tlongII
10-29-2009, 12:29 AM
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/10/aggression_plus_defense_equals.html
http://media.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/photo/outlawfrancisjpg-f084be4c46270262_medium.jpg
Travis Outlaw scores two of his 23 points in the Trail Blazer's season-opening win over the Houston Rockets.
After shooting 64 percent and torching the Houston Rockets for a game-high 23 points, Travis Outlaw lounged in front of his corner stall in the Trail Blazers' locker room and surprisingly ached to talk about one subject.
Defense.
"I wasn't even really thinking about offense," Outlaw said matter-of-factly in the middle of answering questions about his opening night offensive explosion.
Wait a minute. Seriously?
The longest-tenured current Blazers player has a reputation for being all offense, all the time. Critics say he has reached his ceiling in potential. During a dreadful exhibition season, Outlaw seemed more like a rookie than a seasoned veteran, lost and befuddled and bound for a discouraging season.
But Outlaw put all of these notions to rest with a spectacular opener that was made possible, he and teammates insist, because of two newfound traits: right-out-of-the-gate aggressiveness and a focus on defense.
The first issue --aggressiveness -- is something that coach Nate McMillan has been preaching to his entire roster. Because the Blazers feature so much depth, there's no need to hold anything back for the fourth quarter. Go hard. Go fast. Give it your all. And when you're spent, McMillan will shuttle in a fresh player.
Outlaw, in particular, seemed to struggle with this concept during the preseason. He appeared uncharacteristically hesitant and confused about when and how his shots would come in a retooled second unit. He regularly took shaky shots after waiting to work into the rhythm of the offense. It produced some head-scratching results, including a 2 for 11 shooting performance at Utah and a 1 for 7 outing against the Denver Nuggets.
In seven exhibition games, Outlaw shot 37.5 percent from the field, averaged 8.9 points per game and committed 12 turnovers. And those numbers were was greatly enhanced by a 17-point finale in which he made 7 of 12 shots.
The struggles prompted a heart to heart between Outlaw and Brandon Roy.
"I just told him to come in and be aggressive," Roy said. "You can't come in and feel the game out. The best sixth men ... are not just fourth-quarter guys. They're bringing it from the moment they check into the game. If he does that, he's right there with those guys. I think he's at that stage of his career where he's ready to do that night in and night out."
So when LaMarcus Aldridge drew his second foul with 7:30 remaining in the first quarter, Outlaw entered the game sooner-than-expected and it was clear he had taken Roy's advice to heart. It took just one minute for Outlaw to attempt his first shot, and he swished a three-pointer.
By the time the first half was over, Outlaw had drained 6 of 9 shots, including 2 of 3 three-pointers, and had scored 14 points. Mr. Fourth Quarter, as Outlaw had been dubbed in recent seasons, had transformed into Mr. First Half.
"We used to joke around that I wait until the fourth quarter to start bringing it," Outlaw said. "But now ... it's about bring it early and putting them away."
Is this the new Travis Outlaw?
"Yeah, that's what I'm trying to do," he said.
Which leads back to defense. McMillan has long insisted that somewhere deep inside the offensive-minded Outlaw is a defender waiting to emerge. Outlaw's long reach, versatility and superb athleticism is a package tailor made for an impact defender.
"He's long, he jumps, he can block shots, he can rebound the ball," McMillan said. "You can switch with him and put him on different guys; you can do everything with him. He's versatile. If you've got him at (small forward) with LaMarcus and Greg (Oden), that's a big front line. That's a long front line. He can switch and guard a point guard. He can play a bigger (small forward). You can bump him down to a (power forward) and he can front that guy and use his speed. He can do a lot of things."
And there were positive signs Tuesday night. Outlaw was exceptional at harassing his offensive counterpart away from the ball and preventing him from springing open. He provided weak side help through the flow of the Blazers' defense, made a point to clog passing lanes and was determined to prevent transition baskets against a Houston team that relies on the fast break.
Outlaw finished with two steals, one block and four defensive rebounds.
Is it going to land him on the NBA All-Defensive Team? No. But it was a step in the right direction.
"We've seen him play good D," Roy said. "The biggest thing is to get him to be more consistent with his effort on defense and get him focused on it every night, because he can play when he wants. We can be a really good defensive team, especially if he steps up and gets a lot of steals and plays those passing lanes, because he's athletic as heck. He can't just come in and be a gunslinger anymore. He's has to come in and guard, too."
This defensive focus and Outlaw's new aggressive-from-the-start mentality are all the more important because of the absence of Nicolas Batum. The Blazers will be without Batum's heralded defense for three to five months, as he recovers from right shoulder surgery. And just like last season, when Martell Webster was lost in training camp for most of the season, Outlaw's continued growth will be vital.
Which means Outlaw's sole focus is on defense. ...OK, maybe that's an overstatement.
"All right, so maybe I was thinking a little about offense, that maybe I'd hit the third shot I take," he said, laughing, after Tuesday night's game, when someone jokingly challenged that he was only thinking about defense. "But seriously, I came into the game with the mindset of just trying to make sure I do everything right defensively."
http://media.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/photo/outlawfrancisjpg-f084be4c46270262_medium.jpg
Travis Outlaw scores two of his 23 points in the Trail Blazer's season-opening win over the Houston Rockets.
After shooting 64 percent and torching the Houston Rockets for a game-high 23 points, Travis Outlaw lounged in front of his corner stall in the Trail Blazers' locker room and surprisingly ached to talk about one subject.
Defense.
"I wasn't even really thinking about offense," Outlaw said matter-of-factly in the middle of answering questions about his opening night offensive explosion.
Wait a minute. Seriously?
The longest-tenured current Blazers player has a reputation for being all offense, all the time. Critics say he has reached his ceiling in potential. During a dreadful exhibition season, Outlaw seemed more like a rookie than a seasoned veteran, lost and befuddled and bound for a discouraging season.
But Outlaw put all of these notions to rest with a spectacular opener that was made possible, he and teammates insist, because of two newfound traits: right-out-of-the-gate aggressiveness and a focus on defense.
The first issue --aggressiveness -- is something that coach Nate McMillan has been preaching to his entire roster. Because the Blazers feature so much depth, there's no need to hold anything back for the fourth quarter. Go hard. Go fast. Give it your all. And when you're spent, McMillan will shuttle in a fresh player.
Outlaw, in particular, seemed to struggle with this concept during the preseason. He appeared uncharacteristically hesitant and confused about when and how his shots would come in a retooled second unit. He regularly took shaky shots after waiting to work into the rhythm of the offense. It produced some head-scratching results, including a 2 for 11 shooting performance at Utah and a 1 for 7 outing against the Denver Nuggets.
In seven exhibition games, Outlaw shot 37.5 percent from the field, averaged 8.9 points per game and committed 12 turnovers. And those numbers were was greatly enhanced by a 17-point finale in which he made 7 of 12 shots.
The struggles prompted a heart to heart between Outlaw and Brandon Roy.
"I just told him to come in and be aggressive," Roy said. "You can't come in and feel the game out. The best sixth men ... are not just fourth-quarter guys. They're bringing it from the moment they check into the game. If he does that, he's right there with those guys. I think he's at that stage of his career where he's ready to do that night in and night out."
So when LaMarcus Aldridge drew his second foul with 7:30 remaining in the first quarter, Outlaw entered the game sooner-than-expected and it was clear he had taken Roy's advice to heart. It took just one minute for Outlaw to attempt his first shot, and he swished a three-pointer.
By the time the first half was over, Outlaw had drained 6 of 9 shots, including 2 of 3 three-pointers, and had scored 14 points. Mr. Fourth Quarter, as Outlaw had been dubbed in recent seasons, had transformed into Mr. First Half.
"We used to joke around that I wait until the fourth quarter to start bringing it," Outlaw said. "But now ... it's about bring it early and putting them away."
Is this the new Travis Outlaw?
"Yeah, that's what I'm trying to do," he said.
Which leads back to defense. McMillan has long insisted that somewhere deep inside the offensive-minded Outlaw is a defender waiting to emerge. Outlaw's long reach, versatility and superb athleticism is a package tailor made for an impact defender.
"He's long, he jumps, he can block shots, he can rebound the ball," McMillan said. "You can switch with him and put him on different guys; you can do everything with him. He's versatile. If you've got him at (small forward) with LaMarcus and Greg (Oden), that's a big front line. That's a long front line. He can switch and guard a point guard. He can play a bigger (small forward). You can bump him down to a (power forward) and he can front that guy and use his speed. He can do a lot of things."
And there were positive signs Tuesday night. Outlaw was exceptional at harassing his offensive counterpart away from the ball and preventing him from springing open. He provided weak side help through the flow of the Blazers' defense, made a point to clog passing lanes and was determined to prevent transition baskets against a Houston team that relies on the fast break.
Outlaw finished with two steals, one block and four defensive rebounds.
Is it going to land him on the NBA All-Defensive Team? No. But it was a step in the right direction.
"We've seen him play good D," Roy said. "The biggest thing is to get him to be more consistent with his effort on defense and get him focused on it every night, because he can play when he wants. We can be a really good defensive team, especially if he steps up and gets a lot of steals and plays those passing lanes, because he's athletic as heck. He can't just come in and be a gunslinger anymore. He's has to come in and guard, too."
This defensive focus and Outlaw's new aggressive-from-the-start mentality are all the more important because of the absence of Nicolas Batum. The Blazers will be without Batum's heralded defense for three to five months, as he recovers from right shoulder surgery. And just like last season, when Martell Webster was lost in training camp for most of the season, Outlaw's continued growth will be vital.
Which means Outlaw's sole focus is on defense. ...OK, maybe that's an overstatement.
"All right, so maybe I was thinking a little about offense, that maybe I'd hit the third shot I take," he said, laughing, after Tuesday night's game, when someone jokingly challenged that he was only thinking about defense. "But seriously, I came into the game with the mindset of just trying to make sure I do everything right defensively."