Steve Blake - clutch or unclutch?
by Norsktroll on Apr 25, 2009 9:39 AM PDT
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PrintAfter yesterday's game, I expect the discussion if Steve is the point guard of the future for the Blazers to regain full speed and continue leading up to the draft and the off-season. Part of that would be the question if he can come through in big moments when it matters, making the huge shot (or pass. Or other action). I think he can and has proven that time and again both in college and the NBA, but he isn't flawless (who is).
Did he feel the need to lead by example once Roy had to leave with his sixth foul? Maybe he will give an answer to that in the next days why he took a shot that most people would agree was a bad choice going up from full speed and 27 feet against Brooks - who didn't touch him - with well over ten seconds on the clock (see Dave's recap for a colorful description). On the next attempt after this ill-advised hieve he did make the three-point shot, so there should be little doubt he has the ability and felt like he needs to take this one. Also not to forget: He made the assist that led to Rudy's impossible three in the corner to give the Blazers a last hope.
That being said here is some evidence for and against Steve's "clutchness".
1. Clutch: Winning the game?
Example: Go-ahead three-pointer with less than 10 seconds to play gave the Trail Blazers a 98-97 win against the Toronto Raptors this season. Rudy saves a rebound, pass to Blake, Steve dribbles, stops on a dime and drains it over Calderon.
Stats: In 2008-09 with 4th quarter or overtime and less than 5 minutes left and neither team ahead by more than 5, he added 12.1 points per 48 minutes (of those minutes) according to 82games.com. With a FG% of 35.7 and a 3P% of 29.4 and a FT% of 64%. Decent, but far from amazing (Roy produced 42 points in those situations, shooting 47.5%, bad 18% from three and 91% from the line). As a comparison to 2007-08 he improved slightly from 11.9 points with a FG% of 31.8 and a 3P% of 25%. (Roy 31.7 points). 82games.com
2. Clutch: In-game shots
Example: Many big shots during the course of the season in-game. Not the big "buzzer beating game winner", but still highly important shots to keep the Blazers in the action often with the shot clock running down. When Steve gets the pass open in the corner or at the top, it's often a bucket. Not many (point) guards deliver like that.
Stats: #6 among point guards for the season in 3P% at 42.7%. 328 attempts, 140 makes. In the playoffs currently tied for #5 with 40% (6 of 15).
3. Clutch: Impossible half-court shots
Example: Bobcats 2007. Spurs 2009 "Haier Play of the Day" on April 09 to fuel a big comeback.
4. Clutch/Unclutch: Free throws
Example: In a game against the Clippers this season, went on to miss four of five attempts in the final minutes before Baron Davis sent the game to overtime with a 3-pointer (where the Blazers lost). Blake went into the game having made 31 of 33 free throws over the Blazers' first 24 games.
Stats: 84% free throw percentage over the regular season (63 of 75). Only 64% in the final 5 minutes of the 4th quarter or overtime (see above for 82games clutch stats) - largely thanks to this one game. Last season he was 100% here.
5. Unclutch: Playoff game winner attempt
Example: Yesterday. D'oh!
Your turn:
Other examples you can remember of Steve coming through - or choking? Better statistics? A big play that doesn't show up in the boxscore? I think it would help to try and focus the discussion on Steve's abilities, not so much which other point guard on the team (hint: likely none) or elsewhere would be more clutch in your opinion. I understand yesterday's game heavily colors the perception and without this turn of events I wouldn't write this post, but be fair.
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like i said
too many nice guys and he definately stands out,brooks may not be the best pg in the nba.but he’s raising his game up why because he’s a baller period.give me more brooks artest battier and wafers.these guys are not the best but they’re ballers.or gamers like they have in baseball.and the blazers don’t have too many of these type of guys.this off season k.pricthard get some ballers to surround roy with and less good charecter guys.
Somebody who goes to war every play, regardless of the circumstances, and doesn't tighten up in the pressure of a big moment or big play, or when things aren't going well
Roy is a baller, but Fatty’s right, some of the Blazers have a ways to go in that department. But they’re young. Some of the Blazers (paging Lamarcus Aldridge… ) tend not to play as focused or as hard when things aren’t going well. They are not “ballers” like Artest, Battier, etc.
Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.
by KP Corleone on Apr 25, 2009 11:25 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm not voting on this, but not because the content is bad
With Nors it never is, but all I have to say is that Blake has never really been that guy. He’s not really “clutch” OR “unclutch” he’s simply Steve Blake.
Which is kind of why I like him so much. He’s a known quantity, and I know what to expect and what not to expect from him.
He’s a shooter that you can’t call streaky, he simply hits for his average. If he puts up 10 threes, I’ll say 4 of them are going to go down, but not nescesarily in a row. Not like ’Nilla Wafer, (the only thing streakier than Von is his underwear.)
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
Did you expect him to take a contested three off the dribble with 11 seconds left?
I agree that generally Blake is a known quantity – he’s not going to do stupid things, he’s going to play smart and not turn the ball over, he’s going to hit open threes, he’s going to hustle his butt off but get killed on D by anybody strong or quick.
But I would NOT have expected that.
Completely unexcusable for a supposedly smart player to take that shot, IMO.
Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.
by KP Corleone on Apr 25, 2009 10:06 AM PDT up reply actions
Hmmm
Remember the scene from Forrest Gump when he’s running accross America and steps in that big pile of dog doo?
Remember what he says to the guy?
That’s kind of how I feel about Blake’s play last night. I don’t like it, but there it is, right on my shoe. It stinks, and now I have to deal with it.
But it happens.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on Apr 25, 2009 10:16 AM PDT up reply actions
But when it happens, you clean off your shoe...
If you step back in the same spot again, the next time you’re running down the same street, that’s on you. (I guess that would mean, you can’t trust Steve in big moments.)
Also, as an alternative response, this wasn’t an uncontrollable event that happened TO the Blazers. This was an affirmative decision by one of the team’s supposedly smartest players. Inexcusable.
Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.
by KP Corleone on Apr 25, 2009 10:23 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree
If Steve Blake had been coming down court and slipped on a wet spot and lost the ball out of bounds, that would fall into the poo happens category. When he comes down and makes the worst decision he has probably made all season in what was probably the biggest moment of the season, thats unclutch X10. Blake is the one and only guy on our team that I expect to not make a boneheaded play like that. Hopefully he learns and its the last time he fails to reckognize the time and score situation late in a tight game, as well as the fact that his teammate is shooting lights out from deep and needs to be the guy taking the shot.
RUDY > MJ
Last night
Maybe I’m a bit more aggravated with Blake’s mistakes because as a “game manager” type PG, he usually doesn’t make those kinds of errors, but that airball still sticks out in my mind as the worst play of the game by any Blazer. He’s a great backup PG, but I don’t see him as the starter going forward.
I believe in Greg Oden. To all the haters - get down with the program or stay off the wagon for all time. #52
Worst play of the SEASON by any Blazer
Part of it was the stakes, but that was absolutely one of the dumbest shots I’ve ever seen anyone take, ever. If Travis Outlaw took that shot, 90% of the site would be calling for a trade asap.
Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.
by KP Corleone on Apr 25, 2009 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions
Agreed
Trout would have “for sale” signs in front of his house if he had pulled that. I know Blake is a good guy, but that play was really, truly horrible.
I believe in Greg Oden. To all the haters - get down with the program or stay off the wagon for all time. #52
by blazeraddict on Apr 25, 2009 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions
I was actually far more irritated with Roy placidly dribbling away 12 seconds with less than
one minute left and thenhoisting a jump shot anyway. That one about broke my TV.
by raoulduke on Apr 25, 2009 10:02 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Ha ha... agreed, it seems weird to single out Blake's shot
but it was at such a crucial moment that it wasn’t likely to go unnoticed.
I also remember several fast breaks where we turned the ball over because we weren’t aggressive enough… again hints of lack of confidence (this was actually blatant in the first half when Nate kept reminding players to not turn this into game 1 and stay aggressive).
Blake is a good basic point guard but not the calmest pg in the league (just reading Quick’s reports of how Blake gets so angry when he has a bad game makes me a little less surprise that he would have a brain cramp with 16 seconds to go).
If the shot had been good though people would have talked about that shot being epic and he might have been a hero!
by QuebecBlzrFan on Apr 25, 2009 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions
Where does that shot chart come from?
I haven’t seen it. Looks interesting….
Nba.com/hotspots
Pretty detailed, and likely the teams have even better ones. They can’t be embedded, so you you have to take screenshots. I, Jamon and some other posters used them a few times this season to show differences between our small forwards (to each other and other players) and Steve and Sergio. They e.g. show Travis’ progress nicely.
http://www.blazersedge.com/2008/9/2/606449/a-look-at-trout-s-fgas#8495286
http://www.blazersedge.com/2008/12/1/677072/taking-stock-and-getting-t#10393024
That stop and go by Roy is straight sick. I'm calling him "The Flu" from now on. - Wendell Maxey
And as much as we complain about the star system when it comes to reffing games
fans have their own star system. It’s much easier to holw bloodly murder about Blake or Travis than it is about Roy, but if anyone screwed that game more than Roy, I’d like to read the analysis. Early and late bonehead fouls. Time wasting dawdling in clutch minutes, clear outs resulting in jumpers outside the arc with no attempt to pass off…
I love Roy as a player, don’t get me wrong, but like the refs, if fans are going to call foul, they should call the same foul on everyone.
while
that may be true, he had a bad game for him, which luckily for us is still better for the team than not having him, the same can not be said for steve blake.
- Sam
watch the game don't read the boxscore
he had passable looking stats in game 2 but none of them tell the story. the story of this series is aaron brooks running the houston offense at will because steve blake is slightly better than putting a cardboard cut out in front of brooks at the beginning of each play.
the 2nd part of this story is the blazers complete inability to create movement on offense due to having no dribble penetration. this is 1st on blake and 2nd on roy who, as great as he is, is not cut out to run the offense against a great defensive team like houston.
by colinmarsh on Apr 25, 2009 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Brooks did not have his way with Blake last night, in the game or the boxscore
nor in Game 2. Penetration happens when your center is thoroughly engaged with Yao and every other player on defense is standing by to double Yao in the post. It leaves the guards one on one on the perimeter and EVERY thoughtful commentator out there is noting that this is an era of basketball when point guards dominate because of the freedom of movement they are given.
The offensive problems are complex. I agree that the offense is stagnant but the Rockets have fully collapsed the middle, particularly when Joel is in. They adjusted to the pick and roll by shading a third player over to stop penetration. The problem I saw was that instead a quick second pass, the man to receive the pass out of the double team was indecisive (a couple times it was Greg on the perimeter!). A second pass might have brought a good clean look, though the Rockets recover very well
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Apr 25, 2009 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree on Steve Blake and last night
we would not be in the game without him.
I find interesting that some posters complain that he A) missed a wide-open 3 or B) a contested 3 with ten seconds left. I replayed the situation in my head: are we going to get a better three-point attempt once the defense set up? Was Steve shooting the ball well from beyond the arc? Would the Rockets have allowed a 3 if the clock ran down? If we had set up a ten second play, could we asked for a better result than a 3 by Steve? Not really
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Apr 25, 2009 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions
Seriously?
First, if you’re saying some people think the three with ten seconds left was wide open, they’re clearly wrong. He had a hand right in his face, check the picture above.
Second, how many contested threes off the dribble (off a full sprint dribble, especially) has Steve hit all year?
Could we have asked for a better result than an off balance, off the dribble 27-footer from a guy who has maybe hit one or two similar shots in his LIFE? Um, yes. I’d like to think we could.
Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.
by KP Corleone on Apr 25, 2009 11:19 AM PDT up reply actions
Seriously
I saw it as a pretty clean look, as clean as the shot he hit against Toronto, also referenced above. Others in this very thread have characterized it as “wide open”
He did hit one just a few seconds later after Battier’s FTs. And in any case, EVERY 3 is going to be contested at that point. What play do they have set up for that situation? It is going to be someone creating off the dribble. You want Rudy creating off the dribble?
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Apr 25, 2009 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions
http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/4/24/852649/foul-or-no-foul-you-be-the-judge-a
The shot was not open, not wide open, not even remotely within the vicinity of open. He was bottled up. AND it was off the dribble. AND he was at full speed.
Do you disagree with any of these statements? (A) It is much more difficult to shoot an NBA three off the dribble. (B) Steve Blake does not generally shoot threes off the dribble. © It is much more difficult to shoot an NBA three when moving at a high speed rather than standing still. (D) Blake does not generally shoot threes when moving at a high speed rather than standing still.
I am amazed that anyone would try to defend this shot. You can defend Steve Blake to me, and I will listen respectfully and weigh your opinion. YOU CANNOT DEFEND THAT SHOT.
Absolutely and completely terrible shot by Steve.
Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.
by KP Corleone on Apr 25, 2009 11:42 AM PDT up reply actions
The shot was open - Brooks was running away from him and nowhere close to contesting the shot
They posted links down below. He had a clean look. I agree to disagree.
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Apr 25, 2009 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions
it was a bad shot
Steve in general had a decent game. This loss is much more on Roy, Aldridge and Outlaw than on Blake.
I think he looked terribly tired and the Rockets covered him with great team defense to keep him from driving to the hole
One might blame him for not passing the ball up enough when he must have felt he wasn’t at the top of his game. But let’s face it, if he breaks down as option A this team as currently constructed and playing is in deep water.
That stop and go by Roy is straight sick. I'm calling him "The Flu" from now on. - Wendell Maxey
The ref's kind of took Brandon out of the game early, or at least added to his hesitancy.
Like Roy’s second foul, late in the first quarter.
Scola, falling backwards, flails his arms and hits Roy. Roy gets whistled.
I’m not gonna complain about the Refs again this whole series. I can’t. My brain cannot handle anymore, and I’m going to find some of Lisa SImpson’s happy pills. Seeing nothing but smiley faces sounds pretty good about now.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on Apr 25, 2009 10:19 AM PDT up reply actions
Rudy - clutch
I’d rather prefer Rudy shooting at clutch time
Subjectively I have that perception too especially yesterday, but the "clutch stats" (82games linked above) say differently
Fernandez FG% 23.8; 3P% 27.8, FT% 72%, 8.7 points added.
Doesn’t mean he can’t be clutch as he improves in the NBA, I think he can become the #2 outside option at the end of games when Roy is covered and inside is clogged. So far he isn’t.
That stop and go by Roy is straight sick. I'm calling him "The Flu" from now on. - Wendell Maxey
by Norsktroll on Apr 25, 2009 10:21 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Don't forget Rudy had to adjust to the league this year...
so the stats may be misleading as far as judging him at this moment. I am not sure how they come up with these stats but I find it hard to compare many situations in the regular season to the situation in the 4th quarter on the road in the playoffs.
At the start of the season Rudy probably wasn’t put in critical situations to take the big shot much as he slowly had to get the confidence of his team and not step on peoples’ toes. Last night he is the one who had the chance to shoot that big in bounds play and he made it.
Rudy may be built for playoff type games… time will tell. My gut tells me that he is clutch and I will feel that until I sense differently.
by QuebecBlzrFan on Apr 25, 2009 10:34 AM PDT up reply actions
Yep...
There’s “last five minutes of a regular season game being broadcast on Comcast” clutch, and there’s playoff/Olympic clutch. Clutch is defined not only in terms of stepping up at the end of games – it’s also about stepping up in the biggest games.
While Rudy has experienced an adjustment period, generally, I don’t think there can be any question that he’s one of two Blazers with the bona fides to step up in big games on the road in the playoffs. He was huge in the gold medal game, he could hardly have played better last night, and hopefully he plays a bigger role as this series progresses…
Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.
by KP Corleone on Apr 25, 2009 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions
My gut tells me the same
The stats are calculated as said above, last 5 minutes of games in the 4th or OT with neither team ahead by more than 5 points. What does a player do in those minutes. Rudy had some good moments (e.g. the Raptors game, Detroit), but e.g. I remember he bricked against Utah. I would have liked to see him more yesterday, but objectively it’s understandable why Nate doesn’t feel like making him the go-to guy (also because he felt he needed a bigger defender after Battier shot over him). Roy and Travis have better production in those situations this year, and Blake slightly.
That stop and go by Roy is straight sick. I'm calling him "The Flu" from now on. - Wendell Maxey
Not only from outside
Remember some plays:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3UG9JB6I1Q&feature=fvsr
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEWZEXNR6KI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NdO8C1WcPo
And before being in the NBA, he has always been the clutch guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F90zQlE95rU
With 18 years: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUjN0Polz_k
(first time in the history of ACB King’s Cup that the MVP went for a guy that was not part of the winner team. And he was 18. The alley-oop of the video was the first time he did it at a top level. Last year he got his second MVP in the Spanish Cup, no one else has 2 of these). A couple of months later Marc Gasol got the MVP of the Spanish League, although many thought both had deserved the award, Gasol for statistics, Rudy for a number of clutch plays
by Xavi corredor on Apr 25, 2009 10:40 AM PDT up reply actions
Even Mike Rice, who probably has Blake in his will, often says Steve "puts too much pressure on himself" when it's a close game
The choke job against the Clips was world class.
The shot last night was inexcusable.
Steve often his big shots, but he’s so intense that when the pressure is dialed up, his brain can tend to overload. He cares too much. Unfortunately, that means he should not be on the court in big moments because he might do things like jack up a contested three off the dribble with 11 seconds left.
I like and respect Steve Blake, and he’s done quite a bit to help the Blazers make the jump from where they were to where they are. But to make the next jump, from where they are to where they want to be, it’s got to come with Blake as a back up or on another team. I think that’s becoming increasingly clear.
Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.
by KP Corleone on Apr 25, 2009 10:37 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Well said
I completely agree.
I believe in Greg Oden. To all the haters - get down with the program or stay off the wagon for all time. #52
by blazeraddict on Apr 25, 2009 11:12 AM PDT up reply actions
What shot do you possibly see coming out of that scenario that was better?
It was a bad shot because he missed it (and made a similar one a few seconds later).
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Apr 25, 2009 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions
Almost ANY shot
You would have a valid argument, maybe, if there were three seconds left or even five seconds left. But a contested three off the dribble coming off a full sprint, without giving anyone a chance to set a screen and see what develops, is just about the worst shot possible right there. If you run a play, and it doesn’t work and you don’t get a great look, THEN you toss up a bad shot like that. The problem is not giving the team a chance to get a good look before resorting to plan D (plan A is an open look, plan B is a contested catch-and-shoot for Rudy, plan C is a contested catch-and-shoot from someone else like Trout, and plan D is a prayer like the one Steve tossed up).
Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.
by KP Corleone on Apr 25, 2009 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions
I just don't see Plans A thru C happening with that much time left
there was no play to be run. It would be improvisation at best. Plan A: everyone is covered (see photo). Plan B: do you suggest they run Rudy off a series of screens? He was three feet from Blake. Plan C: the only other players on the floor were Batum, Aldridge and an ice-cold Trout. Plan D: I don’t see his shot as a prayer. Brooks was backing up, Blake was only a few feet behind the arc.
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Apr 25, 2009 11:48 AM PDT up reply actions
If that was the best shot the blazers can get with 14 seconds on the clock...
There is no efin way we would be in the playoffs, I dont care if Roy wasnt in the game. This team is better than that shot, much better. Yes they could have ran Rudy off a couple of screens, they could have had Blake penetrate and look to get a quick 2 or kick out, they could have ran a pick and pop for LMA or Travis, they could have just given Rudy the ball and set him a couple picks to see if he could get open off the dribble. All of those options are better than a 27 foot, super off balance, clearly contested shot with all kinds of time left.
RUDY > MJ
Maybe the team doesn't belong in the playoffs then
if Blake had gone for a quick two, leaving 10 seconds and the Rockets with the ball, and having no TO’s left, I would have flipped. That is just about a certain loss. As I look at the photo above, I see Rudy two steps to Blake’s right. He would have to run cross court to find anyone to screen for him. And a pick and pop works when a team is defending against penetration – why would the man defending the screener leave to defend a layup when a layup gives the Rockets the ball back with a lead?
I don’t see the clearly contested – I see Blake come up fast, feint left, go right, and Brooks over run the play. He is reaching back, his hand is not near Blake’s face or the ball. In watching the play again, I wish Rudy had set a screen on Brooks as they were coming up.
End of the game shots often come on freewheeling individual efforts. We’ve all watched enough SportsCenter highlights to know that. That we were without timeouts is a problem – Chicago fans can tell us all about that
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Apr 25, 2009 5:07 PM PDT up reply actions
The reason why the Rockets would still want to defend against a layup
It is possible to steal the inbounds pass. Even if you don’t steal the inbounds, if you foul right away you are going to have enough time to get the ball back. If the shooter misses 1 or both FTs (which is fairly likely) then the score will still be closer than it was on the previous possession.
Just look what happened in the game. After Blake missed his shot, we fouled, got the ball back, and made a 3 on the next possession. If we had gotten 2 points on the possession where Blake took the terrible shot, the game would have been tied.
You're the only one taking up the cause Blake, Mr. Honka .....
I’m a day late with this but I agree with you completely. We definitely needed a 3 at that point and a decent opportunity for the 3 was there and Blake took it. The mistake, as Blake described it, was that he didn’t take the time to get his feet under him before taking the shot. Taking that shot was not a mistake at all in my mind, verified by a very similar shot he made just seconds later.
KP Corleone is really down on Blake for that shot, but I also remember KP being an overboard, irrational Bayless fan. Is that coming into play here?
Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave
Also: COMCAST SUCKS!
I don't think that had anything to do with the way his feet were under him
The problem was that he took the shot when he had 16 seconds. Even if he had made it, it would have been wrong.
by Xavi corredor on Apr 26, 2009 11:11 AM PDT up reply actions
No
I do like Bayless, and I liked him a lot more this summer, but I have never advocated that he play over Blake. I like Steve. I think he played pretty well in game 3. But that shot was an inexcusable, epic failure of judgment. I have a feeling anyone defending that shot is not much of a shooter. People may not understand how tough it is to hit an NBA three off a dead sprint. Blake makes that shot, at that speed, one out of ten times (at most) wide open. Contested, as it was, he makes it one out of a hundred times MAYBE.
Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.
Here is what should have happened
The situation: As Blake was pulling up for his prayer shot, Rudy was to the right of him guarded by Lowry, Blake was guarded by Brooks, Alrdidge was almost to the 3-point line at the top of the key with Scola shadowing him a few steps inside the 3-point line, Outlaw was on the 3-point line at the other side guarded by Artest, and Frye was at the far corner 3 guarded by Battier. Just before Blake shot the ball, Rudy began to cut towards Blake.
Blake should have set a pick for the cutting Rudy while handing the ball off to him, separating Lowry from Rudy. Brooks probably would have switched on to him in this case, but Aldridge was there to set a 2nd pick at the top of the key 3-point line. It is possible that this would have been enough to get an open shot for Rudy. Artest can’t rotate onto Rudy without giving Outlaw a wide open 3-point shot. Scola could rotate onto Rudy, but he would create significant mismatches by doing so. Rudy could try to use his quickness to get a clear shot against Scola(either using lateral movement or a step-back move), or he could pass to Aldridge (who isn’t a great 3-point shooter but had just hit one and should be able to easily get his shot off against the much smaller Brooks), or he could blow by Scola for a dunk (there was no one defending the paint) which would not tie the game but would still be very useful considering that there was still time to get the ball back and have another possession. After setting the screen for Rudy, Blake himself should have run to the corner (the one opposite of Frye) in the hopes that he can get an open catch and shoot in the corner before the defense can react. Aldridge should also take a couple steps away from Rudy after setting his pick. So the play would basically be a double pick-and-pop.
That is a bit of a complected play to run without having a time out to set it up, but most of the players were already fulfilling their roles. Rudy was already making the cut towards Blake. If Blake does his part and Aldridge has enough sense to set a 2nd screen for Rudy, then it should work well. It also gives the defense a couple chances to get confused and make mistakes. With this play, the chances of success should be significantly higher then with Blake’s shot.
It would have been very difficult for Blake to stop and hand off the ball to Rudy and screen off his man
From what I see in the video Lowry was very tight on Rudy and doing everything he could do deny him the ball until Blake pulls up. Then he runs to get the rebound and it looks like Blake could have made that pass, but I don’t think Blake could have gotten the ball to Rudy by handing it to him. It would have had to involve an off the ball screen, which wasn’t coming, or some nifty maneuvering/defensive lapse.
by trailblazersfan on Apr 25, 2009 9:54 PM PDT up reply actions
I think you're wrong
All you have there are TWO examples where he couldn’t win the game. If Brandon did that no one would think anything of it. Unfortunately guys like steve and travis get bagged on by people like you with some inability to swallow the fact that Steve is a perfectly good PG for our system.
by OnSinkingGround on Apr 25, 2009 1:21 PM PDT up reply actions
Not only from outside
Remember some plays:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3UG9JB6I1Q&feature=fvsr
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEWZEXNR6KI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NdO8C1WcPo
And before being in the NBA, he has always been the clutch guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F90zQlE95rU
With 18 years: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUjN0Polz_k
(first time in the history of ACB King’s Cup that the MVP went for a guy that was not part of the winner team. And he was 18. The alley-oop of the video was the first time he did it at a top level. Last year he got his second MVP in the Spanish Cup, no one else has 2 of these). A couple of months later Marc Gasol got the MVP of the Spanish League, although many thought both had deserved the award, Gasol for statistics, Rudy for a number of clutch plays
Good point.
I think you could find highlights of both players making key plays and this shouldn’t be a Rudy vs other players debate.
The point is that Rudy seems to get cranked up for big matches, as his history with the Spanish teams in international competition shows. It would seem it’s worth the chance to up his PT and touches in the series.
by QuebecBlzrFan on Apr 25, 2009 10:46 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I'd like to see the replay again.
Surely he had a hand in his face, but it looked like he was hit on his right forearm as the shot was released. Blake doesn’t usually miss that badly, that ball was altered, could we have had another non call here.
Just this sequence
http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/4/24/852649/foul-or-no-foul-you-be-the-judge-a
That stop and go by Roy is straight sick. I'm calling him "The Flu" from now on. - Wendell Maxey
Rudy yesterday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO7rJq8CIig
The last image after Blake’s miss is quite illustrative, I think.
by Xavi corredor on Apr 25, 2009 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions
Blake is neither clutch nor unclutch
He’s a slightly above average NBA point guard, who despite his several brain farts this year, doesn’t become a lot better or a lot worse than normal down the stretch.
A stupid question for stats geeks --
What are the two +/- columns in the 82games.com clutch table? If they only had one column, I wouldn’t be confused . . .
Shot Chart
Did anyone else notice that Blake is 0-21 from the right side of the basket close-in? Wow. Think of his shooting percentage if he just never shot from there.
An area where you likely get blocked and bumped a lot by the big trees in the league as a smaller player
That stop and go by Roy is straight sick. I'm calling him "The Flu" from now on. - Wendell Maxey
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