The pg we need may already be on the roster

by DuckyBlazer on Jul 4, 2009 11:06 PM PDT Comment 31 comments

Just found this web site and have been following the hedouche drama on here for teh past few days. I have read a bunch of posts about other moves the blazers should consider and the need for a pg and yada yada. People bring up a need for a pg who can guard players like brooks and paul, or who can attack the rim like sessions or miller. That got me thinking about how similar brooks and sessions were to bayless their rookie years.

The similarities are SCARY.

Brooks Rookie year numbers

Games played Minutes Points Assists fg%

51 12 5.2 1.7 41%

Bayless Rookie year numbers

Games played Minutes Points Assists fg%

53 12.4 4.3 1.5 37

On top of those numbers, look at their summer league performances. From espn

"Bayless made a splash in Las Vegas last summer, averaging 29.8 points and taking home MVP honors."

"Brooks’ 24 points, 6.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds hits big with the rockets"

Brooks got a big break for his sophomore season when the rockets dealt away bobby jackson. From ESPN

"2008-09 outlook: With Bobby Jackson gone, Brooks should establish himself as the primary backup behind Rafer Alston, and might carve out some extended minutes for himself if he can improve the 3-point shooting. "

Situation sound similar to a certain blazer soph point guard?

"The Blazers shipped backup point guard Sergio Rodriguez to Sacramento last week to free up playing time for Bayless, but there's still a chance a free agent point guard will be added to the mix. If Bayless can put together another solid showing in Las Vegas, it could convince Portland not to pursue any backcourt help from outside the organization."

My hope is that Bayless gets steady backup minutes this year, and can make the same jump as brooks did. He has the potential, and lets not forget brooks played 4 years of college ball to bayless' 1. Bayless is bigger and can guard all sorts of point guards. If he improves his shooting a decision making, as most second year players do, I think our problems are solved at the pg position. For everyone talking about Sessions, here were his rookies stats

Sessions Rookie stats

Games played Minutes Points Assists fg%

17 (started 7) 26 8 7.5 43%

So sessions carved out a spot splitting time his soph year with a beloved duck, Luke Rinour. He is the best passer of the three, but cannot shoot from range, and uses the drive and dish to be effective. Bayless has the potential to be the best defender of the three, and can attack the rim, and hopefully hit some threes. His court vision and dicision making should improve with time. Am I predicting a session/brooks like sophomore season for Bayless?

Why yes, I am. Blazers should focus on picking up Lee, for a much needed backup PF/C, and watch the development of Bayless, Batum, Rudy, and even Roy, LA, and Oden. Thats the great thing about this team, everyone with the exception of maybe the VanillaGorillaPrzybilla will improve and further their potential. Those are my two cents.

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Patty Mills

There’s your Point Guard

New Orleans Hornets: The most inconsistent team in the NBA.

by Grayson on Jul 4, 2009 11:13 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I watched him play in college, looks like a good prospect, I hope he sticks

by DuckyBlazer on Jul 4, 2009 11:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes.

Believe in Patty. After all any 18 year old who goes up against the worlds best and does a better job than that Rubio twat in my books makes the a far superior player.

New Orleans Hornets: The most inconsistent team in the NBA.

by Grayson on Jul 5, 2009 4:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Are you from down under?

I read an article a few weeks back from a scout who’s seen Mills play a lot, the scout said he’s a “shooting guard in a PG’s body”

(we’ve heard that “damning description” before, about Bayless)

MIlls looked great against team USA, but there was a “reason” why he slid to #55 and I’ll be shocked if he makes it on to the Blazer’s roster, next fall. (More likely, KP will bring in a veteran like Lindsay Hunter who can be available in case “something bad” happens to Steve Blake, again)

Bayless is going to get his shot to sink or swim. I liked what I saw from Jerryd last summer. Here’s hoping he doesn’t have to score 30ppg for his team to be competitive in Vegas, by crikey!

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Jul 4, 2009 11:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't count out Mills just yet...

http://linky.com.au/0r7ll

by LMA on Jul 5, 2009 2:47 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Amen.

That article says it all. It is incomprehensible how he fell to 55.

New Orleans Hornets: The most inconsistent team in the NBA.

by Grayson on Jul 5, 2009 4:06 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

not really

But the bad rap for ‘tweeners is supposedly dead. Guys like Randy Foye, Gilbert Arenas, Nate Robinson, Ben Gordon and even Dwyane Wade have dispelled the myth that small guards who aren’t pure PG’s have no place in the League. And with the way the NBA game is going, any team can find space for a guy who is quick, skilled and can put the ball in the basket.

Key word in that sentence is “supposedly” And it’s the height of optimism for the writer to include Mills in the same paragraph as Wade, much less the others. If Mills bulked up he could be the “next” Nate Robinson, I suppose. Patty’s straight-ahead speed is top 5% in the NBA but he lacks the “wiggle” or court vision to make his quickness into a marketable NBA skill. He’s going to have much more trouble getting his shot off against NBA defenders than he did in college.

I think PM’s got a long road ahead to make it on any NBA roster, especially for a contending team like Portland. I’ll be rooting for him, though. He seems like a nice “bloke”

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Jul 5, 2009 1:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I never count anyone out

(well that’s not true, I’m counting Travis Outlaw as being “out”)

But I’m also expecting KP to add at least one more veteran PG to the fall camp roster. Mills is awfully short and he doesn’t really create easy baskets for others…and like KP said, Patty has a passport

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Jul 5, 2009 1:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Reason why he fell

Two parts, first and foremost is that he hasnt really proven anything in the college game. Like hes not with a powerhouse college team which means that because he doesnt have the same top level team mates as other college prospects he suffers.

The second is that he broke his hand halfway through the year. If that doesnt occur hes a shoe in for a 1st round pick.

New Orleans Hornets: The most inconsistent team in the NBA.

by Grayson on Jul 5, 2009 4:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why not Roy?

Why can’t our starting 5 look like Roy, Fernandez, Webster, Aldridge, Oden 1-5 in that order and then our bench be Blake, Bayless, Batum, Outlaw, Pryz… I am not going to lie I like our team the way it is I am not a fan of getting rid of talent not knowing what we have. Oden? Webster? Bayless w/ minutes?

by john_thomas_taylor on Jul 4, 2009 11:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I like the idea

And I remember when the Blazers nabbed roy in the draft, there was some discussion of him being a hibrid point guard but he ended up at SG. My question is, if this would work so well, why hasn’t anyone within the organization suggested it or used it?

by DuckyBlazer on Jul 4, 2009 11:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The 3

I think Webster and Batum is the problem we need scoring off the bench and I think that Webster and Batum are interchangeable because of the scoring. Webster may come off the bench and have Batum starting…. Who knows come on KP.. let us in your head!!!

by john_thomas_taylor on Jul 4, 2009 11:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Comments like this make me wish there was a written FAQ

I’ve seen comments about Roy playing point for over two years now.

Why hasn’t it happened? Clearly the team could do better at the point guard position.

Coach McMillan has even talked about playing Roy at the point. Why has it never happened? Because Roy gets tired playing 38 minutes a game for 82+ games a year when he’s not also being asked to bring up the ball and cover speedy guards, is why.

Roy is not the point guard you seek. Move along.

by baduk on Jul 5, 2009 12:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

yes

we have to give him a chance; if we don’t we might be sorry. if he doesn’t become our future pg then at the very least he’ll be entertaining!

1977 = 2010

by 77again on Jul 4, 2009 11:22 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Hey, I'm with you on Rex and my hearty congratulations for a first FanPost which has a little thought and effort behind it.

We’ve had about 40 FanPosts over the last 24 hours, give or take, and probably about half of them should have been comments in the Junk Drawer. But under the new rules, average rank-and-file BE readers aren’t even supposed to intimate as much — purportedly the squad of mods will take care of the flood of fluff.

It ain’t happening and there needs to be a severe restructuring of the moderator system. Six should become two and one of those needs to be a real hard-ass, if you’ll pardon my french, that finds joy in clicking the HIDE button and emailing the fluff unfurlers with correct directions on where to correctly park their post (Junk Drawer, Trade Drawer, FanShot, or garbage can…).

Sorry that this is non-germane to your good post, but this situation has been brewing and I decided it’s time to go off a little.

====

Now, back to your post.

I don’t think Brooks can hold a candle to anything Bayless will be able to do by mid-year this year. He is smaller. He does not finish as well. While he is CAPABLE of getting red hot from the perimeter, he isn’t necessarily a knock-em-out shooter either. People just need to give Rex half a season in the backup role and they’ll be pleasantly surprised, I think.

Hopefully a strong showing in Summer League will get the Rex Army rolling again.

I’ll make the T-shirts…

"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal

by timbo on Jul 4, 2009 11:26 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

yes, agreed on Rex and the deluge of fanshots

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Jul 4, 2009 11:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Being a newb to this

Im not really sure what most of that means, I hope I Posted this in the correct area?

by DuckyBlazer on Jul 4, 2009 11:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

it's not you

you did well

it’s some other people

"It’s a good ol’ fashioned Rip City beat down!"

by Magnum on Jul 4, 2009 11:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

nazi

by Sonic Boom on Jul 5, 2009 10:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

and I'll buy one

Come on you gotta listen unto me,
lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be. ~Johnny Cash

by HurraKane212 on Jul 5, 2009 6:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is Blake our starter while we wait for rex?

1977 = 2010

by 77again on Jul 4, 2009 11:33 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes

McMillan trusts him, and he doesn’t run the ball over.

by baduk on Jul 5, 2009 12:06 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Like, run it over with his car.

No, actually, he doesn’t turn it over, is what I meant to type.

by baduk on Jul 5, 2009 12:07 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't understand your argument

Bayless’s rookie year was even worse than Brooks rookie year. Brooks is still a pretty mediocre point guard.

So how exactly is putting up similar (except worse in every category) stats as Brooks did as a rookie supposed to give us optimism for Bayless’s future?

by trk on Jul 4, 2009 11:35 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I like the comment

I think the comparison was supposed to not be based on the numbers but more so on the level of play… No matter how you look at it Brooks flat out played in the playoffs and why would you not want that! I thought the same thing when I read the posting interesting argument…

by john_thomas_taylor on Jul 4, 2009 11:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mediocre?

maybe my duck homerism is coming out, but did you watch the Houston series? He torched us, and since his move to starter he has been averaging like 15pts a game. And that was only in his second year in the L. Houston also felt pretty sure about his skills after dealing away rafer.

by DuckyBlazer on Jul 4, 2009 11:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Brooks did pretty well in the first 2 games

The last 4 games? He was clearly outplayed by Blake and was very inefficient, scoring 10.5 ppg on 11.75 FGA.

Having 1 or 2 good games does not make someone a good player. Brooks does decently in terms of points per game, but he still does poorly in most statistical metrics because he is inefficient and he is a liability on defense due to his small size. Overall, he is probably not even as good as Blake right now.

by trk on Jul 5, 2009 1:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

What about the rest of the playoffs?

He killed the lakers in multiple games, he was one of their leading scorers for the playoffs. He will be averaging atleast 15points per game next year. Brooks is an emerging stud at point guard, atleast offensivly

by DuckyBlazer on Jul 5, 2009 9:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bayless will get his chance to prove he can create for his teammates in summer league

If it doesn’t happen for him there, I think the team tries to make something happen with a trade or free agency.

by baduk on Jul 5, 2009 12:08 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Bayless will be an excellent starting guard ..he just needs to "relax and gain confidence"

Facts about Bayless….

1. Offensively he has great “blow by” speed ( in both the half court and full court )

2. Is a willing passer once by his man ( just lacks decision making experience….he’s always been asked to “finish” prior to the NBA ).

3. Can get all of the way to the rim as well as any guard in the league ( just needs experience to choose when to do so )

4. Gets fouled at a very high rate ( extremely important skill )

5. Moves his feet well defensively and can guard the quickest PG’s as well as anyone.

6. Is very strong and can hold his defensive position very well against strong guards.

7. Enjoys playing defense & goes hard 100% of time on the floor ( extremely important
skill ).

8. Has always been a very good shooter at all levels ( just lacks NBA confidence as most rookies would playing so few minutes )

9. Can get his shot off anytime he wants or needs to ( extremely important
skill ).

We all need to have patience in him and he needs solid playing time.

Remember, Jim Paxson, Lionel Hollins, and even Clyde had a LOT of problems in their early years ( and they played 3-4 years of college ball ).

Please judge him AFTER he gets his NBA confidence but please not now. it’s not really fair IMHO.

by roy2rudy on Jul 5, 2009 1:05 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs

I think you will be getting a ton of posts questioning your assumptions.

However, I think Bayless deserves 20 minutes per game if nothing other than to finally find out if he has anything he can contribute on this team. That way we can move on.

by Sonic Boom on Jul 5, 2009 10:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs