Time to give Nate McMillan props

[Pinwheel1]

I should say this to posters that get tierd of the coach being bashed (even when winning) . . . go to most boards across the NBA abd the coach gets blasted on many team boards.

That's exactly why people get tired of it. It does happen on every board for every team in every sport. And because of it there is very little credibility when you read it the same old shit over and over no matter what board you are on. It would be comical if it was not so annoying.

I mean really does anyone really think that internet geeks know anything about X's and O's? About the only thing they can have an intelligent conversation about is substitution patterns. What does that come out to? 5% of coaching.

There is nothing wrong with criticizing a coach. Nate pisses me off when he does not get off his ass (Crutches or no crutches) and scream at the refs for horrible call. I want him to be in their face. But that is just my personal opinion. Nate may be right on that philosophy. I don't really know.

What I do know is replacing a coach who is winning for a guy who has never coached or a coach that some other fan base wants fired seems.....................ridiculous. Once you lose a team then it is time to go. Nate is far from losing this team. And I don't give a shit about the players on the end of the bench. They will always be unhappy.

 

[Tince]

I should say this to posters that get tierd of the coach being bashed (even when winning) . . . go to most boards across the NBA abd the coach gets blasted on many team boards.

I think some would be surprised at some of the coaches being bashed (just like those fans would get a kick out of the Nate bashing going on here). Blaming the coach is going to be around as long as there is sports. If not Nate then it will be the next coach . . . knowing it will always exist no matter the coach makes these posts easeir for me to read.

That is spot on. It is the easier for fans to blame the coach than to use some critical thinking. I think sometimes people get caught up in trying to educate or open the minds of these fans, but it's probably not a worthwhile cause.

 

[toutlaw25]

I wasn't especially critical of Nate until this season. Last year the only thing that really irritated me was his substitution patterns of Oden. It's not okay to be critical of a coach when a team is winning. Everything must be attributed to his greatness. Give me a break. He's a good coach, not a great coach. I'd gladly bet anyone we don't win a title with him here. Call me a pessimist, but it's reality. I eagerly await the bump of this thread to show me I'm an idiot. Until then keep avoiding reality.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I wasn't especially critical of Nate until this season. Last year the only thing that really irritated me was his substitution patterns of Oden. It's not okay to be critical of a coach when a team is winning. Everything must be attributed to his greatness. Give me a break. He's a good coach, not a great coach. I'd gladly bet anyone we don't win a title with him here. Call me a pessimist, but it's reality. I eagerly await the bump of this thread to show me I'm an idiot. Until then keep avoiding reality.

You missed the entire point.

 

[hasoos]

I have been pretty negative on Nate, but he is doing a hell of a job now. Sometimes I wonder how much of it has to do with the rotation being tightened by attrition. A tight rotation makes a tight team. Blake being moved to the bench seems to have relaxed him as well.

 

[BlazerBenner]

Props to Nate.

It would be extremely difficult for any coach to hold this together.

 

[BBert]

That is spot on. It is the easier for fans to blame the coach than to use some critical thinking. I think sometimes people get caught up in trying to educate or open the minds of these fans, but it's probably not a worthwhile cause.

So anyone you disagree with is incapable of critical thinking? OK.

Since circumstances forced Nate's hand, Nate has done a great job. It took a total team effort to win these last few games, and Nate is a big part of that, and I'll give him props for the job he's done in that span. His stubborn bone-headedness before the injury bug became an epidemic, not so much.

 

[Tince]

So anyone you disagree with is incapable of critical thinking? OK.

Since circumstances forced Nate's hand, Nate has done a great job. It took a total team effort to win these last few games, and Nate is a big part of that, and I'll give him props for the job he's done in that span. His stubborn bone-headedness before the injury bug became an epidemic, not so much.

Not what I said. But I would guess a large majority of the fans around the NBA who blame the coach for a teams shortcoming are not using their critical thinking skills to the fullest.

 

[BBert]

Not what I said. But I would guess a large majority of the fans around the NBA who blame the coach for a teams shortcoming are not using their critical thinking skills to the fullest.

Ya know, you are probably right about that.

 

[Nate Dogg]

Hes got two props, their called CRUTCHES !!!!

 

[Tince]

I wasn't especially critical of Nate until this season. Last year the only thing that really irritated me was his substitution patterns of Oden. It's not okay to be critical of a coach when a team is winning. Everything must be attributed to his greatness. Give me a break. He's a good coach, not a great coach. I'd gladly bet anyone we don't win a title with him here. Call me a pessimist, but it's reality. I eagerly await the bump of this thread to show me I'm an idiot. Until then keep avoiding reality.

Of the current 30 NBA coaches, I bet you only 3-5 of them win an NBA title in their career...

Most NBA coaches don't win NBA titles, even the good ones (Rick Adleman), so that's a safe bet.

 

[blue32]

i just hated his rotations, and how he didn't play the best starting 5. i also do not like his slow-it-down half court offense, because its now getting predictable, and thus our offense was hurting early in the season. With all of these injuries, hes had to be more dynamic, and voila, we are winning.

 

[andalusian]

i just hated his rotations, and how he didn't play the best starting 5. i also do not like his slow-it-down half court offense, because its now getting predictable, and thus our offense was hurting early in the season. With all of these injuries, hes had to be more dynamic, and voila, we are winning.

We were playing faster before the injuries and our offense looked out of sync. We are playing slower now, and the offense runs great. The two are not related. The issue is trying to force the ball through Oden to make sure he develops or running the offense threw Roy, who is an offensive beast.

 

[mook]

I give more props to Roy more than anyone else. The guy has really picked up the slack as players continue to fall off left and right.

The Miami Heat are 16-12 right now, but few are congratulating Erik Spoelstra. Wade is just flat-out balling, winning games in spite of having a much worse roster than our depleted one. He'd kill to have one teammate as good as Aldridge.

Our ability to beat really tough teams after so many injuries is a testimony to how Wade-like Roy is becoming.

Also, it doesn't hurt that teams are genuinely scared of Jerryd Bayless. I've been amazed over the last couple of games how much attention he's drawn by defenses. Coaches realize he's a threat to score 30 on any night, and if he does we almost certainly win. Even when he isn't scoring, he's creating so many wide open looks for teammates with his dribble penetration and his ability to pull away defenders. Steve Blake is breaking out of his shooting slump just as Bayless has taken off, and I don't think it's mere coincidence.

So yeah, Nate's done a good job of cobbling together this roster into something workable. In about three weeks we went from having the best center tandem in the NBA to just another donut team. That's tough for any coach to handle. But I'd put much more of the success at the feet of Roy than Nate.

 

[andalusian]

So yeah, Nate's done a good job of cobbling together this roster into something workable. In about three weeks we went from having the best center tandem in the NBA to just another donut team. That's tough for any coach to handle. But I'd put much more of the success at the feet of Roy than Nate.

I would somewhat agree with that. The problem at the start of the year was somewhat because of Nate's decision to sacrifice the start of the year to get Oden to develop, offensively, imho. But, this is a reasonable sacrifice to make, even if I would have liked to see it a little slower to develop. But, at the end of the day, this team should really realize that Roy is the engine that runs the offense, Oden is the anchor of the defense. Sure, we should see some plays for Oden on offense, but it needs to be a secondary option, at least in the near future. Let him pick up his offense slowly.

On the other hand, it is pretty clear that Nate realized that the idea that Miller can spark the 2nd unit is bunk, Miller at this stage is a role player, he can not be the primary focus of the offense night in, night out. Bayless is a much better guy to have as the focal point of the offense with the 2nd unit. So, moving Miller to the starting unit and giving Bayless a good outside shooter to work with makes sense, and it seems to have helped Miller get his head right.

 

[magnifier661]

We've been crushed by injuries to a lot of rotation players and somehow we're still near the top of the division standings. For as much unwarranted criticism as he gets for not letting the team run as much as some people would like/not playing the right players enough/whatever other crap people want to make up...he's done an excellent job of coaching this team.

Good work Nate McMillan.

Nate has done a good job, but I think the players are doing a better job. They aren't giving up, which is great. It tells me KP did a fine job finding the talent to work together. As much of a cliché it was talking about "culture players" or "organic growth", it's worked. They have finally banned together to make all us Blazer fans proud.

 

[LittleAlex]

I have been impressed with the way Nate has rolled with the punches this season.

 

[ABM]

It occurs to me that, following just about every win, one player or another doesn't hesitate to give Nate kudos.

There's a reason for that, folks.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Players used to give Mo Cheeks credit too. What is your point?

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

Nate has shown to be a great coach with a young team; an uderdog team;

but he has yet to show success with a healthy, maturing team.


I thought his coaching was dismal at the first of the year - but now that the team is overmatched, etc. - he is providing leadership that the players appear to be responding to!


I give Nate much kudos (now) but remain a skeptic once we get to next year with a healthy roster on the floor.

 

[Tince]

Nate has shown to be a great coach with a young team; an uderdog team;

but he has yet to show success with a healthy, maturing team.


I thought his coaching was dismal at the first of the year - but now that the team is overmatched, etc. - he is providing leadership that the players appear to be responding to!


I give Nate much kudos (now) but remain a skeptic once we get to next year with a healthy roster on the floor.

We won 54 games with a healthy, maturing team last year... Most wins with any team that young in the history of the NBA...

 

[BrianFromWA]

Worst playoff record by a team that young, too.

Nate's doing great when his rotation is defined for him by injuries, though he's still overthinking some things (Cunningham and Webster at PF over JP against the Clips), though it was good tonight. Amazingly enough, I understood going with DC and Webs at the PF. Kudos to the coach for thinking outside the box and not letting Nellie out-Nellie him.

As long as Roy is available, I'm not giving up on this team. I love what Roy's been able to do with Webster and Bayless as his main 2nd options, and Miller and Howard giving Vet Savvy Points.

 

[Tince]

Worst playoff record by a team that young, too.

Nate's doing great when his rotation is defined for him by injuries, though he's still overthinking some things (Cunningham and Webster at PF over JP against the Clips), though it was good tonight. Amazingly enough, I understood going with DC and Webs at the PF. Kudos to the coach for thinking outside the box and not letting Nellie out-Nellie him.

As long as Roy is available, I'm not giving up on this team. I love what Roy's been able to do with Webster and Bayless as his main 2nd options, and Miller and Howard giving Vet Savvy Points.

Again, Nate did a great job last year when the rotations were not defined. Batum starting was not defined, neither was balancing Oden and Joel.

We're all good at second guessing Nate when things don't work.

Oh, and I believe 2 playoff wins is the most by a team with Portland's average age (or younger).

 

[Blazed Mania 52]

We turned into the Rockets and it fits Nate's style, we got a full healthy roster and Blake becomes point of emphasis.

 

[LittleAlex]

Odd as it is to say, but I find it very difficult to believe Nate's name doesn't come up in Coach of the Year discussions.


If Adelman is in the conversation, so should Nate.

 

[Crimson the Cat]

Props, Nate.

 

[ABM]

Players used to give Mo Cheeks credit too. What is your point?

They go out of their way. So does the media, so do his coaching counterparts, so do players of other teams, as do other teams' fans.

Nate has certainly had his coaching foul-ups, but there's nothing, NOTHING indicated in the W's and L's columns - where it truly counts - which would indicated that he's as poor of a coach as some in here (mainly, you) have maintained.

This team continues to show me that it's the little engine that could, with Nate (your clown) riding solid on its top.