Some post-game thoughts (Bobcats edition)

I had forgotten what scrub time looked like . . .

• The was a great win for the Blazers.  Charlotte is a good team and they've been playing inspired ball on this road trip.  And the Blazers handled them, leading from start to finish and holding them to just 79 points.  Patty Mills even got some run. 


• My respect for Andre Miller keeps growing.  A game after exploding for a career-high 52 points, Dre did not even attempt a field goal until late in the 2nd quarter.  He was content to pass first, racking up 6 assists in the first half and 10 total.  How many other basketball players would have the self-restraint to do that? How many wouldn't come out gunning?  Miller is a fascinating player.


• Perhaps the most interesting subplot of tonight's game was the lineup the Blazers used to make their final push in the 4th quarter.  McMillan went with Miller, Fernandez, Batum, Cunningham, and Aldridge.  Those guys (with the exception of Miller) are long and aggressive.  They gave the Bobcats all kinds of problems on both ends of the court, but especially on the defensive end.  They were switching on almost every pick and it didn't really matter.  Batum and Cunningham especially are capable of guarding just about anyone.  The Bobcats had all kinds of trouble executing the pick and roll against that lineup.   


• Nicolas Batum had a brilliant game, scoring 15 points and pulling down a career-high 9 rebounds.  As usually, he was a force on the defensive end, finishing the game with a team high plus/minus of +21.  Of note, Batum seemed to play his best offensively when on the floor with Miller.  Batum covers a lot of ground and can finish well near the hoop.  He's the perfect recipient of Miller's interior passing.  


• Dante Cunningham also had a brilliant game, probably his best as a Blazer.  He had 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 31 minutes of play (which has to be the most he's played in one game).  A lot of what he did doesn't show up in the box score.  He was a defensive menace, guarding Gerald Wallace much of his time on the court (Wallace finished with just 17 points).  Cunningham finished with a plus/minus of +19.  He is playing MUCH better than Pendergraph or Howard at the moment and is going to end up taking their minutes.  If I were Nate, I would seriously consider starting him and shifting Aldridge to the five.  


• In a testament to the current logjam of Blazer perimeter players, Jerryd Bayless was having a solid game and still didn't see the court after the 3rd quarter.  He finished with 15 points in 21 minutes.  


• The same was true of Martell Webster.  He wasn't lighting the world on fire, but he had 10 points in 23 minutes and was fairly aggressive.  But he saw his last minutes halfway through the 3rd quarter.  


• Steve Blake played only 17 minutes.  When Roy comes back, there is going to be a severe minute crunch.  Unless someone gets traded...


• Larmarcus Aldridge had an average LMA game: 17 points, 8 rebounds.  He was fairly efficient, though, going 8-13 from the field.  


• What's fascinating about the current Roy-less squad is that, other than Miller, the guys who are playing the best ball are all coming off the bench.  It's just a matter of time before Nate shakes up the starting lineup.  The most obvious move is to insert Nic Batum into the lineup, likely at Martell's expense.  If I were Nate, though, I might get a little more creative.  I'd seriously consider inserting Batum at the 2-spot (instead of Bayless).  I would have Bayless backup Miller at the point.  I'd also consider inserting Cunningham into the starting lineup in place of Howard (and shifting Lamarcus to center).