On former Terp Steve Blake
OK, show of hands. How many of you thought that Steve Blake would be more in demand as an NBA player than Juan Dixon, his former Terps teammate?
You guys checked out Blake with Portland lately?
I watched his game on television Thursday night against Phoenix. There are all these luminaries on the floor: there's Shaq and Steve Nash and Brandon Roy and Greg Oden. And then there's Blake -- who enrolled at Maryland after he couldn't get a scholarship to N.C. State -- scoring 22 points (4-for-7 on threes) and dishing out 10 assists.
Blake has started every Blazers game this season and averages 11.2 points and 4.5 assists.
Blake, who keeps in touch with Maryland and with Gary Williams in particular, is testament to the importance of finding the right system. Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard really wanted Blake because he was grounded and unselfish, and would be a good example for young players like Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge.
Blake's success proves -- happily -- that there is room in the NBA for a guy who might not possess otherworldly athletic talents but who works extremely hard. He manages the floor, has made his three-point shot more consistent and is pretty quick going to the hoop.
For those of you who remember Blake from his Maryland days, I thought you'd enjoy this scouting report on Blake that I got when I profiled him for the paper in 2007.
"First and foremost, a tough guy," says Dave Telep, national recruiting director for scout.com. "My recollection of him as a high school player is he wasn't as under control as he is now. He was a really fast kid who was burning it up, but he didn't have the same command of a team as he has now."
Comments
I will only claim to have thought this because it's clear that NBA teams won't give Dixon a fair shake because of his slight build.
Then combine that with some of the articles about Blake for the past offseason, and it only makes sense.
Posted by: ckstevenson | December 22, 2008 10:24 AM
That 3 pointer against UCONN in the Elite 8 might be the biggest shot in MD History.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq0Ez87a9eY
To think we were down 7 in that game I believe with about 5 mimutes to go. History is something.
Posted by: Ryanb | December 22, 2008 11:06 AM
I did. He has a true NBA position whereas Dixon is a tweener.
Posted by: J-Wiz | December 22, 2008 12:09 PM
RyanB
Two of the biggest happened in that game:
Blake's as noted, and:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbe2uNaQ3o4&feature=related
Posted by: gbx79 | December 22, 2008 12:26 PM
It's sad. But really not surprising. The NBA shuns 6'2/6'3 shooting guards, especially who weigh 150#'s, no matter how talented they are.
Meanwhile Blake has all the makings of the clasic NBA "pure" point guard. He's also 6'2/6'3 which is a plus for points, has a good handle, good court vision, plays hard on defense, and can knock down the occasional outside shot to keep defenses honest.
There's no question Dixon is/was the better basketball player. But Blake's skills are more of a commodity in the NBA then Dixon's.
Stephen Curry will have the same problems as Juan when his college career comes to an end.
Posted by: Adam B | December 22, 2008 1:47 PM
There will always be room for a true point guard in the NBA. Steve Blake can distribute the ball to the all stars and he can play defense.
Posted by: Tom S. | December 22, 2008 2:16 PM
I've followed Blake's career closely since his Terp days and catch most of the Blazer games on Direct TV. As a pro, the guy has done the same thing he did at Maryland...make teams better. For the most part he's been disrespected by the sports media. There's always a lot of chatter that he should be coming off the bench rather than starting. But over the last few years, Blake has competed for the starting spot against Sebastian Telfair, Jarrett Jack, Sergio Rodriguez and most recently Jared Bayless and has stood them all down. That's because coaches love him and his teammates respect him for his moxie and heart. Go Steve.
Posted by: Stajack | December 22, 2008 5:11 PM
When I think of Steve I always smile and remember the time the "great" Dook point guard, Jason Williams, had his pocket picked by
Steve while Williams was having a sideline discussion with K. You could see Steve thinking about it and then he was gone with the ball to the basket before Jason Williams realized what had hapopened. The audacity of Steve Blake to do such a thing!
Posted by: 67terp | December 22, 2008 6:39 PM
Unfortunately,Juan has not found the system that allows him to create his own shot and play Ed Reed type of defense,and being with the Whizzards and thier untalented front office where Deshaun Stevenson has mangedto hold on to a starting point gaurd job,and Etan Thomas makes millions for one mediocre season,he usually doesn't get the oppurtunity to even get in the game,much less contribute.If anybody should have been fired it should have been Ernie Grunfeld,not Eddie Jordan,don't see where Ed Tapscott is any improvement at all.
Posted by: Burt from Essex | December 22, 2008 10:46 PM
It was so fun to watch him run the offense. It seems like the Terps haven't had a true point guard since.
Posted by: Tim T | December 23, 2008 2:50 AM
@ 67terp - that steal was incredible, great memory.
The best thing about Blake was the feeling of calm I had that he would make good decisions with the ball. Pretty much the exact opposite of the white knuckle roller coaster ride that is Vasquez.
Posted by: Eric L | December 23, 2008 8:42 AM
I cop to missing on Blake. But I took about an 18 month break between the Final Four and when he caught on with the Wizards. I saw him play some garbage time and watched him push the floor like, well, Jeremy Wariner with a bumblebee in his pants.
And I thought, from whence did all this food speed come from? Because it wasn't here two years ago.
Posted by: rockcreek | December 23, 2008 1:15 PM
they are both having great runs in the NBA. Blake seems driven and will have a 10 to 12 year run. If the Wizards are smart, J. Dixon will be their 6 or 7th guy for a number of years. I think that Blake has had the blessing of better coaching and many more minutes, that he has earned. Hopefully, the two remain friends... Merry Christmas...
Posted by: frank | December 23, 2008 6:37 PM
Wilcox made the highlights the other night. I think his head touched the arena's ceiling.
Blake is a great strategist out there. I don't know if that makes him a play maker like Kidd, and he's not a Chris Paul but he is like a Bob Cousy. He's tough, mellow and tough again. I caught a glimpse of him a few weeks ago and saw a man not a boy anymore. He got there perhaps for leading the team to the championship and he may not have gotten the chance had he played at Florida that year.
It's important to get guys into the NBA to be able to recruit. He was an exciting passer and always had an unselfish jumper.
Posted by: WTF | December 28, 2008 8:15 AM