tlongII
09-29-2009, 10:08 AM
http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=125420246608687600
Andre Miller is signed and LaMarcus Aldridge isn’t, two major topics of conversation during Trail Blazer media day Monday at the Rose Garden.
Miller, who signed a three-year, $21.7-million free agent contract with Portland over the summer, will compete with incumbent Steve Blake for the starting point guard position.
For the past two weeks, Miller has taken part in pickup games with his new teammates at the Blazers’ training facility. Early reviews were laudatory.
When you’re playing alongside Miller, “You always have to be ready,” Brandon Roy says. “He makes passes I know I’m afraid to make. He threads the needle.”
“It’s great to have a great point guard, to take a lot of pressure off our star player (Roy),” Martell Webster says. “It opens up the court for a lot of people. You could have (Miller) on the first or second unit ... it’s going to be amazing to watch. He’s going to open up a lot of things for everybody. I’m looking forward to seeing it.”
Roy commands the ball much of the time, especially in the fourth quarter. The last two seasons, Blake has spent a lot of time spotting up at the 3-point line while Roy handles the ball. Miller won’t be doing that, but Roy believes it will add a new dimension to his game.
“My biggest strength is with the ball in my hands, but over an 82-game season, I don’t want to have to handle the ball as much,” he says. “I want to get better playing off the ball. I want to be able to come off screens, set screens and run the floor.
“Coach (Nate McMillan) says that’s something he’s going to push me toward. I’m going to keep that ability to handle the ball and use pick-and-rolls, because that’s the strength of this team. I want to stay strong in what I do well, but also improve off the ball.”
McMillan says Blake is the starter as Portland opened training camp Monday night in preparation for its Oct. 6 preseason opener against Sacramento. He’s not taking anything for granted.
“Nothing is just given to you,” Blake says. “Every year I go into camp trying to play my best, to work as hard as I can, and wherever things end up, I’ll be ready for it.”
Blake says he has a healthy respect for Miller.
“He’s a great player, a great point guard,” Blake says. “I’ve had a lot of respect for him all the years I’ve played against him. He’s one of those guys who always causes problems. He can post you up, he’s a great passer. I look forward to us being on the same time and being able to use our assets.”
• Aldridge, meanwhile, arrived in Portland from his hometown Dallas only last weekend, electing not to join teammates in the preseason workouts as his agent, Arn Tellem, works to negotiate a contract with Blazer general manager Kevin Pritchard. If the 6-11 Aldridge isn’t signed to a new deal by Oct. 31, he will become a restricted free agent next summer.
“I didn’t think it would take this long, but maybe there’s something I don’t see,” says Aldridge, who says he scrimmaged in Dallas this summer with the likes of Chris Paul and Shawn Marion. “Maybe I didn’t do everything (Blazer management) wanted, or something like that. I want it to (get done). I really can’t say if it will. I can’t guarantee it. But I want it to be done by Oct. 31.
“I’m not going to let it affect my training or games. I’m about playing basketball. I’m about winning. I’m going to do what I do. I will be the same guy – play hard and try to win games.”
• Roy has a Northwest Division title – and an NBA title – on his mind.
“A reasonable goal is to try to win the division outright,” he says. “It’s going to be hard. Denver’s a really good team. Utah’s good. But we feel that should be realistic, to get homecourt advantage again. If we don’t get homecourt in the first round, it’s going to be hard to get to our ultimate goal, which is to get to the Western Conference finals, and hopefully (win) a championship.
“The main thing is, I want the team to play to its potential every night. If we do that, it’s going to be tough to beat us.”
Roy was asked what McMillan means when he says the Blazers are in “Phase 2” of their development since he took over as coach in 2005.
“We’re no longer going through the learning process,” Roy says. “Before, we were developing and maturing. Now ... I don’t want to say we’ve arrived, but we have the team to where we no longer say we just want to get to the playoffs. We feel like we have a team that is ready to contend for a conference championship. Easier said than done, but we’re confident we have a legitimate shot.”
The 7-foot Oden was listed at 285 pounds last season. Through rigorous offseason workouts in Columbus, Ohio, with assistant coach Bill Bayno and strength/conditioning coach Bobby Medina, Oden has lost weight, though he refused to reveal how much (the Blazer media guide lists him at 270).
“I definitely wanted to be lighter,” Oden says. “I felt I needed to be lighter than what I was. Coach Bayno was in Ohio all summer – literally every week.”
Roy says Oden has been facing up and putting up a soft-touch jumper in pickup games.
“Coach Bayno and I have worked a lot on offensive moves,” Oden says. “I have the confidence now of having done it all summer and being able to use them.”
“Greg has always been so physically dominant, but he has stepped up in skill a lot,” Roy says. “When we’re playing pickup, he’s not just beasting guys, he’s doing little shimmies, jump hooks with both hands, and facing guys up now and shooting his little touch shot.
“If he can continue to add the touch to his game, he’s going to be dominant. But I always go back to, Greg is going to be as dominant as he wants to be. There’s not much you can do to stop him. Once he fully realizes that, he’s going to be awesome.”
A year ago, Oden was still dealing with the effects of microfracture knee surgery the previous September. Now Oden, 21, says he is better physically and mentally.
“Last year, I really didn’t know what to expect,” he says. “I’m doing it differently this year. My attitude is, I put the work in this summer. I’m going to put it out there on the court this year.”
And Oden – a force on the boards and defensively during the Team USA workouts in Las Vegas during the summer – isn’t talking just offense.
“I want to be the guy who can protect the basket,” he says. “I know I’ll be able to do that better. At the USA camp, I tried to focus on being the best rebounder and defender out there, to get a lot of blocked shots. I’m going to take that from there and bring it to this team.”
Oden says he definitely wants to be the starter this season. Joel Przybilla, who started 43 games at center last season, has that as his goal, too.
“Of course I want to start, but I’m just going to get ready to play,” Przybilla says. “It’s going to be a battle for every starting position. I’ve been here before. I’ll just be ready, no matter who starts. It’s a long season. I have no idea what to expect. I can only take care of myself and be ready for every situation.”
• Roy likes the nucleus that includes 11 players fully capable of starting for an NBA team.
“We have a lot of talent,” he says. “I go up and down our roster – we have a bunch of guys. I’m excited to be out there and no longer have to pace myself to make sure I’m ready for the fourth quarter of games.
“I’m excited about our practices. It’s going to be fun. We’re going to have some great battles. I’m going to be able to get better on the defensive end going against some of the guys in practice. We have everything you want. No more questions about what we need. We just have to go out and do it.”
• Training camp and the preseason will be about settling into roles for the regular season, which begins Oct. 27 at home against Houston.
Rudy Fernandez was asked if he thinks he will command more minutes than he got as a rookie last season.
“For sure, I want to play, but that’s a question for the coach,” says the 6-5 Spaniard, who will play behind Roy at shooting guard. “I’m prepared for everything, for whatever the coach says. I’ll be ready to help the team every game, on and off the court. But right now in the preseason, I’ll play hard (to compete) for minutes.”
Medina and assistant coach Kaleb Canales were in Spain over the summer, with one goal to help Fernandez bulk up. He says he is a couple of pounds heavier than he was last season – between 180 and 185.
“I need more (weight), but it’s basketball,” Fernandez says. “Look at Allen Iverson. He’s not physical.”
• There were plenty of trade rumors involving Travis Outlaw during the summer, but the 25-year-old small forward is back for his seventh season in Portland – giving him the most seniority on the team.
“I’m glad to be here,” Outlaw says. “I understand it’s a business. The way I look at it, I can only control what I do.”
Outlaw says he envisions his role to be similar to last year.
“Be a spark off the bench, or wherever (McMillan) needs me,” he says.
Does he think he is in the running for the starting small forward spot?
“Most definitely,” Outlaw says.
• With the addition of Miller, second-year pro Jerryd Bayless enters camp as the third-string point guard. Does he feel like the odd man out?
“That’s just the way it works sometimes, I guess,” he says. “We’ll see. I can’t answer that question right now.”
Does Miller’s acquisition and the crowd at point guard frustrate him?
“We’re stocked there, but I guess that’s the way it works,” he says. “Doesn’t frustrate me one bit.”
Andre Miller is signed and LaMarcus Aldridge isn’t, two major topics of conversation during Trail Blazer media day Monday at the Rose Garden.
Miller, who signed a three-year, $21.7-million free agent contract with Portland over the summer, will compete with incumbent Steve Blake for the starting point guard position.
For the past two weeks, Miller has taken part in pickup games with his new teammates at the Blazers’ training facility. Early reviews were laudatory.
When you’re playing alongside Miller, “You always have to be ready,” Brandon Roy says. “He makes passes I know I’m afraid to make. He threads the needle.”
“It’s great to have a great point guard, to take a lot of pressure off our star player (Roy),” Martell Webster says. “It opens up the court for a lot of people. You could have (Miller) on the first or second unit ... it’s going to be amazing to watch. He’s going to open up a lot of things for everybody. I’m looking forward to seeing it.”
Roy commands the ball much of the time, especially in the fourth quarter. The last two seasons, Blake has spent a lot of time spotting up at the 3-point line while Roy handles the ball. Miller won’t be doing that, but Roy believes it will add a new dimension to his game.
“My biggest strength is with the ball in my hands, but over an 82-game season, I don’t want to have to handle the ball as much,” he says. “I want to get better playing off the ball. I want to be able to come off screens, set screens and run the floor.
“Coach (Nate McMillan) says that’s something he’s going to push me toward. I’m going to keep that ability to handle the ball and use pick-and-rolls, because that’s the strength of this team. I want to stay strong in what I do well, but also improve off the ball.”
McMillan says Blake is the starter as Portland opened training camp Monday night in preparation for its Oct. 6 preseason opener against Sacramento. He’s not taking anything for granted.
“Nothing is just given to you,” Blake says. “Every year I go into camp trying to play my best, to work as hard as I can, and wherever things end up, I’ll be ready for it.”
Blake says he has a healthy respect for Miller.
“He’s a great player, a great point guard,” Blake says. “I’ve had a lot of respect for him all the years I’ve played against him. He’s one of those guys who always causes problems. He can post you up, he’s a great passer. I look forward to us being on the same time and being able to use our assets.”
• Aldridge, meanwhile, arrived in Portland from his hometown Dallas only last weekend, electing not to join teammates in the preseason workouts as his agent, Arn Tellem, works to negotiate a contract with Blazer general manager Kevin Pritchard. If the 6-11 Aldridge isn’t signed to a new deal by Oct. 31, he will become a restricted free agent next summer.
“I didn’t think it would take this long, but maybe there’s something I don’t see,” says Aldridge, who says he scrimmaged in Dallas this summer with the likes of Chris Paul and Shawn Marion. “Maybe I didn’t do everything (Blazer management) wanted, or something like that. I want it to (get done). I really can’t say if it will. I can’t guarantee it. But I want it to be done by Oct. 31.
“I’m not going to let it affect my training or games. I’m about playing basketball. I’m about winning. I’m going to do what I do. I will be the same guy – play hard and try to win games.”
• Roy has a Northwest Division title – and an NBA title – on his mind.
“A reasonable goal is to try to win the division outright,” he says. “It’s going to be hard. Denver’s a really good team. Utah’s good. But we feel that should be realistic, to get homecourt advantage again. If we don’t get homecourt in the first round, it’s going to be hard to get to our ultimate goal, which is to get to the Western Conference finals, and hopefully (win) a championship.
“The main thing is, I want the team to play to its potential every night. If we do that, it’s going to be tough to beat us.”
Roy was asked what McMillan means when he says the Blazers are in “Phase 2” of their development since he took over as coach in 2005.
“We’re no longer going through the learning process,” Roy says. “Before, we were developing and maturing. Now ... I don’t want to say we’ve arrived, but we have the team to where we no longer say we just want to get to the playoffs. We feel like we have a team that is ready to contend for a conference championship. Easier said than done, but we’re confident we have a legitimate shot.”
The 7-foot Oden was listed at 285 pounds last season. Through rigorous offseason workouts in Columbus, Ohio, with assistant coach Bill Bayno and strength/conditioning coach Bobby Medina, Oden has lost weight, though he refused to reveal how much (the Blazer media guide lists him at 270).
“I definitely wanted to be lighter,” Oden says. “I felt I needed to be lighter than what I was. Coach Bayno was in Ohio all summer – literally every week.”
Roy says Oden has been facing up and putting up a soft-touch jumper in pickup games.
“Coach Bayno and I have worked a lot on offensive moves,” Oden says. “I have the confidence now of having done it all summer and being able to use them.”
“Greg has always been so physically dominant, but he has stepped up in skill a lot,” Roy says. “When we’re playing pickup, he’s not just beasting guys, he’s doing little shimmies, jump hooks with both hands, and facing guys up now and shooting his little touch shot.
“If he can continue to add the touch to his game, he’s going to be dominant. But I always go back to, Greg is going to be as dominant as he wants to be. There’s not much you can do to stop him. Once he fully realizes that, he’s going to be awesome.”
A year ago, Oden was still dealing with the effects of microfracture knee surgery the previous September. Now Oden, 21, says he is better physically and mentally.
“Last year, I really didn’t know what to expect,” he says. “I’m doing it differently this year. My attitude is, I put the work in this summer. I’m going to put it out there on the court this year.”
And Oden – a force on the boards and defensively during the Team USA workouts in Las Vegas during the summer – isn’t talking just offense.
“I want to be the guy who can protect the basket,” he says. “I know I’ll be able to do that better. At the USA camp, I tried to focus on being the best rebounder and defender out there, to get a lot of blocked shots. I’m going to take that from there and bring it to this team.”
Oden says he definitely wants to be the starter this season. Joel Przybilla, who started 43 games at center last season, has that as his goal, too.
“Of course I want to start, but I’m just going to get ready to play,” Przybilla says. “It’s going to be a battle for every starting position. I’ve been here before. I’ll just be ready, no matter who starts. It’s a long season. I have no idea what to expect. I can only take care of myself and be ready for every situation.”
• Roy likes the nucleus that includes 11 players fully capable of starting for an NBA team.
“We have a lot of talent,” he says. “I go up and down our roster – we have a bunch of guys. I’m excited to be out there and no longer have to pace myself to make sure I’m ready for the fourth quarter of games.
“I’m excited about our practices. It’s going to be fun. We’re going to have some great battles. I’m going to be able to get better on the defensive end going against some of the guys in practice. We have everything you want. No more questions about what we need. We just have to go out and do it.”
• Training camp and the preseason will be about settling into roles for the regular season, which begins Oct. 27 at home against Houston.
Rudy Fernandez was asked if he thinks he will command more minutes than he got as a rookie last season.
“For sure, I want to play, but that’s a question for the coach,” says the 6-5 Spaniard, who will play behind Roy at shooting guard. “I’m prepared for everything, for whatever the coach says. I’ll be ready to help the team every game, on and off the court. But right now in the preseason, I’ll play hard (to compete) for minutes.”
Medina and assistant coach Kaleb Canales were in Spain over the summer, with one goal to help Fernandez bulk up. He says he is a couple of pounds heavier than he was last season – between 180 and 185.
“I need more (weight), but it’s basketball,” Fernandez says. “Look at Allen Iverson. He’s not physical.”
• There were plenty of trade rumors involving Travis Outlaw during the summer, but the 25-year-old small forward is back for his seventh season in Portland – giving him the most seniority on the team.
“I’m glad to be here,” Outlaw says. “I understand it’s a business. The way I look at it, I can only control what I do.”
Outlaw says he envisions his role to be similar to last year.
“Be a spark off the bench, or wherever (McMillan) needs me,” he says.
Does he think he is in the running for the starting small forward spot?
“Most definitely,” Outlaw says.
• With the addition of Miller, second-year pro Jerryd Bayless enters camp as the third-string point guard. Does he feel like the odd man out?
“That’s just the way it works sometimes, I guess,” he says. “We’ll see. I can’t answer that question right now.”
Does Miller’s acquisition and the crowd at point guard frustrate him?
“We’re stocked there, but I guess that’s the way it works,” he says. “Doesn’t frustrate me one bit.”