Are you happy?

[Strenuus]

We should have bested Golden State. The refs didn't give Batum the time out when he asked for it and Matthews was fouled before the inbound. Our loss to Clips was a joke as well. The refs had timely bullshit calls to take away our momentum, and the 4th was no different the moment our momentum came back.

But I agree in terms of our quality of wins. We have played more home games than anyone else, regardless of competition. This December will be our true test, since the majority of our games are on the road.

I stand firm in the fact that we still lost that game not executing out of bounds plays. regardless of the time out, were only down 1 after that... and still didnt give us a chance to at least make a play at the hoop... thats on us, not the refs.

 

[Boise Blazer]

Shoulda, coulda, woulda....didna. The fact remains - we've only beaten one good team.

I see what you are saying but this also WHY we need to beat the under .500 teams because when we play tougher there will be some losses but they wont hurt us as much as if we HAD lost to lesser teams. Also beating those teams (espeically the way that we have) helps work out kinks and gives us confidence for when we do play the tougher teams which gives us a better chance against those better teams.

 

[magnifier661]

I stand firm in the fact that we still lost that game not executing out of bounds plays. regardless of the time out, were only down 1 after that... and still didnt give us a chance to at least make a play at the hoop... thats on us, not the refs.

I would 100% agree if the games were called evenly throughout. If the refs suck, then suck on both sides. Unbalanced officiating can kill any momentum or confidence.

I agree you must play through bad officiating, which the Blazers have done all season. But as a fan base, I will not stand for it! I'm tired of seeing officials give us fouls for barely breathing on players, while others can almost mug our stars with no calls!

 

[Strenuus]

I would 100% agree if the games were called evenly throughout. If the refs suck, then suck on both sides. Unbalanced officiating can kill any momentum or confidence.

I agree you must play through bad officiating, which the Blazers have done all season. But as a fan base, I will not stand for it! I'm tired of seeing officials give us fouls for barely breathing on players, while others can almost mug our stars with no calls!

did Nate steal your profile halfway through this post?

 

[magnifier661]

did Nate steal your profile halfway through this post?

This should be the way every Blazer fan should feel. Are you saying that the calls are even?

I get it... Refs give benefit to stars. What I don't get is our stars get no benefit...

 

[Boise Blazer]

This should be the way every Blazer fan should feel. Are you saying that the calls are even?

I get it... Refs give benefit to stars. What I don't get is our stars get no benefit...

I do have to admit that I am starting to see LMA get more and more calls that I think,"Hmmm ..."

Dame, not so much

 

[OneLifeToLive]

Memphis game derailed me a lil bit. Because I think they handled them the same way SA handled them in the playoffs. And that is beat them with discipline. In an area where I would have hoped Portland would have showed some growth. They Didn't. I think what we have seen in the last three games is a team that might have been slightly derailed from that and one that is just not up for the opponents. But winning in spite of it.

 

[Strenuus]

Memphis game derailed me a lil bit. Because I think they handled them the same way SA handled them in the playoffs. And that is beat them with discipline. In an area where I would have hoped Portland would have showed some growth. They Didn't. I think what we have seen in the last three games is a team that might have been slightly derailed from that and one that is just not up for the opponents. But winning in spite of it.

I'll hold judgement until we play a string of memphis like teams... we've held our own or found a way to win in every game but that one.

 

[Strenuus]

I do have to admit that I am starting to see LMA get more and more calls that I think,"Hmmm ..."

Dame, not so much

lma does push off a lot on his fade aways.

 

[Strenuus]

This should be the way every Blazer fan should feel. Are you saying that the calls are even?

I get it... Refs give benefit to stars. What I don't get is our stars get no benefit...

the refs are bribed and thus corrupted... i understand that much.

 

[magnifier661]

the refs are bribed and thus corrupted... i understand that much.

Lol touché

 

[OneLifeToLive]

I'll hold judgement until we play a string of memphis like teams... we've held our own or found a way to win in every game but that one.

Oh I will too mainly because It was early in the season. But I was slightly disappointed. You think, You hope, You want to be the main supreme going into the game. And when you lose it like that. It's disappointing.

 

[Rhal]

I'm happy but not content. The team is looking better in two areas that vastly needed improvement last year and that was both Defense and having a bench that doesn't get run over. It looks like we have improved on both but it is early in the season and our offense has looked stagnant at times as well as the Blazers have just failed to get up for games. Both of those things will happen to teams when you play 82 games but the moment you stop looking at ways the team can improve as the 2 days after you win the championship then its right back to figuring out how to take another step forward.

 

[Further]

The whole reffing issue is a bit of just a bs excuse. Sure, we can point to some bad/missed calls, but that's par for the course. 1) Blazers are not one of the NBA's favorite teams so there will always be a bit of a disparity of calls. 2) The bad calls happen to all teams, it's a bit of a confirmation bias to only recognize the bad calls one direction. 3) Blazers don't play in a way to draw a ton of fouls, making it less likely the refs will give the Blazers the benefit of the call. 4) any disparity that does exist will continue into the playoffs, so Blazers better play through and better than ref-assisted teams.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I'm happy but not content. The team is looking better in two areas that vastly needed improvement last year and that was both Defense and having a bench that doesn't get run over. It looks like we have improved on both but it is early in the season and our offense has looked stagnant at times as well as the Blazers have just failed to get up for games.

Perfectly stated. I feel like the ball doesn't move as swiftly, crisply, or effectively as it did last year. Our "flow" offense seems to lack flow.

 

[blue9]

The whole reffing issue is a bit of just a bs excuse. Sure, we can point to some bad/missed calls, but that's par for the course. 1) Blazers are not one of the NBA's favorite teams so there will always be a bit of a disparity of calls. 2) The bad calls happen to all teams, it's a bit of a confirmation bias to only recognize the bad calls one direction. 3) Blazers don't play in a way to draw a ton of fouls, making it less likely the refs will give the Blazers the benefit of the call. 4) any disparity that does exist will continue into the playoffs, so Blazers better play through and better than ref-assisted teams.

Boom!

 

[magnifier661]

The whole reffing issue is a bit of just a bs excuse. Sure, we can point to some bad/missed calls, but that's par for the course. 1) Blazers are not one of the NBA's favorite teams so there will always be a bit of a disparity of calls. 2) The bad calls happen to all teams, it's a bit of a confirmation bias to only recognize the bad calls one direction. 3) Blazers don't play in a way to draw a ton of fouls, making it less likely the refs will give the Blazers the benefit of the call. 4) any disparity that does exist will continue into the playoffs, so Blazers better play through and better than ref-assisted teams.

That sounds great and all, but then you see this graph...

Getting mugged driving in the lane is something you can play through. Having the refs call everything against you defensively is entirely another...

Pay attention to the graph and see the trend I'm talking about and get back to me.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

Perfectly stated. I feel like the ball doesn't move as swiftly, crisply, or effectively as it did last year. Our "flow" offense seems to lack flow.

How many of you feel that to get something (Improved Defensive Efficiency) you have to give something (Offensive Efficiency)?

Or do you think they can have both? If they played it hard on both ends for 48 mins a game, that's a lot of resources and energy spent. Is it reasonable to think they can be great in both areas?

 

[PtldPlatypus]

How many of you feel that to get something (Improved Defensive Efficiency) you have to give something (Offensive Efficiency)?

Or do you think they can have both? If they played it hard on both ends for 48 mins a game, that's a lot of resources and energy spent. Is it reasonable to think they can be great in both areas?

Well, if we were talking about banging in the post, or driving the lane, or constant cutting and motion, I'd say you have a point. But I don't think it takes a ton of energy to space the floor and swing the ball around for an open shot.

 

[blue9]

Well, if we were talking about banging in the post, or driving the lane, or constant cutting and motion, I'd say you have a point. But I don't think it takes a ton of energy to space the floor and swing the ball around for an open shot.

My thoughts exactly. We're not a team that expends a great deal of energy on our offense - passing and shooting jumpers are the least energy-consuming activities. At the risk of inspiring another snarky comment, we're spending too many possessions giving LMA the ball and watching him spin/fade/shoot. Need to pass the ball for a better, lesser-defended shot.

 

[-Ace-]

lma does push off a lot on his fade aways.

This.


He pushes off nine times out of ten; not just on the fadeaways, but when he turns toward the middle for a jumper or hook shot, he pushes off and acts like he gets mugged and yells. It works a lot of the time, and I'll take anything I can get when it comes to foul treatment. Roy used to get the benefit of calls just by yelling when he drove through the lane, and at that point, I thought it was about damn time we got some superstar calls if that's the way they're going to do it.

 

[tlongII]

I'm happy. Defense is the one thing that can remain a constant. Offense comes and goes. We need to get better offensively, but we have time for that to happen.

 

[magnifier661]

I'm happy. Defense is the one thing that can remain a constant. Offense comes and goes. We need to get better offensively, but we have time for that to happen.

Exactly! I am a big fan of defense. Remember our 1999 team? We were one of the best defenses in the league and weren't that great offensively.

I'm talking about the rider team btw

 

[PDXFonz]

Might sound lame, but I was thinking what it would be like to have grown up in Seattle with the sonics. I have no idea what I would do if the team I loved was taken away like that. I think I'd probably be a "fan" of another team just because I can't not follow the sport...ultimately I'd waiting to get my team back.

I'm happy to not be in that position.

 

[Further]

That sounds great and all, but then you see this graph...

Getting mugged driving in the lane is something you can play through. Having the refs call everything against you defensively is entirely another...

Pay attention to the graph and see the trend I'm talking about and get back to me.

I'm not sure I understand the graph. If def FT% means the percent of free throws the other team makes, then I see nothing odd except perhaps a good home court that makes other teams miss their free throws (free throw guy).

please tell me how you think that graph proves bad refs?

 

[magnifier661]

I'm not sure I understand the graph. If def FT% means the percent of free throws the other team makes, then I see nothing odd except perhaps a good home court that makes other teams miss their free throws (free throw guy).

please tell me how you think that graph proves bad refs?

I was tripping. Already explained in another thread. I thought it was "attempts" not %

 

[H.C.]

Yes.
15-4 is nothing to laugh about.

No
the defense is there but still inconsistent.

Yes
almost at 25games in and the team looks better than last year.

 

[Blazer4ever]

I agree that our defense is much improved but that the offense seems stagnant at times.
I'm not worried about it, I think we're in very good shape, but I think there's one very simple thing we can do to improve in that area and that's to set more screens.
I think they already do a better job at it but that it should be a focus for the entire team and especially for the big men.
Every time they set a screen it opens up options and setting 2, even 3 screens in a possesion would just make us even harder to defend.
So, to conclude, I'm happy but would be even happier when we make this adjustment.

 

[Boise Blazer]

I agree that our defense is much improved but that the offense seems stagnant at times.
I'm not worried about it, I think we're in very good shape, but I think there's one very simple thing we can do to improve in that area and that's to set more screens.
I think they already do a better job at it but that it should be a focus for the entire team and especially for the big men.
Every time they set a screen it opens up options and setting 2, even 3 screens in a possesion would just make us even harder to defend.
So, to conclude, I'm happy but would be even happier when we make this adjustment.

Nice job posting something smart and not already mentioned. Rep'd

 

[magnifier661]

It's much harder to scout defense than offense. This is why I'm happy. And this is why we are winning games with our offense being stale. As the old cliche goes... "Defense wins championship"