Criticizing shot selection

[BlazerCaravan]

The best move would be to blow the team up, trade Dame and CJ for picks and forfeit all 82 games by having no players... For four years while a Golden State has their dynasty.

But since that's against the rules, a center sounds good. Maybe you make no improvements and see what next summer brings?

 

[Strenuus]

CJ is a better shooter than Wes

Aminu and Harkless have been better than Batum

Plumlee won us the first round and posted a 21 PER

And our bench is better.

We are much better than last year. How can you not see that?

This has nothing to do with what he was talking about.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

This has nothing to do with what he was talking about.

To be fair half the posts in the Proud of this team thread have nothing to do with being proud of the team...

 

[Strenuus]

To be fair half the posts in the Proud of this team thread have nothing to do with being proud of the team...

That's when you know people know.

 

[blue9]

Frankly, I'd rather watch Dame jack up a contested three instead of watching Plumlee get stuffed or Aminu airball a three.

While I agree with this statement, I think we can do even better. We get Aminu open looks - why the fuck doesn't Stotts tell him to take one or two dribbles to the hoop and PASS!?! Scotts' philosophy is that any open shot is a good shot, and that's why Aminu takes too many shots. It's a bullshit philosophy that will never work in the POs unless you have 5+ tremendous shooters.

 

[blue9]

The reason why dame and CJ take so many bad shots is because the rest of the starting unit goes ice cold and can't score.

Disagree, to an extent. We continually give the opposition's best players good looks. So it's possible to run plays that get good looks for your best players. But Stott's runs "plays" that get open shots for Aminu and Harkless...because he thinks any open shot is a good shot.

 

[ripcityboy]

I think Dame's shot selection tonight was pretty decent at least until the fourth quarter when he couldn't hit the broad side of the barn. CJ just couldn't get it going most of the game. Until we find a third scoring option to offset the scoring percentages, we are going to suffer.

 

[Mediocre Man]

It's never happened before, but if Portland could somehow land a big time FA wing like Paul George or Derozen. Both teams have dared Harkless and Aminu to shoot, and sans losing Chris Paul and Blake Griffin it has worked perfectly. The other thing we obviously need to take that next step is DEFENSE. The series obviously isn't over, but.....ya know

 

[MightyMouseOps1]

Derozan is a poor fit. He cannot shoot.

We need a big that can score the basketball and be a threat out of pick and roll/pop.The funny thing is Most of us hated giving the contract to Kanter, but Kanter would have been very effective bullying his way to basket and going up strong in this series. Plumlee is playing soft and passive. When he has his momentum going to basket, he has to finish over a 6ft 7 Draymond green. Also some of his turnovers, he is two feet from the basket and refuses to shoot the ball.

 

[craigehlo]

It's never happened before, but if Portland could somehow land a big time FA wing like Paul George or Derozen. Both teams have dared Harkless and Aminu to shoot, and sans losing Chris Paul and Blake Griffin it has worked perfectly. The other thing we obviously need to take that next step is DEFENSE. The series obviously isn't over, but.....ya know

Paul George is locked up for the rest of the decade with Indy. DeRozen is solid 2-way player but he's not leaving Toronto for PDX over one the Cali teams.

A realistic free agent haul could be Ryan Anderson for PF and Kent Bazemore for SF. Those guys will stretch the floor keep Plumlee as play maker at the center.

 

[HailBlazers]

All these people criticizing Dame's shot selection..... and then we literally watch him give the ball to Plumlee three times in a row and have it stuffed by Green.

We are severely lacking in scorers right now. Especially in the starting lineup. When Dame kicks it out to Harkless or Aminu, it's just as likely to be an airball as it is a made shot.

We went from having a starting lineup with Wes, Batum, LMA, and Rolo (all of which could make an open jump shot,) to CJ, Harkless, Aminu, and Plumlee.

I mean..... that's a HUGE step down in terms of shooting ability. We are more athletic, we have a better bench, but we are really missing guys who can make shots right now. When teams clamp down on Dame and CJ, which they have been doing, nobody else can make shots. We go on these long droughts where nobody can make an open shot.

So what is Dame supposed to do? A bad shot from Dame is probably just as likely to go in as a wide open shot from Harkless or Aminu. Frankly, I'd rather watch Dame jack up a contested three instead of watching Plumlee get stuffed or Aminu airball a three.

While I mostly agree, the fact is when we move the ball we succeed, and when the movement dies so does our offense for the most part.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Paul George is locked up for the rest of the decade with Indy. DeRozen is solid 2-way player but he's not leaving Toronto for PDX over one the Cali teams.

A realistic free agent haul could be Ryan Anderson for PF and Kent Bazemore for SF. Those guys will stretch the floor keep Plumlee as play maker at the center.

I agree that George and DeRozen are not options. I am not sold on Anderson though. His 3 pt % has slipped the last two years and we already have a stretch 4 who can't guard the perimeter.

As for Bazemore....he is not as big as Crabbe nor does he shoot as well from deep as Crabbe. Is he a lock up defender? I do like his game, but how much sis he worth and is he really an upgrade.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Have no fear. I'm trying to get tickets to game three so we are assured at least one win in this series@!!!!

 

[PtldPlatypus]

While I mostly agree, the fact is when we move the ball we succeed, and when the movement dies so does our offense for the most part.

This is the key. I've posted many times before that I have no problem with Dame shooting off the pass, or anyone else for that matter. @Natebishop3's comment about Aminu/Harkless isn't applicable when they're being set up with decent ball movement. The ISO-ball and self-focused creating is the problem.

 

[Pinwheel1]

This is the key. I've posted many times before that I have no problem with Dame shooting off the pass, or anyone else for that matter. @Natebishop3's comment about Aminu/Harkless isn't applicable when they're being set up with decent ball movement. The ISO-ball and self-focused creating is the problem.

I can't say I was over joyed in the 4th when Dame set up the other players for wide open shots...... and they missed badly.
I would rather of had Dame keep the ball and get warmed up again after coming back in after he got his rest. I will say that Terry needs to rethink having the Aminu/Harkless tandem in together in crunch time. Crabbe needed to be in there for one of them. We have to have a third shooter in there, and Crabbe showed against the Clippers he is fearless down the stretch.

 

[tlongII]

The reason we lost is because Mason Plumlee sucked in the 4th quarter.

 

[riverman]

CJ went into ISO mode in the 4th qtr and didn't even look at his teammates...he wanted to be the guy who shot us back into the game, over dribbled and threw up bricks...when he got trapped he gave it up to Mason who was just having a terrible butterfingered, ill timed qtr at the worst time. Shit happens...we lost

 

[riverman]

I'm proud of the team, just disappointed in the endgame last night. We'll do better at home.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Have no fear. I'm trying to get tickets to game three so we are assured at least one win in this series@!!!!

Well, now that I am a season ticket holder for next season and just purchased the strip for the remainder of the playoffs. We should not lose another game at home!!!!!

 

[blazerboy30]

There are a lot of opinions being thrown out in this thread that don't agree and align with what the stats are saying.

A preference for Lillard to force shots as opposed to Aminu and Harkless shooting wide-open shots is mind boggling.

-- Lillard is shooting the 3rd worst 2pt% on the team, above only Roberts and Vonleh.
-- Lillard's efg% is far worse than Harkless and Aminu.
-- Lillard's 3pt % is indeed better than Harkless and Aminu, but that is due to him hitting an amazing % of open looks (nice!). His forced looks % is horrible.

This team is going to live and die by the ability of Harkless, Aminu, Crabbe and Henderson to hit their shots. We absolutely are NOT going to play better by asking Lillard to force more shots rather than continue to find his open teammates.

 

[Natebishop3]

There are a lot of opinions being thrown out in this thread that don't agree and align with what the stats are saying.

A preference for Lillard to force shots as opposed to Aminu and Harkless shooting wide-open shots is mind boggling.

-- Lillard is shooting the 3rd worst 2pt% on the team, above only Roberts and Vonleh.
-- Lillard's efg% is far worse than Harkless and Aminu.
-- Lillard's 3pt % is indeed better than Harkless and Aminu, but that is due to him hitting an amazing % of open looks (nice!). His forced looks % is horrible.

This team is going to live and die by the ability of Harkless, Aminu, Crabbe and Henderson to hit their shots. We absolutely are NOT going to play better by asking Lillard to force more shots rather than continue to find his open teammates.

Well, then we're fucked. I'd personally would rather see Dame try to get going and have a quarter like he did in the 3rd. I guess that's just me.

 

[blazerboy30]

Well, then we're fucked. I'd personally would rather see Dame try to get going and have a quarter like he did in the 3rd. I guess that's just me.

At this point, we just have our team. We aren't going to change them into consistent shooters over night. But I can say with confidence that, probability-wise, we're better off getting those guys open shots than having Dame force more.

If we can find a scheme to get Crabbe in those wide-open positions, I think that would help our chances. However, we need Aminu and Harkless on the court for defensive purposes.

 

[Minstrel]

Well, then we're fucked.

To an extent, that's true. This team's roster isn't optimized for a deep playoff run...it wasn't meant to be, Olshey has said that he didn't expect the team to be in the playoffs. Olshey was in asset-collection mode this off-season. The roster needs to be overhauled again to be well-positioned for playoff success, with players that complement each other better.

 

[Natebishop3]

At this point, we just have our team. We aren't going to change them into consistent shooters over night. But I can say with confidence that, probability-wise, we're better off getting those guys open shots than having Dame force more.

If we can find a scheme to get Crabbe in those wide-open positions, I think that would help our chances. However, we need Aminu and Harkless on the court for defensive purposes.

I wish we'd play Dame with Roberts for a stretch. CJ isn't great at distributing the ball.

 

[blazerboy30]

I wish we'd play Dame with Roberts for a stretch. CJ isn't great at distributing the ball.

Roberts can distribute the ball, but if he can't force the defense to react to him and draw attention off Dame, then GS will just continue to face-guard and deny Lillard the ball. Might be worth a try, but I feel that even though CJ doesn't look to pass, at least he makes the defense collapse, making it harder to face-guard Dame.

 

[Natebishop3]

Roberts can distribute the ball, but if he can't force the defense to react to him and draw attention off Dame, then GS will just continue to face-guard and deny Lillard the ball. Might be worth a try, but I feel that even though CJ doesn't look to pass, at least he makes the defense collapse, making it harder to face-guard Dame.

This is really one of those times that we could have used Batum. With Nic running the point, we could have run Dame AND CJ off screens and forced Golden State to pick one. I'm not really a Nic fan, but that's one thing we've missed.

 

[B-Roy]

Where is this myth that Roberts is a facilitator coming from? His assist% on the year is 18.5% (CJ is 21.6%) and when I watch him play he pretty much only looks for his own shot.

 

[Natebishop3]

Where is this myth that Roberts is a facilitator coming from? His assist% on the year is 18.5% (CJ is 21.6%) and when I watch him play he pretty much only looks for his own shot.

Well, I can't really speak for when he was not on our team, but when we DO play him, he's in there with the bench scrubs. I can imagine why he doesn't pass much. None of them do.

 

[blazerboy30]

Where is this myth that Roberts is a facilitator coming from? His assist% on the year is 18.5% (CJ is 21.6%) and when I watch him play he pretty much only looks for his own shot.

I don't know that anybody claimed Roberts is a "facilitator", but said he can distribute the ball. Which is what I was saying: I don't think he will collect a lot of assists and "facilitate" even though he can bring the ball up the court and pass it (distribute).

 

[BonesJones]

CJ is a better shooter than Wes

Aminu and Harkless have been better than Batum

Plumlee won us the first round and posted a 21 PER

And our bench is better.

We are much better than last year. How can you not see that?

Those guys aren't being guarded, when last year everyone was a big enough threat where the defense had to guard them. When Aminu and Plumlee are guarded, nothing good happens. It's actually painful to watch