Portland coach Nate McMillan admitted to the Oregonian recently that he doesn't feel that rookie Jerryd Bayless is ready to be the team's backup point guard.

"I know he's not. He's a rookie," McMillan said of Bayless. "He's a young guy who's trying to ... he's playing this for the first time and all of sudden you're thrown out there.

"He brings energy and when I make that substitution, I know I'm going to get energy and get scrappiness and defense," McMillan said. "But the know-how you have to really ... limit what you do with him out there, simply because he hasn't been through that. Sergio has, he's seen it. So it's not that it made me feel any different about him. I knew it was a tough situation for him and going down the stretch it will be simply because he's a rookie stepping into a very hostile situation. Going up against champion in Chauncey Billups. That's tough and that's why Sergio being the backup and having a little bit more experience than Bayless; it's his time. This is what you work for and you talk about (wanting) - an opportunity."

Bayless is averaging 5.0 points and 1.6 assists for Portland in 13.4 minutes per game.

Via Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers

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