Wednesday Practice Report
by Ben Golliver on Oct 13, 2010 1:22 PM PDT
in News
Email
PrintDuring a group question and answer session this afternoon, Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy made some interesting comments about how he approaches the preseason, how difficult it is to stay motivated during the preseason, the team's offensive struggles and the direction he sees the offense heading.
Here's a partial transcript.
How are you balancing this just being the preseason with getting some work in and looking sharper?
I'm pretty cool. I'm not panicking at all... [Marcus] Camby is 10 years in, [Andre Miller] is 11 years in, I'm the type of guy, I never really cared for preseason, even my rookie year. I think at times it's tough for us to really motivate ourselves to go out there. I think we've got to try to push it these last couple games and try to find it, because we haven't scored the ball very well.
Why have there been struggles?
Some of it is not making shots. We really haven't put in the offense we're used to working with. I know the first three games we didn't even have an offensive play. I know I don't like to play loose. I kind of need some plays, some organization there. That's some of the reason we're not panicking yet, because we're not really running plays yet. Once we do that, maybe we'll have to evaluate how we're really playing.
How much of the offense has been installed?
We put a lot in today. We put in plays all season. We kind of play more towards scouts. We haven't really played towards scouting at all. I would say a small percent of our plays are in. But right now, we're just trying to work on movement offenses, just different things we weren't very good at last year.
Are you comfortable with the offensive sets up to this point?
With the offense we've been running, nah, because that's not really my style. We'll get more towards my style of play when we get towards the regular season.
What do you mean by your style?
More pick and rolls. More isolation plays. Right now we're doing a lot of powering, a lot of coming off screens. A lot of crossing. I think that's going to be more of the second string's offense. And the starters will play something different.
Do you think the offense will return to like it was last year?
Last year I thought it was different from 2 years before, just with adding 'Dre. I think we're going to continue some of that from last year but try to get back maybe from a couple of years ago, before 'Dre came, where I get the ball a little bit more. I want the basketball a lot more.
Blazers head coach Nate McMillan told me he has indeed expanded the team's offensive playbook with an eye towards "personalizing" sets for each of his offensive weapons.
What we've done is kind of personalize the offense, where we can run sets for certain guys. We've given them some sets now where they can run plays for Brandon, run plays for LaMarcus, run plays for Rudy. We got calls in now that we can do that. The first three games I really wanted them to focus on the defensive end of the floor and we didn't give them a lot offensively. So we were basically running our early offense.
-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter
523 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Like honestly I'm not really a big fan of Roy anymore, I now believe he's a selfish player, you all can kiss his butt if u want
Batum and miller my two fav players now, tired of rudy, nate corny offense and roy, he’ll never be a superstar if he don’t learn how to play team offense and care to play defense, please oden get healthy and be the star people thought you would be, so we can have a REAL superstar. Go Blazers. Deuces
by Blazingatrail24 on Oct 14, 2010 10:45 PM PDT up reply actions
so then we must have many of the same questions as was brought up last year.
The same stuff= the same level of play….happiness is progress.
[Good defense "releases" your offense]
Concur
This is exactly how Roy sounded at the beginning of last year. Lots of I need this, I need that.
bummer
“More pick and rolls. More isolation plays. Right now we’re doing a lot of powering, a lot of coming off screens. A lot of crossing. I think that’s going to be more of the second string’s offense. And the starters will play something different.”
First problem here is that our team is TERRIBLE at pick and rolls. Secondly, not only is iso boring to watch, the competition has figured out Roy’s jukes.
slimkim
This is all a ploy!!
Roy and Nate are just trying to lower expectations for the season.
Mhm, I would like to hear Cho and Presti discuss that trade
Would probably end in a “he’s more valuable to us than he is to you” or a “I’m fine with what I got and don’t want to risk my job over this”.
"Listening to the media only increases your odds of failing at whatever you are doing" - Mark Cuban
I think it would be more like Presti noting that his guy is younger, better and healthier and then hanging up.
Yeah, the answer would be a quick no with a simple explanation by Sam Presti.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
or a hysterical laughing fit, followed by the sound of the phone hanging up
seriously, this isn’t even close.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
and yet we crush them every time we play them
funny how a team player trumps a ball chucker everytime…
Geriatric Dunk Squad!
1/4/10 - Juwan Howard dunks on Chris Kaman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTkOqDgLb6s
3/7/10 - Andre Miller Tomahawk jams on the Denver Nuggets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-JVgm7F1QA
4/12/10 - Marcus Camby drops 30 and 13 on OKC to cement 50 wins. http://www.nba.com/blazers/media/camby_chant_041310.mp3
by Eat Politicians on Oct 13, 2010 7:33 PM PDT up reply actions
if you are seriously trying to say that Roy is a better player than Durant
then you have lost all credibility in my mind. I love Roy. I think he’s a fantastic player. But Durant is better, and it really isn’t very debatable.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
when Durant improves from 65th of 67 SF's in pure point rating
he will be a lot further along as a complete player. That is a major flaw in Durant’s game that trumps any silly MVP talk. Scoring? Yeah. Making teammates better? No.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 9:38 PM PDT up reply actions
even with that flaw, he's a better player than Roy
I didn’t say he was perfect.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
This is 100% true, too.
Yet, with that said, Sam Presti still wouldn’t trade Kevin Durant for Brandon Roy.
Oh, and in my frank opinion, neither Durant nor Roy are championship caliber #1 options, with Durant’s god-awful handles and Roy’s lazy defense being the main reasons.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
and yet
there are those who think that drafting KD and putting him and Brandon together would have been a great idea
Oh my goodness, that would’ve been Clyde and Kiki all over again. Lots of scoring, no defensive stops or playoff success
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
yep
in hindsight, the best answer from a purely basketball standpoint probably would have been draft Durant and trade Roy. but no one would have done that, and there are other considerations for a franchise unfortunately that just the basketball product on the court.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
the best answer from a purely basketball standpoint probably would have been draft Durant and trade Roy.
It’s the 1984 draft revisited. The Blazers needed a big man and already had Drexler, so they passed on Jordan. In hindsight, they should have drafted Mike and traded Clyde for a big man
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
yep
and the worst part of all is that the coin flip was a double whammy. Had we one, not only would we have gotten Hakeem #1, but word was Houston would have traded us the #2 pick for Clyde.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
one major difference though
we easily could have done that in 1984. Clyde was a 7 PPG backup in his rookie year (although an exciting one) The team was a perennial playoff team and not in disarray with the community.
in 2007, Roy was the lone bright spot in our efforts to return from the Jail Blazer era. Trading him was just not a realistic option, PR wise.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
yeah, but they could have traded Kevin for a lot right about not
Based on Nate’s system and past, Durant would have been used like Rashard Lewis if he had been drafted by Portland. But other teams/GMs would have still made KP (or Cho) sizable offers to acquire Durant, in this parallel 2007 draft universe.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
In hindsight, Portland should've taken Michael Jordan and still ...
kept Clyde Drexler. I’ve gone over that scenario before on here, too.
“The main problem with the 1984 off-season was the short-sighted Kiki Vandeweghe trade in which the team decimated its depth for a defensively inept, high-volume shooting small forward.
Instead of trading Wayne Cooper, Calvin Natt, and Fat Lever — along with a couple of draft picks — for Vandeweghe, the Trail Blazers should’ve not made the deal and, moreover, drafted Michael Jordan in lieu of the oft-injured Sam Bowie with the 2nd pick in the ’84 NBA Draft.
Under that scenario, the 1984-1985 Trail Blazers could’ve possibly trotted out the following roster.
C: Mychael Thompson
PF: Calvin Natt
SF: Michael Jordan
SG: Jim Paxson
PG: Darnell Valentine
C: Wayne Cooper
PF: Kenny Carr
SF/SG: Clyde Drexler
PG: Fat Lever
C: Audie Norris
SG: Bernard Thompson
PG: Steve Colter
Now, with that noted, I didn’t include Jerome Kersey on that revised rendition of the ‘84-’85 roster, as he’d’ve had a tough time making the team out of camp as a second-round draft pick with that loaded of a ballclub. Bernard Thompson, who was a low first-round draft pick that very same year, would’ve had an edge over Kersey that fall on making the team."
http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/8/9/983193/oden-over-durant#19507999
“On a side note, a three-wing rotation of Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, and Jim Paxson would’ve been awesome. Drexler likely would’ve developed into a full-time 3 due to his size and dribble-drive/slashing game, while Jordan would’ve become the 2 he did become in Chicago. Jim Paxson, who was entering his late-20s around 1984, would’ve probably soon became a high-scoring sixth man behind those two guys. In hindsight, it’d’ve been good times for Portland had Kiki Vandeweghe never entered the picture.”
http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/12/11/1195732/gameday-open-thread-blazers-vs#26999979
Dr. Jack Ramsay’s flex motion offense would’ve have a resurgence with Drexler and Jordan dominating at the wings. Additionally, then assistant coach Rick Adelman — who was hired in 1983 — would be in a position to possibly succeed his mentor a few years down the line. Regarding coaching, the only differences would probably be that Ramsay never would’ve gone to Indiana and, moreover, the Mike Schuler era never would’ve occurred in Portland.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
the only issue with that is that I recall
Clyde basically saying (after playing a lot of SF his rookie year), that he wasn’t a SF and didn’t want to be a SF, and insisted on being a SG. I believe some of our moves that summer (getting Kiki, moving Paxson to the bench) were based on this.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
Sounds like B Roy.
In Bayless I trust.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
The mid '80s reality
Portland needed a big man to deal with Kareem if they wanted to advance in the post season. Thompson and Cooper simply weren’t getting it done and Jordan wasn’t going to change that dymanic
Now if Inman and ramsay had 20/20 hindsight they would have realized that Portland would be ruling the ’90s with that pair of elite guards, but they were thinking about their jobs in the mid-80s on draft day
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Even looking at it from a mid-'80s viewpoint, my two ...
qualms with Sam Bowie is that he was mostly a face-up 5 — although so was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was still going strong in L.A. at that time — and was already excessively injury prone. By 1984, it’d been a long time since Bowie was the highly coveted high school recruit in the late-’70s — behind only Ralph Sampson — and had spent his last season at Kentucky as basically a 4 alongside his more post-oriented frontline teammate in Mel Turpin.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
Nate McMillan would've used Kevin Durant like he did Rashard Lewis ...
in Seattle. For Portland, the one dude whose development would’ve been curtailed the most is LaMarcus Aldridge; though, I say that’d’ve likey been an overall positive from a team aspect.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
great point
KD wouldn’t be KD had we drafted him. Seattle/OKC handed him the ball those first two years, played him 40 a night, and said “go learn, we don’t care about wins”. No way Nate does anything close to that.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
Excellent insight...
Two gifted offensive players do not always mesh well together.
KD and Broy both save their energy for offense, leaving their teammates to pick up the slack, this the need for Wes and Nic w/Portland and Thabo/Westbrook with OKC.
A KD-Broy combo would have been a huge liability on defense and could have been less that explosive on offense since B-Roy is most effective in the half court and KD is better in a run and gun system.
by Rip City Reign on Oct 14, 2010 9:20 AM PDT up reply actions
The half court sets that Roy enjoys, are fairly effecient
Pair that with some lockdown defense and it’ll work. Pair it with a subpar defense, and it basically levels the playing field with any team, good or bad, so the easy wins aren’t so easy.
Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game
Everyone standing around and watching Brandon
does not work in the playoffs.
chk yrslf bf u rec yrslf
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Oct 13, 2010 4:46 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
Amen
Brandon seems to have convinced himself that the team’s playoff failures have been an aberration—inexperience two years ago, and injuries last year. But he’s wrong: iso offense doesn’t work in the playoffs.
What a depressing read this Brandon interview is.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
by hurryup09 on Oct 13, 2010 6:54 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
yeah "we're not playing my game like we need to"
“Brandon’s team” for the loss.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
ugh
I was so excited to hear earlier comments from Brandon about his maturity….oh well….another year of iso Brandon basketball will make this half season ticket holder think twice about renewing again…..I happen to be a fan of team play….sorry Brandon…doesn’t cut it for me….
I don’t see them winning the title immediately. Nicolas Batum
by debra31098 on Oct 13, 2010 1:41 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
If I rembmber correctly...
at the beginning of last season the offense wasn’t particularly good and they ended up being around the 5th best offensive team in the league. Obviously defense is lacking because they don’t have a big but hopefully Joel will be back soon. I’m not panicking. It’s preseason. And during the those preseason games Brandon didn’t have the ball nearly enough for my liking. He is the best player on the team.
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
Yeah, Miller and Roy are working out so well together.
Brandon just wants to get back to how it was before Miller showed up.
Trade Miller or trade Roy. One of them has to go!
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 1:45 PM PDT reply actions
Then Dre must go
If what I just commented turns out to be wrong, please delete from all memory.
by NBAstard on Oct 13, 2010 1:51 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Good Choice.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 1:55 PM PDT up reply actions
This is definately not a good sign of "chemistry"
I am becoming more and more convinced these two just can’t play well together. I was hoping time together would form some chemistry. Not to be.
If what I just commented turns out to be wrong, please delete from all memory.
Bring Roy off the bench
the 2nd unit’s offense sound more interesting, anyway—and he can have the ball in his hands a lot more
6th man of the year, here we come
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Yes!
The PERFECT solution. Put Rudy in the starting line-up, he is a little happier too! ……BRILLIANT!!!
If what I just commented turns out to be wrong, please delete from all memory.
then Nate tells Brandon, if you want to be a starter again, here's what you do
fight through screens
close out hard on open shooters
run the floor after defensive stops
move without the ball on offense
and don’t talk to Jason Quick
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Oct 13, 2010 3:31 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
sounds like the Rudy prescription
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 4:28 PM PDT up reply actions
You'll need a different head coach if you want those things.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
Funny, I said that two years ago.,...
and just about got run out of town…
if you got run for that, should you be back?
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 9:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Never shoulda got 'Dre in the first place.
Offense has been broken ever since he arrived.
we can still win........
by RastaMonsta on Oct 13, 2010 2:43 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Wait, the offense is injured too?
Things are even worse than I thought.
When the world knows Nico Batum as "The Inevitable", I'll be very happy with where he is as a player.
I don't know
I’ve studied human anatomy, but I’ve never studied offensive anatomy. Maybe somebody else should answer this one.
When the world knows Nico Batum as "The Inevitable", I'll be very happy with where he is as a player.
The injuries let it work
This has been my thinking. I’ve been very skeptical of dre and his ability to fit with a healthy team.
"The game was delayed for over 15 minutes with 5:07 left in the second quarter after France's Nicolas Batum, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, dunked and twisted the rim. Volunteers and officials scrambled to put a new rim on the basket and reattach a net."
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=5509394
well the offense sucked before he showed up too
It is to easy for a playoff team to defend, bottom line. It was two years ago, nothing has changed regarding that situation.
If we are running the same offense we were running two seasons ago entering the playoffs, healthy Oden or not we are toast in the first round again.
"Oh Yeah!" ~ Kool Aid Man
These guys won't talk to each other off the court and they both want the ball on the court. It's Petrie-Wicks Part 2.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 1:51 PM PDT up reply actions
they played well at the end of last year together
i say that has more value than some quote from roy
roy said that after his rookie year that they were going to run more
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
"I was like, 'Wow, we get a run.'-Felix Hernandez
Artis Gilmore for Hall of Fame
due to his low support around Bedge, Rudy Fernandez is temporarily my new favorite player
by thomasikehara on Oct 13, 2010 4:35 PM PDT up reply actions
they played well at the end of last year together
i say that has more value than some quote from roy
This^ All summer long I wondered how differently Blazer fans would feel about the Roy-Miller starting backcourt if Brandon hadn’t hurt his knee a week before the season ended, and Portland had gone on to win their first round playoff series.
There’s still time to find out, this year.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I'd love to be wrong about the paring
"The game was delayed for over 15 minutes with 5:07 left in the second quarter after France's Nicolas Batum, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, dunked and twisted the rim. Volunteers and officials scrambled to put a new rim on the basket and reattach a net."
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=5509394
sigh.
more iso’s…… waste of potential. teams could be back on their heels all night, never knowing where the attack is going to come from… it could be so beautiful.
I'd still honk once!
That would be beautiful.
If what I just commented turns out to be wrong, please delete from all memory.
Roy worked super well with Blakey
Maybe we need a Blakey style PG. Hinrich or Calderon anyone? I guess it’s time to crank up the old Trade Drawer.
Portland needs an off guard, Charlotte needs a point guard, and Washington needs a small forward.
http://www.realgm.com/src_checktrade.php?tradeid=5712234
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
keep trying
maybe someday, Rich Cho will come to the same conclusion re: Cap’n Kirk
I do think that Charlotte is the best destination for Andre—Larry Brown might know what to do with him down there
But let’s say Roy tweaks his hammy and misses a month, again. Is Hinrich going to keep the ship afloat like Miller did, last winter?
(blub, blub, blub)
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
If Brandon Roy gets injured, this team is in bad shape regardless of who fills in for him. Yet, as ...
ridiculous as this may sound, the best bet for covering an injured Roy might be Jerryd Bayless. With Bayless playing the 2 on offense and guarding 1s on defense — while Kirk Hinrich plays the 1 on offense and mans up against opposing 2s on defense — the ballclub could maybe hold its own for a couple of weeks or thereabouts.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
Well, we know what happened, last year
Roy out with the hamstring? No problem, it was Miller time. Bayless helped, Webster got hot, and the team somehow made it through that rough patch until the Camby trade. Then, when Brandon/Batum returned they went on a tear and climbed up to the 6th seed
This season Matthews would be Roy’s injury replacement = even better shape than last year
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
beat me to it
not saying Roy isn’t the best player of the bunch, but I would be intrigued to see what a Miller/Matthews/Batum perimeter lineup would do.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
agreed, Roy out was far from catastrophic
possibly even liberating for the rest of the team.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
these sound like quotes
from a guy entering a contract year not the guy that’s supposed to be the leader of the team. i’m increasingly skeptical Brandon Roy can be that. I also wonder whether he’d rather be the best player on a one and done team or the 2nd best on a championship team. i never used to wonder about that.
i think if these comments were attributed to say rudy gay or zach randolph that they would be fodder for proving how selfish those guys are. since they came out of our best player i think i’m not going to be the only person that feels conflicted about them.
I am a little conflicted
If what I just commented turns out to be wrong, please delete from all memory.
Brandon is above reproach in this town
coaching will be blamed, and run out of town, if the team underachieves with predictable offense and uninspired defense
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
That's fine.
As long as the new coach gets up in Brandon’s face like PJ does to Kobe and Pop does to Duncan. Seriously, this needs to happen.
by Sean M on Oct 13, 2010 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Ray has earned that right
In fact, I can’t believe so many are so quick to denigrate BRoy for a couple of sorry preseason games. Even more, his honesty is refreshing to me, but apparently not so refreshing to many BEdgers.
by zbrum on Oct 13, 2010 5:47 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I don't think Roy has earned anything,
except his contract. Which he now has to live up to.
He’s a max player. That means he should lead, and his team should win. It goes w/ the territory.
by damonrayhymer on Oct 13, 2010 6:22 PM PDT up reply actions
All that being "a max player" entails is having ownership CTC.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
and what did that get that guy?
wanna walk the walk ya better talk the talk too….
The Faith don't panic, the Faith freaks out, burns out small farms and villages in the name of the Faith.
I'm disapointed...
HE went to Atlanta…. his CtC crap didn’t get him diddly squat.
The Faith don't panic, the Faith freaks out, burns out small farms and villages in the name of the Faith.
For that one single game, I'm sure he was paid handsomely by the Hawks.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
This is a case where it's on both Brandon Roy and Nate McMillan, who were who they are before ...
making their way to Portland. Roy was like this at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, while McMillan was like this at Key Arena.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
If he plays like he did against the Rockets 2 years ago and the other guys on the team show up
we can win it all.
by billsfan4life on Oct 13, 2010 4:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Ironically, after the Rocket's series Roy said he was worn out
keep in mind this was late April, the playoffs extend into June (if you keep winning) Brandon also asked the front office to acquire veteran help for the 2009 season
Roy is a great offensive player and a wonderful kid, but he is not the kind of superstar who can carry a team to a championship. If he and Greg can’t learn to coexist then Portland has no chance of winning a title in the next 5 years, and frankly I haven’t seen much evidence that Roy and Oden can coexist offensively, unless they both have help from a PG like…Andre Miller.
Or Tony Parker.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Oct 13, 2010 8:21 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
ROY WON'T THROW THE BALL TO BRANDON...
JUST WONT!… sorry.. but that is fact in my mind.
It was to the point when oden was playing… and roy got the ball.. I just rolled my eyes becuase I knew Oden wasn’t getting the ball on that posession. not becuase of position or anything other than .. roy never throws the ball in… always around the horn.. never in.
The Faith don't panic, the Faith freaks out, burns out small farms and villages in the name of the Faith.
If Roy can figure out how to throw the ball to Brandon and get away with it
he gets my vote for MVP
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 9:42 PM PDT up reply actions
lol... insert greg... my bad. brandon won't throw the ball to greg...
I need to lay off the caffine
The Faith don't panic, the Faith freaks out, burns out small farms and villages in the name of the Faith.
ROY WON’T THROW THE BALL TO BRANDON…
he shouldn’t, that would be a double-dribble!
Not every NBA player has the creativity to make risky entry passes. Some are a little too fearless (looking at you, Rudy…) Miller and Camby are experts at it. Greg is going to need teammates like this, whenever he’s back on the floor
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
teheheheh.... ment roy won't throw to greg but... yeah :)
The Faith don't panic, the Faith freaks out, burns out small farms and villages in the name of the Faith.
which is exactly why I thought this team went out and got Andre Miller
Portland has still not been able to confront the lesson of the shellacking that Houston gave us two years ago. Apparently, we have been in stasis ever since.
"The only 'Advanced Metric' that matters is what you see with your eyes." -Timbo, Nov., 2009.
Bringing in a ball dominant 1 who's not a worthwhile threat from beyond the arc in Tony Parker ...
would just exacerbate the problem here. Remember, there’s very good reason that Gregg Popovich likes to often use Manu Ginobili and Parker in separate backcourt units.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
Parker is a high Usage guy too
which is the issue with Miller (actually, Parker is the highest usage point guard in the NBA – by a pretty wide margin (30 to C. Paul’s 27).
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 9:44 PM PDT up reply actions
and yet, Parker-Duncan have had success
if you take Roy out of the equation for a second…Parker to Oden—is there any reason why that combo wouldn’t eventually work together as well and Tony and Timmy have?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Well, I'm convinced...
…time to blow up this team and start over.
Must we go through this every pre-season BEers? I watch posts go up before the first pre-season games about how we shouldn’t take anything about the pre-season too seriously. That we should wait until the games that mean something before we start going nutso.
Then this.
Then Dave’s post.
Then hundreds of comments micro-analyzing a team and its players before they’ve played a meaningful game this season.
I know the off-season is boring and filled with rampant speculation but this is October, not March.
by thelance on Oct 13, 2010 2:07 PM PDT reply actions 5 recs
Thank you!
I feel the same way. It’s like people are just looking for ways to pick apart the team and analyzing the analysis.
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
Better yet!
Let’s blow up BEdege! That’ll solve that problem!
If what I just commented turns out to be wrong, please delete from all memory.
Maybe if we all synchronize our watches
and post 1,000 word comments at exactly the same time…BEdge will collapse in upon itself like a neutron star!
I
I'm willing to try
It is now 2:36 pm
If what I just commented turns out to be wrong, please delete from all memory.
BEdge is kinda like a dog wagging its tail
soon its knocking stuff over and things are on fire and it’s just so excited and maybe if it just calmed down a little bit it would stop knocking things down with its tail, but its just so excited and it keeps wagging and wagging and wagging…
Geriatric Dunk Squad!
1/4/10 - Juwan Howard dunks on Chris Kaman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTkOqDgLb6s
3/7/10 - Andre Miller Tomahawk jams on the Denver Nuggets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-JVgm7F1QA
4/12/10 - Marcus Camby drops 30 and 13 on OKC to cement 50 wins. http://www.nba.com/blazers/media/camby_chant_041310.mp3
by Eat Politicians on Oct 13, 2010 7:41 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
We've had the same core, Roy and Aldridge
since 2006 and the offense isn’t set? In all these years? Really? What’s Nate been doing?
But Roy and Aldridge aren't the problem, right?
The point is that the personnel and (as a result) the offense have changed significantly since 2006. Not to mention the incredible number of injuries which have undoubtedly forced constant shifting in offensive strategy.
I
Well
Brandon talking about running the same offense as two seasons ago is
1. ignoring reality. It is now a diffrent team.
2. not a winning strategy in the playoffs, we got bounced in the first round.
If we do what Brandon says needs to happen then we have some trouble ahead. We will have a shiny regular season record combined with a dissappointing playoff one…
"Oh Yeah!" ~ Kool Aid Man
We got bounced in the first round last year too
Last year, we also had four guys that we could stick in the corner and have them shoot the three ball (Webster, Blake, Fernandez and Batum). Well, we lost two and one of the two remaining isn’t a person you want to build a lot of minutes for. The guys who we brought in might be okay but who knows until we actually run offensive sets in games that matter?
We’re going to need creation and that’s what Roy can do. And he is going to have to do it with a lot less popping out the ball.
we probably don't lose that series last year with a healthy Roy though
that is why making a judgement based on last year’s playoffs is tougher than two years ago.
We drew the hottest shooting team with our AllStar out or hobbled for the entire series.
"Oh Yeah!" ~ Kool Aid Man
I also think having either Miller or Roy in the games at all times will be essential
That means their minutes together will be reduced but they will still have to play together at times.
well I am this
your right every yr we have preseason post!!! and at the end of the season we say how next yr will be our yr!!!
wow, that was disappointing.
A large dose of unearned confidence along with a scoop of “more of the same” which earns first round exits.
Roy talks like he’s the only guy in the starting unit. I guess we can assume that Batum’s only shots will be corner threes, LMA will get his usual first-quarter touches and then slip into oblivion, with nothing run for Miller or Camby.
Why the hell aren’t they working on posting Miller, having Batum cut off screens, Camby working the high post… I know they’re vets, but you still have to practice it if it’s going to work for everyone else.
I actually don't mind Roy's comments
I think it’s good that he touches the ball as much as possible, because when he’s healthy, he’s almost impossible to stop. The real problem is when he doesn’t touch the ball and everyone else is still standing around, the offense gets completely bogged down.
right on
ISO heavy makes all the other guys not engaged in the offense.
Basketball is a rhythm game. Roy knows this.
I don’t mind Roy touching the ball lots he is that good, but he has to recognize that more needs to be done to get the rest of the team in rhythm for the team to become better.
ISO heavy for Roy gets Roy into rhythm. FBPs for everyone else means no rhythm an wasted talent.
"Oh Yeah!" ~ Kool Aid Man
hmmmmmmm
The Good:
- More flex, power, screens, movement Different plays for different players (or groups of players). sounds like trying to play to peoples’ strengths and present different looks
-
The Indifferent:
— Brandon (and others?) not being “into” preseason and/or working hard. I guess that doesn’t bother me if they can flip the switch come the 26th, but on the flip-side, isn’t this the time to be experimenting to see what works? Hard to tell if we aren’t really trying.
The Bad:
- No offense installed for the first half of the preseason. What are w waiting for? Didn’t we learn last year that spending November working out the kinks that we could/should have worked out in October is a bad idea? Roy wanting to revert to more isolation, more ball pounding
-
— Roy’s unwillingness or inability to play other styles of offense that might benefit the team more. If he gave it 100% effort and it failed (for the team), then so be it. But by admitting he isn’t really trying, and isn’t interested in playing other styles, we give up before we even start.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
by douglast on Oct 13, 2010 2:12 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
ugh
note to self, don’t use hyphens as bullets
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
lol... i thought you did it intentionally... :/
The Faith don't panic, the Faith freaks out, burns out small farms and villages in the name of the Faith.
fixed
hmmmmmmm
The Good:
- More flex, power, screens, movement
- Different plays for different players (or groups of players). sounds like trying to play to peoples’ strengths and present different looks
The Indifferent:
- Brandon (and others?) not being "into" preseason and/or working hard. I guess that doesn’t bother me if they can flip the switch come the 26th, but on the flip-side, isn’t this the time to be experimenting to see what works? Hard to tell if we aren’t really trying.
The Bad:
- No offense installed for the first half of the preseason. What are w waiting for? Didn’t we learn last year that spending November working out the kinks that we could/should have worked out in October is a bad idea?
- Roy wanting to revert to more isolation, more ball pounding
- Roy’s unwillingness or inability to play other styles of offense that might benefit the team more. If he gave it 100% effort and it failed (for the team), then so be it. But by admitting he isn’t really trying, and isn’t interested in playing other styles, we give up before we even start.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
by douglast on Oct 13, 2010 2:15 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Maybe Roy is just wondering why a ROY and 3-time all-star has to change his game after leading his team to a 54 win season
to accommodate a score-first PG has won anything in his 10-year NBA career and never been good enough to be picked by the coaches as all-star? I would sure wonder why?
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 2:40 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
^^ PG that has never won anything in this 10-year NBA career
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 2:42 PM PDT up reply actions
Does Roy ever consider getting
OUT of the first round??
Because if he did, he would get OVER the iso plays.
Also, his knee called and asked that he learn to play off the ball. His knee is concerned about the wear and tear ISO play causes.
really?
I think vets like brandon and camby and miller can kind of sit back and watch the rookies and gauge the second string and yes when the season starts and it actually matters, flip the switch and grind through the ridiculously long season
Geriatric Dunk Squad!
1/4/10 - Juwan Howard dunks on Chris Kaman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTkOqDgLb6s
3/7/10 - Andre Miller Tomahawk jams on the Denver Nuggets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-JVgm7F1QA
4/12/10 - Marcus Camby drops 30 and 13 on OKC to cement 50 wins. http://www.nba.com/blazers/media/camby_chant_041310.mp3
by Eat Politicians on Oct 13, 2010 7:50 PM PDT up reply actions
pre season
that may be true…but then they should not give us a pre season game as part of our season tickets…
I don’t see them winning the title immediately. Nicolas Batum
they certainly aren't giving us the games as part of our season viewing package
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 9:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah
Just like why should a perennial all star and MVP candidate with three rings have to change his game to accommodate a 21 year old center and a guy who’d only been on one 50-win team in 6 years in the league? Or why should the best PF of all time ever take a back seat to a 24 year old PG in the finals?
The simple reason that Kobe, Duncan, and Roy (and stars like them) are asked to adapt is because they’re good enough to adapt and still play at an elite level. It’s not an affront to them, just a recognition that Roy is good enough to be a dominant player without the ball in his hands every play. Miller simply isn’t good enough to be that good to adapt himself that much and still be a positive force.
Maybe we can fault KP for signing Miller or whine about it, or Brandon can realize that he’s best served by figuring what he can do to improve because he’s the player who’s good enough to. Besides, all of this is overstating the situation. He’s hardly being asked to suddenly become Reggie Miller. Yes, players should play around him, but it’s a two way street.
#52
by Royster on Oct 13, 2010 2:56 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Kobe's usage is still way higher than Roy's.
The Lakers didn’t bring in a PG and take the ball out of Kobe’s hands. This is a completely different situation. And Roy didn’t say he wouldn’t adjust his game for when Miller does have the ball, he said he worked on that all summer. He is just saying he wants the ball more like it was before Miller got here.
But hey, build the team around Miller and see where that takes us.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions
I got a feeling Nate will be going with Brandon and I couldn't be happier.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 3:25 PM PDT up reply actions
bad idea
Miller isn’t good enough to make Roy defer.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 3:26 PM PDT up reply actions
sorry...incomplete post
Miller being a lesser player isn’t a positive indicator that he shouldn’t be the one to change his game. Makes the Blazers worse.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 3:28 PM PDT up reply actions
Rec this ^
People need to stop making this a Roy vs Miller when it’s more of a Roy vs Team. We all know who is more valuable, but what’s important is how much Roy’s “my style only” attitude hurts the whole team. He is no Lebron, Kobe, Wade, etc. If these guys can’t win on their own, then Roy definitely can’t. Playing more of a team game and making adjustments falls as a responsibility on every player, even the stars when it’s needed. He needs a reality check and Nate and plenty of the fans won’t give him one.
he is right under kobe and wade
and as was pointed out above kobe’s usage rate (as well as bron and wade) is way higher than brandons. he needs more touches because he always finishes.
K*be's usage rate would run Roy into the ground
Seriously, Brandon could not keep up with Bry*nt and Wade into May/June. Roy’s body broke down in December last year when his minutes were extended into the high 30s
Brandon needs help running the offense, and someone to tell him when to take a rest and let his teammates shoulder the scoring load. Good thing the Blazers have a veteran PG who knows how to do this, eh?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Oct 13, 2010 8:27 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Roy currently averages more games per season than Wade
(68.5 vs. 68.3) – and that’s with Wade having a high in games played in his 7th season (but is already injured this season).
Kobe has been more durable lately driving his average up to 72 games per season – but he has had his issues earlier in his career, as well.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 9:56 PM PDT up reply actions
add up their post season games (Olympics, etc)
and how many more times K*be and Wade take the ball in every game, it’s apples/oranges. For Roy to try to do what they’ve done it will bust him up; Brandon has to find another way to succeed and that means depending more on his teammates
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
this is a pretty arbitrary position
the idea that Wade and Kobe are more durable than Roy and therefore able to sustain a higher usage simply does not hold up under analysis. Both Wade and Kobe have prime seasons with lower games played than Roy’s rookie season, and multiple prime seasons lower than Roy’s output for last year.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 14, 2010 3:05 PM PDT up reply actions
It certainly is not a Roy vs Miller thing
for me. It isn’t Miller that is standing around watching Roy, the rest of the team does.
This comes from running a pick and roll package where the roller almost NEVER sees the ball.
I am a fan of the pick and roll, but you got to hit the roller a reasonable percentage of the time.
People complain because Aldridge pops instead of rolls. I would not roll either because that ball NEVER goes to the roller…
The point is, these types of plays work because defenses can’t be sure which way the ball is going to go, but when the overwhelming tendency is that the rollers do not get the ball the advantage of the play disappears…
"Oh Yeah!" ~ Kool Aid Man
I agree
and the entire PG debate is frustrating because people seem so focused on finding a player that fits with “Roy” instead of one that fits with the entire starting lineup. As is, we’ve proven that we can run a darn efficient offense in the regular season handing the ball to Roy and letting him do his thing alongside a Blake-type PG, but that’s not really maximizing Aldridge or Nic’s contributions, and it most definitely isn’t ideal for Greg when he’s been healthy, so whether it’s good for the overall team long term is questionable.
People aren’t asking Roy to work on different things only for Andre, but for the benefit of the entire team. No one wants Andre to run more P&R’s so that Andre can go off, they want it to get better looks for LA and Greg.
Roy may be good enough that he shouldn’t have to adjust his game for Andre, but neither is he good enough that we should run a scheme which focuses almost exclusively on maximizing his production to the detriment of all of Greg, Andre, LA, and Nic. I place most of the blame on the coaches for this, but it doesn’t really appear that Roy has been that receptive to any real offensive adjustments to utilize those guys’ talents either.
#52
by Royster on Oct 14, 2010 10:39 AM PDT up reply actions 4 recs
Fantastic post... rec4u
It’s a TEAM called the Blazers… Roy needs to join it before he can lead it…
eye to eye here
The frustrating thing for me is everyone else on the floor is built to run. There is no 4 as graceful running the floor than Aldridge and we do it so rarely it is disturbing.
I do tend to think McMillan actually wants the team to push the ball to get those easy opportunies because 3 or 4 out 5 guys are built for it. If they push it but can’t get the advantage then go to Roy for his set play.
I think this is where the shoot in the first 6 seconds or the last 6 seconds thing mcMillan sai two seasons ago came from. Problem is if the ball is anywhere in Roy’s orbit that ball will stall out.
This is a tough situation, when a player who rightfully should see the ball by far the most on a team does not seem to recognize that the rest of the teams talents are for all intents and purposes being wasted.
Look at Kobe over time. as much as I hate him he has constantly morphed his game to take advantage of the guys he has had around him in any given season. It has not been the same formula over time. Kobe has let the guys around him (at least in the starting lineup) play to their strengths. He of course always makes sure to get his, but in most situations his teammates tend to flourish and the Lakers have the rings to prove it.
Roy needs and even deserves the ball a lot, but, as the leader of the team, he also needs to figure out how to best make use of his teammates talents as well…
"Oh Yeah!" ~ Kool Aid Man
it's not an either or
Roy is a fantastic player. do you really believe he can ONLY play one style at an all-star level? I"m not saying we should take the ball out of his hands, I’m saying we should have more offensive options to throw at defenses and confuse them. Keep them guessing.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
by douglast on Oct 13, 2010 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I totally agree with what you just wrote.
I’ve been saying all summer Roy needs to add more to his game (shoot coming off screens, etc.). I’ve said it again in this thread. Roy said he spent all summer working on that. That’s great. But I’m also saying Roy needs to handle the ball more. Those are not mutually exclusive things.
But there is more to it than that too. I’ve also wrote this summer than Nate needed to change his sets and plays if Miller and Roy are going to play together. You can not have Miller sitting in the Steve Blake 3-pt corner when Brandon is driving to hoop, and you can’t let Miller’s man drop off him and clog the middle when Brandon has the ball. You have to incorporate movement to prevent that happening.
I don’t know what Nate has done to his sets to improve the compatibility of Roy and Miller. But I’ve got a strong feeling this issue about Roy having the ball more is settled. Brandon wouldn’t have said today that he “is getting the ball more” and “Dre will just have to deal with it”, if he didn’t already have Nate’s assurance that would happen.
I’m happy this is all coming out now, in preseason. It needs to be settled before the season begins. I’m glad Roy is finally opening up and just telling it as it is. I personally don’t think the two of them can coexist long on the same team without personal communication. And they won’t even talk to each other off the court for crying out loud. Someone is going, and I’d bet my house it isn’t going to be Roy.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 5:15 PM PDT up reply actions
first 2 paragraphs...yes
conclusions reached during last 2 paragraphs…hasty
No one is “going” anywhere, except back out on the practice floor again, tomorrow. Hopefully to work on some of those things you mentioned in your first 2 paragraphs
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
more in the bad column
meet the new Brandon, just like the old Brandon
Roy is a tremendous offensive talent and a really nice kid, but every NBA champion made changes to his game along the way before he reached the top. (Well, maybe not Magic Johnson, but he made adjustments later in his career)
It almost makes you want to root for a McMillian-Roy separation. They’ve had a lot of regular season success, but neither man really wants to change, or cause the other one re-evalutae how things are being done. Too much mutual admiration going on around here
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Oct 13, 2010 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Reduce the coaching staff, hire a staff to emphasize defense
and then do nothing on offense. Everybody says defense wins, but not if your offense sucks.
sounds like they're putting in new offensive sets, this week
but only for the bench players? smh
maybe they’re going to run the Wildcat offense when Roy is out of the game
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
2 years ago,
it was becoming apparent that Roy had problems being in a leadership position and that Nate could not see the big picture when it came to Brandon’s style of offense. Two years ago! With this team, it’s like nothing is learned.
"The only 'Advanced Metric' that matters is what you see with your eyes." -Timbo, Nov., 2009.
Oh, I am definitely rooting for a Nate-Roy separation
Nate has cultivated this prima dona with his symbiotic dependency all along. It’s his baby, and it is spoiled.
ALL the players want coach’s recognition, consideration, and inclusion.
The “Roys team” routine may have been useful in pulling the Blazers out of the dumps during Brandon’s first couple seasons, be we need to get beyond that. We have a lot of talent now, that needs to be integrated into an effective team. This kind of attitude aint good.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
As I re read Roy's comments
I more fully appreciate how tight Roy is with the “called play”, iso, play I am so sick of
I know I don’t like to play loose. I kind of need some plays, some organization there. That’s some of the reason we’re not panicking yet, because we’re not really running plays yet.
Ok, call me slow, but I am seeing my frustration with Nate becomming frustration with Nate/Roy. And now, Nate is trying to change out, and Roy is complaining, so I see Roy as the possible core of the plodding, over predictible offense problem. Roy needs a coach who can call him out, not the other way around. But it seems like watching a wreck in slow motion, where you aren’t allowed to intervene.
Roy seems self satisfied, in control, and full of himself. Not hungry, stretching, working for something better. He wan’t to go backwards to the good old days. Great.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
Nate McMillan also ran the same offense at the same pace in Seattle, so this isn't new ...
with him. The only difference was that the 1 spot with Gary Payton first and Antonio Daniels composed the dribble-drive iso threat, while 2s like Brent Barry first and Ray Allen later liked to shoot long-range shots. Many things are the exact same, though, such as Rashard Lewis being a sharp-shooting weakside cornerman at the 3, players such as Vin Baker to Predrag Drobnjak to Vladimir Radmanovic being soft pick-and-pop 4s — with Vladi possessing floor stretching abilities — and a plethora of dudes at the 5 spot scoring mostly off of just garbage buckets.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
well, I certainlyl would like to see what someone other than Nate could do with our players,
including Roy, IF Roy doesn’t mind too terribly much (or even if he does).
But, probably not happening soon, hence the possible slow motion wreck.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
now, Nate is trying to change out, and Roy is complaining,
This is nothing new. Nate had a talk with Brandon and LMA last preseason on the plane and reassured them they were still going to be option 1 and option 2. Result: they both had the same touches last year as during previous seasons
I had hoped that this was because Greg was hurt and so Oden never was fully-integrated into the offense. But now we’re hearing the same song repeated
It’s entitlement, and it rarely leads to championships. If Nate keeps letting Roy have his way, it will set the team’s development back. When Oden does return, they’ll be more sparks, it’s a given if this is truly Brandon’s mindset.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Oct 13, 2010 10:37 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Another reason why letting Nate hire his own assistants
was a bad idea… bunch of yes men aren’t going to improve anything…
how are Oceipka and Williams yes men?
I don’t think they were ever on the same team as Nate during their careers. If anything, Nate went outside his circle when hiring coaches, this summer. The feeling at the time as that orders came down from the front office for McMillian to shake up his staff…not
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Bernie Bickerstaff is most certainly a yes-man, while the hiring of Bob Ociepka -- who ...
basically came from Chicago as part of a package with Bickerstaff — reminds me of the old adage about how “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
Disappointed, something is wrong, or someone lied to us
After being teased with so many glowing reports this summer from the Blazer’s practice facility.. That included BRoy being in top shape and playing well. And reports of high energy, hard played, tough defense practice games by many on the Blazer’s rooster.. Something does not feel right.
What happened between the practice facility and the pre-season that the Blazers do not feel like they need to play hard in the pre-season?
More disappointing. How can this team not have any offensive plays yet???
What happened to team chemistry???
Roy’s comments only raised more red flags and questions. He did not answer any of my concerns. I am disappointed, and believe something is very wrong. Or those making the glowing summer reports lied to us..
Or the perpetual posturing of the off-season leads to a great deal of pressure to report Blazer-related "news,"
so there is a huge incentive for reporters/insiders to provide tidbits (which are almost always positive since there is essentially nothing to report) which are overreacted to by fans when the results of these reports don’t immediately materialize in 3 preseason games that noone has even seen.
I
by joelor on Oct 13, 2010 2:27 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Roy is going to be the point guard
at some point in the season. Why else would he say these things if he hasn’t been given assurances? A Miller trade must be in the offing.
Seriously people! Who are we going to get who's there for the taking who is better than Miller?
Who? Anyone? Bueller?
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
Why trade for a point guard when it's an iso heavy offense?
Bite the bullet and forget a traditional starting point guard.
Well in that case trade miller for a big
and just move bayless, matthews or Rudy to the front court. problem solve.
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
Dre's
the point guard. If this team implode’s, and that would mean GO breaks for good, the team doesn’t make the playoffs or get’s knocked out again in the first round your not going to see a PG change. Why would anyone trade a quality big for Dre?
BROY’s comments are all “Coach Speak”. You know what the answers are going to be before you even read the article. He’s saying all the right things. Nothing controversial.
Nothing controversial??
A few hundred replies here tend to refute that…
by Visionary2 on Oct 13, 2010 9:31 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I agree with the toolman
these comments are being blown way out of proportion
by sammymohawk on Oct 13, 2010 10:39 PM PDT up reply actions
I also think we should trade Miller for a big
Even though you can’t base much on the pre-season, it looks like our best lineup is Roy, Matthews, Batum, Aldridge, Camby/Oden. I think that is both our best offensive AND defensive lineup. Then I like Bayless, Rudy, Cunningham, and Camby/Oden off the bench. I never thought Miller was a good fit for this team, and Miller has done nothing to change my mind.
I'm sure SA would jump at the chance to trade Duncan for Roy
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 9:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Brandon Roy isn't going anywhere, so it's a moot point.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
right, he's joined at the hip with Nate
Someday in the future Roy will coach a team and invite McMillian to be one of his assistants
Did you see the Dale Ellis quote from Bernie in the other thread?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
It'd continue the trend of K.C. Jones to Bernie Bickerstaff to Nate McMillan.
Anyway, I read the quote. I was too young then to know exactly how bad Dale Ellis was on defense in the late-’80s. The stats do indicate he was poor on the defensive glass and not much of a threat at stealing the ball, although I can only assume how lax Ellis truly was at man-to-man defense.
With that said, though, the quote itself was distressing, for Bickerstaff letting Ellis off the hook like that is similar to how McMillan seems to give Brandon Roy a free pass on defense.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
I remember Ellis at Dallas
he played against Portland in the playoff series won by the Audie Norris baseline jumper
Dale was a great catch and shoot wing from behind the arc. There have been role players like this (6th men, “Downtown” Freddy Brown was kind of the prototype, back in the ‘70s, Eddie Johnson was another) and it’s worth debating how valuable these one-trick ponies are.
I’m more concerned about starters like Roy/LMA (who are the highest-paid players on the roster) if they’re being let off the hook re: defense and toughness, because the impact on the team’s future is greater
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Under Dick Motta with that Dallas Mavericks team, Dale Ellis was akin to ...
what Kyle Korver had been under Jerry Sloan for the Utah Jazz these past few seasons. That analogy works really well, too, especially after factoring in how Sloan was a protégé of Motta’s in Chicago.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
I know the first three games we didn’t even have an offensive play. I know I don’t like to play loose. I kind of need some plays, some organization there.
Batum is the same way, which could explain why Nic hasn’t been more active during the preseason (similar to summer league 2008)
OTOH, Matthews seems to be able to ball in an unstructured environment
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
see what happens if its the wrong two guys running the play
then duck and cover when Sloan defines “structure”
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions
Why has there been struggles?
Is our children learning?
Disclaimer: everything I know about basketball I learned on Blazersedge.
by pualo on Oct 13, 2010 2:43 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Oh god
Apparently a “Structured Offense” in Roy’s eye is one where everyone gets out of his way and lets him go 1 on 5. OK I’m officially worried.
by Neama on Oct 13, 2010 2:45 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Right now we’re doing a lot of powering, a lot of coming off screens. A lot of crossing. I think that’s going to be more of the second string’s offense. And the starters will play something different.
Don’t. Like.
Does Jerry Sloan have 2 offenses for his starters and bench? Greg Popovich? Phil Jackson? I understand the desire to build an offense around your player’s strengths…but do different sets need to be installed to take advantage of every player on the roster? And then adjusted during the season to each opponent based on scouting reports?
Whatever happened to “we’re gonna do what we do well and force the other guy to adjust to us?”
Having said this, I’m interested in seeing all these new offensive sets (this from the head coach who never changes his system, no less!) but I wonder if the players are going to wear wrist bands (like the QB in football) to keep track of all the plays. Maybe 2 wristbands for the starters vs the bench players?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
just like last year!
"The only 'Advanced Metric' that matters is what you see with your eyes." -Timbo, Nov., 2009.
the 2nd unit can't run the starters offense.
starters offense is all based on Roy iso’s. No one on the 2nd unit can take his place.
Bayless basically worked as mini-Roy when Roy was hurt last year. I know we want him to be a PG, but he has looked better in the SG role.
can they? yes
should they? no
The ISO should only be a late-game strategy during the regular season, when a hoop is needed and there’s time to substitute several floor-spreaders into the game. There’s a low-risk of turnover and a good chance the offense will get an open shot—unless the defense traps the ballhandler and everyone else stands around—but that would never happen, right?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
You're on a roll....
And we agree! Most unusual…
sorry about the Armon Johnson comment, yesterday
I was trying to be funny, not snarky…but it may have come across that way
(more cowbell)
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I think everyone is overreacting.
I think his words may be blown out of context a little. Everyone has complained for the last two years that we don’t run enough. So far this preseason, with no offense installed, they have essentially been practicing that fast break and improvisation offence. Flex plays, screens lots of ball movement. “But right now, we’re just trying to work on movement offenses, just different things we weren’t very good at last year”
I, personally, wouldn’t mind to see some more of the offence from two years ago. I think what he was getting at was last season they were adjusting to dre, this season they are more comfortable and throw out some more sets from two years ago that they didn’t use last year.
We all know Brandon likes more structure, we all know that he is best in the half court. Which is why I think it makes total sense from a coaching position to have that running game in the second unit. With rex, rudy, and wesley in that second unit I think they have real strength their. And this preseason has let them really try some stuff out. We know what the starters can do, I honestly think they don’t need the preseason to work too many things out. Two years ago we had one of the most efficient offenses in the league. If we get back to high efficiency in the first unit, some running and high movement game in the second, and BOTH units playing good to great individual defense you have a team that is scary.
Obviously that is and idealized scenario, but I think we have a very good shot of finishing 2nd in the west, oh yeah, that is if we can stay healthy.
by ashmortar on Oct 13, 2010 2:48 PM PDT reply actions 5 recs
Yeah, 2 years ago sucked. The youngest team in the league with great chemistry only won 54 games.
But a few fans panicked when they lost in the playoffs to a more experienced team. Then Miller arrived and suddenly Roy was selfish and needed to change his game so we could become a winner. Roy already has a low usage rate compared to other stars that carry their teams, but let’s take the ball away from him some more. Maybe World Wide Wes will be coming around soon and figure out a way to help us get rid of the selfish Brandon Roy.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Roy asked for veteran help after the Houston series (so much for fan overreaction)
Too bad Hedo wasn’t signed, eh? Then we wouldn’t have ’Dre to kick around for being the scoundrel who messed everything up
Let’s just put things back they way they were in 2008 and everything will be fine. Oops, Blake, Outlaw, Frye, Webster and Sergio are missing…now what?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Oct 13, 2010 3:48 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
He didn't ask for a veteran PG, that's a very important point. He was happy with Blake and didn't want Miller.
The rest is besides the point. Nobody said anything about Outlaw or Sergio. Letting Frye walk for nothing turned out to be a mistake. Blake (and Outlaw) was a great trade for Camby.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 4:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Yup, I'm sure things would have been completely peachy
if only Portland had more Turkish restaurants.
#52
Turkish restaurants serve peaches?
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 4:27 PM PDT up reply actions
Turk wasn't my first choice, or even second choice. Where did that fantasy come from?
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 4:51 PM PDT up reply actions
He was the Blazers's 1st choice
Regardless, whoever came in, Brandon was probably going to be doing less creating, whether it was a PG or not.
#52
The Blazers first choice was Turk, then Milsap, then Lee
then they talked to Odom (although that might have been very brief). Then they finally settled for Miller when they couldn’t get the other 3 (or 4 if you count Oden). Turk would have handled the ball some but he is a long way from a PG or even a point forward. Milsap and Lee not at all.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 7:33 PM PDT up reply actions
But Blake was never likely to repeat his performance that made him such a good piece in 2008-09. That was his best 3 point shooting year and overall year by a country mile, except his third year in the league.
He shot 41% the year before and 40% last year. Is that much difference than 43% in 2008-9?
Hey Blake sucks. Dumb Lakers. They should have signed Miller when he was free-agent, then they wouldn’t have needed Blake. How did they overlook his 20% shooting?
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 4:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Just because they are the Lakers doesn’t mean they are infallible. Heck, Derek Fisher was one of the worst players in the NBA last year, so basically anything would’ve been an upgrade.
They wouldn't have traded Fisher for Miller. So they wouldn't take just anything.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 5:28 PM PDT up reply actions
and yet Fish hit the dagger 3 that swung game 7 against Boston
I’ll take “one of the worst players in the NBA” who shut down Ray Allen and had ice water in his veins last June, if that’s what it takes to win a championship or two
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Oct 13, 2010 8:36 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
The thing that gets me is that they signed Blake and then went and resigned Fisher.
D’oh!!!!!
"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
I actually liked that team.
Don’t get me wrong now, nothing wrong with us now. Well, not that there’s nothing is wrong, but I’m not going to complain too much.
Back then, 2007-2008, we had a 41-41 record with that great 13 game winning streak started by Outlaw.
In 2008-2009, honestly, that had to be one of the happier times in recent Blazers history. And I’m not just going to talk about that 54 W’s. Not just that first time playoff game. I was happy with that season, because… well, the injury bug wasn’t there. Or, if it was, it wasn’t that bad. Roy played in a lot of games, and at least Oden played most of the time.
In 2009-2010, in a way, I have to call that the year of maturation. But here’s the thing, we matured, we didn’t move forward. But at least that’s a step toward somewhere. We had it all good at first, but then… The team learned (hopefully) how to play hard and give it their all without most of their stars. We got Camby. I really hope that the players not only tell themselves, “Gee, I should be careful of the injury bug and try to stay more healthy somehow”. I hope they say, “Wow, what a tough season. We were dying, but we were hangin in there. Now that I got a taste of playing above and beyond for a win without the star, I’m going to maintain that work ethic over to this coming season.”
The last thing I want for them to say is, “Golly! What a season! Well, now that it’s over, I can finally take the backseat.”
No, EVERYONE needs to step up this year. Honestly, I didn’t really like what I heard from Roy, but he is still our leader, and hopefully he can be 110% focused during the season, and 130% focused in playoffs. We know L.A. 12 worked hard during the off-season. His new strength should help, and probably has to if he wants to turn down the criticism from fans. Oden is at least trying to take a step toward being a better teammate.
It’s not the prettiest thing we have now, but hopefully everyone is trying to get somewhere.
by Hopman27 on Oct 13, 2010 4:46 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
miller came
everyone got hurt and we still got 50 wins, i think andre was a success
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
"I was like, 'Wow, we get a run.'-Felix Hernandez
Artis Gilmore for Hall of Fame
due to his low support around Bedge, Rudy Fernandez is temporarily my new favorite player
by thomasikehara on Oct 13, 2010 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
no Miller, no playoffs last year
bottom line
Besides Artest taking less money to join L*A, which new FA helped his team more than Andre, last season?
::crickets::
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
No Juwan Howard no playoffs. So what?
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 11:27 PM PDT up reply actions
the Blazers could use another Howard, right about now
and they aren’t going anywhere without Miller running the offense, this year. (Keep hoping for that new PG trade, though. Maybe Tony Parker will pop free if the Spurs get off to a wretched start…)
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
They won 54 games without Miller two years ago. But of course Roy had nothing to do with that, right?
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 12:24 AM PDT up reply actions
the whole point is we are supposed to learn and improve the team
we learned 2 years ago that we need a more varied offensive approach if we want to succeed in the playoffs. It seems we were trying to do that last year by adding MIller to run the point and incorporating Oden in the early season. Sadly, injuries turned last season into a lost season.
So, do we try and pick up where we left off and add more wrinkles to our game, or do we just throw our hands up and say “well, we can win 54 games again by doing X”. ?
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
No, we obviously try to improve, but that doesn't mean we require Miller to do it.
The statement I replied to was:
they aren’t going anywhere without Miller running the offense, this year
in my opinion that’s pure nonsense and obviously refuted by the fact we won 54 games the year before without Miller.
You may think Miller is somehow an essential solution to making this team better but I don’t agree. In fact I think Miller seriously limits Roy’s game and we could improve more as a team with another solution at PG. It appears Roy agrees or he wouldn’t be talking about returning to his style of play before Miller arrived. Again you may disagree with Roy on that, but I think Nate agrees with Roy else Roy would not have said what he said today, which included the statement that he is going to get the ball more this year and if Miller isn’t able to deal with it then they will play other players. He effectively delivered a message to Miller today to adapt his game to fit Roy or else. There is no way (IMO) Roy would have said that unless he already had Nate’s support and assurances.
So as much as I respect your opinion, I agree with Roy and (apparently) Nate. We shall see how this unfolds.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 3:46 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I don't think Miller is the essential winning solution
but nor do I think handing the ball to Brandon out top is the winning solution either.
What I want is an honest effort to TRY to do other things that will make the TEAM better. What I’m hearing is that some people would rather just say “nah, it won’t work, let’s not bother. Just give X the ball more so we can win 54 games again”. In my view, that’s a recipe that will never sniff the Finals.
I have NO problem with Roy getting the ball more. I have a BIG problem with that being the end goal. If I thought that handing the ball to Roy 30 feet from the basket every time down court, was the best thing for the team, I’d support it 100%. I firmly believe it’s short-sighted thinking.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
What I’m hearing is that some people would rather just say "nah, it won’t work, let’s not bother. Just give X the ball more so we can win 54 games again".
You didn’t hear that from me. It was said above that this team isn’t going anywhere without Andre Miller running the offense. That isn’t true. A younger, less experienced, less talented version of this team with Oden playing 61 games on one leg won 54 games without Andre Miller two years ago. That refutes the notion that Andre Miller is essential to this team going anywhere.
I’ve never said “just give the ball to Roy and we win 54 games again”. That’s a lousy way of trying to discredit my opinion.
What I’ve said multiple times (including all summer) is that If Miller remains in PDX this year then Nate must change his offensive sets and plays to avoid putting Miller in Blake’s old 3-pt shooting positions (I said put Batum and Wesley there), and add movement to keep Miller’s man from sagging off him to clog the middle against Brandon. I’ve also said that Roy needs to learn to shoot coming off picks and move more without the ball to successfully play with Miller (which he claims he worked on this summer). I’ve also said Roy needs to work on his pick and roll with Oden when he returns, and the entire offense needs to get more movement.
But in addition to those things Roy needs to work on he also needs to get the ball more and go back to being a creator on offense more as he was two years ago, which clearly doesn’t mean to just shoot more. I didn’t think Roy was ever comfortable with Miller last year or the way Roy had to play with Miller last year. I believe it will be good for the team if Roy expands his skills and varies his game, but it would not be good for the team to have its all-star and best player make radical changes or defer his offensive contributions to accommodate Andre Miller. That simply makes no sense at all.
Having said all of the above (multiple times now) I do think the Blazers would be better off with a different type of PG than Andre Miller. I believe they would be better off with a PG that can shoot the outside shot and play better man-on-man defense (Miller is a pretty good team defender).
It seems like no matter how many times I say these things the replies ignore what I say and come back to “you just want to hand the ball to Roy 30 feet from the basket every time down”. No, that isn’t what I have ever said, and that isn’t what Roy is saying either.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 12:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Let's say Andre goes down with a career-ending injury, tomorrow
do you think Portland wins 50 games, without adding another real PG to the mix? Not me. They wouldn’t have good enough ball distribution in the half court offense and the pace would be even more glacial
The good news is that we probably won’t have to test this theory, because Andre is a horse (in contrast to Roy, who really should be handled with care to make sure he lasts until May)
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
If Miller went down, I'd say we would need another PG. But we wouldn't need a Miller clone
to be successful. In fact, I think we would be more successful with a PG that can shoot from the outside and play better man-on-man defense than Miller.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 12:41 PM PDT up reply actions
we learned 2 years ago that we need a more varied offensive approach if we want to succeed in the playoffs
I think too much is assumed from the results of that playoff series 2 years ago. That team was the youngest in the NBA, the first playoff series for most of those players. The only person that really stepped up for that series was Roy. Outlaw mostly disappeared, Batum completely disappeared, LMA got pushed around in several games and had an up and down series, Oden was dominated by Yao, Nate was out-coached, etc. but still the series went 6 games. Consider that Oden played only 16 minutes a game in that series (with 4.5 fouls per game) and averaged only 5.0 pts and only 4.3 rebounds. Batum averaged 2.0 pts per game. Is that what you expect from them in the future?
Yet despite those poor performances, some people want to conclude that we can’t win unless Roy changes his game. Really? If someone besides Brandon and LMA (19.5, 7.5) had showed up for that series we probably would have won. Brandon averaged 26.7 points and shot 47% from the 3-pt line. * 47% * and 46% overall. They didn’t shut Roy’s offense down. He didn’t need to change his game. He wasn’t the reason we lost. He just needed a little help.
Certainly Brandon has to expand and improve his game, and we need better offensive preparations against traps and other defenses that can be thrown against him at the close of a game (better coaching), but Brandon’s effectiveness and only 26.7 points a game wasn’t even close to the reason we lost that playoff series. We lost that series because we were young and 10 other players and a coach performed far below their potential. So let’s fix a few other problems before we remake our best player and 3-time all-star to fit Andre Miller, who has failed to be selected to an all-star team or win a single playoff series in his 11-year career. That’s just nuts.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 4:42 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think you are confusing things
Asking for a deeper, more varied offense with ball and player movement does not necessarily equate to asking Roy to change his game. I don’t want Roy to change his game, I want him to EXPAND his game. He seems uninterested in even trying to do so, which is the most concerning part.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
You elect to ignore the things Roy says that agree with what you want
and then take other things he says and portray them as mutually exclusive. You are doing that exact same thing to what I am writing as well. I used exactly the word EXPAND above to characterize improvements Roy should make in his game. But since you keep ignoring that (expand his game) when I write it, it appears you really want him to remake his game.
Roy said he worked all summer on shooting the ball coming off screens and other moves to EXPAND his game to play with Miller. He also says he wants the ball more this year as well. These things are not mutually exclusive, but you ignore the first and criticize him for the other.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 12:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Right, the fact that his assist %
dropped to Durant levels was purely coincidental and entirely to blame on other guys just missing their shots, not something Houston was trying to do at all.
#52
Yeah, that's it. We lost that series because Roy got selfish and his assist % dropped. Trade him!
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions
No, we lost the series
because Roy’s ability to create is so one-dimensional that Houston was able to completely remove it and without it, our offense was a joke.
#52
Incredible. Let's hope we can still get something for him.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 3:06 PM PDT up reply actions
I will never understand why people think
pointing out Brandon isn’t the best player at everything is somehow insulting. There’s a reason Brandon (and Kobe, Manu, Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, Iggy, et al) don’t play PG. Brandon Roy is absolutely an elite scorer and an above average creator for an SG, but is simply not a well-rounded enough playmaker to play PG full-time effectively. Relying solely on him to create offense is a losing proposition against talented, well-coached teams.
That’s hardly insulting to him.
#52
So:
we lost the [Houston playoff] series because Roy’s ability to create is so one-dimensional that Houston was able to completely remove it and without it, our offense was a joke.
But:
Brandon Roy is … an above average creator for a SG,
So which is it? You are clear that “we lost the series because Roy”. I find that ludicrous, but it is your opinion and you certainly entitled to it despite the poor play of Oden, Batum Outlaw, and others in that series as I pointed out above. But Is Roy “an above average creator for a SG”, or his “ability to create is so one-dimensional that Houston was able to completely remove it”, which you claimed lost us the series? That’s the part I find confusing.
is simply not a well-rounded enough playmaker to play PG full-time effectively
Is that an argument with someone? I haven’t seen anyone in this thread claim he could play PG full-time. He certainly didn’t suggest that he would.
I will never understand why people think pointing out Brandon isn’t the best player at everything is somehow insulting.
Is that what you were doing? I though you said “we lost the series because Roy”. Saying Roy was the reason we lost that series and Roy isn’t the best player at everything are two vastly different things.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 7:55 PM PDT up reply actions
Two years ago we had one of the most efficient offenses in the league.
I’ve been told that this was due in large part to Portland being the best offensive reboundng team in the NBA, mostly thanks to Greg and Joel
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Hmmmm...
I’m not sure that Roy having the ball more is a bad thing. People are complaining that he doesn’t have what it takes to be like Kobe, LBJ, etc and then he shows some of that and people get all worried. If Roy + Miller isn’t working out then get rid of Dre period. Just like Kobe said, why should Roy take a step back for Miller? Roy is one of the best players to ever put on a PTB jersy, and you guys are worried he wants the ball more?
The only way we win a ring is if Roy is at the top of his game with Oden dominating the boards and interior, and the supporting cast filling the other roles. Andre is not going to lead us to the promised land as much as I love him. I love how he got Oden involved last year, but this year Roy needs to take us to another level and anyone who doesn’t fit with that plan need to get lost imo.
Check out my music and blog at J-Xile.com
I’m not sure that Roy having the ball more is a bad thing.
It’s not a bad thing, unless the defense knows what’s coming and can gang up against him. Roy needs to learn how to make his teammates better, and not just by flipping them passes when they’re 18-23 feet away from the basket because his path to the basket has been blocked
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
yeah
it’s painful watching Roy get doubled team at the corner of the 3 point line, back-peddle almost to halfcourt, and throw a pass to someone standing around the mid-court circle so we can reset our offense 30 feet from the basket. this is what every good team who had time to prep did to us the last couple years.
I seem to remember Roy getting plenty of good opportunties catching the ball at the elbow (from Miller) after receiving a down screen from a big. From there he can shoot, drive, or dish and is actually a huge threat.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
I have a feeling we're only a couple of weeks from seeing that, again
Just a couple more weeks of reading how Miller and Roy aren’t compatible, then we’ll have new games to watch and (hopefully) new opinions to read about. I don’t know what Andre has to do, really. He’s averaging 5 assists in 21 minutes per game of preseason action.
If Cho flips Dre during the season then we can all agree that Roy-Miller was a failure—until then? This is Portland’s starting backcourt, let’s see what they can do out on the floor
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I agree.
But we have had a full season last year to find out if they work together, and I think we know the results on that. Yes Roy was hurt last year, but until Oden went down, the Roy and Miller back court was awkward. Even after that, when Miller had a good game Roy didn’t, and vice a versa. They have never really meshed imo.
We need a PG who will distribute first, and is able to space the floor with three point shooting. Blakey was the whipping boy on BE for the last two years of his tenure, and now I’m sure most would love to see him nailing threes and dishing to Roy. Instead he’s in LA, playing for a number one rivals, lol.
I think we should see what happens when GO gets back, I do miss my Miller to Oden FTW sig, lol. I’m not giving up yet.
Check out my music and blog at J-Xile.com
There is no way
That most people want Blake back. No. Way.
by JeffePortland on Oct 14, 2010 12:05 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, your probably right.
But a point guard in that vein is what I was getting at.
Check out my music and blog at J-Xile.com
I do miss my Miller to Oden FTW sig, lol. I’m not giving up yet.
That’s because you remember the great synergy the two players had, for a brief time last fall. Part of the reason the Roy-Miller backcourt looked “awkward” was because the team was trying to integrate Greg into the offense last November. That challenge hasn’t gone away, it’s just been put on hold. Oden is going to need his buddy Andre again, hopefully soon. Brandon and LMA are going to have to adjust to #52 being back on the floor eventually, my take is that Miller will make this transition easier, not more difficult.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Oct 14, 2010 10:21 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
and there's 3 seconds on the shot clock
I don’t see them winning the title immediately. Nicolas Batum
Blake, LMA and Travis have made a nice living off of catching Roy's kick-out passes
So they aren’t all flaming bags, but as they say…live by the jump shot, die by the jump shot
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Nothing wrong with Roy that starting Bayless won't cure.
Roy’s having an “off night”? You can be dang skippy that Bayless is ready to take up any slack as far as Blazers going to the basket. Bayless will bail out Roy (and his famed “flaming bag” passing) far more effectively than Andre Miller.
PLUS
This is the season where Bayless is scheduled to unveil his new point guard mentality. I guarantee than B-Rex has come to camp prepared (unlike some Blazers) and I believe he has put this on fine display so far in the pre-season. He knows the offensive sets as well as any player on the team. He has also played with Brandon since he has been in the NBA.
PLUS
Bayless is INFINITELY more capable of playing defense against than Miller.
He has better movement and younger legs than Miller, he is more able to provide offense from multiple areas of the floor, and he knows Roys game inside and out.
START BAYLESS!
we can still win........
by RastaMonsta on Oct 13, 2010 2:56 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Bayless is INFINITELY more capable of playing defense against than Miller.
Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill. Andre has forgotten more about the tendencies of NBA players and systems than Jerryd has had the chance to learn
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I love the attitude you're bringing,
and I love J-Bay. My two concerns are his tendency to reach and foul PG’s and, as good as his 3-ball looks so far this preseason, I still think it’s fool’s gold until he does it for a season. But hey—J-Bay/B-Roy COULD be a very nice back court if Jerryd keeps progressing. He’s certainly putting in the work.
chk yrslf bf u rec yrslf
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Oct 13, 2010 5:00 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
miller is a superior defender to bayless
and it’s not close. there is literally not one thing bayless does better defensively. he’s got an impressive body but he has no idea how to use it. bayless is one of the most foul prone point guards in the league and still ranks nearly last in steal percentage.
in short even though he plays aggressive defense the only thing that comes of it is your opponent getting to the penalty faster. bayless might well get better but based on his body of work to date he’s been borderline terrible.
bayless strength has been on the offensive end.
by colinmarsh on Oct 13, 2010 5:22 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Precisely, for Jerryd Bayless' small wingspan make him no threat at clogging the passing lanes to ...
help create turnovers, his overaggressive on-ball defense leads to foul troubles, and his inability to fight through screens leads to guys blowing past him.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
Ummm.. I think
This is being taken out of context. This seems to happen a lot with BRoy who hasn’t always been the greatest at hiding his emotions in an interview, nor does he always have the right thing to say or it doesn’t come out the way he means it…
I know this- Roy and Miller looked fine to me in the first pre-season game. Let’s stop over analyzing everything until the season actually starts.
omission
I guess those late summer, early training camp reports about Roy coming in lighter, feeling great and can’t wait to start training camp also should have mentioned that he’s disinterested. I guess its preseason and games don’t count, so nothing to get too worried about but what are we supposed to say if two months from now Roy is saying stuff like, “Man, it sure is hard to get up for games before all-star break. The offense hasn’t had a chance to gel. Give me the ball more”?
I've felt like
…there’s been a lot of needless panicking over a small handful of preseason games. That being said, Roy’s comments in this interview do seem to directly counteract his earlier (and, I think, accurate) statements to the effect that he needed to expand his skill-set and become a better team player.
I’m not sure I feel so good about that.
Easy solution....
Start Roy and Matthews. Matthews guards opposing PG. Dre/Bayless/Rudy backup Gs. If Miller cries, then too bad. Time to win NOW!
to save time - I'm bringing back my comment from Dave's post on this subject
Regarding Roy – his development was as the half-court playmaker – using his pick/roll/pop abilities (attack the rim or pull up for a J) the team rolled to a 54 win season – that with a very undeveloped Oden and a popping LMA. That all changed when Miller came in, because now Roy was asked to defer to Miller for setting up the offense (instead of developing a roll to go with the pick/pop).
The team changed direction with Miller and the injury to Oden – and it is most definitely not surprising that the team is floundering with its identity.
Two solutions makes it all better: reestablish Roy as the half-court point guard and get Oden healthy. Otherwise, something has to give because LMA and Camby are too similar.
Roy pretty much confirms what I have been thinking – but the reactions shouldn’t be the “blame game”. Miller nor Roy are selfish or bad players because they occupy the same function in the half-court game. Miller does some things better than Roy – but he is overall the inferior player and takes Roy out of what Roy does. That’s life. Other teams are a better fit for Miller’s particular talents. The Blazers should find him a home.
Roy is a guard in the mold of Wade and Kobe – the offense starts with him. There are aspects of Roy’s game that need development in this role – such as being able to feed rolling big men off the pick and roll – but Roy in isolation or pick and roll is an excellent weapon in the right situation and executed properly.
Where execution has failed is when it takes too long for a play to develop (leading to forced shots/flaming bag passes, etc.) or when inefficient shots are taken off Roy passes (too many LMA 18-foot jumpers). I for one would welcome with open arms a Roy/LMA P&R that leads to more feeds to a rim-attacking Aldridge.
Overall, they need to get faster at running those sets and need to have more options than the corner three or a popping pick setter for passing options from Roy. However, there is still no arguing with the viability of this offense so long as the team doesn’t interrupt transition opportunities or ignore other major mismatches just so it can run its Roy-centric half-court sets.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 3:17 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Agree
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions
+1
Roy and Miller are not a great fit and never will be. Nothing against Miller, but he’s better suited elsewhere. Like you said, Roy is not a Ray Allen #2 guard. He’s a Wade or Kobe offensive player. He needs the ball.
What I want most is for Roy and Oden to learn to play with one another. As much as I like Andre’s game, there’s no need for him on this team.
What I want
is Oden to play. I want him to play the next 10 or more seasons as a Blazer. Again, the key word is “Play”. All other concerns in this thread are minor. So cross your fingers and toes and hope this guy comes back and becomes a force in the league.
Oden
But Brandon and Oden DID play last year…and Brandon ignored Greg under the basket…remember the quote of Greg’s that Andre was a “breath of fresh air”…he actually involved Greg in the game…this goes way beyond a star and an aging point guard…
I don’t see them winning the title immediately. Nicolas Batum
by debra31098 on Oct 13, 2010 9:23 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
so what?
Greg was still awfully effective…he’ll get his and still anchor the D…toolman is right, Oden just needs to play. Whether Brandon gives him the ball or not it still makes us exponentially better.
by sammymohawk on Oct 13, 2010 10:51 PM PDT up reply actions
yeah, Greg can rebound all of the missed jump shots
and get fouled trying to put them back in—opportunity offense at it’s finest!
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
yeah
yes it does make us better with Greg on the floor regardless of Brandon getting him the ball…but I guess my point is why not use your big man to your advantage and get easier baskets…actual ball movement…and team chemistry..what a concept…
I don’t see them winning the title immediately. Nicolas Batum
I agree with you
I just think that Greg will do those things for us independently of Brandon. His defense and rebounding will create transition opportunities and he will get offensive rebounds = easier baskets. People are making everything sound so bleak right now, and I still look at our team as having a young core and back to back 50 win seasons…one of which being absolutely injury-riddled. I don’t think it’s time to jump ship, but people can’t seem to get overboard fast enough.
I for one would welcome with open arms a Roy/LMA P&R that leads to more feeds to a rim-attacking Aldridge.
Saw one of those in the Jazz highlights last week, LMA finished with a jam. Proves it can be done…more, please.
so long as the team doesn’t interrupt transition opportunities or ignore other major mismatches just so it can run its Roy-centric half-court sets.
More versatility is never a bad thing, especially if it leads to easier baskets and FT opps
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Not sure I follow you on this one:
Two solutions makes it all better: reestablish Roy as the half-court point guard and get Oden healthy. Otherwise, something has to give because LMA and Camby are too similar
I think you make an excellent point, that LMA and Camby are going to crowd the high post and neither will rebound. But I don’t see how that has anything to do with Roy. It’s a piece of the puzzle we need to solve sans Greg.
But I definitely disagree that Roy should be the half-court PG. (HCPG?) He needs to learn to play off the ball.
And I can and do argue with the viability of this offense: it’s all just a bunch of set plays (with, ooh, more to come, according to Nate), 5 or 6 sheets of paper with X’s and O’s on it… My son’s 12 year old football team has a more intricate offense…
that part was actually from my other post which was half LMA
it’s out of context, here.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 10:01 PM PDT up reply actions
regarding the Roy = point guard issue
would you make the same argument about Wade or Kobe?
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 10:02 PM PDT up reply actions
Not the same argument, but...
First of all, Wade IS a point guard! He’s one of the fantastic new breed that can dish and drive… Brandon is no D Wade… Not saying I want D Wade instead of BRoy, but BRoy could not play D Wade’s position more effectively than D Wade…
And Kobe DOES play off the ball! That’s what the triangle offensive SYSTEM does! It creates a way for players to move to free areas, while maintaining spacing, and creates ball movement, which enables anybody to take a shot they can make… which means, when Kobe runs it, that’s about every time he touches it, so yeah, he has a higher “utilization rate” than Broy…
because, as a result of moving without the ball, and working within the offensive system and created a good shot…
by Visionary2 on Oct 13, 2010 10:37 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
LMA and Camby are going to crowd the high post and neither will rebound.
Hold on, now. Marcus is going to grab his share of rebounds—even if he has to start from the 3-point line when the shot goes up
The prefix La- should mean “opposite of” when it comes to rebounding and defense (as in: Marcus plays defense, LaMarcus not so much)
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
It seems to me if there had been a meeting where the team was told what was going to happen
and where each team member stood within that plan then why is there a continuing assessment of players? That’s the message I get from Roy’s comments.
I don't see an inconsistency between Roy saying he should have the ball more, and saying he has worked on adjusting his game.
Roy needs to work on shooting coming off screens when Miller has the ball and he said he spent the summer doing that.
He is also saying he needs to have the ball in his hands more, like he did before Miller arrived. But he didn’t say he needs to score more when he has the ball. He can initiate the offense more and play better off the ball, those are not mutually exclusive.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 3:21 PM PDT reply actions
it's not his game that needs adjusting,
it’s his head.
"The only 'Advanced Metric' that matters is what you see with your eyes." -Timbo, Nov., 2009.
HOW DARE THE BEST PLAYER WANT THE BALL!!!
how dare he…
.
.
Good Day sir!
I'm a grown man stuck inside the mind of a 3 year old
by The Arkitect on Oct 13, 2010 3:25 PM PDT reply actions 4 recs
IT'S THE PRESEASON!
just chill everyone, all will be fine soon enough
by rip_city_swagger on Oct 13, 2010 3:40 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I'm glad some fans on here can separate their love for our star and realize his comments aren't exactly a good thing.
Maybe his nice guy likeable personality hides his selfish side a bit. Those comments do not reflect a team player. It’s good for your star to want the ball more, but why can’t he also add playing off the ball to his iso game to involve other players more? It’s a team game and Roy iso’s don’t win championships. I heard the interview and the worst part wasn’t included in the article.
After talking about how the offense will go back to before Dre and will involve Roy getting the ball a lot more, the interviewer asked how that would affect Dre. With a little attitude, Roy said “He’ll have to deal with it. Because I’m getting the ball more.” Roy will win this battle no doubt, but will our team?
That's the money quote they have been playing on 95.5 today. Ben needs to add it to his article.
interviewer asked how that would affect Dre. With a little attitude, Roy said "He’ll have to deal with it. Because I’m getting the ball more."
Roy was very definitive that he is going to be getting the ball more. He wouldn’t have said that if he didn’t have Nate’s agreement. (Has he been in a funk during preseason because this has been brewing behind the scenes?)
I’m extremely happy this is all getting out in the open and should get resolved now during preseason. I wouldn’t be surprised if Roy made some demands about playing with Miller and this is the immediate result with further actions to come. It even fits with all of the comments from Nate and other coaches about Matthews being a PG/SG rather than a SG/SF as we expected. Anyway, it’s a great time to get the Roy/Miller problem solved before the season starts.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 4:32 PM PDT up reply actions
What you are missing here is the type of PG that is Miller, Andre
Miller is Roy with less height, a vastly inferior jump shot and a slightly greater propensity for passing.
Miller and Roy aren’t dissimilar enough in style (scoring guards) to justify Roy adjusting his game. Putting a traditional point guard next to Roy, like a Steve Nash would probably be a much better fit.
However, I think it is a universal truth that scoring guards who are your best player need a role player alongside. Kobe has Fisher; Magic had Scott; Jordan had Paxson; etc. Miller is not content to be a role player (has said as much) and those calling for Roy to be a role player seriously underrate his talent or overrate Miller’s.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 5:31 PM PDT up reply actions
but your scorer probably needs a secondary scorer more than he needs a one dimensional shooter. Pierce has Rondo. Ginobili has Parker. Kobe has Artest. Anthony and Billups. Carter and Jameer Nelson. Nash and J-Rich. Durant and Westbrook. Sure, some of those secondary guys can shoot, but they are far from one dimensional shooters. None of the 50 win teams in the NBA have a scorer like Roy then two low usage shooters on the wings. Several of them have a secondary scorer who’s not a great shooter (Artest, Westbrook, Rondo and Parker). So I’d say it’s much more difficult to be a top team with two limited shooters than it is with a secondary scorer who’s not much of a shooter.
don't disagree
Miller would have to accept much less usage for this to work. That is the essence of this conflict. Miller publicly expressed his frustration with not being respected for his years of experience – and it wasn’t all about his starting role.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 5:49 PM PDT up reply actions
ya
It will probably be something of an uneasy marriage. But when you have a team with enough quality to do well in the playoffs, you usually have enough egos that it can be a little uneasy. That’s what the coach’s job is.
I don't really understand the issue
I don’t think anyone is really advocating Andre Miller start taking more shots than Brandon Roy, even Andre Miller, just that the offense should be adjusted to take advantage of Miller’s talent to get Roy better shots at less effort to Roy. This would basically require Andre Miller to handle the ball more and work some more off-ball action to set himself up rather than handing Roy the ball up top 6 seconds into the possession and telling Miller to go sit in the corner which seems to be what Roy is alluding to by talking about going to the offense of two years ago and more iso-ing up.
Roy should absolutely maintain or increase his usage, but the concerning part is how he gets those points. The Cavs tried a similar offense the last few years with Lebron and got shut down every time they ran into an elite defensive team. Simply put, it doesn’t seem to be a style of offense that wins in the playoffs even with players far better than Roy.
#52
by Royster on Oct 13, 2010 6:08 PM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
Roy can't win a championship by himself in an iso-style or any other style.
Jordan, Kobe, and Lebron didn’t either. It takes a team with a mix of other scorers, defenders, another star (Greg Oden in our case), and role players. It’s all about the right mix – it always is. I think the trick is to surround your superstar with players that maximizes his ability to deliver for you – and for a player like Roy that means both scoring and creating opportunities for his teammates. I see Brandon very much as a Kobe/Wade player, he hasn’t reached their level yet in only 4 years, but he can get there with the proper support if his knees hold up.
I don’t think Brandon needs Miller to get him better shots with less effort. That is not the type of player he is anymore than Kobe needs a PG to get him easier shots. Brandon needs the ball to both contribute as a scorer and as a playmaker. Brandon has a 5 assist per game average over his 4 year career. This is not a selfish player. We just need to put synergistic players around him. The threat of Brandon driving and scoring makes it easy for him to create opportunities for teammates that hit outside shots. The threat of outside shooters makes it easier for Brandon to drive and score. It’s synergy. Miller is negative synergy. He can’t hit the outside shots, but he wants to ball in his hands and he wants to score too. Miller barely got more assists per game than Roy last year. He barely got more assists than Steve Blake (a poor playmaker) got the previous two years. Miller is a score-first PG and not the complementary player Roy and Blazers need.
Give Roy a healthy Greg Oden and surround them with a mix of players that optimize Roy’s ability to contribute and they can win a championship. They won’t get close with Miller, IMO.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 6:52 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
If over 75% percent of Roy's assists go to jump shooters
then how are Brandon and Greg going to be a dominant inside-outside force in years to come? Is Roy going to run pick and rolls with Greg? Or was that why KP targeted Hedo, back in July 2009?
In 4 playoff games so far Portland has 83 assists. Miller has 20 of them, and he’s played 6-7 mpg less than Roy, who has 5 assists. Small sample size? Sure, but the 11 year vet is doing what he’s always done—and the team has yet to run an offensive set.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Oct 13, 2010 9:00 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
In 4 playoff games so far
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Like preseason assists mean something? Trade Roy and start Rudy is you want to go by preseason.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 11:31 PM PDT up reply actions
How about using the regular season stats that have some meaning instead of 4 preseason games? Geez ....
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 11:34 PM PDT up reply actions
keep scolling downwards
Roy’s assist percentage =/= Miller’s where it counts: in the paint.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Roy's comments bother me more than on a Roy vs Miller level.
I do like Miller and thought he was invaluable to our team last year, and Roy’s “He’ll have to deal with it” comment is disrespectful to me, but I still would choose Roy over Miller any day like everyone else on here. My problem is what this attitude means for the whole team.
What about Batum? We all know that Batum’s talent has barely been tapped on our team and he’s ready to break out, but if Roy needs the ball more, will Batum continue to be left out on the perimeter as a spot up shooter?
What about Oden? What if Oden actually does come back and have a healthy season? When he played last year he put up all-star numbers for efficiency and he was barely fed the ball. Will Roy give up his touches to feed the big man like championship teams do?
What about Camby, Wes, and the rest of our players? His comments make it pretty clear that Andre isn’t going to be allowed to play his game, which basically defeats the purpose of having him, but my bigger problem is what does this mean for the rest of the team. If Roy had Lebron’s talent then I might not have as much of a problem with it, but he doesn’t. And we need more than what Roy iso’s alone will be able to provide.
by Coastie07 on Oct 14, 2010 12:38 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Drama.
"All that is certain is that nothing is certain."
Nosce Te Ipsum
by L-TrainFTW! on Oct 13, 2010 3:43 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Brandon has also expressed a desire to play more PG
The guy has serious talent as a play maker as well and really messes with opposing defenses. Last preseason game he played over 30 mins and was 3rd for shots taken and tied for 4th on free throws taken.
His efficiency was off the charts awesome…going 6 for 9 from the field and must have been picking some very solid shots to take. If the guy wants the ball more please, please give it to him.
He was the highest efficiency per possession of the top scorers last game and, many admit, he wasn’t even in full gear. People like LA, GO, BRoy, Nic and even Miller…we may not know how good we have it until they get sick of having every move questioned and make a beeline for bigger market teams.
I really hope that never happens. I honestly wouldn’t blame a couple of them though and I’m guessing up to 3 of them (coach included) may already be leaning towards exploring other options in the future.
You have to start Miller or he will start yelling like a little girl
by LicketyBrindleDowntheMiddle on Oct 13, 2010 3:46 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
You have to start Miller because he's the only PG you have
What a ridiculous post.
The Leeroy Rule: being insistent >>>> being correct
by leeroyjenkins on Oct 13, 2010 4:17 PM PDT up reply actions
but Portland doesn't need a PG who sets up his teammates, they have Brandon
or so I’ve been told
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Bayless might be a better option alongside Roy, right now
Such an arrangement would mitigate Bayless’ responsibilities – he would just need to be a transition/attack guy + a spot up three guy. He wouldn’t need to initiate most half court sets – but wouldn’t be a liability as a P&R guy, either.
All you really need to maximize Roy (and maximizing Roy is the most important part of this discussion) is a defensive-minded, low turnover, good 3-point shooting PG. Mathews fits that mold – maybe even better than Bayless.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 4:24 PM PDT up reply actions
except Bayless is a terrible transition PG
he has blinders on for the basket, and won’t even pass the ball when it would result in a dunk for a teammate. So don’t expect that starting unit to get much out of the break. I’d hate to lose the Miller to Batum/LMA fast breaks we get now – because we don’t get many other fast breaks at all.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
No....Roy is the PG
He demands the ball because he can create his own shot or find others. He is the face of the franchise, right? Give him the ball and let him create. Start Matthews with Roy and Miller can come off the bench. Matthews can guard the opposing PG. Sorry, but Miller/Roy cannot co-exist. It was proven last year. If MIller cries, who cares? We can trade his expiring contract or let him walk…he is NOT the future.
Miller/Roy cannot co-exist. It was proven last year.
When did this happen? Proven to whom?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I agree with this sentiment
It will never be an ideal pairing, but I seem to remember a stretch before Roy got re-injured where we were extremely effective. It has not been proven to me that they cannot co-exist, just that they are not ideal together…but we already knew that.
A PG that gets less than 6 assists a game, and only 0.7 more assists per game than the selfish Roy.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 4:34 PM PDT up reply actions
And what would Roy do if he didn't start? Much worse than cry like a little girl.
They’re both the best players at their position on the team, by far, so they both should expect to start.
A franchise that sounds like it's going to carry on the tradition of mediocrity
dashed with rare flashes of greatness. Nothing new to see here… move along…
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
Wow, this thread scares me
The collective Blazers fan psych is evidently a very, very fragile thing.
When I read this, it was good news to me rather than bad news. The concern over the offense as expressed by Nate last night? Not much need for it! McMillan just said they’re still getting the offense together. Solved (if things aren’t still this bad by the season opening).
Roy/Miller chemistry? Getting more questionable by the day I admit, but everyone’s treating Roy’s comments as if what he says is going to be how the rest of the season goes. That’s ridiculous. If anything, he’s just beginning to piece things together offense-wise too for this season. I highly doubt there will be this much confusion by the season opening. Obviously McMillan and co. are going to put something together that works. Otherwise, we have a coaching problem.
by thetsaiguy on Oct 13, 2010 3:49 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs
totally agree
this thread is 80% mass hysteria
by sammymohawk on Oct 13, 2010 10:57 PM PDT up reply actions
We already have Greg
"Listening to the media only increases your odds of failing at whatever you are doing" - Mark Cuban
You mean, trade Brandon for a center?
Yeah, I like that idea too..
haha... how does it feel blazersedge!?
everything uv’e complained about other teams stars (i.e. the l*kers) is right here having a cup of tea with u.
troll
Geriatric Dunk Squad!
1/4/10 - Juwan Howard dunks on Chris Kaman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTkOqDgLb6s
3/7/10 - Andre Miller Tomahawk jams on the Denver Nuggets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-JVgm7F1QA
4/12/10 - Marcus Camby drops 30 and 13 on OKC to cement 50 wins. http://www.nba.com/blazers/media/camby_chant_041310.mp3
by Eat Politicians on Oct 13, 2010 7:55 PM PDT up reply actions
I used to think Brandon was a smart person
But the fact that he thinks he needs the ball in his hands more, when in fact that’s the LAST THING this team needs, leaves me wondering if he’s somewhat of a dimwit.
I know that I like him a lot better when he keeps his yapper shut.
The Leeroy Rule: being insistent >>>> being correct
His BBIQ is probably > his IQ.... Neither are off the charts...
He’s also doing a great job of opening his mouth and removing all doubt…
Time to take a BEDGE break
There is just simply not enough going on right now, and everyone’s stir crazy with the cabin fever of “when will the season actually start, already???” People are freaking out about any tid-bit of information they can get.
I enjoy reading posts where I feel like I learn something. All this speculation about players, attitudes, and chemistry is annoying. We can’t get inside Brandon, Nate, or anyone else’s head for that matter.
Let me know if something important happens before the season actually starts, like if the players decide to donate 80% of their earnings to charity.
go blazers
by mabulati on Oct 13, 2010 4:17 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs
actually, this post is as close to getting inside Roy's head as you will ever get
pretty significant, actually.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 4:25 PM PDT up reply actions
Yep, it's Roy finally revealing how he really feels about the consequences of playing with Miller.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions
does anyone really think that Andre shouldn't take a back seat to Brandon?
Is that a foreign concept for some reason? Yes, Andre will absolutely have to deal with a healthy Brandon being a freaking star, because that’s what Brandon does. As Andre gets older, and as he plays alongside a guy like Brandon, his role will be diminished. He is still valuable to us. The world is not ending.
by sammymohawk on Oct 13, 2010 11:02 PM PDT up reply actions
One of my favorite things about Roy is his clutchness
the more it matters the better he gets.
This is preseason. It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t care. He doesn’t play well.
Big deal? Not really.
by moflow on Oct 13, 2010 4:42 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
so andre comes over, the team is devestated by injuries, and still comes close to last year's reletively injury free season
roy’s numbers remain the same, the team plays much better on the road, and now we want to run miller out of town?
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
"I was like, 'Wow, we get a run.'-Felix Hernandez
Artis Gilmore for Hall of Fame
due to his low support around Bedge, Rudy Fernandez is temporarily my new favorite player
no, not all of the fans.
Nate needs to tell Roy to do what’s best for the team. Sure, more touches but PLEASE GET OVER THE ISO play.
Of course..the Blazers can always persist and then Nate will lose his job when they don’t get out of the first round.
What is Brandon going to DO when Greg CLOGS UP THE MIDDLE??
UGGGHHH….
Unfortunately, Greg becoming consistently healthy or us getting an all-star point guard like Chris Paul might never happen.
The above is a good thing for Roy though because if either of those things do happen, Roy’s attitude and refusal to adjust from his style wouldn’t get the pass it does now.
the blazer players are too candid
a lot of what roy is saying is disconcerting
PHILLY!
by CleBlazer on Oct 13, 2010 4:56 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
What happened to Roy's recent comments of realizing how he thought Dre should adjust to him and not considering how he should adjust to Dre.
He was contrite about how he handled it before in comments just weeks ago. Did he change his mind, forget.
This is where a coach steps up. I don’t know if Nate will come against Brandon to tell him to be the good soldier. I lean towards the fact he won’t, but that is why you brought in Bickerstaff and I could see him speaking up because he won’t care what Brandon thinks.
I hear Brandon saying he’ll start playing when the offense starts running the way he wants, which will increasingly change to his liking as the season get’s closer. What if Dante, LMA, or GO don’t like the style of play the Blazers adjust too. Should they follow suit to Brandon’s lead?
Brandon sure sounds a lot like Kobe when he was 26. What kind of team leader example does it give when you make those comments? We have more weapons than we did 2 years ago, and he wants the ball even more? Kobe get’s his touches now, but they win as a team because Kobe finally figured it out 4 years ago that he couldn’t do it on his own after he tried. Brandon seemed like he was smarter than that. I am disappointed that he is not the selfless leader that I thought he was. He’ll figure it out, I don’t think it is the end of the world, but I had thought he already figured it out. This issue will define Nate’s coaching career with the Blazers either for the good or the bad.
one counter to that is the usg%
bryant was at 30.5 last year, brandon was at 25.5.
the year before, bryant was at 30.2, with brandon at 26.5, while being nearly as effective per minute as kobe.
maybe brandon DOES need the ball more?
PHILLY!
But can Brandon use 5% more possessions at the same efficiency? Kobe in his prime could basically use every possession at 55% TS. If Brandon can do this he should get the ball more. If not, a more considered approach (and keeping his USG similar) is probably in order.
key to that would be developing the post player as a scoring option in Roy's pick and roll or isolation sets
Isolation works great if Roy draws a double and dishes for a layup/dunk or an open 3. His usage goes up but other players are scoring more (usage if I understand correctly is any possession that ends in a stat).
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 5:35 PM PDT up reply actions
think it might have been adjusted
USG: Usage Rate – the number of possessions a player uses per 40 minutes. Usage Rate = {[FGA + (FT Att. × 0.44) + (Ast x 0.33) + TO] x 40 x League Pace} divided by (Minutes x Team Pace)
(from Hollinger’s ESPN stats)…
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 5:38 PM PDT up reply actions
Usage rate =/= Usage %
Hollinger uses a different one than BB-R, which is more universally used here.
The formula as defined by them:
USG% = 100 * ((FGA + 0.44 * FTA + TOV) * (Tm MP / 5)) / (MP * (Tm FGA + 0.44 * Tm FTA + Tm TOV))
#52
troll
Geriatric Dunk Squad!
1/4/10 - Juwan Howard dunks on Chris Kaman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTkOqDgLb6s
3/7/10 - Andre Miller Tomahawk jams on the Denver Nuggets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-JVgm7F1QA
4/12/10 - Marcus Camby drops 30 and 13 on OKC to cement 50 wins. http://www.nba.com/blazers/media/camby_chant_041310.mp3
by Eat Politicians on Oct 13, 2010 7:56 PM PDT up reply actions
Haha, how so?
Only pointing out the simple fact that you can’t say Roy should get the ball more because Kobe gets the ball more. Kobe is on level above Roy that Brandon will not reach. I can’t stand Kobe, but I can admit that much. Roy needs his teammates even more than Kobe does.
I've been worrying about this for two years
I had never really heard Brandon say what i wanted to hear until a couple weeks ago when he talked about working better with Dre. He sounded like a team player. Now this. We can win 50 games playing Roy ball. I don’t care about winning 50 games if it all goes to pot in the playoffs, which it will if we play Roy ball. A couple weeks into the season last year I saw Roy come off a couple of picks and hit gimme medium range jumpers off feeds from Miller. I thought it was a beautiful thing and it rarely happened in the second half of the season.
Miller is a smart player, one of the smartest on the team, along with Camby and possibly Rudy (whose head gets in front of his ability). It looks like Matthews will be that kind of player as well. What hasn’t been much discussed lately is how the team was/wasn’t including Oden when he was healthy. There are only a few Blazers that seemed capable of feeding the post. Roy wasn’t good at it, Blake was horrible. The only players that seemed capable of getting the ball to Oden were Miller, Rudy and Howard. I suspect Camby will be able to feed/help Oden like he does LMA. I’ll bet Matthews can make a post entry pass.
I believe the team will only go as far as Oden takes it. If he isn’t available to us, we must get used to making the playoffs and maybe winning one series. If he is available, Roy needs to figure out the team game much better than he has. Miller makes his teammates better by getting them easy, often close looks. Miller will make Oden better. Miller could make Roy better, but Roy doesn’t seem too interested in that approach. Roy gets assists by finding other players for long jumpers after drawing defenders to him. i don’t mind that sometimes, but I mind it such a large percentage of the offense when Roy is on the floor. Nate has to tell Brandon to leak out earlier so he can get easy buckets on the break? Really? Bayless doesn’t often talk to Nate? Really? Miler and Roy don’t speak? Really? All these guys should be talking all the time. Bayless should be talking with Nate daily. Roy should be talking to Miller daily. The fact that Roy spent most of his time talking to Outlaw possibly gives insight to why Roy seems clueless about team ball. The low-hanging fruit for improvement is communication. To the degree this team doesn’t communicate with each other is the degree to which I feel like they’re letting US down as fans.
Yes, Larry Brown would never let this happen. Break up Roy and Nate ASAP. I’ve spent enough years complaining about their codependency and it doesn’t seem like this year will be any different. I thought losing Blake would help things. Apparently not.
If I could trade Roy+something for Deron Williams, I’d do it in a heartbeat and the Blazers would be a far superior team, even though WIlliams and Roy have similar talent levels.
by SGIndigo on Oct 13, 2010 6:21 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Miller makes his teammates better by getting them easy, often close looks.
This is true, as AK1984 noted the other day.
Miller being much more proficient than Brandon Roy or Jerryd Bayless at distributing the ball to players who make close-range field-goal attempts.
http://www.hoopdata.com/player.aspx?name=Andre%20Miller
http://www.hoopdata.com/player.aspx?name=Brandon%20Roy
http://www.hoopdata.com/player.aspx?name=Jerryd%20Bayless
During this past season, 2.2 of Miller’s 5.4 assists per game (i.e., 40.7%) led to close-range buckets, 1.3 of Roy’s 4.6 assists per game (i.e., 28.3%) led to close-range buckets, and 0.5 of Bayless’ 2.3 assists per game (i.e., 21.7%) led to close-range buckets.
So it’s not just the raw assist numbers, it’s where those passes lead to—close-in baskets also tend to result in FT attempts for the would-be finisher. Jump shots? Not so much.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Easily Roy's most important development is to feed bigs moving toward the basket
it’s the missing link, really
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 9:29 PM PDT up reply actions
I'd love to see it
but I’ve been told that most NBA players “are who they are” by the time they reach their mid-20s
Can Brandon develop the court vision to spot open teammates under the basket? (Bayless’ bashers don’t seem to think that Jerryd, can and he’s 4 years younger than Roy)
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
That's the problem, I haven't seen any growth from Brandon...
Brandon can only see lanes to the hoop, not teammates under it…
when is that going to happen?
dude’d played 4 full seasons already, and he is below average at both executing a simple post feed and at feeding a big on the move to the rim.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
He's had a rookie Oden to dump to
and an LMA that popped rather than rolled
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 10:07 PM PDT up reply actions
have you seen Roy run the pick and roll/pop?
He goes so wide and slowly around the screen, he rarely forces the big defender to really overplay him. Since the big doesn’t have to hedge much at all, the lane is rarely open to the roll at all.
It’s a bit chicken/egg here.
bottom line to me is fundamentals. After 4 years of this current core, our players are still very poor at
A) setting good picks
B) using picks properly
C) defending picks well
D) off-ball movement (save Rudy and Wesley, who came here with it already)
At some point don’t you have to wonder why we aren’t developing those fundamentals very well? We’ve rolled a lot of young talented players through here, and they don’t seem to improve their base skills much at all while they are here.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
no argument from me
other than the idea that Roy can’t change or develop a part of his game. However, I’ve argued these same issues in my anti-Nate rants. Whether Nate is the root cause of the effect is debatable – but as a coach myself – I have a hard time letting him off the hook.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 10:14 PM PDT up reply actions
of course he CAN
and LMA can learn to roll and find a man to box out
and Oden can learn to set a better pick
and half our roster can learn to fight through picks.
but none of them ever seem to do these things. You kind of at some point can’t say “well, they just don’t have it in them to learn them”. really? no one on our roster can learn to improve these fundamental skills? I find that hard to believe. I find it much easier to believe they aren’t getting properly coached to, or they are, but at the end of the day if they don’t do it in game, they aren’t held accountable for it by having their butt on the bench.
It’s like Nate yelling all game long “run!”. Ok, great. but do they spend time practicing outlet passes, filling lanes, spacing, etc?
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
After 4 years of this current core, our players are still very poor at
A) setting good picks
Agree re: LMA, but don’t be lumping Przy into that mix
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
like my comment about Rudy/Wesley and off ball movement
Joel was a great pick-setter before coming to Portland, and before this current coaching staff.
Jerry Sloan turns every guy he gets into a solid pick-setter. Who have we developed in that area? Who has learned here how to cut off the ball? Who has become a better pick-user? Pick-Defender?
I’m not talking about largely individual skills like a post move or outside shooting – those are improved through an individual’s own desire and repetition. I’m talking about skills that involve other people on the floor as well, like the ones I list above. In 4 years, LMA’s picks haven’t improved noticeably despite being asked to set them constantly.. Roy, despite getting picks all game long, is still a well below-average pick-user.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
I don't think Roy and LMA like contact
so they run a soft pick-and-pop. Pretty boys
Antonio Harvey said he talked to one of the outgoing assistants last June, and they said they had to constantly remind the players to set solid picks and cut sharply. As a result, the offense wasn’t being executed correctly because the players weren’t doing these fundamentals. Is this bad coaching, or Gen-X players who don’t want to get their hands dirty or their knees scraped?
Nate talked about how beautiful an athlete LMA was last week—this is what you call your power forward? Imagine Ramsay calling Lucas a “beautiful athlete”! Walton was pretty, Gross was pretty, Mo and Lloyd Neal brought the lunch pail attitude. Joel and Greg have been sorely missed by this team, Camby and Cunningham can only do so much—they’re two other guys who came to PDX with the fundamentals already ingrained
Perhaps Cho and the Blazer’s scouts need to keep this in mind; acquire tough-minded, fundamentally sound players in the future. Don’t count on the coaches to whip them into shape.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
LMA and Brandon Roy are Generation Y, which started in 1982.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
Roy's a pretty boy that goes back on the court 8 days after knee surgery?
I beginning to think some people don’t deserve Brandon … no wonder he is getting fed up with the selfish comments, and comments about how he can’t change to play with Miller. It’s getting bad when the league’s coaches pick you for 3 all star teams in 3 years but your own fans turn on you …
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 11:43 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
we shouldn't just blindly worship the ground he walks on
anymore than we should under appreciate him. I personally never got caught up in the “selfish” crap – which is exactly what I think it is.
Still, I think it’s more than fair to question Roy’s ability or willingness to adapt and grow as a player and teammate. Iso-heavy pick and pop has thus far proven two things: 1) It’s best (easiest?) for Roy, and B) it doesn’t appear to be best for the TEAM long term. Mabye we’ll be proven wrong, and Roy will be proven right. But it’s fair to say, based on what we’ve seen thus far, that we disagree with that premise, and we are concerned that our star player sees rigid and inflexible.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
"seems rigid and inflexible"
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
Do you think Roy likes contact?
or does he turn to the ref and complain whenever he’s bumped and the play is going the other way?
From Steve Kelley’s article in the thread right below this one
At a postseason meeting, McMillan suggested that if Bickerstaff demanded sweet-shooting Dale Ellis to play defense, Ellis would do it.
"Young fella," Bickerstaff told him, "don’t even worry about that. You worry about playing defense. Dale Ellis’ offense is his defense."
Lesson learned.
I wonder if Nate thinks Brandon and LMA’s offense is their defense?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I think LMA is underrated on defense
I know his steals and blocks and defensive boards are poor, but I think his non-stat team defense (the eye test) is actually pretty good (straight up post D excepted). He’d kind of a glue guy on the defensive end who can use his athleticism, length, and quickness to switch and help for other guys. This doesn’t lead to impressive stats, but it does help the team.
Roy, on the other hand, is just plain poor, mostly due to what appears to be an utter lack of effort. Every game I watch him rotate slow, lazily half-closeout on a weakside shooter, and stand flat-footed in no mans land as his man cuts back door for a pass or offensive rebound.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
No he's a pretty boy that never takes the ball to the hoop for fear of contact.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 12:12 AM PDT up reply actions
I think LMA doesn't like contact
look no further than his gut instinct to double clutch every contested shot down low rather than drawing the foul while trying to dunk. Here’s hoping we will see strides there this year. his certainly drawn more fouls in the preseason.
I don’t think Roy shies away from contact. I honestly think he doesn’t know the proper way to use a pick. Plus I think he prefers NOT to use a pick. He’s always waving the pick-setter off.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
He absolutely doesn't know how to use a pick...
I just don’t think he likes it, because then there is some wierd expectation that he might benefit the team by giving the ball up…
some bun, or sandwich play… no, roll, that’s it…
I don’t think Roy shies away from contact. I honestly think he doesn’t know the proper way to use a pick.
Bringing his man into the screener (as it should be done) will usually result in the dribbler being jostled as he turns the corner on the PnR. (This is the contact I was referring to) LMA and Roy avoid making contact with their defenders on the PnR, it’s obvious. That makes the play much less effective.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Brandon needs to touch the ball more
but for less time on each possession. Too much dribbling. Post Dre more—Nic is nails from 3.
Brandon is a great player, and it’s good that he wants to put the team on his shoulders. He wants the offense to be organized but says he plans to follow it. That means if Nate calls a play for Nic to post up Nash (caugh), such a play will likely be run.
I’m not worried—we know this team is still a couple moves away.
chk yrslf bf u rec yrslf
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Oct 13, 2010 5:10 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
IE--Andre isn't a great fit and Rudy doesn't want to be here.
I can understand Brandon wanting things to just make sense so he can concentrate on beating his opponent. That’s the mentality of great finishers. Jordan and Kobe both had to learn the team concept—at least Brandon is likeable in his quest to become a great team player.
chk yrslf bf u rec yrslf
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Oct 13, 2010 5:20 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
This must be the second movie in the 6 movie double trilogy...
When does Roy finally meet Yoda, and learn the fundamental truths that will carry him to victory?
you're taking it out of context
at home, he just wants to touch a ball when he’s at home…
Geriatric Dunk Squad!
1/4/10 - Juwan Howard dunks on Chris Kaman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTkOqDgLb6s
3/7/10 - Andre Miller Tomahawk jams on the Denver Nuggets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-JVgm7F1QA
4/12/10 - Marcus Camby drops 30 and 13 on OKC to cement 50 wins. http://www.nba.com/blazers/media/camby_chant_041310.mp3
by Eat Politicians on Oct 13, 2010 7:56 PM PDT up reply actions
IDGI
chk yrslf bf u rec yrslf
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Oct 13, 2010 8:57 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I'm not going to get in an uproar about this.
I’ll wait for how the team plays in the regular season to form an opinion. I blame Nate before Brandon, because it seems like Nate has told him “We need you with the ball all the time.”
But if the other team doubles him every time
you WANT him to get the ball and make the right decision. He needs to practice this skill. I don’t really enjoy watching Brandon get thugged up when he’s running through screens anyways. Give him the ball and keep moving—that can get guys open, high percentage looks.
Brandon gets assists. Andre will be gone sooner or later and we’ll laugh at this ever being considered an issue.
chk yrslf bf u rec yrslf
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Oct 13, 2010 5:52 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Who wants to start the betting pool
On how long it takes before Roy starts making the kind of noises Carmelo/Paul/Soudemire are/were making? Not full out “trade me now!” noise, just disgruntled criticism about the team and the future.
are you stoned,Brandon?
I’m the type of guy, I never really cared for preseason.
I tell you what, if I am the coach of the blazers, I sit his ass down until he starts thinking about the team and the purpose of the preseason.
Blazers are lame.
"The only 'Advanced Metric' that matters is what you see with your eyes." -Timbo, Nov., 2009.
What great player likes preseason?
chk yrslf bf u rec yrslf
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Oct 13, 2010 6:17 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
you don't have to like it
but you have to respect what it’s for, and put full effort into the minutes you are out there. the games don’t count, which is what makes it an ideal time to try new things and learn. you aren’t going to know if your new stuff is any good, and your aren’t going to learn anything, if players are just coasting.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
Then what's the problem?
He says he’s never been crazy about preseason. But what would sports blogs be without 200 comments off of one little pull quote?
chk yrslf bf u rec yrslf
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Oct 13, 2010 6:41 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
the problem is that by coasting
he isn’t helping us evaluate whether or not anything we might try (lineup combos, new playsets, etc) are working or not
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
exactly
and that’s exactly what this team needs.
"The only 'Advanced Metric' that matters is what you see with your eyes." -Timbo, Nov., 2009.
He doesn't want new plays.
Those are for the second unit.
He wants to wait to try hard when they go Roy on 5.
by Free Bayless on Oct 13, 2010 7:14 PM PDT up reply actions
right, he is sleepwalking because HE doesn't need this
who cares about the rest of the team. Lame.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
MJ wanted to win every practice scrimmage, if he lost he'd be irate
I saw Jordan in a preseason game at the MC early in his career (before Pippen, Polynice was still with Chicago) and Mike looked very pedestrian. I wondered what all the #23 hype was about—the Bulls fans were probably getting on him for his effort after that game—good thing that was back in the days before Blog-a-Bull…
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Gilbert Arenas. No wait.
"Listening to the media only increases your odds of failing at whatever you are doing" - Mark Cuban
by Norsktroll on Oct 13, 2010 6:46 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Guarantee you Durant is trying...
Or if he isn’t, he at least isn’t stupid enough to admit it!
I know it's become an inside joke...
But don’t those quotes sound a tad, oh, I don’t know, self-centered? egotistical? hmm…. what’s another name…
ughhh....reading the comments on this post reminded why I stop reading fanposts and comments
during the season. It got so bad with all the “fire Nate” and “Roy is selfish” talk that I finally had to stop reading. I guess it’s starting a little early this year.
by JasonT on Oct 13, 2010 6:54 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
what's wrong with "fire Nate"?
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 9:31 PM PDT up reply actions
I seriously need to print up a bunch of T-shirts...
Please reply or rec if you’d like a copy of my new “Fire Nate Fast” T-shirts, to join the diet plan…
I think “Fire Nate Fast” on the front, and “Roy is selfish” on the back would work, eh?
How about
“Nate the slow has got to go”
“Brandon’s team – for the loss”
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
how about
“back to back 50 win seasons for a team with a ridiculously young core”?
by sammymohawk on Oct 13, 2010 11:12 PM PDT up reply actions
Now we know why the Blazers have sucked in the preseason
Brandon is basically tanking it until Nate puts in Brandon’s pet pick & roll & iso plays.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
to bad everyone knows!!
its to bad how other teams are starting to know we only have one game plan!!!" pick and Roll" and when they adjust it takes us a whole quarter to figure it out..yes it is preseason but when is it time to hold someone accountable? at the end of the season same post “next yr will be our yr” and we will look we haven’t beaten Utah in 6 Games yet some of you say we will win it all..I am beginning to wonder if we are even a top 10 team at the moment if we are nothing better then 9th
This is really disappointing.
He’s big-timing the franchise and his teammates. He’s lost his mind if he thinks plays are for non-starters.
Blowing off the preseason is for 30+ year old veterans with rings and permanent nagging injuries, not young players who haven’t won a playoff series.
The good news is...
There will likely be a lockout next season so we won’t have to deal with this $#!+ next pre-season.
also
its to bad barnadon doesn’t have a coach that can straighten him out Kobe has brandon doesnt
What concerns me the most
Is that a good leader leads by example. If the other 14 guys had this same attitude or said these same things, we would be up in arms. If I’m Luke Babbit and I see Roy, the player I’m supposed to striving to be like, playing this hard, why shouldn’t I?
We went like this, he went like that. I say to Hollywood: Where'd he go? Hollywood says: where'd who go?
I hope the players call him on it tomorrow in practice...
I’d like nothing more than to hear that the Blazers all gathered around Brandon at center court and told him that he is not acting like a leader, so either start by shutting up and stop making such stupid, selfish comments in public, or step aside…
better yet
players (especially player x) shut up and fall in line behind the leader. However, I’ll bet you a bucket of dimes that only one player has an issue with Roy’s “leadership” – and I’ll bet you a second bucket of dimes that Roy’s comments follow behind the scenes developments that have caused Roy to take a stand.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 10:10 PM PDT up reply actions
as they say on the Springer show
“SHOUTING MATCH!” “SHOUTING MATCH!” “SHOUTING MATCH!”
At least ’Dre and Roy will be communicating, no?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
if only one player has a problem with this...
then we’re a long way from having a championship team…
or real close to one...
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 11:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Luke could learn a lot
Roy is showing that he’s gotta look out for himself. It’s a business.
I used to go by tominhawaii. My real name is still Tom.
by LukeBabbittFTW on Oct 14, 2010 3:58 AM PDT up reply actions
Brandon is maxed out until 2015
is he looking out for himself re: fame and personal awards? His fortune is secured
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
He's gotta stay healthy
He gets payed to perform in the playoffs and the regular season. I’d hate for him to get hurt in the preseason because he was trying to teach hustle to the young guys. They can wait 3 weeks to see that.
I used to go by tominhawaii. My real name is still Tom.
by LukeBabbittFTW on Oct 14, 2010 11:44 AM PDT up reply actions
Quick is saying all sorts of stuff on 95.5 right now (7:30pm) about his one-on-one and text conversations with Brandon
after the group questions today. I can’t possibly remember everything he said or the exact words, but he said that Brandon texted him that nothing he said was about me (Brandon), but about what would make the team better. Quick said he believes that Brandon believes that he can lead the team and wants more responsibility for wins and losses. He said Brandon is tired of hearing things like can Brandon play with Miller and he just intends to play his game to his strengths and people can ask if Andre can play with Brandon from now on. At one point he asked Brandon what they would do if Miller couldn’t play with him and Brandon answered something to the effect that then they would put someone else in the game that could.
Sorry if I got any of this wrong (I’m sure Quick will be writing this in an article soon), but my sense was that Quick was saying Brandon was a little fed up with what was being said about him (Brandon) and he was going to play to his strengths because that was the best for the team. And if other players didn’t accept it they would be replaced in the line up (he didn’t say traded or anything like that).
Don’t shoot the messenger on this one. I was just listening to 95.5 at an unusual time tonight when Quick dumped this new stuff and this is the best I remember what he said. I would guess Quick will publish more soon.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 7:48 PM PDT reply actions
If you listen to 95.5 now they may replay some of Quick's latest comments.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 13, 2010 7:49 PM PDT up reply actions
To be fair to Brandon
I do think he gets a little too much stick for this. It really seems like he gets the brunt of all the questions about it instead of Andre and Nate, who may be the most culpable for any problems in my eyes. Brandon shouldn’t have to answer questions about it after every game/practice while the other two guys get off relatively lightly, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an issue.
#52
what was brandon's shooting line for the pre season again? rebound totals?
What was the scrub who didn’t get drafted but got signed for 8+mil a years stat line?
Who’s the all star? Who’s game should we be catering to now?
The Faith don't panic, the Faith freaks out, burns out small farms and villages in the name of the Faith.
"Option 1" returns, 12 months later
I wonder if this is the same date when Roy and LMA went up to talk to Nate in the plane, last fall?
Roy’s got his health back, so he wants to be the man, again. When you’re young you think you’re bulletproof—but he couldn’t make it through last year without help from his teammates—why should this year be any different?
Another appointment with the Blazer’s psychologist would seem to be in order for Mr. Roy. (Quick is not helping matters, as usual.)
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
1st of all...
I appreciate some rare, honest talk from an athlete vs the canned, PC BS we get most every other time from others.
2nd… Really folks??? The kind of drama I’m reading above is comical. Please make sure that The-voice-of-reason as well as many of you like “mabulati” and “ashmortar” keep a seat at the table. It’s Pre-season, already…
"Easy for you to say coach, you don't have Big Greg rolling up on your blind side about to lay the wood to you." - Batum
by No you di'nt on Oct 13, 2010 7:49 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs
These same "Roy is selfish" commentators
also voted for Miller as the MVP last season…so that shows their credibility. Zero, in case someone is wondering…. It’s a big “what have you done for me lately” attitude.
Roy is still my favorite player on the team, and Miller is still my least favorite. Guess who’s side I’m on?
What? Did someone just yell "Hey Brace Face! Get Us a Center!"
That was totally uncalled for…. - Krang
by jamon51 on Oct 13, 2010 8:07 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
so why is miller your least favorite
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
"I was like, 'Wow, we get a run.'-Felix Hernandez
Artis Gilmore for Hall of Fame
due to his low support around Bedge, Rudy Fernandez is temporarily my new favorite player
by thomasikehara on Oct 13, 2010 8:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Becuase he makes roy look bad by doing the little things that roy cant..because he's wait for it....
Selfish!!!
BAM!!! HHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA…. heheh sorry :/
The Faith don't panic, the Faith freaks out, burns out small farms and villages in the name of the Faith.
I'm on your side too
I used to go by tominhawaii. My real name is still Tom.
by LukeBabbittFTW on Oct 14, 2010 4:02 AM PDT up reply actions
What amazing to me, is how many people pay attention to the Bedge
Quck, Roy, Rudy, Rudy’s agents, Cho…it’s kind of mind boggling, like in the 60’s when we thought Nixon didn’t care about the protests when in fact they drove him to the brink of an alcohol fueled paranoid breakdown.
It’s kind of gratifying.
I remember the Nixon resignation as a glorius moment ... :-)
They LOVED Nixon at Berkeley ! (and, of course, the feeling is mutual – governor Regan tear gassed the campus from choppers!)
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
by Berkeley on Oct 13, 2010 8:50 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
You don't question a franchise player's desire to have the ball more
Portland floundered in the postseason not only because of a lack of experience, but because most players didn’t understand their role in the offense. Miller, as much as I like him (on any other team), has never been a good fit, because, as people above have pointed out, he ALSO needs the ball a whole lot to be effective, and that creates a trainwreck situation when the two are on the court together. This whole first unit/second unit thing was, pretty much, talk, and of little substance in the postseason.
Roy brought a dose of reality, and I think that’s a positive thing; This is his team, it has been for about two seasons now, and it’s time to build around that. As long as he is the team’s franchise player, the team will be most effective in a half-court offense with Roy playing combo guard. It’s best to forget about a traditional PG who needs the ball to make plays happen. Perhaps it’s best to think of Roy as our PG.
Miller, as much as I like him (on any other team), has never been a good fit…
So Miller can play with all of the other shooting guards in the league, but not Brandon Roy? That says more about Roy than anything else. Strangely, I think it is somewhat true. Roy is high maintenance.
The reason Miller needs the ball in his hands to be effective is because he plays the point guard position. Point guards typically have the ball in their hands and run the offense.
"The only 'Advanced Metric' that matters is what you see with your eyes." -Timbo, Nov., 2009.
So let Roy have a shot at PG (not a stretch), and find a way to move Miller for a strong backup PF/C. Let’s face it, Miller has had a great career, but he’s undersized, relatively unathletic for a PG, and has shown an unwillingness to take a backseat to strong players who might be in a better position to take the leading role.
And yet Miller still manages to rank in the top dozen stats for PG's...
First, Roy’s body can’t take the pounding he gives it, you want to give him full court dribble responsibility?
And is he going to guard the opposing team’s PG? Or do we need somebody else (Hmm… a real PG perhaps) to guard them?
I don't disagree with everything you say here
but what other shooting guards of Brandon’s caliber has Andre been the PG alongside?
by sammymohawk on Oct 13, 2010 11:16 PM PDT up reply actions
take a look
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Well, let's see here.
In Philadelphia, it was a mixture of Willie Green and backup combo guard Louis Williams.
In Denver, it was sharp-shooters Voshon Lenard and Jon Barry his first season there. Afterward, it was a mixture of shooters (i.e., DerMarr Johnson first and J.R. Smith later) sharing playing time with defensive stoppers (i.e., Greg Bucker first and Yakhouba Diawara later).
In Los Angeles, it was a time share with sharp-shooter Quentin Richardson, sharp-shooter Eric Piatkowski, and defensive-minded big guard Marko Jaric.
In Cleveland, it was a collection of guys like sharp-shooter Wesley Person, sharp-shooter Trajan Langdon, journeyman Jimmy Jackson, and crazy Ricky Davis.
"Some things you can't unsee, bro." (The League)
Kind of limiting just to look at SGs
He’s been playing on teams with ball-dominant wings for a while, while Batum/Webster would largely fulfill the role most of the SGs you cite are here.
I think it’d strain credibility to argue that playing alongside Melo and Jon Barry/Lenard/Diawara is materially different than playing along Roy and Nic/Webster.
Similarly in Philly, he had Iggy next to Green/Sweet Lou. In LA it was primarily Maggette next to Richardson/Piatkowski. All fairly similar analogues to our current situation here.
#52
I agree to an extent
and I’m not gonna argue that those aren’t analogous situations, but the Denver example is really the only one that sticks out to me. I don’t think Maggette and Iggy are Roy.
by sammymohawk on Oct 14, 2010 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions
I never said they were
but stylistically they’re very similar. Very ball-dominant, function best with the ball in their hands, much better driving than shooting off the catch. The difference is that Roy is MUCH better than either of them at doing essentially everything offensively (Maggette is better at drawing fouls, though, and Iggy’s D really embarrasses Roy’s D).
#52
Are you arguing that Miller played successfully with other SG's?
How do you define success?
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions
Andre's age should also be taken into account here
I just think any “power struggle” between BRoy and Andre is ridiculous. Andre is very valuable to us, he has a great skill set that if utilized properly should alleviate the pressure on Roy to do everything. Maybe Andre would be better off coming off the bench as some have mentioned…I guess I just look at them as a 1-2 punch, two wavelengths each with respectable amplitudes (Roy’s being greater obviously) but not having to cause destructive interference to one another, nor are they constructive in a way that increases their respective amplitudes. Each can exist and let their amplitudes stand alone, it’s just a matter of offsetting them in the proper way. The team benefits but they don’t necessarily directly benefit each other.
two wavelengths each with respectable amplitudes … but not having to cause destructive interference to one another, nor are they constructive in a way that increases their respective amplitudes.
Ghostbuster blasters
“Guys, I think we’re going to have to cross the beams”
“Wait a minute! I thought you said something bad would happen if we crossed the beams!”
“Just do it!!!”
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I thought the idea was to keep the PG load off of Brandon
so we don’t wear him out. Give him some energy left to, say, play defense. Not to mention, he has had some issues with physical durability already (knee, hamstring). We presumably want him to last. Letting Brandon “do it all” is asking too much, and will wear him out, while making the defensive assignment for the opposition not too tough.
Even if Miller is not the perfect compliment to Roy, I would like to see them both working to coordinate with each other and make the best of it. I am not feeling much willingness by Brandon to adapt and grow.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
Hey Ben, sooooo what do you think of Brandon's attitude/plans for the team ??
I bet you could come up with a legitimate fireball of a story … but some people might not like it.
Just thinkin.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
Well, when the team signed Miller, there was more than one person who had observed him on
previous teams say that by the time he was done here the team would be in disarray and morale tanking.
So, I wonder if Blazers Edge can fine Roy $50,000 for making comments detrimental to the team...
I’m using my cut to buy whiskey.
"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
But seriously, folks... It has been obvious that Roy and Miller are both tanking the pre-season... And Camby is dinged...
I’ll bet the Blazers only win 1 more preseason game, max, because even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while…
I have a nasty feeling that they are NOT going to be able to “flip the switch” when the regular season starts. And I further predict that if this happens, Clownzano and Drama Queen Jason Quick have a very fun month of November while the entire state of Oregon melts down.
The clock is now running on the Brandon Roy regime. He’s talking like an egocentric superstar. Let’s see if he can back it up with actual energy and scoring prowess.
This team is ABSOLUTELY SCREWED if Pryzzy can’t make it back for the opener. Quote me.
"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
Miller's "tanking" by averaging 5 assists per 21 minutes?
Man, I can’t wait until Andre starts taking the games seriously!
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
could be a career year for him
fingers crossed it’s in terms of playoff success
by sammymohawk on Oct 13, 2010 11:20 PM PDT up reply actions
when Miller is "serious" those assists get all the way up to
5.4
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 11:28 PM PDT up reply actions
lob passes
fast break kick-ahead feeds from the backcourt
take Dre away and what have you got? 4 guys watching 1 going one-on-one
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
5.4 is pretty good considering
1) he played only 30 minutes per game
2) we play the slowest pace in the league
3) he often comes over halfcourt, hands the ball to Roy, and goes to the weakside.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
so how are we worse off than when Juwan Howard was our center last year if Przy can’t make it back for opening night? Isn’t Camby a major upgrade over Juwan and Pendy?
by sammymohawk on Oct 13, 2010 11:19 PM PDT up reply actions
this is what I've been saying all week...
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
what's the share ?
how many Edgers are there?
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
OK, so it just crystallized for me why I hate to hear this from BRoy so much...
it jives far too well with some comments from Nate I despised as well… and reveals the Blazers problem is indeed systemic… Or rather, non systemic… null systemic?
Nate says “we’re incorporating a few new set plays for people”…
There are so many things wrong with this… It sounds like Nate made a copy of the #7 play, and now his big new play now has Nic run across the baseline, past three picks, to get the 20’ contested jumper…
Then it hit me… Nate doesn’t have an offensive SYSTEM… He has a SET of PLAYS….
Our plays are all labeled – Brandon’s set…. LMA’s set…. Rudy’s set (run around those picks, Rudy, go!)
Good coaches have a SYSTEM – a way of moving the ball and the players – to achieve some sort of flow; to create some sort of identity.
This system will “run plays” for the #2, and the #3 (whoever happens to be in those positions gets the shot.) But while you may have one target on a particular play, most offensive systems have a general flow to them so that, in case the first option breaks down, another one (or two) are already in the works (weak side swap picks, e.g.)
Nate doesn’t have a system. (Or, rather he does but the problem is it just consists of : OK, Nic, go in the corner. Big man, set a useless pick up top… LMA, pick and pop… Dre, give it to Brandon…)
Until Nate’s plays have multple moving parts, I’d prefer he wasn’t coaching this collection of talent…
by Visionary2 on Oct 13, 2010 10:58 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
unfortunately, this might not be too far from the mark
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Oct 13, 2010 11:23 PM PDT up reply actions
that sounds more like..... FOOTBALL ?!
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
Yeah, the set of play does, for sure...
But basketball is ultimately about player and ball movement. For that, you need a system.
I mean, come on, in sixth grade our coach put us out on the court and said:
“OK, #1, you have the ball up top. #2, here on the left side, top of the key… #3 right side, top of key. #4 left side, down low, #5, right side, down low.
OK, so, each player can do one of three things at any one time: set a pick with the player on your side; set a pick across the lane; or catch the ball. This continues for the entire possession. To show you how this works:
- go across the key and set a pick for #4.
- go across and set a pick for #3.
Now guys, as you go across to set the pick, also keep your hands up and your eyes on the ball, because you could get a pass. And then, after you pick, now you’re in a new position on the floor, but you again have three options: catch the ball, pick your side, pick across the lane…
Repeat until somebody shoots, then you have two things you can do: crash the boards, or get back on D….
It’s a system. Repeatable regardless of the personnel. (Some players just execute better, which is why they start.)
But you don’t have the “second unit” playing up-tempo and the first not… You don’t create a system that has just one, oft-injured player determine the fate of the team. Because then you cease to have a team, just a collection of scrubs for your “star”. Just amazing… Nate needs a Coaching 101 refresher course…
I'd be OK trading Brandon
I’ve been comfortable with the idea for quite a while if we could get a fair trade out of it. Sure, the dramatic drives to the hoop and occasional game-winning threes are great but the rest of his game leaves me flat. And I have questioned his ability to elevate the entire team for quite some time.
(CP3 alert) IF Oden comes back more than happy to trade Roy and Miller outbound for CP3. I think Paul could turn Oden and Aldridge into all-stars and I don’t see Brandon doing that. Matthews could be SG in that lineup. cp3neverhappencp3neverhappen . . . yeh yeh yeh.
If fact, what happens if Greg does blow up? How does Brandon feel about possibly being second fiddle? I’m not sure he would be that happy about it if Greg was option 1 and he was 1A. Has he been putting bananas under Greg’s sneakers for the last three years?
put a body on 'em
more than happy to trade Roy and Miller outbound for CP3
Boy that’s tough. Paul has a knee meniscus that may be worse than Roy’s and there’s no guarantee he stays in PDX after 2012. I’d have to pass on that
what happens if Greg does blow up? How does Brandon feel about possibly being second fiddle?
Nobody knows, this relationship has to work out well or we might as well stop talking about a potential championship.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Oden is the key to a championship. Roy must realize that.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 1:27 PM PDT up reply actions
realizing it and making it work are 2 different things
have Nate or Brandon ever had a dominant low post big man in their careers? No, Nate has had a bench of defensive-minded centers with Seattle/Portland and Roy has had LMA. Until they find an offense that takes advantage of Roy and Oden that is virtually unstoppable in crunch time, it’s just a dream to say they’ll reach the finals. Have we seen Roy running this kind of offense, yet? No, not in 2008 and not last December
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Did Roy ever play in the NBA before he got to PDX?
He seems to have figured that out.
Roy wants to win. He’ll do whatever he believes best makes the team a winner. I truly believe that. If he is trying to do the “wrong” thing then it is up to Nate to convince him otherwise. I think he listens to Nate and can be directed. However, I sometimes wonder if Nate is totally clear communicating with Brandon. Nate is seldom totally clear communicating whenever I hear him.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions
If Roy was all about winning, don't you think he'd play a little more defense?
K*be has done it, so has Lebron. They figured out that to win they needed to improve on the non-glam end of the floor. Brandon has talked about it, but all anyone has to do is watch him when he’s off the ball to see that he’s coasting, a good deal of the time.
I appreciate what he can do offensively, but don’t tell me he wants to win until he’s giving the effort 100% of the time he’s on the floor. Because that’s what t takes, not just busting a move with the ball in his hands.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I don't know why Roy doesn't play better defense.
I don’t know if he physically can’t, or he thinks he is conserving energy, or what. That is certainly a valid criticism of his play, unlike the other nonsense and ill-will expressed about him in this thread.
Right now I’m so disgusted by Blazer fans dumping on Roy here the last two days I don’t think they deserve to have him in Portland. This is best player and one of the finest individuals we have had here since Drexler, and he has arguably done more for the off-court success and perhaps even the survival of the franchise than any Blazer ever. He is dedicated to this team and even moved his family here, unlike most Blazers of recent years. Yet his honest statements about what he thinks is good for the team (not himself) have been treated with the same lack of trust and disrespect that was thrown at LMA earlier this summer. I only hope this doesn’t eventually sour him on all Portland fans.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 8:19 PM PDT up reply actions
Clyde didn't like to practice
but back in the ‘80s there wasn’t the internet and the writers weren’t looking to point out a player flaws to the fanbase; there was a closer relationship between the newspaper and the franchise. Most of us didn’t know that Drexler wasn’t a dedicated practice player until after his Blazer career was over. He was the Glide, our hero who played hard whenever the popcorn was popping.
If what Ben or anyone here gets back to Brandon I hope it motivates him. He gets plenty of love from Blazer fans, but sometimes he should hear a little tough love, too. I can understand the “conserve energy” argument for not putting out on defense, but when you couple that with “I want the ball more” it’s hard to consider that player is wanting to be an all-around contributor.
If Roy played a little harder on defense and ran the floor he might get those extra touches and score transition lay-ins instead of having to penetrate through the teeth of the defense and suffer the pounding of grinding out so many half-court possessions.
There will always be ISOs to run at the end of games, but he’s going to have more legs and wind if he doesn’t have the ball all of the time in quarters 2,3,4. That’s why he needs his teammates, including Miller. Not to limit his game, but to save his energy for crunch time, at the end of the close games and all the way to the playoffs.
I really think Roy understands this, and I don’t expect there to be a huge amount of change in Nate’s system, but I hope to see some post-ups run for Brandon and Andre and size mismatches exploited. I’d also love to see Brandon learn from Miller and Camby how to effectively feed the post so the big guys can keep the pressure on the opponent’s interior defense. And I hope that Roy and ’Dre get stuck in a cab or an elevator for a couple of hours and finally have that heart to heart conversation.
I don’t think any true Blazer fan wants to see Roy traded, or humiliated. What we want to see is the team be successful, and all of Portland’s players getting after it on defense and sharing the ball unselfishly on offense. That’s classic Blazer basketball
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Oct 14, 2010 9:23 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I don’t think any true Blazer fan wants to see Roy traded, or humiliated. What we want to see is the team be successful, and all of Portland’s players getting after it on defense and sharing the ball unselfishly on offense. That’s classic Blazer basketball
Rec, despite still being intrigued by the idea of CP3 running the show w/o Brandon. And yes, both have injury issues.
put a body on 'em
It's a sad day to be a BEdger. How quickly they forget, B-Roy.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 12:45 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
this isnt twilight, you dont have to be on team andre or team brandon
during the stretch last year, the team started both andre and brandon, and won consistently against playoff teams.
why do people feel the need to praise one of them and trash the other?
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
"I was like, 'Wow, we get a run.'-Felix Hernandez
Artis Gilmore for Hall of Fame
due to his low support around Bedge, Rudy Fernandez is temporarily my new favorite player
Thank Goodness for Common Sense
I’m tired off all this talk of a running team. Nate and Roy know how to coach and play winning basketball. Running basketball is entertaining but not a formula for championship basketball. None of the recent champions or coaches that are known for winning play that style of basketball.
I’ll take 50 wins and the playoffs over 40 wins and a high draft pick any day.
I used to go by tominhawaii. My real name is still Tom.
Just here to show some support for roy. I have the feeling that he needs any support he can get at this point.
Personally, I love what roy just said.
As a person, he is a truth teller. He knows his lacking of effort in preseason will draw tons of critics but he till says the truth about where his mindset is. I like it more than a false encouraging speech.(But I admit it is hard to accept that roy would not give his all whenever he is stepping on the court. I guess that is just fantasy land)
As a leader, he is taking responsibilities.He believes that he handles the ball more is the way to win. So he is going for it. and I believe if Nate and his teammates(except Miller) have a problem with that, roy would not say those words in public. Furthermore, I never get it, why roy handles the ball equals iso-play for himself. Maybe Lma,batum,camby are more comfortable with roy being the distributor rather than miller, who knows. and if roy having the ball means two points while miller ditching the ball to him means two points, I totally agree with the way roy prefers.
Is this the trust roy has earned through his hard working, his unselfish play-style and his tremendous contribution to the team and the community? come on, people ,we can do better.
by chinafansheartroy on Oct 14, 2010 4:46 AM PDT reply actions 3 recs
Welcome Back
It’s nice to see a voice of reason.
I used to go by tominhawaii. My real name is still Tom.
by LukeBabbittFTW on Oct 14, 2010 7:11 AM PDT up reply actions
A Night to Sleep on this and 2 THings
Who was the Interviewer? Jason Quick I thought I read in one post? How did he not know how this would come off? And, does he have a responsibility to ask Clarifying questions? How could he not look at this and say “This is going to be controversial and does Brandon really mean it is all about me?” . Truly, what is the reporters responsibilty? Just report? Or, if what someone is saying doesn’t sound right should there be more clarifying questions? Part of why I say that is I remember Roy Being Lambasted and the Shonz Actually indicating, “Poor Brandon is being so mistooken”. Shonz has been around him more than any of us.
Second thing… Brandon isn’t the real Problem. Being pushed around is. I had a thought that in the opener against Pheonix that no way would Pheonix be the more physical team. Now I suspect they could be. Mainly because we have no Oden or Priz to share the role with Camby. We need Interior defenders and Rebounders in addition to Camby.
So, Perimiter is what we have and Roy is the best at that. A Lot of everything else is irrelevant
Ahhh.. Third thing… I can accept they haven’t worked on Offense IF I actually saw more results of the defensive work
by Hermistonmelons on Oct 14, 2010 6:05 AM PDT reply actions
it was a group session of reporters, as Ben noted above
but evidently Roy and Quick texted afterwards, and Jason shared some of that on the radio last night
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I can accept they haven’t worked on Offense IF I actually saw more results of the defensive work
Ditto. Denver and Utah didn’t seem to have trouble scoring, after Nate emphasized defense from the beginning of camp. Sure, the Blazers are missing their centers, but the guards/wings have to work together. 2nd chance points were a big problem in games 2-4 though, that leads back to lack of size/toughness
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
FWIW
Batum was saying that it was hard to score in practice. Could they be intentionally holding back for some reason in the preseason games?
When the world knows Nico Batum as "The Inevitable", I'll be very happy with where he is as a player.
I was thinking that Nate delayed putting in the offense
until the games against Denver and Utah were past. No reason to give your division rivals a looksie at your new stuff before the games count
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Isos in general and Roy´s playbook in particular don´t need much training.
Team oriented basketball needs a lot of training. I think that´s what Roy is talking about. As I said, you don´t get the best out of Rudy if he is not used to play with his teammates. And you don´t get the best out of Brandon if you want him to play as Rudy.
Blah, blah, blah blah blah.....
I really don’t get all this negativity flooding forth against Brandon Roy. Because he said he wants the ball more?
Brandon Roy is an Ex- R.O.Y. and a consecutive All-Star. Before these comments, before Pre-Season started…I was concerned about the chemistry between Brandon and Miller. IMO the problem with Brandon and Miller is they play very similar games. Both want the ball, both want to initiate the offense and make the decisions. So together? Something has to give.
So yes, I think Brandons comments are a warning shot to everyone. This is his team. But come on people? What’s NEW here? Unless Pre-Season, based on a few comments in passing you are REALLY ready to tear it all down and start from scratch, then this MUST be Brandons team. And Yes, a Brandon Roy centered team is not going to be a Phoenix style running team. Not going to happen.
But all this angst and hand wringing? It won’t work in the playoffs? Well what worked in The Playoffs? Is it really fair to judge what part of Brandon Roys game will work in the playoffs? Given that last playoff run I thought Brandon was a ghost or shell of himself for the few games and minutes he limped back and played.
Short memories for a fanbase. I thought Brandon should rest the knee, I thought coming back for the playoffs was the wrong decision…but what I remember was being in the minority with that opinion. I remember the flood of support and Brandon love that came forth and cries of how his dedication was illustrative of what a great leader Brandon was….
And now? Simply because he is saying he wants the starting unit’s offense to run through him…suddenly Brandon Roy doesn’t work in the playoffs….this team can’t be succesful under his leadership and because he admits to wanting to the ball more, he is being inmature?
Come on people…..
Brandon is a great player. My primary concern about Brandon isn’t his attitude, or the fact that he’s not a running player…he’s better in half court and Iso’s, about my only concern about Brandon is his health. But IMO if Brandon is healthy? Then this team IS at it’s best when it’s Brandons team.
So in one summer we’ve gone from cheering Brandon as our “Legendary” leader for a inspirational attempt to return to play in the playoffs…to a huge groundswell and vote of No Confindence simply because he admits publicly he wants the ball more this season?
Fine…but make no mistake, if this FRANCHISE decides to give up on Roy? Then it’s giving up on this entire incarnation of The Blazers….moving on from Roy means moving into almost a total rebuild.
I for one? Unless it’s injury and health…I’m not ready to do that. So I’m not ready to throw Brandon under the bus because he admits in an interview that he wants the ball more this season. I’m not ready to give up on Brandon because he admits the starting unit runs more pick and roll and isolation…because whether you like the style or not, that’s simply the truth….
To me, the only way I START to think this team might need to think about moving away from being Brandon Roy centered would be if he starts to miss significant time again due to nagging or minor to major injuries.
But this is the season we see what he have and what is possible. What Brandon Roy can be…is one of the major storylines of the season…but what he IS and has been is established…or should be…and what Brandon Roy IS…is our best player.
From many of these fans I hate to say it…but I find your lack of faith disturbing…
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
by Krang on Oct 14, 2010 8:00 AM PDT reply actions 3 recs
I couldn't agree more. I'm almost ashamed by the way people are jumping on Brandon here. What short memories.
I said yesterday that it was a sad day to be a BEdger. Maybe today will turn out better.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 14, 2010 1:35 PM PDT up reply actions
The fact of the matter is that Roy is the best player on this team.
If we are not exploiting his talents, he’s just an average player and whats the point of that? Right now this offense is trying to balance Miller’s style and Roy’s style. It’s not working. I don’t think we’re gonna see as much of Andre this year as we did last year and IMO, this is a good thing.
"I have contract with Portland.... I have contract with Portland... I have contract with Portland." - Rudy Fernandez
It's not Brandon's team. It's the Portland Trailblazers. If anything, it's PA's team
But on the other hand it’s hard to fault Brandon since this city has worshipped the ground he walked on since he got here. He really believes that it’s his team and I think he’s dangerously close to putting his own needs before the team’s with this kind of nonsense talk. The reality is that the Blazers were here long before Roy and will still be here long after he retires. The reality is that there are other players on this team nearly as skilled as Roy, perhaps even more so. The reality is that in order for this team to progress, Roy needs to learn how to play without dominating the ball. The reality is that many fans don’t fawn over Roy and don’t think he’s God’s gift to basketball. To many of us, he’s just another athlete. A piece of the puzzle in the chase for a title, no more and no less.
So many people are focused (wrongly I think) on the Roy/Miller dynamic, when it’s really a Roy/teammate issue. LMA, Batum, Oden etc. might not even realize it yet, but a steady diet of Roy isos is hampering their development as well.
I won’t go as far as the 95.5 boys did this morning and proclaim Roy ‘the problem’ but I definitely think he’s going to need to change his attitude quickly or he’s at risk of becoming one. When I think of what the Blazers could get in return for Roy – and the very good roster that would still be left in his wake – Roy is no longer untouchable for me. Roy’s a great player, but he’s not worth handicapping the growth of the other very promising young players around him. He’s also not worth sacrificing wins because he wants the ball more.
The Leeroy Rule: being insistent >>>> being correct
by leeroyjenkins on Oct 14, 2010 8:19 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
There certainly do appear to be two camps...
The “religious zealouts” drawing on faith and historical memories who believe this is BRoy’s team
and those who think a team is greater than the sum of its parts, and certainly greater than any one part.
Rec for you LRJ…
Roy = superstar?
If Roy wants all of this responsibility, he needs to step up his game…alot!! 26 pts, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds. Right now, he is the 3rd best SG in the league. He will never crack the top two, and I believe there are a few youngsters that could easily knock him down to 5 or 6 in the coming years. I have no problem with what he saying if he becomes the SUPERSTAR that he feels he could be.
And how about playing some D?
Not just when you feel like it. But all the time. Like leaders do.
Some of you need to click THIS a few dozen times:
suction people.
suction.
B-Roy is the kang.
chk yrslf bf u rec yrslf
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Oct 14, 2010 9:25 AM PDT reply actions
Every player gets picked apart at some point.
Even Lebron’s game gets picked apart by uber-fans.
The biggest gripes on B-Roy are his not going “all out” on defense and in pre season, and his burning desire to “BE” the man. Wow. Sounds like we have another Clyde Drexler on our hands. Talk about living in hell! Us poor fans. (sarcastic)
Clyde had Terry Porter, who could space the floor with his tremendous outside shooting. Miller is a sweet PG, but you have to build your team around him because of his inept range on his jump shot. Maybe instead of lambasting B-Roy we should be wondering why, after all these years, Miller hasn’t put in the work to improve his 20-ish% 3 point clip on his jump shot. Dude. Teen Wolf had more arc.
Of course, I LIKE Andre, and I think Brandon could learn a lot about dishing dimes in the paint from Andre. But we tell B-Roy we want him to be the man, then we tell him he got his deal so now he HAS to be the man, then we get all upset when he claims his rightful ownership as the guy the offense is going to go through? What, he should be passive and run around the perimeter like Rudy? He wants to earn his money the way he knows best: handling the rock and punishing the other team when they double him.
Finally, we need to understand that these questions are coming from Quick in a let’s-chit-chat environment. I’m disappointed in how Brandon and Nate fielded the Andre/Blake softball questions last summer, and I’m disappointed in the verbage B-Roy chose for this particular grouping of questions. However, I’m not dangling from a ledge like some of you fare weather spaz-oids.
This is B-Roy. We know who he is. He’s a great player, great guy, and total warrior. Is he selfish? No. He’s single minded in his desire to win. Could he learn more about team basketball and making Nic Batum a better offensive player? Maybe. But I think it’s up to management and coaching to put him a better situation for winning. Miller doesn’t fit well with B-Roy.
I’m disappointed B-Roy didn’t say “the right” things, but I’ll take that over “both teams played hard” any day. The regular season will reveal all, and I’m confident B-Roy’s dedication to winning will be as evident as always. The team loves him, and we should too.
chk yrslf bf u rec yrslf
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Oct 14, 2010 10:01 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
About that "chit-chat" session
That session was because Roy was playing so uninspired that Quick felt he had to bring it up.
Roy could have said he doesn’t get up for Pre-Season games because they don’t count,the offense has looked bad because they haven’t put in any plays,just experimenting w/a more free-flowing offense for the second unit,they’re working on D and it’s going to be a work in progress for a while as everyone learns their responsibilities and that he personally prefers a more structured offense where he knows his reads and knows where the shooters will be. Everything would have been fine.
Except Roy CHOSE to go on and say he needs the ball a lot more and then threw Dre under the bus.Roy staked out a position that the Blazers offense is all about Brandon and the rest of the team better get w/the program.
On the surface his comments seem similar to Kobe declaring he needs to be fed first,but Kobe’s statement implies the rest of the team will also get to “eat”,they just have to wait their turn. Roy is saying he is the offense and everybody else will just have to accept whatever he gives them.
Unless Nate slaps this down PDQ,he is setting up his lock-room for major problems.
Roy's comments make me more convinced than before...
If Roy wants the ball so much, let’s have him run the point. Trade Miller and Bayless for another serviceable big. Start Roy, Mathews, Batum, Aldridge, and Camby/Oden.
I do think we’re making much ado about Roy’s statements, but it’s because we love this team, and want it to be the best it can be. Roy didn’t mention team at all, or how he’ll do whatever the team needs. That’s what a leader does—he inspires his teammates to realize it’s not about what HE WANTS, it’s about doing whatever you NEED to do to win.
I also think the pre-season is for getting in shape. If you’re not trying in the preseason than you’re not really getting anything out of it.
We fans also shouldn’t have to pay to see our ‘superstars’ not giving effort.
by Heizer on Oct 14, 2010 10:11 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
3 words
same old POOP…This is unusual for me cause I am usually more long winded . Instead I will just sign off and walk away with my head shaking. I keep hoping the Blazers will prove me wrong, but so far they haven’t.
[Good defense "releases" your offense]
I can't believe my favorite player
Just basically said he’s only interested in running the most boring, least efficient, easiest to defend type of offense. And not interested in running anything based on movement, versatility and teamwork.
In my projections of what brandon was going to become c. 2 years ago, I honestly assumed he would get it by now. Actually, I kind of assumed he got it before but was just doing what Sarge was limiting him telling him to do.
I’m going to go cry.
Come to think of it..
if someone like arenas or lebron or anyone of the same controversial status have said those things, it would have been a headline. But yea, he wants the ball then they better give him the ball. Make him work all those money in his precious contract! I believe he is really better off surrounded w/good shooters than a post playing PG anyway.
by FILIPINOblazerfan on Oct 14, 2010 12:55 PM PDT reply actions
What's all the fuss about?
My impression of this is that Brandon was talking about needing the set plays to be a part of things period. Both Roy and McMillan said that they weren’t even calling plays for the first three games.
Saying these comments in that situation is a lot different than saying it during the season when they’ve been working their offensive sets.
People are over-reacting in my opinion.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
NBA Playoffs Content Module
Related FanPosts on Blazer's Edge
Related FanShots on Blazer's Edge
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recommended FanShots
Recent FanShots
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Behind the Box Score, where the Boston Celtics are moving on to the conference finals
- NBA Playoffs Fan Fiction: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
- The Indiana Pacers? Gone till November
- Shaquille O’Neal is in a Chinese beer commercial, too (VIDEO)
- ‘Deep Thoughts’ and Cheap Thoughts: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
