Game Thread GAME# 46: MAVERICKS @ BLAZERS - JANUARY 23, 2020 - THURSDAY, 7:30 PM, TNT

[H.C.]

The double team thing against James Harden came and went like a fart in the wind.

Did you watch the first half?
When Portland brought a second defender to meet Luka at half court. He gave up the ball and the Mavs hit a three.
First it was Jackson, then it was Hardaway.
Can't keep doubling someone if they make you pay with a three.

 

[kjironman1]

the did not get Porzingis for nothing.

I'm not sold on Porzingis yet. Wondering if he can handle playoff basketball?

 

[kjironman1]

Did you watch the first half?
When Portland brought a second defender to meet Luka at half court. He gave up the ball and the Mavs hit a three.
First it was Jackson, then it was Hardaway.
Can't keep doubling someone if they make you pay with a three.

Every time seemed like. The Mavs were on fire.

 

[kjironman1]

I’m salty that white Americans can’t be good at basketball... like wtf? Where’s our Luka? Lol

There was a "White" Canadian that was pretty good once. Does that count?

 

[kjironman1]

Yet they’re all over the place in Eastern Europe?

Laying around all over the place. Just gotta find one willing to come and play in the NBA right?

 

[stampedehero]

DALLAS MAVERICKS
MAVERICKS (28-16)
133 - 125
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

TRAIL BLAZERS (19-27)
FINAL
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
DAL 45 33 25 30
POR 37 26 27 35
Leading Players
Points

Luka Doncic
27
Points

Damian Lillard
47
Rebounds

Dorian Finney-Smith
10
Rebounds

Carmelo Anthony
11
Assists

Luka Doncic
9
Assists

Damian Lillard
8

• Box Score
• Team Stats

Box ScoreTeam StatsRecap
Dallas Mavericks Mavericks
Portland Trail Blazers Trail Blazers
STARTERS STARTERS P MIN PTS FGM-A FTM-A 3PM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PF
Tim Hardaway Jr. T. Hardaway Jr. F 29 11 4 - 9 0 - 0 3 - 6 1 4 0 0 1 1
Dorian Finney-Smith D. Finney-Smith F 32 11 3 - 5 2 - 4 3 - 5 10 0 1 2 1 3
Kristaps Porzingis K. Porzingis C 25 20 6 - 11 5 - 7 3 - 4 5 1 1 2 1 3
Luka Doncic L. Doncic G 35 27 11 - 25 3 - 6 2 - 11 6 9 2 0 3 4
Seth Curry S. Curry G 25 17 6 - 11 1 - 1 4 - 7 1 2 1 0 0 0
BENCH P MIN PTS FGM-A FTM-A 3PM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PF
Delon Wright D. Wright - 28 9 4 - 7 1 - 2 0 - 1 8 4 0 0 1 2
Justin Jackson J. Jackson - 26 6 2 - 6 1 - 1 1 - 3 3 5 0 0 1 1
Maxi Kleber M. Kleber - 23 15 6 - 9 1 - 1 2 - 5 4 1 0 3 0 3
Jalen Brunson J. Brunson - 17 17 6 - 10 1 - 2 4 - 5 3 1 0 0 0 0
Antonius Cleveland A. Cleveland DNP
Boban Marjanovic B. Marjanovic DNP
J.J. Barea J. Barea DNP
Courtney Lee C. Lee DNP
STARTERS STARTERS P MIN PTS FGM-A FTM-A 3PM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PF
Trevor Ariza T. Ariza F 36 21 7 - 11 3 - 4 4 - 6 7 2 2 0 1 4
Carmelo Anthony C. Anthony F 37 16 7 - 21 0 - 0 2 - 5 11 5 1 1 3 5
Hassan Whiteside H. Whiteside C 33 14 6 - 8 2 - 2 0 - 0 10 0 0 1 1 5
Damian Lillard D. Lillard G 42 47 16 - 28 7 - 7 8 - 15 6 8 1 0 5 0
Anfernee Simons A. Simons G 23 5 2 - 7 0 - 0 1 - 3 1 2 0 1 1 0
BENCH P MIN PTS FGM-A FTM-A 3PM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PF
Gary Trent Jr. G. Trent Jr. - 31 20 7 - 10 0 - 0 6 - 7 2 1 0 0 0 0
Caleb Swanigan C. Swanigan - 23 2 1 - 2 0 - 2 0 - 0 5 2 0 1 1 4
Mario Hezonja M. Hezonja - 14 0 0 - 4 0 - 0 0 - 3 1 0 0 0 0 2
Wenyen Gabriel W. Gabriel DNP
Moses Brown M. Brown DNP
Nassir Little N. Little DNP
Jusuf Nurkic J. Nurkic DND
CJ McCollum C. McCollum DND

Dallas Mavericks
Mavericks 133

Portland Trail Blazers
Trail Blazers 125

41
Rebounds
43

27
Assists
20

7
Blocks
4


5
Steals
4

48-93
Field Goals
46-91

15-24
Free Throws
12-15

22-47
Three Pointers
21-39

8
Turnovers
12






http://www.sportstwo.com/en-us/spor...n-celtics/game-center/sp-id-30401000002176780

 

[stampedehero]

Actually, they did tank. You’re forgetting Cuban went to the players and told the players it would be better for the team if they lost. For the final months of the season, the starters including Dirk were held out of every 4th qtr. It was one of the most blatant tanks of all time. I believe Cuban was fined.

Cuban is a self centered prick.

 

[BonesJones]

The guy who's teams have over achieved his entire Blazer career, except this year? Why is that so bad?

False narrative.

 

[Eastoff]

Got to agree with you on this! Letting Curry go was a mistake. I totally understand why they did but Damn? You just don't let players like that go when you are trying to build a contender.

They couldn't match or offer as much. And Seth wasn't really happy here.

 

[TBpup]

They couldn't match or offer as much. And Seth wasn't really happy here.

Understandable. Given how well he shot it, he got very few attempts. Someone mentioned (not sure here or heard it somewhere else) that he wasn't thrilled that everything was so designed to go through Dame/CJ no matter how well you shot.

 

[twobullz]

2 defenders for a non defender. Sounds like an Olshey trade

In what world is Simons a good defender? I have no interest in the injury plagued Love, but Simons gets abused on the defensive end.

 

[kjironman1]

They couldn't match or offer as much. And Seth wasn't really happy here.

My response actually even read "I understand why..."
Also-
Did you actually read somewhere that Seth was unhappy here? I mean that has him quoting that? Not talking about the multitude of draft and trade threads that seem to go on for endless discussions about what a player/coach/GM/owner thinks.

 

[kjironman1]

Understandable. Given how well he shot it, he got very few attempts. Someone mentioned (not sure here or heard it somewhere else) that he wasn't thrilled that everything was so designed to go through Dame/CJ no matter how well you shot.

Link?

 

[kjironman1]

Falss narrative.

Except it isn't....

 

[TBpup]

Link?

"Someone mentioned (not sure here or heard it somewhere else)...."

No link and as mentioned, not sure where I heard it. Something to do with a comment at the end of the season or when someone asked him about his exit interiew. Don't remember specifically but it made it clear, he wasn't thrilled with his role here. Given his eFG towered over someone like CJ who jacked up shots as often as possible regardless of defenders, that is easily understandable.

 

[B-Roy]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28551456/blazers-damian-lillard-frustrated-no-call-loss-mavs

"The guy smacked me in the head, and the referee is right there," Lillard said. "I ask him, 'How are you going to make that call?' He tells me, 'We all agreed that you leaned in.' That's an insult, man. 'You leaned into him?' He smacked me in the head. That's frustrating as hell, man. And then you get that type of explanation."

Christ....

 

[CupWizier]

"Someone mentioned (not sure here or heard it somewhere else)...."

No link and as mentioned, not sure where I heard it. Something to do with a comment at the end of the season or when someone asked him about his exit interiew. Don't remember specifically but it made it clear, he wasn't thrilled with his role here. Given his eFG towered over someone like CJ who jacked up shots as often as possible regardless of defenders, that is easily understandable.

So you are basing your statement about Curry's unhappiness here on something you may or may not have heard in this forum (which is essentially worthless) or may or may not have heard elsewhere outside this forum but don't know where and by who? Sounds like some compelling evidence you have there.

 

[SIeepwalker]

So god awful Swanigan can get 23 minutes but Little and Gabriel can't see the floor

Man Stotts can fuck right off. I'm so pissed

 

[Labinot41]

If i ever see a Swanigan Post up again i'm gonna shot a Bullet in my head

 

[James lamphear]

So god awful Swanigan can get 23 minutes but Little and Gabriel can't see the floor

Man Stotts can fuck right off. I'm so pissed

I would have to see Gabriel out especially when you seen swanigan get abuse trying to guard the premeter. I give swanigan credit he tries but just slow a foot to keep up. He definitely not rim proctored so I seen no use having swanigan out there. Maybe next game Stotts will see how Gabriel will work and sit swanigan.

 

[SIeepwalker]

Maybe next game Stotts will see how Gabriel will work and sit swanigan.

Yeah, because Stotts is well known for changing things up and not be stubborn at all. I predict that I'm gonna lose my mind for the next 10 games or so watching Swanigan play 20+ a game

 

[wizenheimer]

Got to agree with you on this! Letting Curry go was a mistake. I totally understand why they did but Damn? You just don't let players like that go when you are trying to build a contender.

Curry is making 7.5M this season, and has a 4-year/32M deal. Aminu is making 9.5M. You can argue that Olshey made major miscalculations last summer about about roster changes, and it would be true. But more than that is he was still dealing with his idiocy from 2016, and the tax implications for this season. Keeping Curry and Aminu for instance, would have hammered Portland's luxury tax up to 50M or more
*************************************************

by the way, and unrelated, over on RealGM in the general forum/nightly games thread there was some discussion about how bad Hezonja is. There was an amusing post:

"He is just dumb. I am a Croatian and reading his interviews, even in mothers tongue, does not help him. The vacuum between his ears screams louder than 856 intoxicated hyenas ..."

 

[Scalma]

Curry is making 7.5 this season, and has a 4-year/32M deal. Aminu is making 9.5M. You can argue that Olshey made major miscalculations last summer about about roster changes, and it would be true. But more than that is he was still dealing with his idiocy from 2016, and the tax implications for this season. Keeping Curry and Aminu for instance, would have hammered Portland's luxury tax up to 50M or more
*************************************************

by the way, and unrelated, over on RealGM in the general forum/nightly game thread there was some discussion about how bad Hezonja is. There was an amusing post:

"He is just dumb. I am a Croatian and reading his interviews, even in mothers tongue, does not help him. The vacuum between his ears screams louder than 856 intoxicated hyenas ..."

That’s pretty much my takeaway from now watching Hezonja full time. He’s an elite athlete, has some skill, but low bball IQ. Almost the antithesis of a European player lol.

 

[Blazers Roy]

After all we've been through this season, dressing up Swanigan with Blazers uniform is adding insult to injury.

 

[B-Roy]

That’s pretty much my takeaway from now watching Hezonja full time. He’s an elite athlete, has some skill, but low bball IQ. Almost the antithesis of a European player lol.

he’s got some Meyers in him, in that he’s just generally clueless. One possession last night he got the ball in a broken set with 14 seconds left. Everyone including Dame telling him to attack and he ends up holding the ball for 10 seconds trying to get it to Dame or Melo before making some stupid move.

another one late second where he waived a bunch of guys off to post up biggie for a fade-away airball. Like what is the thought process for him?

 

[Scalma]

Like what is the thought process for him?

I don’t think there is one. Wonder if it’ll improve as he gets older. Not like he’ll be in Portland to find out, but it still sucks to see all that talent wasted. Meyers is a good comp.

 

[kjironman1]

Curry is making 7.5M this season, and has a 4-year/32M deal. Aminu is making 9.5M. You can argue that Olshey made major miscalculations last summer about about roster changes, and it would be true. But more than that is he was still dealing with his idiocy from 2016, and the tax implications for this season. Keeping Curry and Aminu for instance, would have hammered Portland's luxury tax up to 50M or more
*************************************************

by the way, and unrelated, over on RealGM in the general forum/nightly games thread there was some discussion about how bad Hezonja is. There was an amusing post:

"He is just dumb. I am a Croatian and reading his interviews, even in mothers tongue, does not help him. The vacuum between his ears screams louder than 856 intoxicated hyenas ..."

Again.... my post says” I understand why...”

 

[CupWizier]

Curry is making 7.5M this season, and has a 4-year/32M deal. Aminu is making 9.5M. You can argue that Olshey made major miscalculations last summer about about roster changes, and it would be true. But more than that is he was still dealing with his idiocy from 2016, and the tax implications for this season. Keeping Curry and Aminu for instance, would have hammered Portland's luxury tax up to 50M or more
*************************************************

by the way, and unrelated, over on RealGM in the general forum/nightly games thread there was some discussion about how bad Hezonja is. There was an amusing post:

"He is just dumb. I am a Croatian and reading his interviews, even in mothers tongue, does not help him. The vacuum between his ears screams louder than 856 intoxicated hyenas ..."

We did not have Curry's bird rights so the best we could offer is what was offered to Hood which as can be proven wasn't enough and short of what Dallas offered in which he played the year before. Blame Olshey for what you want, but he had no choice in this matter.

 

[Blazers Roy]

I don’t think there is one. Wonder if it’ll improve as he gets older. Not like he’ll be in Portland to find out, but it still sucks to see all that talent wasted. Meyers is a good comp.

Meyers was a good shooter from mid to long range and a good rebounder. I can't find 2 things that Mario can do well, i don't even trust him with catching a pass.

 

[Pinwheel1]

So god awful Swanigan can get 23 minutes but Little and Gabriel can't see the floor

Man Stotts can fuck right off. I'm so pissed

Ariza played 36 minutes. That is why Little didn't play.
Swanigan played 23 minutes because Stotts has ZERO other options at back up center.