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Monday Blazer Courtside
Hosts: Jay Allen & Michael Holton
11/17/08, 6-7pm
NOTE: Show is only one hour as the Duck basketball game was on after 7pm.
Summary
- Brian Wheeler – Martell wants to play in early Dec, preferably by his birthday.
- Nate McMillan – Greg will continue to come off the bench. Aldridge needs to face the basket more and drive to the basket.
- Mike Rice - His teammates have so much respect for Greg and his abilities and where he can take them.
- Golden State game – take care of the ball and rebound. Control the middle and put pressure on the outside shooters.
Brian Wheeler – interview on 95.5FM, 11/18 7:30am
- Golden State game – Nate doesn’t want his players to get into the Warriors game and just shoot outside shots. He wants them to get the ball inside.
- Martell wants to play on his birthday (Dec 5th)
- Martell needs to run 2 miles on the treadmill without any pain, learned his lesson to listen to the doctors and let people know when he has pain.
- They knew the first 22 games were going to be tough, but are surprised how well they are playing.
- Now with Greg Oden back the team is in a very positive and confident mood
Nate McMillian – interview
- We thought about this trip and decided to come home on Saturday nights and didn’t practice on Sunday to give the players a chance to rest at home, practiced on Monday, got on a plane and now ready to finish this road trip against Golden State.
Minnesota game
- We go out with our normal rules in a game. We were aggressive in the 1st half in double teaming Jefferson and then went to single coverage in the 2nd half as Jefferson was still thinking looking for the double team.
- In the second half we had Jefferson looking around for us, so we tried to keep Love and the rest of the players off of the boards and kept the players out on the perimeter.
- It was a struggle for three quarters. In the 4th quarter we started to knock down shots and was able to establish a rhythm.
Greg Oden
- He likes what he is seeing. Greg is starting to gain confidence on the floor. Each game he has been back he has looked more comfortable on the floor. We have been able to blend him in with the starting unit off the bench. That is causing match-up problems for other teams.
- He is just starting to get his confidence and a feel for the team and for the team to figure out how to play with Greg.
- He was seeing at first the players just pass him the ball and stand around.
- He wants the Blazers to take advantage of the double and triple teams on Greg and someone gots to shoot the ball when they are open.
- For right now he is going to bring Greg off the bench and allow him to gets some games under him and let him gain some confidence.
- Right now he is playing, it isn’t important where. He needs to gain confidence and experience on the floor and allow the players to get used to how to play with him. With the second unit they will need to figure that out.
- He may not be starting, but he is finishing the games.
LaMarcus Aldridge
- His jump shot is a huge threat, when he is facing the basket, it puts a lot of pressure on the defense. They have to give him room or crowd him.
- We tell our guys in the post, LaMarcus and Greg to turn and face the defense, take a picture of the defense and see where they are at. A lot of times the defense won’t face up and double team. If they do then you know where you can do with shooting, driving the lane or pass out to a shooter.
- If LaMarcus faced up to the defense he could drive more to the basket.
- Right now he is relying on his fadeaway jump shot. Most teams will allow LaMarcus to shoot that fade away jump shot.
- Nate would like LaMarcus to drive to the basket and get to the free throw line more.
Travis Outlaw
- (mh – Travis excellent play of defense to deny them an inbound pass in the 4th causing Minnesota to burn a timeout and the steal of the ball. Will we continue to see Travis improve on defense) – Nate hopes so, that is what the team needs and certainly this is the next step for Greg. They need that defensive stopper on the wing. He has shown he can score either at the 3 or 4. If Travis can play like a Shane Battier, Bruce Bowen or Raja Bell, a guy who can defend and score, it would be very valuable to this team.
- Travis has made a commitment in the last week to concentrate on being a better rebounder and better defender and letting the offense come to him.
- Defensively he did a solid job on Randy Foye and Mike Miller and helped the team win that game.
Golden State
- The warriors may start five guards, but we have to be patient and take advantage of our size.
- We need to go inside and don’t force it and also take the jump shot.
- Two things that are key to winning against Golden State – 1) don’t turn the ball over and 2) control the boards.
Mike Rice – interview
Greg Oden
- Everyone is starting to see the big guy and everybody in practice is finally starting to see what the coaches, media and team saw.
- When you are talking about a big guy you have to depend on the system where the guards have to pass the ball to him. Are the guards used to playing with Greg.
- Greg went into with the attitude of how can I help this team. Am I going to be a scorer, rebounder or defensive stopper. Now he is realizing he can help this team a little bit of everything.
- All big guys take time to dominate and Shaq is the exception.
- His teammates have so much respect for Greg and his abilities and where he can take them.
- Now the Blazers know they won’t be dominated inside and now they can dominate inside. That is a big thing in the NBA.
- He doesn’t know anybody that has gone through the highs and lows.
Golden State
- If you can get Andris Bedrins in foul trouble early they are dead inside.
- If you look at their 3pt shooting they can be 20 for 25 or 2 for 25.
- They like to shoot outside and let Bedrins put up the rebounds.
- I would make it difficult to shoot 3’s, but he wouldn’t take it away.
- Warriors are getting to the free throw lines, so you want to put pressure on them, but still let them shoot the three.
Team
- The Blazers want to run more and haven’t had time to work on a fast paced game. They have talked about it and just haven’t had time to work it in.
- If the Blazers can win 3 out of the next 4 and then do well on the next 5 game road trip.
- If the Blazers can get through November and early December with a winning record. The next set is a lot of home games in Dec and Jan and the Blazers can really look promising
- Even now the Blazers are one of the better three point shooting teams and you add Martel it should make them even better.
- Other teams will need to double team Greg and that is where shooters like Martel should be able to take advantage.
Minnesota game - comments
- (mh) – it was a big win, it was a big second half as the Timberwolves had their way in the 1st half. The Blazers stayed resilent, stayed together, stayed confident and got a nice dose of Greg Oden in the 2nd half.
- (mh) - against Minnesota, a player like Al Jefferson, the ability to defend Jefferson was going to be a deciding factor. They double teamed Jefferson sucessfully and also successfully did single coverage on him.
Greg Oden – comments
- (ja & mh) – (ja) How long do you continue to bring Greg off the bench? (mh) As long as he has been part of the game. Play and Performance dictates minutes so as Greg Oden rounds into shape and gets better. You will see a swing of minutes go his way and eventually start.
- (ja) – The buzz has been the return of Greg Oden and he had another solid effort against Minnesota, 13pts., 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. He has really been active on the boards and defense and also getting involved in the offense.
- (mh) – The whole Blazer nation has been waiting to exhale and Greg Oden has gotten back into condition. He played late and made plays that help the Blazers win.
- (mh) – What is important like Nate said it is not so much who starts, but minutes and playing in the 4th.
- (mh) – Greg is a human being and he cares what about the team and what is expected of him.
- (mh) – It is a process to come back.. He has been gone a long time. Last game we saw Greg post up, play through some physicality, get to the free throw line and comes away with a win.
Brandon Roy – comments
- (mh) – Roy had too many ball handling responsibilities and he had a lot of uncharistically turnovers. Now with both Blake and Sergio playing well, you are seeing Roy pick his spots, especially in the 4th quarter when he gets the ball to make the plays.
Jerryd Bayless – comments
- (mh) – (emal from a fan asking about Bayless and playing time) – Obvisiously he is on the outside, looking in as far as minutes and being part of the rotation. There just isn’t a whole lot of minutes available as the backup PG as Sergio has elated recently about his playing time. If you look at the PG position, Blake gets 30 minutes, Roy gets 10 minutes and Sergio gets about 8-10 minutes. There just isn’t any available minutes.
- (ja) – he is a rookie and Nate will go with the players that have more experience. Especially when Nate is trying to win games and make the playoffs.
- (mh) – We talked a lot about the versaltilty, depth and youth of this team. The one thing that is a problem with this formula is distribution of minutes. Everybody can’t play 30 minutes and the max is 3 players per position. So some players are on the outside looking in for minutes.
Nicolas Batum & Martell Webster – comments
- (mh) – When he was a coach you just don’t worry about players with injuries and how you are going to get them into the rotation like Martell.
- (mh) - What he sees developing is that SF is becoming a defensive premium and that both Batum and Outlaw are playing well.
- (mh) – Martell has the athletism to play good defense and that is something he will need to do when he comes back.
Team – comments
Schedule
- (ja) – Blazer record is 6-4 and in a three way tie in the NW Division with Denver and Utah for first place.
- (mh) – You got to like that out of the gate. Everybody talked about how difficult this schedule was going to be. Just get through this stretch. What the Trail Blazers are doing is being competitive every night.
- (mh) – A very successful road trip. They are playing with a lot of confidence. What he likes to do is monitor the easy basket category: a) the ones the Trail Blazers get in the paint and on the break and b) The defense gives you easy baskets.
- (mh) – He is seeing the Blazer players really dialed in and staying together late into the 4th the team from this road trip. Guys are learning to stay on the floor you have to take care of the ball and play defense.
- (ja) – Five players have wore the #30 uniform, who were those players? Terry Porter, Bobby Gross, Rasheed Wallace, Sam Bowie and Rick Roberson
