Chemistry renewed.

[BBert]

Since when has Miller ever played with a dominant big man?

OK, Greg may not be 'dominant' yet in everyone's book, but Miller clearly knows how to utilize the big man, IMO. So, I'd say, since he came to Portland.

 

[hasoos]

OK, Greg may not be 'dominant' yet in everyone's book, but Miller clearly knows how to utilize the big man, IMO. So, I'd say, since he came to Portland.

My point is that Miller had no more experience playing with a dominant big man than any of the other Blazers. The only advantage he has is he is viewed as a legitimate PG, which I will give you. He actually did look for Greg. It's moot now. So no use writing up a novel over it.

 

[Haakzilla]

Once again, what Eric sees as a huge positive I see as a huge red flag. Nate fucked up by not trying to integrate Greg into the offense from the start of training camp and also fucked up by not trying to find a way to put his five best players on the floor, namely his "big" free agent signing of the summer, instead he told Greg to play defense and rebound, and Miller to run the so-called "second unit." To me is this as much about lack of imagination and creativity on offense and inflexibility as it is about recapturing some old way of playing.

Last night, that was a Baaaaaaaaaaaaaad Pacers team, minus it's only go to scorer and was no great defensive squad to begin with, and we were dead-locked with a few minutes to play. This emerging meme that Greg was the problem is fucking bullshit and I'm sick of hearing it.

...precisely

 

[Haakzilla]

It sounds like Blake was our only happy starter.

...I'd be happier than pigs in shit too if I was the 8th best player on the team, but I still got to start every single game despite who deserves it more

 

[LittleAlex]

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/12/portland_102_indiana_91_a_retu.html

Look at these quotes. Subtext: life is easier without Greg in the offense:

"They showed tonight they are our go-to guys. I don't like going back to last year, but that's how we won last year -- them putting us on their shoulders." - Joel Przybilla

"Tonight, it kind of went back to last year. It was like we took turns. We used to always joke that I get it going in the first (quarter), then he gets it in the fourth." - LaMarcus Aldridge

I agree with the posters that say this kind of quote is both good and bad.

Good because our two main horses got it done when they needed to.

Bad because they seem to believe this is a superior way to play in general.

The current offense isn't going to win in the playoffs. If when Greg comes back they continue to feed LMA for turn around fade away 15ft jump shots and clear everyone out for Roy to break his man down then they can expect to loose in the first round of the playoffs year after year after year.

I am not saying they need Greg to make a change. But they do need to make a change. The no motion, slow pace, no inside scoring offense makes the game far too difficult. Portland literally gets the fewest easy baskets in the league. I have no clue why this could be considered a good thing.

 

[Minstrel]

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/12/portland_102_indiana_91_a_retu.html

Look at these quotes. Subtext: life is easier without Greg in the offense

If your theories are right, and Roy can't play with Oden and can't play with any point guard other than Blake, then he's probably too inflexible to be a franchise or cornerstone player, since personnel changes around a franchise player quite a bit.

Fortunately, though, I think you're wrong about Roy's inability to play with others.

 

[hasoos]

If your theories are right, and Roy can't play with Oden and can't play with any point guard other than Blake, then he's probably too inflexible to be a franchise or cornerstone player, since personnel changes around a franchise player quite a bit.

Fortunately, though, I think you're wrong about Roy's inability to play with others.

I think it would just take some time, and a better coach. Look how long Shaq and Kobe struggled in LA before they came together. It wasn't pretty for quite a long time. It took a high end coach to get it done.

 

[BBert]

My point is that Miller had no more experience playing with a dominant big man than any of the other Blazers. The only advantage he has is he is viewed as a legitimate PG, which I will give you. He actually did look for Greg. It's moot now. So no use writing up a novel over it.

True. I prefer to look at life as you can only go forward from where you are today. Or, like Dory says, "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...."

I just hope Greg can stop breaking himself. In the mean time, I've got to believe the other players will learn and mature and appreciate life with Greg compared to life without him, and that they will resolve to figure out a way to make it work for the better.

At this point though, I've lost faith in Nate to be able to adapt his 'game' to implement an offense that effectively utilizes the players he has on his roster. Maybe he will surprise me next year.

 

[roydezlaw]

Nothing at all to do with Oden, who played most of last year.

Miller's presence/Sergio's absence, and Webster's presence/Travis and Nic's absence are the issues.

I love Sergio, Travis and Nic but if you think this has nothing to do with Oden, you are kidding yourself. Last year he was the clumsy little brother and they didn't have to throw him the ball. This year he showed an offensive game and McMillan decided it might be a good idea to start the offense through Oden and that upset the veterans Roy and Aldridge.

Miller had nothing to do with Sergios depature, so I don't see why you have it in for Miller. He never was given the reins to the team and that pisses me off. They could have already figured out how to play together if McMillan had put Blake on the second unit to start the season. That would have changed the course of the whole season. Nothing would have happened the same. Travis may not have gotten hurt, Oden may not be out and Rudy may not have elected for surgery. All because of Nate and Blake.

 

[Minstrel]

I think it would just take some time, and a better coach. Look how long Shaq and Kobe struggled in LA before they came together. It wasn't pretty for quite a long time. It took a high end coach to get it done.

I agree with you. I don't think Roy is unwilling or unable to adjust his game, I think he just doesn't know how yet and the frustration makes him want to go back to last year when he experienced the best overall personal and team success of his NBA career.

I'm not sure McMillan is the coach who can institute an offense with Aldridge in the high post, Oden in the low post and Roy clicking around them. I'd love for Portland to get "their Phil Jackson."

 

[BrianFromWA]

I would think a straight swap of Eddie Jordan for Nate would give us the chance to add some motion to our offense while shoring up PHI's defense. And giving them a strong coach personality.

 

[Minstrel]

I would think a straight swap of Eddie Jordan for Nate would give us the chance to add some motion to our offense while shoring up PHI's defense. And giving them a strong coach personality.

A straight swap for Flip Saunders would be nice, too. He's one of the better offensive minds in the league.

 

[hasoos]

I would think a straight swap of Eddie Jordan for Nate would give us the chance to add some motion to our offense while shoring up PHI's defense. And giving them a strong coach personality.

A lot of the good coaches actually are as good as they are because of their assistants. There are several assistants (some of them are getting really old) who are specialist in offense, and defense. Remember Dick Harter? How about Pete Carril who designed the Princeton offense and was Adelmans assistant why the Kings learned it back in the Cweb days? Tex Schram architect of the triangle. No team has run the triangle successfully unless he was on board as assistant. (That may be because the Triangle is a straight line if you don't have Kobe or MJ on your team! ) Tom Thibodu of the Celtics is one of the leagues current team defense guru's.

 

[Minstrel]

Tex Schram architect of the triangle.

Tex Winter. Tex Schramm ran the first Dallas Cowboys team and has since passed away. He wouldn't help Portland.

 

[hasoos]

Tex Winter. Tex Schramm ran the first Dallas Cowboys team and has since passed away. He wouldn't help Portland.

Those Tex's all look alike!

 

[KingSpeed]

Having no offensive low post presence isn't how I want to go about these next couple of years.

LMA is a low post presence and a more effective one than Greg at that.

 

[KingSpeed]

So how exactly did we get our asses kicked in the first round last year?
.

Because it was their first playoffs together. All the key players had never been in the playoffs before and we'll still won two home games and seriously challenged the Rockets in Houston in Games 3 & 4.

 

[KingSpeed]

I won't deny the offense runs better right now without Oden, but honestly I think a lot of the blame has to fall on Brandon for being selfish, pouting, and not wanting to change. I love Brandon, but nobody is perfect. I think he could have tried much harder to play his game and make it work with Greg and Miller, but instead refused to change.

But he DID change. We DID get Oden involved. And Roy sacrificed his game. His numbers went down and he had little chance of making the All Star team the way things were going. He didn't like it, but he did make the sacrifices. And it wasn't working.

 

[KingSpeed]

Nate fucked up by not trying to integrate Greg into the offense from the start of training camp a.

False. Oden opened preseason with an 18/9 game and followed it up with a 20/12 game. Our first priority was getting the ball to Oden and Roy sacrificed his game in the process.

 

[KingSpeed]

Last night, that was a Baaaaaaaaaaaaaad Pacers team, minus it's only go to scorer and was no great defensive squad to begin with, .

Dahntae Jones is one of the very best one-on-one defenders in the league and Roy absolutely lit him up.

 

[KingSpeed]

I'm encouraged actually...

John Wall will be a Blazer by the end of June

Nope. As long as LMA and Roy stay healthy, we will make the playoffs.

 

[KingSpeed]

Nothing at all to do with Oden, who played most of last year.
.

But Oden came off the bench for a part of the season. When he did start, he picked up two fouls almost instantaneously.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

LMA is a low post presence and a more effective one than Greg at that.

That is just ridiculous. I know Greg's offense isn't that refined, but LaMarcus almost never operates in the low post. He gets his points off of ridiculously hard looking fade away jump shots.

 

[B-Roy]

*edited*

 

[KingSpeed]

If the Blazers offense is better without Oden, then the Blazers need a new offense. And a new coach.

Roy and LaMarcus don't know how to play with a dominant center like Greg? Neither does Nate. Miller does though.
:

A) Since when is Greg a dominant center? He was averaging 11 & 8. Solid but not dominant.

B) Since when does Miller know how to play with a dominant center? What dominant center has Andre Miller ever played with? On our team, he only had 7 assists in the first 20 games of the season.

 

[KingSpeed]

OK, Greg may not be 'dominant' yet in everyone's book, but Miller clearly knows how to utilize the big man, IMO. So, I'd say, since he came to Portland.

7 assists in 20 games.

 

[Eastoff]

That is just ridiculous. I know Greg's offense isn't that refined, but LaMarcus almost never operates in the low post. He gets his points off of ridiculously hard looking fade away jump shots.

They do not consider a jump shot as inside.

LMA: shot selection
jump 64%-6.7
close 24%-3.0
dunk 10%-2.6
tips 2%-0.2


Oden shot selection-points
jump 9%-0.5
close 57%-4.3
dunk 22%-3.2
tips 12%-0.8

greg makes 8.3 points in the paint while LMA makes 5.8 points in the paint. So no, KingSpeed.

 

[KingSpeed]

They do not consider a jump shot as inside.

LMA: shot selection
jump 64%-6.7
close 24%-3.0
dunk 10%-2.6
tips 2%-0.2


Oden shot selection-points
jump 9%-0.5
close 57%-4.3
dunk 22%-3.2
tips 12%-0.8

greg makes 8.3 points in the paint while LMA makes 5.8 points in the paint. So no, KingSpeed.

I consider a "post presence" to be someone who you can throw the ball into and get a score from them. LMA is much more effective at that than Oden. Yes, Oden gets more inside points than LMA but those are from putbacks and wide open dunks created by Roy and Blake. Oden does not have a better "post game" than Aldridge. Not even close.

Put it this way, who would you rather have shooting a hook shot? LMA or Oden?

 

[Nikolokolus]

LMA is a low post presence and a more effective one than Greg at that.

Just shut up, for our sake and for your own sake.

 

[RoyToy]

LMA is a low post presence and a more effective one than Greg at that.

I see that this post is filled with statistics to back your argument up.

Oh wait....