Game Thread GAME# 22: BLAZERS @ BULLS - DECEMBER 5, 2016 - MONDAY, 5:00 PM (PDT), CSNNW

[PtldPlatypus]

Theyve won more games than they've lost, but youre so negative you have no confidence. Why do they have to prove you wrong time and time and time again just for you to get over your insanely negative mindset?

They have won more games than they've lost. But not against against teams over .500. And not on the road. So it was certainly reasonable to have no confidence we would win this game. If you believed we would from the beginning, then hooray for you, but you were believing against the odds, and ridiculing those who differed isn't any better than doubting the team in the first place.

 

[Tunchi]

They have won more games than they've lost. But not against against teams over .500. And not on the road. So it was certainly reasonable to have no confidence we would win this game. If you believed we would from the beginning, then hooray for you, but you were believing against the odds, and ridiculing those who differed isn't any better than doubting the team in the first place.

Well said

 

[BonesJones]

Well said

Why didn't you say it lol

 

[illmatic99]

This is really interesting.

http://www.csnnw.com/portland-trail...s-change-defense-after-big-men-suggest-change

I'm happy Terry finally changed some things up, and also happy our players are talking.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Why didn't you say it lol

Not everyone is articulate as I am. Don't fault the guy for being average. He can't help it.

 

[tester551]

This is really interesting.

http://www.csnnw.com/portland-trail...s-change-defense-after-big-men-suggest-change

I'm happy Terry finally changed some things up, and also happy our players are talking.

I'm happy it happened & changed. It sucks that the players brought this to the coach though. We really need a DC for the coaching staff.

 

[illmatic99]

I'm happy it happened & changed. It sucks that the players brought this to the coach though. We really need a DC for the coaching staff.

meh, i'd rather it be this way than the coach saying it's his way or the high way.

 

[Darkwebs]

This is really interesting.

http://www.csnnw.com/portland-trail...s-change-defense-after-big-men-suggest-change

I'm happy Terry finally changed some things up, and also happy our players are talking.

Mason: "Hey Coach, you know how you hate it when the other team blitz our guards, how it baffles you to no end, and how it leaves you in a cold sweat just thinking about it."

Stotts: "Are you trying to give me nightmares or are you asking to run suicides today?"

Ed: "No, no, Coach. What we're saying is, what if we turn the table and blitz the other team on their pick-and-rolls? What if we make it.....I don't know....difficult for the other team to score?"

Stotts: "Blasphemy! That's diabolical, that's absurd.......<eyes widen and almost falls over>......MY GOD! That's so crazy and nonsensical that it circles around and becomes genius! Let's try this insanity against the Bulls."

Mason and Ed nods and high-fives each other. Meyers sees that and comes over to give Mason and Ed high-fives as well, but misses their hands and swats air instead.

Stotts chuckles, shaking his head knowingly: "So guys, any more advice?"

Mason and Ed in unison: "UGG fur-lined slippers!"

 

[riverman]

Mason: "Hey Coach, you know how you hate it when the other team blitz our guards, how it baffles you to no end, and how it leaves you in a cold sweat just thinking about it."

Stotts: "Are you trying to give me nightmares or are you asking to run suicides today?"

Ed: "No, no, Coach. What we're saying is, what if we turn the table and blitz the other team on their pick-and-rolls? What if we make it.....I don't know....difficult for the other team to score?"

Stotts: "Blasphemy! That's diabolical, that's absurd.......<eyes widen and almost falls over>......MY GOD! That's so crazy and nonsensical that it circles around and becomes genius! Let's try this insanity against the Bulls."

Mason and Ed nods and high-fives each other. Meyers sees that and comes over to give Mason and Ed high-fives as well, but misses their hands and swats air instead.

Stotts chuckles, shaking his head knowingly: "So guys, any more advice?"

Mason and Ed in unison: "UGG fur-lined slippers!"

Brilliant!!

 

[Boob-No-More]

This is really interesting.

http://www.csnnw.com/portland-trail...s-change-defense-after-big-men-suggest-change

I'm happy Terry finally changed some things up, and also happy our players are talking.

It works with Mase and Ed because they have the lateral quickness to stop the opposing guard's penetration - which is what you want to do with players like Wade and Butler.

It won't work for a big like Meyers Leonard who has poor lateral quickness. I wasn't specifically watching for this last night during the game, but I wonder if it contributed to Meyers fouling out in 12 minutes of play. How may of his fouls were on opposing guards driving to the basket off a pick and roll? He just doesn't have the foot speed to jump out and cut off the penetration.

So, like the article said, they will use it in certain situations and certain matchups (i.e. not when Meyers man is setting the pick).

BNM

 

[Pinwheel1]

"Stotts and the players acknowledged that the tactic will only be used in certain circumstances, usually when the opponent features pick-and-roll players who are not three-point shooting threats, like Wade and Butler."

 

[riverman]

I just think Meyers was trying to be physical last night but doesn't understand the concept yet

 

[illmatic99]

It works with Mase and Ed because they have the lateral quickness to stop the opposing guard's penetration - which is what you want to do with players like Wade and Butler.

It won't work for a big like Meyers Leonard who has poor lateral quickness. I wasn't specifically watching for this last night during the game, but I wonder if it contributed to Meyers fouling out in 12 minutes of play. How may of his fouls were on opposing guards driving to the basket off a pick and roll? He just doesn't have the foot speed to jump out and cut off the penetration.

So, like the article said, they will use it in certain situations and certain matchups (i.e. not when Meyers man is setting the pick).

BNM

Meyers' foul trouble last night didn't have much to do with the blitzing. It was more of his usual incompetence and dumbass swatting.

 

[illmatic99]

"Stotts and the players acknowledged that the tactic will only be used in certain circumstances, usually when the opponent features pick-and-roll players who are not three-point shooting threats, like Wade and Butler."

This is key, especially on this road trip, facing guys like Giannis, Andrew Harrison in MEM, and Teague, etc.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Someone went 1-3 from the field and 1-4 from the FT line.
Our defense didn't completely suck.
.....
.....
.....
Must mean Aminu is back

 

[KingSpeed]

Someone went 1-3 from the field and 1-4 from the FT line.
Our defense didn't completely suck.
.....
.....
.....
Must mean Aminu is back

Aminu did more than that. Quote his whole stat line.

 

[Denny Crane]

I look at the box scores and see opposing guards shooting a lot of FTs, our guards with 2 fouls each, but our bigs with 4 fouls each.

That suggests opposing guards are getting past ours and to the rim, where our bigs are forced to foul.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Aminu did more than that. Quote his whole stat line.

Not sure you got the point. It's not that Aminu sucks, it's that his shooting has been out-of-the-league bad. So, here's his line for the season:
6 PPG
27.7% FG
48% FT
25% 3FG

but yes, he's also averaging 6.2 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.3 TOPG.

 

[Denny Crane]

9 games is a pretty small sample, no?

 

[Wizard Mentor]

9 games is a pretty small sample, no?

I'm sure he'll pull out of the funk at some point, but today is not that day. Regardless, it doesn't matter...
It doesn't matter how much of an MVP candidate Blazer fans think Dame is.
It doesn't matter that CJ has Uncle Drew handles.
It doesn't matter some think Harkless is a 6thMOY candidate.
It doesn't matter Plumlee can pass.
It doesn't matter Biebs can hit open 3s.

Out defense has been absolutely horrific, our offense has sucked, and these things have led to an 8th seed in the making type of record. Fortunately, we've shown some definite improvement in our 3 game winning streak. So, many things have to happen, only one of which is that Aminu has to start shooting MUCH better.

To be fair, some of those things have started to happen, but as you say 3 games is a small sample size.

 

[DUB]

I finally watched this game. Seems to me it was our defence in the fourth quarter (especially the first half of the fourth) that won us the game. I love that it was our defence that got us the win. We all know how good our offence is; it will be our defence that defines our season.