Only five games, but plenty for Greg Oden and the rest of the Blazers to talk
about
By Jason Quick, The Oregonian
November 05, 2009, 7:45PM
In the past couple of days, Greg Oden has heard all about the dreadful state
of the Trail Blazers.
The poor defense. The sputtering offense. The coach not knowing what he's
doing. How the season is spiraling down the drain.
While the Blazers center agreed that the team's 2-3 start is unacceptable, he
had an irritated message sprinkled with expletives for all the talking heads
and Nervous Nellies: Relax.
"It's been five games, man," Oden said, his brow furrowed. "You hear the talk
of everybody flipping out, people saying 'It's not the same' ... It's five
games. We will get over this within a (bleeping) week. Yeah, we should have
won some of those games, but that's in the past. Move on. We will get it
back."
While Oden had a point — the Blazers were also 2-3 at this time last season
— nobody could dispute that these are uneasy times for the team.
A variety of issues are swirling, ranging from coach Nate McMillan's internal
struggle over whether he should move Andre Miller into the starting point
guard position, to star Brandon Roy wondering whether he needs to approach
McMillan and ask to have the ball in his hands more.
On Thursday, both McMillan and Roy said they were not ready to move forward —
McMillan in starting Miller, and Roy in demanding the ball — but both
acknowledged they were wrestling with the concepts.
The most fragile terrain right now is around Miller, the high-profile free
agent who was signed this summer to alleviate pressure. As it turns out, his
arrival has only created questions of how to use him and with whom to use
him.
What is clear is that so far Miller and the Blazers have yet to mesh. It's to
the point where McMillan is beginning to question whether his decision to
open the season with Miller as a reserve has thrown Miller into a funk.
McMillan put Miller with the first team for part of Thursday's practice, but
said he is still hopeful that Miller can instill some life and speed into the
second unit. At the same time, McMillan is wary of waiting too long to get
something out of Miller, who has been rather anonymous in the early going,
his 11 assists on Tuesday against the Hawks notwithstanding.
Miller says he is merely a habitually slow starter. Whatever the reason, he
hasn't looked like the player who has been one of the NBA's steadiest point
guards the past 10 years, and McMillan says it is his job as coach to solve
the problem.
"We gotta get more there," McMillan said.
McMillan would not reveal how soon he would consider making a switch, but
said Steve Blake would start Friday night against San Antonio.
"I don't want to get into that," McMillan said. "I would just say that I have
to get more from him. I will say this: How I wanted to take advantage of him
and use him, I'm still trying to make that work. I want him to create more.
But I need to see more. And I know there is more there."
Roy, who has steadfastly endorsed Blake as his starting backcourt mate, said
he wouldn't blink an eye if Miller became the starter. In fact, Roy said he
figures for the betterment of the team, he and Miller are eventually going to
have to learn to play together.
"I think it's something we are going to have to probably try. Coach is just
going to have to do it: Play me and Andre together," Roy said. "It might set
us back another five games trying to figure that out. But I think it's going
to have to come to the point where me and 'Dre play together. ...
"We're kind of walking on thin ice here with a lot of things."
There has been a reluctance to play Miller and Roy together for long
stretches because both are better suited with the ball in their hands. But
Roy said it might be time to quit worrying about problems and instead start
to figure out solutions.
"My thing is, if we are going to play a lineup, play it. Live with it," Roy
said. "I feel like right now, we are changing things up a little too much. I
mean, if we are going to start Blake, start Blake, and let's go. If we are
going to start 'Dre, start 'Dre, and let's go. ... We are thinking too much
instead of just playing. And that's where us players need to mature and just
play."
Roy this season has been as uneasy as he has been since his second season,
when he struggled through November before finally suggesting to McMillan that
he handle the ball more. McMillan obliged and the team immediately went on a
13-game win streak.
He said his unease this season has to do with the uncertain lineups, the
team's inconsistent energy, and the increased expectations. But most
troubling to Roy was Tuesday's fourth quarter against the Hawks, when he
attempted just three of the team's 23 shots.
So while he agreed with Oden that five games is too soon to draw conclusions,
he wasn't ready to dismiss all the Blazers' problems.
"What is worrying me is I don't know if we see the light at the end of the
tunnel. That's what's worrying me," Roy said. "I don't know what it is. I sit
there at night time and try to think about it. Who knows?"
While the early season certainly has provided plenty to worry about, one of
the positives has been Oden's development. He has shown improvement on the
court, as well as an increased presence in the locker room.
When carelessness reared its head during Thursday's practice, Oden huddled
the team for an impromptu speech about turnovers and effort.
"Things were going bad," LaMarcus Aldridge said. "And he was sincere. He's
not a loud guy, but he was trying to be motivational. Saying we can't have
any of that anymore."
It was the second instance in the young season in which Oden has tried to
exert leadership on the team.
"I was just telling us to have a better practice," Oden said. "There was a
couple of turnovers going on, and I was like, 'We have to get it together.'
It just needed to be done. Ain't no big deal. I just wanted to get everyone
going."
McMillan heard what Oden said, and approved, but he said he is through
hearing about team meetings and impassioned speeches.
"We are talking — all of us — are talking. Everybody is talking, talking,
talking. And talking is one thing I hate," McMillan said. "We have to cease
talking about what we are going to do and just do it. We have to show. And
right now, we are not."
-- Jason Quick; Follow him on Twitter
http://tinyurl.com/yammup6
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