Game Thread GAME# 54: CELTICS @ BLAZERS - FEBRUARY 9, 2017 - THURSDAY, 7:30 PM (PST), TNT

[tester551]

Why should we have expected more? We knew who he was when we matched Brooklyn's offer. He hasn't underachieved.

Exactly. That's why you don't match that contract

 

[KingSpeed]

Bottom line Crabbe not the problem but he not worth 19 million dollars neither. We lost this game at the beginning of the 3rd QT when we came out flat the whole game turn from there even though we made runs at them but to me that was the turning point. 2nd why wasn't Harkless in there guarding Thomas he did a pretty good job on him in the 1st half.

No one can guard Thomas. He's been dropping 30+ on every team in the league. MVP.

 

[Five Second Violation]

Yea, we need to spend 3 years developing rookies that likely won't pan out with the league's highest payroll and our two best players in their prime.

Our two best players in their prime is currently yielding us a 23-31 record. Whatever. It's contention or bust in this league and we're currently not even close.

 

[Five Second Violation]

You want Waiters on this team?

Having a better season than Crabbe and making 1/9 as much. Neither option is ideal.

 

[craigehlo]

Our two best players in their prime is currently yielding us a 23-31 record. Whatever. It's contention or bust in this league and we're currently not even close.

It's purgatory. We don't suck enough for an impact player in the draft. You need to deal the picks to team that is at the start of a rebuild and wants flexibility.

 

[LuckyShot]

I gotta go to bed.

Dammit, Blazers, start winning more.

 

[Five Second Violation]

It's purgatory. We don't suck enough for an impact player in the draft. You need to deal the picks to team that is at the start of a rebuild and wants flexibility.

We're not that far from having a bottom 5 record, actually. If we commit to playing the younger guys the rest of the way and finish with 30-32 wins, we could very easily make some noise in the lottery. That's going to have to be the saving grace of this turd of a season.

 

[Chris Craig]

I was at the game and I didn't notice Crabbe at all

 

[Strenuus]

I have two words for this team, to sum up this clusterfuck:

Consistently Inconsistent.

 

[Gronk Brady]

More rookies? We haven't even had a first round pick who we have kept since C.J. in 2013. We're a lottery quality team this year and are starving for talent. You don't throw away lotto picks so you can chase flawed players like Vucevic, when you could be getting younger, cheap rookie contract talent. We need to develop through the draft now.

I agree not to throw away the picks for a guy like Vucevic... but if those picks can get a guy like Noel or Okafor who can both contribute now and have huge upside, you make the trade... I just don't want to draft a 19 year old that is years away

 

[Strenuus]

Potential contender? We have the same team that you all expected to win 26 games last year. Not sure why you all suddenly expected us to win more this season with Evan Turner as the only major difference.

"You all"

I didn't say that last year.

There's a thread with most of the people's predictions from last year. Did you dare to look at that or do you just like being wrong right off the bat?

Use better wording.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I gotta go to bed.

Dammit, Blazers, start winning more.

Or losing more

 

[Mediocre Man]

Win one, lose one = Purgatory

 

[illmatic99]

ugh


Can we end this misery already

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

Stotts isn't very high on him.

Yeah, why would he be high on Ed Davis, a guy that shoots layups, 5-ft jump hooks, and dunks at a career .562 %, plays pretty good team D, and is probably our best rebounder?

I guess because he can't stand at the 3-point line with his thumb up his ass.

 

[illmatic99]

Noah killed us last night. Those 7 minutes in the third quarter were fucking brutal. We were playing 4 on 5 on offense, and 3 on 5 on defense with him and Dame. We kept bleeding with that lineup, and Terry didn't do a thing to change it.

I still don't see what some of you guys (and apparently Terry) see in the guy. He's 21. Been in the NBA for three seasons now. There is nothing there. He has horrible touch, 0 bball IQ, and can't even box out. Can't believe we traded Nic for this scrub.

 

[craigehlo]

Vonleh hustled down a few rebounds int he 1st half, but that was it. He's lost on offense and doesn't have good instincts around the rim if the shot isn't a dunk. It's like management is trying to convince themselves he isn't a bust so the Batum trade won't look so awful.

 

[blue9]

Depends. I never really cared about the draft, especially picking outside of the top 10. If we can land an impact player for two firsts, I'm all over it.

We are 4 wins/losses away from having the 4th worst record. Had we not beaten CLE, BOS, MEM, and...say...DAL, we'd have the 4th worst record right now. Those wins are going to bite us in the ass.

 

[TBpup]

How has he regressed? He's one of the best shooters in the NBA.

He has regressed.....defensively. He was better before. I realize some only consider offense when ranking a player which is why Dame/CJ get so much love. But offense is only half of the game and Crabbe's defense has definitely regressed.

 

[illmatic99]

Vonleh hustled down a few rebounds int he 1st half, but that was it. He's lost on offense and doesn't have good instincts around the rim if the shot isn't a dunk. It's like management is trying to convince themselves he isn't a bust so the Batum trade won't look so awful.

Would not surprise me one bit if the mandate to start him came from Neil.

 

[Strenuus]

We are 4 wins/losses away from having the 4th worst record. Had we not beaten CLE, BOS, MEM, and...say...DAL, we'd have the 4th worst record right now. Those wins are going to bite us in the ass.

Apparently everything is okay because "Hey, we won the last one."

LOL, no. This team is not okay.

 

[illmatic99]

He has regressed.....defensively. He was better before. I realize some only consider offense when ranking a player which is why Dame/CJ get so much love. But offense is only half of the game and Crabbe's defense has definitely regressed.

He's a walking foul. Can't move his feet, reaches every play down. We have 2 of these guys who are notorious in him and Ed.

 

[TBpup]

Noah killed us last night. Those 7 minutes in the third quarter were fucking brutal. We were playing 4 on 5 on offense, and 3 on 5 on defense with him and Dame. We kept bleeding with that lineup, and Terry didn't do a thing to change it.

I still don't see what some of you guys (and apparently Terry) see in the guy. He's 21. Been in the NBA for three seasons now. There is nothing there. He has horrible touch, 0 bball IQ, and can't even box out. Can't believe we traded Nic for this scrub.

Vonleh wasn't that bad on defense in the 3rd other than the Blazer guards kept switching everything so he ended up being stuck on Isaiah Thomas 25' from the basket. Vonleh plays perimeter D better than any other Blazer big but to ask him to navigate against the 5'9" Thomas is probably a bit optimistic.

 

[chzbrgr]

Would not surprise me one bit if the mandate to start him came from Neil.

ah the clever "player development" tank

 

[Minstrel]

We did it because they were young and we wanted to retain our assets. We could go over the cap to sign them but can't go over the cap to sign anyone else of note.

Because Olshey spent up to the luxury tax on Crabbe, Harkless, Turner and Leonard, he almost certainly won't be able to retain Plumlee--a much better player than any of those four. The idea that you should wildly overpay your own free agents because "you can't spend the money on other players" is pretty obviously wrong unless this is the last season in franchise history and you will never again have players reaching free agency.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Crabbe in the lineup with Dame, CJ, Mase and Chief outscored opponents 7.5 points per 100 possessions last season. That same lineup is a -10 this season.

Do you know how often is that lineup playing compared to last year?

 

[blue9]

Last night's starting line-up should be the starting line-up for as long as this roster exists. But Noah needs to play in the 2nd & 4th quarters too, rather than just the first 6 minutes of the 1st and 3rd.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Tonight he wasn't fighting to get open. He just looked like he wanted wide open 3's and didn't need to work on offense. Zero effort and hustle especially when you see how a dude like Marcus Smart gets after it.

I don't like making excuses for a guy making $18 million a year; I mean he should be busting his ass every night no matter what. But maybe he is a little bit of a baby and coach Stotts should baby him a little bit. Like point out in film sessions how often Dame, CJ and Turner miss him on cuts to the basket. And then run a few damn plays for him. Once Crabbe gets going he is really a good offensive player and his defense really perks up also.

 

[Trackjack]

Last night's starting line-up should be the starting line-up for as long as this roster exists. But Noah needs to play in the 2nd & 4th quarters too, rather than just the first 6 minutes of the 1st and 3rd.

If he gets that amount.

 

[Trackjack]

Vonleh is role player that it he does what he suppose is setting screen and rebounds and play defense all 3 of those he was successful. Yes he got lost in the offense couple of times. But he also lead us in rebounds with 9. But he wasn't in there when Boston got 3 wide open shots.