Fools gold victory

[oldmangrouch]

Our team passes a lot, but it's not to cutters, it's to jump shooters. Quite frankly that hasn't been a very good model of success.

As for penetrating and dishing....when?

Improved running? We are dead last....AGAIN in fast break points.

Deeper bench? It has been said by a lot of "experts" that you win with your top 8 guys. Having a deep bench means shit in reality.

But whatever. I get that I am alone on this one.

Maybe you're alone because nobody is quite sure what you want or expect.

I've been as upset with the team as anybody.....but even I saw positive things in the last game.

 

[Mediocre Man]

We're near the top in pretty much all offense rankings, and among the best rebounding teams. If those are "glaring weaknesses" on the team, you may have to live with the Blazers having glaring weaknesses in all facets of the game for your entire lifetime.

As for defense, no real arguments. I think our interior defense is better than our perimeter defense, but that isn't saying a ton.

Please don't give me "near the top in pretty much all offensive rankings"

Last in pace
Last in Fast break points
We are average in PPG, APG and near the bottom in FG %
We are near the bottom in FT attempted



So yes, we have glaring weeknesses. The offensive rankings that we do well in is a made up stat of EFF. We do well there because we are a good offensive rebounding team that plays so slow we don't turn the ball over a lot.

We jack up a lot of threes, and that has helped us so far. Now teams have started scouting us better and we are 5-6 in our last 11 games. All I'm saying is that things aren't as nifty and sweet as they should or could be.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Maybe you're alone because nobody is quite sure what you want or expect.

I've been as upset with the team as anybody.....but even I saw positive things in the last game.

What did you see?


I'm not being argumentative here, I'm curious?

We sucked in the first half.

In the second half Brandon Roy scored 18 in the 4th or we probably lose.
Toronto misses a lot of wide open jumpers or we are in a much tighter game.
Toronto has maybe the worst game plan against us as anyone this year as well.
The refs let Greg play a little more than normal as well.

 

[Ed O]

Please don't give me "near the top in pretty much all offensive rankings"

Last in pace
Last in Fast break points
We are average in PPG, APG and near the bottom in FG %
We are near the bottom in FT attempted

Almost all of those are correlated, though. Not separate problems.

We don't get many possessions each game. That is reflected in our low Pace and impacts PPG, APG, FT attempted, rebounds and any other number of "per game" stats.

The low Pace is only a problem for those (like you) who want the team to run. It's not a problem to me as long as we're winning.

Offensively, we're very efficient. We can improve, of course (specifically in feeding the ball to the post, IMO, and, yes, getting a few more easy opportunities in the open floor) but we're still in pretty good shape there.

We jack up a lot of threes, and that has helped us so far. Now teams have started scouting us better and we are 5-6 in our last 11 games. All I'm saying is that things aren't as nifty and sweet as they should or could be.

I agree things could be better. Frye is hurting us and we need to feed the post better. We also need to improve our defense overall.

Ed O.

 

[Minstrel]

Please don't give me "near the top in pretty much all offensive rankings"

I'm talking about total offense, not each individual component. We are near the top in basically every ranking of overall offensive efficiency. Our pace is slow, but that's neither good or bad...it means less possessions for us, but also fewer possessions for our opponents. We are more efficient with our possessions, which makes us a top offensive team in terms of effectiveness.

 

[MickZagger]

What did you see?


I'm not being argumentative here, I'm curious?

We sucked in the first half.

In the second half Brandon Roy scored 18 in the 4th or we probably lose.
Toronto misses a lot of wide open jumpers or we are in a much tighter game.
Toronto has maybe the worst game plan against us as anyone this year as well.
The refs let Greg play a little more than normal as well.

You act like that's a bad thing. Most teams don't win unless their star players show up. I can think of many times that Lakers wouldn't of won last year had Kobe not shown up big in the 4th quarter to bail out his team. Same goes for LeBron, Wade, Dirk and all other stars in the league that have the ability of carrying their team when they need it. This is something we have lacked for a long time and now that we have a player capable of doing that you act as though its some kind of problem. Its called leadership.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Like I said, whatever, I am alone on this one.


I'll just wait around until it gets worse and then join in a thread that one of you guys start about how change might be a good thing for this team because EVERY OTHER TEAM has figured out how to stop us.

 

[julius]

Like I said, whatever, I am alone on this one.


I'll just wait around until it gets worse and then join in a thread that one of you guys start about how change might be a good thing for this team because EVERY OTHER TEAM has figured out how to stop us.

Hoo boy, you are quite a piece of work, aren't you? You aren't at least over the top dramatic like Mixum portrays himself as, but you're surely heading in that generation direction.

I don't see how what you're doing is any different (and any less hyperbolic) than the guy who posted that Oden sucked and that we should have taken Durant.

Maybe you have unrealistic expectations for what the team should be doing. It does seem that you constantly whine about the team not running enough, but I ask you. When was the last fast breaking team that won a title?

Slow, half court offense is what wins titles, not running and gunning (otherwise, Phoenix, Dallas and the Warriors would be champs).

If there's anything we need to work on, it's perimeter defense (and a PG who actually plays defense)

 

[Mediocre Man]

Hoo boy, you are quite a piece of work, aren't you? You aren't at least over the top dramatic like Mixum portrays himself as, but you're surely heading in that generation direction.

I don't see how what you're doing is any different (and any less hyperbolic) than the guy who posted that Oden sucked and that we should have taken Durant.

Maybe you have unrealistic expectations for what the team should be doing. It does seem that you constantly whine about the team not running enough, but I ask you. When was the last fast breaking team that won a title?

Slow, half court offense is what wins titles, not running and gunning (otherwise, Phoenix, Dallas and the Warriors would be champs).

If there's anything we need to work on, it's perimeter defense (and a PG who actually plays defense)

Slow half court offense that utilizes cutters wins. Not relies on 3pt shooting.

 

[Minstrel]

Like I said, whatever, I am alone on this one.


I'll just wait around until it gets worse and then join in a thread that one of you guys start about how change might be a good thing for this team because EVERY OTHER TEAM has figured out how to stop us.

I don't know what you're looking for, from us. I don't agree with "let the cake bake," but I also don't just want to change personnel for the hell of it. If there is a GOOD move available, I hope Pritchard makes it. If there isn't a good move, I hope Pritchard doesn't make a move. A bad move is not better than no move.

I'd love to see RLEC and Outlaw/Webster cashed in for Gerald Wallace, for example. But who knows if such a deal is even available.

I don't agree with you that the offense and rebounding are glaring weaknesses, overall. Could either be improved? Sure. No team ever attains perfection in anything. But they are far from big problems. I agree with you that defense, especially on the perimeter, is a glaring weakness.

 

[MickZagger]

Like I said, whatever, I am alone on this one.


I'll just wait around until it gets worse and then join in a thread that one of you guys start about how change might be a good thing for this team because EVERY OTHER TEAM has figured out how to stop us.

and if your wrong?

You'll probably stick around acting like you never said such thing.

Look I'm not McMillan's biggest fan either, there is definitely a lot of holes I see in his coaching, but this team is above everyone's expectations coming into the season considering what the schedule looked like. We have looked a little stagnant lately, but all teams have spells of play where they look like shit. With a much more favorable schedule for the rest of the season to think this team is going to miss the playoffs is ridiculous.

 

[oldmangrouch]

What did you see?


I'm not being argumentative here, I'm curious?

We sucked in the first half.

In the second half Brandon Roy scored 18 in the 4th or we probably lose.
Toronto misses a lot of wide open jumpers or we are in a much tighter game.
Toronto has maybe the worst game plan against us as anyone this year as well.
The refs let Greg play a little more than normal as well.

I saw Roy being assertive without LMA and Oden becoming spectators. Even when Roy took over the scoring, the other 2 continued to play hard and contribute in other ways.

Here's the way I see it: if the "big 3" get to the point that they can consistently play well together, we have a solid foundation. If the "big 3" can't mesh together, we're screwed. The play of the supporting cast is secondary.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Slow half court offense that utilizes cutters wins. Not relies on 3pt shooting.

Agreed. We have too many guys who seem to think the paint is defended by claymore mines or something.

 

[Mediocre Man]

and if your wrong?

You'll probably stick around acting like you never said such thing.

Look I'm not McMillan's biggest fan either, there is definitely a lot of holes I see in his coaching, but this team is above everyone's expectations coming into the season considering what the schedule looked like. We have looked a little stagnant lately, but all teams have spells of play where they look like shit. With a much more favorable schedule for the rest of the season to think this team is going to miss the playoffs is ridiculous.

I think the whole "deal coming soon" fiasco proves that I will stick around if I am wrong.


A lot of people say we are looking stagnant, and we need a shot in the arm. I am of the opinion that the reason we look stagnant is that other teams have figured out how to stop us. As far as I can tell Nate isn't implementing anything to counter that.

As for not missing the playoffs because of an easier schedule.....

Our first 22 games of the year were supposed to be our hardest according to KP and the radio guys. In those first 22 games the Blazers had a record of 15-7 (.681) In our last 9 games we are 4-5 (.444). So I'm not sure how you can argue that because our schedule is getting easier we will do better.