Game Thread GAME# 12: RAPTORS @ BLAZERS - NOVEMBER 13, 2019 - WEDNESDAY, 7:00 PM, NBCSNW

[kjironman1]

Another soft cookie like riverman , both of you should get together and BBQ celebrate and pray to your saint Scotts and say “ oh everything is great go blazers “

Bottom line is scotts is still the coach since 2012 because of fans like you

Dude. Back up. Riverman has been here way too long for you to step up and out like this.

 

[Serbian]

Stotts

He doesn’t deserve to be called by his last name. He is scotts cause he stinks

 

[riverman]

2012 because of fans like you

I've been a fan since 76 so I get credit for the championship too then I guess

 

[Strenuus]

because he’s a rookie with like 2 games of total NBA experience and Stotts didn’t think he could play in the crunch time of the 4th quarter agains the defending NBA champs

you guys make controversies over standard coaching moves

So instead of throwing him into the fire he benches him? That is AWFUL coaching. You let him learn against the best.

That is awful coaching. Thanks for further proving the point.

 

[The Professional Fan]

What players have shown they are gonna get better with chemistry? Cause I only see maybe 2. Simons and Little.

The rest are awful.

I suppose I don’t look at it individually. I don’t think they’re playing team ball right now. Yet. I mean, individually speaking guys like Aminu and Harkless and even Meyers looked decent within the team concept. I just don’t think these guys have jelled. I think this road trip determines the rest of the season and I believe they will figure it out and the guys we think don’t look good will look a heck of a lot better

 

[Strenuus]

I suppose I don’t look at it individually. I don’t think they’re playing team ball right now. Yet. I mean, individually speaking guys like Aminu and Harkless and even Meyers looked decent within the team concept. I just don’t think these guys have jelled. I think this road trip determines the rest of the season and I believe they will figure it out and the guys we think don’t look good will look a heck of a lot better

If that happens I'll take whatever youre smoking cause damn thats some wishful thinking.

 

[The Professional Fan]

He doesn’t deserve to be called by his last name. He is scotts cause he stinks

Right

 

[TBpup]

They are talking about how difficult it is to defend Siakam because of how versatile he is on offense....yet Nas did a great job on him.

 

[kjironman1]

This is as mad as I've seen you at Stotts.

He's pushing it this season for sure.

Look that was a clown show move. He started the kid. Little held his own. He brought exactly what they needed. Made no sense to drop back to 3 guard and get man handled.
This game was on Stotts.

 

[wizenheimer]

The same Nurkic was not there. Everyone saw that Nurk was a completely different player in 18-19 than he was in 17-18. Some people were questioning whether it was worth extending him after that 17-18 campaign.

In my view, it was really Nurkic becoming a playmaker that opened up the Blazers offense in 18-19.

sure, but in my view, when teams blitz Dame, Nurkic isn't going to be able to come out to the three point line, receive the outlet pass from Dame, and then turn around and run the offense; Nurk does not have that ability. That's been the problem, nobody but Dame can consistently run the offense...CJ can't, Napier couldn't, ET couldn't, Curry couldn't. For sure Mo and Aminu couldn't. And Nurk wouldn't be able to do that either. It's not that simple a fix. Another adept ball-handler is needed that can do both things on a consistent basis, score and facilitate. And yeah, that's going to have to be a talented player. Somebody more talented than CJ

again, and I could be wrong, and I might just be a bit discouraged right now...I just don't think a big man can solve this problem. And the only answer Stotts has had has been even more iso for CJ-ET-Napier-Curry

 

[The Professional Fan]

If that happens I'll take whatever youre smoking cause damn thats some wishful thinking.

Perhaps. I’ll gladly check back in after the road trip right or wrong

 

[B-Roy]

sure, but in my view, when teams blitz Dame, Nurkic isn't going to be able to come out to the three point line, receive the outlet pass from Dame, and then turn around and run the offense; Nurk does not have that ability. That's been the problem, nobody but Dame can consistently run the offense...CJ can't, Napier couldn't, ET couldn't, Curry couldn't. For sure Mo and Aminu couldn't. And Nurk wouldn't be able to do that either. It's not that simple a fix. Another adept ball-handler is needed that can do both things on a consistent basis, score and facilitate. And yeah, that's going to have to be a talented player. Somebody more talented than CJ

again, and I could be wrong, and I might just be a bit discouraged right now...I just don't think a big man can solve this problem. And the only answer Stotts has had has been even more iso for CJ-ET-Napier-Curry

He doesn't need to run the offense, he just needs to be able to make the right play on the short roll. It's not a perfect solution, but the Blazers are a pick and roll team as long as Stotts is here. Dame is a pick and roll player. The Dame/Nurk pick and roll was one of the most effective high volume plays in the league last year before he got hurt. I want to see it in the playoffs though.

 

[HailBlazers]

Fucking Stotts praising Little. Thought he brought a lot of energy and played well.

I’m waiting for someone to ask him why on earth he didn’t play him in the 4th quarter?

Seriously though, what did Stotts say when they asked him that?

 

[wizenheimer]

I've been a fan since 76 so I get credit for the championship too then I guess

I was a fan in 73 so I get the credit. Quit trying to steal my thunder waterboy

 

[riverman]

I was a fan in 73 so I get the credit. Quit trying to steal my thunder waterboy

I'm not worthy!

 

[B-Roy]

They are talking about how difficult it is to defend Siakam because of how versatile he is on offense....yet Nas did a great job on him.

Siakam basically abused every guy in the post except Nas. Watching that whole game all Siakam did was go to the post. He shot poorly against Nas. He made everything against every one else. The Raptors went to it every play down the stretch and Stotts stood on the sidelines watching like a blind idiot.

 

[kjironman1]

because he’s a rookie with like 2 games of total NBA experience and Stotts didn’t think he could play in the crunch time of the 4th quarter agains the defending NBA champs

you guys make controversies over standard coaching moves

Ok I can see a point there but the kid had held his own and he was not showing signs of crumbling. So you give a kid a start and I feel you play him if he is doing well. Even in crunch time. That three guard lineup wasn’t working.

 

[EGame]

Well I didnt want to say this so soon, but we're a broken team and we suck. Not sure when Nurk will be back but not sure it will matter this season.

 

[wizenheimer]

He doesn't need to run the offense, he just needs to be able to make the right play on the short roll. It's not a perfect solution, but the Blazers are a pick and roll team as long as Stotts is here. Dame is a pick and roll player. The Dame/Nurk pick and roll was one of the most effective high volume plays in the league last year before he got hurt. I want to see it in the playoffs though.

ok...we just have different opinions on what Portland needs to take the focus off Dame. What hasn't worked at all is 4 years of CJ

 

[Serbian]

sure, but in my view, when teams blitz Dame, Nurkic isn't going to be able to come out to the three point line, receive the outlet pass from Dame, and then turn around and run the offense; Nurk does not have that ability. That's been the problem, nobody but Dame can consistently run the offense...CJ can't, Napier couldn't, ET couldn't, Curry couldn't. For sure Mo and Aminu couldn't. And Nurk wouldn't be able to do that either. It's not that simple a fix. Another adept ball-handler is needed that can do both things on a consistent basis, score and facilitate. And yeah, that's going to have to be a talented player. Somebody more talented than CJ

again, and I could be wrong, and I might just be a bit discouraged right now...I just don't think a big man can solve this problem. And the only answer Stotts has had has been even more iso for CJ-ET-Napier-Curry

We need Draymond Green. That’s exactly the player we need

 

[B-Roy]

ok...we just have different opinions on what Portland needs to take the focus off Dame. What hasn't worked at all is 4 years of CJ

That we can agree with.

 

[kjironman1]

Seriously though, what did Stotts say when they asked him that?

Well it started with .... Doh!

 

[Bruno_Sabino]

Inportant road trip coming. If we win 4 games we back at this

 

[wizenheimer]

Siakam basically abused every guy in the post except Nas. Watching that whole game all Siakam did was go to the post. He shot poorly against Nas. He made everything against every one else. The Raptors went to it every play down the stretch and Stotts stood on the sidelines watching like a blind idiot.

it may be a fight-fire-with-fire thing. Siakam is long, incredibly athletic, and high energy. Little seems to check all those boxes, although he's not quite as long as Siakam

 

[Strenuus]

Perhaps. I’ll gladly check back in after the road trip right or wrong

And we Will welcome you in, right or wrong!

 

[OneSport3]

CJ looked good tonight.

Hood looked good tonight.

Herzonja looked good tonight.

Whiteside was playing with more energy.

we’re 4 games under 500 without 2 borderline all-stars (Nurk and Zach).

Not the end of the world. No need to boo. No need to fire Stotts. Take a chill pill.

It isn’t hard to look good compared to what he was doing. He still took 18 shots to score 19 points.

 

[kjironman1]

Got to admit that Toronto roster has some athletic length and skill on it. They will be good and Vanvleet is damn good.

 

[B-Roy]

it may be a fight-fire-with-fire thing. Siakam is long, incredibly athletic, and high energy. Little seems to check all those boxes, although he'd not as long as Siakam

I thought Siakam missed some easy ones against Nas, but at least Nas bothered his shot. Sometimes thats all you need to do to throw someone off. Mario bit on every fake and couldn't keep up with Siakams footwork. Siakam hooked and shot over all the tiny guards they put on him in the 4th. There was literally a player that was doing well against Siakam the whole game. Stotts started him, but then didn't trust him to finish the game??

It's just baffling. Worst case scenario he gets burned a few times in the 4th and then you pull him. But not putting him in the game at all? What was the point of even playing him then?

 

[PCmor7]

We got killed inside interior defense or lack thereof.

You think that's why we lost this game and are losing in general?

Man, sorry, I don't think that's even close.

First, this is a Terry Stotts team. It's never going to win because of defense.

Second, I think I've see Dame stripped trying to go through a double-team or throw it off a defender's leg for a turnover or (insert player name here) throwing it out of bounds by driving to deep without any threat to shoot and then desperately trying to skip to the corner than I did all last year.

Third, I'd have to see the stat you cited compared with last year. Did the Blazers not give up points in the paint last year? How many of those points in the paint were a result of fastbreak layups on which Whiteside (nor Nurk) would be a factor? How many of those inside buckets aren't because of Whiteside but occasions where Whiteside helped because a teammate was beaten to the bucket from the perimeter and he helped leaving another guy open, and no one rotated to help him?

I'm not a big metrics guy, but Whiteside was a slightly better defensive player statistically last year and had a much better defensive rebound percentage. His numbers so far this year are nearly identical to what Nurk was posting last year.

But then I just look at the game. I see Baze miss consecutive open corner 3s, Herzonja make a lazy pass to the wing that than Vanfvleet steals and uses to start transition, CJ drive and get caught under the hoop and try to throw a pass to the corner with three defenders on him that goes out of bounds. I guess we're not going to agree, because I think those are killing us a lot more than your apparent contention that Whiteside is such a dropoff from Nurk, defensively. If you would have said some of our offensive problems are spacing because we have Nurk instead of Whiteside, I would agree with you. But defensively? It's a push.

 

[wizenheimer]

It isn’t hard to look good compared to what he was doing. He still took 18 shots to score 19 points.

yep....for the season now he's scored 241 points on 241 shots