Blazers: 4th best defense in the NBA

[Mediocre Man]

Very promising indeed. I agree the additions of Kaman and Blake have been huge. Our bench has been night and day better this year; and I think it not only improves the production for the minutes the bench is on the court but allows the starter to exert more energy on defense while in the game.

The Blazers success the last 3 years really illustrates how beneficial it is to keep a core of players and coaches together. They have been able to make significant improvements each year. Stotts has the freedom to build upon the good aspects of the previous year and correct the faults. Contrast that to superstar teams thrown together such as the Lakers with Dwight or even this years Cavs.

Up until last night that wasn't the case at all

 

[magnifier661]

Very promising indeed. I agree the additions of Kaman and Blake have been huge. Our bench has been night and day better this year; and I think it not only improves the production for the minutes the bench is on the court but allows the starter to exert more energy on defense while in the game.

The Blazers success the last 3 years really illustrates how beneficial it is to keep a core of players and coaches together. They have been able to make significant improvements each year. Stotts has the freedom to build upon the good aspects of the previous year and correct the faults. Contrast that to superstar teams thrown together such as the Lakers with Dwight or even this years Cavs.

Honestly my knock last year wasn't necessarily the bench scoring. It was how the bench played. Last season, our bench would Give up so much ground our starters gained. So far, our current bench either sustains leads or even increases them.

I see much better defense and much better ball movement. The entire team has bought into this defense strategy! Such good news!

 

[Shooter]

Re: Blazers: 4th best defense in the NNA

What I'm most impressed with is just how focused, commtted and dialed in they are to this one area of the game and it's almost a mere flip of the switch that it's happened.

I'm impressed by it, too, but it really only happened in the last two games. They played almost no defense against the Warriors, for example. I wish they would have come out of the gate playing this kind of defense.

 

[riverman]

Re: Blazers: 4th best defense in the NNA

I'm impressed by it, too, but it really only happened in the last two games. They played almost no defense against the Warriors, for example. I wish they would have come out of the gate playing this kind of defense.

Holding the Warriors to 95 pts and having a chance to win it with 14 seconds left was not bad defense. We may have been the only team to keep them under 100 pts so far

 

[KingSpeed]

Re: Blazers: 4th best defense in the NNA

Holding the Warriors to 95 pts and having a chance to win it with 14 seconds left was not bad defense. We may have been the only team to keep them under 100 pts so far

We really held them to 91 points and the. Intentionally, sent them to the line for 4 more points after it was pretty much decided considering our inability to get the ball inbounds.

 

[Boise Blazer]

Update:

6th in OFF EFF at 107.7

and

6th in DEF EFF at 99.0

Thats like contender sexy right there. Keep up the good work guys

 

[magnifier661]

Update:

6th in OFF EFF at 107.7

and

6th in DEF EFF at 99.0

Thats like contender sexy right there. Keep up the good work guys

The offensive efficiency will go up, because I think the other teams ahead of them will drop. Hopefully we stay with the defensive efficiency because that's a legit contender right there.

Also, I'm really curious how our rebounding will rate by the end of the season. We should be at least a top 3 rebounding team as well.

 

[PDXFonz]

The offensive efficiency will go up, because I think the other teams ahead of them will drop. Hopefully we stay with the defensive efficiency because that's a legit contender right there.

Also, I'm really curious how our rebounding will rate by the end of the season. We should be at least a top 3 rebounding team as well.

Teams ahead of Por
Mavs 112
Nets 109.5
Raptors 109.4
Bulls 108.6
Heat 108.3
Blazers 107.7

I think we will hang between 1-8 for the season. The raptors are the only other team with a top 10 defensive rating, however their schedule has been nothing compared to ours.

 

[KingSpeed]

Update. Blazers have 7th best defense, 2nd best offense.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

They talked about how good they were tonight on both ends. They still have up 113 points. And then Casey asks can they better than they were tonight. LOL. They have a lot of work to do. On both ends. We haven't seen their best ball.

 

[Natebishop3]

They talked about how good they were tonight on both ends. They still have up 113 points. And then Casey asks can they better than they were tonight. LOL. They have a lot of work to do. On both ends. We haven't seen their best ball.

So basically what you're saying is that our 4th string needs to play better defense against the starting unit of the Denver Nuggets?

That's a good note. I hope our guys with the team see this and pass it along to Terry Stotts.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

So basically what you're saying is that our 4th string needs to play better defense against the starting unit of the Denver Nuggets?

That's a good note. I hope our guys with the team see this and pass it along to Terry Stotts.

Blake. Kaman, McCollum, Barton and Freeland our '4th' string?

Nonsense

 

[EGame]

What do you expect dude? They aren't exactly 4th stringers as was put, but Denver had their starters all throughout the second half. Did you expect our backups to lock them up?

 

[Natebishop3]

Blake. Kaman, McCollum, Barton and Freeland our '4th' string?

Nonsense

The Nuggets scored 35 points in the 4th quarter. That was with their starting unit in the game. Lawson played 42 minutes tonight.

Did you miss that Leonard, Robinson, and Wright played in the 4th?

 

[OneLifeToLive]

Besides the starters started to lose it right at the start of the 3rd.

They have work to do.

 

[Natebishop3]

Besides the starters started to lose it right at the start of the 3rd.

They have work to do.

Please.. they pushed it back up above a 30 point lead.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

The Nuggets scored 35 points in the 4th quarter. That was with their starting unit in the game. Lawson played 42 minutes tonight.

Did you miss that Leonard, Robinson, and Wright played in the 4th?

Had to be in the last five mins

 

[OneLifeToLive]

Please.. they pushed it back up above a 30 point lead.

All I'm sayin is they have work to do.

 

[Natebishop3]

Had to be in the last five mins

Our second string is Blake, Kaman, and CJ.

Everyone else is third string. That includes Freeland, Barton, and those other three jokers. Are you really arguing that guys like Barton and Freeland are supposed to stop Lawson, Hickson, and Faried?

 

[OneLifeToLive]

Our second string is Blake, Kaman, and CJ.

Everyone else is third string. That includes Freeland, Barton, and those other three jokers. Are you really arguing that guys like Barton and Freeland are supposed to stop Lawson, Hickson, and Faried?

Who was it that stopped and got a Portland back in the game late in the third and early part of fourth last night? It was the backups. The backups at times have been better than the starters.

Yes, I expect it if they have shown it.

 

[Natebishop3]

Who was it that stopped and got a Portland back in the game late in the third and early part of fourth last night? It was the backups. The backups at times have been better than the starters.

Yes, I expect it if they have shown it.

Our backups play with starters almost at all times. We rotate Dame and LA in and out with the second unit. That's why you see Dame out there with Blake a lot. We almost never have a pure second unit of five backups on the floor.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

Our backups play with starters almost at all times. We rotate Dame and LA in and out with the second unit. That's why you see Dame out there with Blake a lot. We almost never have a pure second unit of five backups on the floor.

When they made the comeback the lineup was Blake, Kaman, Crabbe, McCollium and yes that 4th stronger Freeland. And the Hornets are a better team.

 

[Natebishop3]

When they made the comeback the lineup was Blake, Kaman, Crabbe, McCollium and yes that 4th stronger Freeland

Well there you go. The 4th string