Game Thread 2022-23 Game #34 - BLAZERS VS HORNETS - DECEMBER 26, 2022 - MONDAY - 7:00 PM (PDT) ROOT

[Chris Craig]

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STARTERS


Damian Lillard Anfernee Simons

Josh Hart Jerami Grant

Jusuf Nurkic




LaMelo Ball Kelly Oubre Jr

Gordon Hayward PJ Washington

Mason Plumlee

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WHEN: DECEMBER 26, 2022 - MONDAY - 7:00 PM (PDT)

WHERE: MODA CENTER, PORTLAND OR



TV BROADCAST



RADIO BROADCAST



____________________________

BENCH


Gary Payton II Justice Winslow

Nassir Little Drew Eubanks

Trendon Watford Shaedon Sharpe

Keon Johnson Jabari Walker

Greg Brown III John Butler Jr

Ibou Badji




Terry Rozier Dennis Smith Jr

Cody Martin Nick Richards

Jalen McDaniels Bryce McGowens

Kai Jones James Bouknight

JT Thor Mark Williams

Theo Maledon

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COACHES


Chauncey Billups


Steve Clifford


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INJURIES

BLAZERS

Damian Lillard - Wrist - Probable
Jusuf Nurkic - Calf - Probable
Josh Hart - Ankle - Probable
Drew Eubanks - Hip - Probable
Gary Payton II - Cond. - Questionable
Justice Winslow - Ankle - Doubtful
Nassir Little - Hip - Out


HORNETS

Cody Martin - Knee - Out
Dennis Smith - Ankle - Questionable
Terry Rozier - Hip - Questionable


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NOTES

• This is the second of two games this season between the Blazers and Hornets
• The Blazers defeated the Hornets 105 - 95 on November 9th in Charlotte
• Mason Plumlee played for the Blazers from 2015-17
• Dennis Smith Jr played for the Blazers during the 2021-22 season
• Gary Payton II hopes to make his season debut against the Hornets

_________________________________________

​

 

[Chris Craig]

Maybe the Blazers will show up for this one.

 

[Cugel]

what are the odds GP plays? Any takers? I am saying NFW.

 

[Chris Craig]

what are the odds GP plays? Any takers? I am saying NFW.

2 weeks

 

[Fairly-Hard]

It’s the word on the street from multiple people who say they have inside information but I have yet to read it from the people who actually know.

 

[Chris Craig]

It’s the word on the street from multiple people who say they have inside information but I have yet to read it from the people who actually know.

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[TBpup]

Maybe the Blazers will show up for this one.

Wouldn't that be nice.

2 weeks

"He's 2 weeks away.....from being 2 weeks away."

Fran Frachilla (edited)

 

[blazerkor]

This is the only post game interview that was on the team's YouTube page. This is exactly what I've seen with this squad. When they are focused like they were late in the first half, they can not just hang with but dominate anyone. When they are just going through the motions they can hang with the bad teams and get killed by the good ones.

What that tells me is the team does need to learn and grow into what it takes to win at the highest levels in this league but it also tells me that we need a more cohesive unit that can make up for the lapses in intensity that all players and units go through.

I think we'll beat the Hornets and may go on a six game run until we have to play Cleveland who seem to be far more dialed in both with the way their roster is constructed and the consistency they play with. If we do have that win streak it will be fools gold because it will be against teams that aren't going to do anything in the playoffs and the Warriors without Steph.

I just really hope that regardless of how we do going forward that Cronin keeps the idea in his head that he said he had last season when he traded CJ. That is that he knew we could probably make the WCF again but still probably couldn't win a game in them and that wasn't good enough. I don't care if that means gutting the team of everyone but Dame and Shae or even if it meant trading Dame for the right package, trading our other vets and building around Ant, Shae and whoever we get for our vets. We just need to do something.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

If we do have that win streak it will be fools gold

I don't really believe in "Fools Gold". In the NBA you have to win the games you are supposed to win and compete in the rest. If they get a 6 games win streak it is exactly that. With or without Curry who looked at the schedule at the beginning of the year and thought of these next 6 they might win all of them? Hoenets, Warriors, Pistons, T-wolves, Pacers, Raptors. 4 games on the road and 2 at home. The two games at home are both a "One Home and One Away" schedule.
Seriously ridiculous to think this team would win all 6 of those and call it "Fools Gold".

 

[TBpup]

This is the only post game interview that was on the team's YouTube page. This is exactly what I've seen with this squad. When they are focused like they were late in the first half, they can not just hang with but dominate anyone. When they are just going through the motions they can hang with the bad teams and get killed by the good ones.

What that tells me is the team does need to learn and grow into what it takes to win at the highest levels in this league but it also tells me that we need a more cohesive unit that can make up for the lapses in intensity that all players and units go through.

I think we'll beat the Hornets and may go on a six game run until we have to play Cleveland who seem to be far more dialed in both with the way their roster is constructed and the consistency they play with. If we do have that win streak it will be fools gold because it will be against teams that aren't going to do anything in the playoffs and the Warriors without Steph.

I just really hope that regardless of how we do going forward that Cronin keeps the idea in his head that he said he had last season when he traded CJ. That is that he knew we could probably make the WCF again but still probably couldn't win a game in them and that wasn't good enough. I don't care if that means gutting the team of everyone but Dame and Shae or even if it meant trading Dame for the right package, trading our other vets and building around Ant, Shae and whoever we get for our vets. We just need to do something.

Sadly, we have heard similar quotes so often, and just as unfortunately, the same type of inconsistent effort from the team as a whole over the years. They will eventually go on a nice winning streak just like they do almost every season, but in the end, will it be much different than basically every other year?

 

[Fairly-Hard]

Sadly, we have heard similar quotes so often, and just as unfortunately, the same type of inconsistent effort from the team as a whole over the years. They will eventually go on a nice winning streak just like they do almost every season, but in the end, will it be much different than basically every other year?

Wait? So you thought this team was going to be better than the last few years?
What did you think was going to happen? HCA and a run to the WCFs?
What will be an acceptable outcome for you this year?

 

[BigGameDamian]

I wouldn’t mind the Blazers trying to get PJ Washington or Jalen McDaniels at the trade deadline.

 

[OR-84]

Hopefully they can get a win for my birthday!

 

[TBpup]

Wait? So you thought this team was going to be better than the last few years?
What did you think was going to happen? HCA and a run to the WCFs?
What will be an acceptable outcome for you this year?

I thought the team 'should' be better just due to getting a player like Grant in their front court. He is better than anyone they have had there in quite some time, so the sum of talent over all is better. However, the sum may not equal the whole of the parts. Grant can help, but he can't cover up the multiple defensive holes that exist all around him. Hart is a warrior, but IMO, is still too small to be a starting SF on a contending team. Nurk helps at times, but get him in space, and it's often a disaster. Then there is our first line of defense, which has been bad for years.

I did think Grant would help them be better and maybe they will be by the end of the year. But as of now, it is looking a lot like years past. The guards taking most of the shots, whether they are making them or not. Our defense being lower than teams that are trying to tank, and 'mediocrity' being the continued label of this era.

 

[blazerfan11]

what happened to Ben McLemore? Is he playing anywhere?

 

[Fairly-Hard]

I thought the team 'should' be better just due to getting a player like Grant in their front court. He is better than anyone they have had there in quite some time, so the sum of talent over all is better. However, the sum may not equal the whole of the parts. Grant can help, but he can't cover up the multiple defensive holes that exist all around him. Hart is a warrior, but IMO, is still too small to be a starting SF on a contending team. Nurk helps at times, but get him in space, and it's often a disaster. Then there is our first line of defense, which has been bad for years.

I did think Grant would help them be better and maybe they will be by the end of the year. But as of now, it is looking a lot like years past. The guards taking most of the shots, whether they are making them or not. Our defense being lower than teams that are trying to tank, and 'mediocrity' being the continued label of this era.

This is why i asked the question.
What would be an acceptable outcome this year for you?

 

[blazerkor]

This is why i asked the question.
What would be an acceptable outcome this year for you?

I know you're not asking me but I don't think we have "an acceptable outcome" right now. If the team stays as is and stays healthy I think they'll make the playoffs but I doubt they make it past the second round. If we make moves it changes the whole equation and maybe the "acceptable outcome" becomes at least the WCF. Also I personally think that making the playin but missing the playoffs is an acceptable outcome because it would give us a lotto pick in this draft and obviously mandate even bigger changes than we've seen in the last year.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

I know you're not asking me but I don't think we have "an acceptable outcome" right now. If the team stays as is and stays healthy I think they'll make the playoffs but I doubt they make it past the second round. If we make moves it changes the whole equation and maybe the "acceptable outcome" becomes at least the WCF. Also I personally think that making the playin but missing the playoffs is an acceptable outcome because it would give us a lotto pick in this draft and obviously mandate even bigger changes than we've seen in the last year.

So acceptable to you is anywhere from Lotto to WCF's.
Right On! It's pretty much where I'm at as well.

 

[wizenheimer]

I have a sliding-time-scale of acceptable outcome

the threshold for acceptable started low and bounced way over the baseline because I was just happy that FINALLY, the lamebrain Olshey-loves-CJ-beyond-measure-with-Powell-at-SF stupid fucking idiot roster was shit-canned. That carried me thru the summer and into the first part of the season

I think I said, somewhere here, I thought the team was about a 44-46 win team with 6th seed as the ceiling and play-in as likely. That's what I though were reasonable expectations for a process that started with dismantling the ingrained, broken, 7 year roster. My expectation was that the process was just starting and might take a couple of years. For certain, one trade deadline and one off-season without cap-space weren't enough time to dismantle, remodel, and rebuild. Sure seems like some expected that to happen though.

my expectation was the the Dame/Ant experiment should be given a season to see if it tracks the same as the Dame/CJ failure. If the returns are pretty conclusive at the trade deadline, then perhaps, if a trade is available, Simons might be moved. And my expectation/hope is that Cronin won't be so idiotically welded to Simons as Olshey was to CJ

I wish Portland was winning more games, but where they are right now kind of matches my expectations

 

[TBpup]

This is why i asked the question.
What would be an acceptable outcome this year for you?

Dame, Ant, Grant and Nurk as your core? I expected at least Top 6 and out of the Play-In. Given the lack of dominant teams in the West, I think they should be maybe even better than that.

 

[B-Roy]

Gary is still out???? LOL

 

[SIeepwalker]

Gary is still out???? LOL

Fuck.

 

[Cugel]

He wont play this year, maybe all season. who knows at this point? Nothing the team says can be trusted regarding this matter. something is not right. this is getting silly

 

[blazerfan11]

Why did the Blazers sign an injured role player? And then there's also Nassir Little. I wonder what the bench would look like if their salaries were going to players that actually played.

 

[AldoTrapani]

Whoa the Blazers need to cut the bullshit and tell us what happened with this dude Gary. What was the major setback here? You don’t go from an opening night projection to missing half the season without a major roadblock.

On top of that you keep bullshitting the fans every 2 weeks by saying “nothing to worry about just 2 more weeks”..

 

[Strenuus]

I said HCA but it doesn't matter in the long run so I don't get mad about it.

 

[Strenuus]

Why did the Blazers sign an injured role player? And then there's also Nassir Little. I wonder what the bench would look like if their salaries were going to players that actually played.

Here's a really weird thing. That injured player is going to be healthy and then... Wait for it... It's going to go to a player that actually plays.

Patience.

 

[julius]

I'm starting to think maybe Payton won't play this year.

 

[AldoTrapani]

I'm starting to think maybe Payton won't play this year.

I predicted post all star break

 

[Fairly-Hard]

Have to admit it’s getting long? Like three different sites claiming “Sources” were saying the 26th was the return. Obviously we know which ones don’t really know anything.