Starting SF?

[Wizard Mentor]

Withi all of the discussion in the Webster thread, I'd thought it would be interesting to find out where the majority stands.

Who will start at SF?

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Withi all of the discussion in the Webster thread, I'd thought it would be interesting to find out where the majority stands.

Who will start at SF?

I say Batum, because he is the incumbent, is a better defender, and (IMO) his rookie year was better than anything Webster has put up.

 

[cdub503]

It's batums hands down. Unless Webster pulls some 24 point quarters reguarly it's batums

 

[Wizard Mentor]

shoot, I left off Ime - oh well, put him as other.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Should be Batum, will be Webster.

 

[MIXUM]

like i said....

If MILLER starts... ITS GOTTA BE WEBSTER

If BLAKE starts.... ITS GOTTA BE BATUM


Real simple. With that said.. I cant see Miller not starting. And the 2nd unit needs defense. Batum is perfect fit. Webster is more of a complete player then batum at the moment.

 

[Nikolokolus]

like i said....

If MILLER starts... ITS GOTTA BE WEBSTER

If BLAKE starts.... ITS GOTTA BE BATUM


Real simple. With that said.. I cant see Miller not starting. And the 2nd unit needs defense. Batum is perfect fit. Webster is more of a complete player then batum at the moment.

Myabe if you'd watched some Eurobasket this summer you'd have a different attitude.

 

[MIXUM]

or maybe i can replay the blazers last 6 games of last season and watch BATUM DO NOTHING WHEN IT COUNTED THE MOST CAUSE HE CANT SCORE.

give me a break... batum sucks on offense. i dont care if he scored 20 a night in the euro league.

last time i checked this was the nba.

 

[B-Roy]

or maybe i can replay the blazers last 6 games of last season and watch BATUM DO NOTHING WHEN IT COUNTED THE MOST CAUSE HE CANT SCORE.

give me a break... batum sucks on offense. i dont care if he scored 20 a night in the euro league.

last time i checked this was the nba.

For once I agree...

 

[mook]

Probably could make a decent argument for adding Roy up there. Batum's my favorite, but if he gets injured I'd really rather see us go with a Miller/Rudy/Roy/Aldridge/Przybilla lineup than anything else. Although if the plan was to use Roy at SF more he probably wouldn't have cut down his weight over the summer.

 

[Nikolokolus]

or maybe i can replay the blazers last 6 games of last season and watch BATUM DO NOTHING WHEN IT COUNTED THE MOST CAUSE HE CANT SCORE.

give me a break... batum sucks on offense. i dont care if he scored 20 a night in the euro league.

last time i checked this was the nba.

Oh, I'm not saying he's going to be a twenty a night scorer (probably more like 11 or 12), but regardless of what you think of the competition he faced in Eurobasket (better than most college teams) he looked a lot different with the ball, and he played very aggressively. Nic's biggest test will be to see if he can attain and maintain a certain level of aggressiveness on offense. In any case I expect him to be a more well rounded contributor than Martell and a more efficient shooter and scorer than Martell has ever been.

 

[Boise Blazer]

I wouldnt be surprised if this is the one position that changes throughout the year. Nate may go with whoever is hot at the time or whoever matches up better with that nights opponent. We could really use this to our advantage if everyone is on board.

 

[Minstrel]

or maybe i can replay the blazers last 6 games of last season and watch BATUM DO NOTHING WHEN IT COUNTED THE MOST CAUSE HE CANT SCORE.

Good description of Webster's entire NBA career, too, minus one quarter in Utah.

The difference is, Batum can pass and defend.

 

[Eastoff]

I wouldnt be surprised if this is the one position that changes throughout the year. Nate may go with whoever is hot at the time or whoever matches up better with that nights opponent. We could really use this to our advantage if everyone is on board.

Think about how many times last season someone was shooting well, and then Nate pulled them. I doubt he will change who the starter is, but I could understand if he adjust PT like this.

 

[azsun67]

I wouldnt be surprised if this is the one position that changes throughout the year. Nate may go with whoever is hot at the time or whoever matches up better with that nights opponent. We could really use this to our advantage if everyone is on board.

I like Nate as a coach, but his substituation pattern is so predictable it hurts. He pulls people when they are hot and never puts them back in.

 

[LittleAlex]

Batum has to be the favorite. I haven't seen many rookies defend as well as he did and I expect that to continue. Martell would be better off in the second unit with a green light to fire away.

But really I am hoping both Martell and Batum play so well that it is a really hard choice to make.

 

[drexlersdad]

martell stinks until proven otherwise

 

[hasoos]

I like both players, but the reality is the Blazers can't afford another year in the playoffs with the small forward only putting down 2 points a game and expect to get past the first round. The best teams in the league are too good defensivly to have more than one offensive liability in your starting unit at a time. That being said, unless Batum finds a way to score into the teens each game, then this job will be Martell's. Plus, I really do not think Batum is that much better of a defender than Martell. He has some physical tools Martell does not with his length, but Martell was doing a fine job defending the guys Batum was defending the year before last.

 

[BBert]

I voted Batum for his perimeter defense so Roy doesn't have to guard the best wings in the league all game long and he can rest up for the fourth quarter. I can certainly see the argument that with Miller starting we might need Martell for his shooting, but Nico can negate that by improving his own shot.

 

[STOMP]

I voted Batum for his perimeter defense so Roy doesn't have to guard the best wings in the league all game long and he can rest up for the fourth quarter. I can certainly see the argument that with Miller starting we might need Martell for his shooting, but Nico can negate that by improving his own shot.

ahhh the legend of Martell the shooter... too bad stats don't back it up.

Batum's rookie year equaled or bettered Martell's career numbers in FG% FT% 3pt% TS% & eFG%

STOMP

 

[RoyIsClutch07]

Whoever is the best player in camp is, gets it. It's up to Martell to push Nicolas out of his spot, not the other way around.

So right now, Nic is the guy unless Martell suggests otherwise.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I am a huge fan of Webster and I have argued on his behalf a lot lately. I have no doubt in my mind that Batum should be the starting SF.

 

[Harry's Raincoat]

OMG - I AGREE with Mixum on something.

If Miller then Webster
If Blake then Batum

Better balance for each grouping.

 

[Luther]

Oh, I'm not saying he's going to be a twenty a night scorer (probably more like 11 or 12), but regardless of what you think of the competition he faced in Eurobasket (better than most college teams) he looked a lot different with the ball, and he played very aggressively. Nic's biggest test will be to see if he can attain and maintain a certain level of aggressiveness on offense. In any case I expect him to be a more well rounded contributor than Martell and a more efficient shooter and scorer than Martell has ever been.

So you're saying that Batum is going to double his scoring avg. from last year? I don't see him doing so even if he got 10 more minutes a game (which he probably won't). Just because a guy does OK during international play doesn't mean it's going to translate to the season. I love Batum, but he's not a threat on the offensive end yet. I'm not saying he won't ever be, but he's young and it's tough to be consistent on offense if you're not a natural scorer. And he's not.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

I think it really does not matter who starts between the two and total minutes/finishing is the real prize. Batum showed more last season and it would be interesting to see how well he would have performed with some of the really bad squads Martell was on early in his career.

Oden's progression and this battle makes the preseason must see for me.

 

[B-Roy]

Oh, I'm not saying he's going to be a twenty a night scorer (probably more like 11 or 12), but regardless of what you think of the competition he faced in Eurobasket (better than most college teams) he looked a lot different with the ball, and he played very aggressively. Nic's biggest test will be to see if he can attain and maintain a certain level of aggressiveness on offense. In any case I expect him to be a more well rounded contributor than Martell and a more efficient shooter and scorer than Martell has ever been.

11 or 12 ppg? You expect him to double his scoring average when he is unlikely to get even 5 or 6 more mpg?

 

[Nikolokolus]

So you're saying that Batum is going to double his scoring avg. from last year? I don't see him doing so even if he got 10 more minutes a game (which he probably won't). Just because a guy does OK during international play doesn't mean it's going to translate to the season. I love Batum, but he's not a threat on the offensive end yet. I'm not saying he won't ever be, but he's young and it's tough to be consistent on offense if you're not a natural scorer. And he's not.

11 or 12 ppg? You expect him to double his scoring average when he is unlikely to get even 5 or 6 more mpg?

I'm not claiming to be prescient or infallible, Nic very well could fall short of my predicition, but I personally believe he's going to average 28-30 minutes per game if only because of his innate defensive abilities.

The reason I think he's got it in him is Nic was only 19 last year, and guys typically make a pretty substantial leap from year one to year two ... so yeah I can see him putting up "Martell" or "Travis" numbers this year -- I think he's got that much promise and raw talent.

I really don't think Martell is going to gobble up as many minutes at the 3 spot as people think.

 

[B-Roy]

I'm not claiming to be prescient or infallible, Nic very well could fall short of my predicition, but I personally believe he's going to average 28-30 minutes per game if only because of his innate defensive abilities.

The reason I think he's got it in him is Nic was only 19 last year, and guys typically make a pretty substantial leap from year one to year two ... so yeah I can see him putting up "Martell" or "Travis" numbers this year -- I think he's got that much promise and raw talent.

I really don't think Martell is going to gobble up as many minutes at the 3 spot as people think.

It's not just Martell who's going to be playing at the three. Roy and Rudy will both take minutes, and you know Outlaw will get some too, even if Nate says that Outlaw will specifically play backup PF.

 

[Ed O]

I think the team will be better if Webster earns the spot... mainly because I think we know how good Batum is and it'd be good if Martell emerged from his injury as the superior player. But I voted for Batum.

Ed O.

 

[Rodolfo]

I think the team will be better if Webster earns the spot... mainly because I think we know how good Batum is and it'd be good if Martell emerged from his injury as the superior player. But I voted for Batum.

Ed O.

I agree. Think it could happen halfway into the season.