Webster going backwards?

[Shooter]

Is it just me, or does Martell Webster actually seem to be regressing? He was 0-6 shooting tonight. I repeat, 0-6. This is the guy who supposedly has the sweetest shot on the team. The only reason he was drafted was because of his superior shooting. His entire career has been based on his shooting ability, and yet he's had a pretty miserable success rate in the pre-season. I haven't looked at his stats for every game, but I do recall a recent game when he was 3-9 or something like that.

This is Webster's fifth year. How long do we let this guy ride, before we just give up and cut him loose?

 

[BenDavis503]

We need to get rid of him and Outlaw. They are great guys, but we need to move them and someone else for a good 3 to help Nic and Dante grow.

The Outlaw\Webster experiment needs to be over!!!

 

[Mediocre Man]

LOL the way some of the people talked in here, Martell was headed for the HOF.

 

[blue32]

Lets make the observations after the year. He was just out all season.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Lets make the observations after the year. He was just out all season.

Exactly--people expecting greatness out of him immediately should just think back to Oden last year. It wasn't just about the "2-year microfracture recovery period"; it also simply takes a while to get back to where you were after not playing for an entire year. Webster will more than likely not be particularly effective this year, and that's OK.

 

[BenDavis503]

Exactly--people expecting greatness out of him immediately should just think back to Oden last year. It wasn't just about the "2-year microfracture recovery period"; it also simply takes a while to get back to where you were after not playing for an entire year. Webster will more than likely not be particularly effective this year, and that's OK.

Well, I am not expecting greatness. Just not suck.

But as I said in my game recaps, I do appreciate he is trying.

 

[yakbladder]

Webster will more than likely not be particularly effective this year, and that's OK.

While I understand it takes time to get back into shape, etc. I'd most certainly expect that he is effective by the last 1/3 of the year.

If he isn't then I think it may be time for him to find a new home, and not LMA-style.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

LOL the way some of the people talked in here, Martell was headed for the HOF.

One bad game and he must be traded. One great game and, lime mm states, he's headed to the Hall.

I thin this forum needs something for it's bi-polar syndrome.

 

[Mediocre Man]

One bad game and he must be traded. One great game and, lime mm states, he's headed to the Hall.

I thin this forum needs something for it's bi-polar syndrome.

No bi-polar here. I have always thought Webster was nothing more than average. It's others that claimed he was the answer to our SF needs.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

No bi-polar here. I have always thought Webster was nothing more than average. It's others that claimed he was the answer to our SF needs.

No, I understand that. I was just commenting that, in general, everytime a player has a bad game, 90% of the forum wants the bum traded and when a player has a really good game 90% of the forum thinks they walk on water.

This is a screwy group.

 

[BenDavis503]

I am Blazer Bi-Polor like crazy lol it should really be a sickness.

 

[Luther]

Roy has been playing pretty bad up until last night and so has Miller...You only commented on his scoring too. This team needs guys to step up on defense and improve toughness. From what I've seen/heard, he has definitely contributed. When Rudy goes cold he gives you absolutely nothing and yet more than half of this forum think he's "untouchable".. When Martell is cold he can still play defense and rebound. Doesn't make sense.

 

[STOMP]

No, I understand that. I was just commenting that, in general, everytime a player has a bad game, 90% of the forum wants the bum traded and when a player has a really good game 90% of the forum thinks they walk on water.

This is a screwy group.

no doubt. It's preseason and this young team is probably entering contender status. As bad as they were just a couple years back, an outsider would probably guess the Blazer board would be bubbling with the possibilities, yet posters are still wetting the bed over trivial matters like this on a daily basis.

Martell has years left on his cheapish contract. He's arguably the 4th option at SF. Coming off injury he isn't going anywhere soon regardless of how well (or poorly) he does in meaningless tuneup games. meh...

STOMP

 

[Schilly]

Webster needs to calm down and let the game come to him a bit more. He seems to me to get really excited when he shoots and has a tendency to miss long. WE have heard since he was drafted, that he is such a phenominal shooter, but he hasn't yet in his career proved to be so. Batum last year was about like Marty has been for his career.

 

[Shooter]

In general, everytime a player has a bad game, 90% of the forum wants the bum traded and when a player has a really good game 90% of the forum thinks they walk on water.

My original post is about Webster's performance in this entire pre-season, capped off by his awful performance last night, in the final game. It's also about his pretty dismal play throughout his career in Portland. The guy has been a huge disappointment ever since he was drafted, and now, 4 years later, we're still waiting for him to start showing us something.

This bit about his "recovery time" is a bit weak, in my opinion. He had all of last season to recuperate; it shouldn't take all of this season as well for him to get in peak condition. He's just a very erratic shooter, unfortunately. He looks great in the gym during practice, and then he chokes when he gets on the court. That is the one constant about him, year after year.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Webster needs to calm down and let the game come to him a bit more. He seems to me to get really excited when he shoots and has a tendency to miss long. WE have heard since he was drafted, that he is such a phenominal shooter, but he hasn't yet in his career proved to be so. Batum last year was about like Marty has been for his career.

I think Webster will be fine. It's a long season and he'll settle down.

 

[Shooter]

I think Webster will be fine. It's a long season and he'll settle down.

Yeah, "settle down" into mediocrity, where he's always been.

 

[yakbladder]

No, I understand that. I was just commenting that, in general, everytime a player has a bad game, 90% of the forum wants the bum traded and when a player has a really good game 90% of the forum thinks they walk on water.

This is a screwy group.

Well don't know about the others but as I stated in my post, if he's not doing well by about 2/3 of the way in then, yes, the bum should be traded.

You can only hold on to the "promise" title for so long...

 

[Pontius]

This bit about his "recovery time" is a big weak, in my opinion. He had all of last season to recuperate; it shouldn't take all of this season as well for him to get in peak condition. He's just a very erratic shooter, unfortunately. He looks great in the gym during practice, and then he chokes when he gets on the court. That is the one constant about him, year after year.

Wasn't he cleared for full scrimmage just a few weeks before training camp? Your theory holds no water in light of that evidence. He's still very young and the team doesn't need him to perform up to the expectations that you place upon him for the team to be successful.

 

[Pontius]

You can only hold on to the "promise" title for so long...

And many bad GM decisions have been made by giving up on "promise" too soon.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

This bit about his "recovery time" is a big weak, in my opinion. He had all of last season to recuperate; it shouldn't take all of this season as well for him to get in peak condition. He's just a very erratic shooter, unfortunately. He looks great in the gym during practice, and then he chokes when he gets on the court. That is the one constant about him, year after year.

It's not an issue of physical recovery; it's "game" recovery. This just in--playing in the NBA is really, really hard. Going an entire year without actually playing basketball hinders one's ability to play basketball at an NBA level. He might be fully up to speed by Christmas, maybe by the all-star break, maybe not until Spring. But to suggest that he is as good now as he is ever going to be this year is, IMO, ludicrous.

 

[Shooter]

Wasn't he cleared for full scrimmage just a few weeks before training camp?

Not sure exactly when he was "cleared," but I know he's had an entire year off to practice his shooting, and it doesn't seem to have helped.

The team doesn't need him to perform up to the expectations that you place upon him for the team to be successful.

I didn't say it did. I think the team is going to be fine this year. I also think Webster is probably going to suck, like he does every year. He'll have a few good games where he'll shoot the lights out, followed by many other games where he can't hit the broad side of a barn.

 

[BenDavis503]

his pretty dismal play throughout his career in Portland. The guy has been a huge disappointment ever since he was drafted, and now, 4 years later, we're still waiting for him to start showing us something.

That sounds awfully familiar!!!!! *Travis*

But since Travis is now in his 8th year, I think Martell has 4 more years at least on our team. We like to keep shitty SFs.

And many bad GM decisions have been made by giving up on "promise" too soon.

So you must be one of the 'Keep Outlaw' supporters?

 

[STOMP]

That sounds awfully familiar!!!!! *Travis*

But since Travis is now in his 8th year, I think Martell has 4 more years at least on our team. We like to keep shitty SFs.

Travis is starting his 7th year with the club & this will be Martell's 5th... why is it that in the debate between these two TO's detractors have so many problems keeping their facts strait?

STOMP

 

[andalusian]

That sounds awfully familiar!!!!! *Travis*

But since Travis is now in his 8th year, I think Martell has 4 more years at least on our team. We like to keep shitty SFs.

So you must be one of the 'Keep Outlaw' supporters?

In 6 years as a Blazer, Travis Outlaw has posted a below 15 PER only once - 15 PER is an average starter in the league. How can he be disappointing when he gives you starter production on backup role and salary?

The problem is not Outlaw, it's that your expectations of him are wrong.

For the record, in Outlaw's worst year, his PER was higher than Webster's PER in any year.

Let's not get crazy here. Travis is a backup, a role player with a specific role. He performs this role very well.

Webster still has to do that. We all hope he does - but I find it very hard to understand how you can be disappointed by a role player drafted in the late first round playing slightly better than a backup - but you can not be disappointed by a guy taken 6th in the draft over Deron and CP3 playing like a backup?

 

[BenDavis503]

Travis is starting his 7th year with the club & this will be Martell's 5th... why is it that in the debate between these two TO's detractors have so many problems keeping their facts strait?

STOMP

Thanks for correcting me. I was too lazy to look it up.

The problem is not Outlaw, it's that your expectations of him are wrong.

For the record, in Outlaw's worst year, his PER was higher than Webster's PER in any year.

Let's not get crazy here. Travis is a backup, a role player with a specific role. He performs this role very well.

Good point. I am just down on Outlaw right now.

 

[MrSelfDestruct]

In 6 years as a Blazer, Travis Outlaw has posted a below 15 PER only once - 15 PER is an average starter in the league. How can he be disappointing when he gives you starter production on backup role and salary?

The problem is not Outlaw, it's that your expectations of him are wrong.

For the record, in Outlaw's worst year, his PER was higher than Webster's PER in any year.

Let's not get crazy here. Travis is a backup, a role player with a specific role. He performs this role very well.

Webster still has to do that. We all hope he does - but I find it very hard to understand how you can be disappointed by a role player drafted in the late first round playing slightly better than a backup - but you can not be disappointed by a guy taken 6th in the draft over Deron and CP3 playing like a backup?

Good post. I am FAR from a Trout supporter, but I think he is fine in small doses (20 mins or less). Limiting his time prevents some of the mental lapses he is prone to having and limits his disruption of the offensive flow. The problem last year was that he was a role player playing nearly starter minutes (27.7) and I think that is more than he should be.

 

[Idog1976]

In 6 years as a Blazer, Travis Outlaw has posted a below 15 PER only once - 15 PER is an average starter in the league. How can he be disappointing when he gives you starter production on backup role and salary?

The problem is not Outlaw, it's that your expectations of him are wrong.

For the record, in Outlaw's worst year, his PER was higher than Webster's PER in any year.

Let's not get crazy here. Travis is a backup, a role player with a specific role. He performs this role very well.

Webster still has to do that. We all hope he does - but I find it very hard to understand how you can be disappointed by a role player drafted in the late first round playing slightly better than a backup - but you can not be disappointed by a guy taken 6th in the draft over Deron and CP3 playing like a backup?

Ugh, if we had drafted CP3 we wouldn't have Oden/Roy/LMA, CP3 is phenomenally good but he's not as good as the cumulative effect of those three guys. Fate had greater things in store for this team then CP3.

I know you weren't saying anything other then why people are disappointed in Martell, I just think it's important to realize we NEEDED Martell, Zbo etc. to stink it up enough to snag Roy/LMA/Oden. Just a few more wins and we might have gotten only one or even none of those three. For me I'd rather have our big 3 then CP...3.

 

[Schilly]

My problem with Outlaw this year is he is not a PF. I don't blame him for that, but we do need 1 more post player who can come in for Lamarcus. Travis IMO is the wrong fit for what we need now.

 

[andalusian]

Good post. I am FAR from a Trout supporter, but I think he is fine in small doses (20 mins or less). Limiting his time prevents some of the mental lapses he is prone to having and limits his disruption of the offensive flow. The problem last year was that he was a role player playing nearly starter minutes (27.7) and I think that is more than he should be.

I generally agree. But we had a real problem last year - we had 2 guys that could create their shot. Roy. And Travis.

I suspect you wil see Travis down to 20 MPG or so this year because Andre is in, LMA and Oden improve and hopefully Rudy as well.