Game Thread GAME# 48: TIMBERWOLVES @ BLAZERS - JANUARY 24, 2018 - WEDNESDAY, 7:00 PM (PST), NBCSNW

[H.C.]

This new posters trolling reminds me of a former poster.

 

[jlprk]

No similarity in writing style or fullness of content.

 

[LayneStaley]

No similarity in writing style or fullness of content.

Nothing directed towards me so far would require much content.

 

[jlprk]

Nothing directed towards me so far would require much content.

You have fuller content than the guy he's talking about. You have longer thoughts.

 

[theprunetang]

You have fuller content than the guy he's talking about. You have longer thoughts.

The variance is slight, at best.

 

[theprunetang]

Nothing directed towards me so far would require much content.

Your arguments leave much to be desired. Worry more about your own posts than the rebuttals thereof.

 

[theprunetang]

This new posters trolling reminds me of a former poster.

Exactly.

 

[jlprk]

The variance is slight, at best.

Come on. The other guy never writes paragraphs, or argues for a point. Ever studied literature?

 

[jlprk]

You new guys just keep posting and don't run away from linear thinkers. Hang tough.

 

[LayneStaley]

Your arguments leave much to be desired. Worry more about your own posts than the rebuttals thereof.

So I shouldn’t reply to comments made about my posts by accusing people of thinking they can put words in my mouth or know my thought process?

 

[Labinot41]

Just finnished the Game, Pat Connaughton is the best white dunker in the league!

 

[Labinot41]

And btw Next Time when Okc is in Portland i want to hear "Fuck You Westbrook" chants from our fans in the Arena!

 

[theprunetang]

So I shouldn’t reply to comments made about my posts by accusing people of thinking they can put words in my mouth or know my thought process?

Not the case at all. You made a case for CJ not being worth his contract after a ridiculously one sided Blazers win. And then you made assumptions about which way I might possibly feel. And you also never once mentioned a possible direction you would take the team if you were to be a fictional General Manager. You gave bullshit on top of heaps of already gathered bullshit and somehow expected a different response. Try something new. Or at least, give others the freedom to disagree with your assumptions without automatically assuming what another poster might be thinking. You speak in absolutes, and that, sir, is not fitting for a rational, and thinking fan.
You come across as someone with an agenda. And this comes as the Blazers have one of their most decisive victories of the season.

 

[theprunetang]

"Oh my god, this back court will never work together. Can't believe CJ is getting paid what he is and the Blazers only managed to completely decimate a western conference opponent ahead of them in the standings."

Do you see how you sound?

 

[illmatic99]

I think Patty makes the best cuts on our team. With serious conviction every time rather than the moving just to move bullshit we see from other players.

And he has some serious BBIQ and knows where to be on every play. It's a bit understated. He's a rotation player and a fringe starter depending on the rest of the team.

All that said, this game was almost exactly like what happened on offense in Denver the previous game. Aminu and CJ made threes last night when Dame got more defensive attention, and that just opened it up for everyone. but they missed everything two nights prior. We need consistency-- Dame needs consistency from his teammates.

 

[illmatic99]

Really insightful comments on guys getting more comfy in the offense

 

[BrianFromWA]

Sure, let's walk through expensive backcourts, b/c tying up 50M in two guards who may be good but not super-awesome means you can't pay others...how's that working out for:
GSW: Steph+Klay = 51M, they're both all-stars, and they seem to be able to still build an ok team around them.
TOR: Lowry+Derozan = 56M
HOU: Harden+CP3 = 53M
WAS: Wall+Beal = only 42M right now, but Wall's new kicker means he'll make 37M by himself in 2019

There are, of course, other ways to do it:

OKC: Russ + Roberson is 38M​

MIA: Dragic+Waiters = 28M
CHA: Kemba is making peanuts
LAC: Beverley/Rivers+Lou on a 1/7M deal...probably not a sustainable successful course of action
SAS: Parker/Mills + Green/Ginobili = 38M, and I highly recommend getting an HoF guard playing at an All-Star-ish level for the Vet Min. I just don't think we can do that. Aside from LMA/Pau (who also got 2/31M during wacky summer and 3/348M last yr) and Patty Mills awhile ago, no one on their team was signed with cap space, and they've made very few trades.
CLE: Pay LeBron and you can have me and HCP in the backcourt. Again, highly recommended if we can make that trade. I don't think we can.
BOS/MIN: Again, having a pipeline of high-lotto talent has allowed them to spend in or trade for high contracts in other areas. Highly recommend this as well. But if they didn't draft and hold well, or accumulate draft assets, they wouldn't be where they are.


So to the few points you've tried to articulate so far:
a) our backcourt salaries, composition and production are similar to, if not above-average for, many of the "contenders" in the league.
b) our backcourt's prices are locked in for 4 more years and won't explode. Unlike, say, Steph's, Harden's, Wall's, Russ's, etc.
c) most of the teams you want us to be like (SAS, GSW, TOR, WAS) have built their team, and especially their backcourts, on drafting and extending their talent. The ones who haven't (CLE, HOU) blew their wad trying to get 'veteran talent', which may still work for them, but their flexibility is crushed (interestingly, both tried to get Melo and couldn't this summer)
d) the ones most unlike our model (and most like what it seems you're espousing in the "trade for good people" thought, (BOS and MIN), used multiple years of high-lotto picks, whether gifted to them by McHale and King, or gifted by a benevolent NBA for sucking for 15 years, to build their flexibility to make big trades.

Tell me again what you think I'm missing here? I'm not saying "never trade", but your points don't seem to add up logically to a strategic vision for getting talent (thus, championships) to Portland.

 

[Strenuus]

Exactly. You need to either pay your top ten positional players at market value or sell the team because you are too cheap. I have zero regrets over CJ's contract, and I highly doubt Paul Allen or Olshey would disagree.

There's no question that I am pretty meh about CJ.

That being said, the contract was worth it. There's also no question about that.

 

[dviss1]

Pat Connaghton lookin' like a better Rudy Ferndandez out there last night!!!

 

[dviss1]

Chambers still has one of the top 5 dunks I’ve ever seen

Really? I like that dunk but top 5? I guess I shouldn't debate an opinion. Buuuuuuut...

 

[dviss1]

We got some flabby dancers.

This one is hot to me though...

 

[dviss1]

Did y'all see that bullshit where they stole 8 seconds from us?? Said the ball didn't hit the rim??

WHAT in the actual FUCK was the Trail official looking at??

I just don't see how that gets missed. And THEN the MFs guess.... REALLY?? You guess that it DIDN'T hit the rim??

I'm sorry, a ref should be able to review a correctable error. Simple. Change the replay rule to one where that can be done

 

[BlazerBeav]

Agree completely with you on that - it was a brutal call.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I’m sure we can get a stud wing player in free agency with all our cap space and the fact that free agents flock to Portland...oh wait

Are you saying "oh wait" because we have no cap space...... or because we never get stud FA's when we have cap space? Either way that leaves getting lucky in a trade (which there are very few stud wings in the league) or the .........draft.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Did y'all see that bullshit where they stole 8 seconds from us?? Said the ball didn't hit the rim??

WHAT in the actual FUCK was the Trail official looking at??

I just don't see how that gets missed. And THEN the MFs guess.... REALLY?? You guess that it DIDN'T hit the rim??

I'm sorry, a ref should be able to review a correctable error. Simple. Change the replay rule to one where that can be done

Did you see Stotts on the replay? He just pointed at the jumbotron, looked at the ref, and was like "dude, take a look?" He was so incredulous he was smiling

 

[dviss1]

Did you see Stotts on the replay? He just pointed at the jumbotron, looked at the ref, and was like "dude, take a look?" He was so incredulous he was smiling

The whole crowd had the same WTF moment. There is NO reason why a quick view of the replay shouldn't happen. I could've done it in less than 10-15 seconds.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Just finnished the Game, Pat Connaughton is the best white dunker in the league!

Things seem to be slowing down for him. He continues to expand what he is doing out there almost every month. First he looked like he was just trying to be a 3 and D type player. Then there were more pull up mid range J's , then he started to attack the rim, and now they are running alley oops for him. He didn't try to do it all at once. Nice steady improvement. I must admit I am a little surprised. He is becoming a very a solid SG off the bench.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Things seem to be slowing down for him. He continues to expand what he is doing out there almost every month. First he looked like he was just trying to be a 3 and D type player. Then there were more pull up mid range J's , then he started to attack the rim, and now they are running alley oops for him. He didn't try to do it all at once. Nice steady improvement. I must admit I am a little surprised. He is becoming a very a solid SG off the bench.

Yep, he's a good, solid role player who does more to help you than hurt you.

Between Pat, Ed and Shabazz, our bench has been really solid lately. Unless we need to include one of them in a trade for a significant upgrade to the stating line up, I'd hate to lose any of them. The problem is, given their play and their cheap contracts, they are three of our most attractive trading pieces.

BNM

 

[dviss1]

Things seem to be slowing down for him. He continues to expand what he is doing out there almost every month. First he looked like he was just trying to be a 3 and D type player. Then there were more pull up mid range J's , then he started to attack the rim, and now they are running alley oops for him. He didn't try to do it all at once. Nice steady improvement. I must admit I am a little surprised. He is becoming a very a solid SG off the bench.

What's funny is that alley oop play is just a part of the regular offense. It's not even a play they run for him. It's one of the 4-5 read and react options in the normal "flow" offense.

 

[illmatic99]

After that game, our team now climbs to #2 behind only GS for overall 3pt% at 38%. Warriors are at 39.2% overall.

But we are only 22nd in attempts and 19th in makes.

Maybe we need to shoot more?