Blazers' Depth & Dimes

October 8, 2008:

In a rare moment when a Blazer’s game isn’t on TV, I get the privilege of being a fan, watching the game from seats in an entirely sold out Rose Garden. At the first pre-season game of the year against the Sacramento Kings, I found myself in awe of the Blazers’ depth as TV analyst Mike Rice and I watched the game (and he yelled at the refs). Coach Nate McMillan used 8 different players in 12 different rotations at the 1, 2, 3 spots alone. That’s unbelievable considering a lot of teams use an 8-man rotation total. Of course a lot of that has to do with the fact that it’s pre-season. McMillan will tinker with the lineup all month long. But, there’s more to it.

McMillan has the luxury of doing a double take on the perimeter anytime he wants this season. Think about the guards: Olympic Silver Medalist Rudy Fernandez is a shooting guard who can play point or small forward; Olympic Select Jerryd Bayless is a point guard who can play shooting guard; All-Star Brandon Roy plays shooting guard, point and small forward. Plus, starting point guard Steve Blake owns one of the best assist to turnover ratios in the league. Now consider the 3: Martell Webster stretches any defense with his long shot, Travis Outlaw provides fire power off the bench and Nicolas Batum’s length and poise might just surprise everyone in the league this season.

I asked McMillan about his versatility at the 1,2,3 spots this morning, and he said, “Wow. I had no idea I played that many combinations. It won’t continue, but I’m glad I’ve got the options.” The question: With so many different possible rotations, how will the minutes get split? What a great “problem” for the coaches. I look forward to watching the solution, which comes complete with a pass-first attitude and a whole lot of dimes.