Game Thread GAME# 29: WIZARDS @ BLAZERS - FEBRUARY 20, 2021 - SATURDAY, 7:00, NBCSNW

[blazerkor]

probably, but at the same time I've seen the brickfest-disease infect the whole team before. CJ has had many bad shooting nights, and Nurkic can throw up horrible shit around the rim

this was pretty much a bad team effort tonight except for Dame's 3rd Q and Kanter working the boards

Yeah I love Nurk and think he could be great for our team but not until he commits to scoring with authority every chance he gets. As far as CJ goes, he is far too good of a scorer to be playing on a team that doesn't need a number one perimeter scorer.

 

[kjironman1]

Would any other franchise in the league play Melo over Little right now?

The obvious answer is you would be hard pressed to find a franchise anywhere that would have signed him right now.

 

[illmatic99]

I just read that Cousins will be available very soon......

doesnt help our defense.

ariza, otoh

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Just finished watching the game. That game is why CJ is important. Need another shot maker. Plus no more Simons who cost us the game. 1 on 5 without the skills to do it and no assists. Oh and Little should play more.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

If you can’t beat the Wizards, good luck against PHX

We can beat the Wizards. Beat them in Washington a couple weeks ago.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Outside of Kanter, we were 9/35 (25%) from 2... unacceptable.

Really needed a 2nd big man tonight.

Needed CJ

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Welp we're looking at a four game losing streak forthcoming.

You gotta be kidding me.

 

[royo]

Was it good game for Lillard?

 

[B-Roy]

To be honest nothing will help this team more than a few weeks of Melo being unable to play.

 

[BonesJones]

We were 18 for 48 on two point shots tonight. That's 37.5% on twos. Pretty crazy. Only six of the two point shots were from outside the paint all misses. So we went 18 for 42 in the paint. Two of those were from outside 5 feet also both misses as well. So from inside 5 feet we were 45% at 18 for 42 and that's unacceptable. The point though is that we made just over 1/3 of our twos. That's pathetic.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that despite our leading scorer being 10th in the league in assists, the team is dead last.

Probably has something to do with Dame being pretty much the only guy who's responsible for us getting shots in the paint and it rarely comes off a cut or motion that creates opportunities to attack the rim.

 

[stampedehero]

Wizards vs. Trail Blazers - Box Score - February 20, 2021 - ESPN <<<<

 

[stampedehero]

Wizards vs. Trail Blazers - Box Score - February 20, 2021 - ESPN<<<<;(

 

[kjironman1]

Seriously. The Blazers need to put Melo on a minutes restriction of some sort? Give him rest games? You can see everything about his game has dropped off from 2 weeks ago. I have no problem playing him as long as he is active and trying. When he is stumbling around the court it's just embarrassing at best.
3 rebounds from a Power Forward/Center that played 25 mins?

 

[kjironman1]

Crazy part i see in the box is as bad as the Blazers shot last night they still had 5 players in double figures. They almost had 7 with Simons at 9 and Anthony at 7. If both of those guys make one more three they have 7 players in double figures and probably win that game because they wouldn't be fouling the Wiz giving them free throws in the last 30 seconds.

Even crazier. If they pull that game out and have 7 players in double figures and have a 7 game win streak this place sounds much much different in the game thread.

Tow shots changes the entire look of that game.
On to the next one.

 

[tlongII]

Dame was not happy with the refs last night.

 

[SIeepwalker]

Play Little you fucking dumbass

 

[SIeepwalker]

Melo 2-10 in 25 minutes
Hood 1/1/1 0-3 in 17 minutes

I guess there just wasn't any time for Little in this game !

 

[wizenheimer]

I just feel Nurk would have handled RoLo better and having the second Big being Kanter would have helped the second unit out there. I also feel CJ would have been a better option than what Simons was bringing tonight.
The long drought in the second and at the beginning of the 4th might not have been as bad. IMO Blazers win this going away with them playing. Should have anyway.

the Nurkic from the bubble or two years ago would have helped. This year's Nurkic not so much, and his habit of throwing up hopeless shit around the rim would have made things worse in this game, even though that seems impossible

CJ, yeah sure. He's had inconsistency issues in his career but he's certainly way more consistent than the developing-some-bad-habits Simons. It's just sad though, that the only seeming fix for when the Blazer offense sputters is more of what they already do the most of: iso and one-on-one

 

[blazerkor]

Seriously. The Blazers need to put Melo on a minutes restriction of some sort? Give him rest games? You can see everything about his game has dropped off from 2 weeks ago. I have no problem playing him as long as he is active and trying. When he is stumbling around the court it's just embarrassing at best.
3 rebounds from a Power Forward/Center that played 25 mins?

I think the answer to that is very simple. Melo is a mentor and situational player but not a rotation player. What I mean is, if we have a match up that we think Melo can exploit or if we need shot makers at the end of a close game, put him in and see what he can do. Otherwise sit his ass. Also if you put him in and see that he can do nothing then sit his ass back down.

It's not rocket science with these old players that still have a little left in the tank and a lot to say to young players.

 

[PCmor7]

Impossible when you have a coach that relies on improv in almost every circumstance.

Yeah, there's truth in that, and it's not all a bad thing.

I think players play better -- and, most of all, shoot better -- when they aren't in their own heads wondering if they're going to be immediately benched for taking a bad shot or two. More often than not, a competent offensive player is going to make plays if they just have their mind on making plays.

But, and I don't think I'm the only one here that feels this way, sometimes our players take advantage of that freedom. Too often when we get a big lead, our players, and I mean all of our players including Dame, sometimes seem to take a few possessions where it looks like they're trying to make plays to get onto the Top 10 Plays of the Night when they're realistically a couple of possessions from stepping on the other team's throat. We let them hang around or get back into the game and, well, you have last night. We aren't so good that we can throw away possessions just so guys can take a heat check or try to make a highlight. If you keep making games come down to the last possessions, you're going to lose games to teams you shouldn't lose to.

 

[PCmor7]

We just live and die waaaaaay too much on our 3-point shooting and our pick-and-roll. When you're struggling as a team to shoot, attack the basket, get to the line, get a couple of practice shots. When the other team is starting to make a little run, draw a foul, break their rhythm, make them play another 14 seconds of defense. And then teams blitz the pick-and-roll, for gosh sakes, have a counter, or at least get rid of the ball quickly to an outlet -- you always can get it back if nothing materializes.

Sometimes we irritatingly play right into our opponents' hands because we settle for deep or hard shots or try to rush something when they're getting momentum. We find ourselves unnecessarily in dogfights.

No reason we should have lost last night. None.