Game Thread GAME# 2: ROCKETS @ BLAZERS - DECEMBER 26, 2020 - SATURDAY, 7:00, NBATV & NBCSNW

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What was worse in the Blazers' season-opening game?

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James lamphear said:
Any wins are good wins especially the way this team play. I will see replay at tomorrow I will then base my opinion more about the game. We did have 25 assist and we out rebound them by 3. Our 2 starting guards shot 58 times and played over 40 minutes each. CJ shot the ball well tonight but Dame and CJ has to start getting more players involved.
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CJ had 8 assists (0 TOs) and Dame had 9 assists.
 
Yawn...... weird ass game, pulled out the W. I promise you in May when we get the 6th spot by a 1/2 game, you'll have forgotten how ugly this one was, but I bet you'll be glad we got it. Good night.
 
Trent was the reason we beat Houston in bubble and he knows it. And he turned down a guaranteed 13 million a year because he thinks he's a star. Instead, he's playing 6 minutes. He should've taken the contract.
 
Couldn't be benching Trent an indicator he was added to the block during HT?
 
GDiama said:
I guess our bench is not elite
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It's really important to note that when everyone was saying that our bench was going to be elite that those people might still be saying will. They meant Gary, Zach and Hoodie being a huge part of that. For whatever Stotts' stupid ass reason he went with Ant tonight, I would be going with Gary with big minutes unless he really fucked up... which I can't find a time where he did. Zach hasn't played a game and will be one of our better bench pieces if not our best bench piece. I liked the way Hoodie was moving during his last rotation tonight and I think he'll be a great bench player really soon. I can't complain about Kanter's inside scoring (4 for 5) and rebounding (9) off the bench in 18 minutes (remember bench players really only need to be good for a couple of things).

Melo has been a mess but he could be a really great bench player if he was there to hit open threes, and then get us an iso basket 4 or 5 times a game when the defense starts sleeping on him and doesn't expect him going one on five every fucking time he touches the ball. I would give all of this a little time before we call the bench totally overrated. Don't get me wrong it seems like Stotts will stand by and allow Melo to singlehandedly fuck up the majority of minutes he plays which will make our bench look like absolute shit. I guess Stotts could abandon Gary which I would think is a fucking terrible idea. If not rotated in with the right guys Kanter's defensive shortcomings could be terrible for this team. Hoodie could be only as good as what we've seen but I highly doubt that.

When we all looked at this team's depth we assumed (very possibly foolishly) that these guys would be rotated in with the right players around them and given the roles that would make them most effective. We can't count on Stotts to find those rotations but we can hope for him to fall bass ackwards into the right rotations. We can also hope and have good reason to, that every one of these guys besides Melo will find and know their best role.
 
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royo said:
Couldn't be benching Trent an indicator he was added to the block during HT?
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Yeah man I guess that's possible and would be nice. We can't take a coach at his word when he says shit like "I just decided to go with Ant" and "I can only go with nine guys". Even by Stotts' standards those seem pretty lame (not that I put it past him) so he could just be giving it the spin Olshey asked him to give it. We'll see.
 
I don't see the tie in between the Rockets game and the Utah game.
 
Mediocre Man said:
So basically the Blazers went to OT against a G league team + James Harden
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Wood, House and Tucker are all great rotational players and I actually think House should be starting over Gordon. That being said, yeah we had to go to OT against a team missing four of their rotation players and a few others, which is in no way impressive. What I did like to see is the defense playing a little more cohesively (not there yet but a step in the right direction) and our back court playing the kind of offense we're used to.
 
Titan said:
Starters looking good playing together, now come up with a new bench rotation.
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Dame 35
CJ 35
Nurk 26
RoCo 32
DJJ 30
Kanter 22
GTJ 32
Giles 20
Hood 8

Second unit:
CJ
GTJ / Hood
RoCo / DJJ
Giles
Kanter

Try to have 3 decent defenders in the second unit.
 
The Good:
CJ was insane. He got ridiculously hot (especially in the 3rd) and carried this team to a comeback win. Throw in 8 assists an 0 turnovers and you have an insane game. Even if he doesn't score that many, that type of playmaking is much needed.
Harden...was even more insane. 44 points on 22 shots. (It took CJ 30 shots to get his 44 points and Dame took 28 shots to get 32 points) Throw in 17 assists and that is bordering on otherwordly when you consider who he was passing to.

The Bad:
The Blazers bench was....well, not very good. And they were playing against 3rd string type players in many instances. Kanter continues to shoot well but he was guarded by a 6'6" player for most of the time so that isn't unexpected. The combination of Kanter/Melo/Hood continues to amaze in how many easy looks they can give up. Hood showed some signs of shaking of rust. It's not rust with the other two.
OT? That is what it took to put away a decimated Rockets roster with the likes of David Nwaba, House Jr, Sterling Brown, Jae'Sean Tate, Brodric Thomas and Bruno Caboclo suiting up. Not many teams will put that type of ineptitued on the floor during any game that is within 20 points.

The Walnut:
Melo continues to fire away unfettered by reason, commence, a team outlook , or his coach. And his defense allows players that even their mothers would have a hard time recognizing in an NBA uniform, be contributors.
Trent benched....because #Stotts. That Melo would play 1 minute over Trent at this point in their careers is why a labotomy procedure exists. Melo has been horribly inefficient for years and his defense makes him even more unplayable....for 29 other teams.
 
KSF-ERIC said:
Trent was the reason we beat Houston in bubble and he knows it. And he turned down a guaranteed 13 million a year because he thinks he's a star. Instead, he's playing 6 minutes. He should've taken the contract.
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Could also be a plan....let Trent Jr warm bench and play 10 minutes in first 25 games....in hope to have trent Sign the contract cause he will get message if he doesn’t sign extension which was good solid offer he will not get a better offer with playing 10 minutes per game and Blazers actually have enough dept to sacrifice trent for at least a quarter of season
 
Serbian said:
Could also be a plan....let Trent Jr warm bench and play 10 minutes in first 25 games....in hope to have trent Sign the contract cause he will get message if he doesn’t sign extension which was good solid offer he will not get a better offer with playing 10 minutes per game and Blazers actually have enough dept to sacrifice trent for at least a quarter of season
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Nah. Simons was playing well and he has been injured. He needed to get some run. People are making way too much out of this. Got to remember at some point there will be bench players that DNP coaches decision.
 
kjironman1 said:
Nah. Simons was playing well and he has been injured. He needed to get some run. People are making way too much out of this. Got to remember at some point there will be bench players that DNP coaches decision.
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Or ( and I admit this is a stretch) maybe the Houston GM wanted to see Simons play before even considering him as part of the trade.
 
Pinwheel1 said:
Or ( and I admit this is a stretch) maybe the Houston GM wanted to see Simons play before even considering him as part of the trade.
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or maybe it was staged and even GTJ pouting was an act to keep him out of the picture. /tinfoil hat
 
Granted the Blazers still look "out of sync", and I don't expect it to get much better for another month.
But did it really matter who was on the floor with Harden last night? When he is shooting like that no one else is touching the ball.
Matter of fact I wish someone else besides Harden was out there taking away his shots. I do find it funny that after many Blazer fans have been asking for Neil to go after Wood and Tucker that all of a sudden they are considered G league players.
 
kjironman1 said:
Nah. Simons was playing well and he has been injured. He needed to get some run. People are making way too much out of this. Got to remember at some point there will be bench players that DNP coaches decision.
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I agree with this.... but I dont understand why this doesn't also apply to Melo/Giles. Giles needs some run - so sit Melos ass down
 
tester551 said:
I agree with this.... but I dont understand why this doesn't also apply to Melo/Giles. Giles needs some run - so sit Melos ass down
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I agree with that also. But remember Giles is not really a threat from outside and his free throws are a bit bad. He feasts at the rim and he fouls a bit much. I have to wonder if Harden would not have torched him creating fouls like he did Kanter?
 
KSF-ERIC said:
CJ had 8 assists (0 TOs) and Dame had 9 assists.
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That pretty good for CJ but majority of those assist that he got was Dame scoring and with Dame his assist is spread out with other players. Even though I think Dame should be getting double figure in a assist but he came close last night.
 
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