Bayless, very interesting the conversation he had with Nate

[Sug]

Editors Note: This is not a slam against Nate

Bayless would be a very good PG for a lot of teams, but with Nate's ball control, don't take any chances style of offense, he doesn't fit as well.

I have heard that for several years. Let's take a moment to reflect on all the great point guards Nate has held back.

 

[mgb]

Speaking of offense, I heard Wheels say on Courtside something about the Blazers new offense. Have they change their offense? I've heard about a lot of work on D, but nothing much about offense. Has this to do with the new assistant coaches?

 

[Mediocre Man]

I have heard that for several years. Let's take a moment to reflect on all the great point guards Nate has held back.

Except that I really wasn't bashing Nate. Just two entirely different styles.


It's not Nate's fault that every single PG drafted by his GM's over the years has sucked. All those lottery and 1st round picks were all misses by the GM's. Nate had nothing at all to do with their lack of development


However, I digress. I really was only suggesting that the two have entirely different styles.

 

[crandc]

If Bananas are yellow, they are yellow - even if you buddies tell us that they are purple and only an assclown would say otherwise...

Bananas are white. The skins come in many colors, depending on variety. Need to visit more produce markets, andalusian.

 

[andalusian]

Bananas are white. The skins come in many colors, depending on variety. Need to visit more produce markets, andalusian.

Where do you find produce markets where they sell bananas without skin? Is this a California thing?

Also, let me be the first to point that calling Bananas white is racist. I am not sure it's true - but I just wanted to be the first to point it out in the thread.

 

[hasoos]

I believe that if you look at the lineup that was being run out there, with Bayless, Rudy, Mathews, that unit will get out and run some. It is fairly small, has quite a few players who can score, and has the capability for some defensive intensity. Rudy is the type of player that gets into lanes to get his hands on some passes, but is not a good 1 on 1 defender. Mathews is a good 1 on 1 guy so he can take whoever is hardest to defend. Bayless has shown the ability to get up into players grills defensively. I see plenty of tools for a smaller second unit that can change the pace of the game. Considering some of these guys are going to start getting over the "Nate Hump" where he starts seeing them as experienced players instead of rookies, hopefully he will start trusting them more.

 

[Minstrel]

Also, let me be the first to point that calling Bananas white is racist. I am not sure it's true - but I just wanted to be the first to point it out in the thread.

What is racist is the insidious suggestion that there is an implicit "whiteness" underneath...even if one's skin is of a different colour.

 

[andalusian]

What is racist is the insidious suggestion that there is an implicit "whiteness" underneath...even if one's skin is of a different colour.

See. That's why you can't improve on a Minstrel post. They are Puurfect!

 

[handiman]

Getting to the hoop is part of drive-and-dish. A good drive-and-dish guard doesn't already have a plan to be a decoy or scorer when he attacks...he takes what the defense gives him. If he can finish when he gets there, he does. If the defense collapses, preventing a good chance to finish, he passes.

It's certainly still questionable whether Bayless will prove to be good at dishing, but mocking McMillan for encouraging one of Portland's best slashers (and someone who played as an attacking point guard until asked to fill in for injury at two guard by Arizona) to work on using his drives to create open jump shots is silly. It suggests a fundamental confusion about how basketball offense works. A slasher who can get into the paint and draw the defense is one of the primary ways to create open opportunities in an offense. MM didn't say "I'm not sure Bayless has the vision to do this" which would have been reasonable. He used sarcasm implying that it's stupid to have a slasher create jump shots for others. It was worded as sarcasm about the very principle, not about Bayless' specific ability to pass.

I hear what you're saying, but Bayless currently lacks the double threat (driving for his own score and driving to dish) to make defenses react. Until he shows a consistent ability to do what presently does not come naturally, the rest is a moot point. Honestly, he really only drives for the foul right now. Play off him enough to block the scoop shot and he doesn't have a backup plan.

 

[hasoos]

I hear what you're saying, but Bayless currently lacks the double threat (driving for his own score and driving to dish) to make defenses react. Until he shows a consistent ability to do what presently does not come naturally, the rest is a moot point. Honestly, he really only drives for the foul right now. Play off him enough to block the scoop shot and he doesn't have a backup plan.

He does, but there is a reason that problem is there, and funny enough it's the same reason Sergio had problems finding consistency at the offensive end. It's the outside shot. When you don't have an outside shot, teams will scout you and play you for that weakness. If they are sagging off of you, it is hard to find any passing lanes, and harder to get to the hoop because they aren't respecting your outside shot. If the outside shot begins to fall, the rest of his game comes along with it.

I am sure over the last few years most folks have noticed how when our bigs get switched on the outside that smaller guards just take them outside and hit the jumper over them. Meanwhile Portland has been the opposite. When our PG get switched, they can't do jack dick. When Blake was here, he was the opposite, and that was the problem. He could shoot, but he wasn't a threat to attack the rim or to get assist. So instead of playing off of him, they played up on him to take away the outside shot. Either way, no matter what PG we had out on the floor, there was a way to take away the strength of their game.

In order for that to end, a PG has to step up and have a solid all around game to back him up. If not you just trade one weakness for another. It has to be a situation where if you take one thing away, another problem rises up to make the defense adjust. If not, you end up just like against Phoenix in the playoffs last year where they take away the option and you are screwed.

 

[handiman]

I think that's only partly true in Bayless' case. He has no problem getting to the hoop despite the lack of an outside shot. He just isn't particularly under control once he gets there. Sometimes I think he actually needs contact under the hoop in order to regain balance.