Sarge gets tested

by The Natural ala Mode on Apr 20, 2009 4:18 PM PDT

This has to be the single biggest test coach Nate has faced since joining the Blazers. I think he has done a great job getting this young team to perform, but now we get to see whether he can compete with x's and o's. I have always had my issues with his playcalling and rotation, it was down right terrible on Saturday. Frye!!! Really???? Hmmmm....that game reminds me of the L.A. opening game. Nate seemed to falter then by pulling Nic for Travis. This time it was messing with the rotation that has been winning. I know everyone says the confidence of this team comes from Roy but I think Roy's confidence comes from Nate. I think he was nervous and let that get to him. Lets see how Nate stacks up with a high quality coach like Adelman, you know he knows his stuff. If we are swept in this series I think coach Nate has earned himself another shot at it next year, if we can't advance to the WCF I think it is time to take a hard look at a coaching change. We could use a proven playoff coach.

Poll

Is Nate responsible for the opening game loss?

10-20%

22 votes

20-35%

25 votes

35-50%

21 votes

50-65%

4 votes

65-90%

8 votes

80 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Nate's defensive strategy on Yao was an epic fail

He takes part of the blame for sure, but his players laid an egg as well.

by jksnake99 on Apr 20, 2009 4:29 PM PDT reply actions

absolutely

Players were off…big time. You don’t lose by 30 because of the coach, but then again normally good coaches don’t lose by 30, so I guess it is all about how we respond.

by The Natural ala Mode on Apr 20, 2009 4:33 PM PDT up reply actions

The ESPN commentators said something about

the gameplan for Yao was not what was being done out on the floor. They were saying that someone had told them Yao was supposed to get a mix of defensive looks including being fronted. Not sure if that’s BS or the players just lost focus out on the floor.

by aimlessgun on Apr 20, 2009 4:44 PM PDT reply actions

Nate looked stressed.

Coaching is an art. Because you can’t just say, “this is how you do it.” or “this is what i want you to do.” You must consider what your player can and will do, and how they will react to your asking them to do it.

So I have a hard time assessing how much of our stagnant offense was due to Nate, and how much to the players. In the first half of the season we saw this team revert to the Roy/LmA iso mode whenever tired or under pressure. And, yes, I think Nate hid behind that approach too, because it keeps us in games even though he must know it prevents the team from growing in to a truly formidable team. But as the season progressed, we saw more fluidity and teamwork on offense. So there is an element of the team getting comfortable with itself. The fluidity, perhaps, cannot be taught, it must evolve.

In the first half of the season, my impulse was for Nate to require a certain number of passes, or to bench Brandon if he does not share the ball. But I suppose that is pretty naive.

You can’t turn Brandon Roy in to a Point guard overnight. But boy it would help if he could quickly develop a sense of urgency when he’s handling the ball with something else than a drive to the rim in mind. Because I don’t know if Steve Blake is able by himself to create opportunites.

by Blazin' on Apr 20, 2009 5:02 PM PDT reply actions

I know the whole argument for "they should start this guy or that guy" gets pretty annoying, but I gotta say...

I thought before the series that we should start Outlaw against Houston. We need his offense in a bad way. Nic is a great defensive stopper, but there’s nobody that the Rockets have that scares me offensively at his position. Against the Lakers? Yea, start Nic to guard Kobe… But against the Rockets? Nic’s offense becomes more of a liability than his defense is a strength… Since Houston has two defensive stoppers in Battier and Artest, they can both put more emphasis on Roy when they play defense since Batum has yet to develop the sort of offense that Outlaw has… Is this a crazy thought??

Travis Outlaw is Mr. Clutch

by two buck chuck on Apr 20, 2009 5:23 PM PDT reply actions

problem for Nate is

if he tried some new experiments and they still lost by 27, then people are completely up in arms. “Why mess with success,” etc.
So if the team was gonna play nervous and just plain bad (and we can’t really know now, can we), Nate was screwed either way.

by Section323 on Apr 20, 2009 5:33 PM PDT up reply actions

Another lineup that was apparently very successful statistically (according to 82games.com) is starters with Rudy in for Batum. Basically the same thing that you’d be trying to achieve with having Outlaw in, for more offense.

by aimlessgun on Apr 20, 2009 7:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Nate

gets paid the big bucks for what he does. He is a professional. None of you are. I’m plain sick of this conversation. We didn’t hear a peep from the Nate haters for about the last month. Quit being so fair-weathered! I’d bet the same conversation would happen if we lost the first game of the NBA finals. Why? You all like to point the finger as if you were some coaching messiah. You aren’t.. Just stop. I find it pathetic.

by RIP on Apr 20, 2009 8:51 PM PDT reply actions

blind homerism

works for some, but as a fan I like to pontificate on our possibilities. Coach Nate is a career sub 500 coach in 11 years of coaching, yet people defend him like he is Jerry Sloan or Poppovich. I am not being fair weathered I am asking a simple question we looked unprepared Saturday, what responsibility lies on the coaching staff. I have had my concens about Nate but he has done a great job during the regular season this year, still don’t thin he will be a great Playoff coach but I still think he deserves at least two shots at it. I would love to see Nate prove me wrong because he has many strengths and he seems to be growing as a coach. Regardless when the other team shoots 60+% that is at least partially a defensive strategy fail. I find sheep pathetic.

by The Natural ala Mode on Apr 20, 2009 11:44 PM PDT up reply actions

Nice.

I find sheep pathetic.

Way to be condescending.

I think you’re making a pretty hasty judgement even when you say you haven’t made a judgement. There are many reasons why Nate deserves more of a chance than you are acknowledging.

Very inexperienced team, yet they have the third best record in the west since the All-Star break.
In those 11 years, was there even one of those teams that wasn’t in a rebuilding mode?
Nate is consistently recognized by other coaches and the media as a very good coach:Got fourth in the COY voting today.
Nate was given the honor of coaching on the Olympic team as a defensive specialist, and not because of his smile.
Lebron’s defense has been much better this year, and if I am remembering correctly, he credits McMillan as inspiring him.
Nate is consistently recognized by the players on that Olympic team as one of the best coaches in the league.
One name to remember when thinking about potential with unproven talent vs. established stars: Doc Rivers.

On that last item – Doc Rivers was on the verge of being fired before Ainge orchestrated the deals that brought Ray Allen and KG to Boston. Next thing you know he’s won Coach of the Year and they’re hanging another banner. Was Rivers better than .500 in his coaching career before he got the talent he has now? I don’t think Boston even made the playoffs the year before.

Nate is working with the youngest rotation in the league and they ended the season with a better record than several teams with perrenial superstars. Yet somehow, those of us that see the accomplishment in that are sheep, lazily grazing and oblivious to reality. Hmmm.

"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."

by Seijeff on Apr 21, 2009 12:19 AM PDT up reply actions

All great points

I don’t disagree. Nate has a lot to offer and you have spelled it quite well. I have not given up on Nate by any means, you have to agree he is learning just like this team is growing. That still does not mean we don’t have the right to question some of the coaching moves he makes. Most national pundits agree it was a huge error to not front Yao early in the game. Coaches are people they make mistakes, Nate is a relatively young coach as well, there are people in the NBA today who played against Nate(Mutombo I am looking at you). This team has the potential that is clear. I only ask is Nate the best coach to lead them to a ring…only time will tell.

by The Natural ala Mode on Apr 21, 2009 12:31 AM PDT up reply actions

I do question some of the coaching moves he makes. See below:

"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."

by Seijeff on Apr 21, 2009 1:20 AM PDT up reply actions

To me Nate looked utterly bewildered...

As if he wasn’t sure what he was seeing, or if it was real.

I was yelling at my TV while he was standing at the sidelines with his jaw hanging down, as if someone just took off with his car in front of him, hoping for some passion to ignite the team and cut through the fog.

It never came. At the time I was upset and really wondered where his head was at. Now I think he was probably trying to figure out how on earth his directions were utterly ignored and abandoned. Its like watching your dog take off with a stranger after years of care and love. All you can do is stand there dumbfounded.

"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."

by Seijeff on Apr 20, 2009 11:54 PM PDT reply actions

I don't like dogs

Nate is a good coach and it was one loss. Lets see how the series plays out. Remember, Houston has blown all sorts of Playoff series, including after being up 2-0 to the Mavs.

2008 — lost to Utah, 4-2, first round

2007 — lost to Utah, 4-3, first round

2005 — lost to Dallas, 4-3, first round

2004 — lost to LA Lakers, 4-1, first round

1999 — lost to LA Lakers, 3-1, first round

1998 — lost to Utah, 3-2, in first round

Just saying that it’s a long series and everybody is jumping to conclusions, criticizing everybody on the team and acting like it’s over. Our fickle fans need to get over and man up themselves.

Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game

by iDea on Apr 21, 2009 10:56 AM PDT up reply actions