Game Thread 2022-23 Game #39 - BLAZERS @ RAPTORS - JANUARY 8, 2023 - 12:30 PM (PDT) ROOT

[TBpup]

That taped pregame interview with Josh Hart and Brooke did not give me the "I can't wait to resign in Portland" vibes. The hesitation and talk about how his role is vastly different than previous years, didn't come across like he's thrilled about it.

he seemed dejected

I'd say agents have let some of our players know that they are on the trade block....if Hart is butthurt...that's probably part of it...we can't let him walk for nothing even though I'd like to keep him..he's a trade asset at this point.

It seems unlikely Portland will keep Hart because it would be too much to re-sign him. Solid SG, but not a SF on a contending team which is where he is having to play. Unless they were to trade Payton and in another deal, trade Simons (unlikely) to get a major piece like an OG, they can't both be here. We are just too damn small.

 

[Blazinaway]

there are simply no words to describe this

team is becoming unwatchable

 

[Tince]

chauncey returns with all the starters. this is not a sustainable solution.

What is?

 

[riverman]

We've had 2 timesouts and a quarter break during this run. He doesn't have unlimited timeouts.

He doesn't call them quickly enough....

 

[TBpup]

We don't have enough timeouts to cover for our defense. This is just a case of bigger, longer, more athletic players being better than smaller, players with less length. The equalizer is for the smaller players to shoot the lights out.....which isn't happening.

....to prove the point, Simons with an airball.

 

[riverman]

10 bricks in a row

 

[PDXFonz]

Seriously atrocious

 

[Cugel]

build around Dame...smh

 

[Tince]

He doesn't call them quickly enough....

You want a timeout after every 5-0 run?

 

[illmatic99]

wtf did this team do in practice yesterday? looks woefully underprepared.

 

[PDXFonz]

All the timeouts in the world won’t stop these guys from playing like total scrubs. This isn’t a timeout issue.

 

[Tince]

I miss our old offense.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

One guy is still playing hard.

 

[illmatic99]

We don't have enough timeouts to cover for our defense. This is just a case of bigger, longer, more athletic players being better than smaller, players with less length. The equalizer is for the smaller players to shoot the lights out.....which isn't happening.

....to prove the point, Simons with an airball.

toronto isn't some juggernaut. they have major weaknesses at guard and C, yet we have declined to seek out those deficiencies. on both ends. instead we're just trying to play our regular game instead of preparing our gameplan against this opponent.

i put this on coaching.

 

[TBpup]

One guy is still playing hard.

...and what happens when he is gone?

 

[MickZagger]

At this point I’m going to start rooting for a higher draft pick. I don’t care how much season is left or how close we are to a playoff spot.

Not hard for anyone to realize this is a bunk ass team that needs a roster overhaul.

 

[riverman]

You want a timeout after every 5-0 run?

I don't want the same timeout after a 12-0 run...that's not how you adjust your defense. We let big holes happen without stopping them game after game.

 

[Labinot41]

I miss our old offense.

sad reality

 

[Tince]

 

[illmatic99]

we have a 6'9 guy guarding their short ass PG while we let Hart go against Siakam.

stupidity.

this is our strategy after chacuncey saw this get burned over and over again in the first.

 

[Tince]

I don't want the same timeout after a 12-0 run...that's not how you adjust your defense. We let big holes happen without stopping them game after game.

You working off the advantage of hindsight though. At the time, you don't know if a 5-0 run is going to get flipped or not.

Not to mention, after our last two timeouts, we've looked no better, so it doesn't appear calling the timeout has greatly changed things.

 

[MickZagger]

Just look at how much harder Toronto plays defensively. Drastic difference between us. Helps that they have a roster full on length in the 3-5 spots

We basically have Grant, Nurk and Eubanks with any length.

 

[TBpup]

toronto isn't some juggernaut. they have major weaknesses at guard and C, yet we have declined to seek out those deficiencies. on both ends. instead we're just trying to play our regular game instead of preparing our gameplan against this opponent.

i put this on coaching.

I don't see where anyone indicated anything close to them being a juggernaut.....as their record obviously indicates. But unless the Blazers are shooting lights out, their length causes huge problems for us. As we have been for years, we start by being small in the backcourt with not a lot of defense. It's not shocking, that for the vast majority of those years, when you build around that foundation, the results will not be very good. That will continue until that changes.

 

[PDXFonz]

Just look at how much harder Toronto plays defensively. Drastic difference between us. Helps that they have a roster full on length in the 3-5 spots

We basically have Grant, Nurk and Eubanks with any length.

I’m not convinced that we are even playing defensively

 

[Tince]

Siakam could get tossed for that, but he probably won't. The second pull could've really done some damage.

Very dangerous.

 

[B-Roy]

Effort is picking up

 

[Cugel]

that is BS by Siakim. dirty fucking play, so much for him being a blazer after that...

 

[blazerfan11]

Siakam should be ejected or what's the point of having flagrant fouls.

 

[twobullz]

No one on the Blazers besides Nurk sets good screens and his are not always that good.

 

[blazerfan11]

How is that a flagrant foul number one?