A note on Nate McMillan: up until this year, I believed the Blazer's rudimentary offense to be a necessity for a young team in need of a simple, reliable system.  But this year has me rethinking that--a veteran point guard on board who knows how to push the tempo, set up post plays, and facilitate off-the-ball movement; a roster (absent Brandon Roy) fully capable, even ideal, for an uptempo game; potentially insanely good distance shooters to run off of screens (Rudy and Martell)---and yet, here we are again relying on the same two-trick dog and pony show: pick and roll (and it's derivations) and iso's for Aldridge and Roy.  Young teams can handle a real offense, Nate.  Every good high school team does it.  Every good college team does it.  Why in the world aren't the Blazers doing it?  We are eeking by on sheer talent alone right now, for lack of any semblance of fluid, creative, or dynamic offense.  If you heard Kenny Vance on the 5th Quarter last night, you'd know he agrees with me.  He called making Miller a starter a farce and a facade, blaming it all on Nate and Roy's "love affair" with Blake.  I think that's part of the problem, but Blake is just playing the game the way Nate wants it played.  I was one of Nate's biggest supporters until this year, but this offense is terrible.  My JR HIGH teams had better offensive sets.

The Rose Garden will be bumping this year--there's little doubt about that.  However, in the early portion of last season, there was some good discussion on both TrueHoop and BlazersEdge about improving the fan atmosphere at NBA games.  I brought up the subject of the team-sanctioned BlazerManiacs, as well as the self-proclaimed BlazerNation.

Link:  http://www.blazersedge.com/2007/12/20/162230/11

Anyone who has witnessed the Timbers Army or seen European football games knows the potential for unified fan enthusiasm in the NBA is not being fully realized.  This is particularly true of early season, off-night games with small-market opponents, the early parts of the 1st and 2nd halves, and blowouts.  Even teams with legions of fans and huge national media exposure (like the F*kers) have miserable fan participation.  The Blazer fans are in a league of their own in terms of vocal support and strong attendance, but more can be done.

I'd like to hear from the Blazers organization on steps that can be taken this year to encourage greater fan participation.  Could BE arrange an interview with someone in the front office? 

The BlazerManiacs section is a great idea, but as a season ticket holder last year, I didn't see enough evidence of it's existence.  Maybe it was just too small.  If they gave away/auditioned 10 or 20 Maniac seats last season, it should be 100 this season.  Heck, they don't even need to give the tickets away.  Just create a system for auditioning/joining the club, then offer a BlazerManiac discount for a reserved section in a highly visible location in the arena.  If it grew too popular, then just allow fans to enter a lottery for discounted single-game tickets in the Maniacs section a few weeks in advance of each game.  Administratively, this should not be too difficult.  The incessant cheering/chanting/energy would also add significantly to the Blazers' already substantial home court advantage. 

Finally, I'd like to hear from fellow BEdgers with suggestions for hyping up our newly expanded Spanish contingent.  The "ole, ole, ole, ole" chants for Sergio last year were very good, but I think we could improve on that.  Any ideas?

Last year, we learned a lot about many of our young players.  In particular, I felt we gained a much clearer sense of both Travis Outlaw and Jarrett Jack.  Though there is certainly room for debate, here's what I've concluded on these two:

Travis Outlaw: highly talented, good team fit, likely on the cusp of an absolute break-out year, potential for significant improvement still.  My conclusion: DON'T TRADE

Jarrett Jack: great teammate, fun personality, disciplined worker, but highly erratic emotionally, unable to distribute effectively on fast breaks (though he finishes individually well), turnover prone.  We have probably seen a good glimpse of what he can do and will be throughout his career: a very solid 4th-7th option on a contender.  My conclusion: GOOD TRADE for the right piece given logjam at point

So my remaining debate lies with who we'd miss more and/or regret giving up when they blossom into the big time?

Sergio or Webster

I absolutely loved both in flashes last year, and certainly both could disappear at times, as well.  However, Sergio stands at a significant disadvantage in that he averaged far fewer minutes than Webster and never fully gained McMillan's blessing.  It's very hard to say what Sergio could do with a regular 15 mpg and a steady green light from the coach.  As a point guard myself, I know that a hamstrung, looking-over-his-shoulder PG tends to disappear for fear of making mistakes.  Sergio can't grow in this model. 

Webster did a great job on many occasions and showed significant improvement over year 1.  Will he continue to stabilize and diversify his game (particularly in getting to the rim and dropping the hot-hammer)?

So my poll question remains:  Who would break your heart more if traded?

Who was that birthday-cake-to-the-face really meant for last night at the Blazers/Wiz game?  It certainly couldn't have been the elderly woman who ended up with it.  Could it??  What a tragedy for Blaze.  For those of you who weren't there, sometime in the third quarter, I believe, the PA began announcing the evening's birthdays.  First up was the name of some guy I've since forgotten.  Big screens all cut to Blaze, in the stands, with a birthday cake.  He starts ascending the 200 level, headed towards an older woman who's cheering enthusiastically.  Suddenly, very very suddenly, Blaze appears to trip, and the woman is completely covered in birthday cake after a direct hit to the face.  It seemed that he really did trip.  And the tension in the air the second we all realized what happened made it clear that was not the intended outcome.  But whose birthday was it?  Her husband, sitting beside her (who could clearly be seen mouthing "What the ?????" on the jumbo-tron in th aftermath).  Let's hope the Blazers hooked that lady up with some freebies after ruining her night and embarrassing her in front of 20,000.  But sympathy aside, that was REALLY funny.  Particularly, in the replay, seeing the poor woman cheering and waving her arms so energetically as Blaze approached.  She was so happy right until the end.  And then, who would have ever thought that a guy in a mascot suit, with a huge perma-grin smile could ever look so ashamed and embarrassed.  After apologizing and feebly trying to help clean her up, Blaze retreats down the steps with slumping shoulders and heads directly for the locker room.  OUCH.  I hope this ends up on YouTube as a study in our ability to both laugh and sympathize simultaneously.

I work in an office near the World Trade Center downtown.  Since today has been another of those beautiful, spring-like sunny days, I took a late lunch to walk to waterfront park and get some coffee.  On the way to the park, leaving the World Trade Center Starbucks, behind a window to my right I see Nate McMillan sitting in a barber's chair, getting his hair trimmed.  I did a double-take, then waved.  He smiled and waved back.  

After thinking about the encounter for a few minutes while I drank my coffee in Waterfront Park, I wrote a message on a Starbucks napkin for Nate, then went back and held it to the barber shop window.  I wrote, "Good Technical.  Kobe is a Punk."  He and the barber smiled and Nate waved again.  Made my day.

There was substantial dissent generated when I posted a "We Want Blake" diary over the summer before we acquired him.  In particular, many questioned my assertions of his shooting abilities.  Please refer to his performance last night (and cumulative performance throughout this run) as irrefutable evidence.  This guy is a very good point guard, AND shooter. http://www.blazersedge.com/story/2007/7/2/184839/4483

Hey all,

I need more info on the exuberant group of youngsters in section 321 (I believe) who are shouting their brains out at every home game, sometimes even drowning out the cheesy PA cheerleading.  They take up 2 or 3 rows in the very back of 321 and are well on their way to becoming the Blazer equivalent of the Timbers Army.  My question is, why can't the organization get these kids down front somewhere?  Or why aren't they sitting under the Blazer Maniacs banner?  There are no maniacs under that banner; they're all in 321!  The best part of it all is exiting the building with this group, particularly in the stairwell.  As they chant "Blazer Nation" or "We got 9 in a row", the joy is truly contagious.  Let's give this group some recognition!  And let's have them share their secret affiliation.  College friends?  A secret society of Blazer believers?  The Timbers Army finding off-season expression for their PDX sports devotion?  I've got to know.  By they way, they sit approximately below the "Coach's Corner" banner, but I highly doubt this is Nate's group of give-away tickets.  Either way, why aren't we hearing more about them?  Their cheers are audible throughout the arena and their number seems to be growing.

In my mind, there is no way the point guards are to blame for our losses.

In reference to the earlier Steve Blake diary, I really cannot see any way in which Steve Blake, specifically, is hindering us.  I think the problem at point guard is due to a lack of both confidence and clarity.  And that is directly derived from Nate's failure to invest in one primary, go-to point guard.  As I see it, the reason Steve Blake is passing on some open shots is because he's trying to stay with the offense Nate is demanding (high pick and rolls and iso's for LMA, Roy, and Outlaw).  Both home games this week, far too often we saw repeated attempts at high pick and rolls in a single possession that went nowhere, ending with a player trapped beyond the three point line with no passing options.  Because that was the whole offensive plan.  Think about it: other than inbounds sets, how often do you see away-from-the-ball screens on this team?  If they're there, I think the players must just be running through them without really rubbing off their man.  The ones I've seen are few and far between.  (In general, we need a lot more attacking the basket, as well.)

Based on what I saw of Blake during the abysmal '05-'06 season, he can score and shoot quite competently when he knows that's part of the plan.  But Nate has not asked Steve to be a scorer in this offense.  So, as a result, Steve is shooting tentatively.  That's all there is to it.  I'm not a big Dwight Jaynes fan, but I have to agree with his article today regarding Nate's endless shuffle at point and the lack of an organized offense or defense.  I think that given the opportunity (by this I mean 30 mins/game every night and not being criticized for every mistake or pulled after 1 turnover) and green light to score, Blake, Rodriguez, and Green could all be very quality, capable starting point guards for us.  I'm convinced that Jack, on the other hand, is really a shooting guard/finisher.  

Another problem the point guards are experiencing is that we are nominally moving towards being a "running team" but none of the necessary infrastructure is there.  Here's what a running team does: designate two guys to crash the boards hard EVERY play (the 4 and 5), they get the ball immediately to the point guard, and the 2 and 3 should already be out running the sidelines and ready for the outlet.  And we're simply not doing this.  Even after made shots, the ball shouldn't touch the floor.  Pryz takes it from the net, gets it immediately in to the 1, who should make a forward pass before he crosses the half court line.  This almost never happens.

Despite the argument that Roy is not a run and gun finisher, I do believe we have the personnel to play this style.  But Nate has to instill/enforce it, instead of asking the team to jog it down and set up another high pick and roll, leading to an elbow isolation.  It's turning into the Rasheed/Z-Bo/isolation-ville fiasco all over again.

As some of you certainly have seen, today's (10/10/07) issue of the Willamette Week (pg. 37) includes a fun proposition.  Submit a letter and your Z-Bo memorabilia to WWeek and they'll ship it off to New York sports bars, as a way of thanking them for taking him off our hands.  For your added satisfaction, they'll also have a reporter in New York documenting the hand-off and reactions.  Send submissions to:

Zach-Off!
c/o Willamette Week
2220 NW Quimby St.
Portland, 97210

Sounds like fun to me!