Portland Trail Blazers: Mike Barrett's Blog

Bucks Survive Blazers in OT

posted: 12/7/2006 at 7:40 AM

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It was a shot that Zach Randolph has put down a thousand times. It wasn't an easy shot, as he had Ruben Patterson draped all over him, but with his soft left hand he floated the ball to the rim and saw it take three bounces before finally rolling out. Knowing Zach's touch on those shots, I was very close to calling the shot good, and calling it a Blazer win, before it finally came off the left side of the rim. We were sitting to the right of the rim, and the ball looked to be halfway down.

Understanding that the Trail Blazers were playing the second of a back-to-back, and knowing that the Milwaukee Bucks were due at home, it certainly felt like Portland had just seen its chance to win the game slip by. That turned out to be the case. In the overtime period it was all Bucks, and they beat the Blazers 102-94.

It especially hurt, as this was an opportunity to start this six-game road trip with a second-straight win. And, the Blazers didn't play their best game, yet still had a chance to win it in regulation. They only shot 43 percent, turned the ball over 18 times, and were outrebounded 39-38.

With the Bucks taking note of what Detroit didn't do defensively against Portland, Zach was doubled, and tripled all night. We knew it would be tough anyway, with Ruben Patterson on him in the low block. Randolph had to fight, and shot only 7 for 19, but did end up with 20 points and 14 rebounds. It was time for the Blazer backcourt to step up offensively.

Jarrett Jack continued his strong play as of late, and scored a career-high 30 points, on 12-22 shooting. He also had 10 assists and just 2 turnovers. He did this against a very good defensive point guard, in Maurice Williams. Martell Webster also took advantage of the Bucks' zone defense, and scored 19 points, going 5 for 8 on three pointers.

If the Blazers had won this game, sharing the MVP honors, with Jarrett, would have been Ime Udoka. Udoka is the most consistent player on this team, and for three and a-half quarters, had Michael Redd frustrated and out of rhythum. He is easily Portland's best defender, and draws all the most difficult matchups. Redd had just 10 points at halftime, and 14 through three quarters. He finally broke loose late in the 4th, and in overtime, and ended with 33.

The Trail Blazers were frustrated following the loss, but were upbeat by the time we got to our hotel in Indianapolis at about 2:30 am. On the plane, as always, the DVD of the game was playing. A chance for the players to immediately review things. Nate doesn't tell them to watch, or even walk back to see if anyone is watching. But, they all do. Jarrett and LaMarcus Aldridge were sitting together, pens and paper in hand, watching and discussing everything. Juan Dixon, who just rolled his eyes when he walked past me, frustrated by an 0 for 8 night, went up front to talk with the coaches.

Thursday will involve practice for the team. Nate is letting them sleep a while though, as we're in our fourth city, and third time zone in four days. And, we're just two games into the trip. The Blazers will practice in the afternoon, and then Friday night take on the Indiana Pacers. It's not as cold here as it was in Milwaukee, so that's good. We've got Toronto up following this stop, and that will be, well, Toronto in the winter.

Tonight, on KXL-750 AM in the Portland area, and available anywhere in the world by clicking the link on the top-right portion of this page, it's Trail Blazers Courtside, from 6 to 8pm. Bob Akamian and Jay Allen will be hosting from Portland, but we'll be joining them from Indianapolis. Coach McMillan will be live, as always, early in the show. Wheels will be on at 6:45, Rice at 7:30, and I'll be on at 7:40. Talk to you then.

11 Comments:

JarrettJackCollector said...: I don't understand why Jack doesn't get more love from the fans. He is easily the 2nd best player on this team and a natural born leader. His work ethic is tremendous and he is one of the most unselfish players out there, which is definitely a quality that you would want in an NBA point guard. I'm sick of everyone jumping on the Sergio bandwagon and talking about how he gets no love. Sure, the kid has some talent but so did Sebastian Telfair!!! Now tell me his and Sergio's styles aren't the same! What you want in a PG is a leader, a true floor general, and someone who the team can count on when the game is on the line. Jack proved that he can step up and play big for the team. I think averages of 13.6 ppg and 6.2 ast is pretty decent. What I don't understand is how he didn't get a nod for a spot on the all-star ballot when Juan Dixon did. Can you explain that one???; 10:30 AM
BallFan said...: Hi Mike. Why has Magloire’s minutes dropped. I know at first he wasn’t playing to well but if you look at his stats he’s like that at the beginning of the seasons. I think with more minutes he will get better his stats will tell you that. If Nate isn’t going to use him then the Blazers should trade him to a team that would have more use with him. The other night Magloire got two dunks and Nate benched him ! What’s that all about???; 3:30 PM
pissha said...: Yes, Jack is averaging 13 points and 6 assist per game in....36 minuts!!! if sergio rodriguez play this minutes, i´m sure that sergio could average +10 asists per game.When you talk about sergio have some talent...i suppose that you are sure if Jack plays 10 minutes as Sergio he will be the best asister per minute of the nba...who´s "the talent"?; 3:31 PM
mrblazer said...: I think coach Nate's move to bring Dickau in ahead of Sergio is suspicious to say the least. I have to believe Nate is trying to get Dan some PT so other teams can get a look at him. I would rather believe that over believing he's just a bad coach. I don't believe for a second he actually thinks Dickau is a better option than Sergio. If he does, I guess for us fans who like exciting, creative basketball, it was fun while it lasted. It seems Nate has banned that kind of play like it was a headband. Call me crazy, but watching players make meaningless passes along the perimeter because they're too afraid too shoot or make a mistake is getting old. Without Zach, this team has no idea what to do.; 4:19 PM
DT-Vinsanity said...: With Joel, Raef and LaMarcus, it's absolutely normal and understandable that Magloire's minutes are so suddenly gone done. The idea of a trade could be a good one, indeed.

In the association there are some kinda rumors that say that Rashard Lewis could be on the block if the Sonics don't improve to 0.500 in their percentage of wins in some weeks, which isn't an easy task. As the Sonics might be interested in catching a good center, maybe the Blazers could be interested in trading Magloire and another player (like Outlaw, Udoka o Dixon) for Lewis. But this is just a "maybe" or even a "could/would be", I mean, a completely hypothetical possibility that I'm just considering at the moment.

P.D By the way I don't think it's fair to compare Sergio with Telfair. They're completely different when it comes to work ethic and Sergio probably has more "team mentality" than Telfair, who was kinda selfish in his personality and this could be seen on the court.; 4:33 PM
wobert said...: hey, im a new poster. im 15, talked my dad into buying season tickets, and love the blazers.

heres my thoughts:

i dont think magloire is a good fit for this ball club. He doesnt play well with zach, and he takes up playing time for Lamarcus Aldridge, who i already consider as a better player than jamaal. Most of Jamaals points come from free throws, and he is a worse free throw shooter than shaq.

i loooveee sergio rodriguez. he is so exciting to watch, and really ignites our team whenever he gets on the floor. His pick and rool with Lamarcus Aldridge is picture perfect. Steal of the draft.

Jarret Jack is great, and i still think he should be the starter, but i get nervous every time he dribbles it, because he looks like he carries the ball.

I agree with jarretjackcollecter on a lot of points, but sergio and sebastian's play style is completely different. Sergio is more of a steve nash w/o the shooting ability yet. Sebastian is more of a Stephon Marbury.; 8:37 PM
Play Beautifully said...: Dan Dickau and Raef need to go! we don't have enough playing time for them. Nate put Dan in the game for some reasons. I feel much better when the ball is in Sergio's hands. We need to make a some trades soon.; 8:52 PM
Michael Z said...: Mike-

During the last telecast vs the Bucks you and Mike Rice had no idea how the refs knew how much time was on the shot clock. You both felt there should be about 17 or 18 seconds left, and that the refs were just making up a number. But I have the solution!!! It was the start of the 4th quarter and the game clock said 11:51. That means 9 seconds ran off the game clock and also the shot clock. Hence, 15 seconds left on the shot clock. It was pretty hilarious hearing you two argue about that.

Go Blazers!; 2:07 AM
JarrettJackCollector said...: All I'm saying is that both Sergio and Sebastian had a flashy style of play and both were able to pass really well and get their teammates involved. Sergio and Sebastian are both undersized PGs that are defensive liabilites. They are practically the same player!; 10:19 AM
SUPERCARLITOS said...: Well, (or should i say Jarret Jack's mom? sister? girlfriend? cousing? uh? ) , defending is about a lot more than size, speed, anticipation, and basketball IQ being some of the required attributes. Sergio is nothing like Telfair, he is unselfish, true team player, and a really humble guy. I have been following his career for quite a while, to know that. Let's give JJ 5 minutes (or two) per game and see how productive he is.

In any case, i do agree that JJ is a good, solid reliable PG, but just that.

Sergio is barely 20 years old, a newcomer to the states, away from his family and friends, in an completely different culture, living by himself, learning english and still manages to keep his head together and show a strong game in the few minutes he ges on the floor. I have seen Sergio winning. He is definitely a leader and a true floor general. He did that on the World Championship (semifinal against Argentina, he basically won the game for Spain in the third quarter.

I congratulate the Blazers again on having the best Junior PG in the world.; 11:26 AM
YellowJackets said...: I think the Blazers are lucky to have both Jack and Sergio. Jack is an incredible player and anyone who saw him in college make short work of ROY last year, Chris Paul, would agree.I can see where JJCollector is coming from when saying there is rarely any love thrown JJ's way even after a 30 point game. Sergio is good right now and will be great and to have those two as backcourt teammates is going to be incredible especially when Roy gets back.
Second, seriously Dan and Raef just don't need to get PT unless a foul situation comes up. I would really like to see Aldridge get a lot more PT. Hes putting up better numbers than any big man not named randolph on the team.; 1:26 PM

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Zach Leads Blazers Over Pistons

posted: 12/6/2006 at 6:47 AM

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Some trends in the NBA make perfect sense. Others do not. The fact that the Trail Blazers have now won 7 of the last 9 games they've played at the Palace of Auburn Hills could be a little surprising to you, given the very recent history of both teams. Again, as we said early in the TV broadcast last night, some of these things can't be explained- you just ride them as long as you can. For some reason, the Blazers play well in Detroit. They beat the Pistons last night 88-85.

It was a nice, and you could probably say unlikely way, to snap a 5-game losing streak. You drop all four games on a homestand, and then hit the road for 6-straight games, and win the first one in Detroit. And this wasn't some flukey win. The Blazers didn't play anything close to a perfect game, or beat the Pistons when they were having a horrible night, or without six of their best players or anything. They simply smothered them with defense, hustle, and rebouding. Three things that have been missing lately.

Last season in Detroit, Zach Randolph put 37 points on Rasheed Wallace, a career high, and the Blazers lost the game in the final seconds. It was clear on that night Wallace needed help guarding Zach, and that double-teaming him, like the rest of the league does, was clearly the best way to force someone else to beat you. Flip Saunders apparently thought he knew something other team's didn't, and didn't double-team Zach until it was too late. Randolph cruised to 31 points and 13 rebounds. Rasheed had his hands so full trying to slow down his former teammate, it threw his offensive game out of whack as well, and he shot just 3 of 10, and had only 7 points.

Speaking of Portland's defense, they held the Pistons to just 43 percent shooting, and kept them 10 points under their season average. Tayshaun Prince, who was never a factor in the game, had just 10 points on 4 of 13 shooting. Rip Hamilton, who had 15 consecutive points for Detroit to end the first quarter, scored just 10 the rest of the way. And the guy who always seems to play well against the Blazers, Flip Murray, was effective off the bench, scoring 11 points, but at no point took over the game, like he can.

Again, the Blazers didn't play a tremendous offensive game. They shot, and scored, below their seasonal averages. They were just 41 percent from the field, and were only 3 for 10 on three-pointers. But, they turned the ball over only 8 times, and outrebounded Detroit 46-35.

Jarrett Jack had a very solid game, against a guy he's been compared to a lot, in Billups. Jack had 18 points, 5 assists, just 1 turnover, and was also 9 for 11 from the free throw line. He was under control, and displayed a kind of leadership that Nate McMillan has been wanting. I mentioned Sunday to expect to see more of Sergio Rodriguez, because of how he's been handling the team on the floor. Don't think Jarrett hasn't been noticing all of this, and against Detroit he very much answered his coach's request. We saw Sergio for a few minutes in this game, but McMillan just didn't think the matchups, guarding a much bigger Billups, and then Flip Murray, were good ones for him.

It's also been said lately that with Joel Przybilla and Raef LaFrentz back, the player who could be losing some minutes is LaMarcus Aldridge. Nate has been the one who has mentioned that. Trouble is, how do you not play Aldridge big minutes when he gives you this? The rookie had his first NBA double-double, 11 points and 11 rebounds last night. He was 5 for 9 from the field, and hit several deep jumpers. He and Zach are making for a very nice combo, with the inside, outside play.

It was nice to see the Trail Blazers happy on the short flight from Detroit to Milwaukee after the game. Zach climbed on the plane, and said "that's more like it," with a big smile on his face (see photo above).

No time to rest, as the Blazers take on the Milwaukee Bucks tonight. We'll have it for you at 5 o'clock on KGW-8, at the Trail Blazers Television Network. Wheels and Tone will, of course, have it on the Blazers Radio Network.

One last note- Brandon Roy had a very good workout yesterday at the Blazers practice facility in Tualatin. He shot and did some conditioning, and was pain free. We had a camera crew there shooting some of the workout, and we'll be rolling some of that video into the TV broadcast tonight.

6 Comments:

Happy Camper said...: Mornin Mike, Loved watching the game last night. The blazers have been showing good enough work on the offense and with zach playing like he has I'm not to woried aboutit. Certainly when roy comes back, sergio and lamarcus continue to progress, and the team continues to get used to playing together we'll keep improving overall and getting more consistant. I think the blazers success in W's and L's this season will be able to be acurately tracked by looking at the opponents feild goal percentage. I'll guess the magic number at 45% (portland's and the league's averages). If they can hold thier opponents under that it will show good effort on the devensive end. Teams scoring above that are probably getting alot of wide open looks and layups. Of course this isn't that bold of a statement being that so far portland is last in league for opponents feild goal percentage and is not last in the W\L column.; 9:01 AM
natedodoubleg123 said...: Zack is the real meal deal. 26 and 10 could get any player to the all-star game and now that he is making new against the Pistons he deserves all our votes.; 9:32 AM
MadDogg said...: ROY, ROY, ROY, ROY, ROY. Please just give me some Brandon Roy. Now is the perfect time to bring him back. The Blazer's fell to rock bottom in my opinion after the five game skid. Now, with the big win in Detroit they have the opportunity to recover big time. All of these guys have been finding their games individually, and now all they need is a leader. Z-Bo might be our all-star, but he's no floor general. We need Roy to make the smart plays at the critical moments, and to handle the ball in the fourth quarter. He just makes everyone around him better, hopefully it will be that extra push we need to become a winning team.; 12:03 PM
mrblazer said...: I don't remember the last time i saw a player who leads the league in assists per 48 minutes and has a 4 to 1 assist/TO ratio get demoted from the backup spot for making one bad pass. Bringing Dickau in worked out, but did he earn that PT over Sergio? I hope he's playing like a god in practice. Sergio could never duplicate Dickau's 1 for 8 performance in his last outing because Nate would pull him faster than you can say Rodriguez for missing a free throw.; 12:38 PM
Happy Camper said...: Mike, I also would like an explenation as to Sergio's apparent demotion. Has Dan been out-playing him practice? The only way for a player like SR to get more effective is to play him so he and his new team mates can get more and more familiar with each others games. Jack has also proven that he would be by no means a liability at the 2 spot when he thinks about scoring so I cannot see ANY excuse for not playing Sergio. What are we missing here?; 7:08 AM
Happy Camper said...: Mike, just read Quick's report on nate's explination of SR's demotion. Lame- While i have seen him pull Zach out of the game for a few minutes for not doing what he wants I have yet to see him pull Zach for being the WORST defender on the team making the same defensive mistakes over and over again. It seems that almost every time someone scores an easy layup on us Zach was the closest or should have been the help D. Sergio and Juan who are considered defense liabilities are more effective on defense than Zach. I'm not saying Nate should stop playing our most effective offensive player, but to not play someone like SR because he made a bad pass is shooting yourself in the foot,, the more experience we get him the better off the whole team will be.; 7:22 AM

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Trip Opens in Detroit

posted: 12/4/2006 at 8:22 PM

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Greetings from Detroit. Well, not actually Detroit, but Rochester, Michigan. We always fly into Pontiac, drive through Oakland, and stay in either Birmingham or Rochester. This is probably my 8th or 9th trip to Detroit, and I've yet to actually see Detroit. As you know, the Pistons play in Auburn Hills, not far from where we're staying. When I need help in this area, I ask my TV partner Mike Rice, who grew up in this area. In fact, when we play the Pistons, I usually try and remind fans that Rice was drafted by the Pistons back in 1962. I follow that up by saying he was drafted in the 8th round. He then normally chimes in and says there were only 8 teams back then. So, let's just put this to bed and say he was the 64th overall pick in the 1962 draft. That would have him just missing out on being a second-round pick these days. That sounds more impressive, and I'm all about propping him up (literally, sometimes).

I toss in a couple of travel stories occasionally, especially during long road trips like this. This is certainly a strange and wonderful way to make a living, but it's also difficult to be away from home for long stretches. There's so much that goes into bouncing around the country on a nightly basis that fans never even think about. I didn't even really think about it until I was actually doing it. Jason Quick, of The Oregonian, wrote an entertaining story about our travel that appeared in today's edition. Here's a link, if you haven't seen it. I laughed while reading it because I remember the bus ride he's talking about in the story. His description is very accurate. He's also correct in describing our plane, the seating arragements, and how all of us cling to some kind of normalcy and routine while away from home. There are so many more stories, and I'll try and slide one in from time to time.

We flew into Detroit (well, Pontiac) on Monday morning, and the team went immediately from the plane to practice at Oakland University. They watched about 40 minutes of tape from the game against Atlanta, and then went through a long practice. As you would expect, they worked mainly on defense. Nate McMillan has not been happy with the defensive effort as of late, and has been preaching that to his team.

Even though this stat is pretty much meaningless, I will tell you the Trail Blazers, for whatever reason, always seem to play well at the Palace. Portland has won 6 of the last 8 in Detroit (well, Auburn Hills). Last season, they nearly pulled the upset of the Pistons at the Palace. They had a chance to tie in their final possession, but turned the ball over, fouled, and lost 93-89. With that win, the Pistons improved to 20 and 3. Zach Randolph, who had to listen to Rasheed Wallace yapping in his ear all night, scored a a career-high 37 points in that game. They also lost to the Pistons in Portland in November of last season, but again had a chance to win, and fell 84-81.

The Pistons got off to a rough start this season, and were just 3 and 5 through their first 8 games. But, then rattled off an 8-game winning streak. That streak was snapped on Sunday, when they fell in Charlotte 97-89.

The Pistons are led in scoring by Rip Hamilton, who is averaging 22 points per game. Chauncey Billups averages 18, and Tayshaun Prince is right around 17 points per game. Rasheed, who had a good game on Sunday, scoring 19, is averaging just 14 points per game, his lowest average since the 98-99 season.

Against the Blazers last season, Rasheed struggled in both games. He had just 13 points in the first game, and only scored 11 in the second, on 3 of 12 shooting.

The Trail Blazers are searching for answers on defense right now. Their offensive numbers have been fine, and are 13th in the NBA in shooting, at 46 percent. They are also taking good care of the basketball, and are 10th in turnovers at just 15 a game. They are, however, allowing 100 points per game, and are dead last in the league in rebounding. That's what has the coaching staff concerned.

Against the Pistons, look for the Blazers to play more zone defense. They've been going in and out of zone schemes lately, but I expect to see much more zone Tuesday night. As you know, zones help stop penetration, but have to adjust quickly to defend outside shooters. If the Pistons get hot from long range, we could see the zone dumped in a hurry. It's also a difficult for many teams to rebound out of a zone. Being you're guarding an area, basically, it takes a much better effort to find a man to box out. Fortunately, Detroit, without Ben Wallace now, isn't a great rebounding team.

I talked about this yesterday, but look for Sergio Rodriguez to continue to see increased minutes running this Portland team. McMillan likes the energy that Sergio brings to the game, and is pleased with the way Sergio is growing in his role as a leader. This team is in need of a vocal leader on the floor. Jarrett Jack is trying to be more of that, but hasn't come as far as Nate wants in that department. Jarrett won't likely see a cut in his minutes even if Sergio plays more, as he'll often times switch to the off-guard spot. The challenge for Sergio against a team like Detroit will be defending. Billups is a big, physical point guard, and Rip Hamilton is 6-7, and is lightening quick.

We should also see the return of Raef LaFrentz Tuesday night. He's back from his calf injury and is anxious to contribute. He could take a lot of pressure off Zach with his outside shooting. Raef is also a good shot blocker and rebounder, and Portland could certainly use that.

It's the first of six straight on the road for Portland. We'll have the game on FSN Northwest at 4:30 pacific time. Yes, Detroit, Oakland, Rochester, Birmingham, and Auburn Hills are all in the eastern time zone. It'll be interesting to see if the local sportscasters actually cover this game. Monday night they were all lathered up, ripping the BCS for sending Michigan to the Rose Bowl, and not the Fiesta. I guess they haven't had anyone to focus their anger on now that Joey Harrington is gone.

8 Comments:

mrblazer said...: Hey, Mike, thanks for the blogs. It's really great you let us tag along in your daily duties. I hope your blog continues for a long time.

FYI, Mike, when i started posting comments to this blog in the offseason, one thing was decidedly different. Those who were responsible for picking and choosing what comments were allowed or not seemed to do what they could to "keep it real". Sadly, i don't think that is the case, anymore. Now, it seems if we aren't kissing the back end and stroking the ego of every player on the roster it's likely the comment won't get posted.

I can live with that. Although i think it takes some of the fun out of participating in the blog, i can refrain from telling you what i really think. However, i thought maybe you would like to know the sensorship hasn't gone unnoticed.

As for me personally, i'll still pop in from time to time to let you know your work is appreciated. Any criticism of any of our players, though, i'll keep to myself. I guess i'll "keep it real" when discussing basketball amongst friends and not on this blog.; 11:47 PM
spanishchocolate said...: ¡What a really nice photo from Sergio in the cover! Don't you think he is nice?

Good morning here in Spain. Yesterday when I came back from work I could finally saw the match against Hawks. Certainly, my opinion is that coach McMillan has a very hard work. Its somehow frustrating to see that your team losses one and another time. Hopefully this will get better soon.

I'm happy to see Sergio getting into the team. He seems to be more fluent with his play. This is a good think. He needs the support of coach, team and fans. ¡Come on and shout his name when he is playing! And, please, to Blazers fans, be patient, you will see he is the steal of the draft.; 2:22 AM
Jason Raz said...: Hey Mike, I will be at the game tonight in some good seats. What is something I could yell to one of the Portland players to spark a laugh?

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,
Jason; 8:11 AM
Mike Barrett said...: mrblazer,

Thanks as always for the comments. Even though I don't personally moderate comments, I'll try and make sure the positive and negative get through. I think the only thing they like to stay away from is personal attacks on individuals. There are plenty of places to go for those, and the team's website probably should be one of them. I agree that solid criticism, within reason, should be allowed, and I'll try and make sure it does. Don't think I can't handle that. You should see my personal inbox. Keep sending feedback, as I always think your comments are very good.

jason raz,

In Detroit there are plenty of comments coming from the stands, and most of it isn't family-friendly. Any pro-Blazer comments will stick out like a sore thumb, so let it out. Just make sure you're wearing a helmet.

MB; 8:45 AM
Hap said...: seriously Mike, when are the Blazers going to have a contest to let a fan go on a short road trip with the team (on the plane, etc)?

You know, like a weekender trip (houston, memphis in Jan)?

just a thought, as reading the article today it's like Blazer 1 would be like flying in the Taj.; 10:10 AM
john marzan said...: the suns are stupid for selling their sergio pick to you guys.

stupid stupid stupid.

stupid.; 10:24 PM
rick said...: mc milan is the only coach that gives 3 minutes to a guy who got 11 asissts in 20 minutes in the game before. Someone would have to remember him that jarret gave just 3 more asissts with 40 more minutes against detroit, but we are supposed to be happy cause porland won the match, aren´t we? but porland is not fighting for getting a 40-games won season furthermore being in the west conference, porland is fighting to create a well done team which can reach the playoffs in two or three years, but mcmilan prefers keeping the asissts and the futur away from the court, asissts that means points but winning in detroit, this way of thinking may make you win 1 or 2 times from 20 in detroit, but maybe the first possition of sergio in asissts per 48 minutes and his 2nd in asissts per turnover are better in the bench washing the towels and serving the drinks to his mates....; 3:37 AM
Jason Raz said...: Mike, great game last night. I spoke to Zach Randolph for a second and asked him if it was true that he may get moved to Detroit. He said yes, but I think he was joking around with me.; 7:15 AM

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Atlanta Shoots Down Blazers

posted: 12/3/2006 at 9:57 PM

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For the first time since December of 1997, the Atlanta Hawks have won a game in Portland. You knew a streak like that was going to end at some point, the Trail Blazers were just hoping it didn't have to be on Sunday night. The Hawks kicked off their west-coast swing with a 107-96 victory at the Rose Garden, and sent the Trail Blazers on their longest road trip of the season, still riding their losing streak.

This game was a carbon copy of so many we've seen played by the Blazers lately. Nate McMillan even commented that he's starting to sound like a broken record. A slow start, not enough help for Zach Randolph, too many turnovers, and not enough defense. Those were just a few of the comments made following the last four games on this homestand. They all applied again against the Hawks.

Randolph again, got his offensive numbers. He had 30 points on 11-18 shooting, but also turned the ball over five times. The Blazers, as a team, turned it over 21 times. That's not the most distrurbing number, however. The fact that another team shot a high percentage against Portland's defense, has the coaching staff very concerned. In this homestand alone, Phoenix shot 54 percent, Indiana 52 percent, Orlando 49 percent, and Atlanta 51 percent. When you're struggling to defend, you have to play a nearly perfect offensive game to have a chance to win. This Blazers team has some offensive firepower, but not enough to be giving up easy baskets at the other end.

Atlanta was led by Joe Johnson's 33 points. Tyron Lue, off the bench, had 19 points on 9 of 15 shooting. Behind the three-point line, Atlanta was 8 for 17. That's 47 percent, and many of them were wide-open looks. The Blazers shot a very respectable 49 percent from the field, including going 7 for 13 on three pointers. That's enough to get you a win, offensively.

When talking about positives in the loss, one player stands out to me. Martell Webster, who was taken out of the starting lineup, responded, and looked as agressive as we've seen him look lately. Martell had 18 points (4 of 6 on threes), and also grabbed five rebounds. He turns 20 on Monday, and is probably too young to realize how important he is to this team right now. He simply has to bring that kind of agressiveness to the court in every single game if he's going to be a starter. With so many teams collapsing the defense around Zach, someone has to hit outside shots. At the very least, they have to attempt outside shots. Martell is the team's best deep threat, and if he's even close to being on, it can change a game. He'll have to be this same way on this road trip for Portland to have a chance in these games.

The Blazers got strong play from their point guards as well on Sunday. Jarrett Jack had 9 points and 8 assists, and continues to give up more and more playing time to Sergio Rodriguez. Jarrett played 28 minutes, and Sergio played 26. Of course, just because Sergio comes in, doesn't mean Jarrett goes out. We've seen him playing some off-guard as well, and he's big enough to guard some of the bigger twos in this league. Sergio had 8 points and 11 assists against the Hawks, and continues to run the team very well. He's only 20, by the way.

By the time most of you will be reading this, we'll be in the air on our way to Detroit. Tuesday night this six-game trip begins with a game against the Pistons. It's then on to Milwaukee, Indiana, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Memphis.

Raef LaFrentz will be making the trip, and expects to be in uniform against the Pistons (4:30pm FSN Northwest). He was one guy, before the season, we said could really help this team. Then he had this calf injury. It'll take him some time to get into prime game shape, but this team can badly use his outside shooting. I'm looking foward to seeing him play alongside Zach, and pulling his defender away from the paint, and Zach.

As you've probably heard, Brandon Roy will not be making the trip, but will be working out in Portland, trying to get his conditioning back. He'll also be testing his left heel, and hopefully won't be feeling significant pain. He says circle the game on the 15th against the Clippers, as that's when he'd love to make his return. If all goes well, that's the earliest we'll see him.

Talk to you from Detroit.

5 Comments:

blazerfan11 said...: Hey Mike, Thanks for continuing to Blog for us. I think that alot of the defensive woes are a direct result of such a turnover of players in the offseason. Our rotations are just horrible at times. Both on the perimeter and down low. It'll just take time to get it right. Maybe the whole team needs more late night film sessions.; 11:34 PM
blazerfan11 said...: Hey Mike, Thanks for continuing to Blog for us. I think that alot of the defensive woes are a direct result of such a turnover of players in the offseason. Our rotations are just horrible at times. Both on the perimeter and down low. It'll just take time to get it right. Maybe the whole team needs more late night film sessions.; 11:35 PM
Happy Camper said...: gmornin mike! It's nice to see sergio getting more PT. There isn't anybody on the team more capable of getting their TEAM MATES good shots than sergio (other than probably roy) I don't question the ball in his hands at crunchtime in the least bit when looking at the other options right now. Dixon and Zach are obviously better at getting their own shots off, but they will be heavily contested. sergio is far more likely to see the open man and get him a better shot than a contested one from one of those two. Unfortunately for that to happen it brings us back to the teamwork-rotation-timing thing. If the offensive work away from the ball happens right sergio will have open people to throw to or get zach or juan a better shot that the defense hasn't been able to set up for as well, if not he'll have to take the shot. Right now it may seem that giving it to juan or zack and crossing your fingers is better than letting sergio have it in a situation like that, but for the team to impove we need to be able to rely more on the offensive rotation and teamwork and less on giving it to zack and see what he can do. - if they don't try winning with teamwork i don't think they'll become a winning team; 10:46 AM
mrblazer said...: I think it is up to Martell to be aggressive, but it is also on the PG to pass him the ball. Jack did it twice, early, and the result was 2 quick 3-pointers. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen often. I've been campaigning for Martell's minutes to be with Sergio. I think he would be more effective and aggressive if he knew he would be rewarded with the ball for moving and working without it.

I can see why Nate has been limiting Martell's minutes. We had a stretch where we hit two 3s in a row. However, Atlanta hit two 3s and a 2 during that same stretch as a result of Martell's confusion at the defensive end. That's tough to deal with for a coach, i'm sure.; 1:05 PM
cfoss87 said...: hey mike, i love the blogs. always provide that in depth analysis and inside information. one of the things that's been pressing on my mind lately has been the struggles that we've seen on the offensive end.
sure everyone wants to talk about the defensive woes- the matador defense, if you will- but i see the lack of consistent scoring options outside of zach. now you and other media members have always praised players like martell webster and at times jarrett jack for being the gym rats that they are, and going out to tualatin after games to open up the practice facility and work on their games. id like to know if that some amount of extra work is being put in thus far in the early season and from whom.
thanks; 4:33 PM

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Grant Hill Hits Game Winner

posted: 12/1/2006 at 9:35 PM

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Following his game-winning shot with three-tenths of a second left at the Rose Garden on Friday night, Grant Hill said, "we got lucky." He went on to talk about the effort by the Trail Blazers, the incredible second half by Zach Randolph, and his own huge plays in the final seconds of the game.

Orlando conntinues to roll, as they've now won six straight games, including five straight on the road. They also made history with the win over the Blazers. They've played the Sonics and Trail Blazers on back-to-back nights, on the road, 15 times in their history. This is the first time they've come away with victories in both games. They also now share the NBA's best record, with Utah, who is also 13 and 4.

Hill, the classy veteran, who has been better known for his injury-plagued career in Orlando than his play on the court, had the two biggest plays of the night. First, he picked off a Sergio Rodriguez pass with 30 seconds left, and then tied the game with two free throws. Then, with just 1.2 seconds left and the game tied, received a lob pass from Hedo Turkoglu, and put in the game-winner. The Blazers didn't have any time outs left, and the Magic won the game, 91-89.

Hill's clutch plays ruined what was a great come-back effort by the Trail Blazers, who didn't take their first lead in the game until the 1:04 mark of the fourth quarter. Orlando led by as many as 9 points in the game, and repeatedly turned back Portland's attempts to get over the hump.

The Blazers had pulled to within one of Orlando, five different times before finally taking the lead. Then, with Travis Outlaw's jumper, went up 89-87 with 1:04 to play. Following a Hill miss, the Blazers had the ball back, with a two-point lead, with 30 seconds to play. Sergio Rodriguez, who otherwise had an outstanding game, floated a pass out top that was picked off by Hill, who made the tying free throws. Portland still had a possession to try and tie, and when nothing else developed, Sergio drove down the right side of the lane and missed a bank shot with 1.2 left.

The game-winning play was a beauty, designed by Magic coach Brian Hill. The Blazers were most likely thinking Hedo Turkoglu would pass the ball in, and then get it back, with a chance to go for the winner. Instead, Jameer Nelson set a back pick for Hill at the foul line. Jarrett Jack and Ime Udoka, who had been switching on picks all night, got caught in the switch, and Turkoglu's pass was caught by a wide-open Hill, who flipped it in.

The Trail Blazers will be looking at this game as a big missed opportunity to beat one of the hottest teams in the NBA. As several of the players said after the game, the Blazers didn't make the most of several big possessions down the stretch, and missed some key free throws, that would have put them in a much better position. They're beyond searching for moral victories, so no one was happy with just a good effort.

Zach Randolph, who was the focus of Orlando's defense, struggled in the first half against a big Magic frontline, and had just 4 points. But, he came alive in the second half, scoring 24 of his 28 in the final two quarters. He had 16 in the third quarter alone, to get Portland to within striking distance. Zach ended with 28 points and 13 rebounds. Jarrett Jack had 14 points, and Travis Outlaw had 13 off the bench, including the big shot to give the Blazers their first lead with just over a minute left. LaMarcus Aldridge had a solid game, with 10 points off the bench.

By the way, the Blazers have been terrific in late-game pressure so far this season. They had been 4 and 0 in games decided by 4 points or less. It looked as though they'd be playing their first overtime game of the season, until Hill ended the suspense.

There's just one game left on this homestand, and then we're off for a six-game road trip. Atlanta will visit the Rose Garden on Sunday night. We leave early Monday morning for Detroit, Milwaukee, Indiana, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Memphis.

4 Comments:

DLatta said...: Hey Mike!

I think the Blazers are as frustrated as the fans. Let's not pick apart what the blazers could've done better in this game. Everyone could think of one, two, or maybe three things that would've made this go more smoothly.
Anyways, Orlando is #1 in the SE division for a reason. It was not a blowout, it was a good game. At times I felt like pulling my hair out, just because our team would get so close and then get behind by 9. I had a great time tonight in the Rose Garden!
I think the Blazers will be in better shape when Brandon Roy is put into the rotation. What I mean by that is they'll have much more confidence. For those who where at the game tonight, the Blazers announce that Brandons boot came off. How the Fans responded! Wow! That made me feel good. The Fans know what they have in Brandon, And Brandon knows what he has in the fans. If you missed it, it was about the Noise (cheer) and the smile on that young mans face! Priceless! Till Next time!; 11:12 PM
aitor14vn said...: Hi all! from Barcelona, Spain. I've been reading all the comments about Sergio Rodriguez and I can understand both opinions. I understand the ones that thought he's too young and unexperienced to be the starting PG in the NBA, and I understand the ones that claims for more minutes and a more important role in the team.
I'm an Estudiantes fan (the team where Sergio comes) and I've seen him in so many games. I can affirm that he is totally capable of taking the chief role in any team, he has show it in so many games. Be sure of that!
Ther's only one thing we should take care of: he needs to feel that the team, the coach and all the staff, believes in him. If we are patient with him, don't worry about an struggling game, in the next one, he will do better than ever. He loves to take an important role and he could do it right now!. But remember, he's 20 and he needs affection and confidence. Trust in him, he won't dissapoint you.
Someone that knows what is talking about.
Go Blazers!!; 4:17 AM
chronnic said...: aitor14vn Ill setle for sergio making wide open layups; 11:07 AM
peregrinebrm said...: So was there a team meeting to decide that Sergio is the new go-to guy in clutch situations, or how was this decided? Will Sergio be getting the ball on ALL big plays from now on, or will other players sometimes be involved near the end of games as well? I hope we don't get too predictable to other teams with our new game-closing "always get it to Sergio" strategy.

I hope Jarrett, as the team's starting point guard, will accept his new "get out of the way and let Sergio go to work" role at the end of games.

By the way, this is NOT a knock on Sergio. His fans could tone it down, though - aitor14vn, did you see the game??? Sergio will be fine, but some of the rest of us need to view him and where he is in this stage of his career with a bit more clarity.; 6:18 PM

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The Beast from the East

posted: at 7:42 AM

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If you think the Trail Blazers have been catching some red-hot teams lately, you’re correct. That’s not about to change Friday night, as Portland hosts the best team from the Eastern Conference, the Orlando Magic. Many expected Orlando to be improved this season, but not many thought they’d be 12 and 4 after 16 games.

The true measure for any eastern team is how they do against the much-tougher Western Conference. Well, not only are the Magic 5 and 1 against the West, they’ve started this road trip with impressive wins at Utah and Seattle. They’ve won five in a row overall, look to continue that streak.

I know we’re only a month into the season, but Dwight Howard is the dominant center in the east this season, and is a potential MVP of the league. He is an absolute monster, and has been putting up big numbers, averaging 17 points, and 14 rebounds per game. He already has 3 games of 20+ points, and 20+ rebounds. At Seattle on Wednesday, he had 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots.

The Magic start a big first unit, with Hedo Turkoglu (6-10), Tony Battie (6-11), and Howard (6-11), on the front line. Grant Hill is healthy and is playing very well, and point guard Jameer Nelson is as tough as nails and makes this Orlando engine roar.

If the offense isn’t enough, and it has been on most nights, the Magic are a force at the defensive end of the floor. They’ve been holding opponents to just 92 points per game, second-best in the NBA. It'll be another big challenge for Zach Randolph, against this Magic shot-blocking machine. We saw Zach have some success against Indiana when he moved out to the perimeter and hit a couple of jumpers. Even though the coaches would ultimately like him in the low block, if he can stretch the defense from the outside, that's fine with them. Problem is, he's Portland's best rebounder, and when he's outside shooting shots he doesn't have a chance at the offensive board.

Following their loss to Indiana on Tuesday, the Trail Blazers took Wednesday off, and returned to practice on Thursday. They mainly worked on defense, and worked on ways to slow down Orlando.

Coach Nate McMillan was a guest on Trail Blazers Courtside on Thursday night, and talked about what will be needed against the Magic. He also discussed the Indiana game, and gave us an update on the status of Raef LaFrentz and Brandon Roy. He also spent time talking about Howard, who he coached on Team USA at the World Championships.

A link to the interview with coach McMillan will be added, in this spot, very shortly.

We were also joined on the show by Joel Przybilla. Joel returned to the Blazers lineup for the game against the Pacers, and talked about how good it feels to be back. He’ll start again Friday night, and hopes to see more action, as he continues to get back into shape.

Friday night’s game against the Magic, is radio only, and begins at 6 o’clock on the Trail Blazers Radio Network.

3 Comments:

borjaila said...: Hi Mike, greetings from Spain.I´m happy how things are going for Sergio.Mcmillan is a tough coach and make the players really sweat for their minutes.This way is how Sergio is going to improve and hopefully he will manage to win more minutes as season goes on.
When this i´m talking about comes true may be Mcmillan will be his rookie record 25 assist broken(difficult but not impossible while given enough minutes in a blowout game).Best wishes for Blazers as i´m an old fan from Sabonis era.; 8:38 AM
mrblazer said...: Howard is an example of an athlete with fairly limited basketball skills being just what the NBA ordered. He wasn't nearly as effective in international play as he is in the NBA. I think he's a freakish athlete, but i'm not too impressed with his game. He was a big baby during the World Championship's, so i'd love to see us knock them down.; 12:31 PM
DT-Vinsanity said...: It's going to be a pretty interesing star matchup between Z-Bo and Howard, although the individual defender of Howard will probably be Joel.

Dwight is a very young and promising player that is getting a breakout season, but his numbers are surely going to increase even more during the next years... so if "this" Howard is already a "beast", how are we going to call him when he becomes 23-24 years old and reaches the top of his potential?

As mrblazer said, he was at the World Championships, where he had some solid moments, mainly in the offensive end. In the semifinal against Greece I think he was one of the few players of the US Team that played good, at his level. With Elton Brand being overwhelmed by Baby Shaq (Schrortsanitis), I think Dwight Howard did a better job than the Clipper, but still it was not enough as the rest of the team had a lack of tenacity in the defensive end (and the Greeks also had some moments of heating up).

The Blazers have to be aware of the 3-pointers from Turkoglu, that takes advantage from the hard defense to D-Howard in the paint, which leaves spaces for wide open outside shots.

By the way, it's going to be a good chance to see Magloire and LaMarcus Aldridge defensive skills against dominant "paint players" if they are matched with D-Howard in any moment of the game.; 3:04 PM

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The Beast from the East

posted: at 7:42 AM

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If you think the Trail Blazers have been catching some red-hot teams lately, you're correct. That's not about to change Friday night, as Portland hosts the best team from the Eastern Conference, the Orlando Magic. Many expected Orlando to be improved this season, but not many thought they'd be 12 and 4 after 16 games.

The true measure for any eastern team is how they do against the much-tougher Western Conference. Well, not only are the Magic 5 and 1 against the West, they've started this road trip with impressive wins at Utah and Seattle. They've won five in a row overall, look to continue that streak.

I know we're only a month into the season, but Dwight Howard is the dominant center in the east this season, and is a potential MVP of the league. He is an absolute monster, and has been putting up big numbers, averaging 17 points, and 14 rebounds per game. He already has 3 games of 20+ points, and 20+ rebounds. At Seattle on Wednesday, he had 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots.

The Magic start a big first unit, with Hedo Turkoglu (6-10), Tony Battie (6-11), and Howard (6-11), on the front line. Grant Hill is healthy and is playing very well, and point guard Jameer Nelson is as tough as nails and makes this Orlando engine roar.

If their offense isn't enough, and it has been on most nights, the Magic are a force at the defensive end of the floor. They've been holding opponents to just 92 points per game, second-best in the NBA. It'll be another big challenge for Zach Randolph, against this Magic shot-blocking machine. We saw Zach have some success against Indiana when he moved out to the perimeter and hit a couple of jumpers. Even though the coaches would ultimately like him in the low block, if he can stretch the defense from the outside, that's fine with them. Problem is, he's Portland's best rebounder, and when he's outside shooting shots he doesn't have a chance at the offensive board.

Following their loss to Indiana on Tuesday, the Trail Blazers took Wednesday off, and returned to practice on Thursday. They mainly worked on defense, and worked on ways to slow down Orlando.

Coach Nate McMillan was a guest on Trail Blazers Courtside on Thursday night, and talked about what will be needed against the Magic. He also discussed the Indiana game, and gave us an update on the status of Raef LaFrentz and Brandon Roy. He also spent time talking about Howard, who he coached on Team USA at the World Championships.

To hear our interview with coach McMillan from last night's radio show, click here.

We were also joined on the show by Joel Przybilla. Joel returned to the Blazers lineup for the game against the Pacers, and talked about how good it feels to be back. He'll start again Friday night, and hopes to see more action, as he continues to get back into shape.

To listen to the interview with Joel, click here.

Friday night's game against the Magic, is radio only, and begins at 6 o'clock on the Trail Blazers Radio Network.

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