Game Thread GAME# 34: SUNS @ BLAZERS - DECEMBER 30, 2019 - MONDAY, 7:00 PM, NBATV & NBCSNW

[KSF-ERIC]

Before the season, we were glad a lot of the hated guys were gone but we were slightly worried what would happen to our D with Harkless and Aminu gone. We hoped Hood and Collins would be able to fill in ably but we lost them and Neil has had no answer for that. We need trades and FA signings right now. No reason to let this cake bake. It's going nowhere.

 

[PCmor7]

One other thing, I was going to post about but we were up at the time and I thought "Why be negative?": How many times did we mess up defensive rebounds and then give up buckets because our own guys didn't communicate and knocked the ball out of each other's hands tonight? I am pretty sure I remember at least three. I think one time we had three of our own players fight each other for a rebound and it ended up with the Suns and maybe it was Oubre who hit a 3.

These guys don't seem to communicate well. We give up so many offensive rebounds. That shouldn't happen when you have a rebounder like Whiteside and you aren't releasing guys to cherry pick. If you have five guys back, that shouldn't be happening with this frequency.

 

[Tince]

We've done pretty well in the draft with Olshey at the helm. Dame, CJ, Collins, Trent, and Simons were all good picks. Barton and Crabbe too.

I agree. I'm critical of Olshey, but the drafting of this front office realative to the picks have been very solid.

 

[Chris Craig]

As long as the roster is the way it is, these things will happen. The good news is that for those who end up thinking Stotts no longer knows how to coach, they should expect us to win like 30 games under him next year, and they will be happily surprised when we far exceed that number.

Jody needs to pull a Jerry Jones and fire everybody

 

[KSF-ERIC]

We already have to many young guys. We don't have time to develop another one before Lillards window is closed

Really good picks can contribute right away. Look at Doncic in his second year or even Simons. CJ was good in his third year but would've been ready sooner if not for injuries. Dame was ready from Day 1. We just have to find that guy who can contribute right away.

 

[Tince]

We give up so many offensive rebounds. That shouldn't happen when you have a rebounder like Whiteside and you aren't releasing guys to cherry pick. If you have five guys back, that shouldn't be happening with this frequency.

This team has ONE functional big guy on the entire roster. The other 6'11"+ players (Nurk, Collins, Skal, Gasol0 are all out. How we're 8th in the league in rebounding it beyond me, it should be MUCH worse! Guess we can thank Whiteside for that.

 

[Labinot41]

Btw there is no way that Melo should take 16 shots in a game. This is exactly why i said Dame needs to take a lot more shots than his fga average. If he has to shot 30 shots per game like harden then so be it. I take a deep 3 from Dame or drive to the rim any day over a freaking melo midrange brick

 

[OneSport3]

Booker/Obure/Saric > CJ/Baze/Melo
Phoenix Bench > Portland Bench

The next game is vs. the Knicks. Who has the better roster/talent there? If we lose that game......

 

[Chris Craig]

Really good picks can contribute right away. Look at Doncic in his second year or even Simons. CJ was good in his third year but would've been ready sooner if not for injuries. Dame was ready from Day 1. We just have to find that guy who can contribute right away.

We are not getting a Doncic. We can't wait for a second or third year player. We have to go win now mode in the next few seasons or Lillard is wasted.

 

[Tince]

Jody needs to pull a Jerry Jones and fire everybody

Haha, I'm not a big NFL guy, but I don't think the Dallas Cowboy management style is the one we want to emulate!

 

[craigehlo]

The book on the Blazers is the same as it’s always been. Wait for their jumpers to brick and lead to fast breaks, which they can’t defend.

 

[Tince]

The next game is vs. the Knicks. Who has the better roster/talent there? If we lose that game......

The Knicks roster is pretty bad. Portland's is better. I don't think we'll have a gimmie road game the rest of the season though.

 

[bobf]

Before the season, we were glad a lot of the hated guys were gone but we were slightly worried what would happen to our D with Harkless and Aminu gone. We hoped Hood and Collins would be able to fill in ably but we lost them and Neil has had no answer for that. We need trades and FA signings right now. No reason to let this cake bake. It's going nowhere.

I wasn’t glad. Our off-season moves made us about 9 wins worse on paper. Aminu and Harkless were and still are grossly underrated. We were also about 8 players deep in average or near average+ players. Right now we’re 3 players deep and then a big drop off. Our best hope now is for Ant, Trent, Little to pan out.

 

[Tince]

The book on the Blazers is the same as it’s always been. Wait for their jumpers to brick and lead to fast breaks, which they can’t defend.

I think we've been above average is fewest fast break points allowed for the last 4 years while being a solid offensive rebounding team, which often leads to teams having fast break advantages.

 

[Wade Garrett]

The Knicks roster is pretty bad. Portland's is better. I don't think we'll have a gimmie road game the rest of the season though.

New Years Eve in NYC....
Great.

 

[Dougnsalem]

I’m not gonna waste any energy with this team in 2020, I’ll still wear my Blazers hat most days proudly, but I just can’t pull myself to care at all.

I'm pretty much there myself. I thought we were done losing games in the 4th quarter, like so many in years past. Yeah. Just, it's just..... Fuck it.... It's not worth getting so into it. Good call on your part. Guess I'll join you....

 

[Tince]

Btw there is no way that Melo should take 16 shots in a game. This is exactly why i said Dame needs to take a lot more shots than his fga average. If he has to shot 30 shots per game like harden then so be it. I take a deep 3 from Dame or drive to the rim any day over a freaking melo midrange brick

I think the data would back this theory up. I don't blame Melo, we're just playing him too much because our SF/PF situation is dog crap.

 

[Tince]

New Years Eve in NYC....
Great.

Oh crap, I didn't think about that. @OneSport3 nevermind!

 

[James lamphear]

I wasn’t glad. Our off-season moves made us about 9 wins worse on paper. Aminu and Harkless were and still are grossly underrated. We were also about 8 players deep in average or near average+ players. Right now we’re 3 players deep and then a big drop off. Our best hope now is for Ant, Trent, Little to pan out.

Our front line last year really cover up Dame and CJ weakness on defense and this year they don't have that behind and it really showing.

 

[wizenheimer]

It’s not loopy. TS% counts FTA as 0.44 FGA while he was counting them as 0.50 FGA so he was close.

that's true, but it's safe to say that Booker will have a much higher TS% for this game. You also have to be aware that not all FT's come from shooting fouls. I just had this debate with somebody else; basically just about the most efficient possession in the NBA is a good foul shooter shooting 2 or 3 FT's. And that doesn't account for what impact accumulating fouls has on the other team

 

[Labinot41]

 

[Tince]

Our front line last year really cover up Dame and CJ weakness on defense and this year they don't have that behind and it really showing.

Such a great point. I thought Baze might be able to do some of what Aminu/Harkless did by switching on the opponents elite offensive players, but he doesn't have the length and fouls so dang much. Though his fouling has got slightly under control lately.

 

[Strenuus]

If you think this team should/needs to make the playoffs now.... It's just embarrassing now.

 

[bobf]

Our front line last year really cover up Dame and CJ weakness on defense and this year they don't have that behind and it really showing.

Yes, I agree 100%. CJ and Dame give us good offense but you need a line of 3 good defenders to cover up. Hark and Aminu did that, and were good enough at the 3 to supplement our offense and never a need led to take over like Melo tried to do today. Then also we still had decent defense and size left for our 2nd unit with Zach and Meyers.

 

[DUB]

New Years Eve in NYC....
Great.

Maybe Melo will take them all out on the town, show them all the good places.

 

[Dougnsalem]

I'm so glad I have your ass on ignore. Every. Single. Time I take you off of ignore, I get to see what you posted; and it's always more negative bullshit. I vented once in this thread. You do your negative vents with EVERY. SINGLE. FUCKING. POST.

TTYL, Nancy.....

 

[AldoTrapani]

Yeah just what we need. Another draft pick who was born without knees or who doesn't pan out.

Or we could hit like we did with Lillard?? Give me the lottery pick. Perfect time to lose 4 in a row, we got a brutal road trip coming I want more to the loss columns

 

[tester551]

If Olshey doesn’t turn Bazemores expiring into something...

He will.... it'll be cap space in the summer

 

[Tince]

Or we could hit like we did with Lillard?? Give me the lottery pick. Perfect time to lose 4 in a row, we got a brutal road trip coming I want more to the loss columns

I agree on the lottery part.

What scares me is that I think the most important factor in our success the next 1-3 years will come down to what Olshey can get in return for Baze and Whiteside. If we don't get anything, the only thing we'll have to show for that money he gave out 4 years ago (Festus, Crabbe, Harkless, Meyers, Turner) will be the strech provision of Nicholson's salary still on our books.

 

[Tince]

He will.... it'll be cap space in the summer

How much cap space would we have if we let Whiteside and Baze go?