Game Thread GAME# 25: BLAZERS @ PACERS - DECEMBER 10, 2016 - SATURDAY, 4:00 PM (PDT), CSNNW

[LuckyShot]

Now that does change things. Can you link the post with the n-word in it.

I really want to post a Dave Chappelle/Rick James meme right now but afraid I'll get banned. I'll just say that the post in question was weeks ago.

 

[kingslayer]

This team is a westworld hosts story on a broken loop

Only Ford could come up with such a torturous storyline.

 

[Rhal]

I just looked this up and 5 of our last 6 losses the team we lost to shot a lot better from 3 then there season avg. We have a lot we need to work on defensively. a LOT.

 

[BonesJones]

Now that does change things. Can you link the post with the n-word in it.

I'm pretty sure he deleted it, and it was a few weeks ago. He said something like "That stupid n***** ref..."

 

[PCmor7]

Idk what more you could ask of dame and cj tonight they combined for 60+ pts we should not be mad at them. Everyone else on the roster on the other hand... tough decisions need to be made

Not sure if the decisions are that tough. I just ask myself this: Is there anyone on this team aside from Dame and CJ who would be hard to replace? Not guys that you want to keep because you like them, but guys whose contributions would be difficult to replace? I don't see any. I go back to what I wrote the other night -- it seems like a bunch of average guys who worked hard last offseason, gelled and overcame their lack of exceptional individual talent with chemistry and teamwork.

The team that came back this season looks very much like one that didn't grasp what made it successful. It's a bunch of average guys playing their own game with two stars. I think Olshey's approach in the offseason was a mistake. I don't think the roster we have really fits what Stotts likes to do. The team is small and soft, which is a bad combination, and it really doesn't have a lot of guys who can knock down open shots or have a niche skill that you can't afford to overlook.

It's an average team playing like an average team for a number of reasons, and it looks worse because they "got it" last year and played above their heads.

 

[Trackjack]

Don't be suprise if Neil stand still on trade deadline. As I said before this don't like to be wrong on his picks and who he picks up on FA. Stotts will take the full heat on how there playing and Neil will just throw his hands up and throw the blame on the coach.

 

[HolyBackboard]

Why does Stotts continue to play Meyers over Vonleh? The only logical answer is that Neil's trying to showcase him. Otherwise, it makes no sense.

For all the narrative that's out there about Meyers "being a shooter", it's simply untrue. He passed up a WIDE OPEN look late in the 4th from 3 because he was so ice cold. He's also not really that good defending bigger centers. He got that rep for playing Boogie Cousins tough one game last year in Portland, but nearly every other time since, he hasn't been that stopper in the low post.

Vonleh is a better perimeter defender, rebounder, and he can finish around the rim.

 

[BonesJones]

Why does Stotts continue to play Meyers over Vonleh? The only logical answer is that Neil's trying to showcase him. Otherwise, it makes no sense.

For all the narrative that's out there about Meyers "being a shooter", it's simply untrue. He passed up a WIDE OPEN look late in the 4th from 3 because he was so ice cold. He's also not really that good defending bigger centers. He got that rep for playing Boogie Cousins tough one game last year in Portland, but nearly every other time since, he hasn't been that stopper in the low post.
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Vonleh is a better perimeter defender, rebounder, and he can finish around the rim.

He did play very solid defense on Jefferson today, that went unnoticed. If he was shooting like he did a couple years ago or near the end of last year, he would've been huge in helping us win this game.

I don't know what Olshey is showcasing right now though. Meyers' shot is broke as fuck right now and he needs some time in the D-League. Vonleh made big improvements this summer, and if Vonleh has confidence he's a very good player, but he can't get that confidence unless he consistently plays.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I'm pretty sure he deleted it, and it was a few weeks ago. He said something like "That stupid n***** ref..."

That was someone else who said that and it was dealt with.

 

[BonesJones]

I just looked this up and 5 of our last 6 losses the team we lost to shot a lot better from 3 then there season avg. We have a lot we need to work on defensively. a LOT.

We have the worst closeouts in the league, which is a big reason why. We were stopping 3 feet short of Young on our closeouts, which left him wide open. We don't close all the way out to shooters. It was the same problem with Kevin Love when he lit us up.

 

[BonesJones]

That was someone else who said that and it was dealt with.

I could've sworn it was him. Oh well. My bad.

 

[illmatic99]

Just got back home from that debacle. 2 five second violations out of timeouts?? i saw so many heads hanging. body language from Dame was as down as ive ever seen him.

Shakeup needed. ASAp

 

[illmatic99]

First blazer loss ive seen in person in yrs

 

[illmatic99]

Wow people were talking mad shit about Meyers. His head is fucked up right now. I want him gone

 

[BonesJones]

I kind of miss the off-season to be honest.

 

[BonesJones]

Wow people were talking mad shit about Meyers. His head is fucked up right now. I want him gone

For all the talk about his mentality being better, it's not. He needs to go to the D-League.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

We paid players for multiple seasons, not just one season. The value of a contract can't be assessed after only a few games. Some players are overpaid compared to their production now, but may be underpaid towards the end of the contract. I prefer to judge young players on their effort, and decision making, rather than their production. Expectations are on the one doing the expecting, not the expectee.


I think lack of "mental toughness and grit" is to be expected from the second youngest roster in the entire NBA.

The thing that bothers me is that this near exact same team showed what they were capable of last season. Is it an unreasonable expectation to have the team continue with the same momentum from last season's success? Not saying we should be better because we made it to the second round, but because of how well we played after last December.

If they were still showing all that progress, then yes, they all deserve to get paid what they did. We can talk about youth and experience to an extent, but this was largely the same team from last year that showed positive signs of growth as the year progressed. Why not now?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I could've sworn it was him. Oh well. My bad.

If you see something like that in the future click in the Report button. That will make it easy to find and deal with.

 

[LuckyShot]

Wow people were talking mad shit about Meyers. His head is fucked up right now. I want him gone

He just is what he is at this point. The most you can ever hope from him is a hot shooting streak. If he's going to play like a pansy and even pass up open shots, there is no reason to have him out there. He just has very little understanding of how to play basketball and it's too late to try to teach him how to play it at a professional level. I'm done waiting on him to get his shit together. He can't even somewhat consistently do what he's best at. I'd rather pass that torch on to Vonleh.

 

[Trackjack]

Why does Stotts continue to play Meyers over Vonleh? The only logical answer is that Neil's trying to showcase him. Otherwise, it makes no sense.

For all the narrative that's out there about Meyers "being a shooter", it's simply untrue. He passed up a WIDE OPEN look late in the 4th from 3 because he was so ice cold. He's also not really that good defending bigger centers. He got that rep for playing Boogie Cousins tough one game last year in Portland, but nearly every other time since, he hasn't been that stopper in the low post.

Vonleh is a better perimeter defender, rebounder, and he can finish around the rim.

Well if they keep show casing him they better keep him because there not GM will take him.

 

[Rhal]

We have the worst closeouts in the league, which is a big reason why. We were stopping 3 feet short of Young on our closeouts, which left him wide open. We don't close all the way out to shooters. It was the same problem with Kevin Love when he lit us up.

Wait bigs can shoot 3's? When did this happen, I thought it was against the rules to shoot 3's if you were above 6'9 and didn't look like Justin Bieber.

 

[Cippy91]

It's just to the point where I still watch every game, I just expect nothing this year, even dame not making the all star game again. Every game could be a loss or a win. I expect nothing. I will say it's getting hard to watch though. I'm somebody who has made sure to catch every game the past 10 years and last season we finally see the team get to the 2nd round and I had something to believe in this season but now it's like gen blazers will just never be good and our all stars will just continue to leave at some point and I don't blame them. It's just frustrating. Fuck I wish whiteside signed with us, he is everything we need. Once again, free agency, another shit thing for us. It's to the point where if I gotta miss a game, I'm fine with it. I used to always have to watch every game and I will continue to do so but this is just bad

 

[illmatic99]

We should not lose a game when Dame n CJ are that hot

 

[Cippy91]

Wow people were talking mad shit about Meyers. His head is fucked up right now. I want him gone

His head is always fucked up, don't understand the organizations obsession with him. Offered extension, he didn't take it. Then we sign him before moe. We never needed him, these "assets" are pointless

 

[BigGameDamian]

I HOPE THIS TEAM DOES NOT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS BECAUSE THEY DON'T DESERVE IT. THEY ARE TRASH!

 

[Tunchi]

Listen guys I'm not trying to piss ya off

I love this team trust me. I want them to do well and would LOVE for them to have major success.

The only reason I piss folks like BonesJones off is because he thinks my basketball analysis is off about this team. So then I tend to like prove him and others wrong.

This seasons blazer team is very garbage. Mediocre like a muthafucka. We need huge changes and a lottery pick for us this year will be worth it in one form or another.

There's a reason I said there's no positives for tonight and who was right? I know this team very well.

Remember that bulls game a week ago I said I have no confidence whatsoever we will close this out. Well think about what i said that? BonesJones gave me hell for that but fails to see how right I am not to.

I hope we have a major trade that helps out a lot. If not, then I hope we get a nice draft slot

 

[Rhal]

He just is what he is at this point. The most you can ever hope from him is a hot shooting streak. If he's going to play like a pansy and even pass up open shots, there is no reason to have him out there. He just has very little understanding of how to play basketball and it's too late to try to teach him how to play it at a professional level. I'm done waiting on him to get his shit together. He can't even somewhat consistently do what he's best at. I'd rather pass that torch on to Vonleh.

There are plenty of examples of bigs looking like they should be out of the league after a handful of years and then they turn a corner and become servicable. Przybilla/Whiteside come to mind off the top of my head. Not saying we still need to give Meyers time or anything just that its not to late to teach him how to play. Now we just need teams to tell themselves that before they give us a call.

 

[julius]

I didn't watch the game, but I saw it on the TV at work...and thought 3 things.

1. the score indicates the defensive improvement they worked on was short lived.

2. I knew they were going to lose.

3. This team has lost the ability to hold on to leads and how to close out games.

That is all I care to post now. Just can't muster enough energy to care right now.

 

[jlprk]

His head is always fucked up, don't understand the organizations obsession with him. Offered extension, he didn't take it. Then we sign him before moe. We never needed him, these "assets" are pointless

And Olshey signed him to more ($41M) than he had turned down ($40M), so Leonard won the gamble, after everyone said all season that he had lost it. Olshey sent the message to players to turn down his offers because he'll cave in.

 

[Strenuus]

This isnt even the biggest loss... We lost Tunchi's optimism! It didnt even last 2 days! :MARIS61: