Outlaw isn't that good

[TradeMachine]

All he does is shoot heavily contested 20 footers off jab steps. He passes (note: pass, not assists) maybe a total of 5 times a game, and is a blackhole.

I don't think he has what it takes to work in a set offense that doesn't cater to him every single possession. What bugs me even more is that our genius coach plays him with another blackhole in Jack-ass, pretty much rendering both players useless outside of isolation plays.

Anyway, I wouldn't be against trading him this offseason, when I'm assuming his value will be high.

Ps. Just waive Jack. I would love to see him play for the fLakers. That is one way I can hate him even more.

[AKBlazerFan]

I kind of agree. Outlaw should be able to drive and create better shots, but he constantly takes these fadeaway contested 18-20 footers. He has the tools to drive more, but doesnt ever do it.

[EGame]

Man this game hurt me as a Blazer fan for so many reasons. You already mentioned the first two (Jack and Outlaw aren't that great) and this game showed. I cringe everytime Outlaw shoots, at first I thought he was a part of our future, but I agree with you he is a blackhole. Hopefully Outlaw, Jack, and possibly Frye along with our pick can net us something good.

Another reason this game hurt me is because Jones is not what I thought he was. He has been in a slump like Outlaw and I am thinking Webster is the better option over him which hurts because earlier I thought for sure Jones was going to be the answer. I am glad Webster did well tonight, but what about tomorrow? I really am not liking any of our SF's and we need a huge upgrade over them soon.

Another reason this game hurt is because Aldridge is hurt. Hopefully he will be healed as soon as possible, I just hope he is not rushed back. Also, it did not help that Roy struggled. I hope Roy can bounce back, but he was bothered all night. Roy is a bit overrated IMO, he is good, but he should have been able to get at least 20 points for us no matter what.

Also thsi game hurt because we lost. The Sonics are not a team to take lightly, but how could we lose? We are the team to let Seatte break there losing streak, not a great feeling. Ugg where is Oden and Fernendez when you need them the most.

[Fitz303]

hahaha man, The guy hits a slump and everybody jumps off his jock.. He is sought after by quite a few teams for a quite a few reasons. His shots arent falling right now, but hes still getting better and hes a good player right now. I like both Webster and Outlaw but one will be moved. I trust KP to make the right decision

[TradeMachine]

hahaha man, The guy hits a slump and everybody jumps off his jock.. He is sought after by quite a few teams for a quite a few reasons. His shots arent falling right now, but hes still getting better and hes a good player right now. I like both Webster and Outlaw but one will be moved. I trust KP to make the right decision

My post isn't a result of Outlaw's recent slump. It's just that I've come to a realization that Travis and his future might be a bit overrated by Blazer fans.

[Wizenheimer]

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My post isn't a result of Outlaw's recent slump. It's just that I've come to a realization that Travis and his future might be a bit overrated by Blazer fans.

you may overrate your realizations

[Sambonius]

Shoulda did that Devin Harris deal when we had the chance, now he's in NJ killing it.

[The Sebastian Express]

I think perhaps something that not many people has considered is this:

What if this isn't a slump. This reminds me a lot of the old Travis. What if during December when he was super hot, that was just his high? And this is his reality?

[Wizenheimer]

I think perhaps something that not many people has considered is this:

What if this isn't a slump. This reminds me a lot of the old Travis. What if during December when he was super hot, that was just his high? And this is his reality?

I think most of us think that about any young player without a proven record who slides into a slump. The "old" travis was 19-20 so the term is kind of funny.

In fairness to travis, after struggling for a good chunk of november he played well for three months. He was actually "hotter" in january then december.

This off-season is shaping up to be a critical one. Not only might some notable players from the rotation be traded, but those that remain really need to improve upon their games and establish some consistency.

I do think Travis's status as a "tweener" puts him at a disadvantage when Oden joins the rotation.

[TBpup]

In fairness to travis, after struggling for a good chunk of november he played well for three months. He was actually "hotter" in january then december.

Curious...I was out to dinner with my old ball coach and we were having the same discussion about how Travis was in a slump, Jones wasn't shooting as well and the whole 'white unit' has basically disappeared.

You're going to laugh at this because he's much more of a baseball guy than a basketball guy but this is what he said and I didn't bring it up at all. "When the bench was playing well, wasn't that Sergio kid running the 2nd unit most of the time?"

Hmm...now that he mentions it. Knowing that would create a ruckus on the board I inquired further and here is what he said.

* No on on the 2nd unit is able to really create shots for themselves. Sergio got players involved with the pick-n-roll and then created easier shots for players like Jones, Travis, Frye etc.

* They seemed to get out and run more because they knew they would get the ball. "That other guard doesn't seem to pass much." (Mind you, he couldn't even think of Jack's name and he's never even heard of RealGM)

* The tempo went up when he went in the game....everyone seemed to get into the game a little more.

Of course I am sitting there with my jaw dropped but upon further review, he did seem to have a point. He was not pro-Sergio, anit-Jack or anything else.....just pointing out what seemed obvious to him as a fan and an old coach.

[Andre 2999]

Outlaw's a great sixth man! He's got a pretty decent jumper and it's getting better every season so far, he's a great scrapper, and this whole year he's been super clutch. Did I mention he's only 22?! Oh, and on top of everything else, he fits in great with our culture and actually wants to be here. I'm sorry, but I can't see one reason he shouldn't be a part of our future.

[Spykes]

I can point to 2 other threads just like this when Roy went through his slump and when Aldridge went through his slump.

Role players go through slumps and even great players have rough stretches here and there. It's just how things go.

[TradeMachine]

Just want to clear up here.

My post wasn't intended to bash Travis. Hell, I love his attitude towards improving and his clutch factor. I was just pointing out that he might not be considered a "trade only for a superstar" kind of guy. As "Sambonius" mentioned, if any sort of deal like the rumored one for Harris comes up again, we should give it more consideration.

[Fitz303]

In fairness to travis, after struggling for a good chunk of november he played well for three months. He was actually "hotter" in january then december.

Curious...I was out to dinner with my old ball coach and we were having the same discussion about how Travis was in a slump, Jones wasn't shooting as well and the whole 'white unit' has basically disappeared.

You're going to laugh at this because he's much more of a baseball guy than a basketball guy but this is what he said and I didn't bring it up at all. "When the bench was playing well, wasn't that Sergio kid running the 2nd unit most of the time?"

Hmm...now that he mentions it. Knowing that would create a ruckus on the board I inquired further and here is what he said.

* No on on the 2nd unit is able to really create shots for themselves. Sergio got players involved with the pick-n-roll and then created easier shots for players like Jones, Travis, Frye etc.

* They seemed to get out and run more because they knew they would get the ball. "That other guard doesn't seem to pass much." (Mind you, he couldn't even think of Jack's name and he's never even heard of RealGM)

* The tempo went up when he went in the game....everyone seemed to get into the game a little more.

Of course I am sitting there with my jaw dropped but upon further review, he did seem to have a point. He was not pro-Sergio, anit-Jack or anything else.....just pointing out what seemed obvious to him as a fan and an old coach.

Yeah during that stretch run when we were winning and the white unit was playing so well, Sergio was running the show for a lot of that time

Mem - 4min
Mil - 4min
Utah - 9min
Denver - 8min
Tor - 8min
Den - 4min
Min - 6min
Philly - 8min
Chi - 5min

He got them off and running like crazy. Granted, he got more minutes in some, but trying to point that out is really just making a basic generalization of what Sergio CAN do if hes on, but not the REASON that the second unit was playing well.

But not to take this too off subject, I agree with Wiz in that Outlaw has played very well in December, January, and February, but struggled in the early part of the season as well as right now. Hes a young player who is still inconsistent. He, along with Webster, is still learning and getting better. He has a ton of potential and is not something I would think about giving up unless it was a great deal.

And yes, Sambonius, I was one of the few that was going nuts at the possibility of Harris in a Blazers uniform. Too bad that fell apart

[Fitz303]

I can point to 2 other threads just like this when Roy went through his slump and when Aldridge went through his slump.

Role players go through slumps and even great players have rough stretches here and there. It's just how things go.

+1 Well said

"Is it possible that Roy just isn't that good?"

[Dome]

hahaha man, The guy hits a slump and everybody jumps off his jock.. He is sought after by quite a few teams for a quite a few reasons. His shots arent falling right now, but hes still getting better and hes a good player right now. I like both Webster and Outlaw but one will be moved. I trust KP to make the right decision

This really isn't about his shots not falling IMO, it's the type of shots he's taking.

Before this season, his basketball IQ was always a bit of a concern. He definitely stepped up a notch this year, but I remember writing in the Webster vs Outlaw thread we had a while back that I thought Webster was a better fit to this team than Outlaw for that reason. Webster has been inconsistent, but I think he plays well within the system and spreads the floor for Roy and Alrdige. The way Outlaw has been playing, he needs the ball in his hands to be effective. In an offense where Roy, Oden and Aldridge should be the guys who have the ball in their hands, I'm just not convinced Outlaw will be that great a fit.

I say if so many teams are after him, just use his trade value to try and bring in a PG.

[Fitz303]

But they're the same shots that he had been taking and was making. Hes not just missing the shots that look difficult, but hes missing the wide open jumpers as well. Its just looks worse when he misses the harder looking shots and makes it look like he has an awful shot selection. Bottom line is, when hes on, hes hitting everything, but when hes off, hes missing everything. He needs to learn to take it to the hoop more. Hes able to take it off the dribble better than Webster and if he would just use it, he would be a much better fit than Webster.

[Pattycakes]

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This really isn't about his shots not falling IMO, it's the type of shots he's taking.

Before this season, his basketball IQ was always a bit of a concern. He definitely stepped up a notch this year, but I remember writing in the Webster vs Outlaw thread we had a while back that I thought Webster was a better fit to this team than Outlaw for that reason. Webster has been inconsistent, but I think he plays well within the system and spreads the floor for Roy and Alrdige. The way Outlaw has been playing, he needs the ball in his hands to be effective. In an offense where Roy, Oden and Aldridge should be the guys who have the ball in their hands, I'm just not convinced Outlaw will be that great a fit.

I say if so many teams are after him, just use his trade value to try and bring in a PG.

QFT.

Travis has always had one of the worst shot selections I've ever seen, he just happened to be hitting them for a while.

[JD45]

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This really isn't about his shots not falling IMO, it's the type of shots he's taking.

Before this season, his basketball IQ was always a bit of a concern. He definitely stepped up a notch this year, but I remember writing in the Webster vs Outlaw thread we had a while back that I thought Webster was a better fit to this team than Outlaw for that reason. Webster has been inconsistent, but I think he plays well within the system and spreads the floor for Roy and Alrdige. The way Outlaw has been playing, he needs the ball in his hands to be effective. In an offense where Roy, Oden and Aldridge should be the guys who have the ball in their hands, I'm just not convinced Outlaw will be that great a fit.

I say if so many teams are after him, just use his trade value to try and bring in a PG.

+1

Outlaw can create his own offense, but he doesn't seem to fit into an offensive system. I don't think a player like that will be as valuable with strong post players. In the last few games where LMA was posting up and passing out of the double team, the offense was a thing of beauty. No need for it to go to Outlaw for the isolation.

But there are teams who need that type of player. So best to use him when his value is high to get a better fit.

[Dome]

But they're the same shots that he had been taking and was making.

Exactly.. That's why I said back in januari that the Blazers would be better off keeping Webster instead of Outlaw if they had to send one off. Outlaw arguably has better trade value than Webster too IMO, so trading him would probably net a better return as well.

Hes not just missing the shots that look difficult, but hes missing the wide open jumpers as well. Its just looks worse when he misses the harder looking shots and makes it look like he has an awful shot selection. Bottom line is, when hes on, hes hitting everything, but when hes off, hes missing everything.

They say 'you live and die by the jumpshot'. Got to believe that's true.

He needs to learn to take it to the hoop more. Hes able to take it off the dribble better than Webster and if he would just use it, he would be a much better fit than Webster.

I agree, he needs to take it to the hoop more, but I don't think that would necessarely make him that much better a fit. Webster is a guy that can become a really good offensive player off the ball, which seems something this team needs more than yet another guy next to Roy/Aldridge/Oden who'll need the ball in his hands. Guys like Webster and Jones that can come off a screen and hit the open jumper would make a better fit IMO.