Game Thread 2023-24 Game #29 - BLAZERS VS KINGS - DECEMBER 26, 2023 - TUESDAY - 7:00 PM PST - ROOT

Because he's better.

Can you enjoy the win without tearing down a vet for one night?

 

I imagine it’d go something like this:

 

This absolutely needs to be his nickname from now on.

 

He wasn't better in this game. Not even close.

 

Your opinion? Or rumor with substance?

 

Agreed... Unfortunately, there isn't a great way of knowing who's going to have the better game before the game. So what happens is coaches typically lean towards the player who has performed better previously in games/practices. For example, Grant has been better throughout his career, better this season, and even was better last game vs Golden St. Just because a player has a better first half, doesn't mean he's more likely to have a better second half.

What we did see is Billups played Grant 7 minutes less than his season average and Walker 5 minutes more. All things considered, I think Billups has been more flexible with minutes than many of the great coaches would be.

Grant is better than Walker, it's not even close. Be thankful we suck so badly that guys like Walker are given a longer leash when they do play well because stuff like that won't happen near as much if we ever get good again. Not to mention, if we do get good again, a lot of the young guys you love will be the vets, taking minutes from the new young guys you'll love, while you trash the vets that you used to love.

 

Why?

 

100% opinion. But the Sac stuff from a while ago is out there.

 

I like Thybulle. But also like Sharpe and Camara and Walker more. We are at the stage where their development matters more.

 

Acknowledging a mistake I didn't make would be a mistake.

Here's a hint: Context is your friend, friend.

 

It's not just them, though. There are a bunch of posters in this thread doing variations of the same thing.

If the Blazers lost to a better team while actively trying not to be too good, it'd be bad. Since the Blazers convincingly beat a better team, then they have to nitpick every other little thing and speak it into fail.

I'm surprised in the case of last night's game I'm not reading more about how we're ruining our lottery chances by winning. That'd be the easy narrative. Instead I'm reading things like how Chauncey might have marginally mismanaged minutes in a double-digit win, how Scoot's still terrible after going 17 points, 11 assists and probably something like a plus-20, and how I need to apologize to a random poster on this board because he didn't take the time to read two posts back to see that we were in agreement from the jump.

Nope, the world's ending, the house is burning down, everything's terrible.

 

Yes, obviously. Don't make trades just to trade, but don't fall in love with your own players, especially role players, if it's the thing that's going to hold up making a deal that'd make the team better.

FTR, I don't think Nate was suggesting the latter. I think he's saying not to underestimate Thybulle's value to the Blazers.

 

Ant is actually shooting slightly better than Lillard from both 2 and 3pt range this year. But Damian gets to the line a lot more. He never seemed to be able to shine much when Lillard was playing.

 

Sac kind of played like they all had Christmas dinner and then got on a plane and went to Portland to play a basketball game.
Blazers played like they all had a great day off yesterday and watched a bunch of games then got up ready to play.

 

Exactly why are people talking about trading our best 3 and D player? Explain this to me please?

 

it has become a volume-dependent stat. I guess it always was, but it's more-so now, IMO. Ant is tied for 5th in the NBA in FGA at 20.7. 10 years ago, Durant was 2nd in FGA at 20.8 averaging 32 points; Melo led the league at 21.3 FGA. Only 3 players averaged 20 FGA or more that year. Currently, 8 are averaging 20 or more. SGA averages the same 20.7 FGA as Ant, but averages 4 more points a game mainly because he averages 3 more made FT's a game. Dame is only averaging 0.9 fewer points on 3.1 fewer shots. Like SGA, Dame's big advantage over Ant is the FT line

it's a guard dominated league now. Of the top-30 in points, only 2 are bigs (Embiid, Jokic); 3 if you count Giannis. 10 years ago, 9 of the top-30 were bigs

 

He was a starter on a 3 seed last year. He shot 12/13 from three a few days ago.

 

I don’t know that Grant is better than Walker. Esp at that position where rebounding is important. I wonder if you thought David Lee was better than Draymond because he scored more.

 

Walker has earned more minutes in the second half. Toumani gets much praise and rightly so, but Walker is balling.