SB Nation User Blog: Trutherlizer

Another Double Best?

Trutherlizer — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:17:38 -0000

I’ve been thinking about the two roles Brandon Roy plays on the Blazers: he’s their most reliable scorer and playmaker, the guy who knows what to do with the ball at the end of the game—whether it’s shooting or it’s passing, undoubtedly Portland’s best player. But he’s also the team’s best leader. He’s composed, tough, rarely rattled. He commands the respect of teammates not just because he’s a great player, but because he’s a team-first-not-me-first guy who conducts himself respectfully on and off the court. He’s both a coach’s player and a player’s player. We all know this. But did the two great Blazer teams of the past have as their best leaders their best players? And does it make any difference in the chances of a team being able to achieve and maintain greatness?

Walton was clearly the best player on the 1977-79 team, but I don’t recall him being its standout leader. He was still a little shy and self-conscious of the stutter he would go on to conquer after he left the Blazers. That team also had Maurice Lucas and Lionel Hollins, who might have commanded a little more respect than Bill.

Clyde was the best player of the early 1990s teams, but was also a little retiring and not a natural leader. That’s one of the reasons Porter was so important to that team. It may have been mostly Clyde’s show, but Terry often ran it.

So Bedgers, what do you think? Has Portland really ever before had a player who was doubly best? Is it an advantage? Does it really make any difference? Is it better for the leader to be the one, as is so often the case, who’s the primary ball-handler, a la Steve Nash and Brandon Roy? Or, does the case of Kevin Garnet show that it’s inconsequential?

Injury-Prone Oden?

Trutherlizer — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:10:42 -0000

I don't want to imagine that our jackpot of 2007, our once-in-two-decades player, our blessed gift, our franchise player, our likable star Greg Oden will never be an integral member of a Blazer team destined for great deeds. Yet wishes do not suit up and play the game. And here's what Henry Abbot had to say about Oden's twisted foot:

David Thorpe sent me an e-mail earlier today, and I just spent more than an hour talking to him about it.

There are thoughts you want not to have, but ought to consider nonetheless. For Blazer fans, reading this will be like taking your medicine. Tastes bad:

Henry, I was thinking a bit about the latest Oden situation, and was left wondering about what players I had ever known who started the beginning of three straight seasons injured.

I literally could not come up with one.

Greg Oden in fall 2008: Big upper body, skinny legs. (Bigger version.) (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images)

I've been coaching, in one form or another, since 1985. Because I've been training individuals instead of teams since the early 90's, I've actually been with far more players than I would otherwise (coaching just one team).

So considering that Oden is yet again hurt, and he is so after just one quarter of his first game, I'm left to feel that this will be normal for the rest of his career.

You know I'm a very "glass is half full" guy, and I think the planet (and the basketball world) is much better off having Greg Oden realize his star potential. He's the kind of person I want my son to emulate one day. Humble and honest, smart and hard working.

But to think that after he recovers from this injury he'll likely be mostly injury free for a number of years flies in the face of all my basketball experiences. Some people have skeletons, or soft tissues, or tendons and ligaments, that are just not meant to take a physical pounding on a daily basis. Oden is very likely one of these guys.

It's apparent to me that he'll never develop into the superstar he was sure to become because he'll never be healthy enough long enough for that to happen. That's horrible for Greg, Blazer fans, and for basketball fans to swallow, but it seems accurate to me.

That being said, I would add this; Until he loses 50+ pounds and severely changes his body type, I'd never let him set foot on a basketball court. It's possible that his last two injuries had nothing to do with his weight. But it's also possible that it played a part.

To me, a skinny Oden has a better chance of avoiding injuries than a heavy one.

On the phone, Thorpe added that he thinks the Blazer front office should be a hive of activity right now. Not trading Greg Oden, by any means, but figuring out how this team gets to a championship with Oden in street clothes, or as a role player. Maybe they go up-tempo. Maybe they mix lineups around. Maybe there are some other personnel things that trickle down from that.

Greg Oden in March 2007: More in proportion? (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

But if you are going to go on a different path, you want to have that laid out in your mind starting now, not when he gets his next injury, and it might already be the trading deadline.

As a Blazer fan, I have taken pretty much the opposite approach.

My thought has been: Any way you slice it, as a skilled seven-footer with a work ethic and a lot of character, Greg Oden will be employed in the NBA for several more years even if he doesn't play at all. He's valuable for his potential alone, and he's Portland's guy, thanks to the contract option the Blazers picked up on Saturday, until at least the summer of 2010.

You keep giving it your best shot for at least this season, if not all of the next, too. (And on some level, a key for this franchise is Oden's mental state. It affects his recovery and health -- I don't care what anyone says. And almost everyone who is injured badly gets a little depressed. For an athlete who defines himself by accomplishments on the court, it's a lot to ask to stay upbeat through all these setbacks. This is tough stuff. One thing I don't love about this post is the thought that Greg Oden might read it.) What do you do to his mood and confidence when you make a roster move or two with the design that you don't think he'll be around? Could that become a self-fulfilling prophecy? Or, on the other hand, maybe he has to be a superhero's emotions no matter what.

(OK, way big detour, but I just wrote that line about a superhero's emotions. Not this superhero. PG-13 for language, but hilarious. OK, back on track ...)

Microfracture sucked, sure, but that's over. This injury, this foot sprain? It's not a big deal to me. I think it happened mainly because this was his first NBA game, and he was spazzing. Adrenalized. Moving in strange ways. Bobbling things, tripping, throwing limbs here and there. I think the too much adrenaline is part of the reason he's huffing and puffing so much, too. I want to see Oden settle in to NBA basketball for some time before I start the process of figuring out if we need to plan for life without him.

David counters with: Let's say he comes back in a month, and after a little while he's back on the sidelines with something else. A deep bruise, a sprained ankle, or whatever it is. The trade deadline would be looming. Wouldn't you be glad if you had already weighed the relative merits, and tested the market, of your plan B?

Then there is the point about his weight. I don't know how much Oden weighs now (he's listed at 285, but has been coy about the real number) but I am very open to the idea that it might be smart to let him be light and agile -- and remove as much strain as possible from his body. Let's get him on the all-skinny team. So, it costs you some nice post-buckets, rebounds and blocks. If it could gain you a center, and by the way some mobility, fast-breaking and Amare Stoudemire-style finished in open space, I think that would be the one trade I'd be willing to sign up for right now.

http://myespn.go.com/nba/truehoop

What do you think?

An Open Letter to Greg Oden

Trutherlizer — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:44:25 -0000

I read the article that Jason Quick wrote about you. He is right. And you are right. You have been a little underwhelming during the preseason. But it is not because you haven’t tried. You feel under pressure and you’re thinking instead of playing the game. Now let me tell you some things about Portland fans that may put you a little more at ease.

We like you. We like you not just because you’re charming, but because you dedicate yourself to the game we love. From everything we hear, you work hard. You pass. You play defense. You’re not a prima donna. You’re always trying to improve. You deflect compliments. You can laugh.

And there’re some more things you need to know. Despite our fanaticism about the Blazers, we’re also realistic. We know that rookies make mistakes. Hell, even NBA superstars do. There will be times you struggle; we know that. Even NBA players are human. Sometimes they, and you, will do stupid things. Of course. The only ones who do not error are those who do not risk. The main question is: How do you recover from mistakes? Let your mistakes be opportunities to learn, not way stations for worrying. What we want to see is passion for the game.

It is, after all, a game. It is meant to be fun, to give us joy. When you can find a way to enjoy the game again, we will enjoy it with you. Win or lose. Revel in it, connecting with teammates and fans, knowing that before long we will all be older. Our step will slow, our jump lower, our quickness diminished, our joints complain. But in the meantime, you have the exhilaration of youth and the possibility of athletic excellence; not always, but in snatches. Please, while you’re in the blossom of youth, don’t let doubts intrude. Just play.

Greg, you’re on an amazing team with great teammates, a terrific coach and a first-rate front office. We fans have very high hopes for you, but not just for you; we know that one person cannot win by himself. So the burden is not on just you. We had a pretty good team last year without you. This year, besides you, Fernandez, Batum and Bayless join the team so there’ll be plenty of people responsible for the winning and the losing to come.

And finally, please remember: you’re part of the Blazer community now. You’re already doing the most important things that make us happy with our players—working hard, being a good teammate, giving back to the community, and conducting yourself respectfully. We think you’re going to be a great player, but we do not expect you to be a perfect one.

It’s a game. Play.

What does Batum’s Varoom Mean?

Trutherlizer — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:46:33 -0000

What does Batum’s Varoom Mean?

I had the opportunity to sit through, and sometimes suffer through, the Blazer’s three preseason games at home. To my reckoning the most intriguing story so far is Nicholas Batum. His physical gifts are quickly apparent: 6’9” height, arrrrrrrrrrrrms, greyhound speed, horizontal and vertical quickness. But he’s also shown qualities that have to endear him to McMillan: tenacious on-ball defense, poise, consistency, hard work, quick learning, coachability, fearlessness.

In yesterday’s game against Utah, Kirilenko started strong against Batum, who lost him on picks and even got back cut for a dunk. “Here we go,” I thought, “a wily veteran schooling the rookie, bursting the Batum bubble.” But there was nothing in Batum’s body language suggesting defeat and he would at least equal Kiri for the rest of the game, even blocking his shot at one point. And along the way he also picked up 3 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 other blocks. It looked to me that he has blended into the Blazer’s offensive and defensive schemes more smoothly than Outlaw has so far.

Of course, it’s early. As Dave wrote, preseason is filled with fool’s gold. Nonetheless, if Batum sustains his consistent play, his meteoric development raises some intriguing short-term and long-term questions.

In the short term, the small forward position is problematic. Webster is hurt. Travis seems to be something of a one-trick pony: good at providing offensive energy, less good at defending quick 3s and sharing the ball. He’s done nothing so far in the preseason to show that his skills and temperament aren’t best suited for the role he had last year—providing a spark off the bench. So does Nate start Roy at the three and Rudy at the two? Roy’s up the challenge, but is going to be undersized for some of the taller SFs. Or does Nate take a chance on Batum? Although that would put two rookies on the starting team, Batum has shown a very unrookie-like composure so far. To my surprise, he’s looked much more comfortable and less prone to frustration than Bayless, who far outshone him during the summer league.

And there’s the longer-term question. Batum hasn’t realized his potential. His slight body will put on some muscle. He’s begun to show 3-point range and also likes to slash to the basket. Physically he’s almost an Outlaw 2.0, but otherwise he’s got more upside. Travis may have plateaued. He’ll never be the lock-down defender that McMillan’s been looking for. Batum may be. And he seems to already have as good, or better, court vision than the other players at his position. But Batum can’t get playing time as long as both Webster and Outlaw are on the team. So, does the emergence of Batum encourage the Blazers to shop Outlaw after Webster returns? If not, where do you put the young player who looks like the team’s small forward of the future? Unless Batum starts struggling or there’s another SF injury, I’d wager that Travis will not be wearing a Blazer uniform at the end of the season.

What do you think?

Poll

At the end of the season, Batum is . . .

playing in the D League.

15 votes

sitting at the end of the bench with Outlaw in front of him.

60 votes

the first SF off the bench with Outlaw behind him.

12 votes

the first SF off the bench and Outlaw is gone.

69 votes

starting.

18 votes

174 votes | Poll has closed

The Nickname Project Drowns

Trutherlizer — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:31:37 -0000

under a tsunami of indifference.

It's outrageous. With global warming, U.S. unemployment and inflation climbing, the housing market continuing to flat line, the Russians invading Georgia, Michael Phelps winning 8 Olympic gold medals, Greg Oden working out, Brandon Roy getting his knee scoped out, and Portland's August sun beckoning us to outdoor glories, Blazer fans have somehow concluded that their precious energy can be better spent elsewhere than on devising petty new names for established Blazer players. Thus, the Nickname Project dies the death of a thousand lashes of neglect.

Among those who turned their back on this important work: Mark Twain, Joe Louis, Harry Truman, Emperor Hirohito, Attila the Hun and friends, Mao, Elvis, both Bushs, Harry Potter, Penelope Cruz, Elenor Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton, K*be Bryant, Bud Clark, Barack Obama, Mother Teresa, Dick Tracy and Opus, to mention just a few.

And that's the Truth.

The Nickname Project: Collecting Suggestions for the Starting Guards

Trutherlizer — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:09:35 -0000

The nickname project seeks to find a title that fits every key player on the team, a tag so descriptive and obvious that it comes to mind as readily as the player’s own name. Since it takes some time for players to establish their NBA identity and for fans to get a handle on them, we’re starting with the established Blazers and putting off newer players until some time around midseason.

Producing monikers for Portland’s probable starting guards is a challenge for opposite reasons. I think it was Brian Wheeler who dubbed Brandon Roy “The Natural” and it’s a tag that’s caught on. Can anyone produce a nickname that can compete with it?

In the case of Blake, we’re dealing with a nickname blank slate. He’s a steady, reliable player who doesn’t excel in any particular aspect of the game, but neither does he have glaring faults. What title works for him?

In order to reduce nickname suggestions to a reasonable number that we can vote on later, some guidelines:

1) Please stay focused on the two guards for now. Yes, you may have an array of sizzling sobriquets for Blazer forwards, masterful monikers for the centers, the niftiest of nicknames for all the others, but wait. We’ll get to them later.

2) Besides offering your own suggested title(s) for a player, be sure to mention the ones that other people offered that you like so that I can figure out which ones are most popular.

3) Although I’ll select most nickname candidates based on their popularity as measured by positive Edger comments, I reserve the right to include others because people made compelling arguments for them or because they seem particularly original, clever or apt.

The Nickname Project: Pryzbilla Poll

Trutherlizer — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 22:28:30 -0000

Only two viable nicknames emerged in Edger comments about a nickname for Joel and both were more plays on his name than descriptions of how he plays. Still, I can’t offer a better alternative myself. And that’s the Truth.

(It is also the Truth that the above, at 39 words, is twenty six words short of the minimum number required to publish, so I add these: absolutely banal and confounding dead-beat emanations from gajillions of hapless, jejune and kinky L*kers.)

Poll

Which nickname best suits Joel Pryzbilla?

The Vanilla Gorilla

50 votes

The Thrilla

51 votes

NOTA (Neither of the above, I've come up with a better one in comments below)

12 votes

113 votes | Poll has closed