Game Thread 2023-24 Game #26 - BLAZERS VS SUNS - DECEMBER 19, 2023 - TUESDAY - 7:00 PM PST - ROOT

[PtldPlatypus]

Thybulle shot a career higih 36.5% last season.

You said he may be our best 3pt shooter. Ant is a career 39% 3pt shooter (on much harder shots) as is Brogdon. I'll ask again:

Do you really think Thybulle may be our best 3pt shooter?

While he might not necessarily be the "best", what Thybulle has been is our most consistent 3-point threat. Nearly 80% of all his shots are 3's, and every single one he's made this season has been assisted. He's not dribbling and stepping into them, they're not coming in iso situations; all are within the flow of the offense. It clearly has been pre-determined--whether by him, Billups, or otherwise, that that is his role on offense. And when you basically only have one job, it's a lot easier to do that job well.

So no, I don't necessarily think that if the Blazers' guards had a series of 3-point shootouts that Thybulle would win a preponderance of them. But I do think that if the players continue to play the roles they've been given, that he will finish the season with the highest 3P% on the team.

 

[kjironman1]

Billups said he "liked everything about DA's game tonight."

Might be a bit generous. I didn't realize he played 40+ minutes!

So his shots didn't fall and yes he lost a few of the bounce passes but that Ayton is what this team needs to have. If he continues to play like that he will have some monster games. Could have very easily put up 25-15 in that game.

 

[kjironman1]

Don't really want to get into a contract conversation or a conversation about trading personnel.

I just feel it would have been nice to have Jrue Holiday mentoring Scoot. Just one season with that guy would have done wonders.

 

[Pinwheel1]

If they're going to play Ant with Scoot, they should absolutely not have Scoot playing off the ball. Those are for shooters. And he's a point guard. That's why it should be Ant playing off the ball. As good as he is getting his shot, he's even better as a catch and shoot guy.

I agree.....but I didn't have a problem with it last night. I want the ball in Ant or Brogdon's hands as the shot clock dwindles. I think Chauncey wanted him in there with the other 4 in case Phoenix decided to trap our guards while being down 10. Most other teams do it to us, and it generally works, So having Scoot playing late in the 4th with Sharpe injured, even if he just stood in the corner on offense, gave them that 3rd ball handler.....much better than either Camara or Thybulle.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I agree.....but I didn't have a problem with it last night. I want the ball in Ant or Brogdon's hands as the shot clock dwindles.

IMO, these are the situations that we need Scoot to be experiencing in this development season.

 

[Pinwheel1]

IMO, these are the situations that we need Scoot to be experiencing in this development season.

Which part? I think his being in the game at that point does give him experience. Having him run the offense in crunch time can wait a couple of months. They needed a win last night. Constant losing takes a toll on everyone.

 

[Cugel]

For this year: I think it's better to have Scoot out there in a close game against superstars and lose, then have him on the bench and win. He has to have big game experience.

 

[Chris Craig]

Brogdon seems to play better when he is starting. He hasn't played well since he sent to the bench. He came off the bench in the first half and didn't do much. He started in place of Sharpe in the second half and played a lot better.

Ayton is far better when he attacks the hoop then when he settles for jumpers.

Sharpe can't seem to play well with both Grant and Simons back. He has all but disappeared. Not sure how much of that is injury. Simons and Grant are taking a lot of shots, which leaves little for Sharpe, who needs more shot attempts to be productive and to be confident. Not sure how this is remedied...trading Grant probably...for now playing Sharpe when Grant and Simons are on the bench...Sharpe is the future not Grant...not good to alienate him during hid development.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

For this year: I think it's better to have Scoot out there in a close game against superstars and lose, then have him on the bench and win. He has to have big game experience.

But does he get any experience when the other players know giving him the ball in those situations risks losing the game?

 

[SharpeScooterShooter]

@THE HCP, I just want to reach out and say i'm thoroughly impressed with the improvements of the broadcasting over the last couple of games. I know my take means nothing to you, but it was obvious many here were not liking the Haberstat cutting into the games and the way it was done with the shrinking of the screen. I have not really seen that. Now he is down below next to the score, and personally, I think its perfect.

So I have no clue if you or others read anything on here, or not and took heed, but either way, I wanted to say thank you and good job on the improvements, if you had any hand in it. Great changes that make listening and glancing down at him at the bottom much more pleasurable, while maintaining all the corners of the TV for viewership to see the edges of the game. Fantastic improvements in that area.

Kudos sir.

 

[kjironman1]

@THE HCP, I just want to reach out and say i'm thoroughly impressed with the improvements of the broadcasting over the last couple of games. I know my take means nothing to you, but it was obvious many here were not liking the Haberstat cutting into the games and the way it was done with the shrinking of the screen. I have not really seen that. Now he is down below next to the score, and personally, I think its perfect.

So I have no clue if you or others read anything on here, or not and took heed, but either way, I wanted to say thank you and good job on the improvements, if you had any hand in it. Great changes that make listening and glancing down at him at the bottom much more pleasurable, while maintaining all the corners of the TV for viewership to see the edges of the game. Fantastic improvements in that area.

Kudos sir.

No he won't cut your lawn for free...

 

[Natebishop3]

Brogdon seems to play better when he is starting. He hasn't played well since he sent to the bench. He came off the bench in the first half and didn't do much. He started in place of Sharpe in the second half and played a lot better.

Ayton is far better when he attacks the hoop then when he settles for jumpers.

Sharpe can't seem to play well with both Grant and Simons back. He has all but disappeared. Not sure how much of that is injury. Simons and Grant are taking a lot of shots, which leaves little for Sharpe, who needs more shot attempts to be productive and to be confident. Not sure how this is remedied...trading Grant probably...for now playing Sharpe when Grant and Simons are on the bench...Sharpe is the future not Grant...not good to alienate him during hid development.

That’s ironic since he was 6th man of the year.

 

[SharpeScooterShooter]

If they're going to play Ant with Scoot, they should absolutely not have Scoot playing off the ball. Those are for shooters. And he's a point guard. That's why it should be Ant playing off the ball. As good as he is getting his shot, he's even better as a catch and shoot guy.

EVERY time I see him without the ball and run to the corner and hold, I know its a wasted possessions...Chauncey needs to put a hard limit on that.

 

[THE HCP]

But we knew Ant was going to be our best player back in September.

 

[PCmor7]

Approaching the rotation as if the team is trying to win games, what a concept.

 

[Chris Craig]

That’s ironic since he was 6th man of the year.

I know

 

[blazerfan11]

But does he get any experience when the other players know giving him the ball in those situations risks losing the game?

I think the idea is that Scoot learns how to play in those game-ending situations and not try to do too much, exactly how he played at the end last night.

 

[blazerfan11]

Brogdon seems to play better when he is starting. He hasn't played well since he sent to the bench. He came off the bench in the first half and didn't do much. He started in place of Sharpe in the second half and played a lot better.

Ayton is far better when he attacks the hoop then when he settles for jumpers.

Sharpe can't seem to play well with both Grant and Simons back. He has all but disappeared. Not sure how much of that is injury. Simons and Grant are taking a lot of shots, which leaves little for Sharpe, who needs more shot attempts to be productive and to be confident. Not sure how this is remedied...trading Grant probably...for now playing Sharpe when Grant and Simons are on the bench...Sharpe is the future not Grant...not good to alienate him during hid development.

Brogdon seems to be the only Trail Blazer that can run a pick-and-roll with Ayton and throw the ball to Ayton's head instead of his ankles.

This sequence ended with Ayton scoring and Nurkic getting hit in the face and falling down.

I would prefer Scoot to start, but I'd also like Ayton to be getting the ball at better spots.

 

[Idog1976]

I couldn't watch the game, just checked the box score Sharpe with 0 points in 8 minutes. Fuck did he get injured?!?!?!?!?!?

 

[Idog1976]

Abductor soreness ok I think that's probably OK if it's not as bad as Lillard hopefully. At least it's not a lower body injury.

 

[Strenuus]

I couldn't watch the game, just checked the box score Sharpe with 0 points in 8 minutes. Fuck did he get injured?!?!?!?!?!?

He was questionable before the game as it was.

 

[TBpup]

@Travis Demers commented on this during the radio broadcast of the game.

Rip-through movements, which are when an offensive player initiates contact with a defender's arm but moves the ball away from the hoop (perhaps most famously employed by Kevin Durant), will be considered a non-basketball move and result in a no-call this season.Oct 23, 2023

View attachment 60960

That is the rule, but that rule gets trumped by the superstar 'rule'. If Scoot does that, they probably call it correctly because he is a rookie. Durant does it and he is a superstar, so they have to make some type of call or he will eviscerate them on a burner Twitter account.

 

[blazerfan11]

That is the rule, but that rule gets trumped by the superstar 'rule'. If Scoot does that, they probably call it correctly because he is a rookie. Durant does it and he is a superstar, so they have to make some type of call or he will eviscerate them on a burner Twitter account.

I suppose that's also the reason why Booker can whack arms (Brogdon) and bear hug/ shove (Scoot) and not get called.

You might remember the possession where Brogdon was bringing the ball up the court at his usual slow pace and Booker whacked Brogdon's dribbling arm (right arm) with a referee looking right at it. Brogdon kind of paused as he kept dribbling at looked over at the referee in disbelief, raising up his left arm.