w/ Roy = No Running

[ABM]

At least according to this article..

http://www.columbian.com/weblogs/blazerbanter/2010/feb/02/roy-out-blazers-start-run/

TUALATIN, Ore. — First, there was the confession.

Then there was the reality.

Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan said Monday his team was attempting to move the ball up the floor with greater urgency, following a 98-79 victory over Charlotte that saw Portland run the fast break and gun away during transition in a manner that has seldom been seen this season.

After the win, McMillan acknowledged that it felt like the Blazers had been trying “forever” to increase their offensive tempo.

But in back-to-back impressive victories over Dallas and the Bobcats, forever evolved — at least temporarily — into today.

As players such as Nicolas Batum and Rudy Fernandez sprinted through lanes and finished length-of-the-court plays, point guards Andre Miller, Jerryd Bayless and Steve Blake set their teammates up with crisp crosscourt and lob passes.

At times looking more like Golden State or Phoenix than the Blazers, Portland picked up quick, easy baskets that provided a shot in the arm while frustrating opponents.

It was a noticeable change for a Blazers team whose 8.4 average fast-break points ranks last out of 30 NBA teams.

“We’re talking about it ... and they’re making an effort to do it,” said McMillan, following a Tuesday morning workout at the team’s practice facility.

In the past, Portland would first attempt to work the ball inside for a post up or try to run an established set, McMillan said.

But that approach has changed with All-Star guard Brandon Roy injured and out of the lineup, and centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla lost for the season due to knee injuries.

Now, the Blazers are looking to move the ball forward when the option is there. The primary choices: Miller and Bayless driving to the rim, or forward LaMarcus Aldridge receiving a pass deep in the post......................

...............But how long will the running last?

While Oden and Przybilla are out for the season, the Blazers will eventually have a center at the core of their lineup.

Moreover, Roy’s talents are best suited for a methodical, half-court offense. Roy can run the fast break, but it is not his best venue for success.

“That’s not what he does,” McMillan said. “That’s not the strength of his game.”................

If this is gonna be the case, I'd "almost" be tempted to trade Roy.


.

 

[Nikolokolus]

There is no reason -- zero, nada, zip, zilch, nyet -- why Brandon can't be the trailer on the break or run a secondary fast break after a stop. It's not like this team is going to be run, run, run anyway, but if you have trouble breaking 10 fast break points a game you are always going to have trouble getting easy buckets and you will always be grinding yourself up in half-court sets.

I love me some Brandon, but he's got to find a way to expand his repetoire in this area just a little; too many of his teammates are built to play uptempo (LMA, Nic, Rudy, Jerryd, Miller to name a few) for this not to be a more regular part of the Blazers attack.

Maybe this is why Nate was so concerned with having Miller run a, so called, 'second unit' that was more uptempo; he just can't seem to get Brandon to increase his.

 

[THE HCP]

BRoy would be great in the open court, he is just so god damned good when things are slow it's tough to change.

 

[Kaydow]

There is no reason -- zero, nada, zip, zilch, nyet -- why Brandon can't be the trailer on the break or run a secondary fast break after a stop. It's not like this team is going to be run, run, run anyway, but if you have trouble breaking 10 fast break points a game you are always going to have trouble getting easy buckets and you will always be grinding yourself up in half-court sets.

I love me some Brandon, but he's got to find a way to expand his repetoire in this area just a little; too many of his teammates are built to play uptempo (LMA, Nic, Rudy, Jerryd, Miller to name a few) for this not to be a more regular part of the Blazers attack.

Maybe this is why Nate was so concerned with having Miller run a, so called, 'second unit' that was more uptempo; he just can't seem to get Brandon to increase tempo.

I was just about to post the same exact thing, then I read this. The secondary fast break could be very kind to B-Roy. He's got to get tired of having to work so hard for his offense in the half court every night with teams throwing 2 or 3 guys at him. His 52 point game vs the Suns a year ago featured many fast break/secondary break points. Has anybody ever theorized WHY B-Roy doesn't like playing a faster pace? Is he afraid of getting hurt? I guess when you're filling lanes and going hard to the basket you do take some hits. I just don't see why people say he isn't suited for it. Watch the highlights below - looks pretty good to me.

[video=youtube;x2ZelgONJOI]

 

[Nikolokolus]

BRoy would be great in the open court, he is just so god damned good when things are slow it's tough to change.

I agree, which is why I wouldn't have him lead the break. He could easily be the trailer and with his ups he'd probably get a few layups or dunks out of it. 90% of the time he'd be getting his points out of his half-court pick and rolls

 

[SlyPokerDog]

The Stache loves to run. Damn you KP!

 

[jlprk]

Now, the Blazers are looking to move the ball forward when the option is there. The primary choices: Miller and Bayless driving to the rim, or forward LaMarcus Aldridge receiving a pass deep in the post......................

Trouble is, Aldridge thinks 15 feet out is deep.

 

[Kaydow]

I agree, which is why I wouldn't have him lead the break. He could easily be the trailer and with his ups he'd probably get a few layups or dunks out of it. 90% of the time he'd be getting his points out of his half-court pick and rolls

So why does he not like to run? I don't get it.

 

[THE HCP]

He would be great filing the lane finishing. We see it every now and then.

 

[jlprk]

Has anybody ever theorized WHY B-Roy doesn't like playing a faster pace?

Let's not call him slow. Thorough. He's thorough. That's why he flunked the SAT 5 times. He wanted to do really well so he checked everything 3 times.

 

[MARIS61]

So why does he not like to run? I don't get it.

He likes all eyes on him, time for tension to build, then the score!

It's not so much a "team" thing.

 

[Kaydow]

He likes all eyes on him, time for tension to build, then the score!

It's not so much a "team" thing.

Do you really believe that?

A more likely explanation is that he just doesn't feel as comfortable - I just wonder why.

 

[jwhoops11]

Easy baskets and fastbreak points are great. Honestly though, the more you run, the more you turn the ball over and the more posessions the other team gets. Have the Blazers of the McMillian era ever been a good enough defensive team to handle giving the Lakers, the Jazz, the Nuggets, 15 more posessions a game?

I know this isn't the most popular opinion on this board, but putting the ball in Roys hands and limiting the amount of possesions the other team gets is still a solid strategy.

Besides, when has Phoenix, Dallas (I know they made a finals run, but how did that end?) or Golden St. won anything else but a few playoff series? I'd rather trend towards the Lakers style of play, occasional fast break but ball dominated by best offensive player, allowing him to control the game.

 

[jlprk]

I know this isn't the most popular opinion on this board, but putting the ball in Roys hands and limiting the amount of possesions the other team gets is still a solid strategy.

How ya doing, Hoops. The worry is that to join the elite top 3-4 teams, we need all possible tools, including a fast break, even just one we run a few times per game.

 

[Webster's Dictionary]

I think he likes a slower pace because that's what he good at. Look at his game. He examines and analyzes the defense, finds the weakness, and dissects it. He's very good at it. It wins us a lot of games. I don't think this is a bad strategy at all. However, it's hard to argue against easy transition baskets. That's a good strategy as well.

Ultimately I'm more than comfortable with the team doing whatever the coaches/Brandon/the rest of the team (in that order) think we need to do to win. From a fan's standpoint, it would be fun to see the team run more with Brandon on the floor.

 

[Minstrel]

There is no reason -- zero, nada, zip, zilch, nyet -- why Brandon can't be the trailer on the break or run a secondary fast break after a stop.

I agree, I see no reason why Roy can't involve himself in a break.

On the other hand, I don't even see why he needs to be involved. Fast breaks are rarely run with 5 people. Let Miller push the ball with Batum, Rudy, Bayless, Aldridge, Webster, etc...whichever other personnel is on the floor at the time. Let Roy wander up the court at his own pace. If the break is there and they score, cool...Roy can get back on defense. If the opportunity for a quick basket wasn't there, pull it back and run the half-court set that Roy is willing to be a part of.

Let Miller (and everyone else) be a fast break weapon and let Roy be the designated half-court go-to guy. If you score on the break, you don't need Roy. If you don't, Roy can take over.

 

[Mediocre Man]

That's actually why the Blazers would flourish in an up tempo game. Push it when it's there, and if it's not, then let Roy set up and go 1-5 like he likes to do. Have him trail on the break.

 

[jwhoops11]

How ya doing, Hoops. The worry is that to join the elite top 3-4 teams, we need all possible tools, including a fast break, even just one we run a few times per game.

Doing well Jlprk, watching you stir the pot as normal!

I agree by the way, an occasional break would be nice. The unfortunate reality to me right now is that the Blazers D just can't hold up to letting the other teams "best" player have the ball in his hands more than he does now. Now, with a shot blocker clogging the middle, i'd feel much more comfortable. Maybe a great reason to encourage the Blazers training staff (when he's healthy again) to get Oden back down to his college weight, one in which he'd be much more valuable in an um-tempo game, while still being a defensive force on the inside.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Do people forget that Roy's Jr year at UW he came off the bench running with Nate Robinson, Will Conroy and Bobby Jones et.al.? He's done this before. Maybe he doesn't want to (I don't know his mindset), but I DO know that Rudy, Nic, Bayless and LMA do and that Nate's been professing to for years.

 

[maxiep]

Przy and GO would help with a break, not hinder it. Have either one of those two crash the defensive boards, make the outlet pass and trigger the break.

 

[jlprk]

In his 5 years coaching Seattle, I watched McMillan get the same criticisms for a slow game. He had less talent there, so he had more of an excuse. But the reluctance comes from him. Roy may have some of this too, but the Coach has the power to change the system. I don't think McMillan is very good at speeding it up. And for a decade before that as a player, he was the most careful PG in the league, so much that he averaged about 5 ppg. For example, he tried very few crosscourt passes (like 1 per game). So I don't expect him to change.

 

[hasoos]

They just need to get to the middle of the pack to have enough running to win easier. I find it hard to believe folks would be saying this about Roy, when Steve Blake has been personally fucking up and killing fast breaks on this team for several years now.

 

[shamelessblazer]

Have the Blazers of the McMillian era ever been a good enough defensive team to handle giving the Lakers, the Jazz, the Nuggets, 15 more posessions a game?

Have we been a good enough team to trade baskets in the half-court verses all of these teams. You basically end up gambling that Roy outplays Kobe or Melo in a game like that (which he does a lot) but the problem is when they still take advantage of fast break points and we don't.

Everyone always bitches about how slow San Antonio, Detroit (under LB), and other 'championship' teams were, but they always got their share of easy buckets on the break. It wasn't a huge piece of their game plan but we're at an ungodly extreme.

 

[shamelessblazer]

They just need to get to the middle of the pack to have enough running to win easier. I find it hard to believe folks would be saying this about Roy, when Steve Blake has been personally fucking up and killing fast breaks on this team for several years now.

+1,
but so has Roy.
Blake has got to go, if we still don't break
Nate has got to go

 

[LittleAlex]

It's really weird that Nate would foist off responsibility for not having a faster paced team on Roy when Nate hasn't EVER coached a fast paced team. In his life.

Perhaps the reason they don't run more is that Nate calls every single play. Perhaps the reason they have been running more lately is because Nate can't get up and yell out plays from the sidelines right now.

I sometimes get the feeling that Nate may have learned some really bad habbits from George Karl when they were in Seattle together.

You know Karl, the guy who throws his guys under the bus when things go bad and takes credit when things go well.


I am not saying that Roy isn't a part of why the team doesn't run. But placing the entire blame on Roy is insane when the team's coach has a history of coaching very slow paced teams.

 

[Tince]

Name a good fast breaking team who's starting SG doesn't get out and run...

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Haven't you all read the S2 memo . . . Nate won't run . . . stop blaming this on Roy.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Name a good fast breaking team who's starting SG doesn't get out and run...

That's why on the fast break, Roy plays SF and Batum plays SG.

 

[Tince]

Haven't you all read the S2 memo . . . Nate won't run . . . stop blaming this on Roy.

Sorry, my bad, I stand corrected!!!

 

[KingSpeed]

At least according to this article..

http://www.columbian.com/weblogs/blazerbanter/2010/feb/02/roy-out-blazers-start-run/





If this is gonna be the case, I'd "almost" be tempted to trade Roy.


.

Why? It's methodical half court play that wins championships in this league.