Nate is getting tuned out OR we just suck...

[MIXUM]

Its either the team has had enough nate or this team has been figured out. Last year before roy got hurt, the blazers were owning teams. Now they cant even keep games close. I think nate has lost them. If you read his press conference transcript, it seems like hes just saying the same stuff. Not to mention, Blazesredge and O-live is speculating the same.

Heres some clips....

(blazers edge)

So, 5-10 New Jersey on Sunday and 3-13 Philadelphia on Tuesday, plus the law of shooting averages, offer short-term hope. That doesn't feel like much, with the Boston Celtics lurking on Wednesday to kick off 16 games in the 31 days of December for the Blazers.

To put it frankly, the magic from two years ago has disappeared. The grit from last season has apparently ground up. The excuse from last week -- exhaustion from too much playing time -- evaporated in the face of such a poor performance after an off week. There's not much left except for bad basketball.

The bad basketball isn't coming from nowhere. It boils down to two simple questions.

Who is "buying in" right now? And what are they buying into?

O-live

So at 8-7, with back-to-back home losses, and a shaky record against good competition, what to make of the Blazers?

Miller and McMillan didn't sugar-coat.

"It could easily turn good, and it could easily turn really bad," Miller said. "But right now, we are not playing good basketball. We have to figure it out, but really this month hasn't been a good month basketball wise."

Added McMillan:

"We're not playing good basketball. We are good in certain areas for a quarter or two, but nothing consistent."

Before the game, McMillan said he expected the Blazers to show marked improvement. They were coming off five days rest, enough time to get Roy back from injury and to fine-tune kinks during practices.

 

[Blazinaway]

Maybe part of it is readjusting to Roy but I like watching this team play without Roy than with him with at least judging by last nights game, now I obviously need more of a sample size but without Roy more guys are involved, we play better team D, and are offensive movement is a lot better, Oh well

 

[hasoos]

We just suck. Better get used to it. The bench has turned into one of the worst in the league. Armon Johnson has been officially scouted and has been turned into a pound the rock until the shot clock expires PG. There are no bigs to set screens for them to get them open. We don't have a real backup SF. The team is too small and is getting dominated on the glass.

Look at this folks. 2 years ago our backup power forward and center combo was Greg Oden/Joel (depending on who was starting) and Frye. Now we have Sean Marks and Dante Cunninham. If you can't see the downgrade here, I don't know what to tell you.

Right now it still appears that many players on this team are meant for one system, and other players are meant for another. When the team came out last night with effort and adrenaline going, they moved the ball well and kept the Hornets at bay. As soon as the effort stopped and we went to isolation offense, it slowly fell apart.

 

[Mediocre Man]

There has been too many mismatched pieces since KP. KP wanted to run, and Nate wanted a more controlled offense. I honestly think that things will only start to get better going forward because Nate has a GM that will get him plaers he wants, and get rid of players he doesn't want

 

[MIXUM]

no bench? i said that last year. i also thought that was a priority this summer. WE NEED A PURE SCORER OFF THE BENCH!!!!

also i said i after bulls game. our bench freaking blows.

 

[MIXUM]

my only question is did cho know this was gonna be a lotto season and that was the reason he did nothing to improve us?

 

[Ghost Pepper]

You can't get blown out by 20 by handful of teams in the first month and think the coach is getting it done anymore! A change must happen or by month two, this team will have mentally checked out!

I can't remember the Blazers being slapped all over the court the way I've seen this year.

 

[MIXUM]

think 05-06

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

I know that somebody suggested a week ago that Roy play coming off the bench, and maybe this would cure the two problems of a weak bench and a starting unit that doesn't seem to perform as well with Roy in there.

 

[illmatic99]

There's a guy who can get consistent effort from his team while getting them to play in a structured defense.

 

[Ghost Pepper]

Here's the real problem! ROY slows the offense down sooooooo much that the team must run an effective half court set to allow Roy to utilize his skills. We don't have an effective half court offense, and if Roy is off the other team kills us on the fast break in response!

That is why I've said we need a new coach, we don't have an offense! OR.... bring Roy off the bench and let the ball movement not be destroyed by his walking it up the court.

My favorite part is letting Roy play PG in sections of the game! Why not allow the other team to get lawn chairs and beverages and relax waiting for that ball to come up the court! Goodness! Who's thinking this crap up and fire them first!

 

[illmatic99]

Wow: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/11/26/1838297/media-row-report-hornets-97-blazers-78

A team that used to beat itself up over losses casually checked the score of Boise State vs. Nevada on the locker room television while going through the media motions, resigned to the outcome in the locker room after the beatdown had been delivered because they had resigned the outcome while the beatdown was being delivered on the court.

 

[MIXUM]

wow is right.

nate has lost em and they suck. bad combo.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Nate was on the brink of losing the team last season - but then the injuries hit , and the team temporarily pulled together.

BTW, does anybody still think this is a bunch of "high character" guys? Show them a little adversity, and they hit the floor faster than Paris Hilton's prom dress.

 

[jlprk]

We just suck. Better get used to it. The bench has turned into one of the worst in the league. Armon Johnson has been officially scouted and has been turned into a pound the rock until the shot clock expires PG. There are no bigs to set screens for them to get them open. We don't have a real backup SF. The team is too small and is getting dominated on the glass.

What is the big change between now and 2 years ago? Sergio. Also, if we hadn't needed Frye so badly, Zach would clean up the rebounds, pound the basket, and get fouls.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I think you guys are all overreacting. "We're not knocking down any shots, it's as simple as that." LOL what an assclown

 

[BlayZa]

Sadly enough, i think it's largely due to Roy and how he impacts the game in his present form.

Back when he could run and be explosive the whole speed of the team was considerably higher. Now when he's on court he's considerably slower and the whole team has to play to his tempo, which is inherently 1 or 2 gears below where the other guys would prefer to play at. The game after the GO news and Brandon sat out (cant remember who it was against) when miller was beasting and the team was running and breaking people all over the court, wow - what a refreshing and exciting gameplan we ran that night!

slot Roy back in , slow, pounding, and if we aint hitting shots there aint no way we're pressuring and causing havoc for turnovers at the speed we're playing at.

in a nutshell, we're still a mid-range jumpshooting team whenever roy is in there - if we aint going at a good clip, forget it. BUT we have seen signs of hope when the team gets a chance to run...

play to your TEAM's strengths, not the skills of your best (injured) player.
it just doesnt work.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Nate was on the brink of losing the team last season - but then the injuries hit , and the team temporarily pulled together.

BTW, does anybody still think this is a bunch of "high character" guys? Show them a little adversity, and they hit the floor faster than Paris Hilton's prom dress.

I honestly think that this current group has suffered too many emotional "body blows" in too little time. After enough punches, anybody will lay down, especially when those anybodies are no longer in the process of playing for a contract. I don't think it's unique nor particularly damning, but with Roy and Aldridge locked into long term deals and the hopes of competing for anything truly meaningful dimming in the near future, it's more and more likely that guys will become more interested in their own long term future rather than kill themselves for no reason.

I think this team already blew its wad last year when they had all of the injuries and mangaged to just keep their head above water for half the year until Camby came in as a reinforcement. But when the injury bug started hitting early and often this year I almost get the sense that it's sapped their will and there's not much fight left in them.

Maybe they'll rally and surprise us, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[MickZagger]

We just suck. Better get used to it. The bench has turned into one of the worst in the league. Armon Johnson has been officially scouted and has been turned into a pound the rock until the shot clock expires PG. There are no bigs to set screens for them to get them open. We don't have a real backup SF. The team is too small and is getting dominated on the glass.

Look at this folks. 2 years ago our backup power forward and center combo was Greg Oden/Joel (depending on who was starting) and Frye. Now we have Sean Marks and Dante Cunninham. If you can't see the downgrade here, I don't know what to tell you.

Right now it still appears that many players on this team are meant for one system, and other players are meant for another. When the team came out last night with effort and adrenaline going, they moved the ball well and kept the Hornets at bay. As soon as the effort stopped and we went to isolation offense, it slowly fell apart.

Can't blame Johnson for pounding the rock. There is absolutely no movement in Nate's offense. Its absolutely the most stagnant offense I've ever seen.

 

[Driew]

I honestly think that this current group has suffered too many emotional "body blows" in too little time. After enough punches, anybody will lay down, especially when those anybodies are no longer in the process of playing for a contract. I don't think it's unique nor particularly damning, but with Roy and Aldridge locked into long term deals and the hopes of competing for anything truly meaningful dimming in the near future, it's more and more likely that guys will become more interested in their own long term future rather than kill themselves for no reason.

I think this team already blew its wad last year when they had all of the injuries and mangaged to just keep their head above water for half the year until Camby came in as a reinforcement. But when the injury bug started hitting early and often this year I almost get the sense that it's sapped their will and there's not much fight left in them.

Maybe they'll rally and surprise us, but I'm not holding my breath.

+1 Great post, was just about to type the same thing.

 

[julius]

God help me, I'm on the Van Gundy bandwagon now.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

[/MB]

 

[Mediocre Man]

[/MB]

They left one out.

COURAGE

The courage for us to fire a popular coach and friend of the GM because he isn't very good

 

[MIXUM]

how bout a billboard that says "CHO MAKE A FUCKING TRADE THAT IMPROVES US"

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

how bout a billboard that says "CHO MAKE A FUCKING TRADE THAT IMPROVES US"

This job seems so cushy. KP only worked on draft night and it was easy sailing from there on. ...So he thought