Game Thread GAME# 45: WARRIORS @ BLAZERS - JANUARY 20, 2020 - MONDAY, 7:00 PM, TNT

[twobullz]

Is Moses Brown hurt? What the Fuck only 2 minutes? hahaha

Man Simon's has had 2.5 games to step up since CJ went down. Not sure if he is just playing timid? moment to big for him? Just seems other teams rooks and young players are stepping up and he is not.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

wasting dame's prime like this is not depressing?

It's just a game

 

[calvin natt]

cant believe we are running our franchise's best player ever into the ground like this.

What should they be doing, realistically? Tanking? With this much of the season left and possibly having Nurkic and Collins coming back and potentially being able to trade Hassan for another key piece?

 

[Strenuus]

Career high for dame and we barely squeak by a tanking team.

And people want to make the playoffs?

 

[B-Roy]

Career high for dame and we barely squeak by a tanking team.

And people want to make the playoffs?

If the team is starting Simons and Little for the rest of the season they won't need to worry about that.

 

[bobf]

At least Hezonja decided to put up his hands on that last one.

Yeah wtf was that. I was imagining he makes the layup and then Hezonja lands on him for a flagrant foul finding a way to blow the game.

 

[Scalma]

Please come.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Is Moses Brown hurt? What the Fuck only 2 minutes? hahaha

His minus 12 in those 2 minutes might explain it.

 

[BlazerRx]

Dame scores a franchise high 61 and blazers win in overtime.....shaq, chuck and Kenny have absolutely nothing to say about it lol...

 

[Darkwebs]

Please come.

That's what she said.

 

[Scalma]

Dame scores a franchise high 61 and blazers win in overtime.....shaq, chuck and Kenny have absolutely nothing to say about it lol...

They never know who anybody on the team is outside of dame, CJ and now melo.

 

[kjironman1]

Career high for dame and we barely squeak by a tanking team.

And people want to make the playoffs?

Did you watch the game? Do you honestly feel that team is not playing hard? The warriors are decimated by injuries also but they are playing their hearts out every game and they are starting to gel and play well together. If you honestly felt they were trying to tank tonight then i don't know what to tell you?

 

[Scalma]

Did you watch the game? Do you honestly feel that team is not playing hard? The warriors are decimated by injuries also but they are playing their hearts out every game and they are starting to gel and play well together. If you honestly felt they were trying to tank tonight then i don't know what to tell you?

Portland is completely healthy and can’t have embarrassing games like this.

 

[HailBlazers]

And people want to make the playoffs?

Having yet to crack 20 wins, no thanks.

 

[twobullz]

His minus 12 in those 2 minutes might explain it.

I was just responding to the dude complaining about LIttle not playing. If anything Hoard maybe should have played more. He was +1. Dude should have been complaining about him only playing 10 minutes and have 7 boards.

 

[BlazerRx]

They never know who anybody on the team is outside of dame, CJ and now melo.

True. Guess I was just thinking they would give dame a little acknowledgment and respect for an incredible game.

 

[wizenheimer]

wasting dame's prime like this is not depressing?

If Dame playing when the team sucks is depressing you, come back in October.

I have some thoughts about all that:

over the last 5 games, Dame has averaged 39 minutes. That's a lot of minutes piled on top of the minutes he's played this season, which is piled on top of his double duty and heavy burden of being the #1 scoring option and the only guy that can run the offense...

now, if Portland was trying to protect HCA late in the season, that could be justified. But I just don't think he should be logging all those minutes and yes, I know Portland would have lost tonight if Dame hadn't played every one of those 40 minutes in regulation. Lighten his load Stotts! Portland is 19-26...it wouldn't really matter if they were 16-29 with Dame not being ground into the floor
**************************************************

now, as for "wasting Dame's prime"...I used to think that. But here's the thing: Dame doesn't want Stotts replaced; Dame doesn't want CJ traded; in fact Dame doesn't want any of his teammates traded. He has that kind of loyalty, and yeah, it might be a little blind. But if he's pushing that angle with management, then Dame is a willing participant in wasting his prime because frankly, the Blazers need some major changes to elevate themselves into contender status

So, if Dame values loyalty over his prime, and everything he's ever said indicates that's the case, then I'm not buying the wasting prime angle anymore. I don't really like the product Portland is putting on the floor, but as long as Olshey is in charge, this is what we get

 

[kjironman1]

Portland is completely healthy and can’t have embarrassing games like this.

Obviously.

 

[DDolla]

Guys I want revenge and beat the Mavs next game

 

[oldmangrouch]

What should they be doing, realistically? Tanking? With this much of the season left and possibly having Nurkic and Collins coming back and potentially being able to trade Hassan for another key piece?

You are making 3 very big assumptions. 1) Nurk will not only be back, he will imediately return to playing at a high level. 2) Collins will actually make a difference. 3) Whiteside has significant trade value.

 

[Tince]

I have some thoughts about all that:

over the last 5 games, Dame has averaged 39 minutes. That's a lot of minutes piled on top of the minutes he's played this season, which is piled on top of his double duty and heavy burden of being the #1 scoring option and the only guy that can run the offense...

now, if Portland was trying to protect HCA late in the season, that could be justified. But I just don't think he should be logging all those minutes and yes, I know Portland would have lost tonight if Dame hadn't played every one of those 40 minutes in regulation. Lighten his load Stotts! Portland is 19-26...it wouldn't really matter if they were 16-29 with Dame not being ground into the floor
**************************************************

now, as for "wasting Dame's prime"...I used to think that. But here's the thing: Dame doesn't want Stotts replaced; Dame doesn't want CJ traded; in fact Dame doesn't want any of his teammates traded. He has that kind of loyalty, and yeah, it might be a little blind. But if he's pushing that angle with management, then Dame is a willing participant in wasting his prime because frankly, the Blazers need some major changes to elevate themselves into contender status

So, if Dame values loyalty over his prime, and everything he's ever said indicates that's the case, then I'm not buying the wasting prime angle anymore. I don't really like the product Portland is putting on the floor, but as longs as Olshey is in charge, this is what we get

I agree with most everything you said. Who do you think is deciding for Dame to play "normal" minutes? My gut is Dame refuses to back off and lose. Stotts' job is to try to win games. That leaves Olshey to be the one to tell both of them to pull it back if he believes that's the right thing to do.

 

[Scalma]

You are making 3 very big assumptions. 1) Nurk will not only be back, he will imediately return to playing at a high level. 2) Collins will actually make a difference. 3) Whiteside has significant trade value.

outside of maybe #3, those aren’t very big assumptions.

 

[Tince]

You are making 3 very big assumptions. 1) Nurk will not only be back, he will imediately return to playing at a high level. 2) Collins will actually make a difference. 3) Whiteside has significant trade value.

I hate to say this, but I don't think it's likely 1 of those 3 things happens, let alone all 3.

 

[e_blazer]

Career high for dame and we barely squeak by a tanking team.

And people want to make the playoffs?

You aren’t really going to say that the team that’s suiting up for tBlazers now is representative of what they’d have in the playoffs, are you?

 

[Tince]

Dame very clear in his post-game interview that he wants to make the playoffs this year more than any other season. If he's playing, he's going to give it his all.

 

[wizenheimer]

I agree with most everything you said. Who do you think is deciding for Dame to play "normal" minutes? My gut is Dame refuses to back off and lose. Stotts' job is to try to win games. That leaves Olshey to be the one to tell both of them to pull it back if he believes that's the right thing to do.

if there is blame there, I put it on Stotts. He knows how many minutes Dame is logging and he needs to weigh the value of 2 or 3 or 4 extra wins vs the value of not grinding Dame down. Dame can't put himself back into games

this mess of a roster though is on Olshey

 

[oldmangrouch]

outside of maybe #3, those aren’t very big assumptions.

OK, when did Kingspeed hack your account and/or brain?

 

[Tince]

if there is blame there, I put it on Stotts. He knows how many minutes Dame is logging and he needs to weigh the value of 2 or 3 or 4 extra wins vs the value of not grinding Dame down. Dame can't put himself back into games

this mess of a roster though is on Olshey

I get what you're saying, but I don't agree.

Stotts is under contract for 2 more seasons. Dame is under contract through 2025; Olshey until 2024. You want the guy with the least amount of job security to throw games without the blessing of the two guys who will be with the franchise the longest?

 

[BlayZa]

awesome game

didnt think it was gonna be that good, but it was pretty riveting

 

[B-Roy]

I’m as negative as anyone on this season, but if you can’t even enjoy a 61 point game....maybe you should stop watching altogether, for your sanity...