OK, maybe I'm crazy.  I've been called worse...  But ever since I started thinking about fit, I've been obsessed with this idea:  BRoy should be the Blazers 6th man, an award he'd win yearly.

Personal Background:  In my glory days of single manhood, I grew up with Larry Bird, and what I consider to be the best NBA team ever, the 1986 Celtics, with the best 6th man ever, Big Bill Walton.  I didn't follow the legendary Russell Celtics - the NBA was really unknown then, even in Boston because of the '67 Redsox, and Bruins winning Cups, but I did learn one thing about hoops as a youth:

Fast Break basketball is the epitome of the sport. 

Fast breaks (Easy Points) and Defense win championships.  The NBA is most fun to watch when these best-in-the-world athletes are running the entire game long.  The team that always plays up-tempo can outlast the other team – they just run out of gas by the 4th.  Russell and Cousy's Celtics invented it; Kareem and Magic revived it with ShowTime and had awesome battles with the '86 Celtics (with the incomparable passer Bill Walton coming off the bench – he and Bird were amazing together), and I believe it's time for:

Fast Break, Rip City style.

To create a dominant fast break team you need at least four, preferably more, of these ingredients:

#1: a great defense, ideally with occasional suffocating full court defensive pressure (keeps the pace high)

#2: dominant defensive rebounding, and a solid outlet pass scheme

#3: more than one person who knows what to do with an outlet pass (one guy on each wing, ideally),

#4: greyhounds (guys that can run all day, obvious, if you can make it a track meet, you need the horses… or dogs)

#5: A good solid half-court offense, too, so teams just can’t forgo all offensive boards and stop your one skill

And most importantly,

#6: Serious depth - you must have a great bench, and, ideally, a 6th man who can come in and put up points in a hurry, any time the offense stalls.

When I look at the possible starting 5 below, I believe we can start each game with a physical, punishing, fast break, points-in-the-paint attack.

#5: Greg Oden:  (Dominant Defensive Rebounding, Check… And a BIG time finisher)

#4: LA: (part 2 of #2, and add 1 Greyhound)

#3: Nicolas Batum: (far more suited to a running game, he’s a greyhound, a finisher, and can handle the ball)

Now, I think most Blazer observers envision these three starting, at least at the beginning of the year before we know about Martell, and Nic earned it.  The other two choices are where the fun begins.  My point guard has to be:

#1: Andre Miller:  I love Blakie, but obviously, Andre is the first choice for the outlet pass.

Now, what this squad doesn’t have is a shooter. Martell might supplant Batum in this role.  (And in fact, I have an alternative proposal, too that would make this work.  What incredible depth Nate has.)  But you also want a runner, and a guy that can handle the ball.  Our best #2 that fits that job description is

#2: Rudy Fernandez:  He and Andre would team up for multiple highlight reel plays each week, and if no break, hmm., how about Andre drive and dish to a big, or back out to the wings for a Rudy 3?

So, my starters are GO, LA, Nic, Rudy, and Andre.   Kind of an obvious omission there, our All-Star Guard, BRoy.  Now, I can more realistically see Brandon fitting this role as he ages, and there’s little reason for Nate to open himself up to this kind of abuse (but he’d get CoY if it worked), but I think Brandon Roy is the perfect, prototypical 6th man.  

But before you dismiss this idea, take a look at the second unit, who comes in over a 2-3 minute period after 7 or so minutes of bruising fatiguing play:

Brandon Roy, first off the bench for Rudy – he would be consensus #1 pick for 6th man of the year in this role…

Steve Blake, solid point guard playmaker, ideally complements BRoy.

Martell Webster, the outside shot threat needed in Nate’s pattern offense…

Travis Outlaw, a bit of an undersized 4, and if we need a big, this could be Pendergraph, too

Joel Pryzbylla, the Vanilla Gorilla, beating up on the other teams tired #1 or lousy #2 5.

I just think not only does that proposed first unit have great fast break quick start domination potential, but they have some serious half court offensive threats:  In addition to Andre solo trips, Andre to Rudy on the fast break. Andre Miller to Oden on the pick and roll lob, Andre to LA, other side, same thing.  Oh, they stop that, how about I hit Rudy on the wing or in the corner?  He’s covered?  Go to the rim for a lob.  Or, how about swinging it to Nic for a Pippen-like drive to the hoop?  None of that’s working?  “BRoy, you’re in”…  BRoy drive left, two foul shots, BRoy pull-up jumper…  (opposing coach: (“Time Out”)

And you can bring in a rested all-star, and 4 other starting quality offensive players off the bench?   I’m telling you, Dante, Graph and Bayless are going to average 10+ mpg in about 50 games this year, because we’ll be winning a lot of games early.    

I _really_ hope that we don't rely on Brandon anywhere near as much as we have in year's past.  Sure, need a game winner, by all means, it's Brandon's shot.  But if we play up to this squad's abilities, and utilize our assets in a fast break up-tempo game, we won't need many game winning miracles from BRoy..  BRoy has one weakness that have seen:  he's not a good fast break player.  So let not try to fit that square peg..   But there is no reasonto squander the considerable fast break talents of this squad because it doesn't fit your best player's talents. But if we cam keep Brandon around 30 mpg, just think how much better a rested BRoy would look in June 2010 in the finals.

So, in conclusion (sorry so long, but it's a nice lazy Sunday, too hot to be outside):  If you look at the criteria needed for a fast break team, we fit the mold.  We have a dominant defensive rebounder and very good team rebounding.  We have incredible depth.  We are the youngest age per minute team in the NBA (just made up that stat, but I like it), with a fleet of guys that can run all day.  The starting lineup I propose would have a great ballhandlers and halfcourt attack.  The bench would be the best in the league, behind BRoy, the perennial sixth man.

In fact, I really wish the Blazers would bring in a fast break coach, somebody who knows how to get the wings filled, couple of dribbles, a pass or two, slam dunk basketball...  Get a big man for Greg to teach him the finer points of the outlet pass.  Get a scheme together.  A fast break can be a play, too!

So Your Thoughts:

- would you like to see the Blazers run more?

-do you think BRoy, coming off the bench behind a fast break unit, could be the ultimate 6th man?