SB Nation - LaMarcus Aldridge

Maybe the Rockets DO Have a Star.

Only_A_Lad — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:38:39 -0000

More photos » by Chris Pizzello - AP

No, it's not this guy (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello).

To put it simply, I think I'm done with the Texans for the year. I'll tune back in the spring to see who gets drafted, but I'm not watching this shit anymore this season. Unfortunately, the Astros are mired in suck and the Rockets' stars are injured. Not a lot to look forward to over the next few months, Houston sports-wise.

Well, I think the Rockets' start to the season has refuted a lot of that sentiment, but, as Dave is quick to note, the Rockets don't have a star on the roster right now, and the Rockets, while good, are not a team that can expect to go far in the playoffs. Now, I think the "star" epithet is largely meaningless, mostly just referring to whoever gets on ESPN highlights a lot, but it has some meaning. Typically, when people say "star," they mean someone who scores a lot. If we break this down a little further, it can be taken to mean "a player who uses a lot of possessions and converts them efficiently." There's no statistical "line" that will delineate "stars" from "great role-player," but I think we can agree that stars will show similar statistics, right?

So let's look at some numbers. Here are the statistical lines (courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com) of three NBA Power Forwards, two of whom are widely considered to be "stars" on some level. First, here are the per-36 rates:

Player A has a clear advantage in scoring over B (and, to a lesser extent, C), and smaller advantages in rebounding and blocks. However, he (as well as C) is much more turnover prone than B, and is nowhere near as skilled of a passer.

Personally, I never really liked per-minute stats. Teams play at wildly divergent paces. Still, per-minute stats capture some of the "star" qualities in a player - the ability to take a lot of shots, for instance. But let's look at per-possession stats:

Things start to look a little different. Players A and C are using similar portions of their teams' possessions, they have similar assist numbers, and are fairly close in effective Field Goal percentage and blocks. B's rebounding looks much better, his advantage in passing looks even more solid, and he is obviously the least turnover-prone. But A has the best shooting numbers, and his rapid, efficient scoring leads to massive advantages in compiled metrics like PER and O-Rating. And, by Win Shares, he has contributed the most wins in 19 games.

In case you haven't guessed by now, Carl Landry is A. LaMarcus Aldridge is B, and Amare Stoudemire is C.

First,, some caveats:

Carl Landry's numbers come as the team's go-to scorer on the second unit. Still, he plays a good number of his minutes against the other team's starters.
Amare is having a down year, and while certainly not career-lows, these numbers reflect a season that is probably Amare's worst since 2002-2003.
This isn't a particularly great season for LaMarcus, either, and his offensive efficiency has declined a bit from last year. But he's doing better on defense, so maybe it balances out a bit.
I personally don't think Aldridge is a "star," but people were talking about him as an "all-star level" player during the offseason, and this is more about appellation than actual production.

Okay, with all that said, we need to ask two questions. First, do Carl's numbers in themselves warrant the star title? Second, do similar levels of production as other "stars" warrant that title?

I don't really have the answers to those questions. I ask you to provide them in the comments section. But I will say this:

Carl isn't a "go-to" scorer at the end of games (though I think this is an overrated quality). But I have seen him practically will the Rockets towards victory. He is a great player on the offensive glass, and he just doesn't seem to miss around the basket anymore. And, in a testament to practice which would impress even Yao, Landry has raised his sub-70% free throw shooting in college and his rookie season to 88% this season. Most importantly, he has been able to drastically increase his usage rate without any decrease in efficiency (this is related to the free-throw shooting). He has developed some good moves in the post, as well as a nice little turnaround jumper. The pick-and-roll with Landry and Brooks/Lowry has become something of a go-to play for the Rockets, even late in the game, and Landry is honestly the person I most trust with the ball at this point (turnover rates be damned). He accomplishes these numbers without an all-star level point guard like Nash or a floor-spacing 2-guard like Roy.

And, if Amare and Aldridge qualify as stars this year, then we should consider Landry for the title, as well.

Game 21 Recap: Blazers Win Game, Lose Oden

Dave — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:40:08 -0000

Game 21 Recap: Blazers Win Game, Lose Oden

This isn't going to be your standard recap. The Blazers won the game by a point behind some late-game heroics by Brandon Roy, some stellar rebounding by Joel Przybilla and LaMarcus Aldridge, and some great play from point guards Andre Miller and Jerryd Bayless. You can see the Boxscore here. I was watching the game on Tivo and to be honest I fast forwarded a bunch after the first quarter, because...

The news of the night, as reported here earlier, is that Greg Oden went down early in the game with a fractured left knee and is likely out for the season. The play itself looked innocuous. Oden half-brushed Aaron Brooks midair while swinging over to help cut off Brooks' penetration. Unfortunately the bulk of the brushing happened knee to knee. When Oden came down he immediately fell to the court and went fetal. Both sets of trainers and soon after doctors rushed to his aid. He went out on a stretcher. He'll require surgery.

So...the win was great, but let's deal with this. What does this mean to the Blazers?

Obviously this takes a huge bite out of the Blazers' depth, defense, and rebounding. With Oden and Travis Outlaw out you're going to see Joel Przybilla and LaMarcus Aldridge handling a ton of pressure defensively. One of the near-constants of the season has been the perimeter players relying on the big guys to mitigate their mistakes. Now they simply can't afford it. Joel is a fine defender but the price for the strategy is fouls. Spend a couple fouls on Przybilla now and you're stuck in a small lineup involuntarily for huge chunks of the game. That's a huge difference from the voluntary small lineup. Long story short, we're about to see how good or bad the Blazers guards really are defensively. They're going to have to man up.

Here's another blow: From the start of the season Oden provided an often-unnoticed intimidation factor in the lane. You can't go so far as to say that opponents were scared to go in there, but they were definitely looking over their shoulders after the first block or two in a game. Nobody likes to get capped. Nobody likes to be used as an example of why Greg Oden is a beast. You saw players putting up different shots when Oden was in the game. Right here, right now, every opposing coach and scout is circling the painted area on the chalkboard and saying, "Drive against this team." It was already raining a little. Now there's going to be a hurricane. The Blazers have managed to cover most drivers this season but even while doing so they've given up open jumpers. Unless something changes they're going to have to work harder just to stop the layups. That may spell disaster against any team that can shoot.

The rebounding aspect is just as scary. As much as we wanted Oden to get more touches on offense the team wasn't trending that way. They telegraphed it a little tonight even, setting up Aldridge clearly in the first quarter and keeping Greg away from the basket in order to leave space for LaMarcus to work. Offensive rebounding, however, has been a huge threat and has provided extra points to a team desperately in need of them. Nobody you put on the floor is going to be as dangerous of an offensive rebounder as Greg. That takes potential points away. It also lets the opponent relax a little more, maybe allowing them to think about running out instead of crashing the boards.

Straight up: this is a loss that extends well beyond anything that shows up in the boxscore under Oden's stat line. But you probably don't need me to tell you that.

Some will posit that the Blazers only need to go back to last year's outlook which featured Oden less, as he was either injured or playing limited minutes most nights. It's not that simple. Yes, part of the turmoil this season has been adjusting to Greg's presence and his effect on the game. But everybody from the coaches who designed the plays to the players who suffered the most disruption went into this year planning on Oden being there. When you're depending on something you don't just switch gears when it's unexpectedly taken away. Players got used to certain things with Greg on the court. They're going to continue expecting those things until the shock wears off. If the Blazers had a week to practice I'd say they could compensate pretty easily. But they're going to have to do it on the fly. There's going to be no set pattern or easy answers for doing so.

Here's the good news: this team has always played better when it's been the underdog facing adversity. Whenever you thought the Blazers were dead and buried in the last couple of years they bounced back and ran off a winning streak. I'm halfway expecting the same to occur here in the short run. I think you're going to see a ton of energy out of everybody still in uniform, especially from guys who heretofore haven't had the chance to utilize their talents to the fullest. We already saw it tonight out of Miller and Bayless. That's going to continue, at least on this road trip. I don't think you're going to see a radical plummet in the next week or two. Maybe you won't see any difference at all from what we expected. We could even see better results for a while. The real test is going to come in January, February, the dog days, the run for the playoffs. Over time these things tend to even out. Other teams adjust and exploit. They'll have no pity for the Blazers' situation. The guys who are new to them in the next couple of weeks will have been completely scouted and accounted for. And those guys won't be exerting that special energy anymore. At that point we're going to see what this team is really made of. It's not an impossible task to still have a really nice season, but it just got a lot harder.

A couple of notes to end with...

First, one of the clearest signs that came out of this incident was conveyed when teammates gathered around Greg as he was wheeled off the court. Not everybody came, as that wouldn't have been appropriate or possible at that point, but the main guys were there, including and especially Brandon Roy. The vibe there wasn't clinical. Nor was it, "Oh geez, what are we going to do without you?" It looked like a bunch of older brothers offering encouragement to a younger brother...a much beloved one. You know these guys have been struggling with adjustments. But you also know they realize what Greg means to them as a team. We saw tonight that beyond that, they want him as a teammate as well.

Second, I'm simply going to echo that from a fan's perspective. I wish Greg a speedy recovery and my heart reaches out to him as a human being, just as his teammates did tonight. Somewhere inside me that Rose Garden chant of "Oden! Oden!" that we heard tonight as he left the floor still reverberates. I think that will be reaching out to him from most of us in the coming months. If he never played another minute I'd be better off as a Blazer fan for having had the chance to participate in that chant. That's what my heart says.

And I know my heart is bleeding into my head as I say the following, but that doesn't mean my head is totally divorced from the equation. I am still overjoyed Greg Oden is a Portland Trail Blazer. In fact were I the owner or GM of this team visiting him the very first thing I'd say is, "I am glad we picked you and if we had to make the pick all over again I would choose the same way." I don't expect Oklahoma Thunder fans to look at it that way. Heck, I don't expect anyone in the whole rest of the league to look at it that way tonight. I get that. I know all of the reasons it makes sense. But that makes sense for you. For me, and I believe for the Blazers, Oden is still the right guy. I would not want anyone else. I've been watching this game for a long time. I've been through the 62 stages of early fandom and have managed to come through passion intact but also, I hope, with a pretty good sense of distinguishing truth from wishes, that which is solid from that which is just convenient and noisy. Greg has shown me something. Even as raw as he is, even as little as we've seen of him compared to what we'd wish, his presence on the court is unique among his teammates and has the potential to be unique in this league. More to the point, for the Blazers he has the potential to do something that a scoring small forward, speedy point guard, or burly power forward does not: decisively fill--nay, overflow--a hole that potentially stands between us and a championship. If Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge weren't already on this team I might not be saying that. If we didn't have a glut of scoring forwards and guards besides I might not be saying that. If I didn't have faith that management will eventually settle the point guard position I might not be saying that. But when push comes to shove the guy in the middle is still the hardest to find and a guy with the potential to bend the game like Oden does is all but impossible to find. Other players would make this team better right now. But I'm not as confident that other players would end up being the potential championship piece for this team in this situation that Greg Oden could be.

Take whoever you want. Make whatever comparisons you want. Give me #52. Then talk to me in a decade and let's see who came out ahead. Greg was quoted by the Blazers, saying, "I'm obviously disappointed having worked so hard to get to where I was. This is a setback, but I'll be back." And we'll be cheering for you: now, then, and after.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

P.S. Jersey Contest scores here. Enter Monday's game form right here. Just put "0" for the Oden question and offer well-wishes as you do so.

Rockets vs Trailblazers Game Preview

Xiane — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:43:34 -0000

We are playing the Portland Trailblazers. We have always played the Portland Trailblazers. We have always been at war with Oceania.

Well, not quite. But if there's one team we've seen a lot of lately, it is Portland. And overall this is a good thing, because the Blazers are an entertaining team to watch, the fans at Blazer's Edge are generally bright and reasonable, and they aren't the Lakers (whom we have also seen a lot of lately).

Both teams come into tonight's matchup with fairly similar records, but quite likely, very different feelings about those records. Rockets fans seem to be reasonably pleased with what the Rockets have achieved with their star-deprived roster. Trailblazer fans? Not so much, I think.

There are no panicked Blazer fans running shrieking through the firs yet, but it might not be far off if Portland drops a 4^th consecutive game. Thus far, instead of consolidating their gains of the past two seasons, and stepping up to contention, Portland seems to be struggling to find consistency.

I can't say I'm surprised that the addition of Andre Miller has not stabilized their PG situation, but instead made it, somehow, worse. Miller just seems to have that effect, despite there being nothing essentially wrong with his game. Miller is presumably on the trading block now, which given his summer signing, is not a ringing endorsement. Perhaps if Miller is traded Bayless might get a chance, but I doubt it.

The real story thus far is the continued development of Greg Oden, a concept not unlike that of process theology. Greg Oden is not omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, polyamorous. But Greg Oden is becoming omniscient, omnipotent, etc, etc. It is the faith of the believers that makes this process true.

Of course, for a center to be truly effective, the offense needs to run through him. This is a concept Portland has thus far failed to grasp. Tonight would be a poor night for them to start, and if the drama in PDX's frontcourt continues to steer the ship, then we have little worry in that direction. Even so, Oden has been highly effective cleaning up garbage and playing D. Chuck Hayes will have his hands full. We'll see if David Andersen can draw Oden out of the paint, or if he will be trampled on defense.

Portland has, it is true, suffered from some injuries, but this is where their vaunted depth should shine. Meanwhile, we'll continue to be scrappy, stroppy, gritty and hustleful and pray it sees us through yet again. That or sound, unselfish, basketball.

Matchup Analysis - I always get this wrong. Write Your Own Punchline!

Portland has been experimenting with its starting lineup. What we see tonight may in no way resemble this description.

PG - Blake vs Brooks

Steve Blake is a good player with some real limitations. One is that when defending a player like Brooks he often resembles a turnstile. Andre Miller is somewhat better at defense, but has his own limitations - mainly that he sometimes fails to understand his role in the offense and takes shots away from more productive scorers.

Advantage: Rockets

SG - Roy vs Ariza.

Brandon Roy, for my money, is one of the top 3 SG in the league at this point. Trevor Ariza is the sort of player who can slow him down. Will he? We'll see. Roy has put up some huge games against us recently.

Advantage: Blazers

SF - Webster vs Battier

If Greg Oden is becoming God, then, Portland fans seem to reason, Nic Batum is obviously an archangel, if only because he actually seems to enjoy playing D. Unfortunately for them, he's hurt and they merely have a recent top 10 draft pick to replace him in Martell Webster. Some criticism has Webster content to loiter around the 3pt line, and not much else. I have no idea what Webster will bring. We all know what Battier will bring, but will he add 6 blocks? Let's hope so.

Advantage: Even

PF - Aldridge/Cunningham vs Scola/Landry

LaMarcus Aldridge is no doubt an effective player, with a sweet jumper. He's not really my preferred style of PF though. He can get hot and score points in bunches certainly, and his mid-range game seems made to work with an offense running through an omnipotent center. For now, that offense isn't Portland. Cunningham is another talented young Blazer player, a rookie in fact. I think Scola and Landry bring more to the party, especially the way Landry has been playing.

Advantage: Rockets

C - Odin vs Hayes

We discussed the incipient divinity of Odin in great detail. The All-Father remains a great unknown, perhaps a great-unknowable to mere Rockets' fans. Unless a raven whispers something in our ear soon, then it is not given for us to know what may transpire. Hayes can frustrate nearly any big man, but a Big God? Well, that could be different. We may see lots of Andersen, drawing Odin out of the paint, as Australians just don't show proper respect to anyone.

Advantage: Portland

Prediction: A tough game, but Portland may be in some disarray. Rockets by 4.

For coverage greater than that which can be conceived - Blazer's Edge.

Who's To Blame?

Dave — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:14:03 -0000

Click through to find the answer.

So here we are, in the midst of a three-game losing streak...a total case of shock and "awwww" for Blazer fans across the globe. This team hasn't seen a three-game losing streak since December 9^th-12^th of last season when we lost to the Magic at home, the Jazz on the road, and the Clippers again at home in overtime. And before that we hadn't seen a three-game losing streak since the first three games of the previous season, one in which we ended up 41-41. Well, I suppose we should probably mention that in between those latter two three-game streaks the Blazers lost five straight to a lineup of opponents including the Sixers, Wizards, Bobcats, and Nets. After that they won a game versus the Kings before dropping four more straight. Then later that year they dropped five in a row again. And then they did it again towards the end of the year. And oops! In all of those other losing streaks I managed to miss another three-gamer that technically did occur after the one I just cited. In that .500 season we saw so many losing streaks I can't keep them straight.

Nevertheless, in the quest to get to the bottom of this one a single question has repeated in various forms in numerous forums, including this one. It's a question that's repeated after nearly every loss, streaky or not: Who is to blame for this?!?

The question has its roots in our culture, I believe. I remember when the news about the Columbine shootings broke the story wasn't twenty minutes old before people were calling in to radio stations pinning the blame on the parents. I've learned since to avoid reading the comment section of any online news source when they report a story where something goes wrong. You'll read a laundry list of posts blaming the situation on Bush or the Demmycrats or the mayor or the police or liberals or the ACLU or judges or Outer Mongolians whether or not any of those individuals, groups, or philosophical outlooks address the matter in any way. It's human nature. If we can pin the blame for something on Subset A of society while identifying ourselves firmly as being outside of that subset (us being good parents or having the right political leanings or what have you) then the laws of simple cause and effect guarantee that said wrong will never happen to us. Now what was I doing before that story inconvenienced me? Ah yes...

"Gilligan!" "Sorry, Skipper."

I must admit that I see a fair amount of this phenomenon in my day job in the church. It's present in the occasional bout of parochialism, of course, but it imbues even the positive aspects of the church-pastor relationship. What do you suppose people want in a sermon? Along with the God-stuff comes this mantra: Keep it simple, keep it short, and bring it to a level I can understand. And indeed I try. But even as I do so I am aware of the cosmic folly of trying to reduce what is for those who follow this calling (and I'm not saying you have to or should in order to understand this example) the most complex subject in the universe. Dealing with something both overarching and foundational at once and well beyond the capacity of our minds to comprehend we are compelled to distill it into what amounts to an easily accessible, memorable, palatable sound bite. Too often it's inadequate despite our best efforts. This is one of the reasons that I have disliked every single religious billboard I've ever seen. As someone who trades in the written word myself I feel for God as he experiences that kind of editing.

"I'm curious to see what you did with that manuscript I left you. I thought maybe it was coming across a little preachy so I hoped you would...WHOA! FOUR WORDS??? You left in FOUR WORDS??? Do you know how long it took me to write that?!?"

When approaching something esoteric our instinct is to reduce a matter to the simplest explanation possible. If something in that esoteric field is going wrong we then find somebody to be the fall guy in our explanation...someone outside of the circle which includes us and the people we know and care about.

This works really well in the abstract. Most real-life situations are more complex, though. And most real-life people have far more depth than just being "The Guy Who Did It" (duh-duh-duuuuuummmmm). But that reality demands of us more than we're willing to give to most causes so we settle for the obvious, efficient solution.

Circling around to the topic again, who is to blame for the terrible predicament we find ourselves in as Blazer fans, having lost three straight games?

Perhaps it's Brandon Roy? His offensive game hasn't looked as sharp as usual this year and he's pretty much forced the team to play good defenders around him...a commodity we're currently fresh out of. On the other hand he's also playing with a bunch of guys in new roles who don't yet have the understanding to play alongside him or the tools to match him.

Maybe it's LaMarcus Aldridge then. His offense has looked even spottier than Roy's, certainly shy of the clear #1A option we're used to. His rebounding has been intermittent and he's stayed out of the lane like he's allergic to paint. On the other hand the Blazers have set him up to take mid-range jumpers because they have a true post-player now and keep clogging the lane with him and with cutters. They've also relied on their forwards to rotate to perimeter players which tends to cut down on rebounding opportunities.

Maybe it's Greg Oden. He's been doing well compared to his progress last year but he's still not at first-overall-pick level and his transformation of the team has been a disruption offensively in addition to being an aid defensively. Then again if he's not a transformational presence then he's not doing what we brought him here for.

Maybe Steve Blake is the one. His shooting has been sub-par and he's not been able to stop people individually. His forays into attack dribbling have been disastrous more often than not. But he's also been asked to play out of position with the same kind of altered lineup that his backcourt partner Roy is facing. Plus he's been yanked around by the organization and his position and/or future here isn't clear.

Could it be Martell Webster? He's been up and down like a roller coaster. But he's also all but mandated to play because he can shoot outside and has the body to absorb punishment from small forwards and both of those are attributes this lineup needs. We'd certainly be worse off without him playing.

Perhaps we should blame Rudy Fernandez. He started the season poorly, perhaps fatigued from international play. He's made some exciting plays and had some nice games but he's not found a rhythm yet and he's another guy who has hurt as well as helped. But then again if you don't let Rudy make some mistakes you lose the aggression and daredevil nature from his game...the very things which make him special.

Maybe it's Andre Miller. He was supposed to man the helm for this team, provide veteran experience, be another coach on the floor. Instead he's struggling with the coach, taking odd shots, and looking as confused as anybody. Of course he's coming into a strange situation where he's not been given the keys to the car by the coach or his teammates, so how is he supposed to drive?

Could Joel Przybilla be the culprit? He plays hard every night but his contributions are limited to rebounding and defense. Plus when he's pressed too hard defensively he has a hard time covering the floor without fouling which takes away much of the advantage he gives us. And his offense allows opposing defenders to devote extra men to the true scorers. But he's Joel Przybilla! His rebounding and lane-watching have been our silent security blanket and the already-decimated frontcourt would be all but obliterated without him.

Maybe Jerryd Bayless is to blame. He's showing more energy and compact play this year but he's still not in the flow of the offense and his shot is still kind of ugly. Maybe he should have worked harder on the jumper in the off-season. But he, too, has been asked to do things he's not naturally suited for. Plus the things he does do well he does very well.

Perhaps it's Dante Cunningham. He's a rookie and it's good to blame rookies. They have a hard time arguing back when they're hauling veteran luggage up the stairs. He suffers from plenty of rookie mistakes. But then again he brings an energy and confidence--brashness, even--that the team needs. And he's just a rookie!

If you don't like blaming rookies, how about Juwan Howard then? He's 36. He should know this league inside-out. But he's never been able to bring extra wins to teams he's played for. Plus he's having a hard time defending. But he's also one guy on the team who seems aware of his role and is willing to fill it, be that 25 minutes or zero. Besides he hasn't really played enough to blame things on.

Well maybe it's the Fates, then. They injured Nic Batum, Travis Outlaw, Jeff Pendergraph, Patty Mills. They even got in a shot at LaMarcus the other night. Those Fates are a cursed plague! Except that every NBA team deals with injuries at one time or another and if you have to blame them consistently you're sunk before you start.

OK, who put this mess together then? Kevin Pritchard, front and center please! You have to answer for the draft choices, the trades, for building this roster that can't withstand its forward corps being blown to smithereens and still win 70% of its games! How could you possibly leave us with only Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, and Andre Miller? I mean, what NBA GM would be satisfied with that?

Ahhh...I can hear you out there. We're getting warmer, aren't we? Hmmm...maybe it's...THE COACH! YES! The coach did it! We love the players. We can't really blame them because we want them to be part of the "us" circle. We love KP too, if nothing else for the team he's put together on paper. No championship dreams without him. But coaches? They're disposable. Every decision they make is arguable. Everything they do to advantage one player disadvantages another...a player who is sure to be somebody's favorite. And the criteria for evaluating them is as nebulous as the answer to the question: "What makes good basketball?" Good luck coming up with an answer that will satisfy everyone. Not even wins will do it! You can still win and be playing far below your "potential", whatever that is. If we win at a .666 pace it should be .700. If we win at .700 it should be .750. Best of all, nobody really knows what's being said or done behind closed doors so we can make up whichever explanation suits us best. Reduce! Simplify! Explain! Pin! It's perfect!

So yes, maybe it is the coach. I assume he's going to make mistakes, have good and bad games just like his players do. 10-year NBA veterans still commit errors out on the floor. 10-year veteran coaches do too. Greg Oden probably hasn't been featured (or left out there) enough. The Andre Miller situation has slipped too far. Brandon Roy was forced into a high-pressure situation against Miami the minute he was put out there with four other guys who can't create their own shots. Like many, I'd like to see what a Miller, Roy, Fernandez, Aldridge, Oden lineup could do, especially since we're not defending the perimeter that well anyway. I could go on, just as I could have with any of the above people.

On the other hand, what's the guy going to do? He's sailing a ship with the midsection blown out right now. Everybody's bailing water. He's calling for people off the bench who aren't there. He's starting people who aren't ideally suited for the tasks in front of them. And realistically no matter what he does people are going to complain. How many times have you read, "Why isn't he playing [Player X] more?!?" and "I can't believe he's playing [Player X}!!!" in the same comment thread? Oden stays in and gets fouls? Nate's not managing his minutes right. Oden comes out before he can get fouls? Nate's stifling his progress. Losses...every one his fault. Wins? Not to his credit. Getting blamed sometimes can be fair. But it's different when there's no way you're not going to get blamed.

Here's something to think about. Maybe it's us. Lord knows we tend to anticipate more than evaluate when we assess the Blazers' chances. I had people two years ago telling me for sure that this was a playoff team, probably destined for some success. I had people last year telling me we were a Western Conference Finals team. I've had people telling me this year that we have a shot a title when that's clearly among the longest of long shots for exactly the reasons we're seeing. Every team undergoes difficulties. Teams such as we--young-ish, not a ton of experience with each other, without a track record of legitimate success--take longer to recover from their difficulties and restore their confidence and groove than do teams who have been pressure-cooked longer. The difference might ultimately be only a few games, but those few games usually spell the difference between good and great.

Or maybe it's us because we're impatient. 2 games out of the division lead with 62 to go isn't enough. Like the lovely and enchanting Veruca Salt we want our golden goose egg NOW!

Or maybe it's us because secretly in our heart of hearts hides a part that would rather be an "expert" than just a fan of a winning team along with everyone else...a part that loves the sound of its own voice...a part which would rather be right than happy.

Ahhh...but then we can also blame those Blazer teams of yore for stirring this longing for success in us: Walton for kindling the championship flame, Drexler for leaving us just short and longing, Wallace and company for dashing our souls after coming so close. And we can blame the marketing department for those catchy slogans that enticed us into dreaming. And we can blame David Stern for keeping us down. And we can blame refs for screwing us. And we can blame opposing teams for their luck against us. And we can blame the media for distorting our vision. And we can blame Dr. James Naismith for hanging up that peach basket in the first place. Anything as long as it's quick, easy, and preferably cathartic for us.

This is not to say that all criticism is illegitimate, nor that we lack good analysis among Blazer fans. You can read a bunch of it around here and I appreciate those posts greatly. But it's generally true that the level of illumination in a post is inversely proportional to the level of blame cast within it.

Who's to blame? In truth, all of the above. The Fates have hit this roster at spots where it doesn't have the right kind of depth which has forced everyone to scramble in unfamiliar territory which has lengthened the adjustment process for everyone, coaching staff included, and left certain situations in which there just have not been right answers sufficient enough to ensure the level of play which heightened expectations for the season demanded.

Brandon Roy was pressing hard on offense in the last game because of a combination of the skills of the players around him and the perceptions of his role put upon him by himself, the coaching staff, and the fans. The players around him were not able to respond in such a fashion as to alleviate said pressure nor was the coaching staff in a position to find new ones. The more Roy plays the role of savior the less involved in the offense his teammates feel and the more they're inclined to stand and watch and/or force attempts, making Brandon's role seem even more necessary.

Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla have been getting in foul trouble because of the lack of lateral quickness and appropriate size among the perimeter defenders which in itself is caused by the team accumulating players for whom that is not a forte. In response said defenders have sagged off to help protect the lane and their centers which in turn has allowed the opponent easier jumpers. When made, these make the defense look even weaker, causing the centers to drift out of position in anticipation or rescue, exacerbating the problem.

We could go on. Lamarcus' offense, pick and roll defense, playing time and development of younger guys, starting lineups, trades...there are answers for all of these things but none of them are foolproof and none are simple. Decisions will be made, imperfection will ensue, blame will be assigned, eyes (and perhaps heads) will roll. That's the way of things, for better or worse.

The truth as far as I can see it is this: The Blazers are in a less-than-ideal situation right now...certainly not the one they envisioned themselves in. There's no quick fix to make that situation ideal. We don't even know for sure if it would be more ideal if they had the full roster available. They haven't had enough time together to show that yet.

In this kind of situation only one question matters: How well do you deal with the less-than-ideal? Will you fall apart, point fingers, check out mentally, give up? Or do you pull together, grab every win you can, take the losses you have to, but always work to put the best game together that's humanly possible given your circumstances? Your answer to that question doesn't just determine your success during the rough times. It's also the same resolve that's going to be tested as you approach the pinnacle and very good opposing teams make life very tough on you for seven games straight.

And you see, that question can't be answered by one person. It can't be answered by one person for another either. It can't be done by a coach or a GM. You can't do it with half your roster. It's something that everyone has to answer together and live up to or it's meaningless. The blame falls on everybody or on nobody because you either do it or you don't as a team.

Many defensive schemes can succeed. Many kinds of offensive players can have great nights. Most teams can find multiple lineups that work together well enough to give a chance at victory. Without that team commitment, though, none of it is any good. Without everybody together--in praise and in blame--you quickly get carved apart as every opponent you meet drives a wedge right through the crack that you showed them.

Maybe everybody is to blame. Maybe nobody is. Some nights it might really be one person or another. But when it comes down to it, the question of blame means less than we make of it. The game is bigger than that. The team needs to be bigger than that. So should we be.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

Game 20 Recap: Blazers 100, Heat 107

Dave — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:48:28 -0000

More photos » by Sam Forencich - NBAE/Getty Images

See any Blazer defenders? Beasley didn't either.

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Well...hmmm. As far as losses go this was a better loss than the last two. The Blazers didn't get obliterated because of lack of effort. They got bitten by injuries again and suffered from the resulting lack of continuity and scoring options. But having to say that is so 2007 it might as well be a pair of Crocs. The truth is the Blazers lost. They made a few runs at it. They didn't let the game escape them entirely. They didn't give up. But they lost. Nothing supersedes winning percentage right now. This is not a developmental team. This is a team accelerating on the runway and trying to take off. They need momentum to achieve V1 speed. Going into this mini-break they don't have it. There's a ton of runway left but this isn't the most pleasant part of the ride for us passengers.

The news of the night was LaMarcus Aldridge sitting out the game with a knee bruise. Along with the absence of Nicolas Batum and Travis Outlaw that's three of our top four forwards gone...every player who played significant minutes at any forward position last season. We were left with Martell Webster, Dante Cunningham, and Juwan Howard to fill those spots, plus whatever guard we could shanghai to play small forward while Webster sat. Cunningham started the game alongside Martell with Blake, Roy, and Oden. Immediately the Portland defense got exposed. It wasn't so much that individuals were playing poorly, rather everybody sported their usual weaknesses but the rotations were confusing and slow because of the change. That's not Dante's fault. He was hustling as usual. It's just hard to snap together when you haven't had court time under pressure and it showed. The Blazers couldn't get out to cover Miami's shooters. Once they started hitting the interior defenders were obligated to move a couple steps out, in turn allowing the perimeter defenders to play up tighter against the jumper. That freed the middle for Miami's mismatches: Wade and Beasley. It would begin a litany of scoring from each. One of them or the other was abusing us all night as we just didn't have the men to shut them down. Every time we sent help the jump shooters reared their heads again. And that was it. The problem in this game wasn't offense, though that could have been better. It was Miami approaching 30 points in every quarter that mattered.

Naturally the thinned-out bench didn't help much defensively. Three of the four main guys off the pines--Howard, Miller, and Fernandez--are problematic defenders...and not in the good way. The fourth is Joel Przybilla but he got so turned around trying to cover for everybody and their uncle out there that he picked up 5 fouls in an almost totally ineffective 14 minutes. The Blazers got no reprieve. The Heat faced little serious defensive challenge.

The offense was a mixed bag, hot and cold. The initial plan was to run the offense through Brandon Roy. The backup plan was to run the offense through Brandon Roy. If those didn't work there was an emergency audible: running the offense through Brandon Roy. As plans go, it's not the worst one in the world, especially with the starting lineup featuring two non-scorers and four guys who can't create for themselves. However the Tri-Fold Brandon Scheme does suffer the drawback of being slightly predictable. Within about a nanosecond the Heat had figured out it might be a good idea to send three men, a popcorn vendor, a blow-up Santa doll, and Blaze the Trail Cat at Brandon every time he touched the ball. He still scored and after Andre Miller came in he was able to move the ball around to teammates better but we just weren't able to generate enough consistent offense without a full slate of options. Add to that the fact that until midway through the fourth quarter Roy himself was the only three-point shooter connecting with even a shade of consistency and you start to smell the trouble the Blazers were in. (Remember the Heat are scoring near 30 a quarter at this point.)

This begs the question: What happened to Greg Oden offensively? Well, maybe the question isn't begged but I begged a little for them to get him the ball while watching the game. Greg did draw 2 fouls in the first 3 minutes of the game and sat out the rest of the first quarter, so there's your early answer. After he returned they got him the ball every once in a while, but not enough. Granted, his non-rebound-generated offense pretty much consisted of three missed jump hooks and no makes so you can argue he wasn't getting the job done. But one intentional shot per quarter does not a job make. Also as you notice the misses notice how many players are occupied not only guarding him but having to back up the initial defender to prevent the spin move and dunk. Oden's misses free up opportunities for offensive rebounds because of the attention he draws. It's a fairly high percentage move to involve him. My druthers would be to feed him first and let everybody else take easier perimeter shots as a result. Even after he was available the Blazers continued to do it the other way, working from the perimeter first. It wasn't enough.

Portland destroyed the Heat on the boards and as a result of 21 offensive rebounds generated 87 shot attempts to Miami's 75. They attempted and hit more free throws than the Heat did. They hit one more three-pointer than the Heat did. Assists, steals, turnovers, and points in the paint were pretty much even. The Blazers scored 11 fast break points while the Heat managed only 3. So far this sounds like a win. But Portland ended up shooting 39% while Miami topped 53. Wade scored 22, Beasley 27, and the returning Quentin Richardson 20. The only guy north of 20 for the Blazers was Roy with 25. And those latter numbers trumped all of the former ones.

Click through for Individual Notes, Links, Jersey Contest Results, and Final Thoughts

Individual Notes

Brandon Roy did what he could tonight. I liked his energy. He was taking the game seriously. He just had to battle uphill with the defensive pressure being thrown at him. He didn't receive all of the help he needed and he probably didn't take full advantage of the help that he got. But things were a bit chaotic out there and Brandon battled through the center of the storm. He mixed up drives and jumpers and came away with 25 points on 25 shots plus 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

Andre Miller was no help defensively but he looked pretty natural playing off the ball, slicing the Heat with a couple of nice cuts, receptions, and scores. When he did dribble he drove, drawing 12 foul shots and hitting 10. He did miss two free throws late that had the potential to keep us in comeback position but the full comeback was unlikely at that point anyway. 18 points and 6 assists off the bench.

Juwan Howard had a strong offensive night, hitting 6-8 in 27 minutes and providing 14 points off the bench. He proved he could still hit his jumper when called upon. He had 5 rebounds and 2 assists as well. Unfortunately he was powerless to stop Beasley or really anyone. Still, had Miller and Howard not scored big off the pines this game would have been a rout of epic proportions. Geezer Power!

Greg Oden hit only 4 of 13 shots but he managed 13 points by virtue of 5-8 free throw shooting. Oh yeah...he also got 20 rebounds, 11 offensive. Oh yeah...he also had 4 blocks. I wasn't thrilled about the two early fouls, especially since the second was of the variety the refs had to call. (He was hanging on to Jermaine O'Neal's wrist forever after tangling up with him.) He needed to remember both his situation and the team's. But despite still being as raw as tuna tartar the guy keeps bending space around him and warping the game. As long as he works at his craft he's going to be a devastating force someday. Possibly next year even.

Dante Cunningham got the start in place of Aldridge. I liked the early energy he provided. He was not always in the right position but he worked his tail off. He looked a little aware of his new situation when he shot, as he hit only 2-6 shots which are normally makeable for him. But I was pleased overall with his 19 minutes, understanding that we're talking about a rookie in his first start here.

Martell Webster just couldn't hit a shot tonight and we really needed him to. He scored 11 points in 31 minutes. Steve Blake scored 9 in 25 minutes but he didn't score at all until the final period. You just can't have that from two of your starters when you're also short-handed. You end up handing the opponent a Get Out of Defense Free card. I guess I'll amend that...you can have it if a guy is doing everything else right: rebounding, hustling every minute, playing lockdown defense, affecting the game in other ways. That's not Martell and Steve though.

Joel Przybilla got neutered out there. Between the leaky defense and the refs (quite appropriately) blowing whistles he just never had a chance.

Rudy Fernandez hit 1-5 shots in 18 minutes. Maybe there's a complaint to be made about the 18 minutes. There's also one to be made about the 20% shooting though. We needed him so badly tonight. If his shot were falling, even if his shot had been falling consistently this season before this, he'd have played a ton. I want to argue he should be given a chance to play minutes like Webster and Blake did but at this point it looks like a lateral move, which in this case is not a good thing.

Jerryd Bayless got 3 minutes. He didn't look worse than anyone else. The short run probably had something to do with the Heat packing it in all night which doesn't allow him to take best advantage of his gifts. Then again, he actually hit the only shot he took and it was deep. I'd say it was the defense but nobody else had any either.

Final Thoughts

The good news is that the Blazers now take a three-day break. They badly need to regroup. The bad news is that Houston is next up. If you haven't regrouped they'll be happy to clean your clock. They don't have to play fancy, they'll just lunch-bucket you to death. The hurdle isn't impossibly high or anything, but there's no chance of it lowering just because you're having a bad run.

Boxscore

See if Miami has anything to say about us over at PeninsulaIsMightier.com.

Here's your Jersey Contest Scoreboard for the night. Whoever Darkwebs is he didn't have much confidence in the Blazers. You can enter the form for the Houston game here.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

Poll

What phrase best describes this game?

Sometimes the Best Gifts: Memphis beats Portland 106-96

djturtleface — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:25:12 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

13 days ago: Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge, left, looks to pass against Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph during the first half of their NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Friday, Nov. 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

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Forget the final score, this game was a beat-down led by a 21-0 run by Memphis in the first half. And even after that, the Grizzlies kept rolling to a 31-2 streak. By the time the Blazers had pulled within striking distance even Hasheem Thabeet had managed to score 9 points.

Hop over the jump for a short reaction and a few thoughts; I didn't watch the whole thing, so the real opinion comes tomorrow. That means no awards show tonight, but also be sure to get on over to Blazersedge for what I'm sure will be a rant and rave session.

The Grizzlies were anchored by Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph banging down below. The two combined for 40 points and 24 rebounds, and they did so in a relatively dominant fashion, shooting well and limiting the impact of LaMarcus Aldridge.

O.J. Mayo also showed that long lost spark, taking over ball-handling duties while playing with Mike Conley and distributing 6 assists, while scoring when Jamaal Tinsley played alongside him. He went 9-14 for 19 points, and his jumper was what really opened things up for the Grizzlies.

Speaking of Conley and Tinsley, the point guard battle hardly seems like a battle. The Grizzlies play like a real team with Tinsley in the game. He is the addition that Iverson wasn't for Memphis, sadly he won't sell quite as many tickets even though he's the better player right now.

The Memphis Grizzlies still have a lot to prove before I'll bless this core as a team worth holding together, but in the past few weeks they're starting to look closer than I've seen in a long time.

Game 17 Preview: Nets vs. Blazers

Dave — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:01:08 -0000

Game Time: 7:00 p.m. Pacific TV: Comcast

I'm going to list three names for you. You tell me what they have in common.

Chris Douglas-Roberts
Brook Lopez
Courtney Lee

If you said "The girls from the Channel 7 Eyewitness Reports Squad" you're wrong! They're actually NBA players. They play for the Nets, which means they've been playing like the girls from the Channel 7 Eyewitness Reports Squad. But that's another story.

The Nets come into Portland having not won a game this year. Period. 0-14. That's pretty sick, and not in the hip way. Except for managing a virtual tie in blocked shots and offensive rebounds they're getting beaten, usually handily, in every statistical category you can name. They're scoring 85 a night and averaging a double-digit loss. They're shooting 40 points lower than their opponents from the field, 65 points lower from three. Their offensive efficiency doesn't even register on the scale. The Blazers have played some woeful offensive teams lately. Chicago is 27^th in the league, Charlotte (remember how pitiful that offensive lineup was?) is 5 points below them, another point down is Minnesota, but New Jersey comes in almost 2 points behind the ‘Wolves. This isn't just an issue of slow pace creating low scores. They've really been that bad.

Despite that there are reasons to be cautious of this team right now. The aforementioned Courtney Lee and point guard Devin Harris have been injured for most of the season. Both are back now. That alone should give the Nets a shot in the arm, Harris offensively, Lee defensively. Chris Douglas-Roberts has flourished since the injuries gave him extra shots. Both he and center Brook Lopez have given the Blazers trouble in the past. Lopez is not your prototypical offensive center but he too has been striking gold with the extra looks, scoring 26 against the Pacers (off of 27 shots!) He's a good rebounder some nights. He's tough and mean every night.

The Nets' main mistake in the last couple of years has been banking on mediocre (or worse) acquisitions to bolster their top players. Witness Rafer Alston (an offensive guy shooting 33%), Yi Jianlian (not exactly setting the world on fire and now out with an injury), Trenton Hassell (a defensive specialist who's not as good at defending as he used to be), Bobby Simmons (another offensive marvel barely clearing 35%), Eduardo Najera (an energy guy who's out of energy), Sean Willams (what?!?), Josh Boone (who?!?), and Jarvis Hayes (blech, and also injured). It's the Island of Misfit Toys. Except I don't think even Rudolph and Herbie could find good homes for these guys. I'm guessing somebody in Nets management was a bad, bad boy, or at least wasn't vigilant in guarding the chimney. "I fell asleep! What did Santa bring me??? Oh Je...eepers. Did he leave the receipts?"

The basic strategy against the Nets is to not let anybody have a big night who really, really shouldn't. If their main guys score a little, so be it. Even between them they'll have a hard time getting to 100. It's happened once this year...against the Wizards. Hanging your hat on that is like boasting that you got a free meal at the Salvation Army. That's really nice for you, but psst...I have something to tell you. Meanwhile you need to respect their defense enough that you work for a good shot instead of just assuming you're going to beat them with whatever you throw up. They're fractured right now and they're just in the beginning stages of trying to put things back together. Make them make decisions as a team and depend on each other and you should see good results.

Pivotal Points to the Game

1. Don't take it for granted. They're going to win their first one sometime.

2. Almost nobody on this team is a good distance shooter. Follow the strategy you've been pursuing all year. Deny the middle, make them score from the edges. You'll be happy.

3. They don't share the ball any better than they shoot the ball. Your first guess should always be that the scorer holding the ball right now is going to take the shot. Plan accordingly.

4. This should be another night when LaMarcus Aldridge can go to town. Milk him and keep his spirits high. Good things will follow.

5. Two words: Bench Dominance. If Portland's reserves don't eat up their Jersey counterparts something is wrong. Even depleted the Blazer bench ought to be good for a double-digit advantage.

Final Thoughts and Links

I'm looking forward to seeing Oden and Lopez duel. Let's see if Greg can keep the mojo going.

Check out...check out...by gum, SBN does not have a Nets site to check out. Quickly, someone start one! My suggestion is http://www.BrownPaperBagOverMyHead.com. You can suggest your own names below.

You can enter tonight's Jersey Contest form here.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

Dante Cunningham Earned a Promotion

Ben. — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:06:03 -0000

Last Friday, I wrote...

I'm not sure how much longer the Juwan Howard era can continue before his play becomes a Nate McMillan problem and not a Juwan Howard problem. There are few situations where Howard's number gets called and your first reaction isn't "Oh dear, here we go." Just play Cunningham. Let's see him play worse than Howard before Howard gets extended minutes again.

Monday night against the Chicago Bulls, it was a beautiful thing to watch as Nate McMillan did just that. And, at least for one night, that decision paid off nicely.

Taking a step back, though, McMillan has been presented with the quintessential "Experience vs. Potential" showdown thanks to Juwan Howard and Dante Cunningham. In one corner, a cagey veteran on his last legs, who compensates for a lack of athleticism by knowing every trick in the book. In the other, a hungry rookie anxious to please, still with star-struck eyes but also a monster work ethic and a strong, young athletic body.

The role the two players are battling for is minor: backup minutes behind one of the team's star players, power forward LaMarcus Aldridge. It's a limited role but an important one, particularly in the wake of injuries to both Travis Outlaw and Nic Batum. Short two key rotation players, just filling those minutes is no longer enough. Production is necessary. Howard, bless his heart and his baggy Michigan shorts, isn't exactly oozing production these days. While he might not do a ton of positive things, he is still savvy enough to avoid doing negative things. Generally speaking, avoiding disaster can often be enough to earn spot minutes when you're playing for one of the most risk-averse coaches in the league.

Having played four years at Villanova, the 22 year old Cunningham isn't your typical mistake-making rookie. Yes, he occasionally rushes his shot and he did travel during Monday night's game after hesitating to pull the trigger. But his court awareness and instincts have exceeded expectations and he rarely breaks down defensively. His footwork on both ends has been very good, he does a nice job of keeping the action in front of him, he crashes the glass hard (not always getting the board, but impacting the scrum at the least), he is active off the ball and he sets a solid pick.

Put it all together and Cunningham leaves his coaches looking for a reason why he shouldn't play rather than reasons why he should.

Until Monday night, Nate McMillan had given nearly all the backup power forward minutes to Juwan Howard. Against the Bulls, though, Cunningham was the first power forward called off the bench. After the game, McMillan was asked about his confidence in Cunningham, the rookie...

We're going to need him. He's worked hard. Every time you put him on the floor he's learning. He's picking up some things and doing some things better. We'll go that way. He's playing aggressive. He's smart. He's played big time basketball before. Yes, I do have confidence in him being out there.

Cunningham played 14 minutes against the Bulls' active, aggressive young frontline of Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, Luol Deng and James Johnson. But it wasn't a particular match-up that made Nate McMillan call Cunningham's number.

I just like what I've been seeing. In practice, in games. Last game we gave him a few minutes, he made some hustle players. Was doing some good things. With Outlaw being out, we're going to need both him and Howard to play that 4 position, that backup 4. And I wanted to give him some minutes off of what he did last game. After looking at him tonight, you put him out there again. But we will need both he and Howard.

Cunningham tallied 4 points, 3 rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot in his 14 minutes. He drew rave reviews from multiple media members for his basketball intelligence, and his next-door neighbor in the locker room -- Greg Oden -- needled him with some good-hearted post-game banter. It felt like the first good night of many to come for a player whose close childhood friend and grade-school teammate, Ty Lawson, has also quickly become an impact rookie.

Cunningham's biggest offensive weapon -- the ability to consistently knock down an open face-up jumper -- is a perfect fit in the new-look second unit that features Andre Miller and Rudy Fernandez, ball-handlers that can draw attention and then kick to Cunningham. What's more, Blazers scouts have praised his pick-setting abilities since pre-draft workouts. While Brandon Roy might not be crazy about using picks, the Miller/Cunningham pick-and-roll/pop/fade has some serious potential. As does a solid Cunningham pick that creates daylight for a driving Jerryd Bayless.

After the game, Cunningham was all smiles, even getting some television face time for the first time this season. We talked briefly; here's what he had to say.

Blazersedge: How much notice did Nate give you to let you know you would be that first power forward off the bench?

A little bit. We worked in the (Monday morning) walkthrough a little bit of what he was looking to do. When he called my name I was just ready to go.

Blazersedge: Were you surprised when he called your number tonight?

No, not today. Because again in walkthrough I was the first (backup) four to go through the plays and everything like that. It was just something mentally I was just always ready.

Blazersedge: Did he let you know if this was a permanent change or do you have an idea how long it might last?

Not really. No, I think it's going to depend on how he's feeling. What the team needs. It could go either way, me and Juwan.

Blazersedge: What has Nate emphasized that he wants to see from you in those minutes?

Energy, getting all the loose balls. Hustling. Just playing defense, things like that.

Blazersedge: You're a pretty solid pick-setter. You're out there roaming a little bit.

I love the contact. I love getting out there setting screens. The problem is a lot of teams at the four position switch. So it's kind of hard for me to set a screen without having the guard just switching and it being a moot pick.

Blazersedge: What do you do in that situation?

If they switch, a lot of times I either don't set a screen or slip the screen. If I do happen to set it, hopefully I have the big on me and I get far enough away so it's a long run for them to [recover to the ball-handler and protect the basket].

Blazersedge: But if you slip that pick and pop out, that's when they have you looking for your shot, right?

Mmm-hmmm.

Cunningham's work ethic, positive attitude, quick progress and increasing role with the team reminds me of a scaled-down version of Nic Batum's rookie year last season. He's not being asked to start nor is he being asked to take on a major individual defensive responsibility. But he is now expected to step up and really contribute. His veteran teammates and conservative coaching staff already respect his abilities and maturity enough to put him in that situation, even though he's been a pro less than 20 games.

That's no small feat on this team.

-- Ben Golliver | (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com) | Twitter

Media Row Report: Blazers 122 Bulls 98

Ben. — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:04:40 -0000

More photos » by Sam Forencich - NBAE/Getty Images

PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 23: Joakim Noah #13 of the Chicago Bulls ain't fooling smack-talking Greg "Giggles" Oden #52 of the Portland Trail Blazers during a game on November 23, 2009 at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)

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So that's what it looks like when everything comes together. It's been awhile since Portland Trail Blazers fans have seen their team play as dominant, inspired basketball as they did Monday night, pounding the Chicago Bulls 122-98 in the Rose Garden.

The win was a blueprint for how things should have been working all along. The tandem of Greg Oden (24 points, 12 rebounds) and LaMarcus Aldridge (24 points, 13 rebounds) should overwhelm teams inside. The scoring ability and play-making of Brandon Roy (18 points, 7 assists) should open things up for his teammates. Andre Miller (15 points, 5 assists) should be free to attack weaker second team defenses, getting to the line for an endless string of free throws. Rudy Fernandez (13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists) should play off of Miller, knocking down open shots and dazzling the crowd with his passes (except that one off of Luol Deng's face. Jeepers.). Steve Blake (3 points, 4 assists) should be the 7th or 8th offensive option, playing passably but not horribly. The youngsters -- Jerryd Bayless (4 points) and Dante Cunningham (4 points)-- should help step on the gas when appropriate. And Martell Webster (6 points, 4 rebounds) should do what he does best: try really hard during garbage time to make up for a lackluster game.

All kidding aside, this game was by far the best all-around performance of the young 2009-2010 season for the Blazers and was certainly the most impressive, entertaining victory of the year as well.

The Blazers won the first quarter, counted on their depth to blow open the game in the second quarter, did a solid job of weathering a Luol Deng-led (25 points) push in the third quarter and cruised down the stretch. With the game out of reach, the Rose Garden crowd took a break from doing the wave to serenade their starting center with chants of "Oden! Oden!" in appreciation of his play against NCAA rival Joakim Noah. It's hard to remember the Rose Garden cheering Oden as passionately as they did Monday night, and it was well-deserved. His strong, patient play on offense, his smart play on defense and his fantastic foul shooting added up to what was likely his best performance as a professional. It was, at times, mouth-watering and jaw-dropping.

His confidence soaring, Oden returned to the locker room after the game -- and an NBATV interview -- to joke on camera that his Ohio State Buckeyes would "smash" either the Beavers or the Ducks in the Rose Bowl. He laughed and smiled as he said, "Sorry, but it's true." What's this? Giggles talking smack? Love it.

While the hot discussion topic might still be whether Steve Blake or Andre Miller should start at point guard, tonight we finally saw real evidence that Miller running the second unit is good for all parties. Make no mistake, Miller had a much better game than Blake tonight. But ask yourself this: Does Miller score the same 16 points if he plays all his minutes alongside Brandon Roy? Probably not. Does Brandon Roy score 18 points if he plays all of his minutes alongside Andre Miller? Do these two players, the team's two best play-makers, combine for 12 assists if their minutes overlapped more? Are both Aldridge and Oden able to get going if Roy and Miller are both in the game simultaneously, if Blake isn't there to keep the defense a little bit more honest? Does the team's dominant second quarter take place if Blake is running the show rather than Miller?

We might not have solid answers to these hypothetical questions but we do have answers from tonight: simply put, Miller off the bench can work on the court. Indeed, it can work very well. Will it work over the long haul, taking into account egos, minutes, numbers, and all the rest of it? Who knows. But it produced the single best team performance of the season.

When the Blazers are rolling like they did tonight, there are not many teams in the NBA that can come in to Portland and win. Certainly, that effort would have beaten the Denver team that came to Portland earlier this season and, equally certainly, that effort will beat the Jazz team the Blazers face later this week. While the starting point guard battle can and should remain an open race, a new ceiling has been established. Surely, Nate McMillan feels vindicated in his lineup juggling thanks to this result.

At the same time, though, McMillan should feel satisfied that his current group, despite the injuries, is talented enough to win the Northwest Division. He should put to rest the talk of needing "bodies" and realize he's got 11 talented, healthy bodies that just ran a solid Bulls team completely off the court. Unless someone else goes down, it's not about bodies for this group right now. It's about effort and chemistry.

Random Game Notes

Brandon Roy, on which team he's pulling for in next week's Civil War: "The Beavers, because the Ducks hate the Huskies more."
Last year I attended the epic Free Darko launch party in Seattle and missed Derrick Rose's first tour through Portland. Tonight was my first look at Rose in person. While he started slow and didn't play a perfect game, there isn't a player in the NBA that gets from the corner to the hoop as fast and from the ground to rim level as explosively as Derrick Rose. One of those must-see-in-person-to-believe players. Rose's pre-game workout routine was impressive, particularly on the second night of a back-to-back. He shot for roughly 25 minutes, working on shots from every angle and taking probably 50 bank shots. Quite interesting that there is a noticeable difference in his shooting percentages when he goes from uncontested to contested even during warm-ups, as he started missing regularly with a simple hand in his face from the coaching staff. Obviously his form is far from ideal but he's a complete monster off the dribble. Good lord. The budding Derrick Rose vs. John Wall decade-long smackdown is top five on my list of most anticipated things about the 2010-2020 era, edging out flying cars and liquid pizza.
Derrick Rose's adidas sneakers are official. I realize the angle and proximity of this camera phone picture reveal me to be roughly 2 feet behind him when I snapped it. Look I didn't plan for that to happen, it just did, ok? I promise. Blazersedge commenter Courtside Errand Boy is my witness.
Joel Przybilla deserves a shoutout for not missing a shot (3-3 for 8 points) in 16 minutes. As Greg Oden becomes more dominant, Przybilla gets more invisible. But he's still there, doing what he's been doing.
Look for more on Dante Cunningham's promotion to backup power forward tomorrow morning.

Nate's Post-Game Comments

Greg Oden?

I thought he was great. I thought he was really patient in the post. Did a nice job of taking his time, reading the defense. When the defense played him with single coverage he was able to score, with deep post position to start with. When they tried to double-team he did a good job of making good decisions out of the post. I thought he was really good. His pick and roll defense was really good on Rose, being up on those screens and forming that wall that we talked about. I thought our bigs, not just Greg, Greg, LaMarcus, the combination of Greg, LaMarcus and Brandon and Miller coming in and keeping that thing going. I just thought it was a solid game from start to finish with our guys.

Killer instinct tonight?

I thought the rhythm was a good rhythm. They played off of each other. They took what the defense gave them. They made the defense pay. We went to different guys, different parts of the game and all of them were ready. It wasn't like they were standing or not in rhythm or not involved in the play. I thought they did a good job of playing off of each other. When you have those guys moving the ball like they did tonight, it's going to be hard to stop everything. We had the inside game going with LaMarcus and Greg. Brandon was on the perimeter, Andre did a good job of coming in and quarterbacking and being aggressive and getting guys involved and it was just I thought all night long offensively a good rhythm.

Does that reinforce your new lineup?

I hope so. They've got to make it work. I feel that it can work if we take advantage of it but they have to make it work. Tonight we showed what we can do with that unit. Chicago has been playing really good defense lately. They've had a tough 3 game road trip but Noah and those guys they've been getting after teams. I thought tonight offensively we were just hitting on all cylinders.

Is that as hard as Andre has played?

I wouldn't say that. I thought he did a good job of directing and quarterbacking. Last game he did that and I thought again tonight where he got guys involved but he was able to stay aggressive and quarterback that offense and defense. Just be the playmaker with that second group. All the things I think he can do. We can take advantage of that. He reads what the defense is doing very well and he takes advantage of it. He gets the ball to those guys when they're open.

Oden's confidence rising?

Yeah, he's getting a better feel every night. Playing against different guys. He's seeing the different types of defense, where they're fronting him, double-teaming him on dribble, double-teaming him on catch, tonight he saw them come on baseline. Those are the type of reads he will have to play against. But he's really patient. So I don't think that will be a problem. Just knowing what to do once you see those coverages. He's taking his time getting to the rim and not just settling for the jump hook. He's getting deep position and getting even closer. He's doing a good job establishing deep position and being patient.

Second Unit

I like what Miller has done with that group the last two games. We'll need him to do that not only initiate it and set people up but be aggressive.

Dante

We're going to need him. He's worked hard. Every time you put him on the floor he's learning. He's picking up some things and doing some things better. We'll go that way. He's playing aggressive. He's smart. He's played big time basketball before. Yes, I do have confidence in him being out there.

Were Dante's minutes upped just for this game for match-up reasons?

Nah, I just like what I've been seeing. In practice, in games. Last game we gave him a few minutes he made some hustle players. Was doing some good things. With Outlaw being out, we're going to need both him and Howard to play that 4 position, that backup 4. And I wanted to give him some minutes off of what he did last game. After looking at him tonight, you put him out there again. But we will need both he and Howard.

-- Ben Golliver | (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com) | Twitter

Game 16 Recap: Blazers 122, Bulls 98

Dave — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:17:56 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

Create your own caption for this one. I don't even have words.

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As you can see by the final score, the summary of the game is pretty simple. They brought Noah. We brought the flood. End of story. It was a night where almost everything the Blazers did worked. The Bulls did a couple of things well too but almost everything beats a couple of things. By 24, to be exact.

The game started out in near-comedic fashion as both teams seemed committed to showing the other had no transition defense. Unfortunately neither team evidenced much transition offense either. Watching these squads run the floor early was like watching Lake Oswegans rap. I mean, maybe you can recognize some decent intentions in there but it's just not right. ("Yo, these gold chains are real, dawg. But I have to get them back before my moms goes to dinner. Finesse the bling, yo. If fur is murder then my mom's a serial killer. Don't judge. Those chinchillas had it coming! Peace out.") Then the Blazers came to their senses and started pounding it in to Greg Oden. We haven't mentioned this yet, though it's been going on for a couple weeks, but the re-post option for Greg is really good. It gives him time to get comfortable position, makes the defender move, and doesn't require him to make any moves before he's ready. Congrats to the staff for making the Phil Jackson-Shaq connection and kudos to our guards for sticking with it on those plays. The results speak for themselves. LaMarcus Aldridge came along for the ride inside and out. With the two biggest guys on the team connecting with haymakers the Bulls started to sweat. The added perspiration let the Roy-Miller trio (yes, they played together and yes, it worked) slip by for any kind of shot they wanted. Unfortunately the Bulls came to their senses as well and started doing the Deng-Salmons two-step on the guards (yes, they played defense together too and yes, it was shaky). The end result was a 31-28 quarter in favor of the Blazers.

One of the teams went for 30+ again in the second quarter and one definitely didn't. Bucking the season's trend, the team that poured it on was the Blazers. Once again they super-sized the offense with Oden and LMA doing damage. This time we saw a little bit of Miller-Bayless-Roy, which worked a little better defensively, and then Miller-Blake-Roy, which stalled a little offensively until Roy started driving. (Memo: The three-guard lineup isn't dead. It just switched time slots.) Chicago couldn't compensate and all of a sudden the Portland offense exploded. The Blazers scored 16 of their last 23 points of the quarter at the rim or from the foul line. Chicago was still hitting shots but they couldn't keep up, especially since they lacked the free throw side of the equation. Portland walked into the locker room up 15 and looking happy.

All year long the Blazers have come out loaded for bear in the third period. In this case the bear was Teddy, though. Oden was still pounding it inside but the Bulls were swarming and fouling him at every opportunity. He responded well but the tempo slowed overall and his teammates had a harder time finding and hitting good shots. Meanwhile Chicago exploited their matchup advantages at both backcourt positions and the small forward position. Luol Deng damaged anybody the Blazers threw against him and Chicago's screens dislodged Portland defenders with ease leading to awkward moments at the rim for the Blazers. With all of that, though, the Bulls only made up 5 points and entered the fourth down 10.

The script called for the Bulls to whittle the lead down to a toothpick before Portland responded. And when Kirk Hinrich converted a layup 16 seconds into the quarter it looked like that story might unfold yet again. Then Rudy happened. Playing once again with Miller and Roy, Fernandez started weaving and heaving. He got himself open from the arc and his shot was deadly. He hit 2 threes and a layup in a three-minute stretch. When Oden and Aldridge started scoring too, it just wasn't fair. Portland ends up winning by 24, having plenty of fun along the way and sending the crowd home happy.

The key to the game tonight was energy. From Oden's inside play to Brandon's drives to the commitment (and occasional pressing) of Bayless and Cunningham coming off the deep bench the Blazers demonstrated their desire for this game and their willingness to do what it took to get it. Even when they stopped flat-out breaking they still ran the ball up to set the offense. Multiple players were calling for the ball, including Oden and Webster who are usually among the less demonstrative players. They made opportunities for talent to shine through and plenty of it did. Portland shot 57.5%, eclipsing the Bulls by more than 10%. They hit their threes also (40%) but didn't over-rely on them (15 attempts out of 73 total shots). The refs blew a ton of whistles in this game and Portland got the benefit of most of them, shooting 40 foul shots to 22 for the Bulls. They outrebounded Chicago by 20, virtually eliminated turnovers...other than some spotty defense there was absolutely nothing wrong with this game. It was great to see.

Click through for individual observations and links.

Individual Observations

I remember earlier in the season--I think it was in a game against Memphis--I opined that should that game have occurred two years from now Oden would have scored 30. He darn near did it tonight. He was as into this game as I have ever seen him. He frustrated the heck out of Joakim Noah, at one point making him throw the ball into the stanchion in frustration. (Ostensibly that was at the refs, but we know who you were think of when you released, Joakim.) More impressive than his 7-8 shooting clip were his 12 free throws, of which he hit 10. The refs are starting to show him some respect on his moves. He also had 6 offensive and 6 defensive rebounds and 2 blocks to go with his 24 points. It was a massive game.

Brandon Roy had an unassuming little 18 points and 7 assists. While Oden and LaMarcus were front and center Brandon kept the defense honest by driving off the dribble and hitting pull-ups, layups, and foul shots off of their screw-ups. The best word for his offense tonight was "integrated". It was a beautiful game to my eyes. Defensively...eh. But somewhere the Blazers are going to have to dig up some better defensive players to surround Brandon and then you won't notice as much.

Along with Brandon, LaMarcus Aldridge was one of the players who ran with starters and reserves both. The Blazers cleared out for him a bunch and allowed him to be an offensive focus. It worked. He shot 10-16, matched Oden's 24 points, grabbed 13 rebounds (to Oden's 12, so I guess Greg is buying the Dr. Peppers tonight), and dished 3 assists. LaMarcus looked as happy as I've seen him this season. I would recommend continuing to use him this way.

Andre Miller looked pretty darn comfortable with Roy on one wing and Rudy on the other. That unit appeared to click offensively more than any small combination we've seen so far. The energy was palpable. Andre chose his shots carefully and hit most of them. He brutalized the Bulls on the drive, drawing 11 foul shots and hitting 10. His 5 assists were sweet too. You know defense...blah, blah...help. But I liked this incarnation of Miller overall.

Rudylicious: 13 points in 19 minutes, more threes than a Divided 9's convention, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, controlled energy...spark-ish. It's what you want from him. He also looked like the best backcourt defender on the floor tonight among the regulars. Faint praise, but praise nonetheless.

Steve Blake did pretty much what he was supposed to. He helped the ball moved, tried to move on defense, and otherwise facilitated rather than putting himself forward. He made a couple of really nice passes and ended up with 4 assists and 5 rebounds. He and Miller virtually split minutes, Blake with 29 and Andre with 27. At this point I think Blake plays well with more players but Andre plays better overall when he's with lineups that are comfortable for him.

Joel Przybilla rode the scoring horse as well tonight, getting 8 points off of chip shots in 17 minutes. The floor opening up is good for Joel. Lots of people standing is not.

Dante Cunningham and Jerryd Bayless each got decent minutes, DC with 14 and JB with 11. As we mentioned above, they pressured a little defensively and each showed gumption and drive out there. They looked like what 10-ish mpg guys are supposed to look like: moving, active, giving their all. What are you saving up for? Each scored 4 points off of good shooting, Cunningham with 3 rebounds, a steal, and a block and Bayless with a board. Based on this game you have to forecast more PT in their future, though you probably shouldn't look for either to get 24 minutes yet. I think Cunningham could sneak up on Martell if the latter falters though.

Speaking of Martell, he was the only guy who went through a sub-par shooting night, going 3-10, missing both of the threes he took, and scoring 6 with 4 rebounds in 22 minutes. At least he was a bigger body on Deng. And he had a sweet dunk off of an alley-oop.

Final Thoughts

Happy? Me too.

Boxscore

Still working on getting the Minnesota results fixed. You can enter Wednesday's form here

Check out the lamentation at BlogaBull.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)