We just dont have enough offense... its really that simple.

[MIXUM]

The 2nd unit is dreadful. Any team that plays cunningham and howard at the same time ha sno chance on the floor unless lebrons out there with them. Its gotten beyond painful to watch howard. this is why i scream we need a trade. Its not like we have someone coming back at PF or Center this year.... which means KP has no choice if he really wants us in the post season.

Also... when LA has a bad night like this.... start the bus. its over. we have trouble scoring when hes on. Welcome back to earth Bayless.... sorry all the blazer fans put you in the hall of fame after one game. oh and Martell shows why we need a Sf badly. If we had one who could make half his shots... we win this game.

But yah... our scoring or lack there of.... is getting exposed. We need a scorer quick.

 

[craigehlo]

We've needed a legit 3rd scorer on this team since we decided to build around Roy/LMA. It's KP's biggest failing IMHO. Watching Martell brick wide open 3's just underscores how badly this team needs another real scoring talent in the starting 5.

 

[MIXUM]

EXACTLY!!!!

Get us a 3rd scorer at sf.....

Good things will happen.

 

[J_Ray]

With how young Portland's core is, I don't see how a trade would help them when they have the future to look forward to. They aren't in a "Win Now" mode like the Spurs who have aging stars, this is just a rough year they have to weather. This is another example why depth is important in the NBA, and season's like this in a way show what kind of depth (or coaching) your team has. Compare this season to a team like Utah & Washington last year, both were consistently injured much like the Blazers have been thus far, yet you could see the differences in coaching and depth. While Utah were juggling line-ups, they were still able to compete and stay in the playoff race while the Wizards just couldn't handle injuries, fired their coach, and ended up in the lottery. Blazers are looking pretty decent with what they're working with but this is definitely something that could somewhat be looked as maybe it shows McMillan's inability to adapt to the players he has. Look at Adelman @ Houston with what he's got to work with, yet he is able to put out rotation's that are competitive despite having 1 legitimate NBA center sized big. He let's his team run a lot more also since he doesn't have Yao, which is something McMillan seems to have scared his team into not doing. Portland also doesn't have much to trade right now since everybody is injured right now, so Pritchard can't really do anything at this point in time.

 

[craigehlo]

Blazers are looking pretty decent with what they're working with but this is definitely something that could somewhat be looked as maybe it shows McMillan's inability to adapt to the players he has.

I don't think they are looking decent. They are playing like a team that didn't learn anything from getting booted in the 1st round of the playoffs. It's on the coaching staff, to retool the offense with the players they have.

Too much is being made of Rudy and Batum's absence from the lineup. They are OK role players, but they wouldn't have won us many if these games we are losing. Oden going down really exposed this team's glaring inability to run an efficient offense.

 

[maxiep]

You can't forecast for this level of injuries. Chances are Rudy, GO or Travis would have helped Roy out tonight. When Rashard went off in the third, Batum might have been the guy to shut him down. No way the Magic outrebound us by 20 if Greg is playing.

 

[J_Ray]

I don't think they are looking decent. They are playing like a team that didn't learn anything from getting booted in the 1st round of the playoffs. It's on the coaching staff, to retool the offense with the players they have.

Portland has been .500 (counting the Houston win), 4-4, since Oden went down. Compare that to Eastern Conference teams. Portland isn't exactly the laughing stock of the NBA, just pretty much average in the West w/ all their injuries.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Portland has been .500 (counting the Houston win), 4-4, since Oden went down. Compare that to Eastern Conference teams. Portland isn't exactly the laughing stock of the NBA, just pretty much average in the West w/ all their injuries.

I agree. I'm not even really worried about the result of the games at this point. As long as they compete and play hard and there's some growth from some of the bit players (Bayless, et al.) I'll be "happy." In a weird way I'm also "glad" we're finding out about certain players right now rather than later; Martell is pretty much playing himself off the roster ... as long as somebody is willing to take him on.

 

[jlprk]

Pritchard wants to take 20 years to build through the draft. Until he makes trades, we can't add stars faster than that. Some of the trades will fail and some will succeed, but he has to take chances. He needs to get adventurous and risky, like Bob Whitsitt.

We really only have one bona fide star and Pritchard is self-satisfied--Oden. We have one guy who looks better than he is because McMillan features him so much--Roy. We have players whose reputations live off their potential, but who won't get there until they are moved to a new coach--Aldridge, Webster, etc.

Pritchard, McMillan, Aldridge--it's too much for me to take on in one post. I give up.

 

[Kaydow]

I agree. I'm not even really worried about the result of the games at this point. As long as they compete and play hard and there's some growth from some of the bit players (Bayless, et al.) I'll be "happy." In a weird way I'm also "glad" we're finding out about certain players right now rather than later; Martell is pretty much playing himself off the roster ... as long as somebody is willing to take him on.

This 100%

You could put together a Martell Webster Highlight Mix on YouTube from this season, and you might think he's an All Star. 5-10% of the time he's great. He's got 4-8 more weeks when Rudy and maybe Nic come back - his chance is now or never. That's good news. No more "this is Martell's breakout year!" talk . . . finally!

As for Bayless, he gets a pass. Let him play through his mistakes - keep sending him out there. He'll have plenty of games like tonight - I'll live with it. Besides, even when he's bad - is he THAT much worse than Blake or Miller? For instance tonight - he makes a drive to the basket and misses a wild shot, gets his own rebound and misses an absolute chip shot, but Roy is there to clean up b/c Bayless got the defense to rotate out of position. Brandon (and co.) will have an easier time with another scoring threat out there, even when that threat is playing less than spectacular.

I also want to see what Pendegraph can do. Give him some/all of Howard's minutes. Let's see who can play and help the team going forward.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Oregonlive game recap

Full of fun facts:
Franchise low in assists
Roy ninth consecutive game with 20 points (weee!)
16% from three ...

Ah, good times.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Pritchard wants to take 20 years to build through the draft. Until he makes trades, we can't add stars faster than that. Some of the trades will fail and some will succeed, but he has to take chances. He needs to get adventurous and risky, like Bob Whitsitt.

We really only have one bona fide star and Pritchard is self-satisfied--Oden. We have one guy who looks better than he is because McMillan features him so much--Roy. We have players whose reputations live off their potential, but who won't get there until they are moved to a new coach--Aldridge, Webster, etc.

Pritchard, McMillan, Aldridge--it's too much for me to take on in one post. I give up.

Not much to argue with there. The mountain of injuries makes it a little problematic to start moving guys, but you're right -- until and unless he can begin to do more than just assemble talent regardless of complimentary roles or fit this team is going to struggle. I thought the time to start making those moves was last February and over the summer, but unfortunately I'm not sure KP recognized the moment (or if he did, he was too paralyzed to part with some of his "potential")

Ah well, what can you do but sit back, watch, wait and drink heavily.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

You can't forecast for this level of injuries. Chances are Rudy, GO or Travis would have helped Roy out tonight. When Rashard went off in the third, Batum might have been the guy to shut him down. No way the Magic outrebound us by 20 if Greg is playing.

Agreed.

We have scorers- they're injured. Oden, Outlaw, Rudy. All out at present. Blake is in a slump. Aldridge is playing on a bum ankle.

This is a very rough stretch right now and we'll just have to weather it the best we can.

 

[jlprk]

I thought the time to start making those moves was last February and over the summer, but unfortunately I'm not sure KP recognized the moment (or if he did, he was too paralyzed to part with some of his "potential")

Tell me about it. I'm here because of the February midseason trade deadline. On that day the ESPN board was breathless, but it was obvious to me that with no rumors, that we looked forward to a busy schedule that day of both nada and zip, and LaFrentz was being wasted. So 10 minutes before the deadline expired, I started the thread, "Fire Pritchard." Well, I made a few enemies it seems....After a few days my posts were randomly deleted by their ally the moderator, and this went on for so many months that I just bagged it there. (Arbitrary deletions are still going on for many people on many boards there. I see them talking about it on the Seahawks board.)

 

[J_Ray]

Martell Webster is looking more and more like Antoine Wright with his inconsistency. Both have all the potential to be great role players but are streaky and seem to have fragile psyches.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Martell Webster is looking more and more like Antoine Wright with his inconsistency. Both have all the potential to be great role players but are streaky and seem to have fragile psyches.

Martell is definitely more useful than Wright and his career percentages bear that out, but yeah I suppose you could draw a couple of parallels between the two players as far as consistency and mental approach goes. The real trouble with Martell is that he's being paid quite a bit more than his current production would warrant.

He'll make a fantastic expiring contract for KP to hold onto and not move before a trade deadline two years from now.

 

[PapaG]

No Outlaw, no Rudy, no Oden, no Batum, all because of injury.

I'm SHOCKED this team is lacking in offense right now? Why, I thought that scorers like Outlaw grew on trees here in Portland.

Meh

 

[STOMP]

Martell is definitely more useful than Wright and his career percentages bear that out, but yeah I suppose you could draw a couple of parallels between the two players as far as consistency and mental approach goes. The real trouble with Martell is that he's being paid quite a bit more than his current production would warrant.

He'll make a fantastic expiring contract for KP to hold onto and not move before a trade deadline two years from now.

one year (team option following 2010-11)... didn't we just go over this?

STOMP

 

[Draco]

one year (team option following 2010-11)... didn't we just go over this?

STOMP

I thought he signed a 4 year extension that he is now in the first year of. So if the final year is a team option the team could cut him in the summer of 2012.

That is what Storyteller and this sites salary data shows as well.

 

[Nikolokolus]

one year (team option following 2010-11)... didn't we just go over this?

STOMP

Yeah, and I saw a lot of misinformation. Here are two sources that say otherwise.
http://www.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/blazers.jsp
http://storytellerscontracts.com/

He's fully guaranteed through 2011-2012, with a team option for 2012-2013 ... two and a half years from now.

 

[hasoos]

The problem wasn't due to lack of scorers last night. The problem was standing around and watching the ball instead of moving it, and flat out missing open shots. That's what hapens when you stand around. There is still plenty of scoring on the team. It just didn't happen last night, against one of the best teams in the league, on their home court because the Blazers didn't execute. You will notice that in every game over the last 5 or so, that the Blazers have won every quarter that they out rebounded their opponent. That speaks to a lack of effort being the culprit in every loss we have had. The same last night. There was a lack of effort, and because of it, we lost.

 

[alex42083]

Yeah, let's trade our injured players for a legit third scorer. I'm sure it can be done.

 

[craigehlo]

The problem wasn't due to lack of scorers last night.

The problem is HOW we score. We don't have enough players that can slash to the rim, bang in the paint and get the FT line. We have mostly jump shooters, and streaky ones at that.