So, Did Jerryd Help Himself Tonight?

[ABM]

He did OK to me. I found it odd that he was in there during semi-crunch time, though. A bit of showcasing going on there, perhaps?

Not sure.

 

[MIXUM]

well..yes...he actually made a shot lol...but honestly....


sergio helped bayless the most.



good point though....maybe kirk is on his way to backup blake. theres no way blake loses his starting job and disrupys chemistry right now. frye and segio for kirk?????

 

[BBert]

Sure, I think he helped himself. That's why he stayed in the game. He was taking the ball to the basket, putting pressure on the defense, and scoring a few points, and he didn't make too many obvious mistakes. I'm not crazy about the small lineup, but Bayless showed in the future he should be able to give other team's defenses a second guard to guard.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Hell yes he helped himself. He attacked the basket. He took the contact in traffic and finished. His drive and midrange 8 fts was sweet as well. Yes he took one stupid shot and had one careless turnover. But he helped himself.

 

[ABM]

A bit of showcasing going on there, perhaps?

Stephen Curry it is, then!

http://www.nbadraft.net/nba_mock_drafts/8516

 

[Minstrel]

A bit of showcasing going on there, perhaps?

Absolutely. Showcasing him to the Blazers fanbase, since he'll be the team's long-term starter in the backcourt next to Roy.

 

[blue32]

Blake/Bayless rotation is killer. I dig it. Now I just wish Rudy would be more consistent, and Roy would come back to play
I think Roy was a little hurting though, I saw him a couple of times rubbin his hammy... :*(

 

[The Professional Fan]

No doubt Jerryd helped himself tonight. The guy's confidence is growing very fast and his game is benefiting because of it. He has a tremendous up-side. Certainly more than Sergio.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Brandon was struggling (probably a little sore after the other night) and Jerryd came in and did exactly what the coaches needed from him and that was driving to the hoop and scoring or getting fouled.

Did he have a flawless rotation? No, he should have spaced the floor a little better before trying to feed LMA in the post and he got lost in transition D once against Rose, but as I've said before I've decided I will no longer criticize players who are not old enough to drink.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

I liked the way the dude played tonight. He wasn't as passive and really took it to the Bulls whenever he had the chance. I like him in the game without Rodriguez... he was actually bringing up the ball and setting up the offense. He'll be golden.

And honestly, I doubt that showcasing actually happens in the NBA unless it's to prove that a guy has come back from an injury.

 

[BlazersBlood]

I was wondering if Bayless took Sergio's minutes or took some of Brandon's minutes to allow Roy to rest. Sergio only logged 5 minutes while Jared got 9. All his minutes were Sergio's, not necessarily spelling Brandon. I wonder when Sergio is going to demand another trade?

I liked what I saw from Bayless. If he gets a sliver of daylight, he can get to the rack. You gotta love those easy points. That is the #1 weakness on this team right now IMO, way ahead of defending the pick and roll.

 

[maxiep]

No doubt Jerryd helped himself tonight. The guy's confidence is growing very fast and his game is benefiting because of it. He has a tremendous up-side. Certainly more than Sergio.

To be fair, I don't think Jerryd Bayless has ever had a problem with his confidence in his life.

 

[BalancedMan]

To be fair, I don't think Jerryd Bayless has ever had a problem with his confidence in his life.

I hope not. If so, have him give me a call and I'll fix him right up with a combination of alcohol, girls and NLP.

 

[yenniedn]

I hope not. If so, have him give me a call and I'll fix him right up with a combination of alcohol, girls and NLP.

So YOU are going to help hook him (a multi-millionaire pro basketball player) up with some chicks?

As ugly as Bobby Hurley was/is, you know he got his fair share at Duke and beyond. So I don't think Jerryd needs any help from you or me or any of us.

Summary: wanna get chicks? Learn to ball . . . or sing.

 

[Ed O]

Sure, I think he helped himself. That's why he stayed in the game. He was taking the ball to the basket, putting pressure on the defense, and scoring a few points, and he didn't make too many obvious mistakes. I'm not crazy about the small lineup, but Bayless showed in the future he should be able to give other team's defenses a second guard to guard.

Word up.

Ed O.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Either way Bayless made it easier on KP.

He played well enough for KP to get something for him, or feel good about letting Sergio go.


To me it's a no brainer that he should be getting some more minutes. He makes rookie mistakes, but he attacks the rim and gets the defense off ballance. The more he plays the more damage he will learn to do to the defenses.

 

[Natebishop3]

I thought Bayless had his best game tonight. He was aggressive when the team needed it. It was before Outlaw started going off and after Oden. Sergio was stinking up the joint, so Bayless came in and did what he does best... score.

When he first came in, he was dribbling too much at the top of the key, and I was thinking "take it to the rack Jerryd". It was like it finally dawned on him and he started attacking. I just don't think Sergio is a good enough scorer to play on this team. He can't hit a jumper to save his life.

 

[BatumKaboom]

Bayless is the man!!! Oden is coming together too!!! The excitement is coming back!

 

[hasoos]

Bayless is doing good. I noticed though that when he comes into the game the first couple of plays he isn't quite ready for the speed of the game, but then he raises his intensity level and does fine. He has had a few lazy passes in opening minutes getting picked off.

 

[Natebishop3]

Bayless is doing good. I noticed though that when he comes into the game the first couple of plays he isn't quite ready for the speed of the game, but then he raises his intensity level and does fine. He has had a few lazy passes in opening minutes getting picked off.

What bothers me is when he comes into the game, brings the ball up the floor, and turns his back to his defender. There's absolutely no reason to turn your back to your defender above the three point line. None. It's a total rookie mistake.

I remember reading a book by Michael Jordan years ago in which he described the first time he played against Billy Owens of the Warriors. Owens was the 3rd overall pick by Sacramento before being traded for Mitch Richmond (terrible trade btw haha). MJ was wondering how Owens would react the first time Jordan was guarding him, would he bring it to him like Iverson did, or would he backdown? Owens brought the ball up past half court and turned his back. Jordan started laughing.

 

[hasoos]

What bothers me is when he comes into the game, brings the ball up the floor, and turns his back to his defender. There's absolutely no reason to turn your back to your defender above the three point line. None. It's a total rookie mistake.

I remember reading a book by Michael Jordan years ago in which he described the first time he played against Billy Owens of the Warriors. Owens was the 3rd overall pick by Sacramento before being traded for Mitch Richmond (terrible trade btw haha). MJ was wondering how Owens would react the first time Jordan was guarding him, would he bring it to him like Iverson did, or would he backdown? Owens brought the ball up past half court and turned his back. Jordan started laughing.

Yea I am sure that will come as he gets more confidence. He sure is attacking the rim more every game, and your right, you can't do that with your back turned to the basket. On the other side of the coin, I think the Blazers have not even tapped into his post up game yet, which is strong, because he is strong. That is where the back to the defender skills can be used. Down deep a few feet from the hoop.

 

[MARIS61]

I thought he looked great if what you want is someone to fill Roy's SG role in a half-court game, and don't mind looking like a 6th grade team on defense. The 4 players out there with him looked like maybe they would have liked for him to include them in the game at some point, and if he had we probably wouldn't have been outscored while he was in.

Give him a year or 2 and he'll be fine, but probably not here as I don't see Rudy or Roy going anywhere.

 

[hasoos]

I thought he looked great if what you want is someone to fill Roy's SG role in a half-court game, and don't mind looking like a 6th grade team on defense. The 4 players out there with him looked like maybe they would have liked for him to include them in the game at some point, and if he had we probably wouldn't have been outscored while he was in.

Give him a year or 2 and he'll be fine, but probably not here as I don't see Rudy or Roy going anywhere.

I'll disagree with you and here is why: It is obvious that the Blazers have Roy carry a large amount of the load on many nights. It is also obvious that if Roy keeps carrying that load he will end up like Dwayne Wade when he was carrying too much of the load in Miami. Hurt, broken, and unable to compete at the level he wants to. Whereas with Bayless, who plays much in the same way, you can split posessions on taking the load at guard. He can split double teams(in fact I find it eerily similar to the way Roy does it). He can shoot. He can create his own shot. All the things Brandon does. All so Brandon doesn't have to do them, all the time.

Secondly as to your comment about "sharing the ball". He wasn't brought out there to share the ball. He was brought out there to penetrate the soft Chicago interior and score. I can guarantee you Nate will never tell that kid to quit shooting. He is a natural scorer. You don't take away the strength of your player. Good coaches find a way to leverage it.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I thought he looked great if what you want is someone to fill Roy's SG role in a half-court game.

That's exactly what we need! And when he is more experienced (in a year or two) it will be like having two Roy's on the court at the same time.

 

[The Professional Fan]

To be fair, I don't think Jerryd Bayless has ever had a problem with his confidence in his life.

Good point, and I agree. Maybe it's just that the game is slowing down for him already? Something is different, and perhaps it isn't the confidence he has in his game, but rather his confidence that he can play at this level. Either way, he's starting to blossom, and it's fun to watch. He could be a real difference maker for this team.