Game Thread GAME# 51: RAPTORS @ BLAZERS - FEBRUARY 4, 2016 - THURSDAY, 7:00 PM (PST), KGW

[Blazers Roy]

This game made me very mad.

Mad because i didn't notice the line for this game was Toronto (+1), fucking hell! that's such a good bet!

Other than that? no worries really. I expected them to lose this game, we are not a 10 game winning streak team yet.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

This game made me very mad.

Mad because i didn't notice the line for this game was Toronto (+1), fucking hell! that's such a good bet!

Other than that? no worries really. I expected them to lose this game, we are not a 10 game winning streak team yet.

Saving that for next month.

 

[blue32]

I've said this before, this team has 2 TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NBA quality starters and people are bashing on our best player when he gets 27/11!!??
Are you fucking serious right now!?!?

The opposing teams defense has one mission, TO KEEP DAME FROM SCORING! And he still puts up numbers like he has and these fools are actually critiquing him? 8 for 20, who gives a shit.......27/11 against one of the best teams and backcourts in the league. What the fuck?

damn the salt.... I'm not bashing. I made an observation. Remove tampon please and give to your mom!

 

[HolyBackboard]

Maybe one day Terry Stotts will learn how to defend a pick and roll ... My goodness, it took until the 47th minute to make a single adjustment to our PnR defense. Stotts is a good offensive coach, but his defensive strategies leave a lot to be desired.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Maybe one day Terry Stotts will learn how to defend a pick and roll ... My goodness, it took until the 47th minute to make a single adjustment to our PnR defense. Stotts is a good offensive coach, but his defensive strategies leave a lot to be desired.

I don't think Stotts is a great defensive mind, but really this is more about Jimmies and Joes, not Xs and Os; Damian and McCollum are below average perimeter defenders which leaves our bigs exposed a lot of times.

 

[Chris Craig]

I blame your free tickets!

right...hey I was yelling at the refs all night...I'm sure they heard me...was waiting for security to come escort me out of the moda center

 

[BlazerCaravan]

right...hey I was yelling at the refs all night...I'm sure they heard me...was waiting for security to come escort me out of the moda center

It's okay, they obviously got back at you in other ways.

 

[blue9]

I don't think Stotts is a great defensive mind, but really this is more about Jimmies and Joes, not Xs and Os; Damian and McCollum are below average perimeter defenders which leaves our bigs exposed a lot of times.

So Lowry and DeRozan are above average defenders? Maybe Lowry is - I've never noticed either way with him. But I've never been impressed with DeRozan as a defender. What last night showed us is that a team with a good concept can play great defense regardless of the "Jimmies and Joes". Defense is where coaches are measured, because you DON'T need great individual defenders to be a great defensive team - you need (1) a good defensive system, (2) the ability to teach your players how to play within that system, and (3) your players to buy into the system. Whereas on offense coaches can hide behind great offensive players.

 

[brendanjames]

McCollum looks like his face is pressed up against glass. Waiting for him to puff out his cheeks.

Blazers have handed the Raptors demoralizing losses that have had damaging effects in recent years.

Thought I was the only Jays fan in this forum...challenge on.

 

[brendanjames]

Crap, the rawstreams site with the big beautiful live stream got shut down. I was kind of expecting it.

They are rehashing it under a new name soon I think. Classic streaming sites. I used nbahd for this game

 

[tlongII]

We need more talent. The coaching was not the problem.

 

[e_blazer]

So Lowry and DeRozan are above average defenders? Maybe Lowry is - I've never noticed either way with him. But I've never been impressed with DeRozan as a defender. What last night showed us is that a team with a good concept can play great defense regardless of the "Jimmies and Joes". Defense is where coaches are measured, because you DON'T need great individual defenders to be a great defensive team - you need (1) a good defensive system, (2) the ability to teach your players how to play within that system, and (3) your players to buy into the system. Whereas on offense coaches can hide behind great offensive players.

I guess Stotts got a lot smarter in the second half of the game since the Blazers played some terrific defense then.

 

[blue9]

I guess Stotts got a lot smarter in the second half of the game since the Blazers played some terrific defense then.

They can certainly play good defense at times, but it's generally increased effort rather than a change in the system. A lot of that "good defense" came from Crabbe/CJ/etc poking the ball away and gambling on defense. It worked, but it's hardly evidence of a good defensive system. I'm definitely in favor of allowing Crabbe, CJ, and Harkless to gamble on defense, but we still need a good 5-man defense.

 

[Nikolokolus]

So Lowry and DeRozan are above average defenders? Maybe Lowry is - I've never noticed either way with him. But I've never been impressed with DeRozan as a defender. What last night showed us is that a team with a good concept can play great defense regardless of the "Jimmies and Joes". Defense is where coaches are measured, because you DON'T need great individual defenders to be a great defensive team - you need (1) a good defensive system, (2) the ability to teach your players how to play within that system, and (3) your players to buy into the system. Whereas on offense coaches can hide behind great offensive players.

Lowry is a pretty good defender in my estimation - very physical, Derozan . . . I don't know, maybe he's better now (at the very least he length and size). As for scheme, and coaching I agree that it matters quite a bit, but that doesn't change the fact that Damian and McCollum are both below average in that department. It's one of the reasons I think the two of them paired as starters is a no-go longterm.

 

[blue9]

I agree that individually neither Dame nor CJ are great defenders. But I've noticed that Dame has definitely improved this season, and CJ isn't as bad as people make him out to be. He has a knack for poking the ball away and is at least active on defense. I'm not willing to give up on them just because neither are great individual defenders because I think that can be mitigated with a great defensive system. The fact that both are willing to play defense tells me they can both be part of a good defensive team. Now if in 2-3 years, under better coaching, they still aren't cutting the mustard then I'd certainly look to make a change - but right now it's too early, IMO, to make that call since we've only seen them play defense under Stotts.

 

[Natebishop3]

I've said this before, this team has 2 TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NBA quality starters and people are bashing on our best player when he gets 27/11!!??
Are you fucking serious right now!?!?

The opposing teams defense has one mission, TO KEEP DAME FROM SCORING! And he still puts up numbers like he has and these fools are actually critiquing him? 8 for 20, who gives a shit.......27/11 against one of the best teams and backcourts in the league. What the fuck?

People? It's one guy. It's the same "one guy" who has been on his case all season.

 

[riverman]

I don't think Stotts is a great defensive mind, but really this is more about Jimmies and Joes, not Xs and Os; Damian and McCollum are below average perimeter defenders which leaves our bigs exposed a lot of times.

This^

 

[riverman]

That's beyond Stotts mental capabilities

Little bit different from criticizing a pick and roll scheme....

 

[Chris Craig]

I guess Stotts got a lot smarter in the second half of the game since the Blazers played some terrific defense then.

There was some good defensive plays in the second half, but they were interspersed between large areas of shitty defense, bad reffing, and FG attempts that can be describe with no other words then horribly low percentage...

Blazers could have had that game if they really wanted it. Even after it becoming abudntly clear the refs were not gonna make calls on our end ( unless they were on the floor or on occasion out of bounce) the Blazers were still throwing up crazy shots and hoping for whistles.

THE BLAZERS CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT RELY ON THE REFS!!!

We need to take high field goal percentage shots, stop with the hesitation on open shots, and be confident. I saw a team last night that lost because they didn't think they could win, they put Toronto on a pedestal...Toronto is not better than the Blazers, they just got the better of the blazers.

 

[riverman]

There was some good defensive plays in the second half, but they were interspersed between large areas of shitty defense, bad reffing, and FG attempts that can be describe with no other words then horribly low percentage...

Blazers could have had that game if they really wanted it. Even after it becoming abudntly clear the refs were not gonna make calls on our end ( unless they were on the floor or on occasion out of bounce) the Blazers were still throwing up crazy shots and hoping for whistles.

THE BLAZERS CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT RELY ON THE REFS!!!

We need to take high field goal percentage shots, stop with the hesitation on open shots, and be confident. I saw a team last night that lost because they didn't think they could win, they put Toronto on a pedestal...Toronto is not better than the Blazers, they just got the better of the blazers.

right now I think Toronto is quite a bit better than the Blazers and is a team you aren't going to beat giving them a 37 pt first qtr

 

[Chris Craig]

right now I think Toronto is quite a bit better than the Blazers and is a team you aren't going to beat giving them a 37 pt first qtr

We dicked around on defense and gave up too many points in the first I agree, but this Blazer team can play just as well as the Raptors did, hell I've seen them play even better.

 

[riverman]

I have Toronto as my dark horse to come out of the east and make the finals...they are deep and talented...where I think we should be next season

 

[blue9]

I don't see much of a talent disparity between POR and TOR - I see a coaching difference.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

I don't see much of a talent disparity between POR and TOR - I see a coaching difference.

Casey isn't exactly loved lol Toronto is a fools gold team imho. We will lap them as a better team by next season.

 

[blue9]

Casey isn't exactly loved lol Toronto is a fools gold team imho. We will lap them as a better team by next season.

Oh, I agree. I've long felt we're the TOR of the West - a good regular season team that'll go nowhere in the Playoffs.
But Casey has TOR playing better ball than we are under Stotts.

 

[riverman]

I don't see much of a talent disparity between POR and TOR - I see a coaching difference.

I see a team that has a couple seasons under it's belt with pretty much the same core as the difference..we're just starting to develop that sort of chemistry

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

Oh, I agree. I've long felt we're the TOR of the West - a good regular season team that'll go nowhere in the Playoffs.
But Casey has TOR playing better ball than we are under Stotts.

Toronto also has a lot more experience and familiarity with each other.

 

[Chris Craig]

I have Toronto as my dark horse to come out of the east and make the finals...they are deep and talented...where I think we should be next season

Toronto has never won a championship...they never will

 

[riverman]

Toronto has never won a championship...they never will

They won't this season, but I think they have a shot at the eastern conference title

 

[Tunchi]

I don't see much of a talent disparity between POR and TOR - I see a coaching difference.

Really? Lowry is arguably better than Lillard. Derozan is better than Cj. Valanciunas is better than our whole front line combined. Plus their role players are slightly better than ours with the exception of Ross over Crabbe.