a lot of success but during the final, crucial moments they found themselves on the perimeter. 5 of their final 8 shots of the game were from 25 feet or beyond. Whatever lapses Portland might have suffered are probably washed away by that alone. The Blazers also drew more foul shots, got more rebounds, held the Heat to 6 fast break points, and shot better in every category.
One thing I have noticed about the Blazers lately is that they're playing almost dispassionately. Professionalism can be good but how long has it been since you've seen an extended, concerted effort to gobble up loose balls...somebody throwing themselves on the floor in anything other than an "Oh Crap!" situation? Even the coaching staff, meaning the guys sitting behind Nate and occasionally the guys beside him, looks half-dead when the camera catches them. Is it fatigue? Resignation? Just grinding? Whatever it is, I can't help but think that it's making wins a little harder to get.
But for tonight that's not an issue. The Blazers won. Every win is a good win. End of story.
Individual Observations
Brandon Roy was fantastic tonight. 28 points on 79% shooting from the field, 5-5 threes hit, 8 assists, 4 rebounds. The caveat is that he was jump shooting the vast majority of the game and didn't draw any foul shots (which were rare tonight for everyone anyway) so that's not sustainable for him. But Brandon has already proven that he's plenty sustainable, so no argument here. He led us to the win.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 23 points on 23 shots plus 8 rebounds. He looked for his shots and his teammates seemed glad for him to get them.
Martell Webster hit 3-6 from distance and 4-4 free throws for 15 points overall. Again, things become so much easier when he makes shots.
Joel Przybilla continued the string of wonderful games with 12 rebounds, some great interior play, and 8 points off of 5 shots. When Przy is scoring at all it means the offense is working right. It's not working because he is scoring, rather his scoring is a sign that there's enough room near the bucket to get passes in and shots up which means other people are cutting, moving, and hitting shots. When the defense is set Przy doesn't score much, even off of offensive boards.
Andre Miller got 10 shots up and hit 6. He also hit 5-6 free throws for 17 points. His shots were under control and of the type you feel comfortable with even if he wasn't driving all the time. He had 4 assists, but then again if the offense consists predominantly of Brandon and LaMarcus are scoring in the halfcourt offense the point guard isn't going to get as many assist.
Steve Blake missed a bunch of shots and looked like he was defending with energy but over his head tonight.
Jerryd Bayless was one of the guys showing real energy of the type we mentioned above. When the Blazers walk the ball up the floor (which I hate) I always think they could use a little dose of Jerryd. He also hit 2 threes, which is good. Unfortunately he made a couple glaring errors as well, one on offense at the end of the first that the coaching staff lived with and one on defense in the fourth that immediately preceded Martell replacing him. The plan may not have been to play him the whole fourth period tonight anyway with Webster running decent and the Blazers lacking height. 16 minutes, 6 points, 2 assists.
Juwan Howard played 18 minutes and was 1 of 4, which is bad because it's hard watching him defend. He had 5 rebounds though.
Anthony Tolliver's debut lasted about as long as Taylor Swift's VMA acceptance speech. He did manage to collect a personal foul in a statistical minute of play.
Final Thoughts
I said before this trip that 1-3 would be acceptable, 2-2 fantastic. The Blazers have half of that already. Catch Dallas or San Antonio napping and we can return home happy.
See how Heat fans reacted to the loss at PeninsulaisMightier.
See your Jersey Contest results here and enter Tuesday's game here.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
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I disagree
I think our effort has been very good.
J-Bay helps a lot with that.
I do agree that the pump up the crowd passion hasn’t been there but that’s something that was doomed to take a hit with Oden out since he made so many jawdropping dunks.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
I also took the game a little differently, Dave
This game recalled to mind road games of last year, when I thought we played well overall with predictable variations in play away from the Rose Garden. I agree that the game was in doubt until the final minutes, but the first three quarters predicted that kind of finish: I never thought that we either dominated the game nor were completely out of it, and didn’t see much panic or despair on either side.
I also didn’t think Roy acted any differently between halves than he does any other game, as the first half attempts to establish other teammates and he takes the ball in the fourth quarter. He was 6-6 in the first half out of 14 total shots. Those two 3s near the end of the second quarter to keep the Blazers in the game were just as crucial as that huge 3 he made that killed the Heat at the end. I can’t remember what preceded that shot, but I remember it seemed to make him mad. For him to hit that shot shows an enormous amount of competitive spirit in my eyes.
Anyway, thanks as always for your game summary as well as your previews. This is the only site I need for Blazer news.
Honor Alaa Abdelnaby.
First in the NBA. At least alphabetically
Yeah, I was proud of the guys
It takes a lot to withstand a guy going 7 for 7 from 3-point range—especially in a road game. Plus, just after the Blazers had taken a 10-point lead, they had to deal with that flagrant foul fiasco. The guys took their lumps and kept coming. Nice to see.
Now, if they can just keep it up—playing .500 ball until Frenchie, Rudy, & Trout return—we might have some post-season action to look forward to after all.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
A no call pissed Roy off just before the 3.
Wade nearly knocked Roy and the ball out of bounds with a shoulder charge as he lunged to try to steal the ball from Roy as he brought it up the court. Roy gave it up to Andre then was fuming at the referee who was standing right beside him. Andre fired Roy the ball and Roy did not hesitate. It was like he was saying, “make the freaking call or I’ll do this!!!” and then he buried it.
It was vintage.
A much-needed, come from behind win!
Great job by Roy, LMA, Miller, Webster and Przy.
Keep starting Miller.
They simply refused to lose
That always makes me happy.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Dallas or San Antonio who do we beat
I think Dirk is banged up he didn’t play tonight and they still won. We are so due againts them but i think theyre size might wear us down. Can we take San Antonio down, they are looking old but Parker looks very scary againts out guards! both games will be tough but i’m picking the Spurs games as our splitter for the trip..
If Drik is out
I think we can win both.
Cleveland just sucks on the road. 11-2 at home, 9-5 on the road.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Right
9-5 on the road is horrible. (9-6 now). Let’s see, who is better than that on the road?
Boston.
L.A.
Dallas.
Orlando.
That’s it. Only four teams better than the Cavs. We’re 7-8 on the road, with our signature wins being Miami and OKC.
So Dallas beats a 9-6 Cleveland team, the fifth best in the league, without Dirk, and we (at 7-8 on the road) are going to beat them?
We probably have a chance if we play well, but if you want to bet on it, only bet money you can afford to lose….
#52
Wow--the Heat site (Peninsulaismightier) is dead dead
Only 4 comments in the game thread, and one is from a Bedger…
Keep starting Miller.
Most of the other sites are dead
For example, in the Pac-10 only the Bears, Huskies and Beavers sites get even close to the traffic the Ducks site gets.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
I'd imagine some of that is spillover traffic from BEdge
considering overlapping fan bases.
You can measure skill and talent with your eyes, but productivity is shown through statistics.
The Sactown folks are in the same place we were several years ago
when we started to realize what we had in Roy and that LMA kid aint to bad ,the light has come on at the end of the tunnell for them and they feel,with good reason"wow pretty soon we arent going to stink any more". Remember how that felt?
by southern oregon on Dec 20, 2009 9:42 PM PST reply actions
I have long thought they have a great fan base there
"I could almost fall asleep when he's got the ball," Demopoulos said of Roy. "That's how comfortable I feel with him. He always comes through."
the play of andre
i think the improve play of dre is the difference tonight. I would like to see him as a starter until the end of the season. We actually playing better ball movement with him as a starter.
I liked Andre all game for the first time tonight
He played under control and with the whole team. He is a great asset when he can do that.
"I could almost fall asleep when he's got the ball," Demopoulos said of Roy. "That's how comfortable I feel with him. He always comes through."
'Dre was efficient...
He played within himself and was smart with the ball. That Olajuwon-esque move for the and-1 was just ridiculous! I’d love to see that kind of game out of him every night but would be happy with something around 8-10 points and 6-8 assists. The nice thing he brings is that he draws fouls at a decent rate which really helps our scoring in our generally slower pace strategy. The only other guys that do it better on the team are Roy and Bayless.
Let's do it for the big man!...and Rudy!....and Nic!...and, uh, Trout, Pendy, Patty, Mo, Mr. Allen, and Nate!
Rehab With Us
He had a bad first day, but he's not as bad as it looked, I'm sure
He got playing time with San Antonio last season, that’s that’s a pretty good team.
Even if he’s not NBA bound, there are plenty of places where he would be paid well to the play the game.
In the meantime, he’s good for filling out the Blazer practices.
I agree with you
One minute against Beasley is not a reasonable evaluation period. I was interested to see he played before Pendergraph. Probably because he is short term and needs to get in before we play the next two games. We are going to need some size against Dallas and San Antonio.
"I could almost fall asleep when he's got the ball," Demopoulos said of Roy. "That's how comfortable I feel with him. He always comes through."
I didn't get to see the game
was he really that bad? I mean he played a minute right? How bad can he be?
Like what you like, enjoy what you enjoy,
don't be afraid to make slurping sounds,
and don't take crap from anybody
Team Edward or Team Jacob? ...neither..Team BAYLESS!!
Beasley has a very quick first step and Anthony was a bit stationary
"I could almost fall asleep when he's got the ball," Demopoulos said of Roy. "That's how comfortable I feel with him. He always comes through."
He got used badly by Beasley 3 times in a row...
and was promptly pulled and replaced by Przybilla. I felt bad for him ’cuz you just know that should really happen to anyone but it did…
Let's do it for the big man!...and Rudy!....and Nic!...and, uh, Trout, Pendy, Patty, Mo, Mr. Allen, and Nate!
Rehab With Us
Not sure why Tolliver even played.
It was a bad matchup to put him on Beasley. Dante should get that opportunity.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
Do you think Nate might have sent a message to Dante?
Hit your shots or not play?
"I could almost fall asleep when he's got the ball," Demopoulos said of Roy. "That's how comfortable I feel with him. He always comes through."
Not really.
Dante had a poor game against the Magic. Tolliver had a poor game against the Heat. Is Dante going to play now? The matchup against Beasley was poor in any case.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
Yeah and he was a spot shooter in any case
Dante will hopefully get some PT against the MAvs.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Tolliver also played in Miami's training camp
Maybe we figured he’d know them a lil’ better and it would help.
AND to just see if he can do sumthin’.
#52
That probably was part of the problem
Beasley knew from experience that this guy couldn’t guard him, so he awakened from his stupor and got aggressive.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
Beasley's eyes went real wide
The moment he saw Tolliver guarding him.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Everyone in Miami did
When Tolliver came in the Heat immediately fed Beasley over and over until AT came out.
Honor Alaa Abdelnaby.
First in the NBA. At least alphabetically
I couldn't believe they put Tolliver on Beasley
I don’t blame Tolliver for that. I blame the coaches. What did they expect? When they put him in, I was screaming at the tv, “NO! Don’t put him on Beasley. He’s going to dunk 3 times in a row!.”
Maybe in practice Tolliver did a decent job guarding Juwan, and the coaches did a bit too much extrapolating.
Still on the Rex bandwagon.
by dan_the_man on Dec 21, 2009 12:06 AM PST up reply actions
Yes: bad situation that Nate put him into.
Nate, once again, setting up his player to fail.
Keep starting Miller.
by RenoBlazerFan on Dec 21, 2009 6:19 AM PST up reply actions
Yep that's McMillan MO.
He is determined to set his players up. With the end goal being his getting fired so he can sit at home and collect his paycheck.
hakkaa päälle !
It's not really his fault
His GM set him up to fail by signing Miller.
"Playing for the Trail Blazers is kind of like being the drummer for Spinal Tap" - Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Dec 20, 2009 10:59 AM HST
That's exactly what I was saying a fail by KP
"Playing for the Trail Blazers is kind of like being the drummer for Spinal Tap" - Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Dec 20, 2009 10:59 AM HST
Had to find out what he had.
If he would have played well, Tolliver would have been the next reason Nate should be fired, because he obviously wasn’t playing him enough.
If the results were inconclusive, then Nate should be fired because he wont play Tolliver enough to find out what we have in him.
If we would have never signed him in the first place, then Nate should be fired because some people don’t need a reason anymore.
Personally, I think Nate has done a pretty good job bringing a team with this many key players injured to wins in three of the last four games. The Kings aren’t the pushovers they were last year, the Suns are playing much better this season. A win in Miami was a good win against a winning team on the road. The loss in Orlando was bad, even though we were in it for three and a half quarters against a championship caliber team.
But some will complain that this is just the last few games, and that Nate hasn’t done well long term. But long term looks better for Nate than the short term. Taking one of the youngest teams in the NBA to a 54 win season is a remarkable feat least season. Sure he has his faults. Sure we would have make the changes he has faster. But he’s made a lot of adjustments, which have generally turned out for the better.
I want McMillan to succeed. Some don’t. But if he succeeds, the Blazers succeed. If he fails, the Blazers fail. I don’t want the Blazers to fail.
πεντήκοντα δύο
by T Darkstar on Dec 21, 2009 8:11 AM PST up reply actions 5 recs
its too bad
Nate’s success and the Blazer’s success are so tightly coupled
It would be so much better (for some) if the team could win without any coach
Then, of course, the margin of victory would be insufficient or not going 98-0 or going 98-0 and not winning every quarter, etc etc etc
"Better, not good, but better." - Herb Brooks
by DucRider on Dec 21, 2009 5:52 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
I liked the sustained scoring of LMA in this game
By quarter he was
- Q1 3/8 = 6 points
- Q2 1/2 = 2 points
- Q3 4/9 = 8 points
- Q4 2/4 = 7 points
When he scores in the 4th quarter and Brandon is hitting his shots they clog the middle and open the perimeter. He also did a credible job (to my eye) of defense on Beasley. He was aggressive with 8 boards as well.
I loved also how Roy trusted Martell with a second opportunity after missing one in Q4. That must go a long way with Martell’s confidence. We need he and Bayless (Steve as well) to hit those shots to win.
"I could almost fall asleep when he's got the ball," Demopoulos said of Roy. "That's how comfortable I feel with him. He always comes through."
Given that he had barely missed the first shot
He deserved it.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
He was well-rested since he took the Orlando game off
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Dec 21, 2009 6:58 AM PST up reply actions
#23 pretty much takes every other game
"Better, not good, but better." - Herb Brooks
by DucRider on Dec 21, 2009 5:54 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Basically if Roy and Aldridge don’t combine for 45+ every game, we struggle.
"Sometimes that light at the end of the tunnel is a train."
-- Charles Barkley
Unless Bayless or others
Pick it up, which they can.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Some good choices by Nate in the 4th quarter.
Webster and Miller were in to finish the game instead of the Blake and Bayless lineup. Blake was a big minus on the floor. Couldn’t guard Chalmers and repeatedly got beat off the dribble and off screens. He was the culprit for most of the defensive lapses in the 2nd and end of the 3rd to beginning of the 4th quarter. Bayless made a couple poor plays in the 4th to get himself benched. Got beat clean off the dribble once and allowed Wright to backdoor him for a layup.
Miller and Webster had great games. I wanted to see them play a little earlier in the 4th quarter. I won’t be surprised if Blake is sitting on the bench as the 3rd PG in the near future when Rudy comes back.
Ever since Oden went down, Przybilla has turned it on. I wished he played like that when Oden was still healthy.
LMA and Roy made the buckets when we needed them. Beasley wasn’t much of a factor when he was guarded by LMA. Roy was unbelievable today. I would say he’s having a better season than Wade up to this point. I’m glad he found his game again and it seems like he’s caring about defense now.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
Not sure how much more you could ask from Przybilla playing behind Oden...
He was the number one non-starting rebounder in the league!
Let's do it for the big man!...and Rudy!....and Nic!...and, uh, Trout, Pendy, Patty, Mo, Mr. Allen, and Nate!
Rehab With Us
It might help that he knows his role better now
With Greg having foul trouble he had to be a fireman more then.
"I could almost fall asleep when he's got the ball," Demopoulos said of Roy. "That's how comfortable I feel with him. He always comes through."
Przybilla basically did that last year when Oden was in constant foul trouble.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
he needs to many minutes
To be really productive
Just like Frye
"Better, not good, but better." - Herb Brooks
by DucRider on Dec 21, 2009 5:56 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Not just Joel but BRoy too.
I wished BRoy and Joel would have played this good when we had Greg. I know they will it just takes time to adjust.
hg
I agree with Dave about the coaching staff...
In fact, until this coaching staff is jettisoned and a more competent/capable one is put in place, this team will only go as far as it’s talent level (which is admittedly high) will take it.
On a side note, a silver-lining about Oden is that Miller can be assimilated into the line-up, acclimating to Roy and Aldridge this year. Next year, they can incorporate Oden into the mix with Miller, Roy and Aldridge already familiar with each other.
The most telling comment of the night was when the Miami commentators mentioned that Nate McMillan had to go with Miller as a starter because of the players he has left (due to the injuries) and that he “couldn’t do what he wanted to do” and was forced to change.
To me, this is just another sign of McMillan’s incompetence. You don’t force your players to play your system; you evaluate your team and their skills, and then design a system around your players.
If (and it is a big “if”) we make the playoffs, we will most likely be ousted in the first round and then, hopefully, some leadership changes will be made.
And you think we'd be anywhere close to where we are without NAte?
He aint’ perfect but unless we can get say, Rick Adelman, I don’t think I want anyone else for now.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
as a matter of fact, I think we would be much further along without Nate.
Just my opinion, of course. I wouldn’t mind giving JVG, Byron Scott, or Monty Williams (if we go organic) a shot instead of Nate. I will give Nate kudos for (finally) making some better in-game substitution patterns. His offensive sets are still sophomoric and need a serious upgrade. I’m not opposed to giving him the rest of the year to see if he can step-up to the challenge; however, if we miss the playoffs (injuries or no) he should be fired.
by OmoriumVerum on Dec 21, 2009 12:39 AM PST up reply actions
I do, I think the team would be *at least* this far along
Other than a nice run at the end of last season, this team hasn’t done anything out of the ordinary.
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Dec 21, 2009 7:03 AM PST up reply actions
Nates rotations have been getting better
The last few games I have noticed that Nate isn’t being as stubborn and set in his rotations.
He seems to be sharing the guards time with whoever is more productive. It kinda makes me think that KP might of had a little talk with him.
Good win
On game day, I leave the turkey alone because it is some chemicals in that thing. Nate Mcmillian 11/26/09
Or it's the pain medication
Keep starting Miller.
by RenoBlazerFan on Dec 21, 2009 6:20 AM PST up reply actions
I don't know if I've really noticed any dispassion...
I think we are just going about our business. There is no doubt in my mind though that Bayless brings the passion level up when he is on the floor. He brings an intangible energy that starts rubbing off on the others once he starts getting it going. I think this is an important element that we are missing since Rudy went down. Swagger might be the best way to describe it or maybe its the crowd pleasing element or just plain confidence. Roy has it but it is very workmanlike, you expect it from him. Webster occasionally has some. You just don’t get the same feeling from most of the other guys…I am always yelling at the TV for Nate to get a technical. He could show a little more emotion but judging from the comments from the team, he is their emotional leader. Sounds weird to me but whatever…
Let's do it for the big man!...and Rudy!....and Nic!...and, uh, Trout, Pendy, Patty, Mo, Mr. Allen, and Nate!
Rehab With Us
That and skinning knees
I mean, how do most short-handed teams win? Think of Golden State when they whooped us, for instance. It’s because they come out and fight like cornered badgers for 48 minutes, or at least a good portion of it. We’re not badgers out there. I watch opposing guys dive out of bounds for balls and outrun our guys to collect loose change. I’m not saying it’s horrible nor that the Blazers are playing with lethargy, just that I’m not seeing as much extra “Oomph!” as I’d like from this team.
—Dave
One player who stands out when it comes to dispassion and playing with lethargy
is Brandon Roy when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. I can think of a couple of plays where loose balls were near him where his body was nearly motionless, and he kind of listlessly reached with an arm. However, as the Mikes pointed out, he is second in the league in minutes played at over 42 minutes. I definitely think the is exerting 100% of his energy, but saving most of it for the offensive end when he has the ball and has to take his man off the dribble.
A second “however,” though, is that as the leader of the team, the others are watching him and letting it affect their game, standing around instead of moving without the ball on the offensive end and basically conserving their energy for their strengths instead of playing with energy at all times. Notable exceptions exist, such as Przybilla, who seems to be playing with more intensity now than when Oden played in front of him.
I think the players are letting the injury situation affect them in a way that causes them to look this way. I don’t think it’s working, but perhaps there is a fuller explanation?
Honor Alaa Abdelnaby.
First in the NBA. At least alphabetically
I'd be curious to know about minutes played
And how much more time than usual certain guys are playing.
I also noticed that at the end of the game, our record is 17-12, and their record is 13-12. That’s a four game difference.
That matters, doesn’t it?
by conspirator5 on Dec 21, 2009 1:42 AM PST up reply actions
I see a lot of that from Martell
Remember the Phoenix game, he was just attacking the boards as if to say, “It doesn’t matter what happens, I’m getting this one.” He had a few plays like that.
Or Joel, 15 feet from the basket on the sideline, chasing down a rebound as it’s going out of bounds and passing it back in to a teammate as he’s falling out of bounds.
Joel always brings it, Jerryd usually, Martell has been in 2 of the last 3 games (Orlando was just a struggle in every way).
#52
You took the words right out of my keyboard jscot.
Those are my observations exactly.
If this Blazer team doesn't light your fire, then your wood is wet!
Right, wrong, or mixed
at least I’m not alone. :)
#52
I get the skinning knees...
I think we’ve shown much more of that in the last few games than we were earlier in the season. I have to admit though, every time a Blazer hits the deck on a foul, or falls awkwardly, I am seriously cringing!
Let's do it for the big man!...and Rudy!....and Nic!...and, uh, Trout, Pendy, Patty, Mo, Mr. Allen, and Nate!
Rehab With Us
I'm not so sure I want
the guys we have left diving on the floor after loose balls. I think the effort is good – especially JB. A couple weks ago I was questioning the heart on this team. Not any more. Big difference last night was we actually got a bit of production from Martell and Steve. These guys are going to heat up and get back to our expectations just about the time we start getting our other guys back. Plus, we will have the benefit of surviving this horror and be stronger because of it.
Telling Statement: When Joel Scores, the Offense is Performing
That’s very accurate and very perceptive; I’d never thought of it like that before.
The idea that Joel only scores as a result of not as the intention of a well-running offense… that really does indicate that the Blazers has knocked the defense off-balance and that passers are looking at their options.
Passing ball to Pryz and hoping he scores = fail
Catch Pryz rolling to the hoop for a dunk after three other passes = success
It makes me wonder what other ripple effects a well-run offense has. Rudy alley-oops?
It also makes me wonder, what are signs of the reverse? LMA running hooks? Miller penetrations?
It seems like you’re on to something that is very telling about the ebb and flow of offense rythms that so often defy statistical analyses.
Buck Williams for the hall of fame
Nice win
Despite it all, a win is a win and a road win is even better.
As far as the passion issue, I think it’s pretty clear that the chemistry on the team isn’t what it was last year. And frankly other than Brandon there isn’t really a lot of competitive passion on the team. I hear about how fiery Blake is all the time but I rarely see it in games. LMA is just after his paycheck. Most of the rest of the guys are so confused about their roles they don’t have any confidence in the first place.
Still…they have won three of four. Hard to criticize too much if they’re winning.
Blazer Fan
Feels to me that the team is "stabilizing" after Greg and Rudy went down
The guys, including the coaches, looked dazed and confused for a few games. Think of the team as a battle cruiser that had been hit by a couple of torpedoes. Slowly it looks like they are getting the ship righted. They have sealed off the damaged areas, gotten the bilge pumps up and running, and have the engines back on line. We aren’t cruising at the same speed as before, but we aren’t dead in the water. So much for the extended nautical metaphor.
Roy seems like he is back in his comfort zone. Gradually, Miller and Roy seem to be working out some kind of understanding. Cheer up Brandon, there is life after Blake. Of all the positive signs last night, my two favorite were Martell being productive, and Miller actually getting more minutes than Blake. I hope to see more of both.
It makes everything easier when Martell can hit a few shots. Martell being effective improves Roy’s efficiency because it keeps teams from doubling so much. When Blake and Webster were in the starting line-up together and neither is hitting the 3-ball, Roy has a hard time being effective. If Martell can string together a few good games and get his confidence, he can really be huge for the team. As much as I love watching Bayless play, I thought Nate made the right call putting Miller and Webster back-in in the fourth.
What I don’t understand is the fact that Nate seems to have decided that Bayless isn’t allowed on the floor without Blake as his chaperon. I don’t understand that. Bayless is constantly stuck playing out of position against bigger guys. I would love to see Bayless and Roy together without Blake. I’m not talking about huge extended minutes, I’m talking about a taste here and there, so we can see if they can be effective together. What do the rest of you think?
by upper left corner on Dec 21, 2009 7:38 AM PST reply actions
We say Bayless, Miller, and Roy together
against Orlando, for a few minutes.
I agree, I’d like to see how Bayless, Roy, and Webster go together with two bigs. But perhaps Nate knows from practice that would be insufficient ball-handling.
#52
I understand, but my faith in Nate's judgements isn't what it was.
This what happens when you go from “benefit of the doubt” to just plain “doubt.” To my fan’s eye, Nate has done such a poor job of using Andre, and has so obviously overused Blake, that I don’t entirely trust him in terms of knowing how to best use an emerging Bayless.
Bayless has hit 43% of his 3s for the month of December. Obviously the sample size is minuscule and subject to huge fluctuations, but that certainly suggests the possibility that Bayless can be as effective spreading the floor as some of our other struggling shooters.
I totally understand Andre being on the floor with the starters for the majority of the time. The improved ball movement is observable with the naked eye. Maybe if Bayless continues to play well, Nate will be willing to use him next to Rudy when he returns. Blake just continues to struggle.
by upper left corner on Dec 21, 2009 9:30 AM PST up reply actions
if Bayless continues to play well, Nate will be willing to use him next to Rudy when he returns.
This was “the plan” as far back as July, Rudy just hasn’t been healthy enough (especially during camp and preseason) to implement it
I agree with more Brandon and Bayless (without another “PG” on the floor…) especially after seeing how well the two of them played against the Suns, down the stretch
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
You remember like I do.
In fact Nate’s Plan was to put Andre with Rudy and JBay to beef up the second unit and give a different look. Rudy was never well, Travis got hurt, Batuum never got off the launching pad and Martell hasn’t been game ready. Therefore, Nate had to continuously make adjustments and all the fans could see was bad rotation and not starting Andre. Heck, how could he have a rotation at all with different players being hurt or out almost every game? In fact, many times he had very little choice in rotations. Rudy could hardly walk let alone shoot 3’s and all I heard was complains about not playing Rudy enough. Of course now we don’t have a second unit to play just a few unseasoned or over seasoned relief squad.
Sorry about the rant, back to your post. I would like to see JBay and BRoy without another guard also. JBay can do what Andre was supposed to do. Plus JBay will be around longer then Andre and IMO is playing better.
When we get Rudy back and in shape, I would like to see him and Andre pair up and JBay and BRoy pair up with Steve relieving.
hg
Eventually, a 3 guard rotation of Roy-Bayless-Rudy has to be considered
Not this year, maybe next, but certainly by 2011 if all 3 are still Blazers.
I’m not optimistic that a Roy-Rudy backcourt can defend penetration, but there’s always Batum and the possibility of using a zone defense.
It’s frustrating to see what could be the future, and then to watch Brandon and Jerryd getting so little on court time “together” in the present. I argued last Feb to start Rex when Blake was hurt, because what better time to get Bayless some experience playing alongside Roy and having to learn the moves of the NBA starting PGs? Perhaps the team would’ve won more games during that stretch with Sergio starting, but I didn’t expect Rodriguez to be “back” this year anyway, so the whole point of taking him away from that Spanish “connection” and starting him next to Roy seemed pointless, for the short term.
But this year it’s a little different, because Jerryd isn’t playing “PG” so much as he’s playing an undersized “SG” alongside Miller or Blake. Meanwhile, Roy has to play a lot of “SF” because of the injuries to Batum and Outlaw. So, a lot of Roy-Bayless backcourt developmental time has been postponed because of injured wing players and the need to continue winning games. The good news is the players are all young, and Blake/Miller won’t be around forever. But I’m also concerned about how long Roy will be able to play at his current level—by the time Oden and Bayless are fully developed, Brandon may not have as much “spring” left in his knee joints—so he may have to play the role of a jump shooter/facilitator rather than the ISO slasher that he is now.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Put two torpedoes into a battle cruiser and it's on the way to the bottom.
Batttle crusiers were an extremely flawed concept – the belief that you could sacrifice protection for speed.
The Blazers are more like a hybrid battleship – carrier design. They are capable of slugging it out in an old fashioned gunfight, having generally superior long rang shooting and solid protection of the ship’s core ( i.e. the paint). But they also have the ability to go long and strike deep, much like the air wing of a carrier. Rudy, LaMarcus, Bayless, Batum all can fly
Nate is more of a battleship admiral than a aviation guy. He understands the impact that aerial can have, but he also knows that at some point he will have to close with the enemy to defeat him (i.e. the playoffs). He is not against turning loose his fliers, but he first wants to make sure his crew has the basics down.
Currently the USS Portland has taken a couple of bomb hits to its primary armor belt (Greg) while at the same time seen it’s air wing cut in half. The CAP is seriously depleted with Batum down and the strike attack squadron is missing it’s two most proven models (Rudy & Travis). Add in the fact that it’s normally superior gunnery is off and it is no wonder that crew has struggled to be combat effective.
But the important thing is we are still in the fight. The new CAG (Andre) is becoming more comfortable with his new air wing every day. We’ve been forced to introduce a new model light attack aircraft (Bayless) which looks like it may meet design specs. The heart of our combat system is still operating and we retain considerable hitting power. All the crew has to do is dial in their shooting accuracy and we will still be an opponent that even the most powerful fleet units will be worried about.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Dec 21, 2009 9:51 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs
Now that is what I call an exteded nautical metaphor....
…..I salute your superior knowledge and firepower, sir.
by upper left corner on Dec 21, 2009 9:55 AM PST up reply actions
Negative Ghostrider
the pattern is full
" Welcome to the Bedge....where good, is never good enough"…Rudiculous
by 92wastheyear on Dec 21, 2009 10:38 AM PST up reply actions
Just to make sure I don't make a mistake ...
… I want to confirm that your office window is the 4th from the right, 3rd story.
hakkaa päälle !
That's correct
What you’ll have to figure out is what is meant by “3rd story” in this conversation, seeing as we do it differently over here. Am I using American or British convention?
Alternatively, you could just not worry about collateral damage, and make sure.
#52
At a little over $1,000,000 per unit ...
… I’d just as soon not have to waste an extra round.
If I recall correctly, the 3rd story would be the 4th level up.
hakkaa päälle !
I believe that lack of passion by everyone is Miller's fault
He never tries to pump up the players like Bayless does. Miller’s lack of passion, not working out in the off season and starting slow probably depressed the coaching staff. They thought they were getting an elite point guard and instead they got a grumpy old curmudgeon. His poor play and lack heart and desire is toxic to the team, the fans, and the coaching staff.
"Playing for the Trail Blazers is kind of like being the drummer for Spinal Tap" - Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Dec 20, 2009 10:59 AM HST
+ 92
sorta
" Welcome to the Bedge....where good, is never good enough"…Rudiculous
by 92wastheyear on Dec 21, 2009 9:11 AM PST up reply actions
If there is a place for grumpy old curmudgeons in the NBA ...
… maybe you and I can compete for a backup PG spot.
hakkaa päälle !
"Grumpy old curmudgeon"
Are you sure you are not projecting, Tom?
Given your oft express antipathy for Miller, I am assuming that this is not one of your many sarcastic posts. Give the guy a break he had a good game last night and helped us pull out a good victory.
by upper left corner on Dec 21, 2009 9:59 AM PST up reply actions
Blake never gets a break
While the rest of Blazers Edge is at a pep rally cheering only a handful of players and hating on Blake, I’m under the bleachers like J.D. from Heathers smoking and hating on Miller.
I still don’t like Bayless but gave up on hating on him because it irritates everyone as much as their hating on Blake irritates me.
"Playing for the Trail Blazers is kind of like being the drummer for Spinal Tap" - Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Dec 20, 2009 10:59 AM HST
Miller is MVP of this team
check yourself
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Dec 21, 2009 10:11 AM PST up reply actions
This should be green
"Playing for the Trail Blazers is kind of like being the drummer for Spinal Tap" - Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Dec 20, 2009 10:59 AM HST
He's been okay...
Definitly better than Steve… Did you see that move he had last night with the drive, the spin and the pump fake in between 3 miami players and still got it in the basket. If that’s not a top 10 play, I don’t know what is….
I think I missed that one
But then I only remember Miller’s bad plays. Last game he drove to the basket, got right under it, then did a fade away that got blocked.
"Playing for the Trail Blazers is kind of like being the drummer for Spinal Tap" - Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Dec 20, 2009 10:59 AM HST
Is Nowitzski playing on Tues???
Is it too much to hope for that he isn’t. It seems whenever we play Dallas we have problems with him. And by we I mean Lamarcus.
We've showed we can compete with teams at full strength
Bring on Dirk.
#52
Ever notice how many really good players have really bad nights against us?
Kevin Durant. Tim Duncan. CP3. Vince Carter. DWade.
We get torched sometimes, too. But obviously the defensive game plans really work sometimes.
#52
I've noticed that...
but none of those players were being guarded by Lamarcus. I hear Dirk is questionable for tomorrow’s game, but I think I would rather him play, then they might overlook the Blazers with all the injuries they have (like Dallas did with Golden State and all their injuries). Plus win or lose, I’d rather it be while playing Dallas with all of their players healthy—it makes a loss more bearable and a win that much sweeter.
Torched by almost all 3 pt shooters.
I have heard Wheeler say, I don’t know how many times that, this or that player should play all their games against Portland. and all those players seem to be 3 pt shooters.
hg
Nate's defensive schemes
are clearly designed to make teams beat us from outside, if possible.
#52
As I mentioned in other posts
I think that our culture requirements have resulted in players that are calm and collected in demeanor and this was good up to now. But as we move forward and add players we need to be cognizant of adding a fiery guy like Bayless, Rudy, and Pryz into each playing lineup. The added fire just helps emotionally to offset the businesslike attitude of the leaders on the team. One thing I would like to see is LMA developing a mean streak …it would really go far to make him more dominant
" Welcome to the Bedge....where good, is never good enough"…Rudiculous
Try to imagine LMA going down in game 5 or 6 with a season ending injury and think how
the season would play out. It would be worse that all the current injuries combined. He’s the kind of guy where you think you can poke holes in his game, but his contributions are way underestimated.
LA
Is too cool to be mean
(Slapping KG so what, Luc would have decked him)
"Better, not good, but better." - Herb Brooks
by DucRider on Dec 21, 2009 6:16 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
and then Maurice would've been suspended for x amount of games
different eras, the NBA changed forever with Kermit v. RudyT
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
What I like is that this is the third win in a row in which the team
came back from a 4th quarter deficit to win. That’s good mojo to have.
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