Just a quick programming note....I’ll be an in-studio guest with Dwight Jaynes on Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock on 95.5 The Game.

Jaynes is holding down “Wheels At Work” while Brian Wheeler makes the sojourn back from Las Vegas Summer League, so Dwight was kind enough to invite me in to talk some Blazers offseason and NBA in general.

Have a feeling it will be a lot of summer league recap talk, analyzing Jerryd Bayless’ game in Vegas and – and I’m totally taking a stab in the dark here, but I’m thinking – we’ll talk some free agency in Portland. Call it a hunch.

Now that the shameless plug is out of the way, let me touch on the point guard situation for the Blazer real quick. It will be a nice little warm-up for Monday’s show. And I know Dwight’s take on this: he thinks management has a point guard in their back pocket.

For me, I believe Portland will use their veteran’s minimum later this summer to bring in a veteran journeyman (Brevin Knight, Kevin Ollie, Jacque Vaughn) to support the starting tandem of Bayless and Steve Blake – with the starting role undetermined.

While Portland went a lowly 1-4 in Vegas, and with Bayless still working the kinks out at the point, Steve Blake has been busy with his offseason regiment back East.

He recently returned from Maryland, where he put in two sessions daily in the morning and afternoons working on his game at the University of Maryland’s Comcast Center. Think we all know Blake is a gamer and he’s been really pushing himself this offseason, maybe even harder than in summer’s past because he has had time off.

Those daily workouts were jammed between Blake’s basketball camp he hosted in Maryland, where he’d workout in the morning before his camp started and then head back in the afternoon once his camp was done. By the way, Blake is all about his camps. The guy stays all day long and doesn’t leave until the last kid does.

And in this league where some guys put on camps and make an appearance one day to sign autographs and snap photos, Blake puts his whole energy into these kids at that camp. He’s there on his feet for six hours, only to turn around burnt out and put in an afternoon workout.

This went on for about a solid week.

Now, I know some in Portland are quick to debate how Blake should not run the point in Portland. Some want Bayless. Others want someone else altogether. But if the 54 wins from last year and his career-season – where much of Blake’s best play of the year came after his shoulder injury - won’t convince you to cut the guy some slack, maybe his offseason work ethic will.

You at least have to respect that.

pic via: blog/o-live.

Comments (22)

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written by Kevin, July 20, 2009

You've got that right!

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written by WP, July 20, 2009

Nice to see Steve Blake get some respect. Unless the Blazers bring in an elite PG--which seems highly unlikely--I like the continuity Blake gives the Blazers. He plays well off Roy and knows how to find open spaces. And he's very consistent, which is an important quality.

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written by Will, July 20, 2009

I just hope he worked on not switching on screens this summer

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written by hg, July 20, 2009

You don't have to convince me. I do not get into the argument of who's the best, who should start, or who can run the team the best.

I don't even know whether Steve is our best option, I am just saying he knows the job, the team and the town. Until he does something horrible or breaks down because of age let him do his job.

I would imagine my bosses could have went out and found hundreds of men or women that could have done my job better, but not one that loved the job more than me or worked at it more than me. With that being said, I would not want the consent hassle of everybody looking over my shoulder waiting for my job. Steve just says it is part of the job.

He is definitely a keeper for me

hg

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written by wmaxey, July 21, 2009

thanks wp....

have to be honest though. there were times last season where i was skeptical if blake was the right man for the job here in portland. but compared to bayless right now - because we can't debate the third point guard - you have to give blake some due respect.

know this though: both these guys are going to come in hungry with the job on the line in october.

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written by wmaxey, July 21, 2009

good point will....

i believe these workouts were more offensive specific. not sure how much defense went down.

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written by wmaxey, July 21, 2009

thanks for reading and writing hg....

do you need a job as a third-string point guard?

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written by nikolokolus, July 21, 2009

You and Jaynes were great filling in for Wheeler today; I thought you totally nailed the Bayless situation.

As for Blake, I like him and I respect what he brings, but just like Bayless will probably never be able to play the point efficiently Blake is slightly miscast as a starting NBA point guard. If he was the team's 3rd guard or a fifteen to twenty minute a night guy I think most teams would be happy to take his sharp shooting, low mistake brand of basketball and run with it. Maybe I'm not "loving" Blake because he's about to turn 30 and counting on many more "career" years like he had last year seems a bit like wishful thinking. In any case I can think of a lot worse things than having Steve play Robin to Brandon's Batman next season, but I'm curious to see what Greg and LaMarcus could do if they had a point guard who can run a pick and roll or who could play a little bit better D and help keep them from having to play goalie.

Here's hoping Steve can continue to elevate his game, god knows this team could use more exclamation points at the one versus more question marks.

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written by hg, July 21, 2009

LOL! I have two bionic kneew, had a heart attack, bladder cancer, almost died of pneumonia and I am almost 70. Do you think they will hire me. :>)

Don't start feeling sorry fo me. I am all healed up and doing great.

To answer your question, who would I have to kill to get the job.

Oh by the way I cought you on Wheels at work. I love your BB knowledge. I hope to learn from you

hg

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written by hg, July 21, 2009

On Wheels at work, you said we needed one more pg, or I think it was you.

I have said in many post on other sites that I thought everybody was overlooking Rudy as a pg. he can do everything that a great pg could do. he can dribble with speed on a fast break, got a good crossover (IMO), he has absolutely great court vision, he can drive to the rim and dribble and finish with both hands. He can create for him self and others and he will definitely help Greg on pick and rolls. He was great at hitting the Gasol bothers. I think he could also make Joel a offensive threat off a pick and roll. What else does a pt need to do. I will bet you Wheels home he doesn’t own that he could do anything else.

He plays great without the ball and BRoy and Jerryd plays better with the ball so why not switch Rudy and Jerryd. Better yet use our four signed guards as combo guards and play them for match ups.

hg

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written by tssbro, July 21, 2009

I see Rudy as a two guard who can force the action, kind of like Drexler was. He doesn't quite have the ball handling ability to run the offense full time or to break full court pressure. If he is on the floor with Roy, it is generally Roy that initiates the offense. I like that back court as a change of pace or even a crunch time, offensive option.

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written by tssbro, July 21, 2009

I hope whatever the Blazers decide at PG that Blake remains at least the back up here for a few more years. He is solid and when he plays well, the Blazers win. He hit some big threes last year and takes a lot of pressure off Roy with his 3PT %. He made some costly errors last year also and had some 1-9 type performances, but it is hard for me to be overly critical of any guys putting in big minutes on a 54 win team.

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written by hg, July 21, 2009

Oh heck, I thought I was going to be the next 3rd stringer.

What do you think Of Poor? they said that Mills will be out about 4 to 6 month and that is not counting rehab. I am guessing it will be much like Martell, lost for the season. Which brings up another question, What is the procedure for an injury before season starts?

I am for a 4guard combo. Steve, Broy, Rudy, and Jerryd playing different positions at different match-ups. tssbro 0 Said Rudy can't play pg, but IMO he can or at least learn

hg

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written by wmaxey, July 21, 2009

are you referring to pooh? if so, he certainly held down the point better than bayless - at least in vegas. i like the kid. but i still think portland is keeping an eye out for an veteran addition a bit more down the line.

the four guard combo is an option, but i don't think it can sustain over the duration of a season or that nate prefers that option.

sure, in some instances or game scenerios but not over having one true floor general.

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written by wmaxey, July 21, 2009

thanks for sharing that hg.....and pray all is well. applaud your spirits and for you always stopping by.

thanks for listening too. it was fun to do the show and hope they have me back on at some point. if not, you can get your league wide fix here with a focus on the home market.

either way i'll call it down the middle.

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written by wmaxey, July 21, 2009

yo....thanks for tuning in on monday. glad to hear the show went well.....as dwight and i discussed afterwards, it's always hard to tell.

back to bayless real quick - and i didn't say this yesterday and should have - but he did not lose the point guard job after just one week in vegas. let's give the kid a fighting chance heading into camp.

because you know blake is coming into camp looking over his shoulder at this kid.

neither one of them is a chris paul or deron williams - or even steve nash or tony parker. so let's just tell it like it is and let them battle it out in october. may the best man win.

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written by wmaxey, July 21, 2009

with rudy wanting more minutes, i could see him getting some spot playing time at the point depending on match-ups. would be a stretch over the long haul.....but right now, with portland not having that third pg....you can at least make it part of the discussion.

but over the past month, i'm under the belief they'll sign a third point guard for the veterans minimum. there are a couple guys that could be had - guys that would be an extension of nate on the floor, a veteran with know how that can help mentor bayless and also provide blake with an experienced break when need be.

talked about this on "wheels at work" and even "blazers courtside" a few weeks back.

i'm sticking to my guns.

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written by wmaxey, July 21, 2009

i feel you tssbro....

the question we need to ask is, will there be enough playing time to keep him happy over the long haul knowing brandon is the man in portland.

could he see time at the point? will he play spot minutes at the three? where does he really fit in? because he's not going to start and i'm not sure how content he'll be coming off the bench with limited playing time.

that topic will need to be address before too long. don't be shocked if we revisit this rudy topic in season on the regular.

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written by wmaxey, July 21, 2009

even still, he finds himself - along with travis outlaw - on the short list of guys that will be moved.

you have to give up pieces to get pieces, so who is it going to be?

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written by hg, July 22, 2009

I thank you Sir. Your acknowledgment of my blogs is deeply appreciated.

Hg

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written by tssbro, July 22, 2009

At this point, I would rather the Blazers move Bayless and pieces (Outlaw, Webster, maybe even Rudy or Joel) for a veteran starter at the point or SF and keep Blake as the reliable first guard off the bench. He fits better than Bayless at this point. Don't get me wrong. Bayless is talented but I thought he was going to be a better mid- range shooter than what I have seen and I find myself agreeing with Jaynes that he may never become a good decision maker.

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written by tssbro, July 22, 2009

I see the future best crunch time line-up of the Blazers being Roy, Rudy, Batum, Aldridge, and Oden. I think that line-up could see a lot of minutes next year even if Blake, Przybilla, and Webster start. Rudy isn't a great stopper but he makes things happen on defense that inspire the fans and his teamates. Batum needs to become a bit more of a threat on offense but that doesn't seem to be a stretch. It would be a tough line-up to keep off the offensive boards and they are all long enough, smart enough, and athletic enough to cause some serious disruptions to opposing offenses.

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