Blazersedge 1/3 Season Awards: Abbreviated Version
by Dave on Dec 20, 2009 11:41 PM PST
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PrintThose familiar with the site know that we usually vote on a series of awards around the 1/3 mark, the 2/3, and the end of each season. We figure everybody does it halfway through so we avoid the crowd that way. The 1/3 point of 2009-10 has technically gone by but we're still close enough to make such a vote legit. Except this year we have a new problem: there just aren't enough players to consider. Seriously, injuries have blown such a hole in the roster that an entire awards series won't float at this point. Want to see something simultaneously sobering and ridiculous? Check out this Blazers depth chart from ESPN.com. Look at the reserve positions. Sick.
Anyway, instead of posting all the different categories and calling for votes I'm just going to list the categories in this post, nominate somebody myself, and let you comment, contrast, and/or vote yourselves below. It won't be as official as usual but maybe the full ballot can return at the 2/3 mark (along with some of our players). So here you go...
Most Valuable Player
Traditionally this has been the MVP(BR) Award, "Most Valuable Player (Besides Roy)". Brandon has always walked away with team M.V.P. honors hands down and it seemed unfair to exclude everyone else in favor of a near-unanimous landslide for Brandon. But this year we don't have many "everybody elses" so we're lifting the qualifier and making this the straight M.V.P.
Of course it still goes to Brandon. It probably would even if everyone were healthy but the gap isn't as great as it once was, which is a good sign. Nevertheless he's been constantly productive, the only variable being how long it takes him to produce in a given game. It hasn't been a perfect season for him but we wouldn't have won half the games we have without him. I'll be curious if somebody can find another candidate though.
Most Valuable Defensive Player
This is tricky because if you consider the team on Monday, December 21st there's only one answer. But even though Greg Oden's injury seems centuries ago now it was only 9 games. And in the first 20 games of the season Oden is my vote. Nobody changed the interior defense as much as he. Nobody intimidated like he did. Nobody allowed the perimeter defenders as much security. It'll have to change when we're 55 games through instead of 29, but Oden gets my vote for the first third of the season.
Most Inspirational Player
Here's where I'm going to put the guy that many will want to list for the defensive award: Joel Przybilla. As always he's done everything asked of him, starter or reserve, big minutes or small. He has bad games like everyone but they're less noticeable and spaced farther apart than most. I can't imagine anyone looking at Joel fighting and helping teammates out and not feeling it's worth it to do the same.
Here's a request of the entire roster, though. We're seeing relatively few hand-slaps, high-fives, congratulations, and affirming nods this year. I know it's been a tough season but could we all start to pick each other up a little more and not just when the spectacular play or 30-point game comes around?
Biggest Pleasant Surprise
This is a tough one. Usually we field three or four good candidates. I'm hard-pressed to think of a good one right now. Bayless has had a good run lately but it's been short and it's not wholly unexpected. Dante Cunningham is at least playing a little but he's not had even a great run yet. Juwan Howard scoring for a few games? I'm just going to punt this and let you have at it.
Biggest Disappointment
Further proof that the year is inverted: we have a surfeit of candidates here. You could even potentially talk about injured players or the way guys played prior to their injuries, which means 80% of the roster is eligible. I'm going to avoid that though and go with Andre Miller. We always knew there was a best case-worst case element to his signing but so far it's been more worst than best. I'm not sure that's his fault entirely. It's just that the ideal was much more.
Those are my attempt to fill the ballot. Make your own nominations below if you wish.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
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Hard to argue, Dave.
I have to agree with most of what you said.
MVP: Roy
Defensive: Oden (which will become Przybilla as time goes on, but could have been Batum, had he been healthy) — I should also add that Martell’s defense has greatly impressed me. He has covered for the lack of bigs at times when the Blazers go small, by skying for blocks and generally intimidating.
Inspirational:Przybilla certainly — if not Roy.
Pleasant Surprise: Bayless, if only for one night so far. That was huge and brought smiles to the team. Cunningham’s usefulness so early was good to see. And Juwan, who woulda thunk it, you old dog?
Biggest Disappointment: the injuries… and in particular the BIG injury. I won’t progress any further with that comment.
Looking forward to the return of the troops and a more positive second and third trimester of the season!
"You've been warned...!"
A Stern Warning : http://www.asternwarning.com
I have to take issue with one of your comments
Bayless, if only for one night so far.
Making this statement suggests you haven’t been paying attention. A guy doesn’t have to score 29 to be playing well. Bayless has been an efficient and effective scorer off the bench all season. Go look at the game log on ESPN. You can count the number of games where he has shot less than 50% on on one hand. Combine that with his outstanding ability to get to the line, and you have him with one of the best TS% in the league and a very high PER.
by upper left corner on Dec 21, 2009 7:54 AM PST up reply actions
Trust me -- I've been paying attention
The scoring off the bench is what was expected – by some (including myself) at least.
The ability to come out and be a game-changer and ALMOST single-handedly win a game; that I found to be a pleasant surprise.
"You've been warned...!"
A Stern Warning : http://www.asternwarning.com
The ability to come out and be a game-changer and ALMOST single-handedly win a game; that I found to be a pleasant surprise.
Even a turd can shine if the sun hits it just right.
I’m definitely not calling Bayless a turd, but hasn’t been due to have one of these ‘break-out’ games for some time now? Even Blake had a game last year where he had 14-15 assists in one period. Everyone is going to have their moment in the sun if you give them enough chances.
I’d still start him at the point for the rest of the season so we can come to a conclusion on him sooner rather than later. Since this isn’t going to be a championship contender season, it might as well be used for experimental purposes and answer some questions.
Portland's PG of the Future - MORE John Wall
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
Oden
Oden
Oden
Oden
…
Oden :(
hire tim grover
#52
by Cablinasian on Dec 20, 2009 11:56 PM PST reply actions 12 recs
I've said repeatedly that Brandon Roy is taken for granted by fans.
Seriously, it’s on the record here, not exaggerating.
And even I said Greg Oden was 1/3 season MVP. I can see the argument for Brandon, but I disagree. And it’s not because I underestimate Brandon. The opposite could actually be argued, that fans voting for Roy are underestimating Oden’s impact.
But let’s look at the bigger picture: the fact that this discussion even exists is proof of how big Oden was in the first third of the season. Get well soon, Greg.
by Timmay! on Dec 21, 2009 1:33 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
rec
Oden, when he was playing, was the best Blazer.
Brandon was not his 2nd team all-NBA self. He’s getting closer to returning to that level, which would be sweet.
#52
Best Blazer is overstating his production
Oden was the most efficient – and making solid contributions on both sides of the ball. But to be the best Blazer you have to be most responsible for wins – and Oden wasn’t productive enough to be the MVP. 11 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks are complimentary numbers.
Oden was good – but he wasn’t MVP – and its not close.
I’m a big Oden fan – but let’s not get carried away.
by blacknoiseNW on Dec 21, 2009 5:02 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Stats Lie
watch the games, his 11, 8, and 2 were completely overshadowed by the game-changing impact he had on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he was changing shots and game plans all night long. Offensively, teams were swarming him with 2 and 3 guys constantly.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
I don't recall Oden being doubled very often...
The only player on the Blazers that is doubled and tripled is BRoy. Oden was clearly improving but he was still a guy that you hold your breath every time he put the ball on the floor. Oden’s rebounding and shot-altering ability are invaluable but with Joel at times being a bigger force and clearly a more accomplished pick-setter than Greg, Oden is fairly replaceable short term while Outlaw and Rudy have been more difficult to replace in my opinion.
One day Greg may become the MVP of this team but even with BRoy struggling some by our standards for him, he still wasand is far and away the only player opposing coaches fear on this team as evidenced by how fast double teams come at him for most of each game.
he was doubled quite often in the post
and pretty much routinely garnered double teams just to box him off the offensive glass – which allowed other players to grab offensive rebounds.
While I agree Roy is far and away the better and more consistent scorer, I think you underestimate the amount of focus opposing coaches and players had to put on Oden, even on the offensive end.
Oden may be more replaceable on the offensive end in the short term, but he’s still a major key to us being a true contender – and all we are doing now is reverting to our old outside-in system that may net us wins now, but isn’t going to be a winning deep playoff strategy. We essentially lost a whole year on our plan to develop a system that utilizes his strengths – the first 20 games through coaching blunders, and since then due to injury.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
oohh...you went there...."watch the games"
tsk tsk
Mind you, by not agreeing that Oden is the MVP, I’m not knocking his contributions at all. I fully agree that Oden’s contributions transcended his 11/8/2 basic stat line.
However, Oden didn’t play a lot of minutes and therefore didn’t have a lot of production. Oden this year was simply still too raw to be even close to considered the best player on the team, let alone the MVP.
by blacknoiseNW on Dec 21, 2009 10:01 AM PST up reply actions
sorry
to be clear, my “watch the games” comment was in relation specifically to his statistics.
One can easily argue that Oden was not the team’s MVP through the first 20 games – I have no issue with that whatsover.
However, you specifically discounted Oden’s candidacy because of his numbers:
and Oden wasn’t productive enough to be the MVP. 11 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks are complimentary numbers.
I was merely pointing out that in this case, the numbers definately do not tell the whole story of his dominant effect on the games he played in.
While we can agree to disagree on the first 1/3rd MVP — and I certainly agree that a very strong case can be made for Roy — I think it unfair to have it both ways by saying on one hand that Oden was dominating despite his numbers, but then on the other hand using his numbers to indict him as being undeserving, seems a bit inconsistent.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
Oden was better than 11/8/2
but not so much better that he was MVP. Nothing inconsistent about that.
He just wasn’t on the floor enough to be extraordinarily productive. As good as his intangibles are – it is still production that wins games. Oden at his best this season was the best player on the court. That didn’t happen that often – most of the time he was the best complimentary player on the court.
by blacknoiseNW on Dec 21, 2009 10:21 AM PST up reply actions
by pretty much every advanced metric (PER, WARP, WP48, etc.) he was the best, by a large margin.
#52
AdStat
Is my new term ….saves on typing
" Welcome to the Bedge....where good, is never good enough"…Rudiculous
by 92wastheyear on Dec 21, 2009 10:40 AM PST up reply actions
did Bayless' stellar stats in 10 mpg make him more of a contributer than Blake or Miller?
no…even though he was the better player. Oden was a significant contributor, but we are talking about MVP.
Stats per minute don’t override the fact that he was only on the floor for less than half the game….
by blacknoiseNW on Dec 21, 2009 10:46 AM PST up reply actions
by several of those metrics, he had produced more wins than any other Blazer despite the limited minutes
However, if you pick Roy as first 3rd MVP because he’s played so many more minutes, that’s certainly a very defensible position.
#52
Spot on
Without Roy, not even close to a winning record…and I have been particularly hard on Roy this year…
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
yes, when he was playing, I would choose to have Greg over Roy on the floor,
especially considering that Roy, particularly earlier, was seemingly operating rather below expectations, for whatever reason, while Greg was distinctly operating above expectations. Now that Brandon is showing signs of “good Brandon” lately, the contest is a bit closer, but Greg is the more unique, irreplaceable player. Take out Brandon, we bring in Rudy or Nic or Outlaw, all of whom have to be taken seriously by opposing defense, all of whom can take a Greg outlet pass and do damage. Greg is the man from my perspective.
"Travis went all wang-dang diddly wubba SPROING wow-wow on everybody " Dave's recap, season opener
Time to turn green
Right on all counts.
But at the same time the next question answered by the same answer is hope for the future. Greg is so vitally important to our future hopes and provides so much to look forward to as well.
"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."
true. no player made me rewind to show my GF his impact as much as GO. I don't care what his numbers were, he was straight nasty every game. and he was trending up if memory serves.
Please, for the love of all that is holy, please stop using the following: "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".
...no seriously--stop.
Just a FYI
If someone can’t follow the nesting of the comments to know to what you are responding, they can just click on the “up” just before “reply” under your post, and it will show them the post you were answering. So you don’t have to go to the trouble of specifying, generally.
#52
MVP: B.Roy
Devensive: Greg (will obviously be Joel later on)
Inspirational: Joel
Pleasant Surprise: Dante Cunningham. I’ve known how good Jerryd was since we drafted him so his success of late isn’t a surprise to me. But Dante has been solid.
Biggest Disappointment: How long it took for Nate to figure out that Steve Blake is not a starting NBA point guard
Yes, Nate is my biggest disappointment. His line up decisions...taking so freaking long to
start Miller…taking people out when they are in a rhythm..ok..he did change this last few games…but hey..took LONG enough. So yeah…he’s my disappointment for this year.
This is going to sound really weird.
But after reading through them all, I’m completely serious.
MVP:
Greg Oden. Brandon really struggled to start the season, and Oden came out with fire and effort from the first minute of the first game. His departure has shown just how important his rebounding and defense was. If Brandon hadn’t rounded into form recently, we’d be in even more trouble right now.
Brandon will likely win this award in April, barring a surprise.
Defensive Player:
Greg Oden. I don’t think this one requires explanation, and Joel is the clear second place.
Inspirational player:
I didn’t really have any thought on this award. My candidates were Oden (for his “I’ll be back!” attitude post-injury), Bayless (for biding his time then showing what he can do when he got the chance), Mo Lucas and Paul Allen (both for their difficult paths this season). Honestly, I couldn’t choose. So let’s call it a big tie.
Biggest pleasant surprise:
Pre-injury Greg Oden. Wow. A year ago, there was hype, but he struggled. This year, he showed energy and fire from the start. But after a few games, the real Greg showed up and started dominating. He became the pleasant surprise the second the Rose Garden crowd chanted his name.
Biggest disappointment:
Saturday, December 5th. Let’s leave it at that.
So Oden clearly had a major imprint on the first 1/3 of the season, appearing in every category when I sorted through my thoughts. Of course, he won’t win all these awards at year-end, but he certainly will be missed.
Most Valuable Player – Oden
Most Valuable Defensive Player – Batum
Most Inspirational Player – Rudy
Biggest Pleasant Surprise – Pendergraph
Biggest Disappointment – We didn’t roster consolidate.
I get the paper, so I don't care!
Just curious how Batum wins for defense, when he hasn't played a minute of the regular season yet
What made you decide to make that call?
They are all our injured players
I left out Outlaw, cuz there wasn’t enough categories. BIG games by the opposition’s small forwards have shown the importance of Batum.
I get the paper, so I don't care!
my vote
mvp: the natural
dpoy: the thrilla
MIP: rex
surprise: inferno
disapointment: blake
bayless leaves over my dead body
Start Bayless (in a 2 guard lineup)
if you should strike Oden down he will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine
#52
#4
Can someone give a rational explanation of why blake plays 36 minutes a game?
Only qualifier on that is
Brandon is the MVP, up until th 1/3 of season mark, but he only took that mantle once Oden got injured. Until then, Roy was not looking a shoo-in to even make the all-star team.
The Odies
MVP: Oden – until he got injured he was the most efficient and dominant player on the team.
Defensive: Oden – I think for the Orlando game they had a chart with and without Oden. It was crazy how many more points we gave up, while only scoring like 1 additional point with increased workload for Roy, LMA, Bayless.
Inspirational: Oden. Runner-up: Even injured players all still active in the community (e.g. Mills and Pendergraph were used there intensively). And unlike predicted by some pundits nobody has raised a big stink about playing time, not even Bayless or Miller.
Pleasant Surprise: Overall defensive improvement – at least until Oden went down. Runner-up: Bayless taking full use of his increased playing time. I was not surprised that Oden started to play good, I was expecting it.
Biggest Disappointment: Not a single player, but inflexible substitutions early in the season, weird and constantly changing lineups and rotations, bad offensive schemes and stagnant offense, tons of turnovers. I.e. the coaching. This was already bugging me before the flurry of injuries that only made matter worse – and ironically seemed to improve those points a bit by just using “the best player available” as long as he performed. They have discovered the “hot hand”.
by Norsktroll on Dec 21, 2009 12:46 AM PST reply actions 3 recs
I love this statement
Biggest Disappointment: Not a single player,
The players have been getting more than their fair share of blame around here for some time. Andre? Greg? LMA? Brandon? Travis? Steve? No! These players are, for the most part, doing what they are told—and sometimes they get hurt, whether they end up missing games or not.
#52
Nate or whomever..probably Nate has been TOLD...has discovered the "hot hand" in the past 2 games.
It only took HOW LONG? And I agree with you on the rest of your coaching skills assessments! This is a reply to Norsktroll’s comments..in case this entry ends up somewhere besides below THAT entry!!!
Biggest disappointment by a million miles has been Steve Blake. I don't know what this Andre Miller talk
has been. At least he gets to the free throw line. Blake has been worthless all year.
A million miles?
Easily a million miles short of Oden’s injury, unless you aren’t counting injuries (and I think it definitely qualifies as a disappointment).
You can measure skill and talent with your eyes, but productivity is shown through statistics.
Thank you, I agree a million times.....
I was about to stop watching the games if Blake kept starting.. And i havnt missed a single game in years… Thats how bad dude is…
Here's mine.
MVP: Roy (but it was Oden until he was hurt).
Defense: Oden for the season, but easily Przybilla out of the current roster.
Inspirational: Przybilla for how he’s stepped it up the last 9 games.
Pleasant Surprise: Bayless. I knew Oden was going to beast it this year, but I didn’t expect Bayless to develop his outside shot this fast.
Disappointment: Broken left patella. Nothing else is even close.
You can measure skill and talent with your eyes, but productivity is shown through statistics.
I am not going to lie...
I think Oden can take all of these category’s, at least for the games he was in.
MVP: I think his effect was the most pronounced this year, and I think that more closely than any other player, how Oden did in a game determined whether we won or not.
MVDP: He was in the top three in the league for blocked shots, which even at like 2.6 or so intimidates a lot of players and discourages them from going inside for higher percentage shots. Just the intimidation (as well as the play) made us one of the leading defensive teams. Since he went down so have we.
MIP: There was nothing like a MONSTER dunk from ODEN to give hope to the team and spur them to work a little harder for the ball. Assuming the best case scenario (he gives us many years of injury-free-ness) he, more than any other player than Roy, has the potential to lead the team to a championship.
BPS: This is perhaps arguable as many people knew of his potential. Still I think he surpassed almost all expectations.
BD: His last game.
Biggest Disappointment: Lamarcus Aldridge
its hard to imagine. and hard to admit as a blazer fan. but homeboy has not made any improvement at all. This was the year that was supposed to have the leap. Hes still taking the same kind of shots… which allows him to be “hot” every third game or whatever… causing him to not get doubled that often.. which causes the blazers to only have ONE elite player… which causes them to not be contenders… which cause me to be mad.
I think LMA showed much improvement in Miami
He is never going to be Maurice Lucas. But he is a much better shooter and when he is on the pressure is off Brandon.
And I agree that he has struggled early this year.
"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."
LMA has a history of starting slow
but Miami wasn’t his first good game of the season, nor close to his best….
by blacknoiseNW on Dec 21, 2009 10:06 AM PST up reply actions
And trying to integrate Oden, Miller, and Webster had nothing to do with it
LA needs to play team ball to be successful – unlike Roy who can go 1 on 5. His numbers are a little off but that is a result of all the turmoil and coaching mismanagement.
My 1/3 Season Awards
MVP: B-Roy. He hasn’t been 100% this year but he’s rounding into form lately. We’re managing to stay alive without a lot of players, but we’d be in big trouble without B-Roy.
MVDP: Oden, no doubt. His defense has always been terrific; his problem was always foul trouble. He’s improved not only in that department this year but in every other phase of his game as well. Those ‘bust’ labelers were really starting to eat crow before he went down. Get well, big fella.
MIP: Well, if you’re talking about someone who inspires their teammates to do better I have to go with Roy.. he has gone out of his way to show he cares about his teammates and wants to help them improve their game.
BPS: I’m going to go with Bayless. He needs at least 15 minutes a game IMO. He’s strong and quick and not afraid to draw contact, and his court vision has improved. Definitely pencil me in on the Team Bayless bandwagon.
BD: Whew.. where do you start? You could actually go beyond players on this one. I’m a little miffed at Nate on occasion for his head-scratching lineup changes (and underusing Bayless) and I really think KP should’ve done something better than just save money with picking Claver in the first round and letting him play overseas. But let’s go with a single player.. I pick Blake, ahead of Miller and Aldridge. Miller is just not a good fit on this team and Aldridge is starting to pick up his game lately. Blake has just imploded. His defense (which wasn’t that good to begin with) and basketball smarts have just nosedived.
Retro
Reply to retrobills: Don't blame it all on Blake..I think he KNEW he had no business starting and he is not a "clutch"
player most of the time…he tends to CHOKE…REMEMBER CLIPPERS GAME LAST YEAR…missed 4 of 5 free throws….WHEN IT REALLY COUNTED….when he was thinking…sure he made a last minute 3 point to win a game also…not thinking..instinct. I think this year has been combo..“what am I doing starting ahead of Mller”..and MAYBE…residual shoulder problems?
I think the coaching has been the biggest disappointment.
my 2 cents
Most Valuable Player
Roy.
Most Valuable Defensive Player
Bayless, because he’s one of few guys in the league that can guard the quick point guards and also body up bigger guards. He’s physical and intense, and he’s been drawing charges lately.
Most Inspirational Player
Aldridge…oh, I thought you meant UNinspiring…because his play has been pretty weak overall this year…even though he’s had a few decent games here and there.
Biggest Pleasant Surprise
Tolliver, for leading the league in fouls/minute.
Biggest Disappointment
Blake, Miller and Webster get to share this one.
First 1/3 Awards:
MVP: Oden, but looks like Brandon reclaims that title soon
Defensive Player: Oden. He absolutely altered how the other team played offense; leading candidates now are Joel and Webster. Well, pretty much Joel by a big margin.
Inspirational: Oden. For 20 games gave us the Oden we all dreamed of.
Pleasant surprise: Bayless by a hair. Hard not to go with Oden again here.
Biggest disappointment: Nate. By far. How can Miller be a disappointment? Once Nate gave in to the brutally honest facts and started Miller we are something like 9-3 when he starts…7-9 when he doesn’t. I may be slightly off, I’m too lazy to look it up.
Nate still has the opportunity to lose this dubious honor of Biggest Disappointment. The season is still young. Runner-up: LMA.
Keep starting Miller.
How can LaMarcus not be by far the biggest disappointment???
Just signed him to a monster deal and he’s regressed. He’s supposed to be the #2 guy and half the time you don’t even know he’s on the court. It’s LMA and it’s not close.
Blazer Fan
All those other guys, Blake Miller....your guys' expectations were way too high
Blake is a career backup who had a career season last year, and yet many people can’t seem to realize that for whatever reason. This season is right in line with his wheelhouse!!!
Miller is over the hill in the first place and considering how Nate has jerked him off since he got here, I think he’s doing just fine.
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Dec 21, 2009 6:55 AM PST up reply actions
I agree
Miller is over the hill…that’s why I still can’t understand why Bayless can’t consistently get minutes. When comparing Bayless and Miller, Bayless brings a lot of the same things to the table that Miller does: pushing the tempo, driving and attacking, solid free throw shooting. He is also a better shooter than Miller overall (and Miller’s shot is one of the ugliest I’ve seen…ever). Bayless also has more energy and explosiveness, and I feel that he is also a better defender….Really, the only area where Miller clearly has the advantage is passing, but Bayless is closing the gap. Thus, why play the over the hill Miller big minutes when you could play the younger more athletic version of Miller (aka Bayless) instead?
Miller was never going to be the savior people thought he was supposed to be
He’s a solid NBA vet on the downside of his career. I think he’s giving about what I expected which would obviously be more if it wasn’t for the obscene infatuation with Blake.
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Dec 21, 2009 10:23 AM PST up reply actions
Nate has SERIOUSLY jerked Miller off. Do you think it's because Nate KNOWS that Miller KNOWS
Nate is NOT a championship coach?!
I think it's because Nate is terrified of adapting his coaching style
Nate has a very small comfort zone, and he becomes stubborn and defensive when other people point out flaws in his approach. Not a great combo imo.
That said I’m not one of these who thinks he’s terrible, he’s just very average.
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Dec 21, 2009 10:49 AM PST up reply actions
I agree
Nate IS very average, and his worst area is knowing who to put in the game and in what situations…Also, it seems like people have been failing to mention that for a coach that has been touted as a “defensive coach”, the Blazers defense hasn’t really improved since he got here….a little suspect if you ask me.
I don't believe that for a second
If Nate really did that to Miller, then Miller would be smiling a lot more.
"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
Unless he was expecting more.
Maybe he is pouting that Nate is teasing him.
I get the paper, so I don't care!
Oh yeah
Maybe Nate uses it for motivation so Miller will come back for more.
"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
biggest
Biggest pleasant surprise: Bayless. I disagree that we already knew Bayless was good. True he did not get too much chance to prove himself last year but when he did go in last year his play had a lot of flaws- lack of flexibility in his offensive play, tendency to generate turnovers, weak defense, lack of an outside shot.
He has gone a long way in fixing those weaknesses in his game. Bayless is the most improved.
As to Andre Miller as most disappointing- not to me. I feel he has played about as well as the consensus expectation was.
And I think his more active playmaking style on the offensive end of the court has rubbed off on the whole team in a positive way, even when he’s not on the court.
To me the biggest weakness of the team right now besides the injuries is the streaky play of most of the players. It seems like Nate has adopted a philosophy of keeping whoever is playing well in the game instead of yanking people in some sort of predetermined formula. I hope that keeps up.
Of course, sometimes there are less than 5 players playing well so an approach of “keeping the players in who are playing well” could mean less than 5 guys on the court.
pleasant surprise
Good point those who listed Oden as most improved, or who said he should share that honor with Bayless.
We now know Oden has the skills to be one of the elite centers in the NBA, if he ever overcomes his plague of injuries.
next year's
I will give my award for most improved player for the 2010-2011 season to LaMarcus Aldridge.
OK, LaMarcus, now you need to make sure you prove me right.
most consistent contributor
I think Joel needs a little more prestigious honor than “most inspirational”. That sounds like who is the guy who ladled out the most turkey at the Blazer charity dinner.
Joel’s honor should be something like “most reliable” player. His play has been the most consistent of anyone on the team.
The Blazers are 10-3 with Andre Miller as a starter.
He might be a disappointment, but I’m not convinced it’s his fault.
by Nick Van Excellent on Dec 21, 2009 7:56 AM PST reply actions
I did not read that Dave was finding fault
Only disappointment in the results. Andre did show much better last night. Consistent similar performance will make him the pleasant surprise of the next 1/3 for me. But the disappointment to me was the difficulty he had in assimilating with the team. Perhaps this is what Dave was referring to. (He is not my greatest disappointment – that would be Greg going down.)
"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."
Yeah, I guess so.
It just seems like there are a bunch of other people you could be more disappointed in. Roy, Aldridge, Webster, and Blake have all been more disappointing in my opinion. Plus, Andre typically starts the season slow. Some of this was to be expected.
But yeah, I think Dave was pretty fair in his assessment, I just don’t see it that way.
by Nick Van Excellent on Dec 21, 2009 8:15 AM PST up reply actions
Key point
Plus, Andre typically starts the season slow.
I’m somewhat disappointed in how inconsistent he’s been, but to me it is too early to view him as a big disappointment yet.
#52
He's been much better as a starter.
Which makes sense. He’s not really an instant offense off the bench sort of guy. Much better to use him as a steady hand, dictating the tempo, and controlling the game flow.
He’s been disappointing to me too, I just wonder if it would have been different had he been given a more consistent role.
by Nick Van Excellent on Dec 21, 2009 8:48 AM PST up reply actions
Hard to say
He’s been inconsistent as a starter, too. Better, but still inconsistent.
I expect it to come around.
#52
We are 10-3 with him as a starter.
The first quarters have been much better, even in games that we have lost. The flow and overall effort just seems better. He’s still been a little inconsistent, but most of his starts came in a three guard lineup, which is pretty rough, especially since he was forced to guard shooting guards.
His last two games have been outstanding. Hopefully he can keep it up.
by Nick Van Excellent on Dec 21, 2009 9:13 AM PST up reply actions
If Miller is the biggest disappointment, (of course excluding injuries) I lay the blame at Nate
Which translates to Nate being the real disappointment for failing to effectively utilize and lead his players to maximize success. I never complained about him in past seasons, but I am convinced he as failed this season, and is way too slow in “getting it right” for me. It has cost the team. And I am not just talking about the Miller situation. Numerous detailed reasonable postes have outlined issues with the coaching which I believe are best alleviated with a wholesale change. I expect Nate will get somewhat better, benefit from the excellence of our players whatever he does, slowly come around, while many of us pull our hair out screaming “FINALLY”… But, we need insightful, confident leadership for the team, who will recognize and respond to decisive effective management. I’m really just waitin’, I expect it to come.
"Travis went all wang-dang diddly wubba SPROING wow-wow on everybody " Dave's recap, season opener
Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Defensive Player: Oden
While Roy has certainly turned it on since, before Oden when down, Brandon was playing inconsistently, shooting inefficiently, and often looking very much non-Bradon like. Meanwhile, Oden was a game changer on both ends of the court. He gets my vote
Best Defensive Player: Oden
For all the reasons you stated. This one is easy.
Most Inspirational Player: Przybilla
Not sure anyone really deserves this. We certainly could stand to see a lot more inspiration coming from a lot of our players than we have been. That said, Joel is likely the best choice here.
Biggest Pleasant Surprise: None
Dante is the closest we probably have, but he’s been inconsistent and hasn’t gotten enough PT to really earn this award.
Biggest Disappointment: Nate McMillan
Hands down the easiest decision for me. In my mind, Nate’s nothing short of disastrous handling of training camp, including starting lineups and playing time rotations, set this season off on completely the wrong course. No one knew who was going to play when. No one knew what their role was. Guys were told go earn your starting job in camp, then when they did just that, they didn’t get the job anyway. No one seemed equipped or prepared to play with a dominating inside presence. It was a coaching failure of epic proportions.
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 Dec 21, 2009 8:20 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
I can agree with all of those.
Although I think Bayless has been a surprise. I didn’t think he would look as natural in the offense as he does. Not really forcing it too much, hitting threes, passing, etc.
by Nick Van Excellent on Dec 21, 2009 8:42 AM PST up reply actions
I was close to putting him there
your argument certainly has merit.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
MVP: Blake – He’s had to put up with fans hating him, Nate screwing with his minutes, Bayless throwing him under the bus, Miller whining to take his job and he still brings it every night
Defense: Would have been Oden, but Webster now
Inspirational: Coach McMillan, he’s been a great leader and showed the team how to play real defense and with so much intensity, that he hurt himself.
Pleasant Surprise: That the team is not as bad as they could be after all the injuries. Nate is doing a great job coaching them.
Disappointment: Miller by a New York mile. He’s caused nothing but trouble since the day he got here. Came into camp out of shape, complained to the national media because he wasn’t going to start, he has a pissy attitude, and he’s overpaid by about $6 million dollars. EARN YOUR PAYCHECK 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
I couldn't disagree and agree with you more
exhibit A: Steve Blake’s shooting - 37.6 ….need I say more
exhibit B: Nate underusing talent in spite of being shorthanded…hmmm
HOWEVER….I think you are spot on about Miller, personally I’ve never been a fan of his game or his persona.
What??????
Are you serious about what you just said…. If Blake was still starting are record wouldnt be 17 and 12 it would be 12 and 17 if that….. I like Blake and everything but he is not a starter on any team in the NBA and by the way points win games not somebody who stands in the corner the whole time……
Reply to tominhawaii. Nate is the reason Miller hasn't done what he DOES. Watch the rest of the season
and you will SEE. Nate is a HORRIBLE coach for veterans. HORRIBLE. Nate wants complete comtrol. I say LET MILLER EARN HIS PAYCHECK!!!! And he WILL.
Tominhawaii-
I used to be pretty good at deciphering your sly sarcasm, but I am not sure if you are serious or not. I am pretty sure that you hate Miller (even though we are 10-3 when he starts) and you love Nate (despite his, um, perceived mishandling of player rotations, communication with players and inability to drive a consistent message to his players.) I am also pretty sure you hate hate hate any criticism of the team, and I agree I sometimes get caught up in it out of frustration with the coaching strategy. Do you really think Coach is the inspirational leader? The same coach who has been screwing with your beloved Blake’s minutes? Perhaps I have been snagged by your baited hook….
Keep starting Miller.
by RenoBlazerFan on Dec 21, 2009 7:19 PM PST up reply actions
I don't mind criticism
I hate “Blake Sucks” instead of “he missed all his 3’s” and I hate all the knee jerk Fire Nate stuff. It’s cool if someone thinks Nate sucks and he’s not a championship coach, but I don’t really need to read that in every game recap after a win.
Nate hasn’t lost the team, just the fans that already didn’t like him or on the verge of not liking him. He might not be a championship caliber coach and neither was Doc RIvers.
I don’t love Blake, I just hate the Blake hate. I do love loving on Blake and pissing off the Blake haters though.
"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
Here
MVP- Roy
Defensive- Pryzybilla
Inspirational- Oden
Pleasant Surprise- Bayless
Disappointment- Aldridge- He was supposed to have a breakout year.
Biggest Disappointment:
I just want to write about this because it is probably the most controversial among blazers fans. Sure, injuries take this award hands down if we include them, but if you look at it as disappointing play, then the waters are muddied. Now I think the answer would still be a resounding if not unanimous Nate “Little Mac” Milian if we extended to coaching staff…but he’s not a player so let’s not go there.
Miller: I think Dave’s in the minority here if he’s talking about expected play vs actual play. Miller has been decent on the court, albeit not at his expected production. If he’s talking about the expected vs actual effect on the game, then that argument could be made.
Blake: I’d probably go with this at first look. I think lots of fans (myself included) got used to vintage 2008 Blake hitting those clutch treys…but i think we have to face that last year was an anomaly. Blake’s like Tropic Thunder. If you went into the movie not expecting much or hearing it sucked, you probably loved it. If it was talked up, you probably said “Eh.”. Are we disappointed? Sure. But is that a product of Blake playing piss poor or us expecting too much? Probably both.
LMA: When all is said and done, if not injuries or coaching, I have to go with LMA. LaMarcus has a turnaround reminiscent of Sheed, but with less of a temper. Unfortunately that appears to come with less of a fire—less intensity—less passion about the game. Now if Greg was still around I’d chalk it up to adjustments etc, but he hasn’t been there for 9 games and I’m still not impressed. LMA continues to underwhelm on the boards. His defense is decent to slightly above average but I’m mostly concerned with his offense. Someone needs to tell him that dunks are worth more than the 2 points it gives your team. When he hits that gazelle stride its amazing, but we don’t see it consistently. When he has his back to the basket, he could push to get deep position, but instead fades to the perimeter. He needs to getirty, get nasty, and take the ball to the basket and not care who he hurts along the way. He needs to be pissed off and harness that anger to do some damage in the post. Barkley was right. We need a post presence. And even when GO is back, he needs to sit at times and that’s when LMA could do what he should be doing already-dominating the low post.
Please, for the love of all that is holy, please stop using the following: "Book it.", "FTW", "Epic" & "Fail".
...no seriously--stop.
Gloomy
I read that entire post in an Eeyore voice. Seriously, must be grey skies in Portland these days…
BTW:
MVP – Oden
Defense – Oden
Inspirational – Webster (very impressed with his activity and attitude this year – the shot will come)
Pleasant Surprise – Bayless
Disappointment – Aldridge
Aldridge's Stats so far
16.2ppg
7.6rpg
47.8% FG
83.7% FT
Slightly down from last year but he didn’t have as many looks with Greg in there. I think some people are forgetting that LMA was a huge contributor in many of the wins this year.
He was a huge contributor in about three or four wins this season
out of nearly 30 games…and he’s your #2 option…
This season he makes $5 mil…so maybe he’s playing down to his current salary
If you think the above stats are good enough when he kicks up to $10 mil next season…well I strongly disagree
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Dec 21, 2009 10:17 AM PST up reply actions
for evidence
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/lamarcus_aldridge/game_by_game_stats.html
He’s had ONE game of 25 pts + 10 or more rebounds
ONE FREAKING GAME
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Dec 21, 2009 10:21 AM PST up reply actions
Thanks for the stats
I’m called LMA my disappointing player below and that helps. Consistent effort shouldn’t be too much to ask, and a lot of LMA’s bad games (especially rebounds) are mostly due to effort.
"The art of winning is complicated by statistics, which for us becomes money." -Isiah Thomas
by terryisntbald on Dec 21, 2009 12:05 PM PST up reply actions
The stats support the idea that LMA has been at least as good this year as last year
at least offensively…
Using 82games.com and the shot charts to compare LMA 2008/2009 vs. 2009/2010:
LMA this season has a higher effective shooting percentage (64% vs. 62%), scores a higher percentage of his points closer to the basket, and is scoring off assists at a significantly higher rate (8% higher). LMA is also drawing fouls at about the same rate.
That % of baskets assisted has a lot to do with perception – LMA’s role is to play off a primary ball handler more so than last year – a change in style for him as great as what was expected from Roy, with Miller playing point.
by blacknoiseNW on Dec 21, 2009 10:18 AM PST up reply actions
we want him *better* than last season and the season before, especially for what he's getting paid
or will soon be getting paid
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Dec 21, 2009 10:19 AM PST up reply actions
considering he has been as good as last season
and his best is yet to come (based his historical trends), I’d say we have little to worry about
by blacknoiseNW on Dec 21, 2009 10:33 AM PST up reply actions
considering he's the same or worse than last season (you aren't factoring anything other than offense into the equation) the evidence shows he's flat-lined
wishful thinking is one thing
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Dec 21, 2009 10:45 AM PST up reply actions
counting stats have suffered
but everyone’s role’s changed. Now that LMA’s role is shifting – so too is his game improving.
by blacknoiseNW on Dec 21, 2009 11:02 AM PST up reply actions
I don't agree that he's improving, witness the disappearing act in Orlando
hey listen, I want LMA to succeed…go through my post history…dude is my favorite player…or at least he would be if he played like he should. Listen…the guy is 6’11" with incredibly long arms and a decent motor, he should be eating the paint alive. There is one single reason he does not: he is terrified of contact
That sucks. And I will proclaim that it sucks until he fixes his problem or he’s not on the roster.
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Dec 21, 2009 11:07 AM PST up reply actions
terrified of contact?
Arguable at best. As far as the impact of fouls on scoring:
let’s compare Aldridge to some other well known PF’s in this league:
Aldridge is fouled on 11.2% of his shots; Carlos Boozer 15%. However, LMA takes 10% more outside shots than Boozer, so that’s not unexpected. If you want to complain that he should shoot more inside – fine – but also know that the impact on scoring is far less than you would think
Because Aldridge shoots so much better from the line, he scores only one less point per 48 minutes from the free throw line than does Boozer. He outscores Millsap per 48 min from the ft line.
Pau scores .7 pp48m more than Aldridge….
Randolph scores .8 pp48m more than Aldridge – even though his foul% is virtually identical. The difference? Randolph takes a lot more shots – and 15% more inside shots.
Aldridge’s alleged aversion to contact is the last thing you can point to as evidence that he is a disappointment.
by blacknoiseNW on Dec 21, 2009 12:14 PM PST up reply actions
I suppose you'd rather have Tyrus Thomas?
I bet Chicago would make that deal in a New York minute.
If this team ever learns how to move without the ball and make the defense pay for double-teaming the paint, LA will have much more success.
It is not LA holding himself back, it is the lack of using his talents from the coaching staff.
by ralphzillo on Dec 21, 2009 4:19 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Amen
Like so many of our other players, but probably more than any of them, I can’t help but feel that other coaches would be able to get so much more production out of LMA simply by playing to his strengths and better hiding his weaknesses.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
Yeah, Aldridge has been roughly as good as last year
but I don’t see how that doesn’t make him a disappointment. If he was going to continue to stagnate, we wouldn’t have given him $65 million. Pretty much the only way that contract could be remotely justified was by Aldridge making a huge leap, which hasn’t happened, even as we start to inch towards the halfway mark.
I think we all would have considered it a disappointment if Oden had come back and not improved after last year, or if Bayless hadn’t improved, pretty much any of the young players outside of Roy, actually, so I don’t see why Aldridge should get a pass there.
#52
if he puts up these same numbers next season, they will cost you twice as much
that means he’s either a huge bargain at 5.8 mil or he’s a joke at 10 mil
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Dec 21, 2009 11:08 AM PST up reply actions
Those stats should keep rising with Greg out
With an effective Oden and Roy – he’s a 15/5 guy, probably?
For him to be all-star material, he’d need to play for a Phoenix (faster offense), Golden State (faster offense),, or New York (more exposure).
Portland's PG of the Future - MORE John Wall
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
He might be a great fit in Phoenix like Frye
when it comes right down to it, he’s slightly better than Channing Frye
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Dec 21, 2009 11:03 AM PST up reply actions
i agree 100%
LMA running in the open court all the time in PHX would be lethal! But Nate’s on the 10 year track of turning him into a 20 second possession banger. lol
Portland's PG of the Future - MORE John Wall
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
Aldridge's trend:
G GP FG% FT% 3PT% OR DR TR A B PF Pts
In October 3 3 0.537 0.000 0.500 1.3 4.3 5.7 1.3 0.3 0.3 15.7
In November 16 16 0.468 0.500 0.865 1.9 5.9 7.8 1.8 0.4 0.5 14.8
In December 9 9 0.475 1.000 0.850 2.3 5.4 7.8 2.0 0.9 0.3 18.9
The formatting is strange but I’d say the trend is going in the right direction…
From NBA.com
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
Great read Dave.
I was a big supporter of signing Andre Miller but he seems to be a shell of the player I’ve watched the previous 2 seasons with Philly. Nate’s system doesn’t play to his strengths, either.
Most Frustrating: Steve Blake.
I ask you this… besides making 0-3 threes per game and getting burned by the opposing PG, WHAT DOES STEVE BLAKE DO?
At least Miller (the shell of his former self that he is) can get to the foul line, get a rebound here and there, throw a nice pass on the break, and post up down low when given opportunity.
Portland's PG of the Future - MORE John Wall
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
How is Miller a disappointment?
Thanks to Nate Miller hasn’t ever gotten consistent time, how can he play consistent?
Blake has been a huge disappointment, but how can the biggest not be Martell Webster? All we heard about was how good he was going to be this year. He has done basically nothing, other than a few good moments. He can’t hit a jump shot to save his life, half the time he looks awkward, all of this when he has the biggest opportunity in the world with everyone at his position injured. By far, Webster the biggest disappointment. Followed by Blake and Aldridge. Miller has done just fine given our idiotic coach.
Webster's performances, a lot like Oden's, transcend his production stats
Webster has been a revelation, rather than a disappointment. He has had a few bad games, rather than just a few “good” games; has been the most consistent defender outside of the Vanilla Gorilla, and let us not forget – he is coming off an entire missed season.
He hasn’t got his offensive mojo all the way back – but there is a lot more to his game than his 3-point shot – which is a major plus.
by blacknoiseNW on Dec 21, 2009 10:38 AM PST up reply actions
Martell Webster
8.6 ppg
3.6 rpg
0.7 apg
37.8% fg
35.9% 3pt fg
0.7 spg
If that is a revelation, that is sad. Easily the lowest production of a starting small forward in the NBA. He doesn’t even have anyone on the bench looking over his shoulder to steal playing time.
Martell's the only front court guy on this roster with the ability to take his man
off the dribble. I just wished he’d do it. :(
Portland's PG of the Future - MORE John Wall
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
really?
have you seen him try to take someone off the dribble? ugh. He might have the worst handles in the league for anyone playing the 1 through 3 positions.
I like Martel and think he brings value to our team, but everytime he gets the ball I’m thinking “Just don’t put it on the floor”
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
He's good attacking the rim without the ball
like on fast breaks when Miller gets him the ball or on backdoor cuts, but every time he tries a crossover I struggle to keep myself from covering my eyes. I often find myself saying, “Just because you wear 23 doesn’t mean you can crossover like MJ.”
"The art of winning is complicated by statistics, which for us becomes money." -Isiah Thomas
by terryisntbald on Dec 21, 2009 11:40 AM PST up reply actions
exactly
I LOVE Martell running to the rim without the ball, either on the break or in the halfcourt. Unfortunately, we do neither of these things often as a team.
My point was, you don’t want Martell driving to the rim WITH the ball – it’s a turnover waiting to happen.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
he gets inside just fine
he just isn’t real good at finishing. I tend to believe he will become better at that as he looks to dunk in traffic more, rather than try to finesse so many shots at the rim. His touch in the paint is a lot like his touch outside – hit and miss….
by blacknoiseNW on Dec 21, 2009 12:16 PM PST up reply actions
I'd argue the opposite
He’s a solid finisher at the rim. He’s absolutely terrible at getting anywhere near it with the ball in his hand.
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
I would argue
that BlacknoiseNW is mostly right. Webster driving to the rim is horrid, but he is still figuring out his role on this team with this many injuries. Truthfully Webs role should be to hit the 3, run the break when they do it, and defend his butt off. Web does all those things now, but he is also trying to help the team by driving to the rim more, as the team is hurting for that type of play. While I like the willingness to do it, Web lacks the ability, he is almost always out of control when driving and never looks to pass once he starts to dribble.
Ben II Blazersedge.com || New to Blazers' Edge?
sounds to me like you are agreeing with me...
How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009
Webster's eFG% inside is only 46%
compare that to Roy at 59%. Plus, Webster gets blocked on 24% of his inside shots vs. 14% for Roy.
My argument is that Webster gets the shot off inside, but not effectively. The stats support my argument.
by blacknoiseNW on Dec 21, 2009 1:01 PM PST up reply actions
I don't think Webster is a disappointment, but he's not been a revelation either.
He’s been good defensively but pretty terrible offensively for a starting 3.
I agree that it’s nice he’s doing more than shooting, but I think we hoped he’d be a more efficient offensive player.
#52
Webster was out the entire season last season with the foot
I think he gets a little leeway
Blazer Fan
by leeroyjenkins on Dec 21, 2009 10:46 AM PST up reply actions
the one part of his game that is lacking shooting %
will come…the intangibles are the major revelation and indicate he could be a true difference maker….
by blacknoiseNW on Dec 21, 2009 11:01 AM PST up reply actions
Jumping in late here...
Most Valuable Player [other than Roy]: The Vanilla Gorilla. With GO down, where would we be without Pryz?
Most Valuable Defensive Player [that are healthy right now] – Once again, the Vanilla Gorilla. We see flashes of occasional D from the others; but, Pryz is the most consistent and the most game-changing
Most Inspirational Player – Big surprise: The Vanilla Gorilla. His selfless effort and consistent hustle should be an inspiration for all.
Biggest Pleasant Surprise – Certainly NOT Pryz. His contributions continue to be true to what he has come to establish season-in and season-out. My pick here is Bayless if only for his monster night.
Biggest Disappointment [not a coach]: LMA. I was hoping for more night-in and night-out coast-to-coast dominance inside and outside the paint. Instead, we see flashes of bits and pieces. Man-up LMA. You’re strong enough, fast enough and talented enough to be as good as YOU want to be.
Out.
"Easy for you to say coach, you don't have Big Greg rolling up on your blind side about to lay the wood to you." - Batum
My picks (I know, clever title)
MVP: They’re better with him and our gutted roster than they would be if everyone else was healthy and he was out for the season. He’s Roy, there’s nothing else to say.
MVDP: Like most people I’ll go with Oden by default, especially since this is just for the first 1/3. If people say Blake Griffin can win ROY after all the games he missed (and our own Roy won it missing some games) then Oden can earn my trophy for this award. Also, if Batum only plays in a few games this gives me precedent to give the last third award to him.
Most Inspirational: A lot of people have given Joel the love he deserves so I’m going to go with Webster. Remember, last season he thought he had done all the work to come back from his injury and he reinjured it and had to go through all that rehab again. I think that might be inspirational for a guy who could need it, a certain Greg Oden. I’ve had injury problems myself and know what’s it like to think you’re back just to go through it again, so to me personally Webster is the most inspirational player.
Biggest Pleasant Surprise: Bayless. I was a big critic of him (well not big, I thought he’d be good player, I just doubted he could fit with the team) and I still don’t know if he’ll be a true pg, but he can shoot, play with Roy and is starting to control is athleticism better (he seems to have cut down on handchecking and jumping sideways into defenders less). Oh, and I was saying all those before his game against the Suns. Give him more minutes!
Biggest Disappointment: I never had any illusions Miller would fit with Roy and it hasn’t played out any worse than I expected. Aldridge, however, I did expect things from. When we had Oden I could tolerate him just taking jumpers, but now we need him to get tough and play inside every game. If he is going to live away from the basket, he at least needs to stretch his range and take a few 3s (which we know he can) and be more aggressive with the ball in his hands and attack slower guys off the dribble more like Dirk. I’ve said this before, but I do understand why he takes so many jumpers. If you’ve played a minute of pickup ball you know it’s easier to take jumpers off someone else’s penetration than to do all the work yourself to get into the post. And all that’s just his offense, I haven’t even gotten to his rebounding and D, which is what they need most from him. Antwan Jamison plays away from the hoop a lot, but when he has a mismatch he goes inside and he also grabs boards. Right now LMA is a non-crazy Sheed, except he takes 20 foot 2s instead of 3s and doesn’t play insane defense. We need to change his nickname from “L Train” to “the Train Robber.”
"The art of winning is complicated by statistics, which for us becomes money." -Isiah Thomas
MVP: Roy
MVP Besides Roy: Oden. What he did for this team was amazing. Too bad it was short lived.
Defensive: Oden
Inspirational: Oden. Even in the face of adversity, he has remained positive (thus far). His attitude in the first part of the season was great to see, and his demeanor since then has been uplifting and hopeful. You saw his impact on the team as the other guys huddled around him.
Pleasant Surprise: None. I honestly don’t think there have been any surprises in a good way this season. Just about everyone on the roster has either performed as expected (Joel, Bayless) or underperformed (LMA, Miller, Blake).
Disappointment: For me, definitely Blake. He has always been a slight defensive liability, but his play is predicated on the deep ball, which he appears to have lost all confidence in. It’s tough to blame him though, and we can’t use last year’s production as a baseline for what he can continue to do. Go back and look at his stats: Last year was essentially an anomoly.
"Ain't nothin' in this world for free."
Most Valuable Player :
1 – Roy
2 – Oden
Most Valuable Defensive Player :
1 – Oden
2 – Przybilla
3 – Webster
Most Inspirational Player :
1 – Oden
2 – Roy
3 – Przybilla
4 – Bayless
Biggest Pleasant Surprise :
1 – Bayless’ outside shots
2 – Cunningham
3 – Webster defense
Biggest Disappointment :
1 – injuries
2 – KP (Miller trade)
3 – LMA
4 – Nate McMillan
5 – No player deserves to be ranked third for the MVP award
6 – Blake
7 – B-Roy seems unable to play with Oden
8 – Losses at GS, against Memphis and at
9 – The list of biggest disappointments is the longest one
Biggest Disappointment
I agree, injuries have been the most disappointing. Nate’s bonehead coaching tactics are a close #2.
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