Sergio gets first start Posted by Jason Quick April 07, 2007 17:16PM With Brandon Roy taking a night off because of right knee pain, Blazers coach Nate McMillan has decided on Sergio Rodriguez as his replacement in the starting lineup. Rodriguez will team with Jarrett Jack to form the backcourt, which almost mirrors the two-point guard attack of the Dallas Mavericks, who start Jason Terry and Devin Harris. "With this lineup I can match our two guards with their two guards,'' McMillan said. "Martell (Webster) is normally the choice, but I didn't like that matchup with him trying to guard one of those point guards. Then this morning, I met with the coaching staff, and we had Freddie (Jones) as the guy to go in and start, but I decided I want to look at this: Jack guarding Terry and Sergio going against Devin.'' It is a potential spark for Rodriguez, who has flat-lined down the stretch of this season. The spunk, flair and energy that makes Sergio .... well, Sergio - has disappeared amid careless passes and short playing shifts of listless play. McMillan said he thinks Rodriguez has hit a "wall" after playing all summer with Spain's National team, and enduring his first long NBA season. "The other day when we flew out of Portland, he was asleep on the plane before the plane took off,'' McMillan said. "And he slept the entire flight. I mean, the enitre flight. He didn't eat breakfast or nothing. I think this long season has caught up with him. Because he normally has that energy, regardless of how he is playing. He comes into the gym, and he is bouncing the ball, and shooting. Now he's just coming in and tossing it up.'' McMillan confirmed there is no pressing concerns about Roy and his knee. He said he initiated the decision to hold Roy out tonight after learning second hand that Roy was having trouble with the knee before the Houston game. "What I'm finding out with him is he doesn't talk. He won't tell you,'' McMillan said. It's a toughness trait that McMillan admires, but at the same time, he said he would like to know when his players are hurting, especially Roy, because he will play him to death otherwise. "This is more for me, to keep from playing him, because I will play him, and play him, and play him,'' McMillan said. But now I can't put him out there. Even last night, I told myself I was going to cut his minutes, but I kept playing him (37 minutes).'' McMillan said he expects Roy to be ready for Monday's game in San Antonio. However, there is a chance he will rest him again next Saturday against Seattle because it is the second game of a back-to-back. "If he has anything that is bothering him, the risk of losing him in the offseason - and we aren't there - but these games aren't that important,'' McMillan said. Roy was receiving treatment in the training room before the game and was unavailable for comment. The Mavericks will be without Josh Howard, who aggravated an ankle injury last night in Denver. Devean George will start in his place. --Quick http://tinyurl.com/2lq9wq -- 实在太黑暗了... --

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