How to right the Meyers ship?

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Further, Jul 15, 2014.

  1. Further

    Further Guy

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    I've been thinking a bit lately about how much of a flop Meyers has been, and how baffling that is. The stuff in his favor is pretty substantial, he is legit 7' tall and very athletic for a big, likely top 10 in athleticism for a center in the NBA. And he can shoot. His unrushed shots are money from around the basket all the way out past 15'. and his free throws are pretty decent too, for a center. And he has decent hands, good lateral movement, and a decent wingspan.

    You add up all those positives, and we should have a solid back up, if not a starter, but alas, we have a bonehead instead.

    He has the physical tools, but not the mental ones. He gets confused at game speed, loses his man halfway down the court, gets suckered into every fake, gets lost on switches and rotates the wrong way almost every time.

    If he can figure it out, he will be an excellent addition to the team, but he needs a shrink, or one on one guidance to help him overcome what I can only imagine is lukewarm brainpower. He has the same basic issue that Outlaw had, massive confusion. Outlaw never turned into the cool headed player that Roy or Lillard has, but he did finally find his role and figured out how to play game speed.

    Year 3 for Meyers, can he figure it out?
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2014
  2. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    What makes it worse is that Thomas Robinson has similar problems (although he, at least, rebounds and plays hard all the time, and nobody would call him soft) so you can't risk playing them together much.
     
  3. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    Anyone have any gauge of how Leonard is viewed around the league? Any team want to take a gamble that he really is the next Jermaine O'Neal?
     
  4. BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94

    BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94 AWOL

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    He needs PT but this is not a good time for the team to give minutes to a guy who isn't ready.
     
  5. PDXFonz

    PDXFonz I’m listening

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    Isn't it more of a bus, not a ship.

    I'd love for him to improve so I can stop hearing about how much people hate him.
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2014
  6. Duckhook

    Duckhook Well-Known Member

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    Who's are big man coach? Do we even have someone on staff to teach these things to Leonard? I'm reading about all these camps the Blazers have been going to to improve their game. Has Meyer's went anywhere? I'd think the Pete Newell big man camp would be a requirement for him during the off season.
     
  7. Reep

    Reep Well-Known Member

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    See Joel Przybilla, Tiago Splitter, Marcin Gortat, Omar Asik . . . .

    Almost every white center in the league has taken 3-5 years just to START getting productive. Most of those players were traded away by their original teams because they got tired of waiting. Meyers was a 4-5 year project with limited basketball experience. We are starting year 3. Why is everyone surprised at this point. By the time we are done with Kaman, Meyers should start producing more.

    Even RoLo wasn't producing meaningful numbers until he hit 24. Meyers is 22.
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2014
  8. MARIS61

    MARIS61 Real American

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    Play him.
     
  9. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Kim Hughes is our big man coach. People speak very highly of him.
     
  10. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    Pete Newell is dead and his son and Kermit Washington shut down the camp a few years back.

    Meyers does go to Bill Bayno's camp which is an excellent camp.
     
  11. SpamKing

    SpamKing "Moisten needle before inserting"

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    ^That^
     
  12. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    Kaman and Lopez couldn't be more perfect for Meyers to play against and learn from. "Meyers, see what they're doing? DO THAT!"
     
  13. blue32

    blue32 Who wants a mustache ride?

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    God, but its just so damn maddening when he does play. Even my g/f (who really doesn't understand much about Basketball) notices how terribly he does. I want him to succeed, but cringe every time he plays... Lol.
     
  14. Wizard Mentor

    Wizard Mentor Wizard Mentor

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    He's headed in the right direction, it'll just take time. Seeing him play, it seems to me that he enter the NBA with the understanding of an immature 7th grader. He did things you just don't do on a basketball court. If with all of the individual training he gets he learns at a rate about 3 times faster than most kids, he should have a freshman in college understanding about now. So, think of him as a preps to pros guy this year, and I think that'll be about right expectations-wise.
     
  15. bodyman5000 and 1

    bodyman5000 and 1 Lions, Tigers, Me, Bears

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    Watch the video of the Costa Concordia and that will give you a good idea.
     
  16. blue32

    blue32 Who wants a mustache ride?

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    Ice in yo veins dawg! damn!
     
  17. PDXFonz

    PDXFonz I’m listening

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    "Sorry I missed it, what did they do?"
     
  18. Blazer4ever

    Blazer4ever Finding a Way BANNED

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    He's maybe the worst defender I've ever seen. If Harden's defense was as bad as Leonard's he wouldn't get a contract. Him being young is his only excuse.
     
  19. bodyman5000 and 1

    bodyman5000 and 1 Lions, Tigers, Me, Bears

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    It is either that or play him. I'd almost prefer watching him play, maybe the bulb will come on.

    My girlfriend went to beauty school and just couldn't cut hair for shit. One day it just clicked, don't know why but she became awesome and is now a general manager for a franchisee.
     
  20. Mediocre Man

    Mediocre Man Mr. SportsTwo

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    How is it baffling?
     

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