Mike Born Talks From Turkey

Trail Blazers director of NBA scouting Mike Born, who is in Turkey for the World Championships, discusses the performances of Nicolas Batum, Rudy Fernandez and Patty Mills.

over 1 year ago Lance Uppercut 15 comments 4 recs |

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love the scouting reports.

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by Ben Golliver on Sep 7, 2010 6:33 PM PDT reply actions

Yikes!

I didn’t know Batum was double-jointed.

Stealth > Wealth

by 500dogs on Sep 7, 2010 6:58 PM PDT reply actions

Sad that there were no questions about Rudy's exceptional rebounding or FT performance

It only focused on his scoring

"Listening to the media only increases your odds of failing at whatever you are doing" - Mark Cuban

by Norsktroll on Sep 7, 2010 9:19 PM PDT reply actions

please change the Batum photo...he looks so much better than that!!!

by Natsthecat on Sep 7, 2010 9:32 PM PDT reply actions

So much to love about this!

Thanks so much for posting this link, and thanks Casey H for an awesome interview…

So many money quotes here, but for me, among the best were:

Batum was a “complementary guy” (why thank you very much. After you. No, after you… BTW casey, spelled it right once, wrong once, but I don’t really care, and digress) who is a “good fit” with the Blazers squad because (unlike a few – looking at you, Roy and LMA) Nic “expends a ton of energy guarding”….

Too funny. So at least Mike Born (of the Blazers coaching staff) knows that outside of Joel and Greg, the only guy who has tried/liked defending on the team recently is Nic… Sounds to me like maybe a little message through the media? (I hope so, anyway… yo, BRoy, you there?)

The entire paragraph that begins… “On the offensive end..” is pure gold. So, at least we now can surmise that Nate will have read Born’s report in which he must have stated (cuz he mentioned it twice in this para) that “they’re running him off of stuff, and putting him in pick and rolls, and allowing him to make plays to get to the basket”…

Well PTL, can we just dream for a minute of a Blazers team with Batum, Miller and Greg all working P+R’s… and Nic allowed to make plays to get to the basket.. (Sigh… I can almost believe it’s summer again)

And then to see Born say that Rudy “had four buckets right in a key stretch while (Spain) was seperating”… and then (for you AK) “(Rudy) scoring allows other guys to have space and do things. Plus, you get a guy that gets hot, sticks a couple of threes, and it sort of changes the tone of the game… it just changes the rhythm and confidence that guys have sometimes” (i.e., Rudy needs a faster pace to succeed)

And Norsk, who’s this Jaka Lokovic guy (“he’s sort of a John Stockton type here in Europe”), and can we get him? ;-)

by Visionary2 on Sep 7, 2010 10:58 PM PDT reply actions

Jaka Lakovic is the Regal FC Barcelona backup point guard.

Ricky Rubio starts for them.

by amlmart1 on Sep 7, 2010 11:34 PM PDT up reply actions

Mike Born (of the Blazers coaching staff) knows that outside of Joel and Greg, the only guy who has tried/liked defending on the team recently is Nic

Wesley Matthews is another name to add to that list

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Sep 8, 2010 9:33 AM PDT up reply actions

Absolutely, which is why I believe that Nate will play

the steady stalwart defender (Wes) more often than the mecurial, emotional offensive jump start (Bayless)… Unless of course they need an emotional offensive jump start, of course, then give JB he ball, and get out of his way.. (he’s a guy that should be running 1:4 iso’s, BTW…)

I’d like me some Wes and Nic on the court together…

by Visionary2 on Sep 8, 2010 5:50 PM PDT up reply actions

to see Born say that Rudy "had four buckets right in a key stretch while (Spain) was seperating"… and then (for you AK) "(Rudy) scoring allows other guys to have space and do things. Plus, you get a guy that gets hot, sticks a couple of threes, and it sort of changes the tone of the game… it just changes the rhythm and confidence that guys have sometimes"

This reminds me of some of my analysis re: Outlaw in year’s past. Here are Mike’s notes on Rudy, from earlier in the game

In the first half he just had the two free throws, missed a few shots and had a couple of turnovers. It just didn’t seem like he was really into the game, like he didn’t have a good rhythm or a good feel to the game,

Then (as Born said) Fernandez came alive in the 2nd half and hit those consecutive shots that helped change the game. Travis used to take and make big shots down the stretch of Blazer games as well, but he used to drive me nuts earlier in the game because he’d miss defensive assignments and let his man penetrate or rebound too easily, etc

So the question is…do you “live with” below-average play for 20 minutes from these mercurial kinds of players to (hopefully) gain the benefit of their hot streaks? Or, is it better for the role players on the bench to be more consistent, even though they’re not likely to be as exposive? I think it’s good to have instant offense off the bench (6th man) but it has to be someone who can strike a match right away, and not have to play awhile before he gets warmed up (Martell is another example of this) Bayless may be a better choice than Fernandez, in this regard. We’ll find out as time goes by

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Sep 8, 2010 10:06 AM PDT up reply actions

I think every team needs one no-conscience shooter...

Rudy was too inconsistent, but you absolutely need a Microwave off the bench. But you’re right, it needs to see somebody who comes into the gym shooting… (Sometimes I think the Blazers are almost too nice… no assassins (in a good way) on this team…)

And yes, you live with the below average play if you can get spectacular play… IF the coach rides the hot hand…. and if the player is not a PITA…

by Visionary2 on Sep 8, 2010 5:55 PM PDT up reply actions

I just watched Matthews youtube video again

for a guy not known for his offense, he was throwing in some circus shots (with no hesitation whatsover) from every conceivable angle, and attacking the basket as soon as he got a seam

I’m not saying Wesley’s the next Vinnie Johnson or anything, but I think Blazer fans may be in for a pleasant surprise

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Sep 8, 2010 6:29 PM PDT up reply actions

FYI Lance Uppercut is Casey H

not sure if there’s a norm against outing a person like that. But, in this case, it should only give him more credibility.

I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich

by hobobob on Sep 8, 2010 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions

It isn't really outing

since he started this site…

Chris Dudley for three!

by wilbjammin on Sep 8, 2010 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions

I've got no issue with Rudy Fernandez; yet, I still think that he'd do just fine in a slow-paced offense on ...

a team like the Bulls — which is what I expect Chicago will play at with Tom T. at the helm — ’cause the big thing with him is getting starter minutes and being a part of plays with a lot of motion and off ball movement.

So yeah, it’s not about Fernandez running recklessly in transition; instead, it’s more about him having more freedom in half-court sets.

by AK1984 on Sep 9, 2010 1:59 AM PDT up reply actions

Born talked about Batum's defense in terms of energy budget

The wording isn’t exactly clear, but I read it as him saying Batum is a complementary offensive guy because he expends so much energy on defense. That’s not a call out to our offensive oriented players, it’s an acknowledgment that players have to choose where to spend their limited energy and that that choice defines what kind of role the player is going to have.

by sanjait on Sep 9, 2010 10:55 AM PDT up reply actions