Offensive minded jump shooters

[B-Roy]

AKA the Portland TrailBlazers.

Honestly, the team just lacks balance. Outside of Roy and sometimes Bayless and Aldridge, no one is able to score points in the paint.

This is how we win games, jumper after jumper after jumper. It's just, at home, we tend to hit more. It's almost completely true that we win games on offense alone. As this team is currently constructed, we will never be able to shut down a good team. Part of it can be blamed on Nate's defensive schemes, but also part of it has to do with the fact that we simply don't have smart defenders. A lockdown defender would be ideal for this team, because not only can he play defense himself, but he can direct the defense on the defensive end. A "captain" of defense, if you will.

This is why Oden is so important to the team. A consistent low post threat will get us more open shots as well as a ton more pressure on the defense. He needs to play, he needs to develop.

Also, does anyone know how shockingly predictable our offense is? When Roy isn't trying to get into the lane, it's all over. Pick and pops, iso jumpers, bad kick outs. It's just so....crummy.

 

[KingSpeed]

You're right. I wish Bayless has played tonight. We haven't invited him to do his "thing" where he takes it all the way to the basket in a long time. He just submits to Roy and the rest of his teammates. We need him out there and playing aggressively.

Joel gets some easy buckets when we set them up for him.

As for Oden, we know who we want him to be. And if he becomes that, he will solve everything. Literally.

 

[B-Roy]

You can't win shooting jumper after jumper. This is what has been aggravating me about today and yesterday's games. I never felt we had a chance of winning them, but we could have kept it competitive throughout the whole game if we just relied less on the jumper.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

And so what if Greg Oden plays? I've seen him play but the team takes no use of him. Guys like Sergio and Channing often get more shots up than Greg Oden when he's in the game. Sometimes I see Nate make an effort to involve Greg in the offense, then minutes later he forgets about him and Greg ends up with a total of 5 shots in the entire game. Hopefully Nate corrects this soon, if not then I can't wait til they get him and his regime out of Portland start to finally develop our core. Look at our 3 spot, you can get LeBron James tomorrow and Nate will tell him to stand in the corner for a kickout 3.

 

[oldmangrouch]

I'm just so relieved KP didn't make any trades!

 

[Sheldon Shape]

Would a trade for RJ or Vince have helped in the short term? Probable, but when the system is garbage then you can throw as much talent on a team, it won't flourish. Nate is getting by on KP's acqusition's alone, not coaching. You can add anyone on the team, but if the system is shit, ain't nothing going to change.

 

[STOMP]

It's almost completely true that we win games on offense alone.

I understand how some fans get frustrated after a loss, but it's really amazing how lost we sometimes get.

Rebounding isn't offense right? click Diff

STOMP

 

[craigehlo]

I'd officially like to put the phrase "championship window" to rest. Such a term should not be discussed until this team can demonstrate decent defense and a semblance of an offensive playbook.

Nate has these guys picking up bad habits for years. I'm not sure if he can somehow get them to "unlearn" them.

 

[Tince]

I'm just so relieved KP didn't make any trades!

Me too! I'm glad he's more stable than people who freak after two road losses to top 4 teams. We are lucky to have KP!

 

[craigehlo]

Me too! I'm glad he's more stable than people who freak after two road losses to top 4 teams. We are lucky to have KP!

A freak out after two losses?

How about an inability to be any decent teams on the road? How about a pattern of horrific defense?

 

[Public Defender]

The Blazers are a young team, and it seems as though when Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge struggle on the road, the rest of the team tightens up. Therefore, the Spurs' game plan to key on Roy and Aldridge was smart. There have been times other players have stepped up - like Jerryd Bayless' explosion against the Nets - but generally speaking, the Blazers depend on their two stars a lot, especially on the road, and those guys aren't always able to handle that, in the face of good defenses.

And I tend to agree that the Blazers need to improve on defense. They're 10th worst in the NBA when it comes to opponents' field goal % (46%), and there aren't any playoff-bound Western teams worse than that. Portland's even worse when it comes to defending the three-point line.

The bottom line is that I think the Blazers may be just good enough to squeak into the playoffs at the 7th or 8th spot. The 4th position was never a sustainable spot, though it was fun while it lasted.

 

[Sinobas]

KP is either going to have to fire Nate, or shake up the roster to prevent Nate McMoron from keeping Bayless buried on the bench. Jerryd Bayless brings EXACTLY what this team needs!!! And we Blake and Sergio in favor of him? What the fuck have either of those guys proven? They've proven that they are shitty defenders, can't create, penetrate once in a blue moon and are rather inconsistent jump shooters (though Blake is good at home).

 

[Tince]

A freak out after two losses?

How about an inability to be any decent teams on the road? How about a pattern of horrific defense?

Sorry you are one of the people who are freaking out. You have unrealistic expectations in my opinion, but to each their own.

Winning ten more games for 3 straight seasons and showing signs of growth and improvement allows me to forgive that this team isn't perfect. Could the improve their defense? Yes. How many young teams in the league are good at defense? Not any I can think of.

 

[Tince]

KP is either going to have to fire Nate, or shake up the roster to prevent Nate McMoron from keeping Bayless buried on the bench. Jerryd Bayless brings EXACTLY what this team needs!!! And we Blake and Sergio in favor of him? What the fuck have either of those guys proven? They've proven that they are shitty defenders, can't create, penetrate once in a blue moon and are rather inconsistent jump shooters (though Blake is good at home).

Or he can continue to let this team improve as they have proven to be able to do under Nate.

 

[STOMP]

And I tend to agree that the Blazers need to improve on defense. They're 10th worst in the NBA when it comes to opponents' field goal % (46%), and there aren't any playoff-bound Western teams worse than that. Portland's even worse when it comes to defending the three-point line.

Portland is also dead last in the league in defensive FT%... teams are shooting 81% from the line and thats got to end or heads will roll!!!!!

http://www.nba.com/statistics/sortable_team_statistics/sortable1.html#top

STOMP

 

[Minstrel]

A freak out after two losses?

How about an inability to be any decent teams on the road? How about a pattern of horrific defense?

Those two issues will certainly undermine their championship hopes.

*has note passed to him from off camera*

Ladies and gentlemen, I have just been informed that, apparently, Portland didn't have championship hopes this season. Therefore, there are no championship hopes to be undermined. Well! That IS good news!

 

[craigehlo]

Sorry you are one of the people who are freaking out. You have unrealistic expectations in my opinion, but to each their own.

I've held the same opinion of Nate for the last few seasons, so I'm not "freaking out." My only expectations are that I'll see improvement in defense and this team starting to execute. Neither has happened this season. This team is improving largely off the one-on-one play of Roy and LaMarcus.

Nate is a good guy, but a bad teacher for this squad.

 

[STOMP]

I've held the same opinion of Nate for the last few seasons, so I'm not "freaking out." My only expectations are that I'll see improvement in defense and this team starting to execute. Neither has happened this season. This team is improving largely off the one-on-one play of Roy and LaMarcus.

Nate is a good guy, but a bad teacher for this squad.

yeah, they are just stumbling forward for an extra 10 wins a year yet again despite the club's horrible coach. He's clueless and they're stuck in the mud... better fire him before they win 60 games next year

STOMP

 

[The Sebastian Express]

Portland is also dead last in the league in defensive FT%... teams are shooting 81% from the line and thats got to end or heads will roll!!!!!

http://www.nba.com/statistics/sortable_team_statistics/sortable1.html#top

STOMP

Someone else pointed out that this could be the result of Portland switching on so many pick and rolls and the other team having their best player in a mismatch and drawing fouls.

So it probably could at least change if we shored up that defensive woe.

 

[Tince]

I've held the same opinion of Nate for the last few seasons, so I'm not "freaking out." My only expectations are that I'll see improvement in defense and this team starting to execute. Neither has happened this season. This team is improving largely off the one-on-one play of Roy and LaMarcus.

Nate is a good guy, but a bad teacher for this squad.

Who would be better replacements that are available?

 

[AhLian]

You can't win shooting jumper after jumper. This is what has been aggravating me about today and yesterday's games. I never felt we had a chance of winning them, but we could have kept it competitive throughout the whole game if we just relied less on the jumper.

You guys lack good shooters. You can say all you want about Rudy Fernandez and Steve Blake and Roy, but those aren't pure shooters.

 

[B-Roy]

You guys lack good shooters. You can say all you want about Rudy Fernandez and Steve Blake and Roy, but those aren't pure shooters.

Martell Webster, Travis Outlaw, LaMarcus Aldridge, Channing Frye are all jumpshooters, just like Fernandez and Blake.

You don't need a "pure" shooter to make jumpshots. All those plays are good jumpshooters, but you aren't going to win many games solely relying on the jumpshot.

 

[Minstrel]

You guys lack good shooters. You can say all you want about Rudy Fernandez and Steve Blake and Roy, but those aren't pure shooters.

Portland shoots the ball pretty well. They're 7th in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/stati...n=2009&seasontype=2&avg=pg&order=true&split=0

 

[LittleAlex]

Portland is also dead last in the league in defensive FT%... teams are shooting 81% from the line and thats got to end or heads will roll!!!!!

http://www.nba.com/statistics/sortable_team_statistics/sortable1.html#top

STOMP

That comes from fouling the wrong people in a soft way. Portland tends to foul the other teams better free throw shooters.

Also, blind luck plays a role.

 

[craigehlo]

yeah, they are just stumbling forward for an extra 10 wins a year yet again despite the club's horrible coach. He's clueless and they're stuck in the mud... better fire him before they win 60 games next year

It's been said already, but Roy and LMA are the reasons for success. If we added Chris Paul in the 2005 draft I'm sure Nate would have taken undeserved credit for our huge turnaround he would have brought as well.

We dropped from 27 wins the year before Nate arrived to 21 wins his first season here. If people are going to blindly give him credit for a 10 game improvement they also have to own his awful record our first season under him. There was really nowhere to go but up.

 

[axs88]

Completely agree with the original post.

Frye was nice to hit some long jumpers in the 4th when we were down big and there was no pressure, but shooting jumpers will only get you so far.

What really baffled me was Nate's stubornness to stay with this lineup: Frye Aldridge Outlaw Roy Rodriguez. I understand he wanted offense (or maybe just jump shooters), but if you're gonna have Sergio for creating open shots for others, then you need to put someone else on Parker, and that sure as hell better not be Travis. Why not go with Aldridge at C and Travis at PF and Batum at SF??? You still have Outlaw's ridiculous contested makes, but you still have someone (Batum) who can bother Parker.

The ones saying Nate has improved the teams record every year, just look at the (albeit very young) talent influx each year. We are not saying he is the worst coach in the world, he teaches some stuff and keeps them disciplined, but it has been painfully obvious for the last year and this that he is not a championship coach. There is not much upside in changing him at this point, but KP should definitely evaluate in the offseason if there are better options out there. Problem is, Portland is likely gonna make the playoffs this year, and how do you fire him after that... KP to me just doesn't seem like someone ballsy enough to do that.

 

[STOMP]

It's been said already, but Roy and LMA are the reasons for success. If we added Chris Paul in the 2005 draft I'm sure Nate would have taken undeserved credit for our huge turnaround he would have brought as well.

We dropped from 27 wins the year before Nate arrived to 21 wins his first season here. If people are going to blindly give him credit for a 10 game improvement they also have to own his awful record our first season under him. There was really nowhere to go but up.

they couldn't have continued to suck? I know thats what many here were predicting when they drafted Roy and Aldridge. Having rated that draft 1.LA 2.Roy and calling them borderline AS talents, I thought they were on to something. But of course I was the same blind poster who was being buried the year prior for them passing on Chris Paul... geez I can recall posters shooting me down and trumpeting JJack's greatness.

Repeating hysteria following every loss doesn't make it any more true, it just reveals that someone could probably use a plastic sheet on their bed. The facts are that the club has improved steadily with Nate is at the helm. They consistently play hard for him and are heading for their 3rd straight season with a 10 game improvement. Thats what I'm hoping for at this point, keeping this young team focused and steady improvement. Yes I give the coach some blame for this.

Most of the value a coach adds is done outside of actual games in practice and setting the tone for the guys... this is especially true of a young team like Portland. Of course a coach can't win games with a team devoid of talent (like the 2005-6 Blazers), just like they can't guard Tony Parker. But it's always been my view that success in the league is mostly about talent which is why I place far more value on the GM then the coach. As opposed to the dreadful Nash era, the moves KP has made have almost always been met by my applause. If he feels Nate has taken the club as far as he can, I'll be trusting his judgement because as opposed to blind fool fans, he observes the bulk of coach's efforts.

STOMP

 

[hasoos]

I completely agree with the first post. Portland is a live by the 3, die by the 3 team right now, and if you are that style of team, you are going to die by the 3.

Passing up open layings from point blank to pass it out to the 3 point line? Check

Team never attacks the rim while 2 of the 3 PG are in the game? Check

Backup PF both like to shoot 19 foot jumpers instead of operating in the paint? Check.

Only player outside of Roy who can attack the rim on the bench every game? Check.

Center who rubs his hands in olive oil before every game so he can't catch passes near the rim? Check.

 

[LameR]

Although it'd be nice to see Bayless playing for this reason, it seems like that Oden guy could help with this.

 

[hasoos]

Although it'd be nice to see Bayless playing for this reason, it seems like that Oden guy could help with this.

Only if you quit freezing him out of the offense and pass him the ball.