For everyone who thinks Nate is calling Sergio out

[Nikolokolus]

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2008/12/the_mcmillan_threat_who_was_th.html

Is it time for Jerryd Bayless, I asked.

McMillan smiled, giving me the sense that he read what I wrote last night.

"I made the comment for us as a team: I'm looking at change,'' McMillan said. "If I don't see the change we need ... OK we've done some good things, but we are starting to make the same mistakes. We are not seeing our guys take the next step at certain spots. So, that's everybody. We need to take that next step. Defending better. Rebounding better. Attacking better. Not turning the ball over.

"So, yes, I'm looking at Sergio. Yes, I'm looking at Ike (Diogu). Yes, I'm looking at the small forward position. I'm looking at all of our guys, and there are guys who want opportunities. So is it time for Bayless? I'm certainly looking at what we are doing the last couple of games, and if it continues maybe another game or so, we make that move.

"My thing is I don't want to make that move (pause) I'm not flip-flopping,'' McMillan said. "That guy is going to get the same opportunity as the other guy. You don't rush it and you don't flip-flop it and play with guys' minds. We are already playing a lot of guys, and to play you one game ... that I don't want to do.''

"We were a decent, or OK defense team,'' McMillan said. "Now, we are worse. That can't happen. So I let them know that this is a problem. I thought our last game (against Dallas) was just bad. Really bad. Even though that's a good team, it was still bad. So this is where we are: We've had a rotation, but we are going to get guys in and give another guy a shot.''

I then asked, 'Who exactly are you talking about?'

"It could be Bayless. It could be Diogu. It could be bringing Joel back in (as a starter). It could be Travis or Rudy at the three,'' McMillan said. "It's just ... it's ... it's a sense of urgency. LaMarcus ... it could be all of our guys. Brandon ... in the sense of we are playing you too many minutes. Don't tempo yourself, thinking in your mind that you have to bring it tonight again, so you don't give it on the defensive end.''

By the way, that might have been the first time McMillan has ever pointed out a flaw of Roy ... noting that Roy has been exerting so much energy on the offensive end that his defense of late has suffered. I will like to see how Roy responds to that.

Sounds like Nate is just as displeased with Roy burning up all of his energy on the offensive end and not giving enough on defense.

Anyway, interesting read that clarifies (and further muddies) some of what Quick wrote about in his article from Friday.

 

[Minstrel]

Sounds like he doesn't want to change players' roles unless he sees it being a long-term change. I can see the argument for that, but I think it's the wrong approach with this roster. The team has so many interesting players and so many potential combinations, that I think it's a mistake not to be willing to experiment on the basis that it's "flip-flopping."

 

[barfo]

"My thing is I don't want to make that move (pause) I'm not flip-flopping,'' McMillan said. "That guy is going to get the same opportunity as the other guy. You don't rush it and you don't flip-flop it and play with guys' minds. '

I guess that must be something Nate learned since opening day, when he played with Batum's mind, huh?

barfo

 

[Nikolokolus]

Sounds like he doesn't want to change players' roles unless he sees it being a long-term change. I can see the argument for that, but I think it's the wrong approach with this roster. The team has so many interesting players and so many potential combinations, that I think it's a mistake not to be willing to experiment on the basis that it's "flip-flopping."

In the parts of the article I didn't quote, he talks about holding Brandon out and limiting his minutes so he can see what they've got with different combinations of players ... even if that means it costs the team some wins in the short run (I can already see the howls of outrage and calls for Nate to be fired -- this could get ugly).

 

[bodyman5001]

In the parts of the article I didn't quote, he talks about holding Brandon out and limiting his minutes so he can see what they've got with different combinations of players ... even if that means it costs the team some wins in the short run (I can already see the howls of outrage and calls for Nate to be fired -- this could get ugly).

Ya think? What combo would we possibly want to use that doesn't include Brandon Roy?

The mental midget is grasping at straws at this point.

The guy can't ever make up his mind.

Edit...I know that Brandon shouldn't play 48 minutes per game, so there is time to try combos that don't include him.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Ya think? What combo would we possibly want to use that doesn't include Brandon Roy?

The mental midget is grasping at straws at this point.

The guy can't ever make up his mind.

Edit...I know that Brandon shouldn't play 48 minutes per game, so there is time to try combos that don't include him.

We're talking about taking Brandon down from 38 minutes a night to around 35. C'mon.

 

[Drink Your Milkshake]

I guess that must be something Nate learned since opening day, when he played with Batum's mind, huh?

barfo

I don't know if you're being serious, but I do think Nate learned from his mistake, and I think he realized his mistake right away.

 

[bodyman5001]

We're talking about taking Brandon down from 38 minutes a night to around 35. C'mon.

So he is going to experiment in three minutes a game and figures this would lose some games?

C'mon to you.

 

[barfo]

I don't know if you're being serious, but I do think Nate learned from his mistake, and I think he realized his mistake right away.

I am being serious (hey, I'm always serious!) and I do hope Nate learned from his mistake. But having been a head coach now for several years, he shouldn't have made the mistake in the first place.

It reveals his lack of confidence in his own decision-making. A serious flaw in a business where decisions need to be made frequently and without notice. I think Nate is actually not comfortable with that part of the job.

barfo