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Updated: November 7, 2008, 1:55 PM ET

Hollinger's PER Diem: Nov. 7, 2008

Portland's slow-paced offense might not be the right fit for Sergio Rodriguez, John Hollinger writes.

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By John Hollinger
ESPN.com
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PORTLAND, Ore. -- Sergio Rodriguez's agent has requested a trade from the Blazers, according to the Spanish Web site Marca.com, and I can't really say that I blame him.

I suspect that when I go to the Blazers' practice later today everyone will say this was all a misunderstanding and that it's all fine ... but it doesn't exactly take a rocket scientist to figure out that Rodriguez is a poor fit with the Blazers' playing style.

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Indeed. Rodriguez is an up-tempo guard in one of the league's most down-tempo systems, and as a result often looks like a thoroughbred that's been pressed into service as a Clydesdale.

Though often viewed from the outside as a young, exciting team with the implication that they play an up-tempo style, the truth is that the Blazers are a very young squad that plays like a very old one. All its best players are jump shooters, and they count on the ability of the secondary players to space the floor and create enough room for Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and (it's hoped) Greg Oden to operate.

And they almost never run -- Portland is again among the league's slowest-paced teams and scored just four fast-break points last night.

Then there's Sergio. He's not a shooter or a floor spacer; he's a dynamic creator who thrives on chaos and disorder, and there's a certain level of mistake-proneness a coach has to tolerate that goes hand-in-hand with that style. One sees flashes of how effective he can be with a looser leash when he's on the court with fellow Spaniard Rudy Fernandez; in fact their obvious on-court bond might ultimately be what saves his tenure in Portland.

Regardless, don't sleep on this guy. His remarkable assist rates in Portland -- even playing 9.4 minutes a game, he's third on the team -- are suggestive of a player who can be an impact floor general in an up-tempo system. Just not in this one.

John Hollinger writes for ESPN Insider. To e-mail him, click here.