Breakdown on Telfair's Game

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<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">LAS VEGAS -- In the split second it took for Dallas rookie Filiberto Rivera to glance to his left, Trail Blazers point guard Sebastian Telfair flashed past him on the right and went down an open lane to the basket.

A bit later, Telfair again was on the fly, pushing the ball on the left wing before spotting teammate Travis Outlaw streaking down the right. The two made eye contact, Telfair lobbed the ball toward the basket, and Outlaw leaped, caught the pass and slammed the ball through the net.

On another possession, Telfair flipped a pass to rookie Martell Webster on the high post and bolted to the left corner near the baseline. He took the return pass, squared up, and drilled the wide-open three-pointer. Drilled it right into the rim.

Telfair has impressed the Blazers and opponents with his quickness and court vision in Vegas Summer League games at UNLV's Cox Pavillion, but his outside shot still needs some work.

The Blazers have seen enough improvement to be excited about the progress Telfair has made since jumping from high school to the pros a year ago. They are even more excited about what he could contribute to Portland's future once he hones his jump shot and learns to adjust his game to different situations.

At the same time, everyone from owner Paul Allen down to the receptionists at One Center Court seems to realize the kid off the New York playgrounds is just that -- a kid who just turned 20 last month and still has a lot to learn about winning in the NBA.

"What you have to remember is that Sebastian is really inexperienced," Blazers general manager John Nash said. "He'd be going into his sophomore year at the college level, so we have to excuse some of his miscues, but at the same time hold him accountable."
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<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> LAS VEGAS ? Still just a little over a year from graduation from Brooklyn?s Lincoln High, still only a month beyond his 20th birthday, still but nine months from his baptism into the NBA, Sebastian Telfair qualifies as a grizzled veteran.
OK, not grizzled.
Babyfaced veteran, then?
The young man who the Trail Blazer brass entrusted with the 13th pick of the 2004 draft is like the high school kid handed the keys to Dad?s Ferrari not long after getting his license.
But as the second-year point guard leads the Blazers through the Las Vegas Summer League, Telfair?s new coach isn?t expecting a perfect driving record.
?Being so young, and coming into the league out of high school, it?s going to be a learning process with Sebastian,? Nate McMillan said after his first look at Telfair in an 82-60 summer-league loss to Dallas. ?It?s going to take us being patient with him, but at the same time pushing him to develop.?
After opening with consecutive bang-up performances (18 points, 10 assists against New York and 23 points, 10 assists vs. Golden State), Telfair struggled along with his teammates against Dallas before leaving in the third quarter with what was hoped was a minor wrist injury. The 6-foot point man made his first two shots from the field, then missed 11 in a row to finish 2 of 13. Telfair hit all eight free throws to finish with 12 points and three assists, but it wasn?t the kind of performance he wanted.
McMillan looked beyond that, emphasizing the quick first step that enabled him to penetrate and create shots for himself and his teammates.
?There?s a lot of potential there,? the new Blazer coach says. ?You can?t teach speed, which is the strength of his game. He?s so fast, he should be able to do a lot of things, and we?ll try to use that.?
Coaches and scouts watching the summer league remain impressed in their second look at the former Sports Illustrated cover boy.
?He?s an incredibly talented point guard with great court vision,? L.A. Clipper coach Mike Dunleavy says. ?He moves the ball, has good handle, is a good leader ? I like him a lot.?
A consistent shooter, though, Telfair isn?t. As a rookie, he shot .393 from the field and only .246 from 3-point range. Increasing those percentages has been a point of emphasis for him, as he has worked on his body and shooting touch in Sarasota, Fla., since May.
?I?ve done so much already this summer,? Telfair says. ?After my rookie season, I figured out so many things I was going to need to improve on. One of my main focuses was getting stronger in going to the basket, to get inside and draw fouls and get the ball into the basket. Another is to put down the open jumper. I?ve been shooting a lot every day ? a lot of spot-ups and off the dribble.?
Telfair says he has put on a few pounds ? he?s probably at 175, up 10 pounds from a year ago ? and he feels stronger. His shot remains a work in progress. In three games here, Telfair is shooting .350 (14 of 40) from the field and .083 (1 of 12) from 3-point range. But he?s been fouled often going to the hoop and productive at the free-throw line (.800 on 24 of 30). McMillan is pleased he?s been aggressive with his shot.
?The one thing everybody knows he needs to do is develop a perimeter shot, but he has to take it,? the Portland coach says. ?You don?t develop it if you don?t take it. That?s where the patience comes into play. I can?t expect him to make every shot.?
McMillan can empathize. When he came into the NBA in 1986 as Seattle?s second-round draft pick out of North Carolina State, McMillan was a pass-first point guard with defensive talent but little shooting ability. By the time he retired in 1998, he was a competent shooter, especially from 3-point range. The difference is McMillan never had Telfair?s jets. But few do.
?When I had my feet set, I could knock down a shot,? McMillan says. ?But the thing with Sebastian, with his speed and the fact he sees the floor so well, his vision, he can create some things. The main thing for us is to take advantage of that.
?A lot of times, he won?t be able to get to the basket, or he won?t be respected (by defenders) going to the basket because he?s so small. So the midrange game ? the free-throw line jumper, the pull-up, the runner ? is something he has to develop.?
In no small part due to Telfair?s presence, ?We?re going to push the ball next season,? McMillan promises. ?That?s the first thing we?re going to see, if we can get that ball down the floor quickly and run with the wings we have. But regardless of how well you run, you have to be able to run a halfcourt offense, too.?</div>

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