Game 2 Recap: Blazers 90, Suns 119
by Dave on Apr 20, 2010 10:02 PM PDT
in News
Email
PrintLong Story Short: The Suns come out energized and loaded for bear. Their rebounding intensity and defensive commitment to Andre Miller and LaMarcus Aldridge hold the Blazers in a bear hug and their quick-tempo offense provides an early knockout blow while Portland is so restrained.
The Game
This game wasn't about game flow. The only thing worth noting in that vein was the Blazers running fearfully down the hallway yelling "Ziggybumwaaaahhh!" and the Suns hitting them like a tidal wave. The game started out at the Suns' pace and stayed that way. Phoenix looked good at that pace, due in so small measure to Portland getting back down the court at roughly the same pace as those guys in the Dockers "We Wear No Pants" commercials. The Suns not only sprinted down the floor, they took instant advantage of any Portland gap or mismatch. They scored repeatedly before Portland looked ready to defend. Even when the Blazers got back and forced the Suns to play their halfcourt defense was substandard. Phoenix didn't have to rely on threes to get their lead because Steve Nash got any pass he wanted, mostly inside. When the Suns did miss they got offensive rebounds.
Shockingly the Blazers looked chaotic and pressured at that same pace. The Suns made a couple of adjustments early, both having to do with Andre Miller. They guarded him primarily with Grant Hill who was big enough and (mostly) mobile enough to keep 'Dre from bulling to the lane. They also sent an extra guy after Miller every time Hill failed, usually collapsing both defenders into the lane. Naturally they also went after Aldridge with two guys whenever he touched it. The result was a bunch of odd Blazers spending quality time with the ball and shots coming from odd people in uncomfortable spots. Mostly notable Marcus Camby tried to carry the early offense. He hit a couple jumpers but he missed 5 layups in the first half alone.
The only thing that kept Portland alive early was free throws. Everything else went Phoenix's way. The Suns played their game. The Suns played Portland's game. The Suns did everything right.
Portland's rebounding woes continued in the second period. To make matters worse LaMarcus Aldridge got his third foul at the 8:20 mark and Portland went into the penalty before the period was half done. That took the bite out of the free throw advantage. The offense consisted of Andre Miller going one-on-Hill for a jumper or one-on-three for a drive. And that was the good part of the offense. On the other end every Sun with even a modicum of speed blew by defenders. With Portland gathered flat-footed trying to stop penetration Phoenix's jumpers fell as well. The second quarter was just like the first, a little bit sadder and a little bit worse.
Portland went into the locker room down 14...not an insurmountable gap, provided they came out and played in the third. But...that would be a no. The Suns had scored more than 30 in each of the first two periods. The Blazers scored 26 and then 23. Instead of reversing the trend Portland hastened it. Phoenix scored 31 in the third, Portland all of 19. By the midpoint of the quarter it became apparent the Blazers were down and not getting up. Everybody checked out. Then adding injury to insult Nicolas Batum strained his shoulder and had to leave the game. At that point the white flag came out officially. It wasn't long before the benches cleared and the Suns announcers were chattering like auctioneers trying to sell their fan base on the idea that Game 1 never happened. Phoenix plows the Blazers 119 to 90 and it wasn't that close.
Every scorer in the starting lineup made hay as the Suns shone. It started with Amare Stoudemire early running the floor, rebounding, and receiving passes deep. He would end up 5-10 from the floor but 8-8 from the free throw line. Grant Hill made every shot he took, scoring 20 on 10-11 shooting. Jason Richardson shot, ran, and destroyed Rudy Fernandez & Company for 29 points on 11-16 shooting. Every Steve Nash pass found a willing target. He finished with 16 assists. As a team they made nearly every adjustment found in our preview and they made them well.
Portland shot just over 38% for the game. The Suns shot just over 52. You almost don't need another stat besides that. The Suns got 12 offensive rebounds, Portland 11. The Suns had 43 overall rebounds, Portland 34. Assists? 26-12, Phoenix. Portland had 10 turnovers, which looks good until you consider the Suns had only 5. Phoenix had 17 fast break points. Phoenix had 58 points in the paint. The only thing the Blazers got was foul shots...roughly akin to trying to dam the Columbia River with pebbles. Simply put there was nothing...NOTHING...redeeming to this game at all from Portland's point of view. Phoenix is now hoping it's enough redemption to see them through an entire series. Game 3 will tell the tale.
Individual Observations
LaMarcus Aldridge went 3-8 tonight for 11 points. You read that right. 8 shots. Part of it was the Phoenix defense. But they were after him last game too. Part of it was his teammates not taking pressure off of him. Part of it was foul trouble. But honestly, LaMarcus was so non-aggressive tonight that Switzerland clucked and shook their heads in wonder and scorn. His 3 blocks and 6 free throws were the only really positive aspects of his night. No matter what else happens this guy has to lead us. He didn't. I'll be interested to see how he bounces back in Game 3.
Andre Miller had 12 points on 4-11 shots. Phoenix followed the plan outline in our pre-game preview to a "T". They put a bigger guy on him. They doubled him. They forced him into deeper shots. The off-ball defenders got into his sightlines and prevented the pass as well. We didn't set good screens and he didn't use them. He had 3 assists on the evening.
Nicolas Batum was one of the brighter spots of the evening offensively. He shot 4-8, 2-4 from distance, and scored 12, tying Miller for the lead among the starters. (Perspective: Miller's 31 in Game 1 was only one bucket short of the combined output of Miller, Aldridge, and Batum--the three leading starters--in Game 2. No starter played 30 minutes tonight, but still...) Batum is having an MRI to check on his shoulder. More news as it comes available.
Rudy Fernandez went 0-2 on the night for 5 points on 5-6 free throw shooting. He was forced to make plays because of the attention played to Miller but he couldn't for the most part. He also got barbequed on defense. It was just a bad game for him.
Martell Webster was one of the rare bright spots for the team, going 6-13, scoring a team-high 16 with 5 rebounds.
Juwan Howard hit a couple of shots early to try and provide offense but it hardly mattered.
Jerryd Bayless also hit a couple of shots early but the Suns saw his drives coming this time and he ended up 2-9 for the game with 2 assists, 2 turnovers, and 6 fouls.
Everybody else got garbage minutes that didn't really matter much.
And that's that. The Suns fly to Portland full of confidence. The Blazers fly home with the onus of adjustments on them. It's a new series, five games. Portland has the homecourt but it's no more of a sinecure for them than it was for Phoenix. Expectations are reset. The fight continues.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
250 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Just hope that he is well...
Well, it was a forgettable game. Hope that they learned something out of it.
What impressed me about Martell tonight was that it didn't matter to him if we were down 2 or 20.
He went full speed and left everything on the court all evening. He went to the FT line when we were down 20+ and he was purely focused on making two FT’s.
He seems energized ever since we went to LA and he scored in the clutch.
yeah i agree
he was trying really hard and for the most part converting
by collectiveshane on Apr 20, 2010 10:14 PM PDT up reply actions
I posted similar sentiments in Ben's recap...
Martell never gave up. I appreciate this very much. He kept grinding away on rebounds, defense and drives to the hoop. He was still diving to floor even though we were down 20+. I was really impressed with his ability to take some of the PHX players off the dribble. That is something we just haven’t seen enough of. He doesn’t quite have the handle but he is strong with the ball. I’d love to see him pack it a little more often rather than flip it in although his reverse layin is pretty successful.
"You kill a mosquito with an axe. Nothing personal, but this is what I've got to do. You're in my way right now so I've got to get rid of you and I'll see you next year." -Monty Williams
Great energy from Martell...
I wish we could put that energy into Lamarcus body, then we’d have… Amare Stoudemire.
outside of rudy's defense
his biggest problem is NEVER even thinking about shooting his shots.
by collectiveshane on Apr 20, 2010 10:14 PM PDT reply actions
we got what we came here to do
and that is to get a win. Forget the game, start fresh….kick @ss
by blazerbeliever97504 on Apr 20, 2010 10:14 PM PDT reply actions
Ohh also
Stop playing rudy, i love a rudy three as much as anyone. He is NOT a good playoff player. Stop the madness.
by blazerbeliever97504 on Apr 20, 2010 10:15 PM PDT reply actions
Rudy was our 2nd best player last year in the playoffs…We will need him the next two games at home
fiftytwo
agreed,
but Rudy was a different player last year than he is this year. need to call it for what it is.
by blazerbeliever97504 on Apr 20, 2010 10:17 PM PDT up reply actions
i agree he’s horrible this year in two games but we can’t call him a bad playoff player just yet considering his track record last year and in international play
fiftytwo
Not overall ofcourse
but lets all agree rudy is not helping us so far this series……..then we should have Martell starting. He is a better defender and ALSO it makes a switch of a SF or SG to gaurd Miller less likely due to Martell being much more physical than Rudy.
by blazerbeliever97504 on Apr 20, 2010 10:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Bayless wasnt helping tonight
the only one on was Marty
so that must mean marty and bayless are off and Rudy is on on thursday
by collectiveshane on Apr 20, 2010 10:23 PM PDT up reply actions
if Martell starts, who does Nash defend?
the idea has merit
of course this depends on Nic’s status
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
With out ball handlers, who brings the ball up the court?
Not being sarcastic, I don’t know.
Can Martell handle the ball bring it up the court and getting our offense going if they continue stopping Dre.
hg
Batum has better handles than Marty and would be the de facto SG
but if Nic is out, then we’re screwed on many levels
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Stats are what players did in the past
Now and forward is what we have to worry about.
I am not ready to throw Rudy under the bus, but I also am not ready to throw the team under the bus if he continues this downward trend.
I guess, with the rumors that Rudy doesn’t like what his role is in Portland and the international newspaper reports, makes me wonder if Rudy also lost his heart in playing for Portland. I highly doubt that, but we have seen stranger things happen
hg
he didnt score a ton
but he was CLUTCH.
by collectiveshane on Apr 20, 2010 10:18 PM PDT up reply actions
Totally, dont misunderstand
im a Rudy fan, but he just doesnt “have it” this year especially in the playoffs so far
by blazerbeliever97504 on Apr 20, 2010 10:19 PM PDT up reply actions
this for sure isnt his year
i wonder why he never shoots. he never ever looks to shoot
by collectiveshane on Apr 20, 2010 10:17 PM PDT up reply actions
as far as i concern, he lost confidence.
by chinafansheartroy on Apr 20, 2010 10:24 PM PDT up reply actions
note to Paul Allen
you should’ve let KP trade Rudy when he had a decent offer
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
yep
I love me some Rudy as much as anyone when he’s hot but his inconsistency has been reduced to insignificant…
"You kill a mosquito with an axe. Nothing personal, but this is what I've got to do. You're in my way right now so I've got to get rid of you and I'll see you next year." -Monty Williams
Rudy has been playing poorly for a while now, not just two games
He seems to have no confidence at all — he passed up several shots that were either completely open or partially open. He isn’t moving well without the ball. His ball handling is getting clumsier. The Suns almost don’t even need to bother guarding him. He cannot defend well in the best of times. Quite honestly, right now Rudy is contributing absolutely nothing.
Nate should start Martell in his place. That might force the Suns to move Hill off of Miller.
Stop playing Rudy??
Who else are we going to play? Blazer are dropping like flies….or like bees that park on Channing Frye’s shoulder.
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
The thing that bugged me most about this loss it how the fans reacted
It is one game. Did any of you think that we would have blown them out or won a close game? I kinda expected that Phoenix would bounce back (but i was hoping we would win) but the reaction from people: flipping out and other stuff.
Most of this stuff has come from the large amount of users who have joined Bedge in the past month or so- after the news broadcast.
People are over reacting… its one game. calm down. Next two games are at home- with the crowd
#25 #2 Forever Blazers
Im not upset about the loss
but that effort was embarassing. Youve got to play your heart out every game. NO excuses.
by ODEN on a stick on Apr 20, 2010 10:53 PM PDT up reply actions
That's always the case.
@je’mapple, we all don;t like losing, it’s the way we lost that hurts.
Being a Blazer fan is not exactly healthy.
That also is my take.
Win or lose, go out and play the game like it is the last one. You might be the next on the injured list then you would be sorry for not putting in any effort.
hg
Completely agree!
It was an embarrassing loss, and that doesn’t feel good, but back up off the bridge people! I like fans talking about what players can do better, but do we really need the low blows heard on MSP this morning about Rudy and Sergio having sleepovers, and LMA loving butterflies and scrapbooking? Seriously, if our team plays great, everyone thinks Blazers are underrated and the greatest guys out there, but when they have an “off” game, they want players to be traded, and Nate sucks. I’m tired of “fair weather” fans! Be proud of your team for what they have accomplished already, and stand behind them! GO BLAZERS!
Can we start Martell yet?
He brings energy and hustle every time, plays strong defense and rebounds, and his shot has been more on than off. I don’t see how he isn’t starting over Rudy. Of course this is all moot if he has to play instead of Batum … ugh.
Problem with starting Martell
is that it leaves you really vulnerable to pressure defense, so much so that I don’t even see it as a viable option. Say what you will about Rudy (and I’ve said it and been saying it) but I’d a MILLION times rather have the ball in his hands as a secondary playmaker than in Martell’s. I’d like to start Bayless at this point though.
"One of the bright spots of the young season has been rookie point guard Jonny Flynn, whose name sounds like he should be the lead character in a Broadway Musical. "What are you doing here, Jonny Flynn?" "Why I'm here to court trouble, and woo a girl, and build the most fantastical contraption the world has ever seen!" -- Dave, Game 7 Blazers versus Timberwolves preview
"It was bad reffing...but not rip apart the fabric of time bad." -- The Arkitect, Game 79 Blazers versus Mavericks Post-Game Thread
by BlazersOrBust on Apr 20, 2010 10:21 PM PDT up reply actions
The one good thing about starting Bayless
Is that he can abuse Nash with his speed. Of course PHX has learned that to defeat BRex you just back off and go for the block …
Ideally if they're paying that much attention to Miller
then Rex will get the ball with the defense a little bit off-kilter. He’s decidedly better at slashing when he has the opening already and doesn’t have to put his head down and bull to the basket IMHO.
"One of the bright spots of the young season has been rookie point guard Jonny Flynn, whose name sounds like he should be the lead character in a Broadway Musical. "What are you doing here, Jonny Flynn?" "Why I'm here to court trouble, and woo a girl, and build the most fantastical contraption the world has ever seen!" -- Dave, Game 7 Blazers versus Timberwolves preview
"It was bad reffing...but not rip apart the fabric of time bad." -- The Arkitect, Game 79 Blazers versus Mavericks Post-Game Thread
by BlazersOrBust on Apr 20, 2010 10:31 PM PDT up reply actions
That's where we miss Roy
They either double Roy or double Miller, can’t double on both. Or they could, but they’d be leaving 2 players wide open. Rex just isn’t BRoy.
Agreed...
Bayless should start over Rudy. That leaves our bench without a slasher but if they keep the pressure and double teams on Miller at least Bayless can bring the ball up and maintain the attack at the rim (FTs have been critical in keeping us close). We absolutely have to make Nash guard someone. Hypothetically, having him chase Rudy around all night off picks sound good but Rudy hasn’t proven to be a threat whatsoever so Nash just cheats off him and under picks.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let Batum be healthy….
"You kill a mosquito with an axe. Nothing personal, but this is what I've got to do. You're in my way right now so I've got to get rid of you and I'll see you next year." -Monty Williams
That leaves our bench without a slasher
Martell was doing some slashing last night, better than I’ve seen from him in awhile
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I noted this earlier in the comments and was very appreciative but I'm not sure it's something we will see regularly...
Last night was the first game in his career that I can recall him doing it a couple of times with some success and then started taking advantage of it!
"You kill a mosquito with an axe. Nothing personal, but this is what I've got to do. You're in my way right now so I've got to get rid of you and I'll see you next year." -Monty Williams
I wasn't in favor of starting Web last night
but once I saw what the Suns were doing, (putting hill on Miller), I was begging for Nate to put Martell in. Look if the Suns are going to use Hill to guard Miller, the Blazers need to put Nash in a mismatch, Nash can guard a non-aggressive Rudy, but he can’t stay with Martell on the block. If they are going to continue to use Hill on Miller, then the Blazers need to sub in Martell and make Nash guard him on the block. That should loosen up the Suns defense, and might even make them move Hill off Miller and back to Webster.
So far this playoff series Webster has been playing very well, he deserves some more PT, let Rudy play with the 2nd unit guys more.
Ben II Blazersedge.com || New to Blazers' Edge?
I disagree
Phoenix’s help defense with nash is very good, save for game 1, they’ve been covering for him all year, it’s nothing new. I don’t think it matters who nash guards, if their interior and perimeter help defense is as good as it was in game 2, it’s not going to matter.
it's not like Batum and Webster are even post up players, anyway
but with a healthy Roy and Miller in the backcourt, Nash would have nowhere to hide
KP said Brandon might be ready for game 6, we’ll see
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
It sounds good at least hypothetically...
but I’ve never known Martell to have a post game…I’d go with Bayless over Rudy and keep Martell at the 3 (with or without Batum).
"You kill a mosquito with an axe. Nothing personal, but this is what I've got to do. You're in my way right now so I've got to get rid of you and I'll see you next year." -Monty Williams
wish all the best to Batum. we need you.
a little harsh on lma, he is who he is.
I want see us mix the offense up, not always driving to the basket and waiting for the ref to help us out. we could make beatiful jump shots. what is happenning to our jump shot team.
by chinafansheartroy on Apr 20, 2010 10:21 PM PDT reply actions
Jump shots will not win a playoff series
A game or two, maybe. But not 4 out of 7.
"OK Kids! Who wants a basketball? That's why I love my Chevy Silverado."
The same
could be said for Phoenix re: jump shots. Grant Hill, 10-11, Jason Richardson 11-16…that’s not going to happen every game. Can’t let them have layups though.
by pistil_stamen on Apr 21, 2010 7:56 AM PDT up reply actions
We want LMA to play better
because we just signed him to a humongous contract and he was relatively solid on Sunday. As far as mixing our offense up, I agree that we could diversify our offense, but I don’t think jump shots are the answer. It’s hard for jump shot teams to win in the NBA, and especially in the playoffs, which are all about physicality and toughness. If we can get to the rim, then we should be doing so.
I want LMA to play better, too, but...
He was in foul trouble and he only played 28 minutes. He wasn’t hitting his jumper (3-8) but shot 6 free throws (making 5) which is 2 more than his average. He should of shot at least a couple more free throws IMO. I’m not too concerned. I was happy with his effort Sunday and think he’ll bounce back. This game was an all-around stinker for pretty much everyone but at least we stole one from them!
"You kill a mosquito with an axe. Nothing personal, but this is what I've got to do. You're in my way right now so I've got to get rid of you and I'll see you next year." -Monty Williams
LA doesn’t get in foul trouble being aggressive. He gets in foul trouble being lazy. I think 3 or 4 of his fouls happened because he sloppily slid in and tried to draw a charge, or because he didn’t move his feet and just reached out and whacked Amar’e. The coaching staff should lay into him for this just as much as his offensive game.
My point was that him being in foul trouble affected his overall production...
I don’t disagree with how he got his fouls. Its the fact that he got them so early that took him out of his gam (mentally) which reduced his production. And he should of had more free throws. Some of the ticky tack lazy fouls they were calling on him were not being called at the other end when Collins or Frye were hacking at him on the block…
"You kill a mosquito with an axe. Nothing personal, but this is what I've got to do. You're in my way right now so I've got to get rid of you and I'll see you next year." -Monty Williams
Jeepers that game was a stinker
The Blazers will get them next time
by tominhawaii on Apr 20, 2010 10:24 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
after all the concern posted and rightfully so
let me just remind everyone……WE ARE EXACTLY WERE WE WANTED TO BE COMING INTO THIS SERIES. Keep that in mind all.
by blazerbeliever97504 on Apr 20, 2010 10:24 PM PDT reply actions
the next 2 games
take it back to Phoenix up 3-1, keep the pressure on the Suns
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
That's very true.
Everyone should take a chill pill… unless Batum’s out. Then we have reason to worry.
We went to Phoenix
hoping for a split. Guess what, we’re comming home with a split!
haha yes
well i hope the tables have turned by thursday
by collectiveshane on Apr 20, 2010 10:28 PM PDT up reply actions
durant is in deity mood.
it makes me miss roy more. melo 40+game, durant, D-williams, wade 30+game to give their team a chance to win. they are shining while roy nursing his knee.
by chinafansheartroy on Apr 20, 2010 10:34 PM PDT up reply actions
Durantula had a look for the win
but missed right
gotta hand it to the kids, they’re showing eveyone the west is wide open, L*A can be beat
(for the umpteenth time) why did this have to be the year of the injuries for Portland? The road to the finals is easier than any in my memory and a healthy/young Blazer team could’ve busted through before anyone expected
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
yep, suns in the first round, avoiding l*kers in the second, this is dream.
we still can. we are in a good position now.
but if it is not the year of injuries for Portland, we might finish at the No.1 seed and face weaker team in the first round and avoid l*kers in the second round. (since they are at the No.2 seed). hope next year happens this way.
by chinafansheartroy on Apr 20, 2010 11:12 PM PDT up reply actions
Rudy
Hard to see him as a starting 2 in this league when he can’t punish Steve Nash. Blazers need to be able to go at Nash and force him to defend. Either that or Miller needs to turn on the jets and force PHX to put someone quicker on him. Hill/JRich should be too slow.
I don't get Rudy at all this season.
He is or isn’t?
He can or can’t?
He will or won’t?
He wants it or doesn’t?
I’m mistaken about how awesome he could be or he’s just a tad off his game?
I’m sorry to say it Rudy, but it’s time to break out or … .. … I don’t even want to finish the sentence.
Just break out already!
Gimme some consistancy fo crying out loud.
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." -- Darwin
by Y5k on Apr 20, 2010 10:57 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
I rec'd this because it's exactly how I've felt all year
What is the deal with Rudy? Why so much indecisiveness? Why so much back and forth with feelings?
JUST PLAY BALL!!!
We all know Rudy can make a difference in this series, we need some Spanish Love!!!
The phenomenon behind bigger guards "punishing"
smaller guards is often overstated, most perimeter players simply don’t have it in their arsenal to play in ways that really take advantage of a large size advantage, other than hitting the offensive glass. You can count the number of guards with effective post up games on two hands, and while a size advantage can turn a mediocre post up player into a decent one, it’s not going to suddenly turn Rudy into Hakeem.
If he were able to effectively drive the ball, a strength advantage would help a lot, but that’s not really Rudy’s thing, so the Suns are free to put Nash on Rudy with impunity and not really give up anything. Sure, having a slightly shorter guy on him might make it marginally easier for Rudy to get his shot off, but this is somewhat negated by Nash’s better quickness allowing him to stay closer to Rudy than a larger 2 would be able to.
The thing is, if anything, Rudy is probably more effective when he gets to play offense against slightly larger, less mobile guys that he can run around off picks and tire out than he is playing against PGs like Nash. It’s not necessarily a failing of Rudy’s, just a characteristic of his game. Realistically, Martell would find himself in the same boat if we started him and the Suns guarded him with Nash, although Webster might be able to have some success on the offensive glass in that case.
#52
didn't you just agree with mike?
If he were able to effectively drive the ball, a strength advantage would help a lot, but that’s not really Rudy’s thing, so the Suns are free to put Nash on Rudy with impunity and not really give up anything.
How many offensively-oriented 2-guards in the NBA get the ball against Nash, dribble twice, and look for a lateral pass on the perimeter? If putting the ball in the bucket is your meal ticket in the NBA, you have to be able to score against a below average defender going toward the hoop, not shooting a jump shot.
I agree that Webby doesn’t really give us any more of an advantage, but it’s not as much of an indictment of him as an NBA player because he’s sort of reinvented himself as a defense-first perimeter shooter type.
There are plenty of starting 2 guards in the league
that can’t effectively put the ball on the floor, Rudy being one of them right now (by virtue of Brandon’s injury). All of Anthony Parker (Cavs), Arron Afflalo (Nuggets), Wesley Matthews (Jazz), and Thabo Sefolosha (OKC) are starting at the 2 for playoff teams and could be easily guarded by Nash similar to the way Rudy is being defended this series. It’s not that Rudy isn’t effective because he can’t “punish” Nash, per se, it’s that his skill set is completely useless in exploiting Nash’s defensive deficiencies.
It’s not that Nash is an unwilling defender, he’s just a bad defender. Rudy thrives on making guys chase him and struggles to break guys down with the ball in his hands. Nash can run around with guys but is terrible at guarding guys on the ball, so while it seems like we should be able to exploit Nash, it’s really not an option unless we move Bayless into the starting lineup.
My main point, though, is that this is a fairly common situation for teams to be in. The Spurs have been hiding Tony Parker on random 2’s and 3’s for the past 7 years while Bruce Bowen has guarded elite PGs and they haven’t suffered defensively, there are just very few teams that in the league that Phoenix can’t hide Nash defensively against.
Even if Brandon wasn’t hurt, they’d probably just have Nash guard Nic and stand out by the three point line with him since that’s the role of the 3 in our offense. Sure, Nic might be able to score some against him, but we’re not going to win many games running a majority of our offense through him (or Rudy or Webster, for that matter) right now, even if Patty Mills were guarding him.
Basically, I’m skeptical of the offensive gains to be had by “exploiting” Nash on that end, no matter who we put in.
#52
yeah I agree with the point about the offensive scheme
There is usually some place on the floor you can stick a poor defender that the other team won’t really be able to take advantage. If we had Roy, we would go to the Roy vs. Richardson matchup 100 times out of 100 instead of trying to “take advantage” of Nash by force feeding Nic, who’s not a natural scorer.
However, I don’t think you’ve answered the question about Rudy’s NBA future. Those guys you listed above are all on their teams because they are supposed to be great defenders. Whether or not they are is up for debate (I think Afflolo is OK, but not lockdown, for example), but they are all earning their time on the defensive end. Whatever you think of Rudy’s defense, he is definitely not earning his meal ticket with it. So I think my question stands: how many offensively oriented NBA 2-guards can’t take the ball to the basket with any effectiveness?
Matthews isn't really known as much of a defender as I recall
but I was limiting my search to starting 2 guards on playoff teams. Expanding that to include all swingmen (yeah, fudging a little bit, but I don’t see why someone like Kapono shouldn’t count just because he’s a couple inches taller), I’d classify all of the following guys as roughly equivalent or worse ball-handlers and defenders to Rudy:
Kyle Korver, Quentin Richardson, Peja Stojakovic (New Orleans version), Jason Kapono, Chase Budinger, Mo Peterson, JJ Redick, Anthony Morrow, Francisco Garcia, Kelenna Azubuike, Eddie House, Roger Mason, Wally World (admittedly retired now), Michael Redd (pre-injury), Michael Finley (Spurs edition), Brent Barry (last 5-6 years). You could also throw Rip Hamilton in here, given that he got hidden with the Pistons the same way the Suns hide Nash, but whatever.
Obviously none of those guys are stars (except maybe Redd or Peja once upon a time), but all of them would be considered legit NBA players and it should be painfully obvious by now that Rudy isn’t destined to be an all star anyways. While having a limited set of things that he can do at an elite NBA level will probably severely limit his ceiling, there’s always room for shooters in NBA rotations, so Rudy will have a home as long as he wants to stay in the states.
#52
yeah that's comforting
I think going straight from the bench to starting against playoff defenses has really thrown Rudy. Regular season reserve defenses let him get away with a lot of stuff you just can’t do in the playoffs—loose ballhandling on his p+r with LA, dribbling to the middle and leaving your feet with no idea what you’re gonna do, losing your guy on defense. When that happens in the regular season and he’s backing up Roy, no biggie. When it happens in the playoffs, he gets eaten alive because of it.
Rudy’s just got to tighten up his game, recognize his strengths and weaknesses a little better, and (this is the most important) GET HIS FREAKING CONFIDENCE BACK!
Rudy needs to be pulled from the starting lineup. He had his opportunity.
And I love Rudy, it bums me out he’s not contributing…Webster should start. At least he’ll provide active defense and probably get some offensive flow going as well. Bringing Bayless off the bench for his instant offense is a good idea.
Miller, Camby and Howard FTW. Love me the geezers.
by RenoBlazerFan on Apr 21, 2010 8:56 AM PDT up reply actions
force feeding Nic, who’s not a natural scorer
Maybe not, but he’s made great strides after working with Monty the last year or so. (Pump fake, one or 2 dribbles, money jumper from Travis’ old range, etc)
If Batum can learn to back defenders down and pass out of double-teams like T. Prince does, the Blazer’s offense will be that much more unstoppable in years to come
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
yeah understood
but for now, Nic is more effective playing off other players—hitting jumpshots and driving into lanes vacated by defenders who shade over to help on our top offensive threats. He could get there, but right now Nic isn’t the kind of guy who can exploit a mismatch from a standstill.
That is why I was/am calling for Nate
to put Webster in if the Suns continue to have Hill guard Miller. Webster is 6-8 and has the muscle to post up Nash deep on the block, Nash will foul or the suns will double team, either way it will loosen up the defense and create scoring opportunities.
Ben II Blazersedge.com || New to Blazers' Edge?
i think it's simpler than that
1) Keep Hill from fronting by having Miller just run straight to the cup when he can’t get the ball.
2) After you do this enough to be able to get the ball to Miller without so much trouble, clear out and let Miller attack Hill. It’s not like Hill is an all-world defender. Sure, he’s savvy, but so’s Jason Kidd and Dre eats him alive.
In theory I like this
But the problem I see is that I don’t ever remember Webster posting up anyone since he became a pro. Phoenix could easily just run someone at Marty and I don’t think Marty has the passing ability nor the post moves to exploit something like this on a regular basis. Posting up isn’t something you can learn overnight, it takes a lot of practice and a lot of game experience to be able to do this effectively and consistently.
My only solution is to start Bayless and have them clear out a side and have Bayless take Nash off of the drive and hope Bayless makes the right decision on when to be a bull in a china shop or when to pass it out. And I am not enamored with that either.
Ugh.
#52
by blazermaniac32 on Apr 21, 2010 8:37 AM PDT up reply actions
he doesn't need to be great
just the threat of it will cause the Suns to think about switching Nash back to Miller.
I also agree with atomiccafe, Miller needs to be more aggressive when Hill is on him, he can’t stay with him on the drive. Miller tried this about 2 or 3 times last night, he got to the hoop and drew contact, but no whisle, so it seems like he gave up. He needs to keep at it, keep attacking.
Ben II Blazersedge.com || New to Blazers' Edge?
Miller tried this about 2 or 3 times last night, he got to the hoop and drew contact, but no whisle, so it seems like he gave up
I noticed this as well. The first time ’Dre drove was bumped 3 times by different Suns and lost the ball = no call
(that’s when I knew it was going to be a “different night” then game 1)
and then Camby started missing lay-ins and I was like…OK, when does game 3 start, again?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Webster wouldn't necessarily have to post Nash up
the way Martell was driving the ball last night, Steve wouldn’t be able to stay in front of him…and Phoenix’ interior defense doesn’t have a shot blocker so Webster should be able to get a decent shot off or draw the foul
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
He
looks petrified of contact. This is the same guy who went right at (and over) Dwight Howard in the gold medal game. Now he won’t penetrate against the defensive stalwarts better known as Jarron (or is it Jason?) Collins, Amare Stoudemire and Channing Frye? Unless his back is still screwed up and he’s just gutting it out, his ‘injury’ is between his ears.
by pistil_stamen on Apr 21, 2010 8:03 AM PDT up reply actions
agreed
even on his breakaway the minute the defender (Frye) touched him he chucked the ball out of bounds and flailed as if he’d been shot. No effort to finish and draw an “and 1” on what appeared to be a pretty weak foul from behind on Rudy’s off arm.
Another example was his wide open layin that he tried to dish off that became a turnover. What the heck was that? Jump up and set the ball in off the glass!
Regarding Rudy vs. Nash, why doesn’t he just shoot over him? Since when does a guy have to be wide open to shoot? Nash has what, 3 career blocks? Rudy should be draining them in his eye
i feel lma could just kill channing on offense if he wants.
they just play different style. if channing takes that many 3s here, nate will kill him.
by chinafansheartroy on Apr 20, 2010 10:40 PM PDT up reply actions
Not sure where LMA goes some nights.
Somebody needs to light a fire under that kid.
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." -- Darwin
by Y5k on Apr 20, 2010 10:51 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
LA follows up his impressive 3 rebound performance with 4 boards.
If he keeps this up, we might see Bosh in a Blazer uniform yet.
"I think he’s been doing some good things. I think he’s been doing some good things. He’s had to play a lot of minutes lately with Blake being out. I think he’s been doing some good things." -Nate McMillan
On the other hand,
David Lee can score AND get boards very consistently. Has LaMarcus had a triple-double or ever taken a game over by himself? That’s a guy I’ve always felt a tad iffy about getting a max deal in comparison to some of the other PF’s out there. Imagine Millsap starting here. Or Bosh. Or even Lee. We’d have nothing to worry about with Roy being out. Roy can take over games by himself. But Lamarcus always seems like he’s waiting for someone else in the game to break out and he’ll just feed off of them. If you look at his stats for the past couple years, he’s had season highs of 30, 36, 35, and 32- strangely enough all on the road, all with Roy in the line-up, and 2-2 in those games.
My point? Aldridge simply isn’t an impact player and doesn’t ever appear to be one. He’s good, but not great. The very definition of it. Nothing seems to ever wake the guy up.
Can't get Lee, all his money went to Camby.
Damn, I hate that signing.
"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
can’t get Lee, because we didn’t have the cap space anyway.
#52
"We have nothing to lose." - Martell
sign and trade after July 1?
if the Knicks want LMA, I don’t want Lee that bad, but it could hypothetically be done
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
BTW, my trade suggestion Rudy for Dragic, last week?
how you liking that idea now? The Suns would giggle at the proposal
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Just when things were starting to look good
brandon was on pace for a quick recovery, locked up marcus for 2 years, had a solid game 1 win…
now we lose by 30 and batum is injured. Yippee.
"Ain't nothin' in this world for free."
@BlazerFreeman Batum could not lift his arm above his head in locker room; said it was the worst pain he’s felt since surgery
i am with you.
more sad than freak out. other people will step up. we have a team.
by chinafansheartroy on Apr 20, 2010 10:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Trembles, jitters, tectonic rumbles, hair on end, farm animals run for cover, frogs disappear, glass shaking, dog barking, lions lay down with lambs, Rick James on the stereo, oh no! .... freeeeeaaaak oooouuuuutttttttt!
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." -- Darwin
by Y5k on Apr 20, 2010 10:48 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Dr Ray Stantz: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!
Dr. Egon Spengler: Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes…
Winston Zeddemore: The dead rising from the grave!
Dr. Peter Venkman: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!
Batum has 43 hours before he needs to play again. He’s 20 years old. I’ll start worrying when he’s been “officially” been ruled out, but I suspect it will be a “game time decision” so there’s no point in stressing tonight
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
21 years old.
That changes EVERYTHING.
No but seriously, I agree with you that it’s premature to panic, but I also completely understand the sentiment. It’s not exactly like the injury gods have been smiling on us this year.
"One of the bright spots of the young season has been rookie point guard Jonny Flynn, whose name sounds like he should be the lead character in a Broadway Musical. "What are you doing here, Jonny Flynn?" "Why I'm here to court trouble, and woo a girl, and build the most fantastical contraption the world has ever seen!" -- Dave, Game 7 Blazers versus Timberwolves preview
"It was bad reffing...but not rip apart the fabric of time bad." -- The Arkitect, Game 79 Blazers versus Mavericks Post-Game Thread
by BlazersOrBust on Apr 20, 2010 11:11 PM PDT up reply actions
it's the year of "what else can go wrong?"
you have to either laugh mirthlessly, or drink heavily
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
considering
I don’t drink, I’ll just have to keep laughing.
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
heh, it kind of does change a lot.
Makes me wonder how many times I injured that thing and kept playing, not even knowing what a labrum was.
He should be fine for Thursday
Tough kid. Happened to Roy in December, swelling will go down and it’ll be good.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
More tweets f/ Freeman:
Batum gave himself a 50 percent chance of playing in Game 3 against the Suns, saying he was “optimistic” MRI results would turn out OK.
Martell Webster refused to contemplate a series without Batum: "I will not talk about losing another player. In my mind, we haven’t." "This is a minor setback, so I think Nic’s fine."
I strained my shoulder playing hoops
on a very similar play and I literally couldn’t lift my arm for a day. Had it checked out, no structural damage, was a little sore but back to good in about a week. Perfectly fine after about 2 weeks
also
I recovered without any professional assistance or shoulder sleeves, etc. So assuming he didn’t structurally hurt anything, I think he’ll be fine, might miss a game or two
It depends.
I’ve had shoulder problems for 6.5 years. Though, I never had surgery so I can’t completely compare the two injuries.
I’ve played through completely dislocating my in several games, after I relocated it of course. And it was sore, and admittedly on some occasions too sore to play through, I didn’t have much trouble playing with it a few days after.
Though for me, I’ve probably have ruined my shoulder completely because of not have surgery.
Being a Blazer fan is not exactly healthy.
turning point of the game was Camby missing that lay up, and then Phoenix completeing the 4 point swing.
Then Camby blew another lay up later. I didn’t realize he choked so much. Man that was frustrating.
Yeah, he won't miss those again
Not worried.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
That was the first quarter, wasn't it?
"OK Kids! Who wants a basketball? That's why I love my Chevy Silverado."
And second
He missed five layups and a few other easy shots.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Yeah
I bet the front office is probably regretting their decision to extend him as we speak…
by pistil_stamen on Apr 21, 2010 8:09 AM PDT up reply actions
What I learned tonight
The Suns don’t want to go home early.
That’s about it. This game told us not much.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
The fight continues
… I kinda thought we might drop this one.
let us hope Batum is OK for the next two wins.
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." -- Darwin
by Y5k on Apr 20, 2010 10:45 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
I thought you were talking about the Blazers rebounders tonight....
who were horrible I might add. Just a pathetic effort of the boards tonight.
I did too.
The rebounding is uncharacteristic; the injuries, unfortunately, are not.
We need a quiet, restful offseason after taking the trophy home this year.
No overseas summer leagues; no Olympics.
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." -- Darwin
by Y5k on Apr 20, 2010 11:00 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
yeah, NIc stay off the court this summer
take up a safe, low impact hobby
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
no jumping allowed
I’m thinking yoga and meditation. Lots of stretching and deep breathing exercises
and visualization. Go to your happy place…dunking on Paul
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I could see it now.
“Batum hurt in freak yoga accident. Unable to lower arm below shoulder. MRI to confirm injury.”
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
Roy took the whole summer off remember?
now look athim..
"im ready for a fight..." -Joel Przybilla
by KillaPrzydollaBILLA on Apr 20, 2010 11:33 PM PDT up reply actions
Blazers were not ready for game 2
Plain and simple. A little surprising…but then again maybe not? Even though we have vets, Miller has been in this situation before being up one game and lost the series every time. Maybe our guys are lacking the killer instinct?
Not sure if this team has enough firepower to overcome the Suns. Nevertheless, they have got to get back to grinding it out. The Blazers lost the pace of the game and as such lost THE game tonight. Gotta step it up on Thursday – and they may have to do it without Batum – prospects look grim, but this team has done it before, when no one else believed they could.
You knew Phoenix was going to adjust. Portland needed to adjust to the anticipated adjustments. Instead, they mailed it in.
I shut the sucker off early in the 2nd quarter and did something productive. GREAT decision.
"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
Maybe didn't expect this margin but whatever
The Suns are a good team and they needed this win.
We won’t play that badly again.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
But in the end does nothing
Its one game, nothing more.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
agreed.
The Blazers are more veteran team, but played like they had no idea Phoenix was going to come guns ablazing. Need to develop the killer instinct if you want to advance far in the playoffs.
Rose Garden is gonna be rockin'
The Blazers will play better. We need Batum to play. At this point, we just don’t have enough depth to match the Suns if another player is injured.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
Batum will play
And it will make the OKC game sound like a library by comparison.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
Disappointing game
I don’t think it is possible for us to play worse than that and if our guys have any pride at all they will come out with more aggression and execute better at home.
Rose Garden will be loud as hell I’m sure so that can’t hurt.
Nicolas Batum AKA Mr. Third Quarter
On Josh Smith "He's strong as a 2nd curtain"
On Lebron "...it's hype, he's not a defender"
On Aaron Brooks "He's tiny, he has a small body but he's super fast and has a real gesture"
On Steve Nash "First we'll have to try and stop this Canadian guard, a young kid with a bright future!"
On Defense "They all piss me off with Dwight Howard...Guys like Bruce Bowen or Ron Artest were legit defensive men of the year. For me that's the profile of a denfender.
On The Playoffs "I don't want Dallas to win because I don't want Rodrigue to be NBA champion, I would be pissed. I don't want him to be NBA champion in his 1st year, this bastard....I put myself in mode asshole!"
You're the Suns
now imagine that you’re listening to Tik Tok. On repeat. With two stadium-sized speakers blasting into each ear while you’re chained to a chair.
THAT’S how loud and hellish the Garden will be for them.
"One of the bright spots of the young season has been rookie point guard Jonny Flynn, whose name sounds like he should be the lead character in a Broadway Musical. "What are you doing here, Jonny Flynn?" "Why I'm here to court trouble, and woo a girl, and build the most fantastical contraption the world has ever seen!" -- Dave, Game 7 Blazers versus Timberwolves preview
"It was bad reffing...but not rip apart the fabric of time bad." -- The Arkitect, Game 79 Blazers versus Mavericks Post-Game Thread
by BlazersOrBust on Apr 20, 2010 11:13 PM PDT up reply actions
LMFAO
I’d end my life if I had to listen to that song at a library suited decibel level.
by premthegrem on Apr 20, 2010 11:25 PM PDT up reply actions
think of that stupid song that you can't get out of your head
with the volume turned up to 11, and on an endless replay
it’s worse than that
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I would assume an assault on the ears would be part of the hellishness of hell!
The Suns ears will be duly assaulted I’m sure
Nicolas Batum AKA Mr. Third Quarter
On Josh Smith "He's strong as a 2nd curtain"
On Lebron "...it's hype, he's not a defender"
On Aaron Brooks "He's tiny, he has a small body but he's super fast and has a real gesture"
On Steve Nash "First we'll have to try and stop this Canadian guard, a young kid with a bright future!"
On Defense "They all piss me off with Dwight Howard...Guys like Bruce Bowen or Ron Artest were legit defensive men of the year. For me that's the profile of a denfender.
On The Playoffs "I don't want Dallas to win because I don't want Rodrigue to be NBA champion, I would be pissed. I don't want him to be NBA champion in his 1st year, this bastard....I put myself in mode asshole!"
I was expecting Phoenix to come back strong and win
But I was also hoping the game would be close and Portland would play with them. A blowout is the last thing we want or need.
Sure we got our win in Phoenix, but we also got blown out and couldn’t keep up. This should be a wake up call…we need to bring it!
"Rudy is not everyday a shooter," Fernandez said. "He's defense. He's passes. He's assists."
Meh, they needed the win
Tells us very little.
And we played like crap.
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
"and we played like crap"
couldn’t agree more, I’d be worries if we brought our “A” game and got blown out. That was not the case.
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
I was also hoping the game would be close and Portland would play with them. A blowout is the last thing we want…Sure we got our win in Phoenix, but we also got blown out and couldn’t keep up. This should be a wake up call
Three possible benefits from a blowout, assuming your team has pride
1) Main contributers like Camby and Miller got to rest. A close loss would’ve worn them out more
2) It only counts as one loss, whether you lose by 24 or 1 point
3) It gives Juwan Howard a chance to go ballistic again and light a fire under some players
(looking at you, #12 and #5)
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I agree with two4
Anyone who thought the Suns would drop two in a row at home is crazy. Blowouts happen, and I don’t think the team is gonna be affected by it on Thursday. Every visiting team’s goal is to split those games in Phoenix, which we did! The RG will be crazy loud tomorrow night. I’ll just have to turn up my tv really really high and wish I was there.
Miller, Camby and Howard FTW. Love me the geezers.
by RenoBlazerFan on Apr 21, 2010 9:00 AM PDT up reply actions
This scene in 300 will be like the RG Thursday
Submission, that’ll be a little bit of a problem.
Of course, Blazer fans have their reputation to uphold:
This is Madness, no THIS IS THE ROSE GARDEN (kick Suns into 2-1 pit)!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmOH5f1J1Uc
"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely
that would be nice.
I think I’ll try to visualize this in my sleep tonight.
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
It was after one of Jerryd's fouls
He went over and put his head on the ref’s shoulder. I thought it was funny — some refs are fussy about being touched, even if the player isn’t being disrespectful.
I'm still really hung up on this, Did any one noticed that no Tech was called for when Amare was hanging on the rim?
Being a Blazer fan is not exactly healthy.
yes. he was clearly showing off cuz nobody was within 10 ft of him.
"You kill a mosquito with an axe. Nothing personal, but this is what I've got to do. You're in my way right now so I've got to get rid of you and I'll see you next year." -Monty Williams
Sinecure? Check out Mr. Vocablulary
Anyone whose watched a few years of playoff ball has seen plenty of teams get blown out only to win the next game. Jordan’s Bulls, Bird’s Celtics and Magic’s Lakers got creamed a few times and went on to win the series handily.
That said, it sure appears as if the Suns have figured out how to deal with the Blazers depleted and limited weapons on both sides of the ball.
Everyone's going to think I'm crazy for saying this...
But if we had to lose, this was the best way to lose.
It was a wake-up call. We just played our worst game, and they just gave us their best. We know exactly how to prepare. I get this funny feeling Grant Hill won’t be shooting 10/11 again anytime soon, and that Camby won’t miss 5 layups in a single game again. And of course, Brandon will be back.
Oh, and that crowd was weak. I look forward to hearing our home crowd again. Let’s do this!
by anupam on Apr 21, 2010 12:53 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Greg's already in Portland.
I know Roy doesn’t like losing, and I especially know he couldn’t have liked sitting at home watching his team lose. Imagine how loud the Rose Garden would get if they announce Roy in the starting lineup.
This is going to be a GREAT series!
Actually, I agree
I thought they had no chance to win this game – the Suns were sure to be energized, and the refs were sure to be eager to help them make a series out of this. After the Blazers won game 1 without really playing very well – they just out-hustled a lackadaisical, overconfident Suns team – a wake-up call was just what they needed.
I predict that Rudy will come out of his funk at home. Blazers by 10.
Silver-lining to me is that the Suns won with hot-shooting and energy
Yes, their defensive adjustments worked somewhat, but Hill Shot 10-11. Richardson 11-16. That is not sustainable.
feel the same way
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Apr 21, 2010 10:15 AM PDT up reply actions
Suns fan here. Not trying to start a fight, but ...
You forgot that Amare had another off game, our bench wasn’t as productive as it normally is, Nash wasn’t trying to score, etc.
The Suns’ shooting percentages last night were basically in line with their shooting percentages all year. They averages 49% shooting for the field and 41% shooting from three. Last night, they shot 52% from the field and 40% from three.
I think it’s perfectly sustainable. The Suns’ main problem this year and basically every year they’ve been in existence is mental toughness. Can they step on the throat and keep it there? I’m not sure.
Can they step on the throat?
We (the Blazers) have had the same problem this year. I can’t tell you how many games I watched this year where we had opponents down by 20+ points at the half only to have them come back in the third quarter. It was infuriating.
I was hoping to see your team crumble last night like on Sunday. Alas, the inevitable happened and looks like this is gonna be a playoff series after all. ;)
Good luck to you Thursday!
Suns are crappy frontrunners
They’re like the infuriating Cardinals: they do their best when their back is up against the wall and there are no expectations. When they’re supposed to dominate, they seem to think, “Nah, I got this … I don’t need to try very hard.”
when your players make shots
your coach looks like a genius
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
it was a heck of lot more than just making shots
that’s an excuse out of Nate’s playbook
The Leeroy Rule: being insistent >>>> being correct
by leeroyjenkins on Apr 21, 2010 8:46 AM PDT up reply actions
Not to mention
It’s the same excuse the L*kers (well, Kobe at least) use when they lose games.
We’re better than that. It wasn’t just the Suns “making shots”. They beat us in virtually every aspect of the game last night. That performance right there would’ve beaten any team in the league. Hands down.
they shot 52% versus 41% on Sunday
Hill and Rich made shots
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I hate to say it
but its time to bench Rudy. He is a bad matchup for us in this series. He can’t run the point and the Suns love to go at him on defense. It’s so bad, Rudy alleviates the need for the Suns to adjust. He’s clearly still recovering from back surgery as well. He has no lift, he doesn’t even bluff like he’s going to the rim anymore….
I'll tell you what I liked
Was the rookies getting some playoff time. Pendergraph, Mills, and Cunningham were fun to watch!
Gotta look at the positive, right?
:D
Game 3, here we come.
The good news is
it doesn’t matter that much what happens in Phoenix as long as we hold home court.
Shake it off guys......
I refuse to believe that in game 3 Grant Hill and J-Rich combine for 50 pts on 80% shooting. I hope Nic is okay.
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
Is it just me or has Rudy been hesitating on taking the ball to the rim?
Last season he was a matador and fearless getting into the paint and the rim.. then ever since that really hard foul by Ariza @ the RG last season.. He’s been tentative…
Sophomore slump?
He’s gotta wake up and start running w/ the bulls again.
Rudy has been hesitant to pull his head out of his ***!
"You kill a mosquito with an axe. Nothing personal, but this is what I've got to do. You're in my way right now so I've got to get rid of you and I'll see you next year." -Monty Williams
no doubt and it's an item for concern
i’m pulling for him for crying out loud!! LOL.
by pappasan.duck on Apr 21, 2010 11:04 AM PDT up reply actions
Trust me, I'm pulling, too!
"You kill a mosquito with an axe. Nothing personal, but this is what I've got to do. You're in my way right now so I've got to get rid of you and I'll see you next year." -Monty Williams
yep, I posted it to the FanShots about 6 minutes before you posted it here...
"You kill a mosquito with an axe. Nothing personal, but this is what I've got to do. You're in my way right now so I've got to get rid of you and I'll see you next year." -Monty Williams
word
"You kill a mosquito with an axe. Nothing personal, but this is what I've got to do. You're in my way right now so I've got to get rid of you and I'll see you next year." -Monty Williams
not the end of the world
Hey we split in Phoenix, playing a team that plays the game at a completely different pace than the Blazers and we were without our best players. I think that’s all you could’ve hoped for. Nice to see Martell play well tonight and you know Miller and Alrdidge will continue to put up good games so actually i feel rather confident right now. If we take 2 of the next 3 at home, we might just win this series. As for Rudy, don;t really agree that he needs to be benched just maybe cut back his playing time in favor of Bayless and/or Batum
by CincyBlazerFan7180 on Apr 21, 2010 7:53 AM PDT reply actions
that is of course assuming Batum is healthy
by CincyBlazerFan7180 on Apr 21, 2010 7:57 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm starting to buy into benching Rudy.
Martell seems the one to add into the starting line up. The match ups and how he has been playing is the reason to swap them. I’d like to keep a decent ball handler in the 2nd unit with Bayless and be able to swap Martell at the 2 and 3 spots. I think Rudy would be better off guarding Jared Dudley.
Being a Blazer fan is not exactly healthy.
why was jerryd hugging the ref?
I missed that part.
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
after a foul call
he went over and put his head on his sholder…the ref gave him a hug…touching moment…not really, but it was a perfect image of how things were going…..ughhhhhh
I'm glad we're back at the Rose Garden,
but I’m wary of Rudy’s liability and LMA’s nonaggression. We need both these guy’s heads in the game for the rest of the series. I could see LaMarcus return to form and then lose it again in the following game, but I’ve really lost complete confidence in Rudy.
only concern now is getting batum back
but the question is , if he does come back, how well can he play?
/cambyfive
Losing was ok, getting embarassed wasn't
I was watching the Miami/Boston game and I remember saying, “Wow that is humiliating!”
Meanwhile if I ever see Rudy’s face again, it will be too soon. Anything good he does on offense (rare) is negated by his inability to guard a toaster oven. Do or die with Marty.
I’m not sure if I’m disgusted by the piss-poor effort or happy they mailed it in so they can rest til the next game.
The Leeroy Rule: being insistent >>>> being correct
Rudy is next one to get voted off this island.
Blazers are in deep doo doo without Roy. They need to be drafting another guard…
"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
or offer their MLE
to Ray Allen!
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
A bit of a perfect storm last night...
JRich wakes up and nails everything like Kobe at an adult film convention.
Grant Hill hasn’t shot like that in…well…I’ve never seen him shoot like that.
All on a night when our team was apparently still in the locker room.
We miss lay-ins, they miss nothing! Brutal.
btw – a folding chair out there would be better than Rudy. He needs to be strapped to a chair “Clockwork Orange” style and watch his Olympic performances over and over until he snaps out of whatever funk he’s in.
We have to exploit Nash on defense.
I like Rudy, but his game isn’t translating in this series. Maybe if we had Roy, Rudy would beat out Martell for PT with the second unit, but then the matchups are different if we have Roy.
Neither Webster or Rudy have been terrific defensive players in the series; Rudy can’t keep anyone in front of him, Webster loses guys on the 3pt line. But Webster has had some moments. Big rebounds, some blocked shots. Rudy in the role he’s been assigned has not been effective.
The playoffs remind me of a part of The Art of War that urges you to attack where your enemy is weakest not strongest. NBA playoff winners are relentless at finding and exploiting the other teams weakness, and minimizing their own.
Last night they got us in defensive rotation by penetrating a lot. They get offensive rebounds when they get us scrambling. So we have to stop penetration. Webster is better then Rudy at that.
Of course, cross your fingers on Batums MRI.
I am liking Webster better than Rudy for the rest of this series, for sure.
Bring in Bayless for his instant energy off the bench.
Miller, Camby and Howard FTW. Love me the geezers.
by RenoBlazerFan on Apr 21, 2010 9:01 AM PDT up reply actions
all that matters is the matchup
if you start Rudy then you allow them to let Grant Hill guard Dre. Bad matchup for us.
At least force them out of that and then pick spots for Rudy to come in and drain some threes.
naahh
there’s no reason Dre can’t eat Grant Hill up. When he got the ball, he went by him basically at will. He didn’t get whistles, which appeared to discourage him, and we went away from it because it was too much work to get him the ball. So (1) we need to set some hefty screens to beat up Hill and wear him down (2) Dre needs to go backdoor a few times to keep him honest (3) Dre has to just plain stay more aggressive.
+ we can’t afford for LA to lay another egg. If he is quicker and more decisive, it will keep the Suns from focusing all their energy on Miller.
agreed
What Nate can do is reposition the shooters so that Miller is driving on the strong side instead of the weak side. That way when 3 suns collapse into the paint Miller has a kick out option.Last night, once Miller was surrounded he had no outlets so he was forced to either toss up a tough shot or travel. Bayless too
We could also maybe use a bit more pick and pop with LA at first. Even though getting to the bucket should be the name of the game against PHX, if they pack the paint with a zone you have to make some outside shots to draw them back out.
It going to take more the just Dre
Rudy looked to be Nate’s adjustment to their pressure on Miller, but that didn’t work out to well. Rudy didn’t look comfortable at all at point. Also, I thought Miller was aggressive last night. I don’t think Grant Hill is going to go off on offense like that every night he has to blanket Miller, but I think the Suns will take that trade every game of the series if we want to try and force it to Miller. I say attack where they are weak.
The Blazer pace?
Does anyone think the typical slow down and set up kind of offense may not work against a team like the Suns? Maybe Nate should let Camby and Miller off the reins.
There is no way
we can win at that type of game. Pheonix is extremely explosive. Last night was just a taste of who they are when you set them off. Nate has to get back to his tempo or this series is over. There is no way we have the guns to keep up with them on offense, we have to go back to stomping them down over and over and getting them frustrated.
The Blazers weren't slow at all in the first period offense
and they sucked like a baby on a binky.
—Dave
On offense
I think LA needs to take it right at Amare. We did a good job last night at drawing fouls. We need to get to the foul line as much as possible. I think we can get them in foul trouble, it slows the game down, it establishes a physical style.. all to our advantage, and fouling I think is a weakness of theirs is it not?
They are going to double team it appears. So space out Batum and Martell. Camby gets his foul line extened spot. Dre cuts down the middle. Pick your poison.
Crowd goes wild.
Yeah i thought he settled for too many questionable jump shots rather than driving to the hoop.
by pappasan.duck on Apr 21, 2010 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions
Waaaay too much standing around just watching
Nobody is moving without the ball. Set screens, cut, make them play D. Instead, they’re watching the player with the ball and just standing around on O. Diversify the offense. Need more assists. Any word on when Batum will have that MRI and we can expect info on it??? Right now, that should be the biggest concern. If he’s out, we’re done.
It was exactly the opposite
of game one, when everybody was moving the ball around, and setting screens and establishing themselves in spots to receive the ball.
It was just a lame performance all around.
Agreed - as much as we'd like to make Rudy the whipping man for last night's loss
It’s a team game, and it takes a team effort to lose the game.
The team looked lost or panicked last night.
by pappasan.duck on Apr 21, 2010 11:31 AM PDT up reply actions
Forget game 2
5 minutes in front of a Rip City crowd that is going nuts and the Team will have forgotten it too. Energy and defense will keep this crowd rockin all night.
Nate sat Oden, so why not Rudy?
Initially, didn’t Greg Oden start? I recall he didn’t play well (too nervous?), so Nate had him come off the bench. He then played much better. Why not do the same with Rudy? Perhaps he doesn’t do well in the starting lineup.
If I were coaching Rudy...
I think that I would do what Nate has done so far. I don’t know what he’s said to Rudy but up to now I would have not said anything special like all the feel good coaches do (oh, it’s ok, blah blah blah). My thinking would be that I don’t know where his head is so I’m going to let him show it and wait for a circumstance to occur to change it. I wouldn’t go through this effort except that I absolutely need Rudy to go off to win this series. Now is the time, I’d pull him aside at practice and say ‘ok, it’s time for you to go off, you’ve had your struggles the first two games but now it’s time to show what you can do. I’ve stayed with you the first two games and I’m going to continue to stay with you, but now you need to show me you want to win.’
What does the coaching staff do to slow down the suns?
Trap nash? full court press? Zone? I bet we see a little bit of all three, hopefully all night thursday.
As far as offense goes, I don’t know what to say, in game one we relied on isolation plays for miller, bayless, and LMA; I’m worried that nate’s lack of offensive creativity will leave us shooting contested/long jumpers again. We need to see crisp passing, cutting, and the creative improv that the vets have brought to this team actually manifest again.
I actually liked our zone defense a couple of times last night.
I seemed effective.
We need our open 3s to fall (10-29 through 2 games) to open up penetration for Miller and Bayless and free up LMA from double teams (I’m lookin’ at you RUDY!). The lane was shut down last night for the most part. I would also like to see some plays in the post run for Camby if Collins or Frye are going to guard him. They are cheating onto LMA which left Camby open a bit, he just missed some REALLY easy ones…
"You kill a mosquito with an axe. Nothing personal, but this is what I've got to do. You're in my way right now so I've got to get rid of you and I'll see you next year." -Monty Williams
I wish I could download the picture of Bayless hugging the official
Classic Bayless moment!
right-click > Save Image (Target) As...
by Billy Hoyle on Apr 21, 2010 11:03 AM PDT up reply actions
Or drag and drop to your desktop on a Mac.
"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
That game was unwatchable at any speed.
"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
Why not go Big?
Especially if Batum has to sit. Give Dante a chunk of minutes at the three. Give Martell a bunch of Rudy’s minutes and lets dominate the boards. With Camby on our side there’s no excuse for losing the rebound game. That’s been the major problem in the first two games. We have to win the rebounding game or forget it. Also, Rudy was getting owned… the Suns blog called him “tissue paper” which I can’t disagree with at this point. He’s like a ghost running around out there, affecting nothing. Put Martell in and he’ll crash the boards and maybe dunk on Nash and block a shot. Rudy and Martell are equally streaky shooters, and Rudy looks slow so I don’t see an advantage with Rudy right now.
I really like this idea
and I have been callling form more Cunningham for a while now. If anything it will throw them off balance. Nate needs to mix things up and stay unpredictable.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
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
- Days of NBA Lives: Wherein Roy Hibbert tap-dances to Maine
- Grizzlies Valentine’s Day cards are the key to love
- Kevin Love would like the NBA to take the MLB’s approach on All-Star games
- Kobe Bryant fires a few hilarious salvos at Jeremy Lin
- Brandon Jennings states the obvious regarding his 2014 free agency, everyone goes nuts
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
