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Chemistry issues for Portland Trail Blazers?


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Chemistry issues for Portland Trail Blazers?

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan is not happy with his team, according to the Oregonian. He was supremely irked when his team lost 108-97 to the Utah Jazz last night in the team's penultimate preseason game. He went so far as to question the team's "effort, execution and will."

 

The apparent problem is that the team's chemistry is not coming together at all smoothly, according to the Oregonian. Adding in Andre Miller(notes) and Juwan Howard(notes) from free agency and returning Martell Webster(notes) to the roster hasn't proved to go over so well with the other players on the team.

 

"We just look like we've never seen each other today," Brandon Roy(notes) said. "Guys were making turnovers and looking at each other like, 'Why weren't you there?' I don't know."

 

Sounds like the early going this season may be rough in Portland.

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http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/10/portland_97_utah_108_blazers_g.html

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The problem will start with Roy and Miller. You can't have an offense that depends on a true point guard and a facilitating two guard, especially when Roy needs to dominate the ball to get others involved. He's not Rip Hamilton, and Andre Miller wouldn't be involved at all if you keep it out of his hands.

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The problem will start with Roy and Miller. You can't have an offense that depends on a true point guard and a facilitating two guard, especially when Roy needs to dominate the ball to get others involved. He's not Rip Hamilton, and Andre Miller wouldn't be involved at all if you keep it out of his hands.

Roy said himself that Andre hasn't been ball dominant. He lets Roy bring the ball up on certain possessions the same way Blake did.

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Roy said himself that Andre hasn't been ball dominant. He lets Roy bring the ball up on certain possessions the same way Blake did.

He wouldn't say otherwise. Miller isn't half the player he can be if he's not passing the ball, so whether he's sharing ball-handling responsibilities or not, he's going to find out he'll have to adjust his game to Roy's, and not the other way around...and I'm not sure Miller can do that.

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He wouldn't say otherwise. Miller isn't half the player he can be if he's not passing the ball, so whether he's sharing ball-handling responsibilities or not, he's going to find out he'll have to adjust his game to Roy's, and not the other way around...and I'm not sure Miller can do that.

The way I see it, just because it isn't always Miller getting the assist, doesn't decrease the chance of the team getting the basket in each possession.

 

You're right, though. Miller is a floor general, and his lack of 3 point shooting ability makes him less valuable playing off the ball. This is why Blake starts and Andre comes off the bench. Blake opens things up for Roy, and Andre runs the offense for the bench line up.

 

Miller doesn't like this role, and said that he wouldn't have signed in the first place if he had known. For his sake, he'd be better off traded.

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