Tag Archive for 'channing-frye'

23
Oct

Rudy Fernandez: A Stat Sheet Delight

By John 0 Comments
Categories: General Blazers

For the past year I have been sitting around waiting for the opening night of the 2008-09 season. Now, it is just days, dare I say hours (quite a few) away. We have all heard the fans and team say we are just one vertern piece away from being really special and that every team needs that do-it-all utility player. I’m talking about the Bruce Bowen’s of the world. Not a shoot first player, but a solid rock that can hit shots, play defense and fill up the stat sheet. The classic example is Scottie Pippen (although he was a great scorer). As I looked towards this season roster months ago I thought Travis Outlaw would be that guy. He would come off the bench, grab rebounds, make shots for himself and step up on defense (finally). Well, he might make his own shots, but that seams to be the limited scope of Travis’ game. So, I changed my mind. Now, that versitile, do everything player: Rudy Fernandez

I wasn’t able to watch last nights game, so I can’t talk specifically on his performance, but I think we saw something very close to what a regular season game will look like for Rudy. He played 30 minutes, which is what I see happening on opening night. The luxury here is that if Outlaw (or Webster upon his return) is having a great game, then Rudy might play only 20 minutes, if Rudy is on, the others see less of the floor. Anyways, I digress. I was checking out the box score and thought “Wow, Rudy played 30 minutes and only had 7 points against a Clippers team who sat most of their starting lineup?” But, then I looked a little deeper. Rudy also added 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals (he also added 4 turnovers). He was 1-5 on three point shots, but everyone has an off shooting night from time to time. I see the turnovers decreasing as he continues to adjust to the speed and talent level of the NBA. That means more offensive possestions resulting in a shot, so chaulk him up an assist or two. This would be great production out of the Spaniard on a daily basis. He doesn’t need to be the scoring threat of the bench (Outlaw/Bayless/Frye can do that), rather he needs to be the rock. That is a lot to ask of a rookie, even an experienced one. He will likely be given the oppurtunity at some point to essentially be the captian of the white squad.

On another note, the Batum experiement might be losing tred. He started the game, but only played 18 minutes. He had 5 points, but 4 fouls and did not play nearly as well as he has been this pre-season. Frye had a solid night, not scoring (6 points), but doing the little things (5 rebounds and 2 blocks). I can see Frye as being one of the biggest minute gainers if Batum does fizzle

15
Oct

Frye’s back

By Willie 0 Comments
Categories: General Blazers

As we posted below, Blake was back running the show yesterday. But there was another familiar face returning to the court: the shining smile of one Channing Frye. Pretty amazing considering his comeback is about three weeks earlier than expected after the initial surgery.

Joe Freeman over on Oregonlive has a story detailing the baller/jester’s early comeback.

On his game readiness: “I’d say tomorrow. I might die in the first five minutes, but I’m just going to continue to work on my conditioning. I think that’s the biggest thing. Like coach says, ‘I have a little money in the bank and I’m taking a deposit out.’”

He also reveals how hard he plans to play and work this season, the last year of his rookie contract: “I think that’s No.1,” Frye said. “It’s probably not the right thing to say, but I really want to stay here. And I think at the end of the year it’s going to be evaluated. I don’t think anyone on this team is about numbers, it’s about your value to this team and how you’re going to be able to fit into this program for the next few years. So that’s a unique position. I’m focused on (being) the best player I can be and (figuring out) how I’m going to fit in here.”

Here’s some video (courtesy of Molly Blue from The Oregonian) of the duo’s return.

Video: Frye, Blake practice
  
30
Sep

Roy’s Ready & Joel Catches a Shark

By Jeff 0 Comments
Categories: General Blazers

The Behind the Blazers Beat blog just posted a new article which gives updates on Brandon Roy, Channing Frye,  Joel Pryzbilla and even Shavlik Randolph. It’s a really good read if you want to be even more unindated with Blazers news. If nothing else, it’s fun to read about Joel’s 9-foot shark catch in the Bahamas. Thus the photo.

30
Sep

Channing Frye Blog Update

By Jeff 0 Comments
Categories: General Blazers and Players

Channing Frye just updated his blog today with an article from the Portland Tribune. It’s a good read for fans of Frye and it gives some insight on what he wants to accomplish this season and what fans should expect from him. He also throws in some more love for Steve Blake at the end of the article. Here’s a excerpt:

He says he’s 80 percent recovered from the surgery but hasn’t started running. He wants to be as close to 100 percent as he can before he plays and admits that his 10 days before the season timetable is a “best-case scenario” that might not sit well with team trainer Jay Jensen.

So that sounds like Channing may not be available for the first few games of the season. With me that’s ok, I like Frye and if you read my Roy post earlier today I’m a cautious, cautious man.

24
Sep

Nate wants an 8 - 9 man rotation

By John 1 Comment
Categories: General Blazers

I was just reading over at The Columbian that Coach Nate wants an 8 to 9 man rotation this season. That will be a tall task with so many talented players on the team. Here are some quotes:

When I asked Nate how tight he would like to see the rotation this year, his first response was to say eight or nine players. Then he laughed a bit and admitted that he never gets his rotations that tight.
It may not be possible for this to even happen, but Nate said “I think you get to those teams and when they’re down to the stretch they get to eight, nine guys,” McMillan said. “But I’ve always played nine, 10 guys, or 9 1/2. I think it’s difficult to play 10 guys. When you’ve got starters like Brandon, and I’m expecting probably Greg and LaMarcus, to play around 35 minutes. If they’re playing 35 minutes, you can’t play 10 guys. Somebody is going to get minutes like Sergio last year — eight, five, maybe 10 minutes. I’ll see. If we can get away with playing 10, we’ll run two units in there. And if not we’ll play nine.”

So, if Nate is expecting on play 9 players, then Sergio will not see minutes. He is the 3rd best point guard out of three possible point guards and in reality probably falls behind Roy as a go to guy at point. This furthers the thought that Sergio won’t be a Blazer for long. It also shows that Digou and Frye will both be fighting for few minutes.

“I understand, somebody will not play, and that’s just part of it,” McMillan said. “They will determine that by what they do out on the floor. … You’ve got a lot of guys that can play, and the thing is, all of them can’t play. And they know that. And there’s going to be guys really fighting for minutes, and everybody can’t get minutes. Practice, I expect to be competitive, where guys are trying to get on the floor.”

24
Sep

The Shaun Livingston Debate

By John 9 Comments
Categories: General Blazers and Players

There has been a very heated debate over if/should the Blazers sign Shaun Livingston ever since he worked out for the team. The Blazers are very deep at point with Blake, Bayless (although I contend he is a 2, as was his position in college) and Sergio Rodriguez.

So let me take a moment to break down the potential Livingston signing.

Background:

- Livingston went straight from high school to the NBA, he is only 24 years old
- He is tall, 6′7″, for a point guard
- He was the 4th pick in the 2004 draft
- His career averages are 7.4 pts, 4.8 asts and 3.1 rebounds per game
- He has played in 12 playoff games (avg 7.5 pts)
- On 02/26/07 he went for a layup, missed, and landed terribly on his knee. He dislocated his left kneecap and his leg literally snapped back. He tore his ACL, PCL, and meniscus. He also sprained his MCL and dislocated his tibia-femoral joint and patella
- Of 246 regular season games while in the NBA, Livingston has been injured for 101 of those games
- On 06/16/08 (over 14 months after the injury), Livingston was cleared to play basketball

The 15th Spot:
The heart of the Livingston debate really goes to the remaining 15th spot debate. Signing Livingston eliminates the possibility to sign Luke Jackson or Steven Hill (more likely Steven Hill then Luke Jackson). The only other possibility is that Livingston is signed, and an existing Blazer is traded for cash (or a 2 for 1 deal) to open up the spot for Hill. The only player who would be at all in a position to be traded in exchange for essentially nothing is Sergio Rodriguez. So, the heart of the debate is really: Do you take Livingston over Rodriguez? Hill over Livingston? Rodriguez over Hill? Basically, two of these players will be Blazers, one will not.




Risk v Reward:

I have been reading a lot of NBA blogs and forums, and one thing that I hear from fans who want Livingston is the risk v reward argument. Now, the risk here is not that he will flop and sit on the bench. The risk is that he will flop and sit on the bench AND Rodriguez or Hill (whoever is not a Blazer in the end) flourishes elsewhere in the NBA. So, I agree that this is risk v reward, but I think most people are not viewing the risk properly. What if we sign Livingston, trade Sergio and Blake goes down opening night with a season ending injury? Then we are left with Livingston (after a 14 month knee injury and a non-productive NBA career) or Bayless (a true 2 guard and rookie) running the point. I actually would feel more comfortable with Rodriguez running the point. I think Bayless would still start over Rodriguez, but I think Rodriguez would be very productive off the bench, especially playing with Rudy Fernandez. So what if we sign Livingston, keep Rodriguez and let Hill sign elsewhere? Well, Ike Diogu is a huge unknown with his injury past, Frye is out with an injury and LaFrentz is injured. That would mean another season of Outlaw playing a lot of time at the 4, which might not be so bad, but it might upset him enough to demand his way out of Portland. Hill could provide heart, dedication and someone for Oden to throw around in practice. I think the practice dummy factor is actually important.

The “Star” Factor:

I have also heard many fans say that Livingston was a #4 pick, a great talent, has huge potential and was a great player. It’s simply not true. Yes, he was the #4 pick, but he never adjusted to the NBA game and never was able to really make a name for himself in the NBA. We let Darius Miles, a former #3 pick (both were drafted by the LA Clippers), walk after his injury. How is Livingston any different? If anything, Miles proved he can play in the NBA (and act in Hollywood, see “The Perfect Score,” so Miles was a real star) before his injuries. Now, I do think Miles was a plague in the locker room and I would be happy enough to have his contract stay on our books just as long as he is out of the locker room.

Livingston, by all accounts, has a positive attitude towards his return to the NBA and wants to put in the work to make it happen. I just disagree with the fact that Livingston was, or ever will be, a star. At best, he is a bust who turns into a solid rotational player through a lot of hard work. He will never be averaging 20+ points a game, and he is not our long term solution at point. Is he a better third string point guard then Rodriguez? If healthy, yes, but his whole career he has been out for about 40% of games due to injury. Livingston might be able to have a positive impact on the team, but I don’t see him as a star, or having ever been a star.

So Will KP Sign Livingston:

I guess only KP knows, although the consensus is that Livingston will sign with the Blazers. I would welcome this signing, but I would be confused if Rodriguez is still on the team come opening night. Even with Rodriguez gone, I just don’t see any minutes for Livingston. Blake will be starting and playing in the 3rd quarter, Bayless running the point in the 2nd and Roy in the 4th. All the garbage minutes are already accounted for by Bayless. Now, if Livingston is coming in and getting himself back to as near 100% as possible, he could be a valuable asset in the future to fill in due to injury or in a trade. I think a lot of NBA teams would be willing to pay for Rodriguez, so if we do sign Livingston, expect Rodriguez gone within the week. If he is not gone, expect his comments about playing elsewhere turn into a demand to play elsewhere.

The Bottom Line:

Signing Livingston is really not that big of a deal. Sure, it is in September, but come opening night, he will be occupying Darius Miles’ spot behind the bench, joking with LaFrentz about Batum’s funny accent. In the future, Livingston could help the Blazers, but he will have no real immediate impact. And, if he is the type of player who KP believes is healthy and good enough to make a big impact, then this debate is a no-brainer. The biggest effect of a Livingston signing will likely be a Rodriguez departure.

Put in your two cents, place a comment below!

15
Sep

Market Watch: Free Agency 09

By Jeff 7 Comments
Categories: General Blazers and General NBA

ESPN’s Chad Ford has just posted an article detailing the ever-so-talked about free agency class of Summer ‘09. The article divides the class into three separate portions: contracts with player options, restricted free agents and unrestricted free agents. If you head down to the restricted free agent portion of the article and look at the number eight spot you’ll see this:

Channing Frye, Blazers. After his first season with the Knicks, Frye looked like a star in the making, but his last two seasons have been much less impressive. Still, Frye is big, has some offensive skills facing the basket and is a decent rebounder. If he ever started playing defense, he’d certainly be considered a capable big man. The Blazers are looking for cap room next summer and Frye isn’t part of their core group, which means he’s also a good candidate to change teams next summer.

That little blurb is extremely intriguing. Chad Ford seems convinced that Channing Frye does not have a spot on the Blazers’ roster next year, which many have speculated for some time now. It just seems more…believable with a big outlet like ESPN saying this. Will it happen? I have no idea.

We’ve all read the reports of Channing’s off-season workout regiments and how he’s develop a three point shot. At the same time, we have to remember that Channing is smart, he knows that this is an upcoming contract year. He knows that with all the additions that the Blazers have acquired, he may have limited time to showcase his talents to both the Blazers organization and to other teams. He has to make the most of the time that Nate McMillan gives him off the bench if he wants to get the contract that he thinks he is worth.

Anyways, Channing aside, it’s a fun article to read through and imagine what kinds of moves and signings the Blazers could make next Summer. Personally, I’d like to see ‘Sheed come back to the Blazers as the grizzled veteran who can lead this team to a title. Ahh yes, I can both hear and feel the hatred of the people reading this post right now. I’m just sayin’, Ball Don’t Lie.

So what do you think readers? Tell us your most fantasized (but still within reality) free agent signings you would like the Blazers to make next Summer.

12
Sep

Interviews, Interviews, Interviews!

By Jeff 0 Comments
Categories: Interviews

Earlier today on Mike Barret’s blog he teased that he may have some juicy and tasty interviews for us adoring Blazers fans to listen to featuring Jerryd Bayless, Channing Frye and Brandon Roy. He did not disappoint.

Instead of wasting your time and my time, I’ve included links to all three on our own site. Devious I know. Here they are:

Bayless

Frye

Roy

Don’t worry, I’m not gonna be a jerk and NOT post the link to the actual article.

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