tlongII
03-29-2011, 02:18 PM
A couple weeks old, but still good...
http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/the-newest-element-in-mcmillans-laboratory/
It’s now clear that Gerald Wallace was only the most basic of the Portland Trailblazers’ trade deadline acquisitions. Simply, Portland added a former All-Star who plays tenacious defense, a valuable player on a decent contract who could obviously elevate the level of play from his spot in the rotation. However, dig deeper and what the Blazers netted was a ridiculous level of lineup versatility. With so many capable players able to swing between positions, Nate McMillan now has a canvas to handle all the free-form painting he can muster. McMillan has never been considered part of basketball’s avant garde, but he’s not afraid of going small, going big, or going with whatever works, and that makes him a worthy coach to handle such a strange roster.
Consider Tuesday night’s game against the Mavericks. For most of the fourth quarter, McMillan opted to use a lineup consisting of Wallace, Brandon Roy, Rudy Fernandez, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Marcus Camby. That unit –- though notably without a true point guard -– made sense for the occasion, as each player included offered an interesting counter for Dallas’ efficient offense. Wallace and Camby acted as disrupters, capable of creating turnovers, influencing shots, and stealing offensive rebounds. Roy, Aldridge, and Fernandez formed an offensive core capable of battling Dirk Nowitzki and company to the very end, when the Blazers eked out a 104-101 victory.
That’s not Portland’s go-to closing lineup, or even their starters; both Roy and Camby began the game on the bench, making this particular group a makeshift combination of starters and subs. According to BasketballValue.com, that specific grouping had never been used by the Blazers in a game this season, and was able to key a Portland victory while still learning how to function together as a unit.
That group had yet to make its debut in part because of Wallace’s recent addition, but also because the possibilities offered to McMillan are almost infinite when compared to the typically rigid starter/closer roles given to other teams’ top lineups. While Roy, Fernandez, Wallace, Aldridge, and Camby led the way to victory, Nicolas Batum, Andre Miller, Wesley Matthews, and Patty Mills waited on the bench. Each has something to offer the Blazers, but in this context they were observers. Roy was scoring too well off the dribble. Fernandez had one of his best games of the season. Aldridge and Wallace had been too good throughout the game, and Camby was a nice counter for Dallas’ Tyson Chandler. This was McMillan’s closing group on this night, but the fourth quarter figures in each game to come should provide an notable contrast.
McMillan has been given a fascinating group of players with which to formulate lineups, and adding Wallace only diversifies his options. A player who can swing between positions in order to pair up at the forward spots with Aldridge for balance, Batum for intrigue, or Matthews for mayhem? Wallace’s presence may not create an entirely stable rotation in Portland, but he opens up a startling number of possibilities.
The blessing in this for fans of creative rotation-making is McMillan’s recent two-year contract extension. Security is practically a prerequisite for experimentation, and inking McMillan for the next two seasons should rid all of his tinkering of the smell of desperation. This isn’t a coach on his last legs digging for that job-saving lineup, but one who has been empowered by his front office to make crucial decisions that are anything but straightforward. That alone should stand testament to McMillan’s savvy; a roster like this one could dissolve in the hands of someone less capable, but McMillan has been rightfully entrusted to fit the puzzle pieces together, only to reassemble them game after game.
http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/the-newest-element-in-mcmillans-laboratory/
It’s now clear that Gerald Wallace was only the most basic of the Portland Trailblazers’ trade deadline acquisitions. Simply, Portland added a former All-Star who plays tenacious defense, a valuable player on a decent contract who could obviously elevate the level of play from his spot in the rotation. However, dig deeper and what the Blazers netted was a ridiculous level of lineup versatility. With so many capable players able to swing between positions, Nate McMillan now has a canvas to handle all the free-form painting he can muster. McMillan has never been considered part of basketball’s avant garde, but he’s not afraid of going small, going big, or going with whatever works, and that makes him a worthy coach to handle such a strange roster.
Consider Tuesday night’s game against the Mavericks. For most of the fourth quarter, McMillan opted to use a lineup consisting of Wallace, Brandon Roy, Rudy Fernandez, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Marcus Camby. That unit –- though notably without a true point guard -– made sense for the occasion, as each player included offered an interesting counter for Dallas’ efficient offense. Wallace and Camby acted as disrupters, capable of creating turnovers, influencing shots, and stealing offensive rebounds. Roy, Aldridge, and Fernandez formed an offensive core capable of battling Dirk Nowitzki and company to the very end, when the Blazers eked out a 104-101 victory.
That’s not Portland’s go-to closing lineup, or even their starters; both Roy and Camby began the game on the bench, making this particular group a makeshift combination of starters and subs. According to BasketballValue.com, that specific grouping had never been used by the Blazers in a game this season, and was able to key a Portland victory while still learning how to function together as a unit.
That group had yet to make its debut in part because of Wallace’s recent addition, but also because the possibilities offered to McMillan are almost infinite when compared to the typically rigid starter/closer roles given to other teams’ top lineups. While Roy, Fernandez, Wallace, Aldridge, and Camby led the way to victory, Nicolas Batum, Andre Miller, Wesley Matthews, and Patty Mills waited on the bench. Each has something to offer the Blazers, but in this context they were observers. Roy was scoring too well off the dribble. Fernandez had one of his best games of the season. Aldridge and Wallace had been too good throughout the game, and Camby was a nice counter for Dallas’ Tyson Chandler. This was McMillan’s closing group on this night, but the fourth quarter figures in each game to come should provide an notable contrast.
McMillan has been given a fascinating group of players with which to formulate lineups, and adding Wallace only diversifies his options. A player who can swing between positions in order to pair up at the forward spots with Aldridge for balance, Batum for intrigue, or Matthews for mayhem? Wallace’s presence may not create an entirely stable rotation in Portland, but he opens up a startling number of possibilities.
The blessing in this for fans of creative rotation-making is McMillan’s recent two-year contract extension. Security is practically a prerequisite for experimentation, and inking McMillan for the next two seasons should rid all of his tinkering of the smell of desperation. This isn’t a coach on his last legs digging for that job-saving lineup, but one who has been empowered by his front office to make crucial decisions that are anything but straightforward. That alone should stand testament to McMillan’s savvy; a roster like this one could dissolve in the hands of someone less capable, but McMillan has been rightfully entrusted to fit the puzzle pieces together, only to reassemble them game after game.