Webster to return: help or harm the rotation?

We could use scoring from our bench. It will give him burn and he can try to abuse the other teams’ bench players.

IF he proves he can handle it and be productive this year, THEN we can talk about moving him to a more significant role.

I’m hoping they’ll bring him back slow. I sort of see him just camping in a corner like Rudy. So maybe those days that Rudy’s shot is off we plug Webster in that spot. I don’t see a lot of minutes for Webster right away.

I think at this stage, Coach Nate isn’t going to change the rotation. Instead, he’ll plug Martell in when other guys on the team can’t make a 3 pointer and he’ll have Martell spread the floor. I would put money on Nic starting throughout the playoffs. Maybe if Martell is really hot, he might compete with Rudy and Travis as the first guy off the bench but I doubt that too.

Gavin showered Greg Oden with praise?

Was that sarcasm? I might listen to the podcast if Gavin actually gave Oden some credit.

I’d LOVE to see Martell come back and help us in the playoffs but we wouldn’t be getting the full package at this point. I don’t care how ballin’ you are, you can’t come back after missing an entire season and succeed right off the bat in the NBA playoffs. Remember last season when Arenas came back, right at the end of the season, tried to help his team against the Cavs in the playoffs, and ended up dragging the whole team down? I get the same feeling here. The team isn’t going anywhere Martell, we’ll be in the same spot next year, just wait.

Josh Howard has struggled all year to come back to old form for the Mavs, and he has a milder foot/ankle injury. I honestly don’t think Nate will play Martell unless another player goes completely cold from outside despite being left wide open on the perimeter. In that situation he could be valuable if he is really healthy (usual elevation, range of motion to be no liability on defense). Before the injury, Martell was a worse defender than Nic, and couldn’t create his own shot like Travis off the dribble. Any glimpse of improvement people perceived or hoped for in his game during pre-season will likely have to be postponed to next year.

If he is healthy and can give some quality minutes play him, Why not? If he gives you better minutes than Channing do it. I love Frye but Outlaw is better at the 4 even though he is undersized and skinny but Webster rebounds so well for a 3 it would work out fine.

move Outlaw exclusively to the back up PF, and give LMA more rest, he plays way too many minutes and his body wont hold up under that for long.

       in spots. I’ve been a Martell supporter since we
drafted him and as a young player he still has lots of room to
grow. We don’t want to see him rushed and reinjured, but if
healthy, bring him off the bench for some spot minutes. He would
help in spacing the floor and being available when GO is doubled
and running the double pick curl for the pull up.
       Get in shape and don’t try to do to much Martell !
2nd unit – GO, TO, 3M, Rudy & (Serg/BRex) – Nice !

PF Aldridge 38, Outlaw 10
SF Batum 18, Outlaw 20, Webster 10

Outlaw plays PF the 10 minutes that Aldridge is out and his other 20 minutes are at SF. Batum plays his normal 18. Webster plays SF the 10 minutes that Outlaw is at PF.

Personally, I saw the drop in chemistry in just the past few games when Outlaw got the start. It takes well past half of the first quarter until Outlaw gets in rythym, and in that time Nic has probably blocked 2 shots and grabbed 5 rebounds.

So it stands to reason that inserting Matell this late could have some bad unintended consequences. Especially now, when we are fighting for playoff position and every game is critical. If we can take care of these games at home, we might end up with a decent seed.

I wish the best for Martell, but now is not the time to try and re-insert a rusty small forward in for a guy who hustles like a mad man.

Go Blazers! Beat Philly PLEASE!

Spend 70 games creating something only to drastically alter it right before playoff time. Ludicrous.

When all is said and done Martell is going to be a solid defender me thinks. He won’t hurt us defensively anymore right now than Outlaw or Rudy, and it would be Frye losing any playing time he had left, not Batum. So really if he’s healed up and ready to play I say let him get in a few games before the post season. The only way Batum loses playing time is if both Outlaw and Martell begin to outplay him, and in that case why, for the team, would that be a bad thing? Outlaw will be full time backup 4 with some minutes at 3, and Nic and Martell can split the remaining though at this point more should go to Nic than Martell.

Webster helped this team last year much more than any of you are giving him credit for, I for one really miss him. And this coming from a gigantic Batum fan. Really just give Marty some minutes here and there when he’s ready, maybe dip in to a couple Rudy minutes even.

I wouldn’t want to give him a lot of minutes at the 3, however. Not at this point. Given the status of players, the only players who I’m really willing to give him minutes from are the backup PGs – which means that if Martel wants in the rotation, he’ll need to play SG in a line-up with either Blake or Roy and Batum or Outlaw.

But you forgot that Rudy’s also threatened to lose playing time, specially with the he’s playing lately.

Tell me if I’m wrong but he seems like a slightly more athletic Rudy Fernandez.

The goal this year was an early playoff exit and experience in that intense an environment. Channing’s gone. His experience will not contribute to our collective knowledge next year and beyond. Martell is far more likely to be a critical piece two or three years for us. Let him get small tastes at the backup SF. Let him sit in the corner at first. NAte will put him in a position to succeed without compromising what we have working. Then he hits the fall as a vested, more veteran member of the core.

I hear there are some backup pg minutes that Martell could get in line for.

OH GOD PLEASE WE NEED MARTELL BACK, ARRGGGFGRRGGGGGHHHHH>>.hh..

then after rolling around on the floor clutching at my stomach for a while I would reiterate the same thing, only a little saner.

It will be nice to have Martell back, cause we need him at the 3. Once he is back we will be hell on wheel (if we can get Oden in shape :)

if he’s healthy and can contribute to the team, why not give him some minutes in the second unit? it’s not like he’ll take some really precious minutes away from any of the players. nate needs all the tools he can get. having him as another offensive option will help.

Protect Martell’s health, come back in the fall.
Nic is doing great, in fact, I believe that Nic will be the starting 3 on this team for the next 10 years and be mentioned for all NBA defense his 3rd or 4th season.
Nic has as much of a killer instinct as there is on this team and has become my favorite player.