So it turns out Thomas Robinson can play.

[Shooter]

Here's a quick look at Robinson's night . . .

[video=youtube;1veY1K8_R5Y]

 

[Pinwheel1]

Two things that give me hope that he will continue get better:

How quickly he has already improved, and how we have now heard several times (Lillard last night) about how much time he puts in trying to get better.

We know the draft is a crap shoot and that teams are often gambling on choosing the player who they think will work hard to get better, because they all need to get better to play consistent minutes. TRob seems to be that type of guy.

 

[Shooter]

Two things that give me hope that he will continue get better:

How quickly he has already improved, and how we have now heard several times (Lillard last night) about how much time he puts in trying to get better.

We know the draft is a crap shoot and that teams are often gambling on choosing the player who they think will work hard to get better, because they all need to get better to play consistent minutes. TRob seems to be that type of guy.

Agreed. I just hope that Robinson's performance last night was a result of all that hard work--and not the fact that he wanted to show up his two former college teammates.

 

[magnifier661]

If T Rob can give us 10-15 quality minutes, we are stacked! We will have quality reserves at pg, sg, sf, pf, and center. We would be able to play 10 deep with confidence!

 

[Pinwheel1]

In the highlight video, Lopez makes a nice subtle vet move after Robinson was a little too exuberant after a "and one" lay in. He puts his arm around him and quickly corrals him away from the crowd. Just in case......

 

[Natebishop3]

The way I look at Robinson is as a longterm investment, which we gave up very little to obtain, but could pay big dividends in the long run. I'm just hoping that the Blazers don't fuck it up, and actually invest some time and money in developing him properly.

 

[illmatic99]

To date, he and Meyers have probably proven about the same. Yet I'm a lot more inclined to give PT to TRob to develop, whereas I don't wanna see Meyers on the floor.

TRob has a little bit of that nasty in his game that we have desperately lacked.

 

[Paxil]

Kersey is a great comparison, but I don't see Robinson having the outside shot and ballhandling skills of Kersey. A poor man's Kersey as a stretch 4 is a good goal for him, though.

Repped

EDIT - You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Drttimmy again.

I don't think Kersey had much of a shot his first few years. Cliff either. They could at least shoot FT's though. There is still time for Robinson.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

If T Rob can give us 10-15 quality minutes, we are stacked! We will have quality reserves at pg, sg, sf, pf, and center. We would be able to play 10 deep with confidence!

Who's our quality reserve at SG? A little early to say that about CJ at this point.

 

[magnifier661]

Who's our quality reserve at SG? A little early to say that about CJ at this point.

Mo is our quality reserve at both PG/SG. I also think Batum can share that duty as well.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Two things that give me hope that he will continue get better:

How quickly he has already improved, and how we have now heard several times (Lillard last night) about how much time he puts in trying to get better.

We know the draft is a crap shoot and that teams are often gambling on choosing the player who they think will work hard to get better, because they all need to get better to play consistent minutes. TRob seems to be that type of guy.

That is what gives me hope to. Mentally he isn't pouting and wondering why he isn't getting his . . . he is working for his minutes with a good attitude. That and players talk about his effectiveness during practice saying watch out for this guy.

I was a little disappointed with the first few games, but last night is what I was hoping to see. Can't expect that every night from the young guy, but I expect/hope for more nights like this during the season and for improvement on his game all around.

 

[Blazinaway]

To date, he and Meyers have probably proven about the same. Yet I'm a lot more inclined to give PT to TRob to develop, whereas I don't wanna see Meyers on the floor.

TRob has a little bit of that nasty in his game that we have desperately lacked.

I disagree, I think Trob has definitely shown more than Meyers and that is why he is getting the minutes he has so far, Meyers needs to take note as Trob is at least showing the effort and ability to do some of the things asked of him some of the time. Meyers so far appears incapable of doing enuf for decent minutes - I "hope" that changes

 

[jlprk]

He doesn't seem to have a great BBIQ but you can't complain about his heart and energy.

Correct. He makes many mistakes and needs a year of patient coaching. But not multi-year like Outlaw or Leonard.

In the highlight video, Lopez makes a nice subtle vet move after Robinson was a little too exuberant after a "and one" lay in. He puts his arm around him and quickly corrals him away from the crowd. Just in case......

Lopez is a leader. He bops Freeland on the head when he does something right.

 

[Draco]

To date, he and Meyers have probably proven about the same.

Totally disagree. Meyers was horrific when he's been on the court. TRob makes some mistakes here or there but Meyers makes them virtually every possession.

 

[Nikolokolus]

To date, he and Meyers have probably proven about the same. Yet I'm a lot more inclined to give PT to TRob to develop, whereas I don't wanna see Meyers on the floor.

TRob has a little bit of that nasty in his game that we have desperately lacked.

One dude is softer than buttered toast and the other is not. Pretty easy decision from my POV.

 

[blue9]

The raw talent is there with Robinson. He is quick, and has good body-control while being quick. He also has above average ball-control for his position, and good passing skills. Basically he already possesses the skills necessary to become a very good player.
Previous to reading this thread it was his BBIQ that I would point at as lacking. However, maybe some of you are right that it's not his IQ since you can obviously see him making the right passes, etc. I think it's just becoming more aware of what to do and what not to do. A good big-man coach would do wonders with him (how long have we been clamoring for a big-man coach?).

 

[RR7]

One dude is softer than buttered toast and the other is not. Pretty easy decision from my POV.

I feel the same. If neither guy "gets it", I'd rather the one that's at least going balls out for rebounds.
As far as slowing down, I think that will come naturally with minutes. You hear younger players all the time talk about when the game slowed down for them. I think it's strictly a minutes thing. The more you're out there, eventually it will click.

 

[Blazinaway]

The raw talent is there with Robinson. He is quick, and has good body-control while being quick. He also has above average ball-control for his position, and good passing skills. Basically he already possesses the skills necessary to become a very good player.
Previous to reading this thread it was his BBIQ that I would point at as lacking. However, maybe some of you are right that it's not his IQ since you can obviously see him making the right passes, etc. I think it's just becoming more aware of what to do and what not to do. A good big-man coach would do wonders with him (how long have we been clamoring for a big-man coach?).

agree, and I feel is in finally on a team where his talents can be harnessed and nurtured in a process where he can develop properly

 

[Further]

I hope he can be more of a team player than Ruben Patterson was. Patterson was the original "black hole" on offense. Balls went in, they never came out. Obviously, I wouldn't want T-Rob to have any of Patterson's off-court penchant for assaults of various kinds.

But if Robinson can have the hustle, defense, and fearlessness around the basket that Patterson had without the downside I'm all for a bigger, more athletic RP, by the name of Thomas Robinson.

Well, he already exists and his name is Lebron. Seriously, every player has flaws and every non-superstar has large flaws. I expect a lot of improvement from Robinson over the next couple seasons, but lets be realistic about it, then we don't pull our hair out when he doesn't turn into the next lebron.

I still think the best case for him is a smaller PF like Faried or Hickson. A guy who can give you great hustle and rebounding, but is always going to have the size issue, as well as the skill issue. Still, getting a Faried or a Hickson and bringing him off of the bench is what championship teams have, in some cases.

Best case in my opinion is a cross between Faried and David West. West, when younger had a lot of similar movements, although West was the better FT shooter and assist man, and Robinson is the better rebounder.

In the highlight video, Lopez makes a nice subtle vet move after Robinson was a little too exuberant after a "and one" lay in. He puts his arm around him and quickly corrals him away from the crowd. Just in case......

I am loving Lopez. I loved the signing and still do. And he is still young, should continue to improve, especially since he is such a workhorse.

To date, he and Meyers have probably proven about the same. Yet I'm a lot more inclined to give PT to TRob to develop, whereas I don't wanna see Meyers on the floor.

TRob has a little bit of that nasty in his game that we have desperately lacked.

Agreed! So does Lopez although he is less obvious about it. Wes has it at SG, and that's about it on the team.

One dude is softer than buttered toast and the other is not. Pretty easy decision from my POV.

Time to sign Richie Incognito!

Seriously, dude is soft but not as bad as you make it seem, he doesn't shy away from contact, I don't think he understands how to use contact. He also doesn't put any emphasis on defense. Listening to him in the offseason he would talk about shooting threes and stuff like that, he gets excited when he plays by making offensive moves, never because he made a good defensive stop. I HOPE this is just a matter of focus and this is the reason he isn't playing. I hope one of the coaches reminds him daily that Freeland is half the offensive player that Meyers is but actually plays because he works like a mother effer on defense. Lopez and the coaches need to encourage and congratulate Meyers only when his defense is improving and never because of O. We all know that his offense will be there if he sticks in the NBA, but he won't stick if he can't stop anyone.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Further, I get what you are saying about Leonard, but when I watch Leonard play there's nothing about his game that isn't soft - it's all jump shots or alley-oop dunks, poor rebounding instincts and non-existent defensive instincts. He's probably years away from being a player (if ever).

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Happy, but not estatic about Robinson's play.... probably because I already knew he could play like that. I'm hoping that by the end of the year he can be effective like that consistently. The exciting part for me is that I think he can make it by the end of this year and not be a multi-year project.

 

[blue9]

Best case in my opinion is a cross between Faried and David West. West, when younger had a lot of similar movements, although West was the better FT shooter and assist man, and Robinson is the better rebounder.

I know we've had this conversation already, with the consensus being that Faried is currently better. I'm not sure if there was much consensus on future rankings, but I personally wouldn't trade Robinson straight across for Faried. Robinson has FAR more potential than Faried does. And I wouldn't be surprised if Robinson is Faried's equal by next season.

West is an interesting comp. I think Robinson has (can have) a more powerful game. And he seems to have better quickness. In the past I've brought up Millsap as a comp. But I'm going to trot out something ridiculous - Shawn Kemp. No, I don't think that Robinson will come anywhere close to being the type of player Kemp was. He's not going to be a primary option on a contender - and will probably never be the primary option on a lotto team either. But the mechanics of his game - power/speed/ball-handling/etc - might be similar?

 

[magnifier661]

So what's the hold up then? I mean what do you think is holding him back from reaching his potential? I see flashes of what could be and it's impressive! I wonder if most of it is mental or something? I know he has rawness, but even raw players bring that intensity every night.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

He has a lot of talent that's for sure. I hope we keep him so he finally feels comfortable in his environment. That alone helps in development.

 

[Further]

I know we've had this conversation already, with the consensus being that Faried is currently better. I'm not sure if there was much consensus on future rankings, but I personally wouldn't trade Robinson straight across for Faried. Robinson has FAR more potential than Faried does. And I wouldn't be surprised if Robinson is Faried's equal by next season.

West is an interesting comp. I think Robinson has (can have) a more powerful game. And he seems to have better quickness. In the past I've brought up Millsap as a comp. But I'm going to trot out something ridiculous - Shawn Kemp. No, I don't think that Robinson will come anywhere close to being the type of player Kemp was. He's not going to be a primary option on a contender - and will probably never be the primary option on a lotto team either. But the mechanics of his game - power/speed/ball-handling/etc - might be similar?

Agreed about Faried, I think much of his stats are fools gold. Don't get me wrong, hes good, but has some massive holes that aren't accounted for, and many of his rebounds ones that would have gone to someone else on his team. But his motor is awesome and something every team needs, it can be contagious.

West has a much more powerful game than many give him credit for since his personality is subdued. Listen to interviews of his opponents, they all talk about being banged and pushed. He is much stronger, and knows how to use his strength better, than his undersized frame would lead one to believe.

Kemp? Milsap I see some overlap, but Kemp? Wow, I just don't know where to go with that comp. I'll try to watch for it, but to me they seem damned near opposite.

So what's the hold up then? I mean what do you think is holding him back from reaching his potential? I see flashes of what could be and it's impressive! I wonder if most of it is mental or something? I know he has rawness, but even raw players bring that intensity every night.

They say to be a real expert in anything you need 10,000 hours. Some take less, some more. My guess is that he just needs time. His adjustments to the NBA are coming, but he needs time. And they are happening, we just need some patience.

 

[Natebishop3]

The problem with MyLe is that, I feel, he's actually getting worse. The player that I saw during his first summer league was a guy who went to the basket, played the pick and roll, and worked for lobs. Now all I see is a guy who wants to shoot jumpers. That's not what I envisioned for him at all. He went from a Tyson Chandler mold, to a Raef LaFrentz. Not encouraging at all.

One thing I've never understood about the Blazers is how we can have one of the richest owners in sports, and yet that money doesn't seem to translate over to the coaching staff. The money he spends on coaching doesn't impact the cap, so why not blow some cash on bringing in the best possible coaches to work with Dame, Aldridge, Batum, and Robinson? Bring in Pippen to work with Nic. Bring in Payton to work with Dame. Bring in Hakeem to work with TRob. Make it worth their while to spend some time with our guys.

SPAM baby!

 

[milehighblazer]

The biggest things I see when I look at Robinson is he is as athletically gifted as they come, and he has the instincts you look for in a frontcourt player. By that I mean he WANTS to mix it up, take contact, fight for rebounds, get blocks, and live in the paint. Those are qualities you cannot teach, so I think in that regard his potential ceiling is greater than most. I really don't mind his mid range jump shot, he has solid mechanics and I think the more chances he gets to take it the better it'll become. Also, his ability to drive into the paint and dunk(seriously, is there anyone on our team who can actually DUNK dunk besides t-rob and batum?) is impressive for someone his size. He looks natural dribbling and penetrating for someone his size, compared to someone like LA who looks awkward as fuck every time he puts the ball on the floor with the intent of moving toward the basket.
Having said all that, the biggest issue I see is he is so worked up. You can see it on his face, in the way he carries himself the minute he checks in, he plays like he has to make a name for himself RIGHT NOW or he's going to be homeless. While the enthusiasm is appreciated, I think it's his biggest downfall because he isn't playing within the offense/defense and too often gets tunnel vision and forces the issue as a one-man wrecking ball. He needs to calm down, realize that he made the roster, the team has invested in his future, and he has competent teammates. To me it feels like he's trying to single-handedly launch his all-star campaign in one night, he does too much. Now, things broke right for him tonight(i'm not implying his performance was luck) and he did well individually but more importantly as a teammate. Gaining position, contesting shots(boxscore says 1 block, but I counted 2), gobbling up rebounds, second chance points, but more importantly he had his head up and was willing to see the court not JUST the basket when he had possession. When he focuses on his JOB, not what he WANTS, the offense comes easier, the pressure is off, and he ends up with a nice statsheet and gains the validation I think he desperately wants.


A final thought on T-Rob v. Leonard:

I described Thomas' potential above, and it's exactly what Leonard lacks. Meyers has the god-given height, athletic prowess, but he doesn't have the instincts. He doesn't WANT to mix it up with the big guys down low, box out, fight for rebounds, any of that. It's obvious, despite what he might say to the contrary, and there isn't anything inherently wrong with that. HOWEVA, for this Trailblazers team, I don't think it's a good fit, why? Well he has a sweet stroke, he's good at running the floor, he'll get up for dunks/oops and he's a phenomenal free throw shooter. Those are great assets, plenty of bigs have made a career that way, but this team doesn't lack scoring options, nor will the offense ever run through Leonard in any facet with LA and Dame on board. I think he'll be able to string together a nice career and even play a legitimate role on a team as an offensive weapon, but it just doesn't seem to fit here in Portland....at all.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

The biggest things I see when I look at Robinson ....

Great take, rookie. Repped.

 

[barfo]

The money he spends on coaching doesn't impact the cap, so why not blow some cash on bringing in the best possible coaches to work with Dame, Aldridge, Batum, and Robinson? Bring in Pippen to work with Nic. Bring in Payton to work with Dame. Bring in Hakeem to work with TRob.

What makes you think Pippen, Payton, and Hakeem are the best possible coaches? Hell, what makes you think they are even minimally competent coaches?

Those who can, do. Those who can't do anymore, can't necessarily teach.

barfo

 

[Natebishop3]

The biggest things I see when I look at Robinson is he is as athletically gifted as they come, and he has the instincts you look for in a frontcourt player. By that I mean he WANTS to mix it up, take contact, fight for rebounds, get blocks, and live in the paint. Those are qualities you cannot teach, so I think in that regard his potential ceiling is greater than most. I really don't mind his mid range jump shot, he has solid mechanics and I think the more chances he gets to take it the better it'll become. Also, his ability to drive into the paint and dunk(seriously, is there anyone on our team who can actually DUNK dunk besides t-rob and batum?) is impressive for someone his size. He looks natural dribbling and penetrating for someone his size, compared to someone like LA who looks awkward as fuck every time he puts the ball on the floor with the intent of moving toward the basket.
Having said all that, the biggest issue I see is he is so worked up. You can see it on his face, in the way he carries himself the minute he checks in, he plays like he has to make a name for himself RIGHT NOW or he's going to be homeless. While the enthusiasm is appreciated, I think it's his biggest downfall because he isn't playing within the offense/defense and too often gets tunnel vision and forces the issue as a one-man wrecking ball. He needs to calm down, realize that he made the roster, the team has invested in his future, and he has competent teammates. To me it feels like he's trying to single-handedly launch his all-star campaign in one night, he does too much. Now, things broke right for him tonight(i'm not implying his performance was luck) and he did well individually but more importantly as a teammate. Gaining position, contesting shots(boxscore says 1 block, but I counted 2), gobbling up rebounds, second chance points, but more importantly he had his head up and was willing to see the court not JUST the basket when he had possession. When he focuses on his JOB, not what he WANTS, the offense comes easier, the pressure is off, and he ends up with a nice statsheet and gains the validation I think he desperately wants.


A final thought on T-Rob v. Leonard:

I described Thomas' potential above, and it's exactly what Leonard lacks. Meyers has the god-given height, athletic prowess, but he doesn't have the instincts. He doesn't WANT to mix it up with the big guys down low, box out, fight for rebounds, any of that. It's obvious, despite what he might say to the contrary, and there isn't anything inherently wrong with that. HOWEVA, for this Trailblazers team, I don't think it's a good fit, why? Well he has a sweet stroke, he's good at running the floor, he'll get up for dunks/oops and he's a phenomenal free throw shooter. Those are great assets, plenty of bigs have made a career that way, but this team doesn't lack scoring options, nor will the offense ever run through Leonard in any facet with LA and Dame on board. I think he'll be able to string together a nice career and even play a legitimate role on a team as an offensive weapon, but it just doesn't seem to fit here in Portland....at all.

Well said. Repped.

TRob looks like he has a serious chip on his shoulder from last season, and every time he plays he wants to prove all his doubters wrong. It's his best friend and his worst enemy. That drive will make him better, but also is seriously holding him back because he's rushing and he's almost trying too hard so he makes bad decisions. He just needs to calm down, let the game come to him, and play his game.