New Lineup Downs Spurs
posted: 11/06/2009 at 11:23 PM
A new wrinkle against an old nemesis did the trick.
It wasn't a masterpiece, by any means, but the Trail Blazers were able to put together a wire-to-wire victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night at the Rose Garden, winning 96-84.
The Blazers, who won last season's series against the Spurs 3-1, blew out to a 15-point first-quarter lead, thanks to a new starting lineup. The upped that lead to 17 in the third quarter, and then held on as the Spurs charged back. After San Antonio cut the lead to 80-77 with 2:30 left, Steve Blake nailed a huge three pointer on the wing that pretty much put the game away. Blake also had the dagger three against the Thunder in Oklahoma on Sunday.
There was a buzz around the Rose Garden when I arrived at the building Friday afternoon. Everyone was talking about a new starting lineup. When I finally did my pre-game TV interview with Nate McMillan, he filled me in. He said he would start Steve Blake and Andre Miller together in the back court, and would move Brandon Roy to the small-forward spot.
McMillan said he wanted to get quicker, get better passers on the floor, and didn't want to sacrifice Blake for Miller in that starting five. It was a bit of a surprise, as everyone assumed Miller would eventually start, but thought it would be at the expense of Blake.
The lineup immediately set a different pace at the start of this game, and it was clear the plan was to push the tempo and look to get easy baskets. The Blazers, despite some shaky shooting in the early minutes, built a double-digit lead, and led 29-14 after one.
The Spurs, who were playing the second of a back to back, never did go away, however. Even after losing Tony Parker to a sprained ankle late in the first half, San Antonio continued to make the Blazers work and continued to hit big shot after big shot to stay in the game. Blake's three, and Greg Oden's defense, finally put the game away.
Oden, who was up against crafty Tim Duncan in this game, ended with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots. He ended with five fouls, but was able to stay in the game. After he picked up two quick fouls in the game, Joel Przybilla came in and grabbed 10 first-half rebounds. Przybilla ended with 13 rebounds in 18 minutes in the game.
As for the new backcourt, the ball was certainly in Brandon Roy's hands less, but it didn't hurt his production. He finished with 24 points on just 15 shots, and also grabbed five rebounds. Blake ended with 15, and Miller, who struggled from the field (2-9) finished with 4 assists and 6 rebounds.
There's still plenty of room for improvement, as the Blazer bench unit shot just 8 for 24, and the team finished with only 11 assists, but to make a change this major, and to beat a very good San Antonio team, had everyone feeling like the change was a success.
The Blazers played great defense on the Spurs all night, and held them to just 38 percent shooting. Oden constantly bothered Duncan, who ended up just 5 for 14 from the field. And, Manu Ginobili, who's been playing great off the bench, was just 4 for 14.
On Tuesday, Atlanta outrebounded Portland by 10, and that didn't sit well with the Blazer coaches. The team responded by outrebounding the Spurs 48-37. Portland was also very, very good at the foul line, going 27 for 30 on the night (90 percent).
McMillan is still, obviously doing some searching and some experimenting, but he appears to have settled on this lineup, at least for the time being. Not only did it get Miller into the starting five, but created a chance to use Jerryd Bayless, who played his first minutes of the regular season. He played only five minutes, but kept the heat on the Spurs and showed flashes of penetration at the offensive end, and solid defense.
To hear McMillan's post-game comments,
click here.
The home stand wraps up on Sunday when the Blazers host Minnesota. Then, we're off on a five-game road swing. This was a small step, in the bigger picture, but much-needed win over a very talented team.
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great win. Oden was great. If Blake keeps playing 38 minutes on a team this deep, I will go insane. How is Rudy not a better option than Steve at the 2 if Miller is at the 1?
Great Game, great post. You looked sharp tonight and I don't even have a man crush on you. It might have been because it has been so long since I have seen you and the wild one.
I was so happy with Greg. I was happy that they finally got the ball to him. I said on Trailblazer Talk with Don Wayne that if they would just get him the ball a few times he might fumble, a few times he might miss a shot and he did but most of the time good things would happen. playing straight up on Duncan was better then the Pt's he scored. Him not hacking at the guards was also powerful. All in all he played a great game. I hope this cools the bunch of Natehaters and Odenhaters on Or-Live and a few on this blog.
Great game Greg and Joel together got 26 rebounds? That combo is much better then the guard combo in my book.
I won't see you on Sunday of course and I have to miss courtside on Monday. But, will look forward to your post. I thought the Wild ones suit was sharp also.
hg
lets go Blazers!
fathom
I am just now catching the replay and I am loving Greg Oden's offensive moves. What happened to him over night? The moves looked so fluid and I love the aggressiveness. Man we need to feed Greg the ball.
After that play then Aldridge started attacking in the post and that twin tower 1-2 punch was starting to really break the Spurs down. Just how we all invisioned Greg and Lamarcus meshing.
Of course I still expect we are a month or two away from consistant play, but it was just refreshing to see Oden step up. Man, even when Duncan blocked him it was a great spin move under the hoop.
Is there a way where Greg can put his hand on top of the ball so when players try and strip him they hit his hand? That's his big weakness on offense.
Great lineup change by Nate. I admit I felt Miller would be starting sooner or later, but keeping Blake in did surprise me. I think it's nice having Webster come off the bench, which is no disrespect to him, just we need his boost coming off the bench.
Was real happy with Oden's play on national tv no less. While his numbers were not dominatining what he does on the floor isn't only about the stats in the box score. Anyone watching the game could see how much he means to Portland. Then to have Joel come in as a back up. How sweet is that?
Love to see Rudy passing the ball. He makes some really nice passes you just don't think are availbe until you see them made.
Hey MB - Totally a great win for us in the big picture, but yes, plenty more to be done. I was hoping we would somehow get this win, as we also beat SA early last season as well. I hadn't read about the new lineup until after the game :-) but hey if it works, then go for it Nate! Anyways, hopefully this boosts our confidence and the next 3 games should be W's as long as we stick to the game plan and focus.
As always, peace from Prague!
Blah, I missed the game! I thought it was on Comcast Sportsnet so I was going to watch it later. Instead I was playing a board game called "Risk" and let's just say my performance in that game was more depressing than the Bobcats in Boston.
Regardless, good to hear a win. I did get a peek at the last few minutes of the 1st while gathering things to head out to a friendly gathering. I saw hustle, lots of hustle, and that was good. I also saw great communication and ball movement, which was also good. And every rebound being worked for.
This was a big improvement from Tuesdays game. But we should give some slack to the Spurs, they are an old team and came off a blow-out loss to the Jazz yesterday. But the Blazers performed well, and worked for this win. They will become a dominate team in this league, AGAIN.
It's a great day to be a Blazers fan, now that we can spend our weekend talking about a win come Sunday night against the T-Wolves, but it's nice to see that Denver and Boston loss tonight, to two teams I didn't really expect them to finally lose to. I think Denver is starting to show their weaknesses, scoring only 88 or so against the Heat, who aren't the best defensive team in the league.
One thing that makes me nervous though is that the T-Wolves can be a good threat in this league. If they want a win, they will give everything they have. They nearly beat Boston, who is arguably the best team in the league. The Blazers need to play hard like they did tonight to win on Sunday, especially since there is a 5 game road trip coming up. Leaving Portland on a win will give them a lot of confidence.
Great blog Mike, hopefully ESPN will show a few clips of the game.
Mike
Outstanding summary of a terrific win for these guys - against strong competition too! On a side note - Kareem is in Memphis seeking a job developing their centers - can you think of anyone better to develop our fledgling star? Mo is great, but Kareem is Kareem.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/nov/07/kareem-may-help-grizzlies-big-men/
Hey MB: nice win boys.....
The score keepers need to know that when the Blazers are at home they should be listed as last on the score board.That drives me crazy, so I watched ESPN last night, They,of course, had it right.
jacob: Rudy is a little out of sync with his shot after missing pre-season with back spasms. With this line-up Nate can insert any of our guards at one or two since it wouldn't effect BRoy's minutes and apparently his game. Even JBay gets to play. hip hip hurray!!!!!
BRoyFTW: This is a question not an answer, but I thought if your hand was on the ball that your hand became part of the ball. Is that right or wrong?
hg
I really liked the look and efficiency of the new starting lineup and the substitution pattern. This was smart and allowed the team to keep up the offensive pressure. It also allowed team members to get some rest in between which then translated into renewed vigor and relentless defense. The Blazers were working much harder on the defensive end. It wasn't perfect, but it was a needed improvement.
Greg .....Wow! HIs momentum and renewed confidence needs to keep going, and Joel was solid as usual.
I want to thank the coach, his staff, and the team for creating this Rip City moment in time. Hard work and planning paid off.
GO BLAZERS!
I like the new starting lineup... against the Spurs...playing on our floor... on the second night of a back to back.
The energy and flow that those 5 played with at the start of each half was great, and I won't be surprised to see Nate do the same over the course of the next three games, but this lineup seems vulnerable against teams with big, aggressive threes. This team needed a shakeup, though, and they got one, courtesy of Nate.
It was, however, the play of our bigs, that brought us this win. It would be nice to see Nate mandate that Greg take one of those open 12 foot face up jumpers in the 1st quarter of every game. He can make that shot, and when he does, it gives him more room to operate in the paint. The Vanilla Gorilla was a huge lift off the bench.
Man, where do I start,I had heard some scuttlebut about a possible lineup change, but I did not expect this one.Ok,Nate you are a freakin genius.This was exactly what we needed.Our passing was as crisp as I've seen yet,with the exception of a little stretch in the fourth.We were looking inside with considerably more frequency. GO owned TD last night.His offensive game really came to fruition.It was great for the big guy and his confidence.I love how he gets fouled in the fourth and walks to the line with a steely-eyed resolve and just drops two like he was a 10 year veteran.I had no dobt that he was gonna drill both of them.This may be his coming out party. It was great to see JBAY get on the floor.He responded with a couple of great JBAY patented drives to the hoop with an and one.Had a couple of to's ,but he'll never learn if he doesn't get off the bench.Nate,your'e a freakin genius. I'm trying to type with a broken finger,so,this taking forever.....Joel was an absolute monster on the boardsTrue,he is such a compliment to GO. Doesn't care what his role is, just comes to work with that great midwestern lunchpail attitude and blocks shots and collects 13 rebounds off the bench.What a stud! The slam by Martell at the end of the quarter was another highlight on Sportscenters top 10 plays. I could put almost every Blazers name in this post because it was a team effort,Defense ,Passing,Shot selection ,.We just looked like we found our rythym. Blake and Miller played well together with both scoring double digits.This lineup could work,plus JBay will get to develop now. The fourth was a little chippy,but we pulled through several Manu and Duncan "Star Calls" by the refs.I'm not complainlng about the refs in general cause its futile ,but Manu and Timmy get a lot of calls that GO should get.Thats all I'll say . Even though Rudy didn't score, he was workin hard on D and had a nice bacdoor to LMA.Our cornerstone,BRoy was atypical,but we've come to expect that now,have'nt we? Excellent win.Nice adjustments ,great attitude on D,tonight ,too. Nate,Did I happen to mention that you're a freakin genius . BLAZERSROCK
Whatever wins!!
Go Blazers!!!!
the hand is part of the ball. good show watched the game from the pub in my new broy jersey.slowly but surley were getting better. blazers
Vinnie: I knew you would love this line-up with Dre starting. I have been arguing with you all summer and into this short year that Dre and BRoy would be a disaster together. I will submit my statement of being "WRONG" I am not getting weak in the head just seen for my eyes what could be. This was a work of genius on Nate's part, he got his cake and ete it too. Kept Steve in the game and got Dre in the game for passing to everybody and calling the plays.
Of course if we keep this line-up we can insert individual parts without disrupting the the flow.
Ya gotme on this one.
hg
Great post Mike, I was at both the Hawks and Spurs game and in comparison things just flowed a lot better with this line-up. The hawks game it seemed that everything took so much effort, which was the exact opposite it seemed for the Spurs game. Oden played very well, I was really impressed at his little 2-3 minute run when he picked up the 2 early fouls and came back in and played great without fouling. Miller's floor management was as good as it gets, even with him struggling from the floor he had a great game. Blake did good as well, he's back to taking those three's and hitting them on top of that. I think this line-up was a good move by Nate, Although in the long run we're going to have to decide who's gonna come off the bench and who's gonna start. Hopefully we get this win Sunday so we can go into this Eastern conference road trip with some momentum.
P.s, the jerseys were cool.
before everybody starts believing in this team you might wanna wait for some consistancy which we have still never seen from this team yet and we played an old spurs team that was extremely overrated coming into the season. They were comin off a back to back and im pretty sure the bulls handeld them better when they played them than we did last night.
Oden will not do this consistantly and i can gaurntee that if LMA shot doesnt fall consistantly you think odens jump hammer throw will? i think not
OUTLAW FAN25: We the good Blazer fans believe in our team whether the are Champions are starting over. The team plays hard, they don't give up and they are getting darn good.
I doubt that you are a Blazer fan, just some bored idiot that needs attention. We will go on believing in our Blazers and you go on being hum bug and chopping us. You can't beat us down for whatever your position is.
Have a beautiful day and I am sorry you are so sad.
Hg
MIKE - We need your voice! We need you to help us fans get the comcast sports net games on other providers, I know you have nothing to do with it but you have the resources to get the players and owners involved. In these economic times and 1 year contracts we have to sign with current providers we cannot keep ordering several packages to watch our Blazers! We deserve it if you look online there are so many disheartened fans missing out on what is to be believed a great season, please help !!!!!
hg,
You're lucky we didn't make a bet on Miller starting! :)
MGB: I am lucky; I wouldn't have bet you that he wouldn't have started eventually. I felt that he would it just couldn't be forced. Like somebody that occasionally agrees with me said, it had to be evolution instead of resolution.
But now that I have seen it with my eyes, I can see that Andre is quite a floor general.
I think the reason for Steve and Andre playing together is ball handling. It might take both of them to make one pg. Blake for his out side shooting and ball movement and Andre his play calling, his passing and ball movement.
hg
I liked hearing that Rudy was going to the paint more. I remember hearing Antonio say on the radio "He was in the dunk competition, that is what he should be doing". I 100% agree. Rudy is a great 3 point shooting, but he can amaze this crowd and league with his ability in the paint. I also saw a great pass from him on the NBA highlights to LaMarcus. After seeing that, I'd agree with Jacob. Starting Miller at the 1 and Rudy at the 2 I think would be a great choice, or at least having Rudy come in for Blake since last season Rudy had troubles being a starter.
Or maybe even have Rudy take care of the ball and play the 1.
hg, You are a true Blazer fan & knowledgeable of the game! I salute you!! Great to see Nate experiment with the line up. I bet that shakes a few players into playing harder and working harder. It also makes the other teams wonder, and not be able to prep for a team that they don't know what they are going to see in the starting line up. The coaches need to throw different looks at different teams. It works! All in all a great effort by everyone. I loved seeing Bayless and his endless energy and Dre directing traffic. It was Great to see Odens hook working and The Thrilla doing what He does best. He is such a defensive presence and rebounder. Great game!
Goooooo Blaaaazzzzeerrrssss.
On a second note: Not that he hasn't gotten recognition, but it was Wonderful to see the Schonz Get a Number (70) He has been such a big part of the Blazers and Is deserving of much more. When they put his number in the rafters "I WANT TO BE THERE"!
hg.I echo your sentiments completely to Hater OutlawFan 25.Like Mama said"If you can't say anything good ,don't say anything at all".Hes probably a closet Laker fan!Thanks for being a positive influence on this site. BLAZERSROCK
RyanRTE:
The beauty with this line-up is that we don't have to decide who in the long run is going to start and who is going to come off the bench. They both start and make variations as the game dictates. That is why it is so smart and how it will propel the Blazers forward with confidence. This makes it a team effort. ENOUGH of the idea that one has to start and the other has to wait for awhile to get in the game. THEY BOTH START....pure genius, as Vinnie has indicated. The point is that the flow is better, and the coaching staff will recognize when to shift out of the pattern, during the game, if necessary.
So what happens when we come up against the bigger small forwards (Carmelo Anthony, James etc.)? Nice to see Greg get enough time to really get into the game.
baddawg and ancientone:
When we play bigger threes then we just move BRoy back to the two and put in one of our bigger players. probably Martell. Otherwise this line up gives us the flexibility that Nate has been preaching. As to who sits and waits between Steve and Andre, that might depend on the opponents. IMO, from now on Andre will be starting with BRoy, LMA and Greg with whoever is needed as the fifth. But as you said. baddawg. it was the centers that made the difference and it was the ball movement of the guards that got them the ball.
My brain is going a mile a minute. Now that I know that Andre can play with BRoy we can have the big four, with specialized five. I can imagine ARBLO,ASBLO, ABWLO That should Be ABlOW LOL! Andre, Brandon, Lamarcus, Oden, Webster.
The list can go on and on but the main thing it would stop the controversy of who starts. Andre being a great floor general will be very important in most games.
hg
mfre1111: I thank you for your acknowledgment.
It is true I am a true Blazer fan and sometimes too much of a homer. Hell I am always too much of a homer.
I get most of or all of my knowledge of the game from reading post and putting little pieces together. Therefore my knowledge comes from fellow Blazer fans like you.
There is one poster that posts on Trailblazer talks that talks about the real way to watch the game is watch the games inside the games. Like seeing when pick and rolls are coming, clear outs, traps, so you can see them in advanced. I am not good at that yet. I can do it when I record and watch it and stop it about 100 times, but when I am watching the game I get so involved in the excitement I forget all that.
Thanks again
Hg
i like the new line up as well we are small but big at the same time. if oden and LA can out rebound the other team we can run when miller is in the game. when blake is in the game we have a slower pace. when andre is running the point i notice how he is looking for blake on the fast break on the three point line and in other situations that is giving blake open threes. i don't know about you but beside roy i would have blake being the best open shooter on the team. he is average at everything else but when he shoots the ball hes money. that works really good for miller who is starting to find him when he is open and roy already does find him so i predict blake gettin more shots and more points all from open shots created by roy and miller.
the blazer team last night looked good and was fun to watch. They need to play all 48 minutes with intensity.
k-mart goes out in the 2nd qtr of the nuggs loss to miami friday. they lose badly, and then get blown out by the hawks. they will have problems like this all season. we on the other hand have greg, joel, lamarcus, travis, & juwan. this is where kp and the blazer brass deserve big props for putting together a team that is built to endure the rigors of 82 games + playoffs. the nuggets are starting ronaldo balkman at power forward.
hg: if you will look, i had a very positive post last game after the lost. I just think everybody gets to excited over a win which i will take any way we can get them to but i will criticize the way we win and lose and i really enjoyed how you didnt disprove what i said you just attacked my allegiance to the team.
I have and always will be a blazer fan.
ime udoka with 5pts, 3rebs, 3stls, 1blk, 1asst in 20min of a kings win vs. utah
OUTLAW FAN25 Wrote.
"before everybody starts believing in this team you might wanna wait for some consistancy which we have still never seen from this team yet and we played an old spurs team that was extremely overrated coming into the season. They were comin off a back to back and im pretty sure the bulls handeld them better when they played them than we did last night."
__________________________
I was attacking you saying “before we start believing in the Blazers”.
A true Blazer fan always believes in the team win or loses. There is such a thing as loyalty and love for the team even when we are not winning. Of course I didn't attack you thinking that the Spurs are old and overrated, I believe that too.
I did not attack your belief that the team is lacking in consistency, hell everybody that watches us play knows that. And we don't care if the Bulls handled them better then we did. We handled Atlanta much better then Denver did, what does that prove?
You are entitled to your opinions, I can't and wouldn't try to stop you from that, But I will attack you telling me not to believe in my team because of their inconsistency and because they only beat a broken down washed up team. I don’t care if they make mistakes and doesn’t fit into the shoes you have made for them yet, they are a great team and will go far if they continue to play hard and learn by their mistakes. That is all I was attacking.
hg
Travis:
Are you kidding me, the Kings beat the Jazz. With us beating the Spurs and coulda woulda shoulda beat Atlanta, Denver and Houston the second time with the score being so close, being as how Atlanta beat Denver much as you and I was saying with them relying on two for their wins.
That makes us right up there with the elite teams.
hg
Had a great time at the Garden tonight watching the WinterHawks beat the Seattle Thunderbirds in OT -- shoot-out style. The night got even better when I saw that Denver and Utah both lost. Looking forward to tomorrow's contest against the Wolves. GO BLAZERS!
hg: Instead of believing i guess what i meant was dont get so excited over one win its an 82 game season and if not for a 15 point first quarter lead in that game we prolly lose we didnt really play that well the rest of the game.
I guess more of what i am sick of is the way the nba plays i would much rather watch a college game or high school game because the refs let the players get away with more and they actually play defense which is why i like watchin the celtics they are in my opinion the best team in the nba to watch cause they leave it all on the court on both sides of the ball and the intensity that KG brings to that team is something the blazers are lacking i would just like to see them play with that fire.
Hey MB: 2nd unit....Rudy needs more minutes (JMHO) - he needs to get into a flow. I like Bayless also. Starting unit = miller, roy, oden, rudy & lamarcus
OUTLAW FAN25:
Fair enough. I get excited just watching them play because of Comcast.
Just because the Spurs are getting old and is over rated that does not mean they still can't have great moments. All or most teams can put a run together, why? maybe they catch us napping or push us out of our rhythm. I just never felt like we were gong to lose.
I probably would agree with you about the Celtics except KG in my opinion has become a horrible Butt head, and he used to be one of my favorite players. Talk about the refs not calling fair. The Celtics and the Lakers has been and will be the favorites for the refs and the NBA until Kobe and KG retires because of the Media.
Last but not least. Just because the Blazers are not experienced enough to know how to play both ends of the court and they don't always produce as they should because of lack of fire at times, in which at times the Celtics and all NBA teams are guilty of doing, to me all that does not mean the Blazers any less exciting. As said I just like to watch them play or even listen when we can get radio reception without driving half way to Portland. As long as they play hard and never give up, because they will not win all the games and they will always have bad nights.
The inconsistency of Greg, IMO, will get less and less. The excitement of him is because of the entire controversy and fan brow beating that he has gotten in the last two years. He is still only 20 he has taken all the static and insults from fans (yes, I include you) and he is still fighting to get better, against other NBA experienced centers, but seemingly against the refs also.
I still disagree with your opinions, but then the way I feel is just my opinions. Maybe in my ripe old age I have just learned to enjoy what my team brings to the floor win or lose. I have pride in them. If you look, you can find imperfection in any team or anything. That is easy. What is hard is to find greatness in a team that has been playing below average BB.
Peace
hg
G-Pa:
I have been reading all over the Internet and everybody agrees with your alignment, other then at times Martell. The thing is that Rudy, IMO, is still recovering and resting from those muscle spasms and is not 100% and can only play limited minutes. Don't under estimate Steve's value at the 2. Steve can't bring it like Rudy but he can do it until Rudy's health is gets better. Also with this new style, I think JBay could play the two better then the one. Slide Steve over to the one and insert JBay when Andre gets gassed.
hg
Speaking of starting lineups the lineup I wanted to see before the season started, before Batum was injured even, was Oden, LA, Webster, Roy, and Miller. Actually, switching Rudy for Webster doesn't look that bad to me.
Btw, hg, how many places did you read of a starting lineup of Oden, LA, Roy, Blake, and Miller before Nate started that unit? :)
Here it is Sunday morning, and it's like DejaVu all over again. As I was headed to the kitchen, still half asleep, I again stepped on my dog's half-eaten, razor sharp bone, and again fell face first into two tickets to tonight's game. I have no idea what's going on in the world outside my own reality, but, man I love that dog!
It will be interesting to see how Nate goes about this game. I, like many of you, have questioned his approach in the past, but he definitely pulled one out of his hat against SA with the 3 guard lineup. I won't be surprised to see him go that way tonight as well.
But, just as was the case against SA, it will be the play of our bigs that will determine the outcome. I hope to see GO knock down a face up jumper early and start posting his man up about 3 feet further out from the block. He seems to have more trouble when he's right on the block with less room to operate. With nowhere to go, it has been easy for opposing guards to double down and strip him. Plus, this way he has room to find a cutter in the paint if he does get doubled.
I also expect to see the strength of Joel start to have a bigger imprint on these games. Our size and our depth will begin to pay dividends, and I expect that we will go on a bit of a run these next few games, even though many of them are on the road.
Anyway, look for me at the game, I will again be sporting my Blazer gear. Gotta take the dog out. Goog dog!
RIPCITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MGB:
I don't recall hearing it until game time. If you were refering to my comment of hearing Gp-A line-up of having Travis or Martell instead of Steve that was after Nate big change. When did you Know it?
hg
G-PA...I agree that Rudy needs more playing time.But not at Martells expense.No disrepect to Rudy, but Martell defends better,Rebounds better, blocks shots and,IMO is the energizer bunny of the Blazers.Rudy is a better passer and shooter.I would like to see Rudy play more with the starters and there will be times when the situation dictates such.But I think Martells overall game is a bit better,and when his jumper starts droppin,hes gonna be a triple threat.Plus the second unit needs Rudy's ballhandling skills to help out JBay. Heres to a big time butt kickin for Minnesota. DomiNATE
hg,
No offense, I was just pointing out just because you haven't read about something somewhere else doesn't mean it's a bad idea. Maybe I misunderstood what you said in a earlier post.
Vinnie:
Now that Andre is in the starting line-up I think he will stay there. Depending on our opponents I think Martell will be in the starting line up as much as Steve. In fact if Rudy was 100% after his back spasms then I would say That Rudy might play the three more then Steve, but don't discredit Steve, he is still very valuable to this team as is Travis.
I think, or hope that Nate will now go away from his massive subbing and just rotate at different intervals.
hg
MGB:
I was referring to him saying that the line-up should be Andre, RUDY, BRoy, LMA, and Greg. I was just stating that I have read all over the Internet that many is feeling the same way. me included I may add.except when our opponents warrants a bigger line-up then it should be Martell and BRoy go back to the two. But, I was just reminding him that Rudy is not going 100% yet and can't play long.
Also, I think now that Miller is starting we will have the big 4 and depending on the opponents one of the others. What do you think?
hg
hg,
See, I did misunderstand you. I thought you were against that lineup and said you didn't see anyone else saying that was a good lineup. My bad.
Btw, I for one like Blake a lot. While I think Miller should start there is no way I want to get rid of Blake or anthing. He brings a lot to the BLazers and has a important role be it starting or coming off the bench. At least in my opinion.
HG: I think hand being part of the ball has to do with shooting. Like when the ball gets released you can hit the hand but not the wrist. It's such a hard rule because it usually gets called a foul.
Rule is the hand is part of the ball at all times. 9/10 if a center gets his hand hit going up while being stripped it's a foul. We should all be experts watching Shaq get fouled for the last 13+ years.
my current thoughts about line-ups run along the following lines. we need 48min of center play from greg and joel, 36min from lamarcus and 36min from brandon. the rest requires focus, intensity and precision.
when dividing 240min of playing time between 10 guys, there are lots of options. once you take 120 minutes from the equation, there are 120 minutes left. we need six guys to take those minutes and put us over the top.
the players that give us those minutes are blake, miller, outlaw, rudy & martell. blake, miller and outlaw currently get the bulk of the minutes. rudy and martell will come on stronger at different points in the year, and then late in the year nic will likely come back.
as long as we roll this way generally, we will be in good shape. coach nate will have to recognize to different degrees who of our players is hot, more healthy, and what match-ups we face from week to week. the most crucial thing to realize is that we are much better off than most teams with these rotations, players and coach.
I like his rotation and substituting last game.Ithink it was put well by someone this summer.Travis is a wild card'depending on the night. I actually like Blake and Dre playing togrther, but I'm not adverse to Rudy playing that spot. I still like Rudys ballhandling to help out JBay
BRoyFTW: Thank you for clearing that up.
hg
MGB:
No, I think it is a great move. The reason that I understand that Steve is in there with BRoy and Andre is they want to push tempo and transition Pt's. while cutting down turn overs. Steve, Andre and BRoy are the best ball handlers we have.
sure liked the game tonight.
hg
The fear put in the hearts of opponents of the Minnesota Timberpoodles notwithstanding, the Blazers looked adversity in the eye tonight without blinking. They defiantly wore their cloves of garlic against their hairy nemesis, the werewolves of Minneapolis, yet it was the latter who profoundly stunk up the court. The Blazers offered its fans a glimpse into basketball nirvana, with its balanced scoring and admittedly, belated gut-check. Brandon who, I ask you? I'll take 3parts L.A., 1 part "Confidence", followed by a chaser of "delirious enthusiasm" any day over 100% reliance on any one player, period. Now that's a cocktail I'll slurp happily all night long. Burp.... Babooshka! That's so very, very nice.
Really dumb to try to turn Roy into a player who plays off the ball. He can do it well but his talents don't suit the kind of game R.Miller or Rip Hamilton had. ROY IS FLAT OUT ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING PLAYERS IN THE LEAGUE WITH THE BALL IN HIS HANDS. Who can break down a defense as well as Roy? Do the Spurs ask Tony Parker to play without the ball. Sometimes that bald guy on talkin ball is really dellusional. I THINK THAT SHOW IN GENERAL WITH ALL THE IDOITIC CONTRADICTORY SNIPING AND THE FRIGHTENING PROMO'S ESPECIALLY DAMAGE THE BLAZERS PUBLIC REPUTATION
Am I the only one that is bothered by the scoreboard being incorrect? anyway, I'm glad they won last night, they had Rice worried.
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