When it comes to the Trail Blazers, there are multiple thoughts that bounce around in my head.  Some come and go, others are merely fleeting thoughts, but then there are those that just won't go away.  My feelings on Jerryd Bayless won't go away.  Since he played at Arizona and made his way up the NBA draft board, I've been all about this guy.  Watching him play alongside Chase Budinger at Arizona, I began to enjoy Jerryd's game immensely. In high school Jerryd was a super star and it wasn't much different at Arizona.  When Lute Olson left the team and the offense changed, Bayless was asked to play more of a shooting guard, in reality he was a combo guard with a brighter future as a passer.

As the 2008 NBA draft approached, I remember constantly scanning NBAdraft.net, Oregon Live, & anything else I could get my hands on. I decided early on that Bayless was the best fit for Portland.  Westbrook, Augustin and Chalmers were all certainly options, but I wanted Bayless.  As the draft loomed, Bayless was towards the top of the point guard list. During the draft, Jerryd started to fall and when we managed to get him, my excitement could not be contained, the Trail Blazers final piece was here in my opinion.

As we all know Jerryd tore up the summer league, winning MVP and looking extremely proficient as a scorer.  It was still unclear whether he'd get much playing time as a rookie with two other point guards who had earned their minutes for Portland.

Fast forward to earlier this week, through 34 games of the season, Bayless hadn't really played much.  He'd gotten garbage time, but in those spurts he looked overwhelmed and skittish.  He was going to need serious playing time in order to get accustomed to the NBA. It took another game without Roy and an opponent like Allen Iverson to finally get Bayless more than just a few minutes, he'd be called upon to stop A.I.

If you looked at the stat line for Wednesday night's game against Detroit you wouldn't think much of what Jerryd accomplished. 8 points on 2-6 shooting from the floor, 4-4 from the free throw line, 2 assists, and 2 steals in 17 minutes. LaMarcus had the big game, not Jerryd. If you read the recap or listened to the post game, you'd know that Outlaw hit the game winning shot, not Bayless.  What Jerryd did that was so important, was turn the team around in the 3rd quarter, similar to what Brandon would try to do. Jerryd started taking it to the hoop, drew fouls, and started to get emotional, which was something Portland was lacking in the first half.  Jerryd showed us an ability to get to the hoop, athletic ability with 2 steals and one impressive dunk, and overall got the game going in the right direction.

The bottom line is that Jerryd Bayless needs to play more. Oden and Batum have been playing all year and although they've had rough patches, things are getting better for each of those rookies. The question is how do we get Bayless more run?  It starts by giving Sergio less time.  I like Sergio, I think he is good for Rudy, but Sergio is one-dimensional and a liability on defense. Sergio's shot is slightly better this year, but he still looks to pass even when he is point blank for a lay-in. There have been times this year where Steve Blake couldn't keep up with his man, but Bayless most certainly would have.  Most of the criticism abut Jerryd is his shoot first mentality on a team full of young stars. I think he's well aware of his need to be a distributor and I've seen that happen at times when he does actually play.

The future I envision starts with Bayless and Roy in the backcourt. The great thing about those two together is that both should compliment each other so well.  Bayless can handle point guard duties early on in games, while Roy will most certainly become the captain of the offense down the stretch.  Bayless can guard the opposing point guard with no worries about saving energy for offense.  The important part about this scenario is that it can happen a lot sooner then most are expecting.

For years we've waited for Travis Outlaw and Martell Webster to mature, but Bayless is much further along in his development then they ever were.  Bayless, given the opportunity for more minutes this year, will be ready to contribute next year.  I see him as our starter by the end of next year.  Steve Blake becomes the second man off the bench and this would probably mean Sergio is gone.  But at some point, someone's gotta go and there is no way it's Jerryd... he's just too stacked with potential.

Now, on a lighter note, what should Jerryd's nickname be? I've seen different things floating around the internet and it appears B-Rex is the frontrunner according to Blazer's Edge readers and even Wikipedia. There is also Scrappy from Scooby Doo, or even other names like JBay, JB, etc, etc. Anything but Playless! Let me know what you think his nickname should be, chime in below and even add a name in the comments if the choices don't fit your fancy. Sooner or later our point situation will change.  The faster we get Bayless going, the sooner our future success will arrive.

Comments

Kersey Jones

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I couldn't agree more. The energy he brought to the game on Wednesday was much needed, it turned the game around.
Bayless should be playing more. I hope that game showed Nate exactly what he brings to the team.

Friday 09 January 2009, 03:15

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The Great Pumpkin

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Maybe I'm in the minority, but I'm not a passenger on the B-Rex Hype Train yet. He played one good 8-minute stretch, and that pretty much says everything about his season thus far. I need to see more before I'm convinced he's a piece of this puzzle.

Friday 09 January 2009, 03:26

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Sheed

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I realize he hasn't shown much yet in the NBA, I think the very best is yet to come.

Friday 09 January 2009, 05:26

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KyleC

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Hooked on a Feeling... All of those nicknames are weak/gay. He doesnt need a nickname unless B Wheels says so!

Friday 09 January 2009, 05:57

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dogpissjones

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it's not very catchy but I liked "JB on the rocks"

Friday 09 January 2009, 10:19

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Obrien

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Psycho B?

Monday 12 January 2009, 09:41

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Kay-Bee

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The B-rex pic is going to give me nightmares....

Friday 16 January 2009, 17:19

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Sheed

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It gives me nightmares already.

Friday 16 January 2009, 17:28

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