[外電] Notebook: Defense is top priority in Blazers' first prac
Notebook: Defense is top priority in Blazers' first practice
Moments after the Trail Blazers opened their morning practice to the media
Tuesday, the team started an intense and fast-paced zone defense drill that
featured screaming players zigzagging the court with their arms raised.
The focal point of training camp and perhaps the season was on full display
early in the Blazers' first practice.
"(We were) selling it to you," coach Nate McMillan said, joking, when asked
if it was a coincidence the team broke into a defensive drill the moment the
media entered practice. "No ... that's our focus. We know for us to get
better and improve, defensively is where it starts. And today was (designed)
to set that tone."
For the remainder of practice, the Blazers ran through the drill led by
assistant coach Dean Demopoulos. The players started in a traditional zone
formation and then, after a whistle, sprinted toward offensive players
screaming, waving their arms and shuffling their feet. Another whistle sent
them back into the zone.
This continued until the fourth whistle, when the shot clock started and the
offense passed the ball around the perimeter. The defense adjusted, rotating
to the ball, providing weak-side help on penetrations and aggressively
pursuing the ball. The goal, schematically, was to prevent the ball from
reaching the middle of the defense and to stop perimeter players from finding
easy lanes to the basket. But, also, the goal was to stimulate weak-side help
and communication.
The offense attempted a shot when the clocked ticked below five seconds and
if the defensive unit -- which was rotated with five new players each round
-- failed to get a rebound, it had to do push-ups.
Although the Blazers were one of the NBA's best rebounding teams last season,
McMillan noted they ranked 27th in defensive rebounding, which he insists
needs to improve if the team is to improve defensively. The push-ups served
as motivation.
But Brandon Roy made it clear Tuesday that extra motivation is not necessary.
After hearing McMillan and his staff emphasize defense all of last season,
the Blazers were offered a harsh dose of reality about its importance during
their loss to the Houston Rockets in the opening round of the playoffs.
"It's one of those things where he could tell us all he wanted that you gotta
play D, you gotta play D," Roy said. "But until we got into that playoff
series and saw that we have to play D, we didn't realize it. Now we know it.
The fact that we got a taste of it last year ... helped us."
Above all else, Roy said, the Blazers are focusing on one basic principle
defensively.
"We have to get better at holding teams to a lower field-goal percentage --
period," he said. "That's the only number we should care about. Not how many
points we are giving up. We've got to get that field-goal percentage down.
That's what we're working on. I don't care what you have to do, just don't
let guys score."
Owner impressed: Team owner Paul Allen was on hand to watch the first
practice and left impressed with the roster and optimistic about the season.
He said he expects the Blazers to advance deeper in the playoffs and believes
his team is entering a "championship window," assuming it does not suffer any
significant injuries.
Allen did not seem to envy McMillan's task of settling on a starting lineup
and a player rotation, saying his coach is "going to have some difficult
challenges because we've got a lot of talent on this team." Allen also
addressed the ongoing contract negotiations between the Blazers and star
power forward LaMarcus Aldridge.
"We have made some progress there. So, yeah, I am optimistic," he said.
Good omen?: One of the most positive signs of the first day of practice was
simple and easy to miss. Every player walked off the court healthy. Last
season, Oden injured his ankle during the opening practice and walked around
the practice facility with a limp next to team trainer Jay Jensen.
Two seasons ago, Roy went down with a left heel injury the first day of camp.
But, in a positive change, the Blazers escaped Tuesday's workout without
injury.
http://tinyurl.com/ygt8knv
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首日練習重點在加強防守，要記得去年季後賽第一場慘狀的教訓
老闆 Paul Allen 也有來看練習，去年季末時他身體很不好，現在較健康了
今年開訓終於全員健康報到，可喜可賀
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