Game Thread GAME# 39: THUNDER @ BLAZERS - JANUARY 4, 2019 - FRIDAY, 7:30 PM, ESPN & NBCSNW

[BonesJones]

Well it's the same ol same ol. Some want to blame the coach again. And they have some good points. But then some want to say hey it's a close loss to a good team and it could have gone either way.

There is a pretty old saying. Against good teams you want to be in a position to win at the end. The Blazers blew it tonight.

Nah, we shouldve beat them tonight. We can be better. Contenders dont concede home losses. I hold the team to a higher standard because they can achieve it with better coaching.

 

[BonesJones]

So when someone conveys something wrong and then gets called on it but then they own up to it even though it really was a simple minor mistake that gets a "LOL".

Because I don't believe you. Seems like a nice cover.

 

[James lamphear]

Only thing I blame the coach tonight he don't hold our 2 guards accountable for their mistakes. Coach didn't loose this game players making to many turnovers in key part of the game. Plus how you can let Paul George have open 3. If anyone on the court you don't loose track of is him. But again then I see time after time Westbrook shooting over our small 2 guard in the 4th. Yea I do blame the coach for not adjusting to what Westbrook was doing. But lately Dame having strong 1st half and kind falling in the 2nd half.

 

[BonesJones]

This is pretty much what i have been saying all night. I get blasted for it by Bones every time. There are a hundred different things that could go different and this is a win.

You start it as much as I do so dont play that victim card BS.

 

[riverman]

Contenders dont concede home losses.

We just beat Golden State in their building...I think that qualifies

 

[BonesJones]

That isn't the point at all. But i see you can't really catch a clue here so yeah Cool.

Or you don't have a point.

 

[kjironman1]

Nah, we shouldve beat them tonight. We can be better. Contenders dont concede home losses. I hold the team to a higher standard because they can achieve it with better coaching.

Well i just don't think they are contenders at all.

 

[riverman]

You start it as much as I do so dont play that victim card BS.

dude....give it a break …agree to disagree...there's a meltdown thread for this shit...it's a game

 

[BonesJones]

We just beat Golden State in their building...I think that qualifies

Yeah, because they played bad. Contenders dont say "Well, they're a good team and beat us". They analyze their mistakes and improve. I don't see that from our coaching staff.

 

[BonesJones]

dude....give it a break …agree to disagree...there's a meltdown thread for this shit

Takes two to argue buddy. KJs been going all night. You gonna say something to him? Of course not.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Why is Olshey so married to this version of the blazers? That’s an honest question. The roster doesn’t even fit the system his coach wants to run.

If you ever figure it out, please let me know!

I do have a theory on his drafting of "prospects" (Meyers, Collins, Simons). His priority wasn't to help the team - it was to find a "diamond in the rough" and make himself look good. Some of his other decisions (EG over-paying Hark and Crabbe while dumping Vonleh) seem almost random.

At this point, if you said his decisions were being made with large quantities of Hollywood nose candy I would have no reason to question it.

 

[riverman]

Well I'm out! Go Blazers and y'all have a good one!

 

[BonesJones]

Well i just don't think they are contenders at all.

With an upgrade and better coaching, they can be.

 

[kjironman1]

You start it as much as I do so dont play that victim card BS.

Dude! The minute anyone says this isn't about coaching you can't let it be. But you can be sure there ain't no victim here.

 

[Scalma]

Nah, we shouldve beat them tonight. We can be better. Contenders dont concede home losses. I hold the team to a higher standard because they can achieve it with better coaching.

I think up until last year in the playoffs I was pro Stotts. I heard all the criticism but thought the bigger issue was Olshey and that Stotts had overachieved with what was given. But that series really exposed his shortcomings as a coach, and not much has changed since to change my mind.

 

[riverman]

You gonna say something to him? Of course not.

 

[kjironman1]

With an upgrade and better coaching, they can be.

Maybe?

 

[BonesJones]

View attachment 24069

Goodnight.

 

[BonesJones]

Maybe?

Did you see the way they played the first half? That was terrific, high-level basketball. Imagine that with someone like Otto Porter Jr. at the 3... I had no complaints at all about the coaching based on the first half. And then OKC ratchets it up a notch and we completely fall apart.

 

[James lamphear]

Coaches coach and players make plays and our players didn't make enough smart plays tonight and that why we lost. There faults by everyone in a lost. We had 2 shot at it at the end by our 2 supposed best players and that really you can ask for.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Been pointed out by many that there is very little he can do.

He is hamstrung by cap issues he created himself - he doesn't now get to use them as an excuse.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

On top of the 30ft screens against trapping with no answer, here's 7 other issues:

Not hedging, trapping, or doing something about PG.

Not trying to attack Russ and draw another foul after he had 3 fouls in the 2nd and got left in.

Letting Russ go 1v1 against C.J. in the post...

Not feeding Nurkic at all the 2nd half (cross screen set?)

Not looking to play in transition until late in the 4th.

Not holding Dame and C.J. accountable for their shot selection.

Not freeing Dame off the ball in sets during the 4th and trying to free him up.

Yes, if we're make more shots, we still win. But shooting is variable. The better thing to do would be to fix the things I listed above.

They didnt even play in transition late in the 4th the refs just decided to give them some ft’s to make it close.
I guess my point is Ive been saying for months that I want a new coach, but the players had so many oppurtunities to win the game not just making wide open shots, but they didnt take care of the ball, they kept reaching and falling for PG13’s tricks, the players deserve a lot of the “blame” for tonights loss. They made a lot of just super boneheaded mental errors. There were 3-4 times Im not even sure they were all running the same play. Which is on Stotts too but I felt like the players were just as responsible for dumb decisions tonight as the coaches were.

Whats irritating to me about this game is that really a few better coaching moves they probably win, a few better decisions they win, take care of the ball, you win. Hit your open shots, you win. The list goes on and on for me of things that couldve been done better.

The real issue is many of the coaching problems are consistant. We see Stotts make the same errors frequently, most of the time we dont see Dame play that bad, or curry bricking open 3’s.

 

[KingSpeed]

On top of the 30ft screens against trapping with no answer, here's 7 other issues:

Not hedging, trapping, or doing something about PG.

Not trying to attack Russ and draw another foul after he had 3 fouls in the 2nd and got left in.

Letting Russ go 1v1 against C.J. in the post...

Not feeding Nurkic at all the 2nd half (cross screen set?)

Not looking to play in transition until late in the 4th.

Not holding Dame and C.J. accountable for their shot selection.

Not freeing Dame off the ball in sets during the 4th and trying to free him up.

Yes, if we're make more shots, we still win. But shooting is variable. The better thing to do would be to fix the things I listed above.

We did feed Nurk in 4th and Adams held his ground. Nurk couldn’t make his move.

 

[kjironman1]

Or you don't have a point.

Yeah i do but you missed it entirely. Point is pretty simple. Every team board with game threads goes through the same things. They have fans that pull for the team. Then they have fans that troll. Then they have fans that complain constantly. The ones that complain usually all want changes. Those changes can be players, coaches, GM, ownership or all of the above. This team is no different. This board is no different.

But bottom line is they are all fans. And in the end they all want the team to win. Winning solves everything.

 

[kjironman1]

He is hamstrung by cap issues he created himself - he doesn't now get to use them as an excuse.

You will get no argument from me on that. But it is still fact. There is very little that can be done at this point.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

We did feed Nurk in 4th and Adams held his ground. Nurk couldn’t make his move.

Thats why he saying use the cross screen though. So nurk isnt setting up camp 15-18 feet away and gets the ball lower.

 

[DUB]

We played great in the first half, but free throws (deserved or not) kept OKC in the game.

OKC played great D in the third quarter; forcing turnovers, and scoring on the break, to get them the lead.

We played just as badly in the fourth quarter as we did in the third, but free throws (deserved or not) got us back in the game.

With the game on the line late in the fourth OKC held their nerve, and executed; we didn't. They had the momentum, and confidence; we didn't.

 

[oldmangrouch]

You will get no argument from me on that. But it is still fact. There is very little that can be done at this point.

I understand what you are saying. Sometimes, it just seems like Olshey is like the guy who murders his parents and then asks the judge for leniency because he is an orphan!

 

[BonesJones]

Thats why he saying use the cross screen though. So nurk isnt setting up camp 15-18 feet away and gets the ball lower.

Exactly.

 

[BonesJones]

Yeah i do but you missed it entirely. Point is pretty simple. Every team board with game threads goes through the same things. They have fans that pull for the team. Then they have fans that troll. Then they have fans that complain constantly. The ones that complain usually all want changes. Those changes can be players, coaches, GM, ownership or all of the above. This team is no different. This board is no different.

But bottom line is they are all fans. And in the end they all want the team to win. Winning solves everything.

Maybe you aren't good at explaining your points?