"News" on 95.5

[Rastapopoulos]

Anyone confirm or deny this?

So on 95.5 today,
- Armon Johnson is apparently moving ahead of Jerryd Bayless in the lineup!
- Nate says that a BIG is necessary and needed now! May be a trade coming soon?
- Wes Matthews and Marcus Camby are out for next game!
- Joel says Blazers are actually slowing him down! Mid-Novemberish return is the talk
- Greg Oden is still a question on his return. End of December is the talk!

 

[hasoos]

What the fuck has Armon Johnson done to move ahead of anybody? He has only had one good pre season game so far, and that was against Golden State.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

What the fuck has Armon Johnson done to move ahead of anybody? He has only had one good pre season game so far, and that was against Golden State.

Not that I'm agreeing with what the person says, but to answer your question:
1. You don't have to play well to move ahead, just better than the person in front of you, and
2. We don't know what he's doing in practice.

 

[Chuck Taylor]

Could Johnson really be better than Bayless? If so, we should try and move Bayless while he still has decent value around the league.

When it comes to Nate, I wonder if being a "Nate guy" isn't more important than being good.

 

[RR7]

Could Johnson really be better than Bayless? If so, we should try and move Bayless while he still has decent value around the league.

When it comes to Nate, I wonder if being a "Nate guy" isn't more important than being good.

I think that's the case with a good many coaches. You can have talent, but if you don't fit in a coaches system, and can't run his system, and someone else can better, then they are likely to play over you.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I haven't listened to the radio at all today, who said this stuff? A caller, one of the hosts, Jason Quick?

 

[hasoos]

I just have a real hard time believing a 2nd round draft pick from a college team that did not make the tournament is better than Bayless. Nevada had 2 players drafted and that team did not make the NCAA tournament. From time to time there is a player who translates to the Pro's much better than college (Wesley Mathews is a prime example).

I could also see where they let Armon Johnson play out the pre season just to let players rest.

But moving ahead of him in the rotation? I have a hard time buying that one.

 

[Chuck Taylor]

I think that's the case with a good many coaches. You can have talent, but if you don't fit in a coaches system, and can't run his system, and someone else can better, then they are likely to play over you.

I agree...and it's not necessarily a bad thing. I would get nervous if the "non-nate guy" has way more talent, but I don't know if thats the case here. Johnson has a big advantage in that he is a natural PG, while Bayless is not. We simply have too many SGs on our team, and not enough PGs or healthy bigs. Even it out, Cho!

 

[Nikolokolus]

I just have a real hard time believing a 2nd round draft pick from a college team that did not make the tournament is better than Bayless. Nevada had 2 players drafted and that team did not make the NCAA tournament. From time to time there is a player who translates to the Pro's much better than college (Wesley Mathews is a prime example).

I could also see where they let Armon Johnson play out the pre season just to let players rest.

But moving ahead of him in the rotation? I have a hard time buying that one.

He plays defense willingly (as in he enjoys it) and he can pass the ball (willingly) or finish at the rim. Is Bayless more athletic, can he draw free throws better, was he more highly touted coming out of the U of A? Yes, yes and yes, but is Bayless really a point guard? I don't know.

 

[Denny Crane]

I agree...and it's not necessarily a bad thing. I would get nervous if the "non-nate guy" has way more talent, but I don't know if thats the case here. Johnson has a big advantage in that he is a natural PG, while Bayless is not. We simply have too many SGs on our team, and not enough PGs or healthy bigs. Even it out, Cho!

This is my take as well.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Armon over Bayless?

That was my prediction in my 'State your bold predictions' thread a few weeks ago.

 

[RR7]

I think Bayless is likely more talented. Sometimes, it's just an issue of being on the right team. I still like him, and think he could be good for us. I know if or when he goes elsewhere and succeeds, people will bash Nate, but he's a scoring guard who needs the ball in his hands and needs to be attacking to be truly effective. That can easily work for 20 PPG on quite a few teams in the league. Just not alongside Brandon, really. His defense is very over rated, IMO. He uses his hands WAY too much. And it could be an issue of being able to D up, be in the right place, and make plays when necessary that gets Johnson ahead of Jerryd, even if Jerryd could score 20 a night, and Armon likely can't.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Armon over Bayless?

That was my prediction in my 'State your bold predictions' thread a few weeks ago.

Oh, so now we know whom to send Jerryd to, when he comes looking for the person who maybe cost him his gig.

 

[hasoos]

He plays defense willingly (as in he enjoys it) and he can pass the ball (willingly) or finish at the rim. Is Bayless more athletic, can he draw free throws better, was he more highly touted coming out of the U of A? Yes, yes and yes, but is Bayless really a point guard? I don't know.

Another question is though, does Bayless need to be a point guard to play with Roy? Or does Roy need an off guard who can play some point, who can score really fast when Roy feeds him a flaming bag pass when isolation breaks down?

 

[julius]

What the fuck has Armon Johnson done to move ahead of anybody? He has only had one good pre season game so far, and that was against Golden State.

He'll probably win us at least 9 games this year.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Another question is though, does Bayless need to be a point guard to play with Roy? Or does Roy need an off guard who can play some point, who can score really fast when Roy feeds him a flaming bag pass when isolation breaks down?

Those are fair points, but is Jerryd really all that adept at scoring given his fairly weak inside and outside shooting percentages? When he doesn't draw a foul he gets capped and misses more sub 5ft shots than I'm comfortable in my bailout scorer getting.

In any case I don't think anybody is talking about promoting Armon to the starting lineup and that's he's somehow the PGOTF -- maybe he's just the backup PGOTF? -- it's possible that Nate just wants to use him in a second unit where guys like Matthews, Rudy and Dante need a guard who can set them up.

Bayless' shooting percentages by location: http://www.82games.com/0910/09POR5.HTM

 

[andalusian]

I have only seen Armon playing 3 games or so - but in each and everyone of them - I loved what I saw - his willingness to play defense and how in control he seems to be on offense.

Kid might be a real gem of a pick. I do not think he will ever be as explosive a scorer as JB - but I think he will be a better defender and quite possibly, a better PG.

 

[RR7]

In regards to his shot location, at the rim, he only shoots 54%. league average is 61%. 54 was the worst on our team last year, outside of Travis, and he only played in 11 games.

 

[espn_hall_of_famer]

It was Jay Allen reporting what he heard from the coaching staff.

I've had a feeling this was coming when he put Patty Mills to shame and you could see just how good he was raw out of college. Bayless just hasn't been a perfect fit and Armon seems to fit like a glove with that group. I wouldn't be shocked if we start seeing Armon playing with the starting group at some point by the all-star game.

 

[Natebishop3]

Maybe this means Jerryd is gone.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I just have a real hard time believing a 2nd round draft pick from a college team that did not make the tournament is better than Bayless. Nevada had 2 players drafted and that team did not make the NCAA tournament. From time to time there is a player who translates to the Pro's much better than college (Wesley Mathews is a prime example).

I could also see where they let Armon Johnson play out the pre season just to let players rest.

But moving ahead of him in the rotation? I have a hard time buying that one.

Maybe because Bayless isn't a good PG.

 

[THE HCP]

It was Jay Allen reporting what he heard from the coaching staff.

I've had a feeling this was coming when he put Patty Mills to shame and you could see just how good he was raw out of college. Bayless just hasn't been a perfect fit and Armon seems to fit like a glove with that group. I wouldn't be shocked if we start seeing Armon playing with the starting group at some point by the all-star game.

You still think Andre will play 35 minutes a night though?

 

[THE HCP]

Maybe because Bayless isn't a good PG.

He's not a PG at all, he's just 6'3".

 

[Nikolokolus]

It was Jay Allen reporting what he heard from the coaching staff.

I've had a feeling this was coming when he put Patty Mills to shame and you could see just how good he was raw out of college. Bayless just hasn't been a perfect fit and Armon seems to fit like a glove with that group. I wouldn't be shocked if we start seeing Armon playing with the starting group at some point by the all-star game.

Which program? I was going to download the podcast and listen for myself.

 

[THE HCP]

Jay came on The Bald Face Truth today and reported this.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Thanks man.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Could Johnson really be better than Bayless? If so, we should try and move Bayless while he still has decent value around the league.

When it comes to Nate, I wonder if being a "Nate guy" isn't more important than being good.

I don't know if he is now, but I said a couple of weeks ago that I thought he would be by the end of the year. I like Bayless. I could care less which one wins the job. But you can see from summer league that Johnson is a more natural PG. If he is hitting his outside shot with any consistency in practice then I can see him moving up because he seems to do everything else well. I don't see it as being a Nate guy because in a lot ways Bayless is a "Nate" guy too. This is not about Nate.

Personally until I hear someone else say it besides Jay I am not buying it. It seems too soon. Now if Wheels or MB say it then that is a different story. They may be Homers, but they know more than anyone else in the media about the Blazers.

 

[Blazer4ever]

How about this lineup for the upcoming game:
Starters: Miller, Roy, Rudy, Batum, LMA
Bench: Armon, Bayless, Wesley (when he returns), Babbitt, Dante

I think until the Centers come back, there could be room for both of them, with Johnson as the backup 1 and Bayless as the backup 2. When the Centers, and especially Oden, come back - December, according to this report... - I, and it's just my opinion, would move Miller to backup 1 and Armon, along with Babbitt, to the Dante/Pendergraph role of last year.
That seems to me like it makes the most sense right now but until then, players could prove themselves and things could change.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Camby will be back in the lineup opening night by all accounts, and regardless of whatever inroads Johnson might be making, I just don't see any way in hell Bayless loses his backup point guard minutes before opening night.

 

[Blazer4ever]

When Camby returns, I'd move Babbitt to the end of the bench, Dante to backup PF and use Camby where he should be used all season long - backup Center.

When everyone's healthy, I see us having 11 rotation players (not counting Armon or Babbitt, counting Dante): Miller, Roy, Rudy, Batum, LMA, Oden, Bayless, Wesley, Dante, Joel, Camby. I think all our Centers should play relatively few minutes (Oden plays every other game?) in order to keep them fresh and healthy for the playoffs and I can see how Armon could also get some minutes being our only "real" PG behind Andre.