Game Thread 2025-26 GAME #39 - BLAZERS VS ROCKETS - JANUARY 9, 2026 - FRIDAY - 7:00 PM - KUNP - BLAZERVISION

[wizenheimer]

I know they prolly cannot just give Tiago the job cause of legal reasons cause of Billups but I hope they have told him the job is his the moment they can and hope his agent and the Blazers have a deal in place the moment they can move on from Billups.

they moved on from Billups the moment he was indicted. That's done

No decision on Splitter will be made until Dundon takes over, officially. When Dundon took over the Carolina Hurricanes, the GM and coach were dismissed in short order. I would not be surprised if he made major changes with the Blazers

 

[Chris Craig]

That was something else. That 4Q was something else, especially the very beginning and the very end.

Toumani with a new career high with 25 points, one of three Blazers in double figures. Deni came alive in the second half and Shaedon kind of sparked us at the start of the 4Q.

Love with another good outing. Sidy came up really big down the stretch and ended up with 13 points, and three steals.

Clingan: 15 rebounds, eight points, six assists and two steals.

Tiago has been doing a great job lately. He has the Blazers playing with energy, but, I think more importantly, he has everyone understanding their respective role and embracing it.

The Rockets need a PG, and they have enough surplus talent to get it. Wonder if they'll go after Morant, although how they'd fit him under the cap, I don't know.

Jabari Smith would get a lot of the same criticisms I give Shaedon on here. He's got so much ability but really doesn't seem to fit with the Rockets as currently comprised. Looks unconfident. I think he just needs a change of scenery. Maybe he's just not as good as I thought he'd be, but I think he might be another Deni that could wind up being a real bargain buy for someone in a trade.

I would like to see Clingan more confident in the post on offense. He always passes the ball out. I want to see him use his size to dominate at the rim. He does with rebounding, but I want to see him do it with shots more. Throw it down big man.

 

[Chris Craig]

they moved on from Billups the moment he was indicted. That's done

No decision on Splitter will be made until Dundon takes over, officially. When Dundon took over the Carolina Hurricanes, the GM and coach were dismissed in short order. I would not be surprised if he made major changes with the Blazers

Tiago has a chance. Cronin is probably gone.

 

[KingSpeed]

they moved on from Billups the moment he was indicted. That's done

No decision on Splitter will be made until Dundon takes over, officially. When Dundon took over the Carolina Hurricanes, the GM and coach were dismissed in short order. I would not be surprised if he made major changes with the Blazers

That would be unfortunate. Joe C has done a great job.

 

[MickZagger]

I would like to see Clingan more confident in the post on offense. He always throws the ball out. I want to see him use his size to dominate at the rim. He does with rebounding, but I want to see him do it with shots more.

Usually with young bigs the growth comes in waves. The fact he’s as comfortable this quickly is pretty remarkable

 

[illmatic99]

jabari smith just... forgot how to play in the fourth. wtf was that?

 

[Chris Craig]

That would be unfortunate. Joe C has done a great job.

I can see Dundon wanting a more experienced GM, but we will see. If he play well this season and Dundon likes what he sees, Tiago and Cronin may remain.

 

[Chris Craig]

jabari smith just... forgot how to play in the fourth. wtf was that?

He has to play musical chairs defense, got tired, and made mistake after mistake.

 

[MickZagger]

Next blazer loss and that knuckledragger Tripiani will come out of the cave to talk shit. With egg splattered all over his face

 

[Ripcity4life77]

I am about to say something that some will think my account has been hacked or something ( LOL ) but on Cronin ...

I am starting to suspect other factors ( directives from owner / vulcan ) caused some of those bad trades. I am not giving him a total pass but the last 2 ish years he has done a pretty good job. I will not be upset if he is let go but I could see a world where maybe he deserves a chance with a real owner and such.

 

[42N8Bounce]

Can the Blazers make it 6 in a row?

 

[julius]

I picked a good game to fall asleep during I guess.

 

[PCmor7]

I would like to see Clingan more confident in the post on offense. He always passes the ball out. I want to see him use his size to dominate at the rim. He does with rebounding, but I want to see him do it with shots more. Throw it down big man.

I don't think that's ever going to be who he is, although I agree, I'd like to see that, too. I think he's going to be a bigger Steven Adams with a bit more skill.

 

[PCmor7]

I picked a good game to fall asleep during I guess.

We won this because you couldn't maintain consciousness.

POG

 

[julius]

We won this because you couldn't maintain consciousness.

POG

I hereby volunteer to fall asleep for all of the remaining games going forward.

 

[MickZagger]

View attachment 79433

Can the Blazers make it 6 in a row?

OhhhhA. That’s gonna be a goodie

 

[PCmor7]

Cronin is probably gone.

I guess it would depend on who they got to replace him, but I think that'd be a mistake. If not him, his staff certainly has found some diamonds in the rough that have put together a team that can compete regardless. I don't care. You don't beat these good teams or lose in the final minutes to these good teams without at least average NBA rotation players. Sidy's 21 and he's shown, IMO, he's going to be in this league for years. Love was an amazing find and development and I'll eat some crow because I didn't think he was a smart signing.

 

[illmatic99]

oh dear

 

[2Fluffy4U]

Sidy was perfect this game. Not figuratively. Check his stats - 100% across the board with 3 steals. Hope he got the box.
Deni had 4th q Mamba defense mentality.
Sharpe had to grind them (successfuly) over and over to the rim, had some top notch decision making (alley hoop, and pass from the arc to Sidy)
All in all - this team is young and composed of end of the line players showing so much hunger and passion. Best kind of Bball.

 

[julius]

I don't get why people think the guy who helped build the team that is massively over performing this year, is going to be fired just because they're getting a new owner.

Besides the fact a new owner is probably giving the OK for a lot of stuff they're doing already, the new owner probably also realizes that 95% of why the team is doing good this year is directly because of choices that Cronin made.

 

[PCmor7]

Sidy was perfect this game. Not figuratively. Check his stats - 100% across the board with 3 steals. Hope he got the box.
Deni had 4th q Mamba defense mentality.
Sharpe had to grind them (successfuly) over and over to the rim, had some top notch decision making (alley hoop, and pass from the arc to Sidy)
All in all - this team is young and composed of end of the line players showing so much hunger and passion. Best kind of Bball.

The steal he made to flip the transition that led to the Shaedon lob to Sidy for the dunk the other way was the play of the game and that's a play that special players make. To have that combination of aggressiveness, feel for the game and ability to rise to a moment only exists in a few players.

 

[Everything Beagle]

Finally watching the game. Love is the real deal.

 

[Everything Beagle]

I wonder if Yang did poorly because Adams gave him a concussion falling on his face.

 

[Everything Beagle]

God I love Cissoko. This roster is so wild. Clingan had four assists halfway through the second quarter

 

[Everything Beagle]

Wow, refs really tried to help Houston win both of these games. The Rockets suck outside of Durant.

 

[wizenheimer]

I don't get why people think the guy who helped build the team that is massively over performing this year, is going to be fired just because they're getting a new owner.

Besides the fact a new owner is probably giving the OK for a lot of stuff they're doing already, the new owner probably also realizes that 95% of why the team is doing good this year is directly because of choices that Cronin made.

generally, new owners make big changes in management, if not immediately, it's soon after assuming control. Dundon made pretty immediate changes in his NHL team, and it was a team that was 10 games over .500 in the previous 3 seasons

it's really not about Cronin. It's about a new owner possibly wanting a new direction....which was exactly what he said he wanted when he immediately fired the GM of his hockey team

 

[julius]

generally, new owners make big changes in management, if not immediately, it's soon after assuming control. Dundon made pretty immediate changes in his NHL team, and it was a team that was 10 games over .500 in the previous 3 seasons

it's really not about Cronin. It's about a new owner possibly wanting a new direction....which was exactly what he said he wanted when he immediately fired the GM of his hockey team

I think this "general" knowledge is a lot more of fans thinking things than reality.

 

[Everything Beagle]

I think this "general" knowledge is a lot more of fans thinking things than reality.

Also, usually when a team changes ownership the team isn't already on the way back up

 

[Everything Beagle]

It didn’t count as an assist because Deni got fouled as he received it, but DC had a fantastic pass to Deni in the 3rd quarter. Really like seeing him expand his game.

 

[Everything Beagle]

Also Caleb needs to be a Blazer for a long time.