Game Thread GAME# 39: PELICANS @ BLAZERS - MARCH 16, 2021 - TUESDAY, 7:00, TNT & NBCSNW

[Tince]

I'm so glad we were on the opposite end of this stat. This place would be going way more bonkers had we blown the lead vs making the comeback.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Would someone please tell me the lineup the got us back in the game.

Dame/Trent/Hood/RoCo/Melo. That could be our closing lineup in playoffs. Switch everything, shoot the 3. Houston almost won that way in 2018.

Hood bigger than DJJ?

6'8"

All superstars in this league have some help. Blazers got best player in the league and they trying to hide it. It's crazy. They should be in rush to do whatevere is needed to help him win, instead they letting the cake bake for a decade now. LeBron wants Dame so bad, bc he knows it.

If LeBron wants to play with Dame, he needs to force Lakers to trade him to Portland. That's always been an option.

The best player in the league can get to the finals with crap coaches (see LBJ).

Dame is in the top 5 range, but his defense and height are holding him back from being #1 in my eyes. Also, the guys ahead of him in my eyes also have a better #2 paired with them. LBJ/AD, Durant/Harden, Giannis/Middleton, Steph/Klay (when healthy).

Other guys around him with better #2 options: Embiid/Simmons, Kawhi/PG13, Jokic/Murray

This is why expecting us to be a top 5-6 team in the league is asking a lot.

I don't know about those last three. Simmons is a very flawed player. PG13 is a choke artist in playoffs. Murray is hella inconsistent. CJ is much better than him. He proved it in 2019 playoffs.

 

[royo]

If LeBron wants to play with Dame, he needs to force Lakers to trade him to Portland. That's always been an option.

.

I wouldn't say it's imposible. I would even give it 50/50 chance. Lebron is traveler and I can see him doing it.

 

[BonesJones]

I searched this forum for "well coached team". Didn't find anyone in 8 years claiming it was. The query does come up with multiple posts of you claiming people are saying it though.

Yeah because the only place I ever engage with Blazers fans is here.

 

[BonesJones]

Damn. Would like to see you post fans who back up their criticism like we do.

Otherwise what your posting seems kinda pointless.

 

[BonesJones]

Didn't realize DJJ was only 6'5. Didn't know Hood was 6'8. Crazy

Wingspan matters.

 

[blazerkor]

Stotts is a helluva raw raw guy. He seems very likable... is that the only prerequisite for being an NBA head coach?

Regardless, Dame is amazing. All of those other guys LeBron, Larry Legend and Big O all had MVP seasons and at least one championship. Robertson only had one MVP in 1964 and one championship in 1971. 1970-71 was Robertson's 11th season in the league and he went to Milwaukee and played with some second year player named Lew Alcindor. I guess if that Milwaukee team was good that might explain why he won that title. I hope Dame can stay here, win MVPs and championships like Bird was able to do in his career.

 

[Labinot41]

MVP !!!!!!!!!

 

[stampedehero]

Pelicans vs. Trail Blazers - Box Score - March 16, 2021 - ESPN<<<<<

 

[kjironman1]

The degree of difficultly to our shots is ridiculous

I watched them miss wide open looks the entire first half. Those shots did not have any higher of a "Degree of Difficulty" than what the usual three point or drive and dish shot is. Then i watched Kanter miss 6 shots around the rim throughout the time he was on the floor. (yes i looked at a shot chart) it's here https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/shot-chart/202102170NOP.html
Now if you want to talk about containing the paint i would agree. The Blazers currently have nobody to protect the rim and because Kanter is the only Big they have he has been told to "absolutely do not get into foul trouble". The Pelicans waltzed their way to the rim uncontested way too many times. That is why i feel having this teams true starting center back might help to some degree. How does a team only get 4 offensive rebounds all game?
The Pelicans shot a blistering 10-16 from 3 point in the first half and the Blazers shot 5-17 which we all know they can do better than that. They were down by 14 at halftime and from the arc the Blazers were 8 of 23 at 34%. Not horrific but lets be honest. RoCo was 0-4, Little missed his one attempt as well as Melo did. Kanter even tried one that missed. Jones didn't even shoot one.

Lets see how they adjust and what kind of shooting night they have in game two? My thinking is if the Blazers would have made them pay a bit by making the three the paint would have opened up a bit. If Van Gundy comes out playing the same way I'm betting the Blazers win the second one.

 

[crandc]

Dame is a stone cold assassin.

 

[SIeepwalker]

TNT had a shot of Stotts talking to the players during a timeout at one point. He said something like:

"They got hot from three, but keep trusting"

You can't make that shit up

He is so lucky to have Dame to save his sorry ass

 

[TBpup]

Ubelievable close by Dame and the Blazers. Cranked up the D the last 6 minutes which was very different with a little more size and activity on the floor. However, let's not also give credit for the complete ineptitude by the Pelicans to help the cause. Bricking FT's, can't inbound the ball, forgot their best players....it was a comedy of errors by a bad team which the Blazers took advantage of in quite the entertaining manner.

 

[illmatic99]

i'm looking for positive trends in our style of play that could tells us how we'll do in the playoffs. Right now, we're looking like a first round sweep if we continue to defend like this. Even Dame agrees:

“I think right now it’s good that we talk about it, and are bothered by it,” Lillard said. “But the action has to start to kick in if we want to seriously be a team that can get in the playoffs and make something happen.”

We showed a level of desperation in the last 6 mins that was completely absent the rest of the game. How/why does that happen?

 

[B-Roy]

Btw, Covington is up to 36% on three. He should shoot a bit more even. All that chatter about him losing his shot in the early season has gone away.

 

[Hoopguru]

Im guilty as Al Capone, went to bed early and turned the game off thinking it doesn't look to good!
Nice to see they came back on Dames shoulders. Looks like GT was solid off the bench.
Rip City

 

[B-Roy]

For what it's worth, Stotts said we blitz Ingram on every PnR tonight. The aggressiveness didn't work either because we're putting guys like Kanter/Melo/CJ in positions where they have to defend two people when they already struggle to defend one.

I'm just looking for the scheme that couldn't easily get picked apart by us amatuers on here, let alone NBA players. I really don't think it exists.

They didn’t really blitz him until the 4th. When they did that they were able to get some stops. The “blitzes” in the first half were half assed and guys were not even up on Ingram. Maybe that’s the players fault, I don’t know, but the half assed defense had no chance of succeeding.

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

Im guilty as Al Capone, went to bed early and turned the game off thinking it doesn't look to good!
Nice to see they came back on Dames shoulders. Looks like GT was solid off the bench.
Rip City

I wasn’t gonna admit to doing the same but....since you went first.........all I’m gonna say is it was a nice surprise to wake up to.....

 

[Hoopguru]

I wasn’t gonna admit to doing the same but....since you went first.........all I’m gonna say is it was a nice surprise to wake up to.....

Man its easy being a fan!

 

[Labinot41]

You gotta be kidding me

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

If we didn't have two guys back with 1 second left, that's a huge mistake.

I think we had two back but I would have preferred if we had one on each side of Zion. Or one in front and one behind him.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

You gotta be kidding me

What happened right before this clip; cuz he is obviously in a pissy mood.

 

[Labinot41]

What happened right before this clip; cuz he is obviously in a pissy mood.

Hopefully he knows he's getting fired

 

[wizenheimer]

* is it getting old to heap praise on Dame?....nope, not when he keeps elevating the team on his shoulders and powering them to wins they shouldn't have

* speaking of defense, the Blazers won the game (with some help from young Pels), but their average defensive rating actually got worse, dropping from 116.9 to 117.1.....42 minutes of broken screen doors and 6 minutes of effort

* SVG talking a little trash about Dame...love it...as if Dame needed a little extra motivation tomorrow night. Of course, SVG was actually getting an early start on working the refs

* Melo must of had somebody in his ear over the all-star break. In the last 3 games he's had 17 assists, and he hasn't been pounding the ball nearly as much as he did the first 35 games. He's quick shooting more, which isn't necessarily a good thing, but in his case, quicker decisions while burning less shot clock has been a boon for the offense. He must have a much higher assisted FG% since the all-star break. This new Melo I don't object to

* speaking of Melo, my biggest concern with CJ back is that the Blazer offense sinks into a repeat of some of the most unwatchable recent Blazer basketball when Dame-CJ-Turner-Napier were in a 'it's-my-turn-it's-your-turn-it's-his-turn-one-on-one' mode. Dame, CJ, and Melo all have that tendency but hopefully, their better angels keep that from happening

* talk about a 'gouge-your-eardrums-out' dilemma last night. One channel had Jordan Kent, the other Reggie Miller. That's a defensive drinking game for sure

 

[Tince]

What happened right before this clip; cuz he is obviously in a pissy mood.

You're right, context should matter. What happened before the question, the history with Quick, what he continued to say after.

Personally, I have no problem with him giving all the players credit for what happens on the court, especially in wins.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Great catch. Dame is a class act.

Are the Wenyen lovers from last year surprised he can't get on the floor for the Pels?

No, just surprised New Orleans signed him to play behind a #1 pick, a #7 pick and Steven Adams. I guess some GMs think it's good to always have enough bigs.

 

[Tince]

Hopefully he knows he's getting fired

I think most coaches assume they're getting fired. The question is when.

 

[Chris Craig]

You gotta be kidding me

He doesn't look happy at all after a W.

He can't say what he tells the team in the 4th to inspire them to win?

Nothing that he said made a difference? WTF

 

[Tince]

No, just surprised New Orleans signed him to play behind a #1 pick, a #7 pick and Steven Adams. I guess some GMs think it's good to always have enough bigs.

Agreed it would be hard for him to jump Zion in the starting role.

My surprise comes that this is his third team, when he was here, the local scouts were saying he deserved more minutes (despite playing career high minutes in Portland), but he only averaged 5mpg in Sacramento, and has only played 17 total minutes (all garbage time) this season.

My thought is a guy as highly touted as him would've had a choice to pick a more favorable situation than NOP if the Pels didn't think he was better than Hernangomez or Hayes.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Btw, Covington is up to 36% on three. He should shoot a bit more even. All that chatter about him losing his shot in the early season has gone away.

Jones is shooting 34.5% and 55% in his last ten games. He should be playing more and getting more shots also.