Game Thread GAME# 15: BLAZERS @ KINGS - NOVEMBER 17, 2017 - FRIDAY, 7:00 (PST), NBCSNW

[Darkwebs]

2017-18 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
8 - 6
(2-2 Road)
SACRAMENTO KINGS
3 - 11
(2-3 Home)


_____________________________
---------PROBABLE STARTERS---------


----PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS----

DAMIAN LILLARD (PG) , C.J. McCOLLUM (SG)

MAURICE HARKLESS (SF) , CALEB SWANIGAN (PF)

JUSUF NURKIC (C)



----------SACRAMENTO KINGS----------

GEORGE HILL (PG) , GARRETT TEMPLE (SG)

BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC (SF) , ZACH RANDOLPH (PF)

WILLIE CAULEY-STEIN (C)


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WHEN: 7:00 PM, FRIDAY, 11/17/2017

WHERE: GOLDEN 1 CENTER, SACRAMENTO, CA

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

​

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--------------BENCH--------------
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

NAPIER , CONNAUGHTON

TURNER , LAYMAN , VONLEH

COLLINS , DAVIS , LEONARD

----- SACRAMENTO KINGS-----

FOX , MASON III , HIELD

CARTER , RICHARDSON , JACKSON

SAMPSON , COOLEY , LABISSIERE

PAPAGIANNIS , KOUFOS



INJURIES
TRAIL BLAZERS
Al-Farouq Aminu (right ankle sprain): OUT
Wade Baldwin (thumb surgery rehab): OUT
C.J. Wilcox (right knee rehab): OUT
KINGS
Harry Giles (knee): OUT



HEAD COACHES

- VS –

TERRY STOTTS --- DAVID JOERGER

OFFICIAL KINGS' GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• Friday’s game marks the first of four regular season matchups against the Kings during the 2017-18 season.

• LAST SEASON: Portland won the season series with the Kings in 2016-17, 2-1.

• The Trail Blazers have won eight of their last nine games against the Kings. Portland has won eight straight home games against Sacramento.

• Damian Lillard averaged 30.0 points (46.2% FG, 30.0% 3-PT, 85.7% FT), 2.5 rebounds and 11.5 assists in two games against Sacramento last season.

• CJ McCollum averaged 29.0 points (50.0% FG, 28.6% 3-PT, 81.0% FT), 1.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.67 steals in three games against the Kings in 2016-17.

• Maurice Harkless has notched a double-double in his last two games at Sacramento.

• Kings guard George Hill averaged 19.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in two games against the Trail Blazers last season while playing for the SACRAMENTO KINGS.

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Trail Blazers lead, 128-77
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 84-18
AT THE KINGS: Kings lead, 59-44

​

 

[Shaboid]

Only because I wanna see Z-Bo go up against Biggie right out of the gate.

 

[Labinot41]

Kings are so bad at this moment. 2 Wins should be safe

 

[Strenuus]

Kings are so bad at this moment. 2 Wins should be safe

We'll play down to them on one of the two games. 1-1.

 

[stampedehero]

Perhaps another 5 point win.

 

[Blazer4ever]

Dearon Fox is an exciting player, didn't see much of Hield but he's supposedly not bad as well. Obviously Zach Randolph and VC can still very much play and Willi Cauley Stein I think could turn out to be a good prospect now that he has a bigger role. But I think we should win both games, and not give ourselves any excuses. This is the type of team we should be able to beat

 

[Wizard Mentor]

The Kings just lost by 46 to the worst team in the league (Hawks). We need to stop losing to the Brooklyn's and Kings of the world, so I actually think it's a big game (well, 2 games).

 

[THE HCP]

Swanigan should watch footage nonstop of ZBO and what he does on the offensive end. I think he has done MORE with the LESS than anybody in decades. If he can master that pump fake up and under, and positioning he’ll be good to go.

 

[42N8Bounce]

If the Blazers can keep up the defensive intensity that they've shown over the past couple of games, this should be two 'easy' wins. I'm definitely looking forward to the Swanigan Randolph match up.

 

[THE HCP]

If the Blazers can keep up the defensive intensity that they've shown over the past couple of games, this should be two 'easy' wins. I'm definitely looking forward to the Swanigan Randolph match up.

Man, ZBO is gonna put that kid in the spin cycle and have him back on the bench with 2 fouls, minutes into the game.

 

[BrunoSOC]

I don't think this a easy game, they play a lot on the road. Everygane is a different game, I hope we can comeback home with a W.
Rockets have trouble to beat them.

 

[-Ace-]

You should change the thread title so it reads Blazers @ Kings....

 

[Pinwheel1]

Man, ZBO is gonna put that kid in the spin cycle and have him back on the bench with 2 fouls, minutes into the game.

As long as he doesn't turn the ball over or take a bad shot....I am ok with that. Rather have him pick up early fouls than anyone else.

 

[Boob-No-More]

The Kings just lost by 46 to the worst team in the league (Hawks). We need to stop losing to the Brooklyn's and Kings of the world, so I actually think it's a big game (well, 2 games).

That 46 point win was ATL's largest margin of victory in the 69-year history of the franchise. With all the good (made the playoffs 46 times), and a few great, teams they've had over the years, it seems a travesty that the current shit show of a team now holds that record.

But, that just shows you how bad SAC is. I know, on any given night, blah, blah, blah, but if we don't take both of these games and take them both easily, it will be hugely disappointing.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

Further evidence of how bad SAC is:

They are ranked 29th of 30 teams in both ORtg and DRtg. The only other team to be ranked in the bottom 5 in both offense and defense is DAL at 27th in ORtg and 26th in DRtg.

SAC is as bad as GSW is good. GSW leads the league SRS (Simplified Rating System, a combination of margin of victory and strength of schedule) at +13.31. SAC is dead last at -13.09. No other team has an SRS of less than -10.

The Blazers are currently ranked 13th in ORtg, 3rd in DRtg and 5th in SRS at +4.78. We should win both games, and we should win them easily.

BNM

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Further evidence of how bad SAC is:

They are ranked 29th of 30 teams in both ORtg and DRtg. The only other team to be ranked in the bottom 5 in both offense and defense is DAL at 27th in ORtg and 26th in DRtg.

SAC is as bad as GSW is good. GSW leads the league SRS (Simplified Rating System, a combination of margin of victory and strength of schedule) at +13.31. SAC is dead last at -13.09. No other team has an SRS of less than -10.

The Blazers are currently ranked 13th in ORtg, 3rd in DRtg and 5th in SRS at +4.78. We should win both games, and we should win them easily.

By the way, they need to dump Hill, ASAP. He's not killing their cap, but he does limit their maneuverability.

BNM

Interesting post, as usual. Why do you think they are underperforming so badly? I mean, Hield, WCS, Fox, Jackson are pretty good players. For all of the bigs they've gotten, they don't have a good rebounder, but still.

I actually think they're in much better shape than Cleveland post-LeBron.

 

[PDXFonz]

Further evidence of how bad SAC is:

They are ranked 29th of 30 teams in both ORtg and DRtg. The only other team to be ranked in the bottom 5 in both offense and defense is DAL at 27th in ORtg and 26th in DRtg.

SAC is as bad as GSW is good. GSW leads the league SRS (Simplified Rating System, a combination of margin of victory and strength of schedule) at +13.31. SAC is dead last at -13.09. No other team has an SRS of less than -10.

The Blazers are currently ranked 13th in ORtg, 3rd in DRtg and 5th in SRS at +4.78. We should win both games, and we should win them easily.

BNM

I say this, and I mean it sincerely...

Thanks for the lesson, professor.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Interesting post, as usual. Why do you think they are underperforming so badly? I mean, Hield, WCS, Fox, Jackson are pretty good players. For all of the bigs they've gotten, they don't have a good rebounder, but still.

I actually think they're in much better shape than Cleveland post-LeBron.

They aren't underperforming. With that roster, 3-11 is overachieving.

They suck at offense, defense (especially) and as you mentioned rebounding.

Their roster is an odd mix of guys who are too old and well past their prime combined with guys who are young and/or inexperienced.

George Hill should be their best player, one of the few on their roster that should be in his prime. I have no idea why, but after having a career year in UTA last season, he has completely stunk it up so far this year.

Fox will be good eventually, but he's a 20-year old PG in a conference that is absolutely stacked with veteran PGs. He's going to get abused a lot before he can hold his own, which is why he isn't starting, and Hill is.

Hield is nothing special, neither is WCS. SAC's principal owner thinks Hield is the next Steph Curry. Hield is a decent shooter, but he's nowhere close to Curry, or Klay or Kover, or C.J. He's, at best, on the same level as guys like Crabbe and Joe Ingles (who is much longer and a better defender). He's only 14 games removed from being a rookie, but is almost 24. I don't see a lot of upside there.

I already mentioned that their DRtg is 29th in the league. They start 36 year old Zach Randolph at PF, and sadly for them, he may actually be their best player. He's never been a good defender. He's always lacked lateral quickness and as a power forward that plays below the rim, gives them absolutely no rim protection. He was slow to begin with and has lost a couple steps due to advancing age.

In addition to being 29th in ORtg and DRtg, they are also 29th in DRB%. It's actually a miracle they have managed to win 3 games. Looking at all the advanced stats, they should have the worst record in the league and very well may by the end of the season.

BNM

 

[dviss1]

Swanigan should watch footage nonstop of ZBO and what he does on the offensive end. I think he has done MORE with the LESS than anybody in decades. If he can master that pump fake up and under, and positioning he’ll be good to go.

Why don't you tell him?

You know you only run in the best circles...

 

[dviss1]

I'll be at this game too. I really want to see De'aaron Fox. Does anybody know why Jonathan Isaac didn't play last night?

 

[KingSpeed]

We'll play down to them on one of the two games. 1-1.

No we won't. They may play up to us though.

 

[BrunoSOC]

Hope our bench continue keep going, good game for turner bounce back and give some minutes for Collins just a couple. I wanna see him play with Nurkic

 

[Boob-No-More]

Hope our bench continue keep going, good game for turner bounce back and give some minutes for Collins just a couple. I wanna see him play with Nurkic

I actually hope both games are blowouts so we might actually get to see Collins play.

BNM

 

[riverman]

Kick some cowbell butt!

 

[BigGameDamian]

I wonder if T.J Warren or Josh Jackson might become available due to the both play the same position and both could probably start?

 

[Strenuus]

No we won't. They may play up to us though.

That in it of itself means we played down to them.

But, I've seen your posts today. I understand.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Interesting post, as usual. Why do you think they are underperforming so badly? I mean, Hield, WCS, Fox, Jackson are pretty good players. .

They will be pretty good players, but are Fox and JJ good now? They are rookies so I assume they are very inconsistent. Ironically WCS had his best game against Embed.

They have won their last two home games (OKC and Philly) so they could be tough at home. They do have some vets who have killed us in the past and for one game could get hot. (Hill, Zach, Carter, Koufos)

 

[kjironman1]

Blazers vs Kings

Was actually wondering what i would write about for this game. The Kings don't make for much excitement as far as the competition is concerned. That being said the Blazers need to make sure they don't sleep on these guys and get into a game where they leave a win laying on the court in Sacramento.

I guess the biggest thing to look at might be Swanigan vs Randolph. If there was ever a guy Swanigan could maybe learn some things from it would be Zbo. I find it very hard to believe he will be on the court very long learning though. Swanigan has had two very forgettable outings the last two games. Randolph will make him look like the pick he was most likely. I see this as where the Kings will attack and again Swanigan will have to leave the game. Either with fouls or just a complete inability to handle the wily vet. Swanigan will have to watch from the sidelines unless the Blazers pull out to a big lead quickly and maintain it. It's all part of development. Throw the kid into the fire. Why not?

The saddest part of the Sacramento Kings is not just that they are having a bad season but that they have had so many. It's been 10 years since they have won more than 33 games and the playoffs for this team seems like pure fantasy. This all after huge battles to keep the team in the city. Just seems like all the work Kevin Johnson put into keeping that franchise in the city has been wasted so to speak.

Trying to come up with matchup competition with this team is tough. The leading scorer on the team is Zbo with just over 13 pts a game. They have just come off a road trip with 3 demoralizing losses. 30 point range type losses. The one bright spot you look at is the rookie DeAaron Fox. But that kid is a point guard playing in a conference full of All-Star caliber PG's. He has flashes but they get snuffed out pretty quick because the players assembled around him are simply not quality support. Lillard was ROY but would he have been if he didn't have a supporting cast of Aldridge, Batum, Mathews and Hickson/Freeland. To put it mildly the Kings simply don't have the firepower to make a PG look good this season.

No Aminu again tonight. That should be fine. Let Aminu get some more rest and hopefully the Blazers can get into a position in the next couple games to play some deeper roster type players. Looking for Layman/Pat/Collins/Leonard and Napier to be able to take this game over in the second half. That would be a welcome sight.

Pick tonight is Nurk. Should not be a player on the court that can guard him. He should totally dominate and distribute. This game should be decided early and he should not have to go back in so don't look for huge numbers from any starter.

Go Blazers!
Kjironman is a fan!!!

 

[illmatic99]

We can't afford to lose these kinda games. I hope our players realize this and come out strong.

 

[kjironman1]

We can't afford to lose these kinda games. I hope our players realize this and come out strong.

What happens on games like this is a split. It's tough to beat an NBA team twice in a row on consecutive days. Luckily the Kings are just the type of team that the Blazers could beat twice.