Game Thread GAME# 59: GRIZZLIES @ BLAZERS - APRIL 23, 2021 - FRIDAY, 7:00, NBCSNW

[MickZagger]

When Lamar Hurd know what the play will probably be, probably the other team does too.

Exactly. I’m sure Lamar Hurd’s a nice guy. But his basketball acumen is severely lacking

 

[Haakzilla]

Exactly. I’m sure Lamar Hurd’s a nice guy. But his basketball acumen is severely lacking

...really?! Starting PG in the PAC12 is lacking basketball acumen? Or are you only saying this to be a cheeky Duck fan?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Postgame Notes – April 23, 2021
Memphis 130, Portland 128
Game No. 59, Home Game No. 31


TEAM
• The Trail Blazers outrebounded the Grizzlies 50-39. It was Portland’s 11th game of the season with 50+ boards.
• The Trail Blazers rebounding advantage in part came on the offensive glass, where they outrebounded the Grizzlies 14-8, leading to a 19-11 advantage in second chance points.
• Memphis handed out 31 assists to Portland’s 28. It was just the third time this season Portland has dished out 28 or more assists.
• Portland outscored Memphis 43-38 in the third quarter. It tied Portland’s third-highest scoring quarter of the season.


PLAYER
• Damian Lillard led Portland with 27 points (8-22 FG, 3-11 3-PT, 8-10 FT), three rebounds, five assists and one steal. It was Lillard’s sixth consecutive game against Memphis with at least 20 points.
• Jusuf Nurkic added 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field (1-1 3-PT, 3-4 FT), to go with 17 rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. It was a season high in both scoring and rebounding for Nurkic, as well as the eighth game of his career with 25+ points and 15+ boards.
• CJ McCollum finished with 22 points (8-16 FG, 4-10 3-PT, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds, seven assists and one steal. It was McCollem’s second consecutive game with nine rebounds, and seventh game of the season with seven or more assists.
• Norman Powell recorded 13 points (5-12 FG, 1-3 3-PT, 2-3 FT), two rebounds, two assists and one steal.
• Carmelo Anthony scored 13 points (4-7 FG, 3-4 3-PT, 2-2 FT) to go with three rebounds, one assist and one steal.
• Robert Covington had seven points (2-9 FG, 1-5 3-PT, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. Covington’s five assists tied a season-high (three times previous).
• Enes Kanter had 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting, seven rebounds and one assist.
• Ja Morant led Memphis with 33 points (11-17 FG, 1-3 3-PT, 10-12 FT), five rebounds, 12 assists and one steal. It was his fourth career game with at least 30 points and 10 assists.
• Dillon Brooks finished with 25 points (11-19 FG, 3-6 3-PT), two rebounds, three assists and one steal. It was his fifth game of the season with at least 25 points.
• In his second game back from injury, Jaren Jackson Jr. scored a season-high 23 points (10-14 FG, 3-4 FT), to go with three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.

 

[Tince]

...really?! Starting PG in the PAC12 is lacking basketball acumen? Or are you only saying this to be a cheeky Duck fan?

This take can't come as a surprise. A lot of people here think their basketball IQ is higher than our players and coaches., certainly they're going to think they know more than the announcers.

I'm a Duck fan, I think Hurd is very knowledgeable about the game. Sometimes he goes over-the-top trying to tow the company line, but that's who writes his checks, so it's forgivable.

 

[AldoTrapani]

The rest Dame so he's fresh for the playoffs strategy isn't looking so hot:

1-3 since resting Dame and getting him back. He's 37% from the field, 23% from 3 since his return. Amazing we're even competing with that production.

Hes feast or famine. Now nobody says anything to me anymore. Tried to tell them. Now they know

 

[AldoTrapani]

by the way, Morant and Jackson sure look like they will become a really good duo. They are already really close to really good. Brooks can be a solid glue guy like RoCo too. Memphis is a nice young team that plays really hard

Another western conference young team lapping us. Can’t wait to rebuild

 

[MickZagger]

...really?! Starting PG in the PAC12 is lacking basketball acumen? Or are you only saying this to be a cheeky Duck fan?

I don’t care what team he played for. I feel dumber watching a broadcast with him. Very elementary type commentary

 

[Mr. Robot]

 

[illmatic99]

Nassir getting a dnp is absolutely criminal.

 

[TBpup]

Nassir getting a dnp is absolutely criminal.

Got to keep that -12 Melo Legacy going.

 

[Scalma]

The more I think about this game the angrier I get that Stotts is still our coach.

Not playing Nas and even RHJ against a team that likes to run and is great in transition??

Abandoning Nurk in the fourth (minus that late bunny on an attempted high low, maybe the only actual play in terry’s book btw) when nobody could stop him, only so your guards can take isolated, contested, jumpers, I mean what the fuck?? And this wasn’t a one off incident either. Our “strategy” late in games is always, and I mean ALWAYS Dame, CJ, Dame, CJ, Dame, CJ, Dame, Dame, Dame. And we wonder why we’re so inconsistent?

End this fucking guy already.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Just finished the game.

I just...

sooo much talent.
Sooo little discipline.

i iust want to cry....

This cant keep happening can it?


No. Can Stotts. Now....

my two year old box of captn crunch in the back of the cupboard isnt this stale....

 

[James lamphear]

All options are possible, but throwing anyone in the organization under the bus or wanting to miss the playoffs would seem out of character for him

Yea you might be right but how how he misses especially when the game on the line this not Dame as I know him as player. Something going on with him and the way he missing and missing free throw too there might be something else. People talking about his injuries might be it but this guy beat before and never shot this bad. Not only Dame CJ too one these players always come up big when the other don't at the end of games.

 

[James lamphear]

Playing 4 of our 5 starters damn near 40 minutes in a loss to the Grizzlies. New low for Terry.

Won't be the last time you probably see it the rest of the season Stotts jobs on the line and any playoffs hope on the line too.

 

[SIeepwalker]

I haven't watched the last 4 games. This is the fist time since I started watching the Blazers

 

[Orion Bailey]

The more I think about this game the angrier I get that Stotts is still our coach.

Not playing Nas and even RHJ against a team that likes to run and is great in transition??

Abandoning Nurk in the fourth (minus that late bunny on an attempted high low, maybe the only actual play in terry’s book btw) when nobody could stop him, only so your guards can take isolated, contested, jumpers, I mean what the fuck?? And this wasn’t a one off incident either. Our “strategy” late in games is always, and I mean ALWAYS Dame, CJ, Dame, CJ, Dame, CJ, Dame, Dame, Dame. And we wonder why we’re so inconsistent?

End this fucking guy already.

its like a really really bad remake of the movie Groundhogs day with no Bill Murray and a bunch of B rated actors...with an F rated coach...

getting hard to watch.

 

[e_blazer]

I haven't watched the last 4 games. This is the fist time since I started watching the Blazers

They’ve all been “fist time” games and my hand is getting really sore from punching the wall.

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

Thank God for MLB.....and BG’s league pass access..........

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Exactly. I’m sure Lamar Hurd’s a nice guy. But his basketball acumen is severely lacking

The point I was trying to make is that Stotts only has one inbounds play under the basket, so of course the other team knew what was coming.

 

[wizenheimer]

plenty of discussion about the Kanter/Melo pairing so I thought I'd check lineups at bbref. First, the two man lineups ranked by net points/game:



this pretty clearly shows the problem, IMO, and it isn't really Kanter. Sure, he has his flaws, but he also brings strengths that greatly help the team and offset his defensive weakness. Obviously, this isn't every combination, only the 20 most used by minutes. But after watching this team over the 'Melo-legacy-era' is it really any surprise that he dominates the minus numbers?

but would 3-man lineups tell us something different?



I guess not really? Kanter makes plenty of appearances in the plus combo's. Melo doesn't show up until the 14th best combo and that's with Dame. Kanter and Melo were slightly plus with Trent. But Kanter & Melo together with Dame was bad, and dropped pretty significantly into minus territory. Obviously, if they compiled the next 20 combos, all minus, Melo would show up all over the place

of course, teams play 5 so you have to gauge the 2-man and 3-man lineups against what you see in the 5 man lineups. You also have to gauge net points against the minutes sample sizes:



I guess it's no surprise that Dame appears in the best 6 lineups and 9 or the top-10. CJ only appears in 3 of the top-10 and all 3 times was with Dame. But Kanter appears in 6 of the top-10 lineups. Melo appears in one, but that's with Hood, Little, and Simons so I have to think there was some garbage time involved there. Melo does appear in some plus lineups, but looking at the combos, I'd say it was more due to teammates or him just being hot like he gets about every 4t or 5th game

but Melo really starts to show up, again, when the lineups drop into minus territory. Is this really a surprise though?

the one other 'disturbing' lineup is ranked 19th. That's 4 starters + Kanter and they gave up a net -10.5 points. Looks like some major miscalculations by the GM about the quality of fit

and speaking of major miscalculations by the GM...how's that Melo-legacy bullshit working out for everybody but Melo, Neil?

 

[wizenheimer]

The more I think about this game the angrier I get .

my doctor says: "don't do that"

 

[PCmor7]

by the way, Morant and Jackson sure look like they will become a really good duo. They are already really close to really good. Brooks can be a solid glue guy like RoCo too. Memphis is a nice young team that plays really hard

Brooks had Dame pretty much locked down and was in his head. His numbers nearly matched Dame. That's extremely troubling. Dame has to be able to beat him on his own more than he did.

 

[TBpup]

@wizenheimer ... my goodness is MElo bad in those charts. Stotts HAS to be aware of those, right?

 

[Labinot41]

Is Dame really the best leader in the NBA? just curious what a guy like Jimmy Butler would do to this team

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Is Dame really the best leader in the NBA?

Who says he is? I've not heard it.

just curious what a guy like Jimmy Butler would do to this team

Right now he has to do it to the Heat:

(Last ten games)

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Somethings not right with Lillard. He seems pissy on top of everything else. If I was a ref, I'd be getting tired of the haranguing.

 

[Labinot41]

Right now he has to do it to the Heat:
View attachment 38202
(Last ten games)

After making the finals with this team and only had two months of offseason

 

[Rastapopoulos]

plenty of discussion about the Kanter/Melo pairing so I thought I'd check lineups at bbref. First, the two man lineups ranked by net points/game:

View attachment 38199

this pretty clearly shows the problem, IMO, and it isn't really Kanter. Sure, he has his flaws, but he also brings strengths that greatly help the team and offset his defensive weakness. Obviously, this isn't every combination, only the 20 most used by minutes. But after watching this team over the 'Melo-legacy-era' is it really any surprise that he dominates the minus numbers?

but would 3-man lineups tell us something different?

View attachment 38200

I guess not really? Kanter makes plenty of appearances in the plus combo's. Melo doesn't show up until the 14th best combo and that's with Dame. Kanter and Melo were slightly plus with Trent. But Kanter & Melo together with Dame was bad, and dropped pretty significantly into minus territory. Obviously, if they compiled the next 20 combos, all minus, Melo would show up all over the place

of course, teams play 5 so you have to gauge the 2-man and 3-man lineups against what you see in the 5 man lineups. You also have to gauge net points against the minutes sample sizes:

View attachment 38201

I guess it's no surprise that Dame appears in the best 6 lineups and 9 or the top-10. CJ only appears in 3 of the top-10 and all 3 times was with Dame. But Kanter appears in 6 of the top-10 lineups. Melo appears in one, but that's with Hood, Little, and Simons so I have to think there was some garbage time involved there. Melo does appear in some plus lineups, but looking at the combos, I'd say it was more due to teammates or him just being hot like he gets about every 4t or 5th game

but Melo really starts to show up, again, when the lineups drop into minus territory. Is this really a surprise though?

the one other 'disturbing' lineup is ranked 19th. That's 4 starters + Kanter and they gave up a net -10.5 points. Looks like some major miscalculations by the GM about the quality of fit

and speaking of major miscalculations by the GM...how's that Melo-legacy bullshit working out for everybody but Melo, Neil?

What this tells us is ROCO = MVP!!!!

 

[Rastapopoulos]

After making the finals with this team and only had two months of offseason

So you're talking about a hypothetical Jimmy Butler, not the actual right-now Jimmy Butler. Gotcha. Can I talk about the hypothetical Dame-of-the-Bubble?

RIGHT NOW the "best leader in the NBA" looks to be Russell Westbrook.

 

[AldoTrapani]

Yea you might be right but how how he misses especially when the game on the line this not Dame as I know him as player. Something going on with him and the way he missing and missing free throw too there might be something else. People talking about his injuries might be it but this guy beat before and never shot this bad. Not only Dame CJ too one these players always come up big when the other don't at the end of games.

Nothing is going on with dame Jesus.. he does every year single year. He’s feast or famine. Long stretches of hot shooting then looong stretches of slumps that we blame on “injures”, or he’s a “new dad” lol

This is who he is as a player. Great but streaky inconsistent player