Game Thread GAME# 22: NUGGETS @ BLAZERS - NOVEMBER 30, 2018 - FRIDAY, 7:30 PM , ESPN & NBCSNW

[Rozay]

So it doesn't matter how bad they are until it does? Try making more sense.

Well what’s your logical explanation Einstein?

You have Turner who has been playing terrible for weeks now continue to get a lot of PT but when Layman does well he literally gets DNPs for a guy in Harkless who has been worth a shit since he got back

 

[THE HCP]

Sooooooo, what did I miss?

 

[BonesJones]

For the record, @BonesJones has been saying that Stotts is a bad coach for at least 7 months now so it is unfair to paint him as someone who is fine with not making changes.

I've been seeing it longer than that. That's what's so fucking ridiculous about some of these posters man. We get this Gronky guy saying "This will happen until will trade CJ or fire Stotts" and I say "CJ played great, this game isn't an example" and get hit with "dO yOu SeTtLe fOr mEdIoCrItY iN LiFe LiKe yOu dO bLaZeRs?" and then I get cast as someone who isn't fine with changes because these kids... oh wait, he's in his late 30s? Damn... Anyway, I get cast as such because they are too frustrated to remember I want Stotts gone, and because I dont want to trade C.J. for peanuts, or nutcases.

#DrainTheSwamp

 

[BonesJones]

I hope you reconsider. Even when I don't agree with you, your posts provide food for thought.

Ok glad. Simply put, it's getting tiresome and repetitive. I always have my True Blazer Fan videos that I put out.

 

[BonesJones]

According to ESPN Stats & Info, no player has hit more go-ahead field goals in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime than Carmelo Anthony since 2003-04.
——

Just sayin

He also not the player he was for 85% of that sample size.

 

[BonesJones]

Reading the thread after the game, I want to discuss this with everyone who mentioned that this team doesn't have the talent to fix this issue...

Here is just what I could think of off the top of my head:

1) Don't set a screen for Dame. If they are blitzing him off the screens to the point it is shutting down the whole offense I'd rather take my chances with Dame being able to navigate the offense without a pick, especially if he has an average defender like Jamal Murray guarding him. If you noticed during the game the Nuggets often had Millsap guarding the guy they thought was going to set the pick for Dame. For example Millsap was guarding Nurkic and Jokic was on Aminu. If I can see that at home there is no excuse for the coaches not recognizing this. Millsap was great at double teaming Dame in this game.

2) Run pick and roll with someone else as the screener. If guys like Anthony Davis and Paul Millsap are blowing up our offense here's a radical suggestion: don't fucking send the guy that player is guarding to be the one who is setting the screen. For example, when Millsap was guarding Leonard then he should've been the one camped out in the corner at the 3 point line. Instead what do we do? We keep sending the same player to set the screen so that they can double. Unless the other team has multiple long athletic defensive freaks, if we take the disruptive defender out of the play it changes everything. If he helps off of his man too much then you make him pay with a wide open 3 or a baseline cut for a dunk/layup.

3) Play Dame off the ball. What the fuck happened to this concept from the preseason? If Dame doesn't have the ball and you set a screen for him there is no way the defense can double him because if they do it leaves the screener wide open on a roll to the basket. If they switch then you have a mismatch and simply pass Dame the ball and clear out or post up the big on the smaller defender. If one screen doesn't work run him off of multiple screens.

4) Play inside out instead of outside in. You know what would work getting Millsap away from the screens? Make Denver pay for putting him on Nurk. They posted up Nurk on Millsap one of the first plays of the game and he easily scored. I don't remember them going back to him with the mismatch again. Once the entry pass is made some off the ball movement is all that would be needed. Guys like Harkless and Aminu could down the middle or set off the ball picks for Dame and CJ and Nurk could kick it out for open 3's. At some point if Nurk is effective on the block the other team will have to start doubling too.

5) Run the offense through the high post. Nurk had something like 8 assists in the Washington game mostly through good passes from the high post and since then they've barely gone to that play. Denver was overplaying like crazy tonight. The back door cuts would've been there all night and it would have forced them to not play so aggressively.

6) Stop doing hand off passes to Dame and CJ. This was another thing that was really fucking frustrating tonight. Portland's predictable offense when a big has the ball (especially on the side), they almost always wait for Dame or CJ to come so they can just hand the ball off to them and then try to get in his defenders way so he gets open. What Denver would do is just have whatever big was guarding the guy with the ball play over the top so when the ball was handed off there was a defender right in his face blocking his path. You could see the trap coming about 3 seconds before it actually happened. I don't get why we continue to run the offense that way when it is getting shut down.

These are all super basic ideas, most of which have nothing to do with the talent level of the team. Even if it was true that Dame had no help why continue to run the same concepts offensively that don't work in the playoffs?

Can I use this for a video?

 

[Mediocre Man]

According to ESPN Stats & Info, no player has hit more go-ahead field goals in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime than Carmelo Anthony since 2003-04.
——

Just sayin

His teams are trailing because his guy dropped 40.

 

[Mediocre Man]

And Stotts will blessedly be fired. Praise Jesus.

As long as Olshey isn't firing him. I want him gone first

 

[Mediocre Man]

Blazers=Overated

Only by some of the people here

 

[oldmangrouch]

Only by some of the people here

Touche'.

 

[Labinot41]

Denver averages 34.6% from three (22nd in NBA)
Tonight: 46.7%

That's eight opponents in the Blazers last nine games to shoot higher than their season average against them.

Yep our Defense is completely Trash

 

[Labinot41]

Btw why only 10 minutes for Stauskas? Imagine you make 5 3s and in the Next Game you only get 10 minutes

 

[stampedehero]

Trail Blazers
Starters MIN FG 3PT FT OREB DREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF +/- PTS
A. AminuPF 29 7-9 2-4 4-4 0 7 7 1 1 0 1 1 +5 20
M. HarklessSF 14 1-4 0-1 0-0 1 2 3 0 2 0 2 2 +0 2
J. NurkicC 29 7-15 0-1 3-5 5 6 11 1 2 2 1 3 +0 17
D. LillardPG 40 6-16 3-8 0-0 0 1 1 8 0 0 1 1 -4 15
C. McCollumSG 38 14-21 0-4 5-5 1 3 4 1 1 1 3 5 +4 33
Bench MIN FG 3PT FT OREB DREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF +/- PTS
Z. CollinsPF 11 2-5 0-1 1-1 3 2 5 1 0 1 0 4 -8 5
M. LeonardPF 26 4-7 1-2 2-3 1 3 4 3 0 1 1 3 -1 11
N. StauskasSG 10 1-3 0-1 1-1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 +1 3
E. TurnerSG 27 1-2 0-0 0-2 0 7 7 4 1 1 4 3 -6 2
S. CurrySG 17 2-3 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 +4 4
C. SwaniganPF DNP-COACH'S DECISION
J. LaymanSF DNP-COACH'S DECISION
W. Baldwin IVPG DNP-COACH'S DECISION
The stats didn't line up under the columns but we all can see Mo is not a good choice to start at this time. Layman should have played. Why do we need a population of guards? We still need another small Scoring forward.
What happened to Dame? A loss is bad but a one point loss at home is agony.

 

[stampedehero]

Btw why only 10 minutes for Stauskas? Imagine you make 5 3s and in the Next Game you only get 10 minutes

Yeah....That's good and stupid. I can clearly see the fire Stotts attitude in here.

 

[H.C.]

Because he was super bad

Actually Nards wasn't super bad last year.
He just wasn't better than Ed Davis.
If you watched the games without blinders on, you'd see this.

 

[kjironman1]

One more year. One more year.

You might add "Maybe Next year"

 

[kjironman1]

No one gonna admit it, but you know who would look good on that closing unit? ....Hehe.

He might even make that shot with a couple seconds on the clock. They certainly would have to guard him.

 

[kjironman1]

I dont think I'm gonna post much in game threads anymore. A certain group of posters have ruined it. I've noticed a lot of the quality posters on this board no longer post in game threads, and I can see why.

Yep. Game threads are tough to post in. You got to take a bunch of it with a grain of salt. Negs always seem to take over during tough stretches and then when things go well they continue to point out the bad stretches as evidence that the team isn't any good.

Everyone knows this team is not a championship caliber team. Nobody anywhere is saying they are (Except one guy). The fun of being a fan is enjoying the team and continuing to support them through struggles. I get to know the players on the court and root for them. When someone constantly bashes players i am trying to support it just gets tough to listen to. Then there are those that only can see garbage. They don't even seem to have any understanding because they either have never played an organized team sport or they just don't care? Whatever the case it just seems to be a tough dark life they live if all they can see is hatred on everything the team they are supporting is doing.

Been at this a long time and it doesn't ever seem to change.

 

[kjironman1]

Reading the thread after the game, I want to discuss this with everyone who mentioned that this team doesn't have the talent to fix this issue...

Here is just what I could think of off the top of my head:

1) Don't set a screen for Dame. If they are blitzing him off the screens to the point it is shutting down the whole offense I'd rather take my chances with Dame being able to navigate the offense without a pick, especially if he has an average defender like Jamal Murray guarding him. If you noticed during the game the Nuggets often had Millsap guarding the guy they thought was going to set the pick for Dame. For example Millsap was guarding Nurkic and Jokic was on Aminu. If I can see that at home there is no excuse for the coaches not recognizing this. Millsap was great at double teaming Dame in this game.

2) Run pick and roll with someone else as the screener. If guys like Anthony Davis and Paul Millsap are blowing up our offense here's a radical suggestion: don't fucking send the guy that player is guarding to be the one who is setting the screen. For example, when Millsap was guarding Leonard then he should've been the one camped out in the corner at the 3 point line. Instead what do we do? We keep sending the same player to set the screen so that they can double. Unless the other team has multiple long athletic defensive freaks, if we take the disruptive defender out of the play it changes everything. If he helps off of his man too much then you make him pay with a wide open 3 or a baseline cut for a dunk/layup.

3) Play Dame off the ball. What the fuck happened to this concept from the preseason? If Dame doesn't have the ball and you set a screen for him there is no way the defense can double him because if they do it leaves the screener wide open on a roll to the basket. If they switch then you have a mismatch and simply pass Dame the ball and clear out or post up the big on the smaller defender. If one screen doesn't work run him off of multiple screens.

4) Play inside out instead of outside in. You know what would work getting Millsap away from the screens? Make Denver pay for putting him on Nurk. They posted up Nurk on Millsap one of the first plays of the game and he easily scored. I don't remember them going back to him with the mismatch again. Once the entry pass is made some off the ball movement is all that would be needed. Guys like Harkless and Aminu could down the middle or set off the ball picks for Dame and CJ and Nurk could kick it out for open 3's. At some point if Nurk is effective on the block the other team will have to start doubling too.

5) Run the offense through the high post. Nurk had something like 8 assists in the Washington game mostly through good passes from the high post and since then they've barely gone to that play. Denver was overplaying like crazy tonight. The back door cuts would've been there all night and it would have forced them to not play so aggressively.

6) Stop doing hand off passes to Dame and CJ. This was another thing that was really fucking frustrating tonight. Portland's predictable offense when a big has the ball (especially on the side), they almost always wait for Dame or CJ to come so they can just hand the ball off to them and then try to get in his defenders way so he gets open. What Denver would do is just have whatever big was guarding the guy with the ball play over the top so when the ball was handed off there was a defender right in his face blocking his path. You could see the trap coming about 3 seconds before it actually happened. I don't get why we continue to run the offense that way when it is getting shut down.

These are all super basic ideas, most of which have nothing to do with the talent level of the team. Even if it was true that Dame had no help why continue to run the same concepts offensively that don't work in the playoffs?

Yep i absolutely hate the hand off passes!
They need to run Dame off ball a bunch more!
Absolutely need to play inside out!
Use the high post like they do with Leonard. Meyers actually does very well at the high post and creates problems because defenses have to guard his shot.
Really good post!

 

[kjironman1]

Turner has to be benched or traded. I'm sick of him committing a lazy turnover and then compounding it by fouling on defense when we are in the penalty. I'm also sick of rewinding to see which Blazer left his man alone at the 3 point line when he didn't even leave enough to help and is just lost in no mans land. Several times tonight I thought, "that better not be Turner again," and sure enough it usually was. To be fair this seems to be a team problem but Turner is the main culprit lately. The team is in good defensive position and all of a sudden they just start drifting towards the key aimlessly or got caught turned around and all it takes is a little penetration and a kick out for a wide open 3. Isn't the whole point of Stotts' defensive philosophy to force the other team into taking inefficient mid range shots? Why are we sagging off the 3 point line when there is a big in the key if the ball handler drives? This shit is driving me crazy.

Harkless and Curry probably shouldn't be playing right now. I actually like both of them and I get that game action is the best way to work them into a key role later in the season but they just don't like right and it's painful to watch them run around hoping they snap out of it. Lets just give them some time to get better.

Collins needs to tone it the fuck down. He's playing like Baldwin did last year when he was trying to get into the rotation. You can see a foul coming way before it actually happens. He's all up in the offensive player on the perimeter and is reaching and overusing his arms in the post. He needs to go back to just trying to play straight up. Blocked shots and steals are great but altering shots with good positioning usually leads to a nice positive result too.

Why have we gone back to playing CJ with the 2nd unit, even with Harkless and Curry back from injuries? During the hot start this rarely happened, then we go back to it when Curry sits out and we have been playing crappy ever since?

We all watched Turner have 3 turnovers in 30 seconds last night. There is no question he needs to get a wake up call at the very least. Goes for Harkless too! Harkless needs to be benched just like last year. Something needs to wake that guy up.

 

[kjironman1]

Unfortunately playing time is based on your salary. Hence why Layman doing fairly well they sit him because he’s a minimum paid guy for a trash player like Harkless.

With Turner it doesn’t matter how bad he is, he’s the 3rd most expensive player after dame and Cj and he’s going to get a lot of playing time regardless. It’s fucked up but that’s just how we operate

Please post some form of link or team policy that states "Playing Time Is Based On Salary".

 

[kjironman1]

Well what’s your logical explanation Einstein?

You have Turner who has been playing terrible for weeks now continue to get a lot of PT but when Layman does well he literally gets DNPs for a guy in Harkless who has been worth a shit since he got back

Because Harkless has been the starter and was going through injury. He has only been back a short while. Layman has shown what he can do and if Harkless continues to struggle Stotts will make changes just like last year. But he is going to give him time to come around. Tough to watch yes. Is it the right way to handle a player? In my opinion yes.

 

[kjironman1]

I've been seeing it longer than that. That's what's so fucking ridiculous about some of these posters man. We get this Gronky guy saying "This will happen until will trade CJ or fire Stotts" and I say "CJ played great, this game isn't an example" and get hit with "dO yOu SeTtLe fOr mEdIoCrItY iN LiFe LiKe yOu dO bLaZeRs?" and then I get cast as someone who isn't fine with changes because these kids... oh wait, he's in his late 30s? Damn... Anyway, I get cast as such because they are too frustrated to remember I want Stotts gone, and because I dont want to trade C.J. for peanuts, or nutcases.

#DrainTheSwamp

You have literally called for Ettore Messina like 10 times in the last 2 months. I don't get it either?

 

[Rozay]

Please post some form of link or team policy that states "Playing Time Is Based On Salary".

Speculation on my part. Because there’s no reason Evan Turner should be playing this much. He’s absolutely atrocious and should be getting benched based on how guys like Layman get treated

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Reading the thread after the game, I want to discuss this with everyone who mentioned that this team doesn't have the talent to fix this issue...

Here is just what I could think of off the top of my head:

1) Don't set a screen for Dame. If they are blitzing him off the screens to the point it is shutting down the whole offense I'd rather take my chances with Dame being able to navigate the offense without a pick, especially if he has an average defender like Jamal Murray guarding him. If you noticed during the game the Nuggets often had Millsap guarding the guy they thought was going to set the pick for Dame. For example Millsap was guarding Nurkic and Jokic was on Aminu. If I can see that at home there is no excuse for the coaches not recognizing this. Millsap was great at double teaming Dame in this game.

2) Run pick and roll with someone else as the screener. If guys like Anthony Davis and Paul Millsap are blowing up our offense here's a radical suggestion: don't fucking send the guy that player is guarding to be the one who is setting the screen. For example, when Millsap was guarding Leonard then he should've been the one camped out in the corner at the 3 point line. Instead what do we do? We keep sending the same player to set the screen so that they can double. Unless the other team has multiple long athletic defensive freaks, if we take the disruptive defender out of the play it changes everything. If he helps off of his man too much then you make him pay with a wide open 3 or a baseline cut for a dunk/layup.

3) Play Dame off the ball. What the fuck happened to this concept from the preseason? If Dame doesn't have the ball and you set a screen for him there is no way the defense can double him because if they do it leaves the screener wide open on a roll to the basket. If they switch then you have a mismatch and simply pass Dame the ball and clear out or post up the big on the smaller defender. If one screen doesn't work run him off of multiple screens.

4) Play inside out instead of outside in. You know what would work getting Millsap away from the screens? Make Denver pay for putting him on Nurk. They posted up Nurk on Millsap one of the first plays of the game and he easily scored. I don't remember them going back to him with the mismatch again. Once the entry pass is made some off the ball movement is all that would be needed. Guys like Harkless and Aminu could down the middle or set off the ball picks for Dame and CJ and Nurk could kick it out for open 3's. At some point if Nurk is effective on the block the other team will have to start doubling too.

5) Run the offense through the high post. Nurk had something like 8 assists in the Washington game mostly through good passes from the high post and since then they've barely gone to that play. Denver was overplaying like crazy tonight. The back door cuts would've been there all night and it would have forced them to not play so aggressively.

6) Stop doing hand off passes to Dame and CJ. This was another thing that was really fucking frustrating tonight. Portland's predictable offense when a big has the ball (especially on the side), they almost always wait for Dame or CJ to come so they can just hand the ball off to them and then try to get in his defenders way so he gets open. What Denver would do is just have whatever big was guarding the guy with the ball play over the top so when the ball was handed off there was a defender right in his face blocking his path. You could see the trap coming about 3 seconds before it actually happened. I don't get why we continue to run the offense that way when it is getting shut down.

These are all super basic ideas, most of which have nothing to do with the talent level of the team. Even if it was true that Dame had no help why continue to run the same concepts offensively that don't work in the playoffs?

Thats what I said but all in one post and better explained lol.

 

[hoopsjock]

Well what’s your logical explanation Einstein?

You have Turner who has been playing terrible for weeks now continue to get a lot of PT but when Layman does well he literally gets DNPs for a guy in Harkless who has been worth a shit since he got back

I think Stotts is blinded by what Turner should be in theory. He does make plays sometimes and is a good defender if he's on the ball with no picks coming.

He's also the oldest player on the team so I think they want some "vet leadership" out there. I'd rather have young guys making mistakes and learning.

 

[Bruno_Sabino]

A lot of you guys need to chill. We're down 17 and we comeback and put our selves in position to win the game. If cj make the shot, a lot of thoses negative coments become positive coments. Its ok. Its a long season, denver its a pretty good team. Next one we take, go Blazers

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

I think Stotts is blinded by what Turner should be in theory. He does make plays sometimes and is a good defender if he's on the ball with no picks coming.

He's also the oldest player on the team so I think they want some "vet leadership" out there. I'd rather have young guys making mistakes and learning.

I feel like NO has had a hand in telling stotts hey were gonna build. the 2nd unit around ET and have him as a primary ball handler. His moves over the summer and the things he said did seem to indicate their going to force feed ET.
Now how much of that was on Stotts or NO im not sure, but their comments over the summer seemed to indicate they’re going all in on trying to get something out of ET.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

A lot of you guys need to chill. We're down 17 and we comeback and put our selves in position to win the game. If cj make the shot, a lot of thoses negative coments become positive coments. Its ok. Its a long season, denver its a pretty good team. Next one we take, go Blazers

I am pretty consistant win or loss with how Ive felt towards ET, Stotts and NO. Whether my feelings are right or not, I dont usually change them off the outcome of one game.

 

[hoopsjock]

A lot of you guys need to chill. We're down 17 and we comeback and put our selves in position to win the game. If cj make the shot, a lot of thoses negative coments become positive coments. Its ok. Its a long season, denver its a pretty good team. Next one we take, go Blazers

Of course I would've been happy with a win, much happier, but there is a big issue that demands answers: Why didn't the Blazers learn anything from their series with the Pelicans last year? The fact that they've done very little to change their approach in those situations is a big problem. It's almost like they are surprised by Dame getting double teamed. That is a huge problem.