Forensic Fan, Preseason Game One, 10/5/15 vs SAC

[0-Our!]

I think rookie PC is having a Meyers like rookie debut...just looks like he's not going to make it, but given some time and the fact he's at the end of the bench..I guess he could get to the point where the game slows down..difference between him and Luke Babbitt...Babbitt shot better

On the contrary, Pat doesn't look lost, he's already shown physicality, & has shown a LOT of hustle; Pat's season is actually better vs. the 1 Meyers had

 

[0-Our!]

Eventually he did; remember when we always heard "Babbitt shoots so good in practice, honest!" after every brick?

I was never on the Babbitt train, although I did give him some praise back in the day for some success I don't care if a guy looks like MJ in practice, he's GOT to bring it when it COUNTS in games; can't look like MJ in practice & show up in games being Jordan Crawford

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I think rookie PC is having a Meyers like rookie debut...just looks like he's not going to make it, but given some time and the fact he's at the end of the bench..I guess he could get to the point where the game slows down..difference between him and Luke Babbitt...Babbitt shot better

Key difference being, PC was a four year player at Notre Dame, whereas Nards had only two years at Illinois, and played guard in high school. They're actually less than a year apart, age-wise. Also, there is generally understood to be a steep learning curve for big men, whereas guards' college games generally translate more quickly.

Still the point stands, and if he does stick around, hopefully he can develop like Leonard has.

 

[Strenuus]

BFW, thanks for doing these man. Always look forward to them!!!

 

[magnifier661]

Forensic Fan Preseason Game 1, POR vs. SAC, 10/5/2015

From the top: Man, it’s good to be back, but I feel rusty. After devouring almost every word written by the Blazers I could come across this summer (again, hat tip to guys like Casey and Quick for some solid work this preseason), it’s good to look at some real stats and start another season of Forensic Fan.

I’ve been told that with a slightly newer audience, there are some that don’t quite get what Forensic Fan is or why I do it. To recap, this is a thing I do for fun. It started in 2013 when I was in Afghanistan and had no access to Blazers content other than box scores and basketball-reference.com. So I tried doing a reconstruction of what could have happened using nothing but what I could find there and what might be gleaned from it. Now that I’m back here (out with a season-ending deployment), it’ll be even tougher, so I may go through and pull out some game thread quotes. This isn’t “what I saw from Press Row”; check out SlyPokerDog’s “Dog in the Arena” for that kind of analysis. It’s not a post-game recap. You will get no “eye test” analysis. It’s (hopefully) another way of digging out what happened to our team on any given night. Enjoy, Rip City.

Player of the Game: Dame had a tidy 17 points in 24 minutes, Leonard went for 14 and 8, but the inaugural preseason Player of the Game award goes to Noah Vonleh (first of many?!), who collected 12 points and 11 rebounds (9 offensive!!1!) for the first double-double of the year.

Monster Games : Noah’s 12/11 was the only double-double, and with the minutes spread, really the only notable one.

Points Per Shot (5 shot minimum, or as some like to call it, “Rice’s Pregame Warmup”): At 42%, no one was what we in the bizness call “efficient”…no one, that is, except for Mo’ Money Harkless. Showing off impressive 3pt range, he had 14 points on 6 FGA, for a pretty stellar 2.5 points per shot. It could have been much better, had he not blown 4 free throws. But it’s preseason for everyone, and we should keep playing him and seeing if he can do good things more and bad things less. Congratulations, Mo!

Dishonorable Mention? Well, I’ll just leave this right here.

But whatever sickness he had was contagious. Patty Baseball and Phil “Not My Dad” Pressey also missed over 75% of their shots (3-15 combined). Um, yeah.



Coin Ratio: 24 assists on 99 shots means that the team as a whole passed around a quarter’s worth of CR, and it was spread pretty evenly. Dame had 3 assists on 15 shots (20 cents), CJ had 4 on 11 shots (36 cents), Pat had 3 on 7 shots, and Frazier had 3 on 6 for the 50 cents and today’s award. Honorable mention to the centers, as Plumlee and Leonard combined for 5 assisteses. Kind of tough to get a bunch of assists when the team shoots 42%, but it looks as if the ball was being moved, which actually makes me feel really good about how well the team is gelling already.

Bench
Good opportunity to see most of the new faces get some run. The aforementioned Harkless was steady and seemed to show some previously unheard-of range, and it seems as if the ball got spread around pretty well, with 7 bench players taking more than 6 shots. One thing that I learned, however…probably not a good thing to go with a Frazier/Pressey/Connaughton/OmariJ/Vonleh overtime lineup. And especially if you’re not going to “go Rick Moranis” by inserting Montero for Vonleh.

Just sayin’.


JinxSpeed Mini-Thread of the Game: Eric, already in midseason form…




Questions for the Group:
1. On a scale of "Ho hum, just preseason" to "OMG!11! I was totally wrong!", how did tonight's action change any of your opinions on the team?
2. If you had to guess tonight, who's starting at the 2/3/4 Opening Night?
3. Can shooting be taught to a not-good shooter over an offseason?

No joy for the Blazers tonight. But at least we didn’t lose to Fenerbahce Ulker (I could’ve probably spelled that Fenesdgfalsj Ulkadkf and Rasta would’ve most likely been the only one to notice). Worst team in the league, my foot!


As always, let me know what you like and don't like and it will likely be incorporated. Suggestions always welcome. Opinions and comments below. See you Thursday night for the Warriors!

Man I miss these! Strong work Brian

 

[KingSpeed]

Great post though 3/15 means 80% of shots were missed.

 

[KingSpeed]

Deep Thoughts By The HCP

This game is EXACTLY how this season will go FAMS. We will have flashes of brilliance and some exciting plays along the way.......BUT........ at some point in a :20 timeout, somebody on the other team will let everybody else know that THEY are the ones that are supposed to win this game and will. #StandingByMy20WinPredictionFAMS

Really? We're gonna bench Lillard in the 4th quarter of every game? That's exactly how the season will go? Get that shit out of here.

 

[blue9]

That lineup would also leave CJ, Henderson and Vonleh coming off the bench, which should be plenty of firepower in reserve.

I've always thought that Henderson should be our starting SG, but mainly because nobody else on the roster can fill that role (similar to Aminu/SF). However, if Harkless can take that spot from him that will be great. For one it'll mean that Harkless is developing quickly. But the other reason is something you touched on. However, more than just pure fire-power, I think Henderson can relieve some of the PG pressure that will be put upon CJ and be a steadying force for that unit.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Great post though 3/15 means 80% of shots were missed.

while Patty was 1/7 (14%), Pressey was 2/8 (25%). Should've broken it out or said it better. It's preseason for me, also...I've been speaking Pashto much of today.

 

[GrandpaBlaze]

#StandingByMy20WinPredictionFAMS

I believe you mis-typed that: #StandingByMy20WinPredictionByChristmasFAMS

 

[Schilly]

Crabbe looked like he was shooting everything from the back of an invisible horse. Bow legged with no elevation.

 

[Chris Craig]

Overall I liked what I saw last night. I was watching a couple of things closely. The Blazers free throw percentage and their scoring in the paint. I knew with most of our good free throw guys leaving last year, our percentage there was gonna go down. We shot 68.8% from the free throw line. Ultimately missing free throws cost us the game. We got outscored in the paint 46 -40. Though I'm not ragging on the guys, as they were very active down low (especially Vonleh) I want to see the Blazers attack the Basket more. I want to see Meyers work the paint. He hung out outside most of the night, and I know he is not a huge post player, but little bit more of him inside, or at least drawing the defense out with his three point shot, and throwing it inside to Plumlee or Vonleh or whoever is in there.

I gotta give it up for Harkless on a +15 night. I am surprised Vonleh finished at a -with his play. The again McCollum had a + 17

 

[0-Our!]

I gotta give it up for Harkless on a +15 night. I am surprised Vonleh finished at a -with his play. The again McCollum had a + 17

Harkless played well no matter how u slice it Vonleh (just like McCollum/any1 else) w/ +/- is dependent on who ur on the court w/, bc he spent a lot of time out there w/ many 2nd & 3rd string guys near the end of the game/OT (during this time, Sac cranked up their efforts/hitting more shots for a variety of reasons) that weren't playing that well (definitely vs. our starters), his +/- didn't look that good; McCollum on the other hand, his +/- isn't as telling bc of the opposite reason, he was surrounded w/ our more talented guys for longer when he played.

ps Pressey didn't play that well last night & had the worst +/-, even though he didn't play well though, his +/- I don't think should've been this bad & it's a +/- that definitely doesn't represent what he's actually capable of.

 

[Reep]

I am surprised Vonleh finished at a -with his play.

Vonleh had to eat a lot of minus by playing in the fourth with Thing 1 and Thing 2 and the midget lineup. I'm pretty sure that after three quarters Vonleh was plus.

 

[Trackjack]

The one thing about this team that we are long and very active on defense. This alone make us stay in games if offense stalls. Who start who knows but I know this there not big drop off when the bench comes in.