First Quarter Woes: Fatigue and other BS excuses

[Reep]

They just had more effort than we did, more energy," Roy said. "I think we gave into fatigue a little bit, and Carmelo had a big night."

Bull. Again this team lost a game in the first quarter. Teams don't get fatigued in the first quarter of a back-to-back. That is just a lame excuse for a problem that continually plagues the Blazers.

Does Nate need to find a new pregame ritual or warm up routine?

Maybe have them spend half the time running defensive drills?

I would love for someone to find the percentage of games this year where the Blazers were down in the first quarter; down by 5 in the first quarter; and down by 10 in the first quarter.

Something has got to change. I have never seen a team this good have such a continuous problem getting out of the gate.


Okay, way too much time on my hands:

(10.00) (20.00)
(1.00) 1.00
(6.00) (11.00)
0.00 (7.00)
3.00 2.00
(6.00) 4.00
8.00 7.00
8.00 8.00
(2.00) (5.00)
2.00 5.00
3.00 (5.00)
21.00 42.00
3.00 21.00
(4.00) (10.00)
6.00 1.00
20.00 38.00
5.00 15.00
12.00 11.00
(7.00) 7.00
(7.00) 6.00
(3.00) (15.00)
(11.00) 1.00
(4.00) (1.00)
(2.00) (9.00)
6.00 (8.00)
1.00 32.00
3.00 5.00
(2.00) (8.00)
0.00 9.00
(4.00) (8.00)
(2.00) 3.00
(10.00) 5.00
(5.00) (15.00)
6.00 (14.00)
(6.00) 1.00
(9.00) 13.00
(7.00) 14.00
(16.00) (21.00)
(2.00) 6.00
(6.00) (5.00)
3.00 17.00
(3.00) (6.00)
5.00 13.00
(1.00) 25.00
14.00 14.00
7.00 14.00
(8.00) 8.00
2.00 (5.00)
(12.00) (9.00)
9.00 1.00
3.00 14.00
(12.00) (7.00)
3.00 4.00
(3.00) 10.00
22.00 29.00
(10.00) (4.00)
(9.00) (15.00)
2.00 20.00
12.00 18.00
(6.00) 2.00
(14.00) (16.00)

That is first quarter and final score.

Trends:

Blazers have 23 losses, but were behind after the first quarter in 33 games.

Blazers have 23 losses, they were behind by at least 5 pts after one quarter in 20 games. They were behind by at least 10 pts in 8 games.

Of the 8 games they were down by at least 10 after one, one was in November, two in December, one in January, and 3 in February [not including games of -9 and -8]

For comparison, they have been up by at least ten after one in six games (but 3 were by 20+). They were up by at least five in 15 games. So, they are more often well behind than well ahead after one.

Their season average is -0.3 after one with a final margin of +3.6. In November they were +3.4 for the first quarter. December -3.0 for the first quarter. January and February where -1.4 and -1.1.

 

[hasoos]

I'll give you the solution and it is really, really easy. Quit putting the lineup of Sergio, Rudy, Outlaw Frye and either Joel or Aldridge on the floor, and you will quit going down by mid teens and losing the game. That lineup is flat out horrible. Aldrige is the only guy who can attack the hoop, and that crew is pretty bad at gettting him the ball. All of their shots are from 17 feet + outside, nobody rebounds, and all of the rebounds come off long because they are perimter shots, which lets the other teams run. Every single game we go through a period where this unit lets the team down, and then, Bayless comes in, and a few starters come back in, and the team makes a run. Go back and watch the games. The pattern replays over and over again.

 

[OddEnormous]

i'll give you the solution and it is really, really easy. Quit putting the lineup of sergio, rudy, outlaw frye and either joel or aldridge on the floor, and you will quit going down by mid teens and losing the game. That lineup is flat out horrible. Aldrige is the only guy who can attack the hoop, and that crew is pretty bad at gettting him the ball. All of their shots are from 17 feet + outside, nobody rebounds, and all of the rebounds come off long because they are perimter shots, which lets the other teams run. Every single game we go through a period where this unit lets the team down, and then, bayless comes in, and a few starters come back in, and the team makes a run. Go back and watch the games. The pattern replays over and over again.

wynnar!

 

[SodaPopinski]

Brandon needs to be a little bit more of a ball hog in the first quarter. He defers to his teammates too much early on trying to get everyone involved. If you watch the first quarter of the recent win over San Antonio again, you'll see an aggressive, determined B-Roy. And we jumped on them early and cruised to a win.

On the road, I think it's even more the case. We have such a young team, and I think their nerves get the best of them early on. Give the ball to Brandon, let him get some easy baskets or trips to the free throw line, and the rest of the team will calm down and play ball.

-Pop

 

[DaRizzle]

Fatigue is not BS

 

[hasoos]

Fatigue is not BS

You know that you cannot use being a young team as an excuse, and then go and saying a young team is tired in the first quarter. That just does not fly in my book. If any teams can handle a back to back better than others, it is a young team.

 

[THE HCP]

Wow, look at all the Blazer fans support their team after losing a game at a location that over the years, even when they had a quality squad, have had a tough time picking up a W. Keep up the support guys.

 

[DaRizzle]

You know that you cannot use being a young team as an excuse, and then go and saying a young team is tired in the first quarter. That just does not fly in my book. If any teams can handle a back to back better than others, it is a young team.

Its 60 games into the season, for some players its the first time they have played this many games, for almost all its only their 2nd or 3rd go at this...hard game the night before, travel....it happens to all teams

 

[crowTrobot]

i can't think of any other team that rests their best player in the 1st Q instead of the 2nd. don't know why nate is so stuck on that. last night 8 minutes into the game Roy was just getting going and starting to break down their defense... and then he's out. total momentum killer.

 

[DaRizzle]

i can't think of any other team that rests their best player in the 1st Q instead of the 2nd.

Hmmm I cant either...oh wait, Kobe comes out with 2 min to go in the first quarter every game

 

[OddEnormous]

Its 60 games into the season, for some players its the first time they have played this many games, for almost all its only their 2nd or 3rd go at this...hard game the night before, travel....it happens to all teams

ryte on!

i styl hate u thow.

 

[DaRizzle]

ryte on!

i styl hate u thow.

You know I did see that one post where you wrote normal words.

Are you still amused with yourself by doing this?

 

[OddEnormous]

Are you still amused with yourself by doing this?

Mi unkle and eye shayre a cumpyutr.


mi unkle ----> <---- me


P.S. Eye am recyding my fryndshup inveyet that eye scent yu.

 

[DaRizzle]

P.S. Eye am recyding my fryndshup inveyet that eye scent yu.

Thank god...

 

[OddEnormous]

Thank god...

Eye juzt put yu on ygnor.

 

[andalusian]

Brandon needs to be a little bit more of a ball hog in the first quarter. He defers to his teammates too much early on trying to get everyone involved.

LaMarcus was on fire to start the game - deferring to him was just fine - we were 12-13 with 6:35 to go in the first quarter. In the next 2 minutes we had one miss by LaMarcus and one block of Nene on LaMarcus (not bad going to him given that he was hot to this time). We had an open miss by Batum and an open miss by Blake and Joel being fouled (and making 1 of 2). Add one bad pass by Blake and in 2 minutes we were down 13-22. From that moment on Roy was looking to score himself - but the entire sequence when Roy was "looking for others" was 2 minutes where he went twice to Aldridge who was hot, 1 turn-over and 2 open misses by others. It was unfortunate that the Nuggests were able to score fast and often to open the game in these 2 minutes - but I did not think Brandon was doing too bad given that Aldridge was so hot at the start and they were going to him. In the next minute and a half before he came out of the game he went to the rim or took a shot 3 times without deferring.

We were 18-24 when he went out. What really killed us for the rest of the quarter was the fact that no one else scored or stopped the Nuggets - and we were 18-32 to end the quarter.

It was pretty ugly from there on.

 

[hasoos]

Its 60 games into the season, for some players its the first time they have played this many games, for almost all its only their 2nd or 3rd go at this...hard game the night before, travel....it happens to all teams

And I call bullshit. Out of the players out on the floor, the only ones that would apply to are Rudy, Batum and Bayless. Bayless and Batum don't play enough minutes to even be worn out. Rudy actually had a pretty fair game. Anybody who has been in the league 3 years or longer should be prepared as any pro for the rigors of an NBA season. That would include: Amazingly enough the rest of the team.

If you are a young team you should be able to bounce back faster from a game the night before, not slower.

 

[DaRizzle]

you're right...fatigue is a myth, how was I so stupid

 

[free_lafrentz]

AHH!!!!!1!1!! The sky is FALLInG! FtW!

It still only counts as 1 loss this year.

 

[hasoos]

you're right...fatigue is a myth, how was I so stupid

Well my problem is, you act like all the other NBA teams in the league don't have to do the same thing? Give me a break. They all have to play a lot of games, they all have to play back to back games. If this isn't true, then why do some games play so much better in back to back games? It's because they are better. No other reason.

 

[DaRizzle]

Lakers just lost to the Nugs on the 2nd night of a back to back...shit happens bro

 

[blue32]

Eye juzt put yu on ygnor.

uh, put me on there too. You're ridiculous.

 

[Minstrel]

Well my problem is, you act like all the other NBA teams in the league don't have to do the same thing? Give me a break. They all have to play a lot of games, they all have to play back to back games.

And all teams struggle with the second game of back-to-backs. This is pretty standard. In addition, Portland was dealing with the thin air of Denver, that the Nuggets are much more used to. Being fatigued AND dealing with lower oxygen content...let me guess, bullshit excuses? Real men aren't bound by biology?

 

[Reep]

Okay, it is Friday, so I did the math and added it to the original post. Some interesting trends.

Our first quarter point differential (-0.34) extrapolated to a full game would put us somewhere below Phoenix and around Milwaukee in terms of success.

 

[Reep]

Fatigue is not BS

Fatigue is real. But when we face teams coming off a back to back, most fade in the 4th quarter, not the first. Also, the trend of having horrible first quarters goes way beyond back-to-back games.

 

[DaRizzle]

Fatigue is real. But when we face teams coming off a back to back, most fade in the 4th quarter, not the first. Also, the trend of having horrible first quarters goes way beyond back-to-back games.

Your muscles have never been tight when you workout two days in a row and then once you get a sweat going you loosen up?

 

[STOMP]

You know that you cannot use being a young team as an excuse, and then go and saying a young team is tired in the first quarter. That just does not fly in my book. If any teams can handle a back to back better than others, it is a young team.

fatigue is a ridiculous excuse in my book. I've enough history working out to know that in shape guys do not lose their energy supply running and jumping for 30 minutes or so over a 2-3 hour period to the point they can't do it again the next day. Claiming to be tired is more publicly acceptable then calling out the biased officiating towards the home team that happens most every game.

Adjusting to altitude on the other hand is totally legit. Denver players (and to a lessor extent Utah's) enjoy a huge advantage being acclimated. When I leave SF for mountaineering trips in the Sierras (see my pix) that first day or two in high altitude can be very humbling.

STOMP

 

[Reep]

Your muscles have never been tight when you workout two days in a row and then once you get a sweat going you loosen up?

Fatigue is something I am quite familiar with. I am a marathon runner (2:54 this year, Boston next month) and face this on multiple days. You can warm up properly to get you going. Stiffness is a part of any athletic training. However, the fatigue of tired muscles sets in toward the end of the activity. If you are truly fatigued in the first quarter on the second night, then your fitness level and preparation is off.

Most importantly, the point of this thread is not that fatigue isn't real, just that Blazers are a poor first quarter team and shouldn't be blaming continued poor first quarters on fatigue. What is their excuse for the rest of the season? It might just be the youth, but I think they need to examine their pre-game preparation. They are a mid playoff team who plays like a mid-lottery team in the first quarters.

 

[Reep]

Adjusting to altitude on the other hand is totally legit. Denver players (and to a lessor extent Utah's) enjoy a huge advantage being acclimated. When I leave SF for mountaineering trips in the Sierras (see my pix) that first day or two in high altitude can be very humbling.

STOMP

Totally agree with this statement, but again, it doesn't excuse the trend of poor first quarter play for the rest of the season.

 

[THE HCP]

That travel will wear on you. They got in at 2:15 AM and weren't in there beds til 3:15! After a tight game. That can tire you out.