12 tasty minutes

Sergio Rodriguez takes over game, giving Blazers buzz

By kerry eggers

The Portland Tribune, Jan 16, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (11 Reader comments)

Blazer Sergio Rodriguez gets past Nugget Allen Iverson on his way to 23 points Sunday.

DENISE FARWELL / PORTLAND TRIBUNE

On Sunday morning, just hours before he is to take the floor against the Denver Nuggets, Sergio Rodriguez talks about how happy he is with his lot in life as a rookie in Portland.

“Of course, I want to play more,” he says. “I want to play every minute of every game. But I’m learning. I like my teammates. I’m fine with everybody here. It’s been good for me.”

Imagine his feelings after playing the NBA game of his life that night, knocking the socks off the Nuggets with a 23-point, 10-assist performance in Denver’s 109-93 victory over the Trail Blazers.

In the second quarter, the 20-year-old Spanish point guard was the best player on the floor, collecting 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go with six assists. The brilliant 12-minute burst turned a 12-point deficit into a seven-point halftime lead.

Throughout the game, the 6-3, 170-pound Rodriguez created open shots for himself and teammates. He hit 11 of 14 from the field and collected four rebounds and three steals in an All-Star-like 30-minute performance that was duly noted by the opposition.

“He played great,” said Denver superstar Allen Iverson, who scored a game-high 32 points. “If you can judge him off of tonight’s game, I mean, wow. It’s a long, grueling season, but if he stays with it, the sky’s the limit for him. This one will do a lot for his confidence. It’s a game that can make him feel good about himself and know that he can play and be successful in this league.”

George Karl knew very little about Rodriguez going into the game. The Denver coach knows more now.

“He was a dominating player,” Karl says. “He controlled their offense and our defense in the second quarter. He looks like he’s going to be a player.

“We wanted him to go to the rim more than shoot a jump shot, but he’s clever. He finds guys open. A big part of NBA basketball is the pick-and-roll, and he seems to have a knack for it already, which for a young player is unusual.”

Ex-Blazer Steve Blake was busy having the biggest night of his career, going for a career-high 25 points against his old team in a first start for his new club. But he also took notice of the guy wearing No. 11 for the home team.

“I was impressed with his court vision,” Blake said. “He obviously understands the game, and he was knocking down shots, which made it easier for him to find open teammates. If he can consistently do that, he’ll be a very good player in this league.”

‘I can speak basketball’

Owner Paul Allen paid Phoenix $3 million to buy the Suns’ first-round pick and take Rodriguez with the 27th selection in last June’s draft. On Sunday, Rodriguez looked like a bargain at that price.

But how could he come into the game averaging 2.4 points and only 9.8 minutes per game?

For one thing, Rodriguez is only now learning the English language. He is improving on that almost as quickly as he makes strides with his NBA game — he conducted a 30-minute interview with the Portland Tribune entirely in English — but it still makes his transition to the Blazers more difficult.

“It’s a new situation for me,” Rodriguez says. “Always before, I have a close relationship with my coach and the ability to communicate. I have never had a language to learn, too.

“Basketball is a universal language, and I can speak basketball. I can understand almost everything that is being said (by coach Nate McMillan), but it’s not my language. It’s very important that I improve my English. It’s important for my confidence, and for his confidence in me.”

McMillan says most of Rodriguez’s problems come at the defensive end.

“Language has slowed his development a lot,” the coach says. “Offensively, he can get us into some things, but he’s having problems defensively, late in the shot clock or situations of switching from one defense to another, picking up defensive calls. It’s been an issue.”

It probably will become less of an issue if Rodriguez continues to make an impact at the offensive end as he did against Denver.

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