Dame needs solid screens

[swish3]

Our Blazer offense has lost an important element against DEN, and that is the solid screens to open Dame, CJ, Seth, and Rod for swish3 scoring. The most effective screens all year have been those set by Meyers, at the high post, and that is what is needed to beat DEN. High post screens set by Meyers and Nurk have been effective against strong opponents, and allow for PNR or PNP scoring threats that need to reappear for wins!

With these screens, we can counter the Beasley, Craig, Barton, and others tight slapping defense and free our best shooting guards and swish3 talent Meyers for the enhanced scoring that has been missing. There should be no more quarters with less than 26 points scored. Returning to running game plans that have good off-ball motion and a number of solid screens can return the winning element that has been missing. Let's give Dame some planned help with open shots, open up the floor, and collect on points from the arc!

Let's remember what has been productive and return to a game plan with Meyers alternating with Enes to give the strong screens, open swish3 scoring of 45+ points that optimize our chances to win, and scoring by our best swish3 shooters to win Round 2 Games 5 and 6, and continue on to win the WCF and NBA Championships!

 

[kjironman1]

I agree with you on this. Meyers needs to get some run. If he makes and impact then that would be very positive. If not then you go back to Zach and Kanter.
I think Meyers should see 10-15 mins a game at this point. He is well rested and his energy alone might ignite some offense.

 

[swish3]

I agree! With his 1.47 points/FGA, 45% swish3s, 67.4 TS%, and 1.29 ORtg stats for the season, Meyers adds to his screens, assists, and rebounds with hustle that is needed, and would have allowed a decent 3rd Q and a win in Game 4. Zach is not scoring, screening, or rebounding well enough to be taking the 15+ min that would allow for Meyers to score 9-15 points and get the wins!

Let's recognize how important those solid screens, active rebounding, great assist passes, and excellent swish3 efficiency can be for optimizing Blazer wins!

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

They always call foul on our picks, and none of Denvers.

 

[swish3]

Yes, the refs are calling fouls on Zach, Enes, Mo, and others, but not usually (and even then mostly incorrectly) on Meyers, who is the leading Blazer screen setter. What has been missing in the DEN Playoff series are the solid screens and great assist passes from the Center that enhance Blazer scoring, especially as needed in the 3rd Q. DEN is getting more shots off of screens, and that is what we need to correct.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Yeah, we need more meyers. agree with that.

 

[NuggetLurker]

They always call foul on our picks, and none of Denvers.

That's because the Blazers haven't set a legal screen all series and you keep getting away with it. Every single time Kantor or any of your bigs set a screen they illegally shuffle, and don't set. if the refs called even half of what they should be calling you would have 30 TO a game

 

[Propagandist]

That's because the Blazers haven't set a legal screen all series and you keep getting away with it. Every single time Kantor or any of your bigs set a screen they illegally shuffle, and don't set. if the refs called even half of what they should be calling you would have 30 TO a game

Perspective is a funny thing... The higher the altitude, the higher delusion.

 

[Cugel]

Let Myers in there to do what he does best: let the nuggets run into a brick wall. Even if he gets called a couple of times for illegal screens it will be worth it.

 

[Natebishop3]

Dame needs Charlie Sheen.

 

[H.C.]

That's because the Blazers haven't set a legal screen all series and you keep getting away with it. Every single time Kantor or any of your bigs set a screen they illegally shuffle, and don't set. if the refs called even half of what they should be calling you would have 30 TO a game

30 turnovers a game.
Still less than the amount of fouls Har... Err I mean Jokic has got away with in this series.
Sorry for my mistype I thought Portland was playing Houston for a couple games this series. My bad.

Also, enjoy your stay.
Our mods aren't nazi's like the mods on Denver's forums so you won't get ip banned for saying Nuggets are the youngest team in the playoffs.

 

[NuggetLurker]

Perspective is a funny thing... The higher the altitude, the higher delusion.

Just like I imagined the ref throwing the jump ball to Lillard in OT or Harris getting called for a foul when Lillard dribbled off his own knee....but sure the refs only make bad calls against the Blazers.

 

[swish3]

No NuggetLurker, with consistent refereeing the Blazers would have 3 points on the crazy Enes offensive foul and 4-8 points on several fouls of Dame that were not called. This was a Blazer win taken on our home court by inconsistent refs. In the next games, there may be regression to the mean. You can expect intense competition in Game 5!

 

[Strenuus]

I knew every word that was in this OP. So predictable.

 

[kjironman1]

I knew every word that was in this OP. So predictable.

It's a knack for writing in a satirical way that doesn't really get old.

 

[RonBrewer]

Great post OP. Was going to post something similar after the L but just didn't have it in me. Denver is taking a page out of the Pelicans defensive play book. They are pressuring our guards 30 feet out with double teams. Our picks are week and without purpose. Hope we figure it out tonight.

Also agree with Leonard. Put him in and have him throw some hard fouls on Jokic and spread the floor on the perimeter.

 

[BigGameDamian]

They always call foul on our picks, and none of Denvers.

Denver fans see it differently though.

 

[Wade Garrett]

It's been brought up before that Meyers Leonard sets really good screens.
He also can hit some threes from time to time and he has 6 fouls to bang with.
As this series has played out it is the biggest question i have.
Why isn't Leonard playing at all?

 

[tykendo]

Meyers robotic playing style has been troublesome, but I think NOT PLAYING him at all, has been foolish. Let him lay some lumber, and I mean LUMBER on Jokic. It's time to give that cheap bastard some of his own medicine. Meyers setting picks, and I mean HARD picks, as others have suggested is worth a try. Enes(hurt), and Collins(too light in the britches) just can't get it done right now on picks. If Meyers gets fouls, who cares, because the referees are calling fouls on soft contact picks anyways. I want to see Jokic FEEL THE PICK, and FEEL THE BOX OUT . Go Blazers!!

 

[DameLill379]

Yes, the refs are calling fouls on Zach, Enes, Mo, and others, but not usually (and even then mostly incorrectly) on Meyers, who is the leading Blazer screen setter. What has been missing in the DEN Playoff series are the solid screens and great assist passes from the Center that enhance Blazer scoring, especially as needed in the 3rd Q. DEN is getting more shots off of screens, and that is what we need to correct.

Meyers Leonard out there on the screen is actually a great idea. Sub him in with the squad CJ usually leads at the end of the 1st Q..they’ll get some shots.

 

[hoopsjock]

I'm in the process of rewatching games 3 and 4. One thing that is very glaring is that Dame us not waiting for the pick to be set so it often doesn't have a chance to be effective. My guess is he's trying to avoid the double team but what's happening is that it's too easy for whomever is guarding Dame to get through the pick. Let the big set and dribble right by him so your shoulders are practically touching.

A little bit of the issue might be that it's gotta be pretty painful for Kanter to set a proper pick right now.

 

[MARIS61]

We’d be 3-1 and without needing 4OT’s had Stotts not inexplicably cut ML from the rotation. Collins is nowhere near the one on one defender ML is, and gets pushed aside with ease. He also bails out on picks rather than stand firm. It’s like walking through a revolving door.
ML visibly frustrated Jockitch in game one, something even Kanter hasn’t done. He’s also shown more playoff intensity than anyone else who’s played. Using him could be the key to tonight’s game.

 

[riverman]

I knew every word that was in this OP. So predictable.

I feel the same about your post here Stren

 

[RonBrewer]

Line has moved to Denver -5. I hate it.

 

[swish3]

We’d be 3-1 and without needing 4OT’s had Stotts not inexplicably cut ML from the rotation. Collins is nowhere near the one on one defender ML is, and gets pushed aside with ease. He also bails out on picks rather than stand firm. It’s like walking through a revolving door.
ML visibly frustrated Jockitch in game one, something even Kanter hasn’t done. He’s also shown more playoff intensity than anyone else who’s played. Using him could be the key to tonight’s game.

I agree with you, Maris61. An important point is that Meyers, like Nurk, can get Dame open on the PNR or PNP, with better screens, cuts to the rim, swish3s, and rebounding than Zach or a fatigued and injured Enes. Meyers does better handle Jokic and Millsap, and will get rebounds without being pushed aside to stop the offensive dominance by DEN. We cannot let DEN have 10 more FGA than us in future games! We should have been 3-1, but now let's play Meyers and get to 3-2 in Game 5!

 

[riverman]

I said at the beginning of the series I'd start Meyers and bring both Enes and Zach off the bench...we need bench scoring and swish3 is right...Meyers is our biggest healthy option and is fresh...low miles. We'll see. Stotts said changes for tonight's game

 

[swish3]

I said at the beginning of the series I'd start Meyers and bring both Enes and Zach off the bench...we need bench scoring and swish3 is right...Meyers is our biggest healthy option and is fresh...low miles. We'll see. Stotts said changes for tonight's game

Yes! Let's play Meyers early and use the game plan for active off-ball floor patterns that have Meyers, as well as Dame, CJ, Seth, and Rod getting assist passes on the arc, especially including the corners, to add the additional swish3 scores that will mean winning. We need to call on our Meyers to return Dame with solid screens, swish3 scoring, Nurk-style floor spacing, and energetic rebounds to the kind of offense that was quite successful with Nurk. This is how we win this for Nurk, PGA, and the team, to together become the 2019 Champion Blazers!

 

[DDolla]

Dame need solid game... A young Jamal Murray is out-playing him.

 

[blazerboy30]

It's been brought up before that Meyers Leonard sets really good screens.
He also can hit some threes from time to time and he has 6 fouls to bang with.
As this series has played out it is the biggest question i have.
Why isn't Leonard playing at all?

Meyer's doesn't have the quickness to keep up with many centers in the league, but Jokic is one of them.
It does seem like a series where he could make an impact, if nothing other than using 6 fouls on Jokic and helping to tire him out.

 

[swish3]

Meyers is an effective Center against the most highly regarded in the NBA, as proved by the Jan 30 Jazz win where he scored 17 points, scoring 4 of 5 swish3s, and 6 of 7 FGA, setting excellent screens, getting Blazers open, making assists, and embarrassing Rudy Gobert with a dunk2. Meyers has the defensive skills to bother Jokic and is just what we need to win over DEN.