Game Thread GAME# 57: PELICANS @ BLAZERS - FEBRUARY 21, 2020 - FRIDAY, 7:30 PM, ESPN & NBCSNW

[Darkwebs]

Brandon Roy shout out by ESPN

 

[illmatic99]

Has Jrue Holiday ever missed a 3 in the Moda Center?

no.

 

[DDolla]

We got swept again by New Orleans lol

 

[B-Roy]

Going from being the #3 Seed and making the Conference finals last year to this year's miserable season, it's like the triumph of climbing Mt Everest and then deciding to take quick way down by jumping off the top of the mountain.

Maybe the year off will help Dame like LeBron last year

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Going from being the #3 Seed and making the Conference finals last year to this year's miserable season, it's like the triumph of climbing Mt Everest and then deciding to take quick way down by jumping off the top of the mountain.

Things are definitely dark right now but we just gotta go beat the Pistons and go from there. Hope Grizzlies lose to Clippers in a couple days. And we'll pull to 2.5 games back.

 

[Darkwebs]

alvin gentry has owned stotts every season

Gentry doesn't need a hotel when he visits Portland; he lives rent-free in Terry's mind.

 

[BlayZa]

we're literally a bottom 5 team without dame

 

[illmatic99]

Maybe the year off will help Dame like LeBron last year

lebron's resurgence this year has more to do with the fact that he landed a top 3 player over the offseason

 

[TBpup]

That was one of the reasons. That wasn't the only game we played that season.

Really? We had more than one game? It was however the only game Stotts sat all the starters. He was playing to get the #4 seed instead of trying to get the best seed possible. Ant messed it up and it got us out of the Warriors bracket which enabled us to get to the WCF. Good for Ant.

 

[DDolla]

Can we start next season already... this season is just F*ck

 

[Scalma]

Stop playing Melo 30+ minutes for fuckks sake

 

[TBpup]

Things are definitely dark right now but we just gotta go beat the Pistons and go from there. Hope Grizzlies lose to Clippers in a couple days. And we'll pull to 2.5 games back.

Pistons are holding Fan Tryouts to help fill out the roster.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

we're literally a bottom 5 team without dame

might be a bottom team with dame lol

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Pistons are holding Fan Tryouts to help fill out the roster.

Really? I would believe that.

 

[TBpup]

That's pure conjecture. But I question the assertion that Stotts wanted the 4th seed. Maybe he simply thought rest was more important than seeding. Dame sure didn't look scared of the Thunder when we played them in the first round.

FTFY

 

[wizenheimer]

good news is Detroit has lost 5 in a row and 11 of their last 13. Surely the Blazers can beat a team like that...right?

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Really? We had more than one game? It was however the only game Stotts sat all the starters. He was playing to get the #4 seed instead of trying to get the best seed possible. Ant messed it up and it got us out of the Warriors bracket which enabled us to get to the WCF. Good for Ant.

You don't know he wanted the 4 seed. Maybe he just felt rest was the most important. I'm sure Stotts coached us to win that game so don't give all the credit to Ant.

 

[TBpup]

good news is Detroit has lost 5 in a row and 11 of their last 13. Surely the Blazers can beat a team like that...right?

 

[bobf]

Sure. Sometimes. More often, it’s about talent. Continuity. Personnel. Star players. We are missing all of those.

Talent. Continuity. Personnel. Star Players. Aminu & Harkless. We are missing all of those.

 

[James lamphear]

Trent went 5-11 and 3-4 from the 3 for 15 maybe he needs little opportunity to score. CJ Whiteside Melo score and basically the same as every game. CJ did have double double.

 

[B-Roy]

Stop playing Melo for fuckks sake

FTFY

 

[OneSport3]

You don't know he wanted the 4 seed. Maybe he just felt rest was the most important. I'm sure Stotts coached us to win that game so don't give all the credit to Ant.

No, he wanted the 4th seed. During pregame media for that game, he was tongue-in-cheek with his answers about sitting all the starters.

 

[TBpup]

Sunday's Headlines:

Blazers back in the Playoff hunt after victory over the Pistons in a rematch of the 1990 NBA Finals.

 

[Chris Craig]

This season is over. Don't have much faith for next season either

 

[B-Roy]

That Nurkic injury basically ended two seasons for us. Maybe more since it gave management an excuse to keep the coaching staff together beyond this year. Highlights the fragility of this league...

 

[blazerkor]

CJ and Whiteside defined empty stats tonight. On plays where we needed the stops or we needed to score to change the momentum both guys failed but they did not fail to fill up the stat sheet. Almost every one of Whiteside's blocks ended up as an offensive board and a subsequent score. Whiteside really failed to box out a lot tonight and his rebounds came to him, not the other way around. While some might say that it was good that CJ's points came within the flow of the offense, I just didn't find them meaningful. I think CJ failed to press the action, make shots, get to the hole and facilitate on crucial possessions. He did show that he can pass and set up teammates (which is frustrating when you think about how he usually plays) but he didn't make the passes or score when we really needed him to be the man.

 

[Natebishop3]

We didn't even have Nurk or CJ end of last season and still ran off wins to get 3 seed last year. And oh, made it to the WCF when CJ came back. I wouldn't count Stotts out. He has consistently gotten a lot out of this team after the break.

The west is significantly harder this year. The Lakers are the best team in the west. They didn't make the playoffs last year. The Clips have Kawhi and PG13. Last years team would struggle to make the playoffs this year. It's not the same conference.

 

[jlprk]

CJ and Whiteside defined empty stats tonight.

It's nice to see this on the board often, now.

This board's about 5 years behind me on McCollum. I stopped repeating this about 3 years ago, as I was just making board enemies. That coincided with my great reduction in posting.

The ultimate, bottom-line cause is Stotts' system.

 

[royo]

CJ and Whiteside defined empty stats tonight. On plays where we needed the stops or we needed to score to change the momentum both guys failed but they did not fail to fill up the stat sheet. Almost every one of Whiteside's blocks ended up as an offensive board and a subsequent score. Whiteside really failed to box out a lot tonight and his rebounds came to him, not the other way around. While some might say that it was good that CJ's points came within the flow of the offense, I just didn't find them meaningful. I think CJ failed to press the action, make shots, get to the hole and facilitate on crucial possessions. He did show that he can pass and set up teammates (which is frustrating when you think about how he usually plays) but he didn't make the passes or score when we really needed him to be the man.

So, stats geeks, can anybody shows how many of Hassan blocks this season were "valid" in terms of Blazers getting the ball after? B/c it seems those blocks always transform for either easy points or 3pointers for other team.

And 2nd thing. You can always bet on CJ's over in assists every game w/o Lillard on the court. We talked about how he could make this team deadly with same effort when Lillard is on. Either forum is stupid or Stotts is stupid or CJ is stupid. I loved this guy for his ninja skills, but now I want him to gtfout cos what he is doing is sabotaging this team.

 

[AldoTrapani]

This season is over. Don't have much faith for next season either

oh if next year doesn’t go well a huge rebuild is coming. Quite frankly at that point would anybody really object to that. Definitely feels like the end of an era is coming if next year fails