A 52 win Season. Under, Meet, or Exceed expectations?

[MarAzul]

Lillard is fine

I think you gloss over the glaring issue. In the past four games, Lillard is 6 for 24 beyond the line. That is chucker numbers, a chucker that isn't making many. He is shooting more 3 pointers this year than years past years and not making as many. He shoot more three pointer than anyone else on the team and there are few on this team, that shoot that shot with as low a percentage as he does.
I see this as a problem. You mention getting double teamed. Well that is the way to play a PG chucker that would rather shoot than create team offense, make it hard, he'll shoot anyway.
Getting a chucker to shoot the long ball is a fast break opportunity, so do what you can to get him to chuck it up. Six for 24 is 25%, not so good, but hell, he is only .34 on the year and falling.
Teams learn how to defend, it ain't going to get better, he needs to change. I don't think he can, this year.

 

[S550]

I think you gloss over the glaring issue. In the past four games, Lillard is 6 for 24 beyond the line. That is chucker numbers, a chucker that isn't making many. He is shooting more 3 pointers this year than years past years and not making as many. He shoot more three pointer than anyone else on the team and there are few on this team, that shoot that shot with as low a percentage as he does.
I see this as a problem. You mention getting double teamed. Well that is the way to play a PG chucker that would rather shoot than create team offense, make it hard, he'll shoot anyway.
Getting a chucker to shoot the long ball is a fast break opportunity, so do what you can to get him to chuck it up. Six for 24 is 25%, not so good, but hell, he is only .34 on the year and falling.
Teams learn how to defend, it ain't going to get better, he needs to change. I don't think he can, this year.

Couldn't have said it any better. It's a dirty little secret around here but besides one week last month or so, where he got player of the week, Lillard since the new year has been terrible..

 

[blue32]

Couldn't have said it any better. It's a dirty little secret around here but besides one week last month or so, where he got player of the week, Lillard since the new year has been terrible..

It's definitely not as automatic as it once was....

 

[kjironman1]

I think you gloss over the glaring issue. In the past four games, Lillard is 6 for 24 beyond the line.

People who actually watch the games can see that teams are now doubling him more. Last night Memphis was holding two guys in front of him out at the 3 point line making sure he didn't shoot from there.

Doesn't seem like i "Glossed" over anything. Teams are taking that shot from him. The 3's he is getting are highly contested or from 28ft out. Then i went on to say that he is finding other shooters. Those shooters are missing. Lillard is not the problem IMO. Wes made a lot of threes, but he shot a bunch of threes. If he made them at a higher rate Lillard's ast rate would be higher. The same thing holds true for months of Batum missing or in some cases not taking every shot given to him. Afflalo is starting to hit more shots but he isn't quite there yet. I am seeing CJ become one of the better scoring threats this team has right now and it couldn't come at a better time.
The Flex/Flow system is only going to work if all the players are a threat. It seems that when teams look at Portland they say "We have to stop Dame" If they keep Lillard from scoring and make him pass the rest have to score. Right now the Blazers need somebody to step up and score other than Aldridge. It is not just Dame that is not hitting 3's. When another player demands respect Lillard will get his open looks again.

 

[illmatic99]

Expectations will be evaluated in the playoffs.

 

[HailBlazers]

It's definitely not as automatic as it once was....

True, but he's definitely not as open as he once was either. Teams have learned to not give him any breathing room at all. And the rest of the team is not making defenses pay for all the attention on Lillard.

 

[MarAzul]

It is not just Dame that is not hitting 3's

Come on! Check the stats, the only guy on the team shooting them , that has a worst percentage is Batum.
Probably a damn good reason why he has made over 200 less attempts!

http://www.nba.com/blazers/stats

Damian has Missed more three point shots that anyone else on the team has taken except Mathews, and he shoots a much better percentage but still has take
less threes that Damian.

No, more All Stars on the team is not going to fix this.

 

[Schilly]

Damian as a whole hasn't been as open due to Nic as a whole noty being much of a threat this season. Really allows teams to sag on Nic and play tighter on Dame... But Dame is also trying to hard to get calls from the refs instead of just ballin'.

 

[kjironman1]

Come on! Check the stats, the only guy on the team shooting them , that has a worst percentage is Batum.
Probably a damn good reason why he has made over 200 less attempts!

http://www.nba.com/blazers/stats

Damian has Missed more three point shots that anyone else on the team has taken except Mathews, and he shoots a much better percentage but still has take
less threes that Damian.

No, more All Stars on the team is not going to fix this.

You don't seem to understand the concept. Wes made his threes because Lillard is drawing so much attention. Not to take anything away from Wes and his shooting because he is very good. Lillard will again get better looks when a player, any player, other than Aldridge, starts to make open looks. This is the way the offense is set up. CJ might very well become the guy that hits those shots. Certainly has been the last couple games.

 

[S550]

Dame just isn't that great anymore

 

[Strenuus]

Dame just isn't that great anymore

:MARIS61:

 

[kjironman1]

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/i...ldridge_nicolas_batum_chris_kaman_doubtf.html
52 wins might be stretching it now. Might as well sit Lillard and Rolo also.

 

[MarAzul]

understand the concept

Yep! One of us is definitely having difficulty with the concept.

But I do see teams defending Damian just like the coach I worked for explained. I didn't have any trouble understanding his concept. We had a pretty fair relationship, I listened, I scouted, and then I answer questions, he coached. He was quite successful, he laid out a defense for a PG quite well known in that day a scoring machine actually, but the coach knew just how to counter and it worked well enough. The guard was Jerry West and the coach was Pete Newell. Damian is not as good as West and the coaches today probably aren't as thoughtful as Pete, but they do understand the concept. At least that is my read when I get to watch the defenses hone in on Damian, he himself leaves the clues to be read for those that can read. West learned to be less predictable.

 

[kjironman1]

But I do see teams defending Damian just like the coach I worked for explained.

Not to take anything away from your experience or what you have done for many years. Experiences like that must have really been a blessing. However, There is no freakin way Pete Newell ever guarded Jerry West the same way teams are guarding Damian Lillard in this day and age. The entire NBA game has completely changed in just about every way. Sorry. I ain't buying that. You might as well say "Hey if you score more you will win the game!".

 

[MarAzul]

NBA game has completely changed

Ha! Yeah guys tell me all the time about how things have changed. You are just one more.

Let me ask you something, do you remember when Dr Jack coached in Portland? Did you ever see Pete Carril lukring about occasionally? Or maybe at Sac game back when they were contenders?
How about Tex Winter around the LA team? Those guys have been around longer than me. WTF would anyone want an ancient basketball mind like that hanging about? The game as changed you know!!
Bullshit!

 

[kjironman1]

How about Tex Winter around the LA team? Those guys have been around longer than me. WTF would anyone want an ancient basketball mind like that hanging about? The game as changed you know!!
Bullshit!

Not only do you make my case when you bring up Tex but you do realize Jerry West didn't even play with a 3 point shot right?
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westje01.html
Bullshit is right! Yeah I watched Jack Ramsey. Heck i even watched Rolland Todd.

 

[MarAzul]

West didn't even play with a 3 point shot

I wouldn't say that at all, perhaps you meant it didn't get scored as 3.
I would say he had a almost as good a 3 point shot as Petrie, way better than Damian. The 3 pointer for him is kinda like,, he has to have it!
It needs to be cured he's not all that good at it.

 

[kjironman1]

Okay. The game is exactly the same as it was in '72. Every knowledgeable basketball representative from anywhere in the world will disagree with you but if that is the way you see it i can appreciate that. To each his own.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

It doesn't look like the can do group is here any longer.

What was this again?

 

[S550]

Forget the playoffs at this point our main worry should be if LMA decides to stick around. The late season collapse we're having is the doomsday scenario we hoped would never happen..

I'm already at peace with this season being a disappointment lets just focus on LMA deciding to stick around..

 

[BBert]

LaMarcus is going to leave the Blazers because they are losing games because LaMarcus is injured.

Makes perfect sense.

 

[e_blazer]

LaMarcus is going to leave the Blazers because they are losing games because LaMarcus is injured.

Makes perfect sense.

Yeah, he should definitely go to a team that doesn't need him so that they can win when he's injured. That's the spirit of a champion.

 

[Schilly]

Forget the playoffs at this point our main worry should be if LMA decides to stick around. The late season collapse we're having is the doomsday scenario we hoped would never happen..

I'm already at peace with this season being a disappointment lets just focus on LMA deciding to stick around..

Yeah because Dallas or NY will give him such a better chance at winning a title.

 

[MarAzul]

What was this again?

The team now does not seem like they have a group togetherness, the group that seemed like they felt they could do (can do) anything together.

 

[MarAzul]

Okay. The game is exactly the same as it was in '72. Every knowledgeable basketball representative from anywhere in the world will disagree with you but if that is the way you see it i can appreciate that. To each his own.

Oh come on man! We have had rules changes but the way defenses, clued in by observing Damian tendencies, are hounding him, has been around for years. It looks to me just like doing it as Pete Newell explained over 50 years ago. Perhaps you don't notice, but I sure do. The basics of the game have not changed much at all, probably less coaches teaching the fine points of the game but the better ones, still in the game will eventually figure out what to do.

 

[noknobs]

I find it hard to believe the same team that won 8 of 9 before this current 4 game losing streak suddenly doesn't have togetherness... It's called a slump, and I'm pretty sure it's happened before.

They played 5 road games in 7 nights and lost 4 of them. It sucks but that's what happened. And as I've been saying, Stotts shouldn't have been playing his starters so much, especially during a 5 game in 7 night stretch... It's just STUPID. And what do you know, two guys get injured in the 5th game...

Stotts should rest his other starters as well tonight, and then again either on Friday or Saturday. Yes we're going to lose a few more games, that's going to happen anyway since Batum/Aldridge/Kaman are all out. So just rest them. FUCK THE NBA for scheduling back to back 5-in-7 game stretches at this point in the season. So fuck TNT's ratings and rest your guys. OKC is going to draw closer before it's all over, but the important thing, the only important thing is to get them rested/healthy and then try to make a run to close out the season. All that matters is if they're healthy and playing well at the end of the season.

But unless Stotts starts looking at this situation a little more pragmatically, all he's going to do is continue to run the starters into the ground while continuing to lose.

I don't know how the season is going to play out, but all you chicken-little's just need to take a deep breath. The season is not over yet.

 

[MarAzul]

perhaps you are right, They are tired and dejected together.

 

[dviss1]

Dame just isn't that great anymore

I'll take idiotic statements for $1000 Alex.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

The team now does not seem like they have a group togetherness, the group that seemed like they felt they could do (can do) anything together.

I reread it again. It makes sense. Sorry