Game Thread GAME# 20: BLAZERS @ WIZARDS - NOVEMBER 25, 2017 - SATURDAY, 4:00 PM (PST), NBCSNW

[Darkwebs]

2017-18 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
11 - 8
(4-4 Road)
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
10 - 8
(5-4 Home)


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

PG

DAMIAN LILLARD VS TIM FRAZIER

SG

C.J. McCOLLUM VS BRADLEY BEAL

SF

PAT CONNAUGHTON VS OTTO PORTER JR.

PF

NOAH VONLEH VS MARKIEFF MORRIS

C

JUSUF NURKIC VS MARCIN GORTAT



------------------------------------------------------




WHEN: 4:00 PM, SATURDAY, 11/25/2017

WHERE: CAPITAL ONE ARENA, WASHINGTON, DC

TV BROADCAST:

RADIO BROADCAST:

​

------------------------------------------------------



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

NAPIER , TURNER

HARKLESS , LAYMAN , SWANIGAN

COLLINS , DAVIS , LEONARD

------ WASHINGTON WIZARDS------

MEEKS , OUBRE Jr. , SATORANSKY

ROBINSON , YOUNG . McCULLOUGH

SCOTT , MAHINMI , SMITH



INJURIES
TRAIL BLAZERS
Damian Lillard (sprained right ankle): PROBABLE
Al-Farouq Aminu (right ankle sprain): OUT
Wade Baldwin (thumb surgery rehab): OUT
C.J. Wilcox (right knee rehab): OUT
WIZARDS
John Wall (left knee inflammation): OUT
Sheldon Mac (left Achilles surgery): OUT



HEAD COACHES

- VS –

TERRY STOTTS --- SCOTT BROOKS

OFFICIAL WIZARDS' GAME NOTES
OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES ​

• Saturday’s game is the first of two regular season Matchups between the Trail Blazers and the Wizards in the 2017-18 season.

• LAST SEASON: Washington swept the season series with Portland last season, 2-0.

• The Trail Blazers are 4-3 in their last seven games against the Wizards. Portland’s last win in Washington came on January 18, 2016.

• BACKCOURT TANDEMS: The Trail Blazers and Wizards sport the only two starting backcourts in the NBA with both players averaging 20+ points. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combine to average 47.0 points per game while John Wall and Bradley Beal combine for 44.4 points per game.

• Damian Lillard averaged 27.5 points (43.2% FG, 42.1% 3-PT, 90.0% FT), 5.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists in two games against the Wizards last season. Lillard has made at least four 3-pointers in each of his last three games against the Wizards.

• CJ McCollum averaged 23.0 points (51.4% FG, 50.0% 3-PT, 80.0% FT), 1.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.00 steals in two games against the Wizards in 2016-17.

• Evan Turner had 14 points, three rebounds and one assist in his lone game against the Wizards last season. In his last two visits to Washington, Turner is averaging 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

• John Wall averaged 31.5 points (57.5% FG, 62.5% 3-PT, 85.7% FT), 3.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists in two games against the Trail Blazers in 2016-17. Wall has scored 20+ points in nine of his 13 career games against Portland.

• Bradley Beal averaged 25.5 points (55.2% FG, 61.5% 3-PT, 91.7% FT, 1.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists against Portland last season. Beal is shooting 15-of-22 (68.2%) from the 3-PT line in his last four games against the Trail Blazers.

• CONNECTION: Al-Farouq Aminu and Washington forward/center Jason Smith were teammates with New Orleans for two seasons from 2012-13.

• CONNECTION: Washington guard Tim Frazier spent parts of two seasons with Portland in 2014-15 and 2015-16, averaging 1.9 points and 1.5 assists in 40 games (one start).

• HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY:
ALL TIME: Trail Blazers lead, 56-53
IN PORTLAND: Trail Blazers lead, 34-20
AT THE WIZARDS: Wizards lead, 33-22

 

[RickyJoe]

I'll be going between channels during this game after 5 since the Apple cup will be being played. Go Cougs! Win this game and have a great chance at being the Pac 12 champions.

 

[theprunetang]

Wizards are a bad matchup for us. Wall's length tends to bottle up Lillard. Beal negates CJ. The Polish Hammer negates Nurk. I could see a guy like Kelly Oubre going off on us, as the two guards will demand a lot of attention defensively.

 

[Scalma]

Turner by default.

Vonleh by the end of the year.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

Wall is a game time decision last I heard.

 

[KingSpeed]

Turner by default.

Vonleh by the end of the year.

You underrate Aminu. One of our best shooters. Always shows up in big games. Our best defender and rebounder.

 

[Scalma]

You underrate Aminu. One of our best shooters. Always shows up in big games. Our best defender and rebounder.

Aminu is not a good shooter, no matter how many times you say it. His career percentages are proof. Defensively he’s great but I don’t see how I’d put him ahead of Turner who is arguably our most consistent defender and brings more to the table offensively.

 

[KingSpeed]

Aminu is not a good shooter, no matter how many times you say it. His career percentages are proof. Defensively he’s great but I don’t see how I’d put him ahead of Turner who is arguably our most consistent defender and brings more to the table offensively.

Aminu is shooting 43% from 3 this year, the 2nd best shooter playing rotational minutes. Say good, bad, whatever, but he's one of our best. And he has always shot well in playoffs. Even when he was in Dallas.

 

[KingSpeed]

And career percentages aren't proof of anything. Shouldn't we be happy that we actually have a player who improves?

 

[BonesJones]

And career percentages aren't proof of anything. Shouldn't we be happy that we actually have a player who improves?

There's no way he shoots above 40%. The smaller the sample size, the flukier the result.

 

[Scalma]

Aminu is shooting 43% from 3 this year, the 2nd best shooter playing rotational minutes. Say good, bad, whatever, but he's one of our best. And he has always shot well in playoffs. Even when he was in Dallas.

8 games is not a proper sample size, and there is a difference with the threes he attempts and the threes CJ and dame attempt. Aminus shots are almost always uncontested. The league tracks “uncontested threes” and Lillard and McCollum both shoot near 50% on such shots. CJ last year shot 55%. So Aminus numbers aren’t that impressive when you compare him with actual shooters.

 

[Scalma]

And career percentages aren't proof of anything. Shouldn't we be happy that we actually have a player who improves?

If he ends the season at 43%? Of course. But he won’t. And if does, I’ll be the first to give him his due.

 

[Scalma]

I’d probably rank our top 4 pure shooters as

McCollum
Lillard
Leonard
Connaughton

So maybe Aminu is in the top 5, I don’t know, would that be considered “one of our best?”

Btw that list just made me depressed. We need shooters. Bad.

 

[BonesJones]

I’d probably rank our top 4 pure shooters as

McCollum
Lillard
Leonard
Connaughton

So maybe Aminu is in the top 5, I don’t know, would that be considered “one of our best?”

Btw that list just made me depressed. We need shooters. Bad.

Napier?

I’d probably rank our top 4 pure shooters as

McCollum
Lillard
Leonard
Connaughton

So maybe Aminu is in the top 5, I don’t know, would that be considered “one of our best?”

Btw that list just made me depressed. We need shooters. Bad.

Napier?

 

[jonnyboy]

I’d probably rank our top 4 pure shooters as

McCollum
Lillard
Leonard
Connaughton

So maybe Aminu is in the top 5, I don’t know, would that be considered “one of our best?”

Btw that list just made me depressed. We need shooters. Bad.

We should have hung onto Morrow, for the a simple task of jacking up shots. The other acquisitions didn't exactly pan out (Baldwin/Wilcox).

 

[Strenuus]

We should have hung onto Morrow, for the a simple task of jacking up shots. The other acquisitions didn't exactly pan out (Baldwin/Wilcox).

How do you not pan out when you haven't been given a shot? aka baldwin

 

[BrunoSOC]

Tough game. Need to steal one more game on the road. They beat us last year so it's payback time.

 

[BrunoSOC]

Lillard almost rolls his ankle last game. He should recovery this, is starting getting worried for real.

 

[dviss1]

Lillard almost rolls his ankle last game. He should recovery this, is starting getting worried for real.

LULZ.

 

[THE HCP]

You underrate Aminu. One of our best shooters. Always shows up in big games. Our best defender and rebounder.

Hold the fuck on.....you are claiming that not only is Aminu our BEST defender, but also our BEST rebounder.......and to top this off, he is our BEST shooter? #64Wins

 

[santeesioux]

 

[trailblazer18]

Wall is a game time decision last I heard.

Just saw he is out for two weeks! Let's get this game.

 

[THE HCP]

Isn’t our guy Tim Frazier on the Wiz?

 

[Mr. Robot]

we gonna beat WSH, but lose to NYK... that sounds about right

 

[Scalma]

Napier?

Napier?

Yeah he’s been good this year and I’d rather have him shooting than Aminu. I actually don’t know who I wouldn’t rather have shooting an open shot than Aminu. Turner, Moe, and Davis?

 

[Scalma]

We should have hung onto Morrow, for the a simple task of jacking up shots. The other acquisitions didn't exactly pan out (Baldwin/Wilcox).

Both those guys are injured so I don’t know how you can come to any conclusion on either one of them.

And there’s a reason why Morrow is a journeyman who hasn’t been picked up by anyone else.

I could see both of our two way players coming into the mix when they get healthy. Wilcox has always been a good shooter.

 

[e_blazer]

Damn! I know better than to post my predictions so early. Rookie mistake.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Wall is actually out for two weeks

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/21554239/john-wall-washington-wizards-miss-two-weeks-knee-injury

 

[Pinwheel1]

Isn’t our guy Tim Frazier on the Wiz?

Yeah you know Frazier will play well tonight against his old team. Still I will take it as opposed to Wall.

 

[tlongII]

Aminu is not our 4th best player. Y’all be trippin.