Official '13-'14 Blazers Training Camp Thread

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HCP said:
What do you mean history? Who wrote this?
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Wes has guarded SF when he played with Roy and Rudy. He guarded SF when he played with Crawford. He has been doing it his whole career.

The insider article just reaffirms my observations. It is the player profiles Hollinger used to write but now they have a team of guys doing it.
 
Gotcha


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Love seeing the guys going at it!


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Dunno if this is the thread for it, but here's an awesome piece about Tony Parker mentoring Batum.

Tap. Tap. Tap.
It was a little after midnight when the knock on the hotel door arrived. Nicolas Batum was tired. He was frustrated. He was anxious. And he was just about ready to call it a night.
But it was the evening before the European Championship title game and it was a curious time for a visit, so Batum swung open the door to see who was standing outside his room in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Staring back at him was Tony Parker, his teammate on the French national team and one of the NBA's premier point guards. Batum's friend wanted to chat.
"I had messed up in the semifinals — had a baaaad game — and he came to me before the final," Batum said, recalling the unexpected face-to-face. "He said, 'Tomorrow's game is going to be your game. We need you. If we're going to win, you've got to lead us.' When a guy like that comes to you, before the biggest game of your life, and says 'you have to show the way, you have to be the man,' it gives you a lot of confidence."
......snip............
He became the fourth player in NBA history to record at least 100 three-pointers, 350 assists and 80 blocks in a season, joining LeBron James, Scottie Pippen and Kevin Durant. Who knows how special Batum's season would have been if he hadn't injured his right wrist in January?
But something was missing amid all the individual success. The Blazers finished 33-49 and failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Blazers reached the postseason during each of the Batum's first three seasons in the NBA, and he had taken that success for granted, assuming it would always be that way.
Flash forward to that flight to last week. By the time he landed in Portland, Batum had adopted a new mindset.
"It's all about the team," Batum said. "That's what I really learned this summer. I knew that I could be the best wing in the tournament in Europe, but I was really focused about the team. I didn't really care about my numbers. If we all do that (with the Blazers), we'll all have great seasons. The numbers will be there. The recognition will be there. The individual rewards will be there. And we'll make the playoffs.
"I like France. But I don't need to visit as early as I have the last two years. I want to be in the playoffs."
It's a subtle, yet important display of maturity that comes with six years of NBA experience — and the spoils of a European championship. It's also the influence of Parker.
*
Batum said Parker was in his ear every day as the French National Team marched toward its EuroBasket title, offering wisdom, advice and guidance. Parker told Batum his stint leading Team France was nearing an end and it was time for a new generation — led by Batum — to take over. Parker's messages were both ordinary and profound during their daily chats, but Batum says the most prophetic involved leadership. Batum is no longer a 19 year-old first-year player — on the French National Team or in the NBA — and Parker urged Batum to take ownership of his actions in practices, games and in his words .
"Everything you do, the young guys are going to do the same — you're an example now," Batum said, relaying Parker's message. "Even though I'm only 24, this is my sixth year. So if I do something and (LaMarcus Aldridge) do something and Wesley (Matthews) and Damian (Lillard) do something bad, the young guys are going to be like, 'Yeah, if he do it, I do it, too.'
So I can't be late. I can't be lazy on defense. I've got to talk. I've got to be the first one on the floor to get the ball. I've got to be the first one to chase a rebound."
And sure enough, when the Blazers were running post-practice sprints at the end of the opening day of training camp, it was Batum at the head of pack in his drills, finishing first, leading the way.
...........snip........
After France captured its championship, after the confetti fell and the camera flashes popped, Parker sought out Batum. Hours after that late-night knock on the door, he had one more message for his friend.
"Tony came up to me," Batum said, "and we had our medals and he said, 'Thank you. Thank you for all you've done for me, for us, because we got this because of you.' That gave me even more confidence."
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I think I speak for everyone (except maybe Brent Barry) when I say that Tony Parker is tha bomb.
 
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All I take from that article is Batum has a very lackadaisical approach to the game and needs to constantly be pushed to remain focused. After 6 years in the league, he shouldn't need such basic pep talks from Parker.
 
handiman said:
All I take from that article is Batum has a very lackadaisical approach to the game and needs to constantly be pushed to remain focused. After 6 years in the league, he shouldn't need such basic pep talks from Parker.
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Maybe you're right. OTOH, maybe everyone else in the league needs to become a better overall player like Batum is. Perhaps you should be dogging on everyone else, too.

He became the fourth player in NBA history to record at least 100 three-pointers, 350 assists and 80 blocks in a season, joining LeBron James, Scottie Pippen and Kevin Durant. Who knows how special Batum's season would have been if he hadn't injured his right wrist in January?
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HCP said:
@BlazerFreeman: #Blazers owner Paul Allen: "I think Neil and the scouts have done a great job improving the talent ..." (cont)

@BlazerFreeman: Allen cont: "Now it’s the coaches’ turn to take that talent and see how far we can go."
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Is the pressure now on for Stotts? Is this a make/break season for him?
I read elsewhere that he hasn't (isn't?) naming anyone on his staff Defensive Coordinator. Sounds like he's taking the defensive responsibility upon himself. I think that's both good and bad. Good because all coaching accountability should be on the HC. Bad because I don't think he has the chops to design a stifling defense - though I hope I'm wrong. I will say, early last year I was fairly impressed with seeing defensive rotations after double-teams left players open. Although, I think I was easily impressed after watching Nate's defense the past several years.
 
blue9 said:
Is the pressure now on for Stotts? Is this a make/break season for him?
I read elsewhere that he hasn't (isn't?) naming anyone on his staff Defensive Coordinator. Sounds like he's taking the defensive responsibility upon himself. I think that's both good and bad. Good because all coaching accountability should be on the HC. Bad because I don't think he has the chops to design a stifling defense - though I hope I'm wrong. I will say, early last year I was fairly impressed with seeing defensive rotations after double-teams left players open. Although, I think I was easily impressed after watching Nate's defense the past several years.
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I read in B.Edge article that Stotts has never coached a team for three seasons, so the pressure is DEFINITELY on him.

I made the point in another thread recently that Nate was a bad defensive coach, some pointed out that he is on the USA national team for his defensive coaching. But I agree he seemed a bad D Coach.
 
Wizard Mentor said:
Maybe you're right. OTOH, maybe everyone else in the league needs to become a better overall player like Batum is. Perhaps you should be dogging on everyone else, too.
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I think the main point of the article is that Nic needs to step up his game every game. We know Nic is a supreme athlete and has shown he can be a superstar in some games. And those superstar stats can skew his season stats to look very good. But I think handi's point was that Nic needs to realize he should have been acting like an adult a long time ago. Not just mail it in on the days he doesn't feel like it.
 
Eastoff said:
I think the main point of the article is that Nic needs to step up his game every game. We know Nic is a supreme athlete and has shown he can be a superstar in some games. And those superstar stats can skew his season stats to look very good. But I think handi's point was that Nic needs to realize he should have been acting like an adult a long time ago. Not just mail it in on the days he doesn't feel like it.
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This. Batum has way more talent than most players in the league. His mental approach to the game holds him back most nights and anchors him to that a-bit-above-average category.
 
Eastoff said:
some pointed out that he is on the USA national team for his defensive coaching.
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It's easy to be a great defensive coach when you have LeBron, Wade, etc on your team. He could never make it work with our guys.
 
Saw that Mo Williams tweaked his ankle yesterday and didn't practice last night. Any of you guys know if he has a history of this happening?
 
HCP said:
Saw that Mo Williams tweaked his ankle yesterday and didn't practice last night. Any of you guys know if he has a history of this happening?
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I heard he tripped over a box of twinkies that you left sitting by the court. :grin:
 
Weak^ I know it's preseason, but c'mon.
 
HCP said:
Weak^ I know it's preseason, but c'mon.
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The guy in your avatar: who is it? It looks like one of that pair that did, I want to say, The Cactus Song? That had a 3 in their name? That Tom Waits sued because they sampled him without his permission? Or am I totally off base here?
 
handiman said:
All I take from that article is Batum has a very lackadaisical approach to the game and needs to constantly be pushed to remain focused. After 6 years in the league, he shouldn't need such basic pep talks from Parker.
Click to expand...

After 6 years you will be correct. But he has only played 5 and he is only 24, so I think I will give him one more year to see if he is as good as we saw at the beginning of the season, or a fucking frail mental midget like some of you suggest.
 
Rastapopoulos said:
The guy in your avatar: who is it? It looks like one of that pair that did, I want to say, The Cactus Song? That had a 3 in their name? That Tom Waits sued because they sampled him without his permission? Or am I totally off base here?
Click to expand...

That was my senior year HS pic!


Sent from my baller ass iPhone 5 FAMS!
 
Quick Instagram video of the guys at the PF this morning.




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Nic shooting 3s




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One last one.....Mo




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I was gonna rep you, but I just can't do it while you have that ugly-ass avatar, FAMS!
 
@ChrisBHaynes: #Blazers G Mo Williams (right ankle sprain) sat out this morning. Did not go last night, too. Stotts doesn't expect him to go tonight.


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@Trailblazers: .@aldridge_12 says it's not strange, but exciting that the first preseason game is right around the corner #RipCity


@Trailblazers: .@wessywes2 echoes @aldridge_12's sentiment about being ready for a new opponent, tired of beating up on each other during 2-a-days #RipCity


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@Trailblazers: .@dame_lillard says Portland's added depth and perimeter shooters makes the Trail Blazers much more versatile on offense this year #RipCity

@Trailblazers: "I want to shoot at least 40% from 3 this year." - @dame_lillard #RipCity #LillardTime

@Trailblazers: "Hopefully my assists will be up higher and my turnovers lower." - @dame_lillard #RipCity #LillardTime


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