Blake Wins 1st Round vs Miller

OK, it's no big deal, but indicative of Blake's competitiveness. He won't go down without a fight.

The 10th annual McMillan Derby was run last night at practice.

The Winner (and new record holder) - Steve Blake.
The only player with a guaranteed contract to fail the conditioning test - Andre Miller.

Biggest Upset - Travis Passed. Way to go Travis!

"Blake set what McMillan believes is the best time for any player in his 10-years of holding the test, finishing with 24 seconds to spare."

"Miller finished his four sets 8 seconds under the required time. His punishment is a seven day, 30-minute detention with strength and conditioning coach Bobby Medina."

Actually the most meaningful news was that GO tied for the 2nd best time on the team. That's definitely good news, even if everyone doesn't push themselves.

Nic and Rudy found a loophole to avoid Nate's torture test.

"McMillan allowed Nicolas Batum and Rudy Fernandez to skip the test because they have been playing international basketball all summer."

about 1 month ago BlazerFanSince1970 60 comments 1 recs |

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Good stuff

rec

by Sanquintin on Sep 30, 2009 4:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Oden has conditioning.

Thumbs up to him.

Disclaimer: everything I know about basketball I learned on Blazersedge.

by pualo on Sep 30, 2009 4:50 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm soooooo happy for that ..... finally.

Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave

Also: COMCAST SUCKS!

by TwoDeep on Sep 30, 2009 6:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

its difficult to know just what to take away from this but the biggest thing to me is that andre miller didnt pass. if someone can find it last years results would be interesting to know, espescially for odens case

cash rules everything around me CREAM get tha money dolla dolla bill yaaaaallll

by staceyaugmon4HOF on Sep 30, 2009 4:52 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Oden and Roy didn't participate last year due to injuries

"I think he can still play" - Kevin Pritchard on Juwan Howard

by Norsktroll on Sep 30, 2009 6:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The second best news to me is that Blake kicked Miller's ass.

I’ve been one strongly in favor of Blake retaining his starting role and have thought that is what we will see, with him retaining that #1 job as long as we are winning.

Interesting, Miller totally sucked in both Nate and KP over the interview dinner (especially Nate) because Miller knew so much about our team and had all the ideas on how he could help. But now they find he didn’t even care enough about the team to come in aerobically fit. Wonder if Nate is temporarily at least, feeling a little bit like a fool.

And now we’re hearing Andre is a grump and that, at least initially, he wasn’t exactly jelling with Broy. Egads, it’s hard for me to ignore the atrocious attention seeking hair styles(?). And at his age!

If I don’t sound excited about having him, well, it’s because I guess I’m not. Still, if he is willing to be a happy camper even if he doesn’t start, I think he can contribute a lot to our team.

Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave

Also: COMCAST SUCKS!

by TwoDeep on Sep 30, 2009 6:52 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Miller is known for not working hard over the summer

But he’s one of the best examples in the history of the league in knowing how to take care of his own body and lasting a full season.

And the grump stuff is a bit unfair, if you read the reason it makes sense added to the fact that 99% of players hate media day.

As for him and Brandon that goes both ways. They have to reach out to each other to make it work.

by Bskey on Sep 30, 2009 7:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes.

I knew about all that as it has been much discussed.

Still, I find it less then a positive sign that here he is, coming onto a new team, one loaded with potential and expecting to do great things, and it’s not important enough for him to get in shape (wonder how that impressed his teammates?).

Then he doesn’t even care if he brings the sour attitude (wonder how that impressed his teammates?). It’s probably true that 99% of the players hate media day, but it seems maybe 95% of those make pretty good attempts at being cordial. I remind again, this is his initial exposure in his first year with us.

Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave

Also: COMCAST SUCKS!

by TwoDeep on Sep 30, 2009 7:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

He'll still be a great upgrade at backup PG

if nothing else.

As author of Da BOM (Blazer Optimist Manifesto), I hereby certify that we will win 62 games in the regular season. Disagree at your peril.

by jscot on Oct 1, 2009 7:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Overreact much?

Miller is a veteran’s veteran. He knows how to play, and he knows how to take care of his body. Sure he is in shape, maybe not in good enough shape to pass Nate’s test, but that doesn’t mean he is totally out of shape. Given his track record of playing year after year without injury, he has earned the right to do things the way he wants.

Miller is by all reports a quiet guy who likes his privacy. He may not be Mr. Congeniality, but there are zero reports of him having any behavior problems or any problems with teammates.

Don’t jump to conclusions. It will take a while to see how Miller fits in with the team in the locker room and on the floor.

by upper left corner on Oct 1, 2009 8:27 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

he has stayed healthy through his career by not playing during the offseason. He plays himself into shape. Well-documented and effective.

Attention-seeking hairstyles? He grows out his hair until a week into training camp, but it’s kind of hot to have a fro… so he braided it. No big deal.

"If the Lakers are Hollywood, then we are South Central." - Clipper fan.

by Cablinasian on Sep 30, 2009 11:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think Miller has a rep for being out of shape coming into the season

Not surprising he failed the conditioning test. Somehow the guy plays 82 games a season.

"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith

by blzrfan on Sep 30, 2009 4:52 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, this is kind of a "tortise & the hare" situation

Bottom line: the guy is around to play the games. No knock on Blake—the ultimate gamer—but do you think Miller’s shoulder would have separated running into that pick?

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on Sep 30, 2009 7:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

slow and steady wins the race

we’ll see where Andre is “conditioning-wise” on Oct 27th. There’s no point in pushing it too hard and tweaking a muscle on the last day of September

Miller has played in how many consecutive NBA games, again? He knows what it takes

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

by two4larue on Sep 30, 2009 10:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Somewhere, someone is agreeing with Miller.

Pubert Jones > Hedo

by rockingharder on Sep 30, 2009 9:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That is one of the funniest videos I've ever seen

I’m so glad I watched until the end. Classic.

Still on the Rex bandwagon.

by dan_the_man on Sep 30, 2009 10:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

"how the H@#$eck can i make my team mate better by practice?"

hmmm… show up and find out.

"Fernandez, to my eyes, is the Blazer who walks that walk most comfortably. A lot of Portland's fans (egged on, dare I say, by their local broadcasters) lament things like how Ron Artest or Yao Ming get to hit Brandon Roy's arms.

But I suspect Fernandez sees all that and thinks: We get to hit arms! Cool!"

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-39-135/On-Playoff-Experience.html

"I told Pau the Lakers never win here in Portland; I think it's great." -- Rudy Fernandez

by ratbastird on Oct 1, 2009 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Big story there is Oden coming in second.

Does anyone remember what he got last year?

Roy, Aldridge, Oden, Rudy, Batum, Outlaw, Webster, Bayless, Blake, Miller, Joel... Holy crap!

by axel360 on Sep 30, 2009 4:56 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Didn't GO twist his ankle the first morning of practice, and never ran the Derby?

Twisted ankle, can’t run, yeah (wink, wink).

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 30, 2009 5:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

you beat me to it

twisted ankle, didn’t run

bayless leaves over my dead body
andre miller>hedo
real.baller

by thomasikehara on Sep 30, 2009 5:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

But u still gotta think if

he did do this last year, he might have failed. and now he came in second on a really young, athletic team.

Roy, Aldridge, Oden, Rudy, Batum, Outlaw, Webster, Bayless, Blake, Miller, Joel... Holy crap!

by axel360 on Sep 30, 2009 7:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

did you see oden last year?

He likely would have failed at the end of the season.

I’m VERY happy for him. it shows he put in a lot of hard work.

Also glad that TO passed.

But I suspect Fernandez sees all that and thinks: We get to hit arms! Cool!"

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-39-135/On-Playoff-Experience.html

"I told Pau the Lakers never win here in Portland; I think it's great." -- Rudy Fernandez

by ratbastird on Oct 1, 2009 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Anyone know what the Derby includes?

Give 'em the chump.
You mean play basketball?

by kpfor3 on Sep 30, 2009 5:07 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It's an endurance/conditioning test

Sprint the length of the court and back five times, touching/crossing 10 baselines. Four sets/repetitions.

Guards are allowed 61 seconds to do 10 lines, forwards 64 seconds and centers 65 seconds. Players are allowed to "bank" time in each set, meaning if they finish under the designated time for one set, it carries over to the next sets.

"I think he can still play" - Kevin Pritchard on Juwan Howard

by Norsktroll on Sep 30, 2009 6:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

For what it’s worth, Greg ran the 3/4 court sprint in pre-draft camp with 3.27, as fast as Roy (and players like Sessions, Steph Curry, Blake Griffin) and a little faster than Rudy. If he is back close to that level, he is really fast for a 7 foot center.

"I think he can still play" - Kevin Pritchard on Juwan Howard

by Norsktroll on Sep 30, 2009 6:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

the second half includes vaulting over the passed out corpse of

Jarron Collins while Nate tries to mouth to mouth the life back into him.

1998 is Back

by In Walks Rudy on Sep 30, 2009 7:01 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

I'm guessing this is a typo, then?

“Miller finished his four sets 8 seconds under the required time. His punishment is a seven day, 30-minute detention with strength and conditioning coach Bobby Medina.”

Because if not, the Blazers coaching staff is harsh.

It wasn't the first time I'd been kicked in the cherries and called a rat by a woman, but it was the first time I didn't mind.

by shenanigans on Sep 30, 2009 5:14 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

That seems to be the terminology they use.

Over or plus means less time, under or minus means more time. Tricksy.

Disclaimer: everything I know about basketball I learned on Blazersedge.

by pualo on Sep 30, 2009 8:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

They fooled Miller

He didn’t get that part, and thought he was supposed to run slow. Poor Andre.

As author of Da BOM (Blazer Optimist Manifesto), I hereby certify that we will win 62 games in the regular season. Disagree at your peril.

by jscot on Oct 1, 2009 7:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well Miller is kind of an old man and was never known for his speed.

Plus like mentioned above he doesn’t work out much over the summer, but is always ready to play a full season when the time comes. Good for Outlaw though, and great for Oden.

by Bskey on Sep 30, 2009 5:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This shouldn't shock anyone......Andre Miller doesn't work out much in the Summer

by ppilot on Sep 30, 2009 5:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

He's very up front about it

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on Sep 30, 2009 7:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

But he's a hard worker in camp.

I heard he’s working out an extra half hour with Medina every day. Dedication.

Disclaimer: everything I know about basketball I learned on Blazersedge.

by pualo on Sep 30, 2009 9:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

What a sacrifice

I wonder if he’ll do that for more than a week.

As author of Da BOM (Blazer Optimist Manifesto), I hereby certify that we will win 62 games in the regular season. Disagree at your peril.

by jscot on Oct 1, 2009 7:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why bother if you're only going to play spot minutes behind the 22nd best starting PG in the league?

just sayin o.O

Blazer Fan

by leeroyjenkins on Oct 1, 2009 8:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL

As author of Da BOM (Blazer Optimist Manifesto), I hereby certify that we will win 62 games in the regular season. Disagree at your peril.

by jscot on Oct 2, 2009 4:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

GO BLAKE

wooooooooooooooooo

Kobe is my profile pic because of this beatdown I received.

by prezofdeath on Sep 30, 2009 6:28 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Converting to raw cumulative times:

220 Steve Blake
238 LaMarcus Aldridge
238 Dante Cunningham
239 Jerryd Bayless
241 Ime Udoka
241 Brandon Roy
242 Greg Oden
242 Martell Webster
246 Juwan Howard
250 Joel Przybilla
252 Andre Miller
254 Travis Outlaw
255 Jarron Collins

How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009

by douglast on Sep 30, 2009 6:33 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Steve Blake is on pace to run a mile in 5:09.

While making a large number of 180 degree turns (over a distance of 0.7 miles). Pretty fast.

Disclaimer: everything I know about basketball I learned on Blazersedge.

by pualo on Sep 30, 2009 9:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

With rests between sets, though

What’s crazy is that elite marathoners are running faster than that pace continuous. Just scary to think of.

by Royster on Sep 30, 2009 9:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The rest and the turns cancel each other out.

Actually I have no idea, but I like to pretend.

Disclaimer: everything I know about basketball I learned on Blazersedge.

by pualo on Sep 30, 2009 9:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I pretty much agree

it’s just so insane that we think of someone running that pace for 4 minutes as pretty fast when there are guys who run faster than that for 2+ hours.

by Royster on Sep 30, 2009 10:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Probably no world-class marathoner could beat Blake's time on that

As author of Da BOM (Blazer Optimist Manifesto), I hereby certify that we will win 62 games in the regular season. Disagree at your peril.

by jscot on Oct 1, 2009 7:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

(and they would obliterate Steve over anything longer than a quarter mile)

As author of Da BOM (Blazer Optimist Manifesto), I hereby certify that we will win 62 games in the regular season. Disagree at your peril.

by jscot on Oct 1, 2009 7:16 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

yup

different fitness and muscle use.

I was doing marathon training one year and was in really good shape.

Then I played soccer during the fall… KILLED me.

But I suspect Fernandez sees all that and thinks: We get to hit arms! Cool!"

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-39-135/On-Playoff-Experience.html

"I told Pau the Lakers never win here in Portland; I think it's great." -- Rudy Fernandez

by ratbastird on Oct 1, 2009 10:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The turns cost much more than the rest gains

They could all run 0.7 miles in much faster time if they had no rest, but no 180 turns. You have to come to a complete stop, then regain speed again.

They would all complain about doing something so useless for basketball players as running 0.7 miles straight, too.

As author of Da BOM (Blazer Optimist Manifesto), I hereby certify that we will win 62 games in the regular season. Disagree at your peril.

by jscot on Oct 1, 2009 7:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

and then he will throw up a 3 pointer from half court with 8 seconds left on the clock

"No disrespect to Jeff Blake"

by Eat Politicians on Oct 1, 2009 12:20 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wait - Roy ran with Travis to help him pass.

I thought they finished together?

Pubert Jones > Hedo

by rockingharder on Sep 30, 2009 9:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

hmm

the article just says they ran at the same time (everyone ran in pairs). It said nothing about how close they finished to each other, only that Roy was pushing Travis, which I read as meaning he was setting the pace, and Travis was probably working a bit harder to try and stay close.

How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009

by douglast on Sep 30, 2009 9:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I commented on it above

but I have to say it again. I am simply thrilled to see Oden finally in shape (I’ve been very apprehensive about it because he never has been). Thank you Bill Bayno, and also, good job Greg!

Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave

Also: COMCAST SUCKS!

by TwoDeep on Sep 30, 2009 7:02 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Guys, we're blowing this way out of proportion.

How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009

by douglast on Sep 30, 2009 7:50 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

oops, more:

Miller is nowhere close to “out of shape”. he’s a guy that admittedly comes in every year a bit behind basketball shape wise, and plays his way into it. Even given that, he finished a grand total of 11 seconds behind Brandon. That’s about 3 seconds per cycle. Each cycle is 10 lengths of the court, so you are probably talking about him being at 9.5 lengths at the point where Roy finishes. That’s hardly being in “out of shape” at all.

We’re talking about a guy with a 10-year track record of being ready to play come tipoff, and staying healthy and in shape the whole season. Who cares if he’s a few seconds slow on day 1 of training camp? I’ll take his track record and go with that. This business worries me not at all.

Now, if you want to talk about being concerned about his attitude, fit for our culture, and how he might handle the possibility of not starting and/or finishing games, or playing lesser minutes, then I’m with you on that level. But let’s not turn this conditioning test into anything. Really, it’s nothing.

How did you guys win that?
"We scored enough points. We scored 107, they scored 105.
-Nate McMillan Postgame, 3/4/2009

by douglast on Sep 30, 2009 7:54 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Not to mention

that everyone else on the roster (except the rooks) had been through this before, so came in knowing what to expect. I doubt Miller’s first question after signing was “what conditioning tests do you run?”.

Besides, Quick indicated multiple times that it’s not that typical of players to run this test at their absolute hardest, but instead just enough to finish in time. If you haven’t run sprints in a while, it’s tough to gauge how fast you’re running, so I imagine he was just running at a decent clip. He knows that minutes aren’t doled out solely based on conditioning tests at the start of camp (at least I hope they aren’t), so spending the extra 30 minutes a day with Bobby Medina isn’t the worst punishment in the world.

by Royster on Sep 30, 2009 8:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs