Pick and Scroll

Your daily (Mon-Fri) roundup of links from around the blogosphere, typically Trail Blazers related.

• Mike Barrett says that Marcus Camby and Nicolas Batum are the heroes of last night’s game:

• On Camby:

Marcus Camby probably goes down as the hero on this night, staying with the defensive theme. He had a couple of field goals, when Portland desperately needed them, and had 3 of his 5 blocks in the fourth. In a very key possession late, Camby knocked the ball away from Spencer Hawes, and then beat Hawes to the ball by diving on to the floor, called for a timeout, and won the possession for his team.

• On Batum: 

Nicolas Batum continues to show his value late in games, both with his defense and ability to finish at the rim. Batum was a very efficient 6 for 7 from the field, scored 14 points, and played very good defense on Rookie-of-the-Year-to-be, Tyreke Evans. 

• Just FYI, even though Nicolas Batum has only played 21 games so far, he is shooting a Steve Nash like 55.3% from the field, 42.9% from three, and 91.7% from the free throw line. In fact Kevin Pelton’s “shoot” score which rewards frequent shooters to help eliminate flukes says that he’s been one of the best shooters in the league in his limited minutes. What I think is encouraging is that Batum is getting his points in largely sustainable ways and in the flow of the offense. Should Batum’s usage go up, his efficiency will likely take a hit, but as long as he keeps taking what the defense is giving him, he’s going to be a very efficient complimentary player and could be the straw that breaks the opposing defense’s back. Players like Roy, Aldridge, and Oden are the foundation, but players like Batum put a team over the top.

• Ben Golliver from BlazersEdge inquires after Roy’s hamstring:

“There’s times I feel like … I kind of have good days, bad days, good plays, bad plays. Sometimes I’ll tweak it and I’ll stay off of it for a little bit. It’s something I’ve got to play with and try to deal with it.”  Asked if it was affecting his free throw shooting or balance (he struggled again at the line, going 3-7), Roy said, “Nah, I’m just missing today. Yeah, I was just missing those.” 

• Wendell Maxey talks to the Kings about what makes Brandon Roy so hard to guard:

“Man, he’s strong,” Landry explained when asked what makes Roy such a tough cover.

 “That’s something a lot of people don’t know about Brandon Roy. He’s a very athletic player but he’s strong at the same time. He can shoot that jump shot, but he can also get to the hoop at finish at the same time. A lot of people think because he’s a shooting guard, he’s not strong. He’s stronger than the average guard.”

• The Oregonian’s Jason Quick says that in spite of the win, the Blazers defense leave something to be desired.

• Geoffrey C. Arnold of The Oregonian reports that Nate McMillan agrees with Quick:

“Our defense has been a work in progress all year long,” McMillan said. “In the last five games, we haven’t been sharp. That has been a concern.” 

• ESPN’s J.A. Adande has a national piece on the Trail Blazers. Nothing new for most Portland fans, but it’s nice to get some national run. 

• If you will recall, Dwight Jaynes was raising expectations a few days ago. Well, he’s down in the dumps now. Have the Blazers changed their level of play so much in such a short period? No, they have not. The level of competition has changed a bit, but the problems that were on full display last night were the same problems that were bandaged over during that five game road trip. 

• Speaking of changing stances, Bust a Bucket’s Sophia Brugato might be warming up to Marcus Camby, even if just a little. 

• Salary cap guru Larry Coon wonders if the big names may threaten to play in Europe if CBA negotiations go sour. 

• As per his twitter, Jeff Pendergraph is no longer single. Women all over Portland are weeping.

Win Leaves Something To Be Desired

“Well, we got the win,” coach McMillan said after Tuesday’s pedestrian victory over Sacramento at the Rose Garden. But he was honest. “Of course, we know we can play better. And we’re going to have to play better than we did down the stretch to win our remaining games.”

And what else can you say? It was Tuesday, it was Sacramento, and it wasn’t especially convincing. The Kings, currently a 21-42 team, shouldn’t be able to clamp down on the Blazers, or rattle off 10-nothing runs—but they did.

Portland entered the second half with a ten point lead before the Kings went on at 14-6 run that brought them within a pair. After building back up another double-digit advantage to begin the fourth, the Blazers again were unable to put Sacramento away. The Kings scored the next 10 straight points. It took until the 8:37 mark for the Blazers got any fourth quarter points, and until 6:23 until they scored from the field. Coach McMillan pointed to “missed shots” rather than problems with execution or Sacramento’s defense.

The dry spells were nothing Portland couldn’t handle. A few crucial stands led by Marcus Camby blocks straightened up the Blazers defensively and they pulled away with time to spare. But it was a far cry from the “we’ve found our rhythm,” bring-on-the-playoffs swagger they had just a few short days ago. A overwhelming loss Sunday in Denver crushed all that, and unfortunately, a gimme against the Kings wasn’t enough to get it back.

That sentiment that the Blazers must improve before the playoffs was shared throughout the locker room. Brandon Roy, who led all scorers with 19 points echoed McMillan’s thoughts afterward.

Nicolas Batum was wickedly efficient, making six of his seven shots to finish with 14 points. On the other hand, the icy streak that LaMarcus Aldridge’s discovered in Denver continued. He hit just six of 15 shots against a porous Kings front line while grabbing seven rebounds.

Playing in his eighth game as a Blazer, Marcus Camby showed some of what he can do on the defensive end. But for his five blocks, Camby gave up as many turnovers (box scores say four, but there was one play where he lost the ball along the baseline that was not attributed). Three of the veteran center’s give-always happened in the first quarter, two on very routine outlet passes (another sailed over a teammates’ head but they were just able to keep it in play). It wasn’t as if they passes sniffed out by clever defenders—they simply missed their mark. I remember Camby blowing a few outlet passes in his Blazers debut, and wrote it off as unfamiliarity with his teammates. Now it’s starting to look like carelessness—the turnovers helped Sacramento back in after the Blazers got out to a 10-2 early lead.

On a positive note, after weeks of futility and near anonymity, Martell Webster began to shake off what has haunted him. For the first time since February 16, Webster scored in double figures (11). He was also commended on his defense of Kings star Tyreke Evans.

In jack-knifing through the lane Evans showed flashes of why many believe he’ll win Rookie of the Year. But in playing 43 minutes, there were stretches of time one could forget he was on the court. Evans finished with a team-high 17 points for the Kings.

And so there you have it—pretty much a ho-hum game. And with a trip to Golden State and another visit with Sacramento, this week is full of them. Assuming the Blazers are able to put together a new little winning streak, it’ll be important to note the manner in which they win. Can they do it going away? Can they start slamming the door on these inferior, lottery-bound losers?

It’s important they do, because the Blazers need their swag back. Don’t let these losers in the John Wall sweepstakes linger. Like Jay-Z says, “you gotta get that dirt off your shoulders.”

NOTES
- For the first time in eight games the Blazers failed to hit the century mark.
- LaMarcus Aldridge picked up rebound 2,000 as a Blazer.

Pick and Scroll

Your daily (Mon-Fri) roundup of links from around the blogosphere, typically Trail Blazers related.

• Wendell Maxey plays a game of “What if?“ As in, “What if Portland had drafted Adam Morrison like Nate McMillan wanted?” Go ahead and grab some Scope, ‘cause I know you just threw up in your mouth a little bit. Wendell then takes the game even further and extends it to Chris Paul and Kevin Durant.

• Looks like Rudy Fernandez wants to play for Spain in the World Championships in Turkey. I can just imagine Nate McMillan (assistant coach for Team USA) yelling “Let him put it on the ground! Give him that spinning-free-throw-line-fade-away shot all day!”

• Of course, Rudy isn’t the only Trail Blazer shooting guard who might play for their national team. In addition to Roy’s Olympic dreams, Bayless, Aldridge, and Oden are all members of Team USA at one level or another. It will be interesting to see if any of them make the World Championship or Olympic teams. Also, Team Australia might be interested in one Patty Mills as well.

• Matt Scheelar over at Bust a Bucket has no faith in Portland’s forwards, but thinks the Blazers will still pull out a win against the Kings.

• I myself have a bit more faith in Nicolas Batum and Martell Webster, especially since, according to TrueHoop Network sister blog Cowbell Kingdom, Israeli sensation Omri Casspi may not play tonight.  

• Geoffrey C. Arnold of The Oregonian takes a look at the Kings Rookie of the Year candidate Tyreke Evans.

• For more on Evans, who is putting up a Brandon Roy-esque 20.3 points 5.4 assists and 4.8 boards a game, check this great “Rookie Retrospective” by DraftExpress.

• Ben from BlazersEdge was at Dorkapalooza the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. If you have half an hour, I highly recommend reading his piece on an event that just might change the way that teams work with statistical analysis

• Sebastian Pruiti over at TrueHoop Network sister blog NBA Playbook takes a look at the fantastic almost-game-winning play that Popovich drew up last night, which was basically the same play that almost beat the Blazers the last time the two teams met. (Hat tip to commenter Justin Dif for the second video link). 

• Okay, Wendell Maxey played “what if?,” so now it’s my turn. What if Joel Przybilla is out for next season and Kevin Pritchard isn’t interested in overpaying an aging Marcus Camby in free agency? Might I suggest a Przybilla and Martell Webster for Emeka Okafor swap (along with picks, cash, and filler players as needed to please both sides)? Joel’s short term insured contract gives New Orleans some salary relief (which they need) and Webster gives them a young wing that can shoot. Portland gets a good young PF/C who can adequately back up both Oden and Aldridge, giving Portland a championship level PF/C rotation. As a caveat, Portland really seems to value the ability to hit the midrange jumper from power forwards. If shooting from the 4 is a priority, then Portland may want to look elsewhere. 

• I wouldn’t mind picking up Julian Wright in the aforementioned scenario as well, since I think that Wright could really use a change of scenery and that Monty Williams could do wonders with him. Additionally, such a trade would cement Batum as the starting small forward and Wright would be the clear backup.

• Do you have a better idea? Hop aboard the ESPN Trade Machine and let us know what you cobble together.

Blazers vs. Kings - Preview

This Mike Bibby toy will haunt your dreams.

21 wins? Sacramento Kings, you are better than that. Real estate in that low-20s neighborhood is usually reserved for franchises in a downward spiral (Indiana, Washington, Detroit), while the Kings’ future is bright it seems like the team is heading back towards their “Greatest Show on Court” days.

Well, just not yet.

Sacramento coach Paul Westphal has a bonafide superstar in Tyreke Evans, a solid presence in the paint with Jason Thompson, an international star in the making with Omri Casspi, and he fell asleep one night with Sergio Rodriguez on the roster and woke up the next morning with Carl Landry in his place. Excuse me if I am jealous of the 13th best team in the Western Conference, but what the Kings are doing is damn impressive. But since the Maloof brothers don’t have a time machine (if they did, they’d just go into the future to buy hair gel and new scents of Axe body spray), this Kings team will have to wait their turn.

Although the future never quiet works out the way you intend it to, just the thought of a Western Conference dominated by Portland, Sacramento, and Oklahoma City—instead of Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Antonio—makes me a very happy.

As for Portland, forget Denver. It was a tough loss, but the games Portland really needs are the pair against the Kings (they play twice this week), the Warriors on Thursday, and Toronto on Sunday. If the Blazers finish this week with four victories, no one will remember what happened in Denver.

Well, except Andre Miller. Dude is going to be talking about his dunk until the end of time.

Tip-off: 7 pm
TV: Comcast
Las Vegas Line: Portland -8
TrueHoop Network Blog & Blue Öyster Cult fansite: Cowbell Kingdom

Pick and Scroll

 Your daily (Mon-Fri) roundup of links from around the blogosphere, typically Trail Blazers related.

• The Oregonian’s Jason Quick cuts right to the chase:

If Sunday was supposed to be a gauge of where the Trail Blazers stand in the Western Conference playoff conversation, the result was short and to the point: 

The Blazers do not belong with Denver in the West’s high-rent district.

• Dwight Jaynes is frustrated. He does understand that the Portland Trail Blazers started Juwan “The Headlock” Howard at center against one of last year’s Western Conference Finalists, in their own building where the Blazers have lost 12 of the last 13, right?

• Mike Barrett is not surprised, and not discouraged:

It was a disappointing loss for the Blazers, but given the history of this series in Denver, probably wasn’t shocking. The Blazers have now lost 12 of the last 13 games played in the Pepsi Center.

When looking at the crucial games down the stretch for Portland, this probably wasn’t one of them. It would have been great to get, but again, you don’t ever expect to win in Denver, especially when the Nuggets are this hot offensively. 

•Rip City Project agrees that this was expected.

• Brian T. Smith of The Columbian has a statement of “facts”:

Fact: The Portland Trail Blazers’ offense runs through three-time All-Star guard Brandon Roy.

OK, I’ll go with this one. With a usage rate of around 25%, Roy does indeed have the ball in his hands quite a bit.

Fact: The Blazers run a methodical half-court offense that prizes shot selection and possessions over points.

Excuse me while I spit my coffee out all over my keyboard. What? I’m pretty sure this is an exaggeration of some sort. Last time I checked, points were the thing that counted at the end of the game, not how long you held the basketball. I’m pretty sure that if Nicolas Batum was taking half-court granny shots taken with 20 seconds on the clock, and hitting them, Nate McMillan would be okay with that. Now, does McMillan value controlling the ball and taking good shots? Yes. Over points? Don’t be silly.

Fact: Portland’s defense wins games, while the Blazers’ offense merely fills in the gaps.

Oh, ho. You have me going there Mr. Smith. I didn’t realize that this article was satirical. According to Basketball-Reference’s defensive rating and John Hollinger’s defensive efficiency rating, both pace-adjusted statistics, Portland’s defense is middling at best. Instead, it is the Blazers’ sixth ranked offense that wins games, filling in the gaps left by porous perimeter defense and a Greg Oden shaped hole in the middle.

Brain T. Smith then goes on and writes a very good article about Portland’s offense and how it has evolved with the injuries this season. He also owes me a cup of coffee. And a new keyboard.

•FanHouse’s Chris Tomasson takes a look at Marcus Camby’s upcoming free agency and thinks Camby’s chances of staying a Blazer are pretty good.

“My top priority is to come back [to the Trail Blazers] if things work out the right way like we all want them to work out the rest of the season,” Camby said in an interview with FanHouse before Sunday’s game at Denver, one he sat out due to a sprained left ankle. “This is my first choice. They really wanted me here, and they got me here. So hopefully things can work out.”

• With Joel Przybilla’s recent unfortunate shower incident, one would think that the Blazers may have extra incentive to retain Camby, however, Geoffrey C. Arnold of The Oregonian has questions about Camby’s own ability to stay healthy.

• Speaking of Przybilla, according to Larry Coon’s CBA FAQ (Question 60), the NBA’s insurance contract picks up 80% of a player’s salary once he has missed 41 straight games with the same injury. That clock began to run when Joel went down in Dallas. If Joel is out for next season, it could create a “JPEC,” an expiring deal covered by insurance, a la’ Raef LaFrenz’s (infamous) expiring contract. Oh, RLEC, how I miss you.

• Wendell Maxey has a wonderful article on George Karl’s battle with throat cancer and the Blazers reaching out to him:

“The basketball family has an interesting way of hating each other during competitive moments and has an incredible way of loving you when you need them,” Karl said recently, after learning he had treatable throat and neck cancer in early February.

George Karl has coached Andre Miller, Juwan Howard, Marcus Camby, and Portland head coach Nate McMillan. We at PRS wish him a speedy recovery.

• Check out the Denver perspective at our similarly nomenclatured TrueHoop Network sister blog Roundball Mining Company. 

A Frustrating Reminder

Of all the NBA’s 30 teams, none is a more frustrating reminder of what could’ve been for the Blazers this season than the Denver Nuggets. With matching records last year, the two teams shared the Northwest Division title. In the last game of the 2009 regular season the Blazers decimating the Nuggets. The teams were expected to wage another heated battle for this year’s division title. But as we all know, injuries torpedoed the Blazers. And while the season must still be considered a success, all things considered, watching the Blazers struggle against the Nuggets re-opens the wound every time. Denver poured on a little extra salt Sunday, walloping the Blazers 118-106 in Denver.

The Nuggets took an early lead that grew as high as 21. They shot a staggering 58.9% from the floor and made nine of 22 three point attempts.

Portland could not slow down Carmello Anthony, who finished with a game-high 30 points. But Denver’s domination was equally related to how totally they kept Portland’s two leading scorers, Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, under wraps. The duo shot just nine for 28, combining for a measly 28 points—not enough to stay with the high-scoring Nuggets.

While Aldridge was mostly just cold, the Nuggets sent numerous traps at Roy, basically daring someone else to beat them. Jerryd Bayless and Rudy Fernandez answered the call, but weren’t quite enough. The two mercurial bench players were hot from deep, making all seven of their three-point attempts. Bayless’ three three’s were a career high. He finished with 24, the most since scoring 31 in San Antonio on December 23rd. For all his offensive luster, the second year guard had a difficult time defending veteran Chauncey Billups on the other end.

Still, it was comforting to see Bayless have a confident outing. In the previous nine games since Steve Blake was traded, Bayless has not proven that he’s up to the task of running a team. Sunday he hit the outside shots that teams have been daring him to take, something he’ll have to do with greater regularity if this experiment is going to bear fruit. Bayless has to make those shots because he’s just not a passer—his five assists came with four turnovers.

Without Marcus Camby, who is day-to-day with a sprained ankle, the Blazers were especially thin against Denver’s powerful front line.

For most of the second-half the Nuggets held a double-digit lead. The entire game played to their tempo. Still, the Blazers deserve some credit for hanging around, never giving up, hitting nine of 16 three’s, and cutting the Denver lead to single-digits numerous times in the fourth quarter. On the other hand, whenever they were on the verge of really making a game of it, Portland made a number of bone-headed turnovers or simply failed to execute. One stretch in particular stood out as Portland allowed the Nuggets to recover two straight offensive rebounds that seemed to be the theirs for the taking. One was on a missed free throw—the kind of little lapses that drive coaches berserk.

And so the Blazers three-game wining streak was snapped. All that talk about starting to find their rhythm, really being on the same page, and starting to make their playoff push seemed to evaporate Sunday. Fortunately the next few games on the schedule should allow the Blazers to again build up that winning swagger.

NOTES:

- Andre Miller surprised everyone with a sick fast-break dunk. Who knew the old man could jump? Before this, I would’ve bet that Miller couldn’t even dunk in a non-game situation. This footage proves me wrong:

- Portland gets to 100 points for the 7th straight game for the first time since Nov.8-21, 1995 (8 games).

- Aaron Afflalo was the only Denver player to shoot under .500 (four for nine, 44%)

- Speaking of 44%, the Blazers bench scored 47 points, which was 44% of their total points.

Przybilla re-ruptures patella tendon

As reported by Casey Holdahl

PORTLAND, Ore. – Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla will undergo surgery on his right patella tendon in the next few days.

Przybilla re-ruptured his right patella tendon Saturday morning after slipping in the shower at his home in Milwaukee, Wis.

We at Portland Roundball Society would like to send a big “Get Well Soon” to Joel Przybilla. I can only imagine how painful and disheartening is must be to be lying there in the shower with your knee in tatters, your career in jeopardy, and—with Portland’s luck—soap likely running into your eyes.

No word yet on how this will delay Joel’s timetable for return, but one can only assume that it will be set back a ways. 

Blazers vs. Nuggets - Preview

I have no clue what is going on here. Is that a bocce ball?

This is a big game.

Correction: this is a big game for the Portland Trail Blazers. When the Denver Nuggets look in their rearview mirror and see Utah and Oklahoma City, not Portland. But for a Blazers team that has won five of their last six‚ a primetime matchup against the Nuggets is the first real test this team has seen in quite awhile. For Portland, a victory over Denver could kindle a late season run similar to last year’s 16-5 record down stretch. A loss would prove that it was the schedule (victories over New Jersey, Minnesota, Indiana, Memphis, and a Bosh-less Toronto) that is really responsible for Portland’s winning ways.

Sadly, the Nuggets love themselves some big games. So far this season Denver has blown out—not just beaten—the Mavs, Lakers, Hawks, and Thunder and have the most 20-plus point victories over opponents with a .600 (or better) winning percentage of any team in the NBA. Earlier this season they beat Dallas by 36 points and the Lakers by 26. You just don’t do that.

In splitting their previous two meetings this season—both at the Rose Garden—the Nuggets and Blazers both were carried by their respective star players. Carmelo Anthony scored 41 points during Denver’s 97-94 win on October 29th. Brandon Roy, feeling left out, joined the 40-point club when he dropped 41 as Portland unwrapped a 107-96 victory on Christmas night. For the first time in recent memory, Roy is well rested, while Anthony’s numbers have slowly tapered off as the season has progressed (31 PPG in October/Nov, 28.9 in December, 28 in January, then 24.5 in February). Then again, it’s difficult to complain about any player who scores 25 a game.

Kenyon Martin, on the other hand, is not doing as well as ‘Melo. (Why did the Google News report on Martin bring this as a result? That is as newsworthy as Greg Oden’s cameraphone habit.) Martin has left knee patella tendonitis (or worse) and he is riding the bench until MRI results come in. Marcus Camby is a game time decision with a sprained ankle. Portland will look to stretch their streak of six consecutive games with over 100 points scored, a very likely scenario considering that Denver is in the top ten when it comes to points allowed, giving up nearly 103 a night. Question is, will 103 points be enough for Portland?

Tip-off: 7:30pm
TV: ESPN
Las Vegas Line: Denver -6
TrueHoop Network Blog: Roundball Mining Company