[外電] Looking for defense and cohesion, McMillan goes back to

看板BLAZERS (波特蘭拓荒者)作者Aldridge (目標：明星賽我來啦)時間16年前 (2009/10/16 21:33)推噓7(7推 0噓 5→)

留言12則, 10人參與討論串1/1

Looking for defense and cohesion, McMillan goes back to original starting five Sunday Looking for better defense and more cohesion, Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan strongly indicated on Thursday that his starting unit from last season will remain intact as the team approaches its Oct. 27 season opener against Houston. McMillan said Sunday’s exhibition game against Denver will feature a starting lineup of Steve Blake at point guard, Brandon Roy at shooting guard, Nicolas Batum at small forward, LaMarcus Aldridge at power forward and Joel Przybilla at center. The Denver game has long been a red-letter game, the contest in which McMillan told the players he will start to implement real-game rotations and allot real-game minutes. “That group, they know how to play off each other,’’ McMillan said of last year's starters. “We have been trying to build a rhythm this preseason, and I just feel that group knows each other.’’ McMillan has experimented liberally throughout the first five games of the preseason, and the results have not been good. The team has played poor defense, particularly on the perimeter and in transition, and has been sloppy offensively as it tries to adjust to incoming players Martell Webster and Andre Miller, as well as the offensive emergence of Greg Oden. McMillan did not say this would be the starting lineup for the Houston game, but like he has since training camp opened, he emphasized on Thursday that he wants balance offensively and defensively on both is first and second units. “The first unit doesn’t have to be the best unit,’’ McMillan said. Judging from the first four preseason games, the best players at their position have clearly been Miller at point guard, Roy at shooting guard, Webster at small forward, Aldridge at power forward and Oden at center. Miller and Oden, in particular, have been exceptional. McMillan started those five in Wednesday’s 110-104 loss to Phoenix in Memorial Coliseum and walked away unimpressed. “They didn’t establish that they could defend,’’ McMillan said. “We scored with that lineup, but we couldn’t stop them. Last year, with that unit that had Joel, Nic and Blake, they established us on the defensive end of the floor.’’ Another factor in McMillan’s decision is the balance. On Wednesday, with a starting lineup of Miller, Roy, Webster, Aldridge and Oden, it left his second unit as Blake, Rudy Fernandez, Batum, Travis Outlaw and Przybilla. McMillan didn’t like the offensive options there. “If you start all your firepower, that’s what happens,’’ McMillan said. “ That’s what I’m talking about with balance. The thing is, what works?’’ Sunday’s starting lineup supports what McMillan has said since the opening of training camp – that he envisioned using the same starting five. On Wednesday morning, before the Phoenix game, he said he hadn’t seen anything to change his mind. By Thursday, his mindset was even more cemented. Notes: The Blazers tonight will play at Utah and will start Blake, Webster, Aldridge and Przybilla. McMillan was undecided at small forward, saying either Ime Udoka or Batum would start. Roy, McMillan said, would get the night off ... McMillan said Fernandez is doubtful for Sunday’s game against Denver because of back spasms. Fernandez did not accompany the team to Utah for Thursday’s game … McMillan has said that he intends to rest most of his starters for the preseason finale, Oct. 22 in Vancouver, B.C. against Phoenix, meaning that after tonight’s game at Utah, Sunday’s game against Denver and Tuesday’s home game against Utah as the final chance to iron the kinks out …Blake has been struggling in the preseason, uncharacteristically amassing more turnovers (14) than assists (12), which McMillan attributes to Blake not playing as much with Roy. “His strength is playing off Brandon,’’ McMillan said. “His strength is shooting the three ball. But he has been coming off the bench and he’s had to create and become a play-maker. He’s better playing off Brandon.’’ http://tinyurl.com/yglq53x -- ............................................................. -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 221.169.172.177