Game Thread GAME# 36: SUNS @ BLAZERS - MARCH 11, 2021 - THURSDAY, 7:00, NBCSNW

[wizenheimer]

crazy thing about the Blazer D is that last year's defense seemed to be about the worst ever. The def. rating was 114.8. This year's rating is 116.8; that's 2 points worse after adding RoCo and Jones. Yeeeeeeesh. In last night's game, the Blazers had a def. rating of 131.4

seems unrealistic to count on Nurkic and CJ returning to turn those numbers around

 

[Pinwheel1]

crazy thing about the Blazer D is that last year's defense seemed to be about the worst ever. The def. rating was 114.8. This year's rating is 116.8; that's 2 points worse after adding RoCo and Jones. Yeeeeeeesh. In last night's game, the Blazers had a def. rating of 131.4

seems unrealistic to count on Nurkic and CJ returning to turn those numbers around

So you are saying it is not CJ's fault.....

 

[riverman]

I'm trying to understand the rationale of playing Hood so many minutes, especially in the fourth quarter. Are they just trying to let him play into shape and get his game going? I usually wouldn't mind this because he could help in the playoffs, but it's gotta be increasingly harder to keep Nas on the bench. He's playing really well on both ends and always seems to be at the right place at the right time.

But i think the blame for this game lies on Neil's reluctance to bring in any sort of big man help while Giles/Nurk/Collins have been hurt. We got killed in the fourth when Monty said fuck it and benched Ayton for Saric. They got so much out of Dario in the post because Roco could not guard him in single coverage. Having just even an average defensive big would have mitigated this. How he has shirked responsibility is unforgiveable in this. For fucks sake, even a two play player like Justin Patton could have helped. Instead, we have our record ONLY because Dame has went supernova on our easy schedule prior.

And Terry not making a single adjustment on how we covered him was cringeworthy but not unexpected. This is what we see from him. Can't wait til this dude is gone.

I think they are playing him before CJ gets back to build trade value but it hasn't really worked out....You win and lose as a team. Dame actually was part of us losing the 4th qtr last night....turnovers and missed shots do that. We again had a 6.5 minute stretch in the 4th where we made one bucket....that's not Dame bailing you out...he's part of that loss.

 

[kjironman1]

.that's not Dame bailing you out...he's part of that loss.

He would be the first to tell you that also.

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

I've been hearing this for almost 9 seasons. Stotts still hasn't figured out how to make other teams pay for blitzing Damian. This has been going on forever.

Stotts doesn't know how to do better on defense despite getting better personnel.

This is what to expect going into the playoffs. As usual.

Exactly

 

[royo]

I'm a fan...I'm also a war veteran so comparing Stalingrad famine and war to not winning a championship for 5 years is pretty extreme and not based in reality...it's a game with a rubber ball...don't get too worked up over it...I enjoy the Blazers every season. Making the playofffs and having a shot is all a fan can ask for....and I saw us win a championship already once...the Blazers have always been worth cheering for ....if you don't like them, there are other choices. 29 of 30 teams don't win a championship every season....doesn't ruin the fanbase for most. Not freaking out over a loss just comes with ones personal temperment in my view....the other approach to sports is the soccer mom freak out....that's also a popular choice for some...not me

I'm a writer, I compare things and, you know, I hope we not going to area where I can't use words of my choice bc you are war veteran For me, you are the soccer mom. You cheering even when your boy running in the wrong direction.

 

[riverman]

I'm a writer, I compare things and, you know, I hope we not going to area where I can't use words of my choice bc you are war veteran For me, you are the soccer mom. You cheering even when your boy running in the wrong direction.

nah...I'm cheering in the stands...that's the opposite of screaming at the coach and the kids are running in the right direction every game but it's all good....keep writing! I've done a lot of it this last year that's for sure....I've got a few writing projects I'm working on...

 

[kjironman1]

I'm a writer, I compare things

Obviously "Fictional".
I mean you just compared somebody pulling for the Blazers as a mom rooting for a kid running in the wrong direction.

You cheering even when your boy running in the wrong direction.

The Team is down 3 starters and they are still 21-15 looking at getting two of them back in the next week or so still in the 6th seed in the Western Conference. They just played the Suns and very easily could have won that game. Most likely would have if they had even one of the three starters they are missing. Even if they had Collins and still were down Nurk and CJ they win that game.

I've said this many times when people say things like this and quip "You must be watching a different game/team". It's not a different game or team. It's just what I happen to see while I'm watching. Bigger picture applies here.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Obviously "Fictional".
I mean you just compared somebody pulling for the Blazers as a mom rooting for a kid running in the wrong direction.



The Team is down 3 starters and they are still 21-15 looking at getting two of them back in the next week or so still in the 6th seed in the Western Conference. They just played the Suns and very easily could have won that game. Most likely would have if they had even one of the three starters they are missing. Even if they had Collins and still were down Nurk and CJ they win that game.

I've said this many times when people say things like this and quip "You must be watching a different game/team". It's not a different game or team. It's just what I happen to see while I'm watching. Bigger picture applies here.

some view things with a microscope Some view with a wide angle lense.
I like a little balance myself.

 

[Strenuus]

Obviously "Fictional".
I mean you just compared somebody pulling for the Blazers as a mom rooting for a kid running in the wrong direction.



The Team is down 3 starters and they are still 21-15 looking at getting two of them back in the next week or so still in the 6th seed in the Western Conference. They just played the Suns and very easily could have won that game. Most likely would have if they had even one of the three starters they are missing. Even if they had Collins and still were down Nurk and CJ they win that game.

I've said this many times when people say things like this and quip "You must be watching a different game/team". It's not a different game or team. It's just what I happen to see while I'm watching. Bigger picture applies here.

Well if we're talking big picture then let's start worrying about playoffs and how we don't do well against better teams (Philly being the anomaly).

 

[riverman]

let's start worrying

I'll pass

 

[wizenheimer]

The Team is down 3 starters and they are still 21-15 looking at getting two of them back in the next week or so still in the 6th seed in the Western Conference.

I wouldn't say the Blazers are down 3 starters; I'd say 2. Zach was only the starter by default because Olshey cleared the roster of any meaningful competition for the role. Zach has started 12 games in his career, all by default. RoCo has started 382, and has basically started 3 times as many games for Portland this season alone, as Zach has in almost 4 years in the league

now, I guess you could say that with Zach healthy, Portland could start RoCo and Zach at forwards and move Jones to the bench. That's a pretty theoretical lineup, but would at least be worth the experiment

to me though, that's still an issue; whether it's RoCo and Jones, or RoCo and Zach, or Melo and Ariza, or Aminu and Harkless, it's still a fairly weak pair of forwards compared to the rest of the league

 

[riverman]

I wouldn't say the Blazers are down 3 starters;

huh? You'd be wrong....Nurk, Zach and CJ are core players before injuries and our starters....unless Zach is moved, he's one of the 3 that we've been subbing players for. Coming back from injury they might not start off with the starting lineup until game shape but those were our starters

 

[wizenheimer]

huh? You'd be wrong....Nurk, Zach and CJ are core players before injuries and our starters....unless Zach is moved, he's one of the 3 that we've been subbing players for. Coming back from injury they might not start off with the starting lineup until game shape but those were our starters

lol...I explained my view so you telling me that "I'm wrong" is not persuasive

by similar logic you could say Portland was down 4 starters because they don't have Ariza

 

[riverman]

lol...I explained my view so you telling me that "I'm wrong" is not persuasive

We both did....Nurk CJ and Zach out is missing 3 starters no matter how you view our new guys this season....Dame and coach have alluded to this on more than one occassion but no problem..DJJ is starting because they knew Zach was out for the season...not saying all of them don't need to earn starter roles when coming back but I'm sure they will if Zach isn't traded.

 

[Natebishop3]

We both did....Nurk CJ and Zach out is missing 3 starters no matter how you view our new guys this season....Dame and coach have alluded to this on more than one occassion but no problem

Zach was a starter last year. That doesn’t mean he would start on the current team. RoCo is better than Collins.

 

[wizenheimer]

We both did....Nurk CJ and Zach out is missing 3 starters no matter how you view our new guys this season....Dame and coach have alluded to this on more than one occassion but no problem

who started more games last at PF season, Melo or Zach?

 

[blazerkor]

Zach was a starter last year. That doesn’t mean he would start on the current team. RoCo is better than Collins.

Yeah, that being said because Zach can play the four or five and due to the versatility of our two starting forwards, I think Zach would get enough minutes off of the bench to foul out every night.

 

[Strenuus]

I'll pass

It's a fly by phrase. I'm not worried. I just don't expect the Blazers to do well in the playoffs even fully healthy. Hope im wrong and/or Dame bails us out. Cause that part is fun.

 

[wizenheimer]

one was healthy...one injured...this can only lead to a silly argument...you won't change my mind that we're down 3 starters....the entire NBA media talks about us being down 3 starters this season....it's not an anomaly

if Zach was the deserving starter last season, we'd see it in his numbers. So how did he do? He was 12th on the team in PER; 11th in TS%; 18th in FT rate; 8th in rebound rate; 9th in block rate (Gabriel, Bazemore, Little, and Swanigan were better); 11th in offensive rating; 13th in defensive rating; 11th in winshares/48; and 11th in BoxPM. The only 2 categories Zach was even top-10 in were rebounding and blocks, two categories you'd expect a 6'11 starting PF to be top-5 in. His numbers as a starter sucked ass

Zach had no competition for the starting job. He didn't beat out Buck Williams or Rasheed or Brian Grant or Aldridge. Hell, he didn't even beat out Aminu. He was just the default starter because Olshey pulled his typical shit of clearing the roster of any significant competition for minutes for one of his favorites.

and LOL at "the entire NBA"

 

[Natebishop3]

if Zach was the deserving starter last season, we'd see it in his numbers. So how did he do? He was 12th on the team in PER; 11th in TS%; 18th in FT rate; 8th in rebound rate; 9th in block rate (Gabriel, Bazemore, Little, and Swanigan were better); 11th in offensive rating; 13th in defensive rating; 11th in winshares/48; and 11th in BoxPM. The only 2 categories Zach was even top-10 in were rebounding and blocks, two categories you'd expect a 6'11 starting PF to be top-5 in. His numbers as a starter sucked ass

Zach had no competition for the starting job. He didn't beat out Buck Williams or Rasheed or Brian Grant or Aldridge. Hell, he didn't even beat out Aminu. He was just the default starter because Olshey pulled his typical shit of clearing the roster of any significant competition for minutes for one of his favorites.

and LOL at "the entire NBA"

To be fair, he basically didn't play last year.

 

[riverman]

He was just the default starter

thank you for agreeing with me

 

[wizenheimer]

To be fair, he basically didn't play last year.

but that's his starting PF record

 

[Natebishop3]

but that's his starting PF record

Personally I don't think he's a PF. I think he's a center. I don't think he plays particularly well at PF.

So GOOD JOB Neil for drafting a center while we already had Nurk (and neither one of them can stay healthy.)

 

[wizenheimer]

thank you for agreeing with me

not agreeing with you because saying "we're down 3 starters" isn't being said as a technicality. It's being said for the purposes of spinning out some sunshine, and trying to make the current team look better than it's record. Being down CJ and Nurk, sure that's valid. But to this point, Zach has been an average role player, and as the starter last season, he was a bad role player.

 

[Natebishop3]

not agreeing with you because saying "we're down 3 starters" isn't being said as a technicality. It's being said for the purposes of spinning out some sunshine, and trying to make the current team look better than it's record. Being down CJ and Nurk, sure that's valid. But to this point, Zach has been an average role player, and as the starter last season, he was a bad role player.

If we somehow traded for Anthony Davis and he was our starter at PF, River would probably still say we're down three starters

 

[wizenheimer]

Personally I don't think he's a PF. I think he's a center. I don't think he plays particularly well at PF.

So GOOD JOB Neil for drafting a center while we already had Nurk (and neither one of them can stay healthy.)

that might be true. According to 82games, Zach's positional breakdown in 2018-19:



he was better offensively as a C, but worse defensively

 

[wizenheimer]

If we somehow traded for Anthony Davis and he was our starter at PF, River would probably still say we're down three starters

well, that sure fits his criteria

 

[Natebishop3]

that might be true. According to 82games, Zach's positional breakdown in 2018-19:

View attachment 37509

he was better offensively as a C, but worse defensively

I think even HE has said he's a center.

However, Collins would rather play the five than the four. "I like playing the five personally because I'm involved in everything especially defensively... Personally, I would like to play the five, but we'll see."

https://www.nbcsports.com/northwest...rs/outsiders-blog-zach-collins-future-pf-or-c