Game Thread GAME# 26: PELICANS @ BLAZERS - DECEMBER 14, 2015 - MONDAY, 7:00 PM (PST), CSNNW

[Blazer4ever]

We aren't going to win a high pick and shouldn't aim at that. Our team is way better than that anyway.
If we improve on our delivery in 4th quarters and close games we're going to the playoffs.

 

[KingSpeed]

I was thinking that as I watched Crabbe. Because of his height, his arms bother passers and shooters even when he isn't shooting well. In contrast, McCollum is short, so when he's missing, he's just dribbling around contributing nothing but possession changes.

But by the box score, yes, Crabbe looked mediocre.

By the boxscore, Crabbe had 2 steals, 5 rebounds, and career high 5 assists.

As for CJ, he had the game saving block.

 

[KingSpeed]

We aren't going to win a high pick and shouldn't aim at that. Our team is way better than that anyway.
If we improve on our delivery in 4th quarters and close games we're going to the playoffs.

This is true

 

[Pinwheel1]

I was thinking that as I watched Crabbe. Because of his height, his arms bother passers and shooters even when he isn't shooting well. In contrast, McCollum is short, so when he's missing, he's just dribbling around contributing nothing but possession changes.

But by the box score, yes, Crabbe looked mediocre.

Yeah those game high 6 assists were nothing but possession changes.

 

[BlazerBeav]

That was one of the most boring wins I've ever seen at the Moda Center. Kept looking at the scoreboard and couldn't believe we were winning playing as badly as we were.

 

[Darkwebs]

It USED to be that ch team had a certain number of lottery balls but that process has long past. It's not a literary device. It's lazy.

Yes, I'm well aware of the fact that the NBA uses number combinations in the current lottery process, and I know that the NBA used to use actual lottery balls in the lottery process, and yes, I'm aware that they at one time used to draw envelopes out of a spinning wheel, and of course I'm aware that even further back, they used to use coin flips.

But I'm quite certain most of the posters on this message board are using the terms "lottery balls" or "ping pong balls" symbolically rather than literally. Die-hard Blazer fans should all know how the current lottery works after the Oden draft, when myriad articles were written and detailed (ad naseum) about how the Blazers lucked out to win the lottery (or the Rose draft, when the Blazers were just one number from winning back-to-back lotteries).

I don't disagree that it's lazy, because part of the reason I say "lottery balls" is because it's shorter and more convenient than saying something akin to""losing 20 number combinations in the lottery" However, the other (and more important) reason I prefer to say we're "losing lottery balls" rather than being literal is because "lottery balls" sounds more tangible. It's a more colorful expression, IMHO. "Losing 30% of our number combinations" just sounds so dry.

People will relate to tangible losses more than something abstract and nebulous like mathematical percentages and numbers. It has a more powerful effect on the reader because I know the actual feeling of a ping pong ball slipping out of my hand, but I don't know how it feels to lose 15 number combinations.

That's why I like using literary devices like similes, metpahors, et al. It just makes writing more colorful and interesting. And Speed, I know you love using the literary device of of hyperbole.

However, if you like using the literal "number combinations" and nitpicking every minute detail, then that's cool, too. Just know that most people here aren't using the term "lottery balls" literally, so you don't always have to point out that we're ignorant.

 

[Darkwebs]

Yes, I'm well aware of the fact that the NBA uses number combinations in the current lottery process, and I know that the NBA used to use actual lottery balls in the lottery process, and yes, I'm aware that they at one time used to draw envelopes out of a spinning wheel, and of course I'm aware that even further back, they used to use coin flips.

But I'm quite certain most of the posters on this message board are using the terms "lottery balls" or "ping pong balls" symbolically rather than literally. Die-hard Blazer fans should all know how the current lottery works after the Oden draft, when myriad articles were written and detailed (ad naseum) about how the Blazers lucked out to win the lottery (or the Rose draft, when the Blazers were just one number from winning back-to-back lotteries).

I don't disagree that it's lazy, because part of the reason I say "lottery balls" is because it's shorter and more convenient than saying something akin to""losing 20 number combinations in the lottery" However, the other (and more important) reason I prefer to say we're "losing lottery balls" rather than being literal is because "lottery balls" sounds more tangible. It's a more colorful expression, IMHO. "Losing 30% of our number combinations" just sounds so dry.

People will relate to tangible losses more than something abstract and nebulous like mathematical percentages and numbers. It has a more powerful effect on the reader because I know the actual feeling of a ping pong ball slipping out of my hand, but I don't know how it feels to lose 15 number combinations.

That's why I like using literary devices like similes, metpahors, et al. It just makes writing more colorful and interesting. And Speed, I know you love using the literary device of of hyperbole.

However, if you like using the literal "number combinations" and nitpicking every minute detail, then that's cool, too. Just know that most people here aren't using the term "lottery balls" literally, so you don't always have to point out that we're ignorant.

Spoiler

Fuck, I just wasted 20 minutes of my life, formulating that post.

 

[KingSpeed]

Yes, I'm well aware of the fact that the NBA uses number combinations in the current lottery process, and I know that the NBA used to use actual lottery balls in the lottery process, and yes, I'm aware that they at one time used to draw envelopes out of a spinning wheel, and of course I'm aware that even further back, they used to use coin flips.

But I'm quite certain most of the posters on this message board are using the terms "lottery balls" or "ping pong balls" symbolically rather than literally. Die-hard Blazer fans should all know how the current lottery works after the Oden draft, when myriad articles were written and detailed (ad naseum) about how the Blazers lucked out to win the lottery (or the Rose draft, when the Blazers were just one number from winning back-to-back lotteries).

I don't disagree that it's lazy, because part of the reason I say "lottery balls" is because it's shorter and more convenient than saying something akin to""losing 20 number combinations in the lottery" However, the other (and more important) reason I prefer to say we're "losing lottery balls" rather than being literal is because "lottery balls" sounds more tangible. It's a more colorful expression, IMHO. "Losing 30% of our number combinations" just sounds so dry.

People will relate to tangible losses more than something abstract and nebulous like mathematical percentages and numbers. It has a more powerful effect on the reader because I know the actual feeling of a ping pong ball slipping out of my hand, but I don't know how it feels to lose 15 number combinations.

That's why I like using literary devices like similes, metpahors, et al. It just makes writing more colorful and interesting. And Speed, I know you love using the literary device of of hyperbole.

However, if you like using the literal "number combinations" and nitpicking every minute detail, then that's cool, too. Just know that most people here aren't using the term "lottery balls" literally, so you don't always have to point out that we're ignorant.

They DO use actual lottery balls but the lottery balls aren't designated to each team like they used to be.

 

[jlprk]

By the boxscore, Crabbe had 2 steals, 5 rebounds, and career high 5 assists.

As for CJ, he had the game saving block.

Yeah those game high 6 assists were nothing but possession changes.

I'm looking at box score efficiency point summations fromn ESPN and NBA.com, as well as my own spreadsheet which calculates each player's contribution in the last 1.5 minutes, and I don't feel like writing a book to explain why you're wrong.

Suffice it to say, 1) you cite only the player's best stats and ignore his worst, and 2) I was trying to agree with you that Crabbe contributed more than his 22% shooting, but I see that a better use of my time is to return to studying the spreadsheet.

Since you're interested in studying box scores, here's a starting point. Divide ESPN's efficiency points by the minutes.

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailyleaders/_/gameId/400828253

 

[Darkwebs]

They DO use actual lottery balls but the lottery balls aren't designated to each team like they used to be.

Yes, I know.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I'm looking at box score efficiency point summations fromn ESPN and NBA.com, as well as my own spreadsheet which calculates each player's contribution in the last 1.5 minutes, and I don't feel like writing a book to explain why you're wrong.

Suffice it to say, 1) you cite only the player's best stats and ignore his worst, and 2) I was trying to agree with you that Crabbe contributed more than his 22% shooting, but I see that a better use of my time is to return to studying the spreadsheet.

Since you're interested in studying box scores, here's a starting point. Divide ESPN's efficiency points by the minutes.

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailyleaders/_/gameId/400828253

Actually I don't need to look at the box score to tell me that both CJ AND Crabbe are effective players whether or not they are hitting their shots. You seem to agree on the Crabbe part, but it is mind blowing to me that you suggest that

" In contrast,McCollum is short, so when he's missing, he's just dribbling around contributing nothing but possession changes".

That can be said of many players in this league, but I don't think CJ is one of them.

 

[tlongII]

This is true

This is not true. New Orleans is one of the few teams that is actually worse than us. Beating a bad team by 5 on our home floor is nothing to get excited about.

 

[Blazers Roy]

Do people really trust tanking over the importance of not being Philly? In Olshey I trust WAY MORE than tanking

Yep, Olshey got CP3 for Aminu,E.Gordon and Kamen.
Winning culture counts.

 

[BlayZa]

LYNX updated