Game Thread Game #4 BLAZERS VS GRIZZLIES - OCTOBER 27, 2021 - WEDNESDAY - 7:00 PM, ESPN, ROOT SPORTS

[Orion Bailey]

Awesome! Great win!

 

[Orion Bailey]

the capacity is 19,980

the "attendance" for the first 2 games was 17,467 & 18,558

I think you can probably subtract 1000-2000 from those official 'attendance' numbers?

no matter, that's about 18,000 a game. The last time there was a non-covid season was 2018-19 when the Blazers averaged 19,496. I imagine there's some covid impact in falling 1500 short of 2018-19. But I also think there's a waning of interest in a team that seems to be stuck in a loop

Some of the ticket holder already said they will renew their tickets to the hiring of Billups.

i renewed. But im not attending games due to covid.
I doubt the team has caused people to not go to games. Id say its covid related or mandate related. i know others who signed up for the first time this year but also arent there. Covid and mandate related.

No one is going to give up their season tickets just because the team doesnt look like an obvious contender.

id put money on any attendance waining is due to covid and mandates. Not the team structure.

 

[mook]

Dame has, by far, had to make the biggest adjustments to his game entering this season.

• He's being tasked with playing much better defense.
• He's learning a new offensive system that has him dominate the ball less.
• He's watching Ant take over a lot more responsibility in the back court on offense.
• He's adapting to the new rules where he can't hunt for cheap fouls to get some easy buckets.

It really does feel like a different team than usual. For whatever reason, his outside shot just hasn't been falling like it did last year. It was nice to see him start to turn things around tonight somewhat.

Aside from Dame, though, the big takeaway from this game defense. We held a team to 39 points in the second half. We'll win nearly every game where we pull that off.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Dame has, by far, had to make the biggest adjustments to his game entering this season.

• He's being tasked with playing much better defense.
• He's learning a new offensive system that has him dominate the ball less.
• He's watching Ant take over a lot more responsibility in the back court on offense.
• He's adapting to the new rules where he can't hunt for cheap fouls to get some easy buckets.

It really does feel like a different team than usual. For whatever reason, his outside shot just hasn't been falling like it did last year. It was nice to see him start to turn things around tonight somewhat.

Aside from Dame, though, the big takeaway from this game defense. We held a team to 39 points in the second half. We'll win nearly every game where we pull that off.

ill just add the team we held was the best offense so far this season with the leagues leading scorer.
Not bad at all!

 

[Fairly-Hard]

ill just add the team we held was the best offense so far this season with the leagues leading scorer.
Not bad at all!

Watching that game I specifically was watching Morant and Lillard. Comparing their roles and what they were doing. Lillard was taking on a much larger defensive role on the court. Ja was essentially standing in the corner on defense most every possession. He did apply a double on Lillard a few times but you did not see him try to guard Dame one on one.
Ja Morant can play offense but he has no clue on defense.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

It's a great question. It's the same guy who got banned for threatening me before but the dude is so desperate to share his "sky-is-falling" bullshit on here that he made something like 10 separate accounts and the Mods gave up (I can't blame them).

Does seem desperate for some kind of attention with the way he posts? I guess if you say something enough ways in a negative light eventually you will be right and you can say “ I told you so”.
Now let’s get you a nice razor for Christmas.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Wow! how can there be negative stances in this thread? Got behind early pulled out and dominated the second half. What is there to not like???

lol.

 

[TBpup]

Did Mark Jackson say last night that his daughter works for the Blazers? Thought I heard him say that in the 4th quarter but it was quick and not real loud.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

Did Mark Jackson say last night that his daughter works for the Blazers? Thought I heard him say that in the 4th quarter but it was quick and not real loud.

Basketball Communications Coordinator for the Blazers.

 

[Hoopguru]

how many people here are old enough to have watched Larry Nance Sr. play? Talk about hops

and Dame gets going, finally, and the Blazers win the quarter by 16 points. It really doesn't matter which other Blazers are hot, if Dame struggles, the Blazers struggle. Dame has played real good defense on Morant tonight

I saw him play for Clemson at the Far West Classic. I think Clemson won the tourney.

 

[Hoopguru]

I saw him play for Clemson at the Far West Classic. I think Clemson won the tourney.

Beavs won
The '79 Classic featured Eugene native Danny Ainge, who despite heavy recruitment from the Ducks and Beavs went to BYU. The Beavs beat Ainge in the semis and took out a very good Clemson team in the finals for their first Classic win since Ralph Miller's first year in 1970. Clemson's team included two future NBA players in Larry Nance and Mitchell Wiggins, but it was John Campbell who made the Far West Classic all-tournament team and OSU's Steve Johnson was the MVP. The Beavs rolled to their first conference title since that '65-66 team but was upset by Lamar in the 2nd round of the NCAA's. Clemson made the Elite 8 by beating Ainge and BYU.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

When Nurk is tuned in, he sets great screens, and this team's offense goes up five notches.

We really have to find a way to get him to be mentally focused more often than he is.

Sign his cousin!

 

[BlazerBeav]

Beavs won
The '79 Classic featured Eugene native Danny Ainge, who despite heavy recruitment from the Ducks and Beavs went to BYU. The Beavs beat Ainge in the semis and took out a very good Clemson team in the finals for their first Classic win since Ralph Miller's first year in 1970. Clemson's team included two future NBA players in Larry Nance and Mitchell Wiggins, but it was John Campbell who made the Far West Classic all-tournament team and OSU's Steve Johnson was the MVP. The Beavs rolled to their first conference title since that '65-66 team but was upset by Lamar in the 2nd round of the NCAA's. Clemson made the Elite 8 by beating Ainge and BYU.

God I miss the Far West Classic - that was so much fun.

 

[1 Eye Jack]

Encouraging sign on offense Dame and CJ got a lot of wide open looks last night something that didn’t happen last couple of years because they always had the ball and defenses were focused on them now they are learning to move without the ball they are getting some of those wide open looks (missing a lot of them) but eventually those shots will fall.

if you want to win a championship other guys have to step up and confidence is built in the regular season

 

[1 Eye Jack]

We held another top scorer (Morant) to just 17 points on subpar shooting. I hope this trend continues.

their traps are aggressive forcing stars to give up the ball similar to what other teams have been doing to Dame for years. Helps we have some really good bigs now who can trap aggressively and recover. (Nurk, Nance and Zeller)

 

[wizenheimer]

For the game, Dame still struggled shooting the ball (6-for-22) but we won by 20. The bolded isn't 100% true.

ok...but the game turned on the 3rd Q and that's when Dame started to rediscover his shot. And while he's been cold shooting from three, he's been fine from two, he's been running the offense very well, and he's been playing stout defense. Last night, when he was on Morant, Morant struggled a lot

if Billups is going to stick with this running Dame-off-the-ball offense, he absolutely needs to discover ways Dame's teammates can create some offense for Dame. Dame's assisted FG rate is all the way down to 12.5% (28% last year). Both Chauncey and Dame talked about the off-the-ball action getting Dame more spot-up, catch & shoot, and back cut action. That was the theory. The reality has been that the off-ball action doesn't accomplish anything but getting the ball out of Dame's hands

 

[Scalma]

It’s weird seeing bigger leads not only being held, but expanded. In years past a double digit lead would regularly be lost within minutes. We’ll see if it lasts, but it’s a good start.

 

[Hoopguru]

ok...but the game turned on the 3rd Q and that's when Dame started to rediscover his shot. And while he's been cold shooting from three, he's been fine from two, he's been running the offense very well, and he's been playing stout defense. Last night, when he was on Morant, Morant struggled a lot

if Billups is going to stick with this running Dame-off-the-ball offense, he absolutely needs to discover ways Dame's teammates can create some offense for Dame. Dame's assisted FG rate is all the way down to 12.5% (28% last year). Both Chauncey and Dame talked about the off-the-ball action getting Dame more spot-up, catch & shoot, and back cut action. That was the theory. The reality has been that the off-ball action doesn't accomplish anything but getting the ball out of Dame's hands

yeah, Dame needs to work at and he will, coming off screens catching & shooting. Dame is a rhythm scorer, very methodical when it comes to looking for a shot.

 

[Buffalo Custard]

We held another top scorer (Morant) to just 17 points on subpar shooting. I hope this trend continues.

A pleasant contrast from the Stotts era. One thing I will always remember about his defensive schemes was the number of scrubs who had career nights against us! (at least it sure seemed that way)

 

[Scalma]

A pleasant contrast from the Stotts era. One thing I will always remember about his defensive schemes was the number of scrubs who had career nights against us! (at least it sure seemed that way)

hahha yeah problem it wasn’t just the scrubs, it was everybody. Now it seems like they’re making an actual effort to take the opposing teams best player out of the game, or at least make his job harder.

 

[THE HCP]

Clippers about to lose to the Cavs...we better fucking beat them

Here we go already….with the whole, “So in so beat somebody, so we better beat somebody”.

 

[James lamphear]

ok...but the game turned on the 3rd Q and that's when Dame started to rediscover his shot. And while he's been cold shooting from three, he's been fine from two, he's been running the offense very well, and he's been playing stout defense. Last night, when he was on Morant, Morant struggled a lot

if Billups is going to stick with this running Dame-off-the-ball offense, he absolutely needs to discover ways Dame's teammates can create some offense for Dame. Dame's assisted FG rate is all the way down to 12.5% (28% last year). Both Chauncey and Dame talked about the off-the-ball action getting Dame more spot-up, catch & shoot, and back cut action. That was the theory. The reality has been that the off-ball action doesn't accomplish anything but getting the ball out of Dame's hands

Dame still getting shots he had 22 attempts last night it's just there not going down this year.

 

[James lamphear]

One thing this defense makes guards driving towards the bucket a lot harder. But last night first half they left corner open on those drives and they easily had open shots on the kick out. The 2nd half they took it away by the defenders half way between the key and corner plus it's take that angle away from them. I think that what Covington biggest problem this year is over commenting to quick in the key when he shouldn't. Nance did great job by position himself where he could cover that corner and when need to help under the bucket.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

 

[SharpesTriumph]

I wonder if some of CJ's hot start offensively is sustainable?

No he won't always shoot these crazy percentages; however he never had a game based on drawing fouls or initiating contact. He is very crafty at avoiding all contact while still being in a position to score. With the rule changes many scorers are less effective, and defensive stats are improving across the league (except the Lakers)

Maybe CJ will rank as a better offensive player in the NBA comparatively, as he retains all of his offensive strengths, while many other top NBA scorers are seeing their offensive effectiveness reduced.

 

[Scalma]

I wonder if some of CJ's hot start offensively is sustainable?

No he won't always shoot these crazy percentages; however he never had a game based on drawing fouls or initiating contact. He is very crafty at avoiding all contact while still being in a position to score. With the rule changes many scorers are less effective, and defensive stats are improving across the league (except the Lakers)

Maybe CJ will rank as a better offensive player in the NBA comparatively, as he retains all of his offensive strengths, while many other top NBA scorers are seeing their offensive effectiveness reduced.

that’s an interesting point. Last season the only top 30 scorers that averaged 4 free throws or fewer per game were Kyrie, Vuc, and CJ. I bet the new rules do favor guys that don’t rely on manipulating trips to the line. I don’t think it’s a coincidence/fluke that guys like Harden aren’t as efficient this season.

Simons is probably in the same boat. That gives Olshey two assets with increased value to play with. Long term I don’t see both guys in Portland. He’s gonna have to pick one at some point and use the other to balance out the roster a bit with more size/length.

 

[Mr. Robot]

i never understood these graphics (what are numbers for, is it good to be top or bottom or in the middle, or left or right)

i googled what tpa stands for (total points added, scored on offense and saved on defense)

 

[Wizard Mentor]

It's a thing of beauty when Nance is on duty:

 

[Orion Bailey]

i never understood these graphics (what are numbers for, is it good to be top or bottom or in the middle, or left or right)

i googled what tpa stands for (total points added, scored on offense and saved on defense)

less minutes, more points = good

more minutes, less pts = bad

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Who is that guy kind of in the center? Dennis Smith?