So how many people believed Nate

[hasoos]

So how many people believed Nate when he said they are going to run more now?

Not I.

It's kind of like the Boy who called wolf. How many times can you hear it before it falls on deaf ears.

 

[ucatchtrout]

Actually, his Sonics teams ran more than our current Blazers. If Andre can move the team and keep the turnovers down he'll be fine with it.

 

[Cake]

So how many people believed Nate when he said they are going to run more now?

Not I.

It's kind of like the Boy who called wolf. How many times can you hear it before it falls on deaf ears.

When has Nate had a point guard, in Portland, who could push the tempo without turning the ball over? He never has. That's why we haven't run the ball more.

 

[hasoos]

When has Nate had a point guard, in Portland, who could push the tempo without turning the ball over? He never has. That's why we haven't run the ball more.

You know if you think you have to have a PG running the break every time it happens, you are going to be set up to fail. More than PG can run breaks and handle the ball on breaks. That is just an excuse.

 

[Tince]

So how many people believed Nate when he said they are going to run more now?

Not I.

It's kind of like the Boy who called wolf. How many times can you hear it before it falls on deaf ears.

Could you find me the part where he said we were going to run more? All I heard him say is that he'd like us to run more. Obviously the second one is a conditional statement and doesn't mean that we will.

 

[e_blazer]

Bottom line: Who cares?

Not that I have any objection to some fast breaks now and then, but if the Blazers can continue to improve their win total as a halfcourt team, I'm happy with that.

 

[Wheels]

You know if you think you have to have a PG running the break every time it happens, you are going to be set up to fail. More than PG can run breaks and handle the ball on breaks. That is just an excuse.

our other players other than PG would have been even worse at leading the fast break, so not sure what your point is.

 

[MARIS61]

When has Nate had a point guard, in Portland, who could push the tempo without turning the ball over? He never has. That's why we haven't run the ball more.

Poppycock.

Blake ran like lightning at Denver, and Sergio is one of the best, having proven it worldwide before coming here to sit and watch Nate hold the team back every night.

Neither turns the ball over more than average, and both had the same high pct of wins when they were allowed to run a bit last season.

Contrast that with Nate's favorite PG, Jarrett Jack, who walked the ball yet had the highest TO's in the league for a PG, and damn few wins.

This team will not blossom and flourish until Nate leaves, it's that simple.

 

[Wheels]

Poppycock.

Blake ran like lightning at Denver, and Sergio is one of the best, having proven it worldwide before coming here to sit and watch Nate hold the team back every night.

Neither turns the ball over more than average, and both had the same high pct of wins when they were allowed to run a bit last season.

Contrast that with Nate's favorite PG, Jarrett Jack, who walked the ball yet had the highest TO's in the league for a PG, and damn few wins.

This team will not blossom and flourish until Nate leaves, it's that simple.

Stupid Nate, caused Sergio to play no D and not shoot well!

 

[MARIS61]

Stupid Nate, caused Sergio to play no D and not shoot well!

Actually, that's a very accurate statement.

When you get the jump on your opponent, you get easy shots and score at a high pct. When you do that, your D improves as your opponent gets few or no fastbreaks and has a much harder time scoring on you. That's the overwhelming advantage of having a running game.

For some bizarre reason, Nate prefers to always be on the disadvantaged side of that formula. He eschews the huge advantage our athletic players give him and prefers to make them work twice as hard for half the reward.

 

[Tince]

Actually, that's a very accurate statement.

When you get the jump on your opponent, you get easy shots and score at a high pct. When you do that, your D improves as your opponent gets few or no fastbreaks and has a much harder time scoring on you. That's the overwhelming advantage of having a running game.

For some bizarre reason, Nate prefers to always be on the disadvantaged side of that formula. He eschews the huge advantage our athletic players give him and prefers to make them work twice as hard for half the reward.

Are you saying that running on offense results in less fastbreaks for the other team?

 

[Tyler_Hansbrough]

Maris knows all.

 

[PapaG]

If the idea is to make Outlaw the primary back-up at PF, then having Miller on the court with the 2nd unit makes a lot of sense. That doesn't mean he won't start, but why have an undersized 2nd unit if you don't use the advantage in speed and athleticism?

PG - Miller
SG - Rudy/Roy
SF - Batum/Webster (?)
PF - Outlaw/LMA
C - Przy

Miller, Roy, and Przy are all solid defensive rebounders, so Outlaw/Batum/Webster can leak out and get into passing lanes. I'd like to see what Miller can do with this unit in the exhibition season.

So perhaps Nate really does want to run more?

 

[andalusian]

Poppycock.

Blake ran like lightning at Denver, and Sergio is one of the best, having proven it worldwide before coming here to sit and watch Nate hold the team back every night.

Neither turns the ball over more than average, and both had the same high pct of wins when they were allowed to run a bit last season.

Contrast that with Nate's favorite PG, Jarrett Jack, who walked the ball yet had the highest TO's in the league for a PG, and damn few wins.

This team will not blossom and flourish until Nate leaves, it's that simple.

Blake's TOV% when running in Denver was more than 20.2% - that's bad, in comparison - his TOV% last year - about 8th best in the league for a starting PG was 13.6%

Sergio's TOV% last year 24.7% which is not average - it is world class bad - only Chucky Atkins was worse last year in the NBA.

Jarret Jack's TOV% last year was 16% playing for a much faster pace Indiana team - not great, not bad. In Portland, where he was bad - it was 19.6% (which is still better than Blake's when playing fast pace or Sergio's any pace).

Just for reference - Andre Miller's TOV% last year, playing a much faster pace than Portland's was 14%. This is the first PG we had that can really push the ball and make good decisions while protecting the ball for quite some time.

I will finish in Kingspeed fashion - learn the statistics and then post. Yahtzee.

 

[e_blazer]

I will finish in Kingspeed fashion - learn the statistics and then post. Yahtzee.

So, you're saying it's all Nate's fault, right?

 

[Minstrel]

I believe McMillan that he'd "like to run more." That doesn't mean I expect to see a lot of it. I'm sure getting more transition baskets is a positive in McMillan's mind. Having the numbers tends to lead to more success than playing five-on-five. However, if things higher on McMillan's list of priorities (like taking care of the ball and not taking risks, or playing to the half-court strengths of Roy and Oden) undermine getting out on the break much, then there won't be a lot of running.

It's not logically contradictory for McMillan to like the idea of running more but not actually ending up doing it. I'd like to learn to play the piano...but I don't since I end up prioritizing other things over learning the piano for my free time.

All that said, I wouldn't be surprised to see a few more fast breaks a game from the Blazers. Miller has shown he can run without being a turnover machine. It's quite possible McMillan will trust him to push the ball on the lower-risk fast break chances...like two-on-one, three-on-one, three-on-two breaks.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

IN NATE I TRUST

 

[Wheels]

IN CHIP KELLY I TRUST

there fixed it for you

 

[ODENISGOD]

its hard to run when 80% of your team doesn't know how to

 

[Wheels]

its hard to run when 80% of your team doesn't know how to

are you standing up for Nate now?

 

[Ed O]

Actually, his Sonics teams ran more than our current Blazers. If Andre can move the team and keep the turnovers down he'll be fine with it.

2001-02: 89.0 (24th of 29)
2002-03: 88.0 (28th of 29)
2003-04: 89.9 (15th of 29)
2004-05: 87.9 (27th of 30)

2005-06: 87.6 (28th of 30)
2006-07: 88.3 (29th of 30)
2007-08: 87.9 (29th of 30)
2008-09: 86.6 (30th of 30)

I think that your first statement is accurate... he DID run with his Seattle team more. Of course, I would imagine that the last four seasons in Portland is about as low-paced as any four year stretch for a team in NBA history, so that's not saying much.

Your second statement I disagree with. In spite of being in the NBA for over 8 years, and in spite of innumerable statements about running more (and a yearly offseason debate about whether this time he REALLY means it), Nate McMillan teams simply are not running teams. I find it almost impossible to believe that he's going to change based on a single acquisition of a veteran point guard.

Ed O.

 

[Ed O]

its hard to run when 80% of your team doesn't know how to

What percentage of his team has never played in the NBA under another coach?

Ed O.

 

[mgb]

I think it comes down to D. If we are getting stops and rebounding the ball we'll be more likely to run. Taking it out of the basket makes it harder to run.

 

[ODENISGOD]

are you standing up for Nate now?

not really. I can honestly never see Nate winning a title. I hope i'm wrong but I just don't think he's that good of a coach

 

[hasoos]

Blake's TOV% when running in Denver was more than 20.2% - that's bad, in comparison - his TOV% last year - about 8th best in the league for a starting PG was 13.6%

Sergio's TOV% last year 24.7% which is not average - it is world class bad - only Chucky Atkins was worse last year in the NBA.

Jarret Jack's TOV% last year was 16% playing for a much faster pace Indiana team - not great, not bad. In Portland, where he was bad - it was 19.6% (which is still better than Blake's when playing fast pace or Sergio's any pace).

Just for reference - Andre Miller's TOV% last year, playing a much faster pace than Portland's was 14%. This is the first PG we had that can really push the ball and make good decisions while protecting the ball for quite some time.

I will finish in Kingspeed fashion - learn the statistics and then post. Yahtzee.

Facts are that running PG turn over the ball. They have a hell of a lot more posessions at risk, it just goes with the territory. Sure better one's turn it over less. But overall, running PG turn over the ball more.

 

[hasoos]

If the idea is to make Outlaw the primary back-up at PF, then having Miller on the court with the 2nd unit makes a lot of sense. That doesn't mean he won't start, but why have an undersized 2nd unit if you don't use the advantage in speed and athleticism?

PG - Miller
SG - Rudy/Roy
SF - Batum/Webster (?)
PF - Outlaw/LMA
C - Przy

Miller, Roy, and Przy are all solid defensive rebounders, so Outlaw/Batum/Webster can leak out and get into passing lanes. I'd like to see what Miller can do with this unit in the exhibition season.

So perhaps Nate really does want to run more?

If the idea is to make Outlaw the backup PF then we are totally fucked again.

 

[andalusian]

Facts are that running PG turn over the ball. They have a hell of a lot more posessions at risk, it just goes with the territory. Sure better one's turn it over less. But overall, running PG turn over the ball more.

TOV% ignores totals (numbers) - it shows percentages - so you can ignore the number of possessions. Facts are that Miller at a fast pace is much better than Blake was at a fast pace.

What these numbers tell you is that Blake at a slow pace protects the ball a lot better than in a fast pace. In a fast pace - one out of 5 possessions he lost, at a slow pace one out of 8.5 possessions he lost. What we see, also, is that Miller, at a pace much faster than the Blazers played last year - was about as good at protecting the ball as Blake was in the Blazer's snail-pace. What this should tell you is that Miller will be a much better PG to push the ball and protect it at the same time.

So - again, the crux of the matter remains that for this team, in it's current incarnation - Miller is the first PG that can actually push the tempo and play efficient basketball. Blake is not good at it, Jack was not good at it in Portland, Sergio was just god-damn awful at it.

My gut feeling is that a Miller lead Blazers team will probably be around 20th-22nd in the league in pace, up from bringing up the rear. The fact of the matter is that our best player is still Roy who thrives in half-court and our biggest potential mismatch is still Oden who is not a running player, offensively. So - I suspect that we will be faster - but I do not think anyone will consider us a fast-pace team.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Just win baby, win.

 

[blazerboy30]

Poppycock.

Blake ran like lightning at Denver, and Sergio is one of the best, having proven it worldwide before coming here to sit and watch Nate hold the team back every night.

Neither turns the ball over more than average, and both had the same high pct of wins when they were allowed to run a bit last season.

Contrast that with Nate's favorite PG, Jarrett Jack, who walked the ball yet had the highest TO's in the league for a PG, and damn few wins.

This team will not blossom and flourish until Nate leaves, it's that simple.

Maris, you shouldn't have chosen to be a mailman for your career. You would have made a much better comedian. I love it!

Sergio sure proved it worldwide last year in the Olympics. Oh wait... he couldn't even make the team.

 

[Tince]

Maris, you shouldn't have chosen to be a mailman for your career. You would have made a much better comedian. I love it!

Sergio sure proved it worldwide last year in the Olympics. Oh wait... he couldn't even make the team.

It's because their coach is an idiot too!

lol...