Hoopshype nails it

[Fez Hammersticks]

Via Twitter:

Portland is not maximizing the potential of some of its players. A 2-for-1 trade is long overdue.

 

[Ed O]

It's not about maximizing the potential of its players. It's about maximizing the team.

Rudy can rot on the bench every game as long as we keep winning, as far as I am concerned.

Ed O.

 

[julius]

It's not about maximizing the potential of its players. It's about maximizing the team.

Rudy can rot on the bench every game as long as we keep winning, as far as I am concerned.

Ed O.

I agree, although I wish they could find a role for him.

 

[SpanishFly]

It's not about maximizing the potential of its players. It's about maximizing the team.

Rudy can rot on the bench every game as long as we keep winning, as far as I am concerned.

Ed O.

he's playin like crap, I'd include him in a trade no problemo

 

[SheedSoNasty]

I thought he'd be a lot more effective this year with a guy like Miller finding him all over the court. However, it looks like his soul mate Sergio was his one and only.

I'm sure he'll find his groove, but it's nice to know that we have someone like Jerryd behind him if needed.

 

[Natebishop3]

Rudy is a talent. We need to find a way to get him involved.

 

[LOTBfan]

rudy for evans!

 

[Nikolokolus]

Rudy is a talent. We need to find a way to get him involved.

I think the minutes crunch is weighing some guys down mentally. The only guy who seems to have responded is Bayless, but he was already used to garbage time and having to come in and do a lot in a little amount of time anyway.

Get this team whittled down to an 8 or 9 man rotation and keep enough bench guys around to fill in for emergencies, but frankly I think the 11 and 12 man stuff is confusing roles and causing guys to kind of spaz out.

 

[ehizzy3]

rudy for evans!

i wish

 

[Natebishop3]

I think the minutes crunch is weighing some guys down mentally. The only guy who seems to have responded is Bayless, but he was already used to garbage time and having to come in and do a lot in a little amount of time anyway.

Get this team whittled down to an 8 or 9 man rotation and keep enough bench guys around to fill in for emergencies, but frankly I think the 11 and 12 man stuff is confusing roles and causing guys to kind of spaz out.

Exactamundo!

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Rudy can't find his groove. His role is different every time he enters the game. He was playing behind Roy and now he's competing with Blake for SG minutes as well.

He's not fitting in well with Nate's rotation and it's really showing. Not being able to get into a rhythm is a killer for a jumpshooter.

 

[ABM]

He's not fitting in well with Nate's rotation and it's really showing. Not being able to get into a rhythm is a killer for a jumpshooter.

Then take care of the ball.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Then take care of the ball.

Certainly, but wouldn't you also agree that the state of mind of a young player can have an impact on how they perform too? I think there is so much second guessing, hesitation and utter lack of comprehension of what exactly is expected of some of these guys that many of them are underperforming. Rudy just looks like he's on a roller coaster when he's out there, and he's not alone.

 

[ABM]

Certainly, but wouldn't you also agree that the state of mind of a young player can have an impact on how they perform too? I think there is so much second guessing, hesitation and utter lack of comprehension of what exactly is expected of some of these guys that many of them are underperforming. Rudy just looks like he's on a roller coaster when he's out there, and he's not alone.

Trust me, this will all begin to work itself out once the Blazers start playing some real talent. Currently, Nate has had the luxury of tinkering around some...............while still winning games.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Trust me, this will all begin to work itself out once the Blazers start playing some real talent. Currently, Nate has had the luxury of tinkering around some...............while still winning games.

Trust me, a playing rotation of 11 guys (even 10 guys) is incredibly hard to sustain because it makes it so hard for guys to come in and know exactly what it is that is expected of them when they check in ... especially for a team mostly composed of finesse jump shooters that rely on rhythm to be effective. It's not like the Hornets game was a total blowout and Nate just emptied the bench for 12 minutes of garbage time.

When this team gets matched up against a team like the Celtics, the Lakers, or even the Hawks, this role confusion and hesitancy is not just going to go away because the competition has gotten better, if anything I'd expect it to get worse.

 

[ABM]

Trust me, a playing rotation of 11 guys (even 10 guys) is incredibly hard to sustain because it makes it so hard for guys to come in and know exactly what it is that is expected of them when they check in ...

You missed my point. What I meant was, the rotation will be tightened once the Blazers begin to play tougher talent. IMO, Nate is currently getting plenty of "tape" as to to help determine which players he'll eventually go with.

 

[Nikolokolus]

You missed my point. What I meant was, the rotation will be tightened once the Blazers begin to play tougher talent. IMO, Nate is currently getting plenty of "tape" as to to help determine which players he'll eventually go with.

I agree that it probably will be tightened up at some point, but in the interim nobody has settled in to their roles and few if any of the bench guys will be able to just flip a switch and turn it on. See what I'm getting at?

 

[ABM]

I agree that it probably will be tightened up at some point, but in the interim nobody has settled in to their roles and few if any of the bench guys will be able to just flip a switch and turn it on. See what I'm getting at?

Yeah, I do. I'm just a Nate apologist to a fault. Call me the antithesis to Mediocre Man in that regard.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Yeah, I do. I'm just a Nate apologist to a fault. Call me the antithesis to Mediocre Man in that regard.

Honestly I don't even see this as a Nate problem, he's doing the best he can to get a lot of rotation quality guys minutes -- he's basically juggling 4 balls and doing backflips in between as far as roster management goes. I pin this on KP, who has done zero, nada, zip, zilch to consolidate this roster and put enough hustle/garbage guys on the roster who can be productive in short stints; it's a roster full of rhythm players (like Channing) who are best suited to large roles versus coming in and being energizers. This team needs more Joels and Jerryds and fewer Rudys, Travises and Blakes (attitude more so than skillset-wise).

 

[ABM]

Honestly I don't even see this as a Nate problem, he's doing the best he can to get a lot of rotation quality guys minutes -- he's basically juggling 4 balls and doing backflips in between as far as roster management goes. I pin this on KP, who has done zero, nada, zip, zilch to consolidate this roster and put enough hustle/garbage guys on the roster who can be productive in short stints; it's a roster full of rhythm players (like Channing) who are best suited to large roles versus coming in and being energizers. This team needs more Joels and Jerryds and fewer Rudys, Travises and Blakes (attitude more so than skillset-wise).

I feel ya on that, as well. Unfortunately, KP ain't gonna do squat while the team is winning. I hope it doesn't take a long losing streak to move on this, though.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I have to give Nate credit for getting Bayless in as much as he has. I thought originally that he wouldn't be getting much time, but since going to the 3-guard starting lineup he's been carving out a little (but relatively important) role for JBay.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I feel ya on that, as well. Unfortunately, KP ain't gonna do squat while the team is winning. I hope it doesn't take a long losing streak to move on this, though.

I don't know what it's going to take, but Blake and Travis are both expiring deals and we've got more wings than we can shake a stick at and eventually Nic is going to come back and be in the rotation and then what?

My hope is that the wizards continue to stink it up and decide to blow that bitch up and will be more amenable to trading away a guy like Caron Butler by the trade deadline; who admittedly has been playing very poorly to start the season, but I suspect a change of scenery might be just what the doctor ordered -- not to mention we could maybe buy low.

Maybe something like Steve and Webster for Caron: http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yfqo4sa

They get an expiring deal (and reasonably capable backup for Arenas in the short term) and a decent defensive minded wing in Martell who probably can shoot a little for them. In return we get a veteran small forward who can handle the ball, has been a pretty good assist guy in the past and has also been a pretty good defensive player too. Beyond that it frees up more time for Rudy at shooting guard and probably gets Jerryd some more burn too, which he seems to be earning right now.

But who am I kidding, KP makes mid-season trades about as often as Joel shoots baseline jumpers -- not saying it's impossible, but ...

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I have come to hate seeing Rudy go to the scorers table. I don't like what he does on the court.

 

[Minstrel]

Certainly, but wouldn't you also agree that the state of mind of a young player can have an impact on how they perform too?

Rudy isn't that young. And while I am not that familiar with his European basketball history, my understanding is that young players (17-18 years old) don't play very much on European teams. So hasn't Rudy already experienced this?

Of all of Portland's young players, I'd expect Rudy to handle short minutes the best. Not be happy about it, but continue to perform.

 

[ABM]

But who am I kidding, KP makes mid-season trades about as often as Joel shoots baseline jumpers -- not saying it's impossible, but ...

You can't keep the cookies in the oven forever. Hopefully, this is the season KP realizes that. Personally, I think he does, and I believe there's a much better than average chance KP will pull the trigger on something prior to the TD.

Here's hoping.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Rudy isn't that young. And while I am not that familiar with his European basketball history, my understanding is that young players (17-18 years old) don't play very much on European teams. So hasn't Rudy already experienced this?

Of all of Portland's young players, I'd expect Rudy to handle short minutes the best. Not be happy about it, but continue to perform.

I suppose you are right, but he's new to the league, and hasn't exactly established just what kind of player he is yet. But I'm not even really saying you have to play Rudy more, he's been terribly inconsistent and makes it very hard for a coach to trust what he's going to give you.

However I was also speaking in more general terms, the yo-yo-ing of minutes and the constant mixing and matching is having an impact on lots of guys (some starters included) LaMarcus is averaging a career low in minutes, Brandon who's playing with lots of different lineups seems to be in a funk, Travis seems to be struggling to find any kind of consistency and Martell is struggling too. The only players that seem to be able to give any kind of steady performance on most nights in limited minutes is Joel and Jerryd and part of that I suspect is because both of those guys have a very clearly defined role when they check in. Jerryd is supposed to hustle on D, get to the rim and attack, and Joel comes in to defend and rebound. The rest of the bench looks like a deer in the headlights half the time.

 

[Luther]

It's not about maximizing the potential of its players. It's about maximizing the team.

Rudy can rot on the bench every game as long as we keep winning, as far as I am concerned.

Ed O.

Rot on the bench? He's been rotting on the floor for the most part this year...He hasn't been playing too well, so yea he hasn't EARNED that much PT.

 

[MIXUM]

we really need a sf to start. i have a feeling a blake, outlaw, and change package is coming.

as long as bayless keeps playing well... blake is in serious trouble as far as being traded.

 

[BenDavis503]

rudy for evans!

Great 2 for 1 idea!

 

[GrandpaBlaze]

You can't keep the cookies in the oven forever.

Waitaminute! All this time I thought we were baking a cake and now you say we are baking cookies????

Baking a cake takes more time than cookies. If it truly is cookies we're baking we should be doing a trade ASAP!

Gramps...