Attributes of a Champion

Earlier today I was reading Jason Quick's latest article in the "Behind the Blazer Locker Room Door" series. This article, detailing Friday night's game in OKC, featured a few paragraphs describing an on court tussle between OKC's coach, Scotty Brooks, and Nate McMillan back in their playing days. The anecdote seemed like an entertaining and comical side note to the game. However, one interpretation of the event offered by McMillan caught my attention:

"It was just competition,'' McMillan said.  "He was a great competitor. Both he and I came in to the league in similar situations, where we had to make it happen on the floor. We weren't stars coming into the league. Our energy and scrappiness, that type of thing, we had to make something happen.

"It's like what I talk about to this team all the time,'' McMillan said. "I guess it's what they say ... practice what you preach ... well, when I say it, it's from experience.''

I know this isn't exactly the most groundbreaking observation, but this quote does a great job of exemplifying Nate's on-court attributes during his playing days. Nate was more Brandon Bass than Brandon Roy. He got his playing time because he was scrappy and effective, not a gifted "natural" such as Brandon.

A year ago, this statement also would have been followed by laughter. The (choirboy) Blazers getting in someone’s face? You have a better chance of seeing Stud Ruffin drop a triple double.  

But looking at the Blazer’s roster now, I have little trouble imagining such an altercation. In fact, the fracas following Trevor Ariza’s attack on Rudy Fernandez almost qualifies. In short, the Blazers have come a long way in this respect in a very short amount of time.

It is based on these qualities of Nate and the recent progress of the Blazers that I can confidently state that he is the perfect fit for this young, incredibly talented team. Why? Because for all intents and purposes, Nate's qualities are the antithesis of those you would expect to find in a lottery pick. Nate is exactly what everyone would expect each Blazer NOT to become.

The attention, money and glamour that come with being a high draft pick has de-railed, if not ruined, the careers of many. Cough *DARIUS MILES* cough. But in his time with the team, McMillan has done a great job of keeping each player grounded. Each Blazer has to earn their time on the court, and knows that any post-game praise offered by McMillan is well earned. Bayless and Oden will have their time. But first they will have to show that they have what it takes. By taking this approach, Nate keeps the young Blazers in check.

This isn’t to say that Nate lacks the sensitivity to help this team prosper. Nate nurtures and values all the talented players on our roster. He lets them know they are the future, and he works to increase their confidence and performance every day. But he has also made sure none of them feel overly entitled in terms of playing time, shots or media attention. In short, he has worked to instill his values in each and every one of them. And I think it goes without saying that a player with All-star talent and D-League desire is a dangerous combination.

I'm not saying that there haven't been such coach/team combinations before - I think the Celtics stand out as a great example. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are all perennial All-stars. And while they are veterans (as opposed to the youth of Portland) they all left many of their former habits behind them under the tutelage of Doc Rivers. They embraced a new team philosophy in place of a game motivated by personal accolades. And I think we are all familiar with their success.

Plenty of the teams in the NBA embody qualities similar to those mentioned in Nate McMillan. There are also plenty of young teams that have talent similar to the Blazers (in the opinion of many, such a team may be the OKC Thunder). But I think it is rare to find such youth, talent and scrap all wrapped up in one franchise 

So while Nate McMillan and the Portland Trail Blazers may seem an odd fit at first glance, they appear to be the perfect combination upon further observation.