Blazers vs Wolves - Game thread

[axs88]

Just looking at All Star chances:

Yao, Melo, KD, Kome, CP3 will be starters.

Stern can pick a player that plays any position to be the starter in place of Yao. And I think he'll pick Gasol to start. So that leaves three forward spots and a reserve position.

Guards: Westbrook, Manu, Deron
Forwards: Dirk, Griffin, Love
Reserve: Aldridge or ZBo or Monta or Gay or Duncan (his stats don't warrant it this year, but he is TIM DUNCAN)

It's gonna be tough. If Aldridge hadn't given Griffin and Love such a head start to begin the season, this would have been closer. If Melo is traded, LA's chances improve significantly.

Stern picks the replacement player, but the coach decides which player will start.

 

[illmatic99]

Either way, Gasol will probably get the start. He's started at center for most of the season anyway.

 

[mook]

It's definitely a new era for power forwards. The New Improved Aldridge, Griffin and Love are going to be dominating at those positions for the next decade. Well, assuming we don't move Aldridge to center, which may happen depending on who we can find to fill in that hole long term.

Of the three, Griffin excites me the most. Griffin is just such a freaky good athlete. With his injury history, I kind of wonder if he can continue to play like he does now when he eventually reaches his 30's. But if I'm a Clips fan I happily live with that worry.

I'm not a huge fan of Love. Yeah he gets a ton of rebounds, but just watching him it seems like he gets a fair number of them by not focusing on defense. If you always leave it up to the other big man to block shots or rotate over on defense, you are going to get more boards. Love gets his numbers, but you can see on the court that Aldridge completely abuses him in the matchup. Plus, he's not really the kind of guy you can base an offense around. He doesn't seem to have a great low post game and although his three point shooting is uncanny, it's not where I want my power forward to get his points.

 

[axs88]

Either way, Gasol will probably get the start. He's started at center for most of the season anyway.

I agree. What I'm hoping for is that the coaches realize the possibility to vote in Gasol and Duncan AT CENTER (instead of going with, say Bynum or Nene), thus leaving more forwards spots. That would leave 2 forwards + 2 wildcards for Aldridge, plus hopefully Stern could send a forward too (Griffin or Aldridge, but definitely not Zach), since that is the position that will have the most snubs. Due to these circumstances (and the Melo trade), I'm fairly confident LA will get to LA.

 

[crowTrobot]

Stern picks the replacement player, but the coach decides which player will start.

yeah. coaches will pick gasol as a reserve, so stern will be choosing someone else.

 

[STOMP]

Love is averaging better numbers than LA overall, and his gaudy stats really jump out. Even if LAC and MIN suck, Griffin and Love have been playing really well for longer stretches than Aldridge.

of course it's the Western Conference coaches who fill out the bench for the AS game not hype driven media blowhards. Whats the chances that the coaches who game plan against the various players aren't aware that Kevin Love absolutely sucks at 50% of the game? Whats the chances that they don't correlate Love's Ole! interior defense with Minnisota's bottom feeder record? It's been rare for someone from a terrible team to be rewarded (by coaches) with an AS appearance, especially when there are other worthy options. Currently the Wolves are tied with Sacramento as the worst team in the West in point differential... how much AS consideration will the woeful Kings garner?

STOMP

 

[illmatic99]

Of course it's rare for players on losing teams to make the All Star team.

But it's just as rare for a guy to put up 21, 16, and 3 every night. Has a guy with those stats ever not made it? His numbers are just way too gaudy to ignore simply because his teammates suck. And fwiw, I think he's on par with ZBo/Boozer/West on D. He's really limited by his lack of lateral speed and height.

 

[crowTrobot]

I agree. What I'm hoping for is that the coaches realize the possibility to vote in Gasol and Duncan AT CENTER (instead of going with, say Bynum or Nene), thus leaving more forwards spots. That would leave 2 forwards + 2 wildcards for Aldridge, plus hopefully Stern could send a forward too (Griffin or Aldridge, but definitely not Zach), since that is the position that will have the most snubs. Due to these circumstances (and the Melo trade), I'm fairly confident LA will get to LA.

announcement of reserves is Feb 3, so coaches' ballots presumably have to be in no later than the end of Jan. Griffen vs. LMA on national TV this thursday likely coincides exactly with when coaches are most seriously thinking about their options. make or break baby!

 

[illmatic99]

And we're on TNT vs Boston next week on the 27th as well. More opportunities for LA to make an impression.

 

[STOMP]

Of course it's rare for players on losing teams to make the All Star team.

But it's just as rare for a guy to put up 21, 16, and 3 every night. Has a guy with those stats ever not made it? His numbers are just way too gaudy to ignore simply because his teammates suck. And fwiw, I think he's on par with ZBo/Boozer/West on D. He's really limited by his lack of lateral speed and height.

how did you miss my point? I'm not talking about his teammates, I'm talking about him. The goal of a team sport isn't to garner gaudy individual stats, it's to win games. Do you think this point is lost on NBA coaches?

his defense sucks as much as any starting Big I can think of. Dude is a huge liability on that end of the court which is part of the reason they can't win games. IMO they'd win more games if LA was on their team in his place. They'd have a low post option to run their offense through and a strength (as opposed to a liability) on D

STOMP

 

[hasoos]

The starting center will be an actual center by position. I have never seen them put a guy in at starting center who wasn't listed as a center on the ballot.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

The starting center will be an actual center by position. I have never seen them put a guy in at starting center who wasn't listed as a center on the ballot.

I'm voting for Daunte . . . sadly he will be a "center by position" next game.

 

[PapaG]

The starting center will be an actual center by position. I have never seen them put a guy in at starting center who wasn't listed as a center on the ballot.

Dirk Nowitzki was named a starter in 2007 when Yao Ming was injured. Tim Duncan, listed as a forward on the ballot, moved into the starting center position.

 

[hasoos]

Dirk Nowitzki was named a starter in 2007 when Yao Ming was injured. Tim Duncan, listed as a forward on the ballot, moved into the starting center position.

Well that explains it. I didn't watch that all star game.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

BTW, LMA had a 37.4 PER last night. These MVP-like numbers are getting scary-regular.