SB Nation User Blog: TheGreatDane17

Rubio trying to send a message?..

TheGreatDane17 — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:51:17 -0000

Rubio trying to send a message?..

As some already know Ricky Rubio the Über talented young Spanish Point Guard. Known for his knowledge of the game & defense, recently signed with Real Madrid. Drafted 5th overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the Minnesota T'Wolves. Let me ask you a question. Who are the two biggest names in the history of the Real Madrid Basketball team? Arvydas Sabonis(Blazer) & Dražen Petrović(Blazer) Among the teams he mentioned that he would like to be a part of pre draft(in the midst of many big market teams) was Portland. Playing along side his countryman, knows this team needs a PG... Rumors were flying about Pritchard attempting to move up, for the Wizards #5 pick(Costed the T'Wolves Mike Miller & Randy Foye, talent I believe the Blazers could matched or exceeded). Numerous times by the Blazers staff they have mentioned that Rubio has been on their radar for years. It is quite scary to think how far ahead he is, compared to Tony Parker when he came over from France. What do you think it would cost the Blazers to acquire the rights to Ricky? I have a feeling Przybilla going back to his home-state would be involved as their backup pivotman.

What a wonderful day at the Portland Antique Show, at the Expo center. I was meandering the rows,...

TheGreatDane17 — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 03:59:23 -0000

What a wonderful day at the Portland Antique Show, at the Expo center. I was meandering the rows, looking for Blazers merchandise as I do every year. Leaned up against a wall in the back, I I found the latest addition to my collection.

Feast your eyes on a Limited Edition Sabas Rookie Poster, framed. For ONLY 10 $ I was truly excited, it is already hung up on my wall. Tell me your thoughts on it & since its the off-season feel free to reminisce about classic Sabonis moments.

Question about the Spaniards...............

TheGreatDane17 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:11:52 -0000

Question about the Spaniards...............

Take a look at what Pau Gasol looked like as a rookie... http://www.nba.com/media/gasol1_627.jpg(For some reason I can't link 3+ photo's on Blazers edge) Now look at him... I mean, Rudy already has a pretty decent beard. What is he going to look like, when he is 30+?

The "Icing On The Cake" Revealed

TheGreatDane17 — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:37:01 -0000

Pritchard was planning something big, something that will use our free cap space this year. It appears Turkoglu is going to get signed, by the Blazers. But is he going to play for the Blazers? I am wondering to my self, how much of a better fit would The Matrix be ? He looked much better in Toronto then Miami. His per game average has some pretty good company .(Kersey, KG, Nance)

Turkoglu VS Marion

Turkoglu - Better passer, Better shooter.

Marion - Far better defender, Superior(+3rpg) rebounder. A much more effecient player(1.8TOV vs 2.6TOV. Does not need the ball in his hands to be effective, will benefit from having Portland's post presence(Never really played with dominant posts in his career).

They compliment each other very well in my opinion, because they are both so effecient, but play different games. Roy's passing game compliments Marion's rebounding & defense. He doesn't need the ball in his hands nearly as much as Turkoglu does. Since Roy is usually just the shooter on the fast breaks, Marion would provide some versatility in that regard that we simply do not have right now. Would allow for a much more effective team fast break. He is miles ahead defensively(Over Turkoglu) & I think could help Batum develop some veteran defensive tricks early in his career. Yes his rebounds will be down because of our post presence, but I think he will really benefit from them defensively. Especially since he is now 30(Getting increasingly more effecient) & Marion has never really played with "dominant" big men before. I would not mind letting him also backup Aldridge. I don't have any doubts he would be more effective then Frye, Outlaw or Turkoglu !

Seeking records of team pace info

TheGreatDane17 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:14:12 -0000

Seeking records of team pace info

I would like to see the average stats of players on the teams that are historically slow like ours. Anyone know where I can find that?

Warren Moon Celebrity Bowling Event(Oden's been gambling)

TheGreatDane17 — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:09:02 -0000

Warren Moon Celebrity Bowling Event(Oden's been gambling)

This weekend was the Warren Moon Celevrity Bowling Event in Las Vegas. The event raised money for scholarships for kids who dont have the chance to go. Friday there was a recption and interviews, saturday was the event then after party. There was alot of celebrities there i had a great time plus it was my first time in Vegas since ive been 21. I didnt lose too much money but im not gonna lie i really like blackjack. Im very thankful to Warren Moon for inviting me to the event. Barkley was another big man who gambles & he had a nice career(probably didn't have the surrounding talent Oden does)...

Warren Moon Celebrity Bowling Event

Roy's 52 Point Game - Legendary?

TheGreatDane17 — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:35:02 -0000

Roy's 52 Point Game - Legendary?

Only Jordan, Kobe & LeBron have recorded games of a similar caliber.

The Real PG Of The Future

TheGreatDane17 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:40:20 -0000

The Real PG Of The Future

Jamelle McMillan SUN DEVIL DATA:Pure point guard who improved who progressed last year and made some big shots down the stretch, as you will see in other's bios that "best clutch shot" is answered by a few as Jamelle's left-handed drive in Tucson. With just over two minutes to play and the shot clock winding down and ASU leading by six, McMillan drove the lane and used the hoops as a protector to give ASU an eight-point lead (57-49) that would be the last field goal ASU would score in its come-from-behind win at Tucson on Feb. 11, marking ASU's first sweep of the Wildcats since 1995. Had a great summer experience, as he spent 16 days with Team USA in China as dad Nate was an assistant coach. One of the top point guard recruits on the west coast from last year who led his high school team to three state titles (2007, 2005 and 2004) in his four years and gained a reputation as a great lockdown defender and a terrific distributor. Once scored 64 points in Boys & Girls Club game...okay, it was second grade, but you get the feeling of how long he has been around the game. Played high school hoops in the talent-rich Seattle area and his team won more than 100 games in his four years. Last summer, in its "Best of the Pac-10" with regards to recruiting classes, Rivals.com gave McMillan its best defender award. He is the son of former NBA player and current Portland Trail Blazer head coach Nate McMillan and was ranked as the top point guard on the west coast by Rivals.com and was No. 99 overall player by Scout.com heading into last year.

The Case For Ron-Ron

TheGreatDane17 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:22:44 -0000

In this post I am going to be making my case for the Blazers to sign Ron Artest. Rather then other 10 million dollar options, like Andre Miller, Kirk Hinrich or Hedo Turkoglu.

Ron Artest

Offense: Compared to Turkoglu(A name often thrown around as someone the Blazers could sign at the 3). Shot selection(.401% last year, but .453% in Sacramento the year before). Regular season wise, not much worse then Turkoglu(.413%). A better 3pt shooter(.399% with 5.2 3's per game) then Turkoglu(.356% with 4.9 3's per game). Was not very clutch last year(As we know, that is Roy's department. At that point, Artest should be focused on shutting down the opposing SF), but the Rockets didn't have many close contests, so its tough to tell. A usage rate of 22, compared to Tony Parker who logged 30 average on the season. With the scorers here & McMillan as coach, I think his shooting % goes back up, somewhere between .425%-.450%
Defense: Intense, borderline crazy. Very strong. Very active. Great post defender against other SF's(Just about the only SF in the NBA who can post him up is LeBron). Holds opposing 3's to an average of 12.3 PER rating, while he puts up 17.6 PER. Won defensive player of the year in 2003-2004. It is debateable but I would say he is top 3 at defending the SF spot in the NBA.(Behind LeBron, Pierce). High number of steals, while not gambling too much.
Artest's Insanity: He is very crazy. That is for sure. However, plenty of crazy people have had great success in the NBA. Dennis Rodman(Multiple championships) in the 90's & most recently, Kevin Garnett(NBA Champion 2007-2008). I don't think he is an issue off the court, seems to have matured since the suspension.
Minutes/Shot Distribution: How it would work. Lets look back to 2007-2008, Outlaw took 11.8 shots per game, Webster took 8.7 shots per game. Artest is a better 3pt shooter then both Outlaw & Webster. Better rebounder, better defender & a better passer. Give Artest 15 shots per game, 35mpg(Can also play some 4, at least as much as Outlaw did, but more on that in a bit). Between the salaries of Outlaw/Webster potentially being gone, we can cover Artest pretty well in that department. Give him a two year deal, with the 3rd being a team option.
Versatility: I see him most definitely being able to have more success sliding to the 4 when Aldridge is out, then Outlaw did. He can do the same thing Outlaw did, in terms of attempting to drag the opposing 4 out to the 3 line, but again Artest is better from deep.
Added Bonuses: Opens the championship window next year. Camp competition. Batum; Teaches him he needs to bulk up if he is going to stand a chance against the bigger 3's of the NBA. Oden; Forces his hands to become better when handling the ball in the post, when Ron-Ron is attempting to slap it out of his hands down low. Roy; Would provide him a bigger/tougher perimeter defender to compete against then we have on the roster, think of Artest as a medicine ball. Roy will be better prepared to score/defend against bigger players & when he goes against smaller players, even more domination. Has the utmost respect for Roy.

via images.nicekicks.com

Blazers PG's - Realistic Options & Expectations

TheGreatDane17 — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 18:45:48 -0000

The question we have all been wondering since the core of Roy, Aldridge, Oden(Now Batum) has been assembled. What is the final piece of our pentagon of starters? The Point Guard. So many types of players fit into this one position. You have the pure PG(Chris Paul), the combo guard(Devin Harris) & the defender(Kirk Hinrich). McMillan prefers taller/stronger PG's(Preferably 6'5"), with a sharp mind & great defense. He essentially wants someone with the same body type he had as a player & commitment on the defensive end, but perhaps with the scoring ability of his all-star peer, Gary "The Glove" Payton.

Currently in the NBA, the 6'5" PG is a very rare breed. Only Rodney Stuckey of the Detroit Pistons really fits that mold. But it is almost certain that if Detroit is to start rebuilding, it will be around Stuckey & his very promising first two years in the NBA. He is about as "untouchable" as you can get on Detroits roster.

The upcoming NBA draft has only one prospect talented enough to perhaps be superior in the mind of KP/McMillan over the vaunted Jerryd Bayless. That would be Tyreke Evans, from Memphis. The succesor of Derrick Rose & the two have very similar stories/backgrounds. Both mentored by their brothers, pushing them in the right direction. In an effort to keep them off the streets & in the gym. Evans as a PG in the NBA, as described by SacTown Royalty:

If Evans can play the point in the NBA -- his record at the helm of Memphis would indicate an affirmative answer there -- he will be the longest, biggest point guard in the league. Bigger than Billups, Williams. Longer than Rondo. (I think. Rondo didn't submit to measurements.) If he has or can develop the skills, he'll be able to post up any single point guard in the league. If he has the heart to devote himself to team defense, he should be one of the guards most physically ready to challenge every jumper. If he can jump and sprint, he could be deadly in transition. At both ends.

Again, he needs to develop the right skills, the right coach, the right team fit, the right attitude. But that's one helluva canvas to bring to the parlour.

He is only 19 years old, limitless potential & he is Nate's ideal PG(Size wise). I think having McMillan as someone who was a great defender in the NBA could really rub off on Tyreke.(Same theory as Bayless, but more physical advantages for Evans) Blake would help a lot too, in terms of "running the offense" & avoiding mistakes. He brings almost the same arsenal as Bayless does, but Evans has a much better chance at defending the 2 & scoring from the 2, when Roy takes over at the point. I believe someone said he models his game after Brandon Roy, it would be very beneficial for him(Evans) to have him(Roy) in practice; For obvious reasons. What would it take? We would most likely be having to move up around the 5th draft slot. That of course, is only one option.

This entire post obviously is hinging on what the front office thinks of Bayless's role in the future. From there it would be easier to see what moves we should & should not make at the 1.At this point, do you think we can get away with "bridging the gap" between Blake->Bayless. Can we get away with letting good PG's go off for 30 & still get wins? How about the playoffs? It depends how KP/MC think Bayless will develop

1. Bayless is not going to be able to defend good-great NBA PG's for 3+ years. If this is the case, then I would say Kirk Hinrich is the most likely player to acquire at the 1. He plays very good, diciplined team defense & can disturb big scorers at the 1. Bayless could learn a lot from him. Jerryd can come off the bench around 20mpg. Let him use his natural talents as a pure scorer, not forcing him into something he is not. The Hinrich|Bayless Option.

2. Bayless is going to be able to defend good-great NBA PG's in less then 3 years. The next option. Jason Kidd. Still one of the best PG's in the NBA at rebounding & passing. Better defender then Blake & could have a very positive impact on Bayless's all around game. Same situation as the previous one for Bayless in terms of scoring off the bench, but this option would allow Bayless to be starting sooner then if we did trade for Hinrich. McMillan also was raving about Kidd's defense about a year back. Kidd would bring a lot of veteran leadership. The Kidd|Bayless option.

3. McMillan is going to be super stubborn, stay with Steve "Passaphire" Blake, until he gets his ideal PG. This case, we would move up & grab Tyreke Evans(As mentioned above). Who allows McMillan to keep Blake starting, until his PG is ready to take the reigns. The Evans|Blake option.

4. McMillan is going to get over his obsession with a tall PG & realize you don't have to be tall, to survive as an NBA PG(He has seen first hand, Chris Paul/Tony Parker, both smaller guys have a lot of success at the NBA level). But thinks Bayless may be better as part of a platoon at the 1. Yes, you knew it was coming, come on, don't act like you did not expect it from a thread with the term "PG" in the title. Mike Conley Jr. He fits well with Roy, low usage rate(experience playing next to dominant ball handlers like OJ Mayo/Rudy Gay), Hits 3's at an incredible rate for the minutes he played & his age. Also his experience playing with Oden is a big positive. Knows where he likes the ball on the pick & roll, knows where he likes it on the post + lobs. Defensively, he has the same ability to play good defense within our system like Paul/Parker, great feet & very quick hands. In this category, him & Oden's playing experience help a lot too, talking on defense, Conley knowing that a big man has his back if someone does get past him(Just like any good perimeter defender, there is a good post defender to make up for the mistakes) unlike Memphis. One last point I want to make, is Greg's long-term happiness in Portland. We heard in the indy corn rows interview that he isn't exactly an "outdoors" guy. What better way to keep him happy, then have his best friend playing by his side like its Lawrence North HS? "A happy Oden, is an Oden who wants to improve" ;) The Coney|Bayless option - Closest comparison I can come up with talent wise is Isiah Thomas|Vinnie "The Microwave" Johnson, from the Bad Boys.

5. Blockbuster Trade. KP some how manages to use his silver tongue to pry away a PG who is already playing at a superstar level. Chris Paul, Tony Parker, Rajon Rondo or Deron Williams. Obviously the toughest of the bunch to do. This route likely send Bayless & possibly Blake out of town. I will not add this option on the Poll, for fear of ruining it by everyone picking #5, so instead, if you prefer this option... Please go in depth into how you would get it done.

6. Other - Please explain in your post.

Poll

Which PG option do you prefer?(I am not adding the "Blockbuster" option, because mostly everyone would pick it & lopside the poll.)

Conley|Bayless

82 votes

Blake|Bayless

62 votes

Hinrich|Bayless

62 votes

Kidd|Bayless

37 votes

Blake|Evans

22 votes

SB Nation User Blog: TheGreatDane17

Rubio trying to send a message?..

Rubio trying to send a message?..

What a wonderful day at the Portland Antique Show, at the Expo center. I was meandering the rows,...

Question about the Spaniards...............

Question about the Spaniards...............

The "Icing On The Cake" Revealed

Seeking records of team pace info

Seeking records of team pace info

Warren Moon Celebrity Bowling Event(Oden's been gambling)

Warren Moon Celebrity Bowling Event(Oden's been gambling)

Roy's 52 Point Game - Legendary?

Roy's 52 Point Game - Legendary?

The Real PG Of The Future

The Real PG Of The Future

The Case For Ron-Ron

Blazers PG's - Realistic Options & Expectations

Which PG option do you prefer?(I am not adding the "Blockbuster" option, because mostly everyone would pick it & lopside the poll.)

Conley|Bayless

Blake|Bayless

Hinrich|Bayless

Kidd|Bayless

Blake|Evans

Other - Describe in post