Game Thread GAME# 3: BLAZERS @ NUGGETS - OCTOBER 29, 2016 - SATURDAY, 6:00 (PDT), CSNNW

[Sarni]

Until we upgrade the front court, this will be a reoccurring issue. We need a shot blocking center that doesn't give up 2nd chance put backs as much. Let's not waste Dame's best years with Plumlee starting.

True, this is why I am hoping Ezeli fixes this. Alternatively we need to bring someone in, I am not convinced Okafor or Lopez who have been mentioned in the other thread would solve this at all. Noel would solve this and we can get him. Cousins too but not sure we can get him.

Noel does not bring much scoring though. Neither does Plumlee though.

Why don't Nuggets give us Jokic. Imagine Jokic + Noel.

 

[TBpup]

Observations:

• The Blazers offense is SO reliant on Dame and CJ. Almost everything is 20+' from the basket and besides Dame and CJ, most of the rest of the team run around, setting screens and not even looking for a shot. (Crabbe being an exception) What happens out of that is there are many times when other players are wide open and either aren't looking to get the ball or Dame and ESPECIALLY CJ aren't looking for teammates.
• Yes the NBA is made up of runs but good teams shouldn't be giving up a 23-3 run to a team like the Clippers. Any team with size is going to cause big problems for the Blazers. Clips, OKC, Denver, Utah (if they are ever healthy) just for starters. Denver was HORRIBLE down the stretch and give credit to the Blazers for taking advantage but good teams won't give away games like that.
• The Blazers DESPERATELY need a 3rd scorer to step up. Lillard is playing at an incredibly high rate but to rely on him averaging 35 points a game is unrealistic. It was nice to see Turner finally have a decent game but he isn't likely to be a guy you can count on for 15 ppg just because of his inability to shoot from the outside. Crabbe is the most likely candidate but he still doesn't handle very well but he is looking better. Just need more than 12 points from him in an OT game.

 

[Sinobas]

To be fair we were losing by 8 with 55 seconds to go and looked very poor for most of 3rd and 4th quarter. The team showed incredible character and it will be an important win, we could build on that. Some of the weaknesses got exposed but I even said pre-game that Nuggets with Jokic, Faried and Nurkic were terrible match up for us currently. Not many teams will expose us inside this much.

Jokic is a terrific player. Shame we cannot get him here.

The damn DVR did not record the rest of the game on the replay. 3 hours got me till the 3rd quarter WTF

Anyway, really the 3rd quarter was terrible, but the refs were a big factor as well.

 

[SIeepwalker]

Maybe we have a quota of games in which the refs try to screw us really hard and we're getting all of em out of the way right at the start of the season ! Great stuff !

 

[Trackjack]

We are 2-1 this season and the good thing we are not playing our best ball yet.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Just landed,walked in the door. About to lay down and read this thread. Wonder midway thru the 4th who you all wanted traded? Here we go.

#23wins

 

[riverman]

Good to get a win on the road against a division rival! I only could watch the first half of this game and looks like I missed a great overtime at the end...Dame is amazing! Go Blazers!

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Interestingly I notice Curry is not on that list.

Neither is Rose... remember when they were constantly being compared?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I recognize all of those names, except who the hell is Aldridge?!?

He's the guy who destroyed Anthony Davis yesterday and who is on the currently best team in the West. Just FYI.

 

[riverman]

He's the guy who destroyed Anthony Davis yesterday and who is on the currently best team in the West. Just FYI.

Aldridge had 12 pts and 6 rebounds in that game...not sure that qualifies for destroyed...Mason Plumlee had better numbers than Lamarcus last night

 

[Rastapopoulos]

This boxscore is funny for Napier.
Apparently he did play, but for 0 minutes. But he was +0, so there's that.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Aldridge had 12 pts and 6 rebounds in that game...not sure that qualifies for destroyed

Fine, but compare Davis's numbers in this game to his two previous.

 

[KingSpeed]

I still can't believe we won this game. Crazy finish, the kind you dream about. Can you imagine winning a playoff game like that? Btw, what do you guys think about Denver? They looked good. Those big white guys are talented.

 

[Sarni]

I still can't believe we won this game. Crazy finish, the kind you dream about. Can you imagine winning a playoff game like that? Btw, what do you guys think about Denver? They looked good. Those big white guys are talented.

Very talented team with a lot of potential. They have two talented bigs who will be there for long and what gets often overlooked, plenty of young talent in backcourt. Mudiay and Harris are good players and I think Jamal Murray will be good too.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Observations:

• The Blazers offense is SO reliant on Dame and CJ. Almost everything is 20+' from the basket and besides Dame and CJ, most of the rest of the team run around, setting screens and not even looking for a shot. (Crabbe being an exception) What happens out of that is there are many times when other players are wide open and either aren't looking to get the ball or Dame and ESPECIALLY CJ aren't looking for teammates.
• The Blazers DESPERATELY need a 3rd scorer to step up. Lillard is playing at an incredibly high rate but to rely on him averaging 35 points a game is unrealistic. It was nice to see Turner finally have a decent game but he isn't likely to be a guy you can count on for 15 ppg just because of his inability to shoot from the outside. Crabbe is the most likely candidate but he still doesn't handle very well but he is looking better. Just need more than 12 points from him in an OT game.

So you want CJ (and Dame) to pass more but are there really any many reliable shooters out there to pass to?

Personally I want CJ to look for his shot first with the 2nd team. Other than Crabbe who do you want shooting?

 

[Blazers Roy]

lol
When will Micheal Malone learn inbound plays and how defend them?
I was actually angry for the Nuggets fans at the end there.

Some random guy caught in the mic during that last Nuggets inbound ("let's see if Gallinari can release a shot in 0.3 seconds instead of a lob"): "no! no! hell no! hell no!!".

 

[KingSpeed]

So you want CJ (and Dame) to pass more but are there really any many reliable shooters out there to pass to?

Personally I want CJ to look for his shot first with the 2nd team. Other than Crabbe who do you want shooting?

Whenever Meyers sets a screen for CJ, CJ never passes back to him. He looks for his own and Meyers is wide open.

 

[Trackjack]

Yes believe sometimes CJ over dribbles and he need to see the rest of the court so when players are open give them the ball. But if other players continue not making shots then there the trust factor come into play both ways.

 

[jlprk]

Whenever Meyers sets a screen for CJ, CJ never passes back to him. He looks for his own and Meyers is wide open.

Yes believe sometimes CJ over dribbles and he need to see the rest of the court so when players are open give them the ball.

I can best explain both with a chart from 1 (bad) to 5 (best). McCollum is just following his talents.

McCollum Turner Lillard
...............5 .........5 ..........5 dribbling
...............3 .........3 ..........3 passing
...............1 .........1 ..........4 playmaking
...............4 .........1 ..........5 shooting

 

[Pinwheel1]

Whenever Meyers sets a screen for CJ, CJ never passes back to him. He looks for his own and Meyers is wide open.

Meyers has not played much. But last night he put up 5 shots in 11 minutes. Someone is passing him the ball.

 

[Strenuus]

I can best explain both with a chart from 1 (bad) to 5 (best). McCollum is just following his talents.

McCollum Turner Lillard
...............5 .........5 ..........5 dribbling
...............3 .........3 ..........3 passing
...............1 .........1 ..........4 playmaking
...............4 .........1 ..........5 shooting

Source? We need actual facts of this, please.

 

[Blazers Roy]

I can best explain both with a chart from 1 (bad) to 5 (best). McCollum is just following his talents.

McCollum Turner Lillard
...............5 .........5 ..........5 dribbling
...............3 .........3 ..........3 passing
...............1 .........1 ..........4 playmaking
...............4 .........1 ..........5 shooting

CJ is a not a bad playmaker, he's a good passer and he spots up open shooters pretty well.

 

[Blazers Roy]

Observations:

• The Blazers offense is SO reliant on Dame and CJ. Almost everything is 20+' from the basket and besides Dame and CJ, most of the rest of the team run around, setting screens and not even looking for a shot. (Crabbe being an exception) What happens out of that is there are many times when other players are wide open and either aren't looking to get the ball or Dame and ESPECIALLY CJ aren't looking for teammates.
• Yes the NBA is made up of runs but good teams shouldn't be giving up a 23-3 run to a team like the Clippers. Any team with size is going to cause big problems for the Blazers. Clips, OKC, Denver, Utah (if they are ever healthy) just for starters. Denver was HORRIBLE down the stretch and give credit to the Blazers for taking advantage but good teams won't give away games like that.
• The Blazers DESPERATELY need a 3rd scorer to step up. Lillard is playing at an incredibly high rate but to rely on him averaging 35 points a game is unrealistic. It was nice to see Turner finally have a decent game but he isn't likely to be a guy you can count on for 15 ppg just because of his inability to shoot from the outside. Crabbe is the most likely candidate but he still doesn't handle very well but he is looking better. Just need more than 12 points from him in an OT game.

100% agree on your second point.

I think we cannot escape the possibility that we need to add a big chunk of old-school(=pass it to the big man,kick it back out to a shooter) to our game, especially during those inevitable scoring droughts.

I understand we don't have a proper bigman to do it right now, but i'm willing to see some guys traded for it to happen.

 

[SIeepwalker]

100% agree on your second point.

I think we cannot escape the possibility that we need to add a big chunk of old-school(=pass it to the big man,kick it back out to a shooter) to our game, especially during those inevitable scoring droughts.

I understand we don't have a proper bigman to do it right now, but i'm willing to see some guys traded for it to happen.

IN VONLEH WE TRUST

 

[jlprk]

Source? We need actual facts of this, please.

Just listen to the 5th podcast down, about 2 to the right, about 10 minutes from the start. If you don't find it, let me know.

http://www.whitebookpodcast.com/

 

[KingSpeed]

I yearned for Nurkic back in October:

These big white guys are good

Btw, what do you guys think about Denver? They looked good. Those big white guys are talented.