"Heated Exchange!"

[BrianFromWA]

gotcha. I'd submit that they got what they were hoping for with him, and then let him go on his way.

I'm not sure we're getting what we were hoping for from Andre.

 

[Boob-No-More]

They realized they had to change, so they fired their coach, gave Miller the reins, and made it (to everybody's surprise) into the playoffs.

I'd be cool with that.

BNM

 

[hasoos]

Rick was a Petrie guy, not a Whitsitt guy. So, Bob fired Rick the first chance he had when Rick coached them to "only" 47 games without a healthy center on the roster. Dudley was Whitsitt's big FA signing. He played 6 games before braking his ankle. They ended up splitting the center minutes between 6'8" Buck Williams and 6'9" Mark Bryant. Clyde was also injured that year. It was the only season Rick led the Blazers to less than 50 wins.

So, Whitsit fired him and hired PJ Carlesimo (shudder). In spite of two years in Golden State and inheriting a 27-win Kings team, Rick actually has a higher career winning percentage as a coach than Jerry Sloan (0.614 vs. 0.601). Rick is currently 327 games over 0.500. Nate's career winning percentage has been waffling around 0.500 all season. He's currently 4 games over 0.500 at 382 - 378. He could be back below 0.500 by the end of the month.

BNM

Yea I know why he was fired. It doesn't make it right. Sloan has survived many front office changes in Utah. There is a big difference between firing a coach because he has lost the ear of the team or he stinks, and letting one go because he wasn't the guy you hired. In other businesses you can fire somebody and replace them pretty quickly. No so much in basketball. Hell that is half the reason Gilbert Arenas wasn't fired on this gun thing so quickly. NBA players just don't grow on trees.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I'd be cool with that.

BNM

Then just like Philly, lose in the first round and send Miller on his way.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Well if you are a garbageman . . . I mean sanitray custodian . . . and your job is to haul garbage to the dump. Your boss gives you a sports car to do your job. You put a tow package on the sports car and you use that vehicle when the Ford Ranger isn't performing well . . . and being that it is a ford, I would slap that tow package on the sports car as fast as I could.

Now what this all has to do with basketball, I don't know. Just trying to play along.

It's just a stupid analogy, but it underscores a bigger issue for me. Assuming Nate's the one that wanted Andre brought in after talking with him in Vegas, then it's not like he was forced to take him and secondly, this is an 11 year player with a long resume' and there shouldn't have been many illusions about what Dre' is and isn't (uptempo creator without a jumpshot and shaky defense).

Maybe the whole story that came out about Nate and Dre' having some long talk was pure KP bullshit and it never happened, in which case this is on KP for adding a player with no real thought about how he fit or wanted him integrated -- he probably would have been better off signing no one this off-season and instead carrying cap space into the season with the hope of performing a lop-sided trade.

 

[ABM]

I'm not sure we're getting what we were hoping for from Andre.

Who knows. Also, who knows how this team would have fared had they not been assaulted with all the injuries. It's just a very weird time right now.

 

[RR7]

Yeah, SA got a title, and then he signed as a free agent with Atlanta. And SA replaced him with Hedo. Not sure where in that anything didn't work out.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Then just like Philly, lose in the first round and send Miller on his way.

Would you prefer we keep Nate, ship Miller out now and miss the play-offs?

BNM

 

[mook]

He's a liability and we can't risk playing him for long spans in the fourth quarter. Guess what happens in the Playoffs. He'll have to sit the majority of a series. Opponents will sag off of him nearly every possession I predict.

Yeah, because that was exactly what happened last year in the playoffs.

Oh, wait, he was arguably the Sixers' best player, averaging 21 points, 5 assists and 6 boards.

But that's a completely different situation. They had lots of outside shooters, no star shooting guard to play beside, a wealth of talent at center....

hmmm....

Well, they had a different logo anyway. And a different coach.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Would you prefer we keep Nate, ship Miller out now and miss the play-offs?

BNM

No. I prefer to keep both and make the playoffs.

My only point was whatever Miller did for the sixers, they didn't seem to give it much value. They couldn't even swing a sign and trade with him so they just let him walk.

 

[ABM]

Yeah, SA got a title, and then he signed as a free agent with Atlanta. And SA replaced him with Hedo. Not sure where in that anything didn't work out.

Yep. Jackson was expecting to be signed to a big contract by SA, but they let him walk in favor of a relative unknown.

 

[BlazerWookee]

miller is butt-hurt. questionable for tomorrow

Fixed.

 

[RR7]

Fixed.

Do you just no tlike him because he finally took Blake's job? What is it with you and Miller?

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Fixed.

lol!

 

[BlazerWookee]

When Miller is in, the Blazers have much better ball movement and get better shots.

Unless Miller is playing off the ball, in which case whenever the ball gets to him, ball movement stops and restarts. I haven't seen him make more than a couple swing passes in at least two games now...

 

[axs88]

Yep. Jackson was expecting to be signed to a big contract by SA, but they let him walk in favor of a relative unknown.

Hedo was pretty established in the league from his Kings days. SA front office is just shrewd, they never overplay a good role player, they just seek another one.

 

[mook]

This will really suck if Miller's iron man streak ends over this.

I normally don't give a crap about streaks. But this is a little different. That streak is a testament to a guy's work ethic and determination to play through pain. Over 10 seasons he's missed, what, 2 games? It'd seem like a major insult to break up the streak because of Nate's incompetence.

 

[ABM]

Hedo was pretty established in the league from his Kings days. SA front office is just shrewd, they never overplay a good role player, they just seek another one.

I can live with that.

That said, this (Andre) thing still has a loong way to go before it's entirely played out. I still trust management to get things straightened out.

 

[OneSport3]

Yep. Jackson was expecting to be signed to a big contract by SA, but they let him walk in favor of a relative unknown.

Just because they let him go doesn't mean things didn't work out well. San Antonio has been notorious for being a fiscally responsible team. They let Derek Anderson go as a free agent before replacing him with Jackson. Their nucleus was always Duncan, Parker and Ginobili.

And if you infer that things ended badly because of Jackson's history and role in the brawl in Detroit, that occured after his stint in San Antonio.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Unless Miller is playing off the ball, in which case whenever the ball gets to him, ball movement stops and restarts. I haven't seen him make more than a couple swing passes in at least two games now...

Yeah, he got 16 assists against the Clippers by holding the ball. What games have you been watching? Seriously, the only time we get ANY ball movement is when Miller is in. The rest of the time it's nothing but walk the ball up and run ISOs for Roy or Bayless.

BNM

 

[BlazerWookee]

Do you just no tlike him because he finally took Blake's job? What is it with you and Miller?

I don't like Miller because he's a passive-aggressive jerk.

That doesn't mean I automatically go against him in a situation like this. I'm mocking Mixum's knee-jerk anti-Nate stance regardless of the circumstances more than anything else, lol...

My position is this: Let's see how this shakes out. If Nate and Andre end up coming to terms with better lines of communication running in both directions when all is said and done, this will have been a good thing, kudos to Andre for finally opening up. If they can't come to some sort of understanding, then I hope the door does hit Miller in the ass on the way out the door, and I hope it leaves a mark.

 

[e_blazer]

I'm with the Wookee on this one.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I'm not sure we're getting what we were hoping for from Andre.

Yeah, who could have ever hoped we'd get a PG who would put up 22 points and 16 assists one game and then 16 points (on 7-11 shooting) and pull down 10 boards the very next night - in three quarters before getting benched by a clueless coach.

Miller is every bit as good as advertised - when he's allowed to play. Hard for him to contribute much when his ass is glued to the bench. If Nate had his way, Blake would still be starting and playing 30+ MPG with Bayless gettign the rest of the PG minutes.

Injuries have forced Nate to play Miller and Miller responded in spectacular fashion with impressive back-to-back doubles - only top be rewarded by getting benched in the 4th quarter by McClueless. It's like Miller made Nate look bad (for choosing Blake over him) by playing so well that Nate benched him to save face. So much for players earning their minutes. When was the last time Steve Blake put up back-to-back double-doubles. How many career double-doubles does Jerryd Bayless have? Yet, it's Miller than gets benched.

BNM

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I'm with the Wookee on this one.

I agree with e_blazer on this.

 

[Sug]

this season keeps getting better and better

You're not a Blazer fan.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

You're not a Blazer fan.

He's a Bills fan. It all makes sense once you realize that.

 

[hasoos]

I don't think many of the folks here know any of the players well enough to know if they are really a jerk or not. They may think they do, but for some reason, I doubt it.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I don't like Miller because he's a passive-aggressive jerk.

I'll take a passive-aggressive jerk who is producing over a nice guy with a single digit PER.

I'll also take a passive-aggressive jerk who is producing over a coach that lies to his players and whose ego is costing the team wins.

BNM

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Yeah, who could have ever hoped we'd get a PG who would put up 22 points and 16 assists one game and then 16 points (on 7-11 shooting) and pull down 10 boards the very next night - in three quarters before getting benched by a clueless coach.

Miller is every bit as good as advertised - when he's allowed to play. Hard for him to contribute much when his ass is glued to the bench. If Nate had his way, Blake would still be starting and playing 30+ MPG with Bayless gettign the rest of the PG minutes.

Injuries have forced Nate to play Miller and Miller responded in spectacular fashion with impressive back-to-back doubles - only top be rewarded by getting benched in the 4th quarter by McClueless. It's like Miller made Nate look bad (for choosing Blake over him) by playing so well that Nate benched him to save face. So much for players earning their minutes. When was the last time Steve Blake put up back-to-back double-doubles. How many career double-doubles does Jerryd Bayless have? Yet, it's Miller than gets benched.

BNM

You are so upset with Nate, I think you are mixing you're facts up alittle. Nate did bench Blake for Miller (before Blake got hurt).

I think many agree that Nate may have messed up last game, but Miller has been anything but spectacular, IMO. You keep saying double double . . . but that's as frustrating as others using +/- to prove a point. Getting a double double is great and all, but you got to look at beyond the numbers and Miller was not getting back on defense (instead trying to get that offensive rebound)

Personally I would have put Miller in for Bayless with about 6 mins left, but the only way Miller was spectacular is if it is relative to his play this season.

 

[BlazerWookee]

Yeah, he got 16 assists against the Clippers by holding the ball. What games have you been watching? Seriously, the only time we get ANY ball movement is when Miller is in. The rest of the time it's nothing but walk the ball up and run ISOs for Roy or Bayless.

BNM

He got 16 assists by stopping the ball as it swings around the perimeter, then breaking down his man and penetrating and dishing. The ball does move, but not the way Nate's offense is designed to move the ball. For example, Say Brandon works the high pick and roll on the right side, passes to Marty in the right corner. The defense starts their rotation. The ball goes back to Lamarcus who pops out to the top of the key after setting the pick for Brandon, then he swings the ball to Andre, who is then supposed to swing it to Marty or Brandon in the left corner. Instead of a steady flow to beat the defensive rotation and get an open 3 in the corner, Andre stops, waits for the offense to reset, then starts the whole thing back up again.

I'm not saying Andre swinging the ball to the open shooter in the corner is the best method, I'm just saying that's the method Nate has decided upon, and it's the player's job to execute the coach's game plan.

Both sides have a legitimate beef. Nate's beef trumps Andre's beef ten times out of ten.