Game Thread GAME# 61: BLAZERS @ HAWKS - FEBRUARY 29, 2020 - SATURDAY, 4:30, NBCSNW

[Cugel]

I have reached my limit of Stoffense and Tefense. This team is not good.

 

[Darkwebs]

 

[blazerfan11]

Funny how Calabro gives a negative comment about Hezonja's bounce pass and is silent on all the other worse shit we saw throughout the game.

 

[TBpup]

Nice night from Collins...good to see him back. 24 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and 2 blocks.

What? That's not 'our' Collins? We traded two 1st round picks to move up and take a different Collins. Damn.....foiled again.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Is it too early to call it a season?

 

[rotary111]

I haven't started this game yet.

I'm guessing I should start with a double shot for this one.

 

[blazerfan11]

Play smart, play together, play hard.

 

[blazerfan11]

I haven't started this game yet.

I'm guessing I should start with a double shot for this one.

Watch the YouTube highlights.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

The real explanation for the team's performance was that they were trying to get Dame more MVP votes.

 

[Wade Garrett]

Is it too early to call it a season?

What time is it?

 

[Chris Craig]

I haven't started this game yet.

I'm guessing I should start with a double shot for this one.

Drink the bottle

 

[Darkwebs]

It was atrocious basketball. Like literally, they started Ha Seung Jin at center for a time.

Especially since he was severely undersized at the center position.

Spoiler

 

[OneSport3]

Is it too early to call it a season?

No, it’s not too early. The margin of error was razor thin and this was a must-win game. The Hawks are the 3rd worst team in the league and they dominated this game.

 

[DDolla]

Is it too early to call it a season?

Dude our season was over before the All-Star break

 

[blazerfan11]

Is it too early to call it a season?

No.
No Nurkic. No Collins. No Lillard. No effort.

 

[blazerfan11]

What time is it?

7:02 Pacific Standard Time.

 

[Tince]

I don't know, why don't you look it up.

I just did some pre/post all star team defensive rating comparisons.

2018-2019: Down 2 spots
2017-2018: Up 7 spots (#3 in the NBA in 2nd half)
2016-2017: Up 13 spots
2015-2016: Down 4 spots

Last four seasons, on average, Portland improved nearly 5 (edit: 3.5) spots on defense after the all star break.

@BonesJones I don't think this is a black/white metric to measure defensive improvement in comparison to the rest of the league, but it was the easiest thing for me to pull. Can you think of any metric than can easily be pulled to measure if Portland doesn't "improve" on defense as much as other teams throughout the season?

 

[wizenheimer]

looks like Memphis might finally get a win tonight...up 11 with 6 minutes left

 

[kjironman1]

Is it too early to call it a season?

Apparently not?

 

[Labinot41]

Dude our season was over before the All-Star break

why did you want Portland to win the last games? In the beginning of the season you were on the tank board when they were still 60 games or so to play, now when it's only 20 games to play and Dame hurt you want them to win? That makes zero sense. I've been on the tanking board since the Hood injury and now i hope more than ever that we lose all games for the rest of the season

 

[kjironman1]

I haven't started this game yet.

I'm guessing I should start with a double shot for this one.

Don’t drink and watch this game. Don’t you know alcohol is a depressant?

 

[kjironman1]

The real explanation for the team's performance was that they were trying to get Dame more MVP votes.

Nice!

 

[Tince]

Eyeball test: It's much worse when Nurkic is out.

That would make sense in theory, wonder if the data backs that up. Wish there was an easy way to run that query.

 

[hoopsjock]

I just did some pre/post all star team defensive rating comparisons.

2018-2019: Down 2 spots
2017-2018: Up 7 spots (#3 in the NBA in 2nd half)
2016-2017: Up 13 spots
2015-2016: Down 4 spots

Last four seasons, on average, Portland improved nearly 5 spots on defense after the all star break.

Well 2016-17 was all Nurk, not coaching.

 

[kjironman1]

Well 2016-17 was all Nurk, not coaching.

Look I understand what you are saying but it doesn’t work one way without it working the other. If 16-17 was all Nurk then obviously 19-20 is all Nurk right?
Players make a difference in all cases. Not just the ones you want them to.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Is it too early to call it a season?

It's waaaaay late.

 

[Tince]

Well 2016-17 was all Nurk, not coaching.

If you're implying talent matters, I would agree.

Even if you omit 2016-2017, the data I pulled would not suggest Portland gets worse on defense throughout the season in comparison to the rest of the league.

 

[wizenheimer]

I just did some pre/post all star team defensive rating comparisons.

2018-2019: Down 2 spots
2017-2018: Up 7 spots (#3 in the NBA in 2nd half)
2016-2017: Up 13 spots
2015-2016: Down 4 spots

Last four seasons, on average, Portland improved nearly 5 spots on defense after the all star break.

might want to check your math. Looks like 3.5 spots, on average

but of course that's not really accurate either, or at least not good context. Portland was up 2 seasons and down 2 seasons. With one outlier season which IIRC was the Nurkic fever season. I question that "up 13 spots" for the 2016-17 season too. Portland finished 24th in the NBA that season in defensive rating so if their pre-allstar mark was such that they could jump 13 spots and still end up 24th, I'd think it's not much of a gauge

 

[PDXFonz]

Let the chair throwing commence. I’m here at Native Foods in Bridgeport ready to get it started off

 

[Tince]

might want to check your math. Looks like 3.5 spots, on average

but of course that's not really accurate either, or at least not good context. Portland was up 2 seasons and down 2 seasons. With one outlier season which IIRC was the Nurkic fever season. I question that "up 13 spots" for the 2016-17 season too. Portland finished 24th in the NBA that season in defensive rating so if their pre-allstar mark was such that they could jump 13 spots and still end up 24th, I'd think it's not much of a gauge

You're correct, my math was wrong. Improving 3.5 spots is the correct number.

What metric would you suggest is a good measure of determining if Portland's defense improves more/less than other NBA teams throughout the season? I don't think what I pulled is the best, but I don't have anything better.

Even if I omit the 2016-2017 (which would not be right in my opinion), you're looking at a near 0 change on average over the other 3 seasons. That would tell me that Portland improves at a normal rate or if they're not improving on defense, the other NBA teams don't improve either.