Maybe we need a good 'ol fashioned fight?
Posted: Wed Jan 2, 2008 4:09 am
Practice fight makes a perfect 12
Edgy Blazers get physical in a drill, then decide to take out their frustrations on opponents
Sunday, December 30, 2007JASON QUICK The Oregonian Staff
The history books will show that the Trail Blazers' winning streak started on Dec. 3, when Travis Outlaw made a last-second shot at Memphis.
But to the Blazers players and coaches, the roots of the streak really started two days earlier, at a community center in San Antonio, where an edgy and downtrodden Blazers team practiced.
It was where Martell Webster and Joel Przybilla fought. Where Steve Blake kicked and then threw a chair. Where Brandon Roy exchanged sharp words with teammates. And where Channing Frye spoke up and made a promise.
"I felt like everything changed that day," Roy said before the Blazers ran their winning streak to 12 with a win over Minnesota on Friday night. "I can't say that I felt it was going to result in this many wins in a row, but it was a big moment. We've been better ever since then."
Coach Nate McMillan knew that Dec. 1 practice had a chance to be memorable. Tired of seeing his team play with a stagnant offense and a soft defense, McMillan implemented two practice rules that day. There would be no switching when screens were set, forcing the defender to fight through picks. And there would only be one dribble allowed by the ballhandler, a tactic designed to instigate more movement by the offense to get open.
"The practice was basically set up for a fight to happen," McMillan said. "We were talking about pressuring. We were talking about being physical. We were talking about grabbing. And . . . we got into a fight, a couple tempers flared and a couple of other things happened."
The Blazers played the next day and were drilled 100-79 at San Antonio, their ninth loss in 10 games, dropping them to 5-12. But in the course of the defeat, the Blazers were more physical -- unintentionally knocking Tim Duncan out of the game with an injury -- and by the time they arrived in Memphis later that night, many believed things were changing.
"We lost to the Spurs but we were physical and we played them; they just beat us," Frye said. "But I remember thinking after that game, 'We have a chance.' I told some people, 'Let's just keep playing this way.' "
When Dec. 1 arrived, the Blazers were an irritable group. They had lost in Dallas the previous night, which came after back-to-back home losses to Orlando and Indiana, during which nothing seemed to be working. Roy was in a terrible shooting slump, the defense was being pushed around, and even easy attempts such as dunks were being missed by the likes of Przybilla.
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/orego ... xml&coll=7
Edgy Blazers get physical in a drill, then decide to take out their frustrations on opponents
Sunday, December 30, 2007JASON QUICK The Oregonian Staff
The history books will show that the Trail Blazers' winning streak started on Dec. 3, when Travis Outlaw made a last-second shot at Memphis.
But to the Blazers players and coaches, the roots of the streak really started two days earlier, at a community center in San Antonio, where an edgy and downtrodden Blazers team practiced.
It was where Martell Webster and Joel Przybilla fought. Where Steve Blake kicked and then threw a chair. Where Brandon Roy exchanged sharp words with teammates. And where Channing Frye spoke up and made a promise.
"I felt like everything changed that day," Roy said before the Blazers ran their winning streak to 12 with a win over Minnesota on Friday night. "I can't say that I felt it was going to result in this many wins in a row, but it was a big moment. We've been better ever since then."
Coach Nate McMillan knew that Dec. 1 practice had a chance to be memorable. Tired of seeing his team play with a stagnant offense and a soft defense, McMillan implemented two practice rules that day. There would be no switching when screens were set, forcing the defender to fight through picks. And there would only be one dribble allowed by the ballhandler, a tactic designed to instigate more movement by the offense to get open.
"The practice was basically set up for a fight to happen," McMillan said. "We were talking about pressuring. We were talking about being physical. We were talking about grabbing. And . . . we got into a fight, a couple tempers flared and a couple of other things happened."
The Blazers played the next day and were drilled 100-79 at San Antonio, their ninth loss in 10 games, dropping them to 5-12. But in the course of the defeat, the Blazers were more physical -- unintentionally knocking Tim Duncan out of the game with an injury -- and by the time they arrived in Memphis later that night, many believed things were changing.
"We lost to the Spurs but we were physical and we played them; they just beat us," Frye said. "But I remember thinking after that game, 'We have a chance.' I told some people, 'Let's just keep playing this way.' "
When Dec. 1 arrived, the Blazers were an irritable group. They had lost in Dallas the previous night, which came after back-to-back home losses to Orlando and Indiana, during which nothing seemed to be working. Roy was in a terrible shooting slump, the defense was being pushed around, and even easy attempts such as dunks were being missed by the likes of Przybilla.
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/orego ... xml&coll=7
