Portland's ongoing point guard adventure

by Blazer Guy on Dec 8, 2009 7:39 AM PST

If you look at the current league leaders in PER at the point guard position, here are some numbers that stand out:

3rd -- Sergio Rodriguez (22.97)

9th -- Jerryd Bayless (18.95)

30th -- Andre Miller (14.81)

60th -- Steve Blake (9.98)

Yet here's what the current Blazer depth chart at point guard looks like:

1) Steve Blake (starter)

2) Andre Miller (backup)

3) Jerryd Bayless (3rd string)

4) Sergio Rodriguez (given away to Sacramento during off-season)

Just saying . . .

Poll

When/if Rudy Fernandez returns to the lineup, what should the Blazers do with their point guard rotation?

Keep as is.

0 votes

Start Miller, but no trades.

12 votes

Trade Blake. Start Miller. Bayless as backup.

58 votes

Trade Miller. Start Blake. Bayless as backup.

7 votes

Trade Bayless. Start Blake. Miller as Backup.

0 votes

Trade Bayless. Start Miller. Blake as backup.

3 votes

Make Bayless a starter.

19 votes

Get Sergio back (just kidding).

7 votes

106 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Something has gotta give

Blake has been awful: Turnovers up, assists down, shooting inconsistent to abysmal.

Miller has been mediocre: obvious frustration, unsure of his role, but flashes of the Andre who can push tempo, make shots and make plays.

Bayless showing dramatic improvement: his PER is up 10 points which is amazing. He has been our most efficient and effective bench scorer. Turnovers down and Assist % just below Blake which isn’t bad given the role he has been asked to play by the coaches.

Nate is stubborn and slow to react to what happens on the floor, but eventually he usually comes around. I wonder about Roy; you would think that he can see what is going on.

If I were KP, I would be trying to trade Blake and maybe Trout for a back-up 4-5. We are paper thin up front with Greg out. Pendergraph is coming back soon, but I am not confident that he is ready to contribute the way Cunningham has.

Miller has more use value than trade value at this point. Trading Bayless makes absolutely no sense to me. He and Oden have been the bright spots in a dismal start. Bayless has real potential to be a good fit next to Roy. A little more experience, a little better team defense awareness, and a little more confidence from distance, and Bayless has real potential to be just what this club needs in a starting PG playing next to Roy. I think the goal should be to get Bayless enough minutes so he can share PG minutes with Miller next year.

by upper left corner on Dec 8, 2009 8:26 AM PST reply actions

completely agree

Oddly enough, I think Oden’s injury may have been the beginning of the end of Steve Blake’s time in Portland. Before the Oden injury, the focus was on chemistry, not talent. Everyone seemed to think the Blazers had enough talent to win this year. They just needed to click. Now, expectatios for what can be accomplished this season are reduced. The focus again becomes talent. There’s no question that Andre Miller is a more talented player than Steve Blake. We’ve seen flashes of it. And if this isn’t going to be ‘the year we win’, it becomes almost criminally negligent to let Bayless rot away on the bench. Either Miller or Blake needs to be traded to make room for Bayless. And since it’s looking like last year may have been a fluke year for Blake, and his contract is expiring, it makes far more sense to move him.

Ultimately, I think that Pritchard will package Blake with some combination of Outlaw’s contract, picks, and foreign assets (Claver, Koppenen, Freeland) for the best forward he can get. Such a deal would improve the talent pool, help us compensate for all the injuries, and most likely free up a roster spot we could use to sign another warm body to help us get through the season.

www.blazerguy.com

by Blazer Guy on Dec 8, 2009 8:54 AM PST up reply actions

I don't see another team taking an injured player in a trade until the last possible minute

If that is the case we may not see much happen for a few more months and by then it may be too late to salvage the season. If all the trading partner is getting back is salary cap relief why give up an asset sooner than needed. Same goes for a player that you only intend to cut at the end of the year. I have not seen a single trade during the KP era that was accurately predicted by the majority of pundits. I hope for some random surprise but it may not happen as soon as we would like.

by Jacksonville on Dec 8, 2009 9:18 AM PST up reply actions

If Blake is packaged with Trout....

You are sending out one healthy player and one guy who is expected back in Feb.-March. Both guys have expiring contracts. That could be enough for a team who isn’t expecting to make the playoffs and/or is trying to position themselves for next summer’s Free Agent Derby.

We are talking about a quality, back-up 4-5. We are not talking about a superstar.

It may not be possible, but it is what I would pursue if I were in KP’s shoes.

by upper left corner on Dec 8, 2009 9:34 AM PST up reply actions

yep

That’s why I think Blake will be packaged up. He can play now.

That said, I think fans shouldn’t have very high expectations about what we’ll get back. Best case scenario is probably Brandon Bass, and that’s a stretch.

www.blazerguy.com

by Blazer Guy on Dec 8, 2009 9:41 AM PST up reply actions

Steve Blake.

Sure like the guy, but he’s got to go. He simply doesn’t have to be guarded by the other team unless he’s standing in the corner. Time and again I see opposing defenders run beneath picks at the elbow, and Blake does nothing. How many point guards in this league would pull up and hit that foul line jumper if given room? They’d take the shots until the other team forces them to stop. I don’t know if it’s lack of confidence or comfort, but Steve just won’t take the shots. He doesn’t threaten the defense. We need at PG who will force the other team to guard them. Bayless seems like he would. Until that happens teams will continue to load up on Brandon.

"These are dreams that we have." --Rudolfo Fernandez

by bfan on Dec 8, 2009 9:33 AM PST reply actions

Looks like Bayless wants out....

by The Thinker on Dec 8, 2009 9:42 AM PST reply actions

See the fanshots

by The Thinker on Dec 8, 2009 9:42 AM PST up reply actions

I think that's overstated

Dwight’s piece is thinly sourced and there’s no time frame stated. Jerryd has been playing more recently than he was at the beginning of the season, especially with Rudy out. My guess is that Bayless doesn’t have anything against Portland per se, he just wants to play more, which is understandable. As long as he’s getting minutes like last night, he’ll be fine.

He’ll also be fine if Portland trades Blake or Miller, thereby making him the backup PG. And I think that scenario is much more likely at this point than Bayless himself being traded.

www.blazerguy.com

by Blazer Guy on Dec 8, 2009 10:00 AM PST up reply actions

Jaynes has issues with Bayless

I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him.

by upper left corner on Dec 8, 2009 10:06 AM PST up reply actions

Bayless was scoring almost four times as efficient as Blake last night

Of course, that explains why he was yanked halfway through the fourth as we had the best shot at mounting a comeback. 14 points in 17 minutes. 7 FTs in 17 minutes. What the hell is the problem with the coaches on this team not playing the hot player?

by Seven06Renault on Dec 8, 2009 9:46 AM PST reply actions

Miller would have better numbers if he started too.

He’s been jerked around so far and hasn’t been able to play his game yet as a starter. I think he’s done a pretty good job considering what had to deal with.

by Coastie07 on Dec 8, 2009 10:11 AM PST reply actions

This has all the makings of a lost year.

The team should consider it another developmental year.

I’d actually consider giving Bayless 5 to 8 of roy’s minutes per game. It would mitigate ear and tear on Roy which will basically be wasted this year, and help JB’s development. Even if he ends up traded that’s good for the team in two ways.,

by raoulduke on Dec 8, 2009 10:21 AM PST reply actions

Here's what I actually tried to write...edit please...

This has all the makings of a lost year.

The team should consider it another developmental year.

I’d actually consider giving Bayless 5 to 8 of Roy’s minutes per game. It would mitigate wear and tear on Roy which will basically be wasted this year, and help JB’s development. Even if he ends up traded that’s good for the team in two ways.

by raoulduke on Dec 8, 2009 10:23 AM PST reply actions

If Rudy stays injured...

Bayless will be getting plenty of minutes at the SG position.

www.blazerguy.com

by Blazer Guy on Dec 8, 2009 11:03 AM PST up reply actions

That's really only half my point though. Roy has had knee injuries and by all indications

May have career longevity problems. Why not shave his minutes this year?

by raoulduke on Dec 8, 2009 11:41 AM PST up reply actions

Another important element...

of saving Roy will be to put Blake on the bench. He’s going to wear Roy out.

by gooddebate on Dec 8, 2009 11:51 AM PST up reply actions

The fact that Sergio is 3rd in PER should be absolutely perfect evidence for one and all that PER is an utterly meaningless, garbage pseudo-stat that should not be cited by anyone not collecting a paycheck from ESPN.

Dude rides pine for the Sacramento Kings.

Say no more.

"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal

by timbo on Dec 8, 2009 11:05 AM PST reply actions

have you watched him play lately?

I completely agree that the jury is still out on whether Sergio can maintain these kind of numbers over a sustained period, but the fact is that he’s been playing inspired ball for Sacramento over the last few weeks, the best of his career. He was riding the pine at the beginning of the year, but lately he’s been getting decent playing, even in late game situations. And he’s played very well.

PER is very good measure of offensive production. Not much help in evaluating defense, but that’s not what it’s intended to show.

www.blazerguy.com

by Blazer Guy on Dec 8, 2009 11:17 AM PST up reply actions

Sergio is playing better than all 3 of our point guards

PER isn’t the end all be all of statistics, but that doesn’t change the fact that Sergio has easily outplayed all 3 of the guys on our roster right now. Feel free to take a look at his defensive numbers too. The Kings are 9 points better per 100 possessions with him in the game, and the point guard he defends has a PER at around 10. The player he defends is shooting 39% from the floor. Time to give a little respect.

by as11osu on Dec 8, 2009 11:53 PM PST up reply actions

if you don't watch the game, at least check the box score

there’s no PER involved in that game log and look at his playing time in recent games… is that what you mean by “riding the pine”?

by iverigma2 on Dec 8, 2009 1:42 PM PST reply actions

game log

here

by iverigma2 on Dec 8, 2009 1:43 PM PST up reply actions

Our PGs are talented,

but they don’t fit Nate’s system. Nate demands something really specific- taking care of the ball, good spot up shooting- that only fits Blake. He doesn’t highly value things that many others care a lot about- running breaks, ability to run the pick and roll, creating shots off the dribble.

Sergio, Jerryd, Dre are all good at things that Nate doesn’t care that much about, and not great at the things he does care about. Blake is average at the things Nate cares about and really bad at the things that you and I might care a lot about, but Nate doesn’t. He’s the PG for our coach’s system, and either the coach needs to change or we need to find a better version of the PG we have.

by howlingfantods on Dec 8, 2009 2:41 PM PST reply actions