[Talkhard]

Portland is 16-20, and fading fast. We've lost 6 out of 7 games. The playoffs look like a distant dream. I say it's time to play Travis Outlaw.

Sure, he's green, and he's going to make mistakes, but so what? We're losing anyway. Let him get out there and get some court time. It's the best way for him to acquire the skills and experience he needs to start contributing on a regular basis. Plus, he might inject some youthful enthusiasm (not to mention athleticism) into the team, and show the fans what he has to offer.

Outlaw is the future. Let's get a look at it right now.

 

[Gym Rat]

Agreed! Give the young guys some time and let's see that young energy on the floor!

 

[Blazer Ringbearer]

Not sure about Outlaw, at least for steady time...

but Q should definitely be getting more, he started last night but only played like 11 min?

Anyway, putting Sheed at center when he comes back and bringing a shooting guard into the lineup should help, either DA or Person.

McInnis(48)/Damon(0) ha! or... McInnis(28)/Damon(20)
DA(28)/Person(20)
Ruben(20)/Q(20)/Sheed(8)
Randolph(35)/Davis(8)/Sheed(5)
Sheed(25)/Davis(15)/Vlad(8) <--- try BB again when healthy

Minutes...
Sheed - 38
Zach - 35
DA - 28
McInnis - 28
Davis - 23
Person - 20
Ruben - 20
Damon - 20
Qyntel - 20
Vlad - 8

Give or take, obviously...

I think they'll seem a lot less thin in the frontcourt by bringing Davis off the bench. Having Sheed inside on defense from the beginning should help set the defense - he does a good job of altering shots when he's down there. Having Ruben start would help the defense as well, and up the hustle level early, perhaps helping them avoid large early deficits.

They have plenty of swingmen healthy now, they don't need to keep forcing Sheed to be one, when help is clearly needed up front on defense.

On offense, the inside out of Wallace and Randolph along with the midrange/outside shooting of DA/McInnis should help keep the middle from getting clogged. Davis creates issues there...

Obviously Cheeks can't go on starting two point guards and three power forwards and expect to turn things around. I think a solid lineup change could lead to a nice win streak.

Cheers

 

[Talkhard]

Blazer Ringbearer -- You obviously think Wallace is going to stick around. I don't. I think he's history, and will be gone in a matter of days. Which is even more reason to play Outlaw and Woods. This season is a lost cause; we might as well see what our young guys have to offer.

For what it's worth, I think your proposed lineup change shows more creativity than anything Cheeks has done this year. It's definitely time to shake things up.

 

[Blazer Ringbearer]

It's certainly possible, but I'm holding out hope that he sticks and they resign him in the offseason for a "reasonable" contract.

Who knows though, I am sure you are holding out hope for the exact opposite - to each his/her own!

If they do trade him, we better get some good picks and/or good point guard and center prospects. I don't like any of these trades where we just bring back another power forward type.

I agree that the prospects for this season aren't so good, but a lot of the rumored trade scenarios would lead to a bleak 3-4 seasons, IMHO...

Cheers

 

[MAS RipCity]

PG-Derek Anderson
SG-Qyntel Woods
SF-Travis Outlaw
PF-Zach Randolph
C-Dale Davis


fun lineup to watch......

 

[Schilly]

Qyntel need to figure out some way to stay out of Foul Trouble.

That's why his PT has been being so limited.

 

[Helios]

Qyntel has been picking up fouls way too fast I agree. However, last night Dale and Damon were both in the game with 5 fouls, while Qyntel held the bench down with only 3 fouls.. so that can't be the only reason his PT is limited..

 

[Schilly]

Originally posted by <b>Helios</b>!
Qyntel has been picking up fouls way too fast I agree. However, last night Dale and Damon were both in the game with 5 fouls, while Qyntel held the bench down with only 3 fouls.. so that can't be the only reason his PT is limited..

Qyntels fouls are relly stupid fouls in general, that may be the difference.

 

[Storyteller]

Originally posted by <b>Helios</b>!
Qyntel has been picking up fouls way too fast I agree. However, last night Dale and Damon were both in the game with 5 fouls, while Qyntel held the bench down with only 3 fouls.. so that can't be the only reason his PT is limited..

Damon was in late because of his 4th quarter shooting performance

Dale was in late because of his solid defense on the interior

Qyntel was not in late because Patterson was being much more effective as a SF than Qyntel was.

 

[Ed O]

Originally posted by <b>So Cal Blazer Fan</b>!

Damon was in late because of his 4th quarter shooting performance

Dale was in late because of his solid defense on the interior

Qyntel was not in late because Patterson was being much more effective as a SF than Qyntel was.

I think you're right, but I wonder if any of that really matters. Whether the Blazers won last night or not, the team was going to have the same problems this morning that they had yesterday morning.

Playing Qyntel might not solve them, and it might even aggravate them, but giving him time to get more adjusted and experienced might just pay off later in the season and in his career. Playing Damon, McInnis, Person, Patterson, and other guys who are taking minutes that could go to Q is doing nothing other than trying to win a single game.

Ed O.

 

[Minstrel]

Is Outlaw even ready to play in the NBA yet? He seemed incredibly scrawny and has he got the skills to compete at even a low level yet?

If the answer is yes, then sure, play him. But if the answer is no, then throwing him to the wolves won't develop him quicker. It may even slow his growth. To take it to extremes, a chess novice doesn't improve at chess being wiped out in five moves every game by a chess grandmaster.

You have to be able to compete at least at a low level to improve.

 

[Talkhard]

Tracy McGrady is pretty scrawny. So are Kerry Kittles, Richard Hamilton, and other NBA players. They make up for their lack of brawn with quickness and agility. Outlaw may be able to do the same. If he didn't have the skills to compete at even "a low level," the Blazers wouldn't have drafted him.

 

[Ed O]

Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!
Tracy McGrady is pretty scrawny. So are Kerry Kittles, Richard Hamilton, and other NBA players. They make up for their lack of brawn with quickness and agility. Outlaw may be able to do the same. If he didn't have the skills to compete at even "a low level," the Blazers wouldn't have drafted him.

Those players are guards, and I don't think McGrady is scrawny at all.

In any event, those players make up for their lack of bulk through (as you say) quickness and agility, but also SKILL. Travis Outlaw almost certainly doesn't have the skills those guys do and needs to develop them before he's thrown to the wolves.

(I meant to say something like Minstrel did in my previous post, but got sidetracked on a Qyntel thought...)

Ed O.

 

[Schilly]

Travis from What I have seen has the Athleticism and agility but lacks in the "touch" department for right now. He has hops beyond any of the guys mentioned, and he is very quik. The Preseason game I went to he seemed to get to the hole easily enough, but completeing the shot was a problem.

 

[ThatBlazerGuy]

we can say whatever we want to say about Outlaw, but until we give him some PT our words will mean nothing

12 minutes a game seems nice IMO.

He will get more PT next year since Person and HOPEFULLY Patterson will both be gone.

 

[Minstrel]

Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!

If he didn't have the skills to compete at even "a low level," the Blazers wouldn't have drafted him.

Sure they would, if they thought he'd develop those skills eventually. I'm questioning whether he has them now, not whether he'll ever have them.

 

[Minstrel]

Originally posted by <b>ThatBlazerGuy</b>!
we can say whatever we want to say about Outlaw, but until we give him some PT our words will mean nothing

Sure, we fans have nothing to go on but performance with playing time. But coaches have practices to go on.

If Outlaw is still not ready to handle the NBA game (perhaps he's getting killed even in practices), then they won't send him out to be hammered by opposing players going full speed and out for blood.

 

[Talkhard]

"Sure, we fans have nothing to go on but performance with playing time. But coaches have practices to go on.

If Outlaw is still not ready to handle the NBA game (perhaps he's getting killed even in practices), then they won't send him out to be hammered by opposing players going full speed and out for blood."

Sounds like the same reasoning that kept Jermaine O'Neil on the bench.

 

[Minstrel]

Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!

Sounds like the same reasoning that kept Jermaine O'Neil on the bench.

Also sounds like the same reasoning that kept Randolph on the bench, and look how he has turned out.

Besides, this is his first season out of high school. Jermaine wasn't ready to contribute his rookie season.

It would have been wise to have given him some more time later and not given up on him. But I'm not advocating giving up on Outlaw. I'm just saying he may not be physically ready to compete right now.