Game Thread GAME# 64: BLAZERS @ GRIZZLIES - MARCH 5, 2018 - TUESDAY, 5:00 PM, NBCSNW

[CupWizier]

Let's start with the premise that nobody here is an idiot.

We all understand that it is not the NFL and that teams don't have the time to install unique offensive and defensive schemes for each opponent. Stotts, however, takes it to the opposite extreme. He is very slow to adjust rotations and almost never adjusts schemes. We could spend hours arguing the "why", but we all see it happening. To put it bluntly, the Stotts' defenders ( of whom I was once one) need to find a better argument than than asking fans to ignore the obvious.

I have been hearing this argument for years all the way back to Adelman who was labeled too rigid, won't change rotations and doesn't make adjustments. It's the same story for every coach the Blazers have had. No coach is perfect, not even Pops as his team has struggled the last few years since Duncan left. Unless someone in this forum is at all the practices and in the huddles, pregame planning and halftime discussions nobody can say what changes or adjustments aren't being discussed.

 

[blue9]

Let's start with the premise that nobody here is an idiot.

Bwahahahahahaha!

 

[oldmangrouch]

I have been hearing this argument for years all the way back to Adelman who was labeled too rigid, won't change rotations and doesn't make adjustments. It's the same story for every coach the Blazers have had. No coach is perfect, not even Pops as his team has struggled the last few years since Duncan left. Unless someone in this forum is at all the practices and in the huddles, pregame planning and halftime discussions nobody can say what changes or adjustments are being discussed.

I understand what you are saying, but I don't entirely agree. Case in point: Nate was inflexible about the offense, but you can't really say that about defense. We can't know what schemes are discussed, but we do see what schemes are implemented.

 

[tlongII]

What the hell are you trying to say? If you're trying to say something, say it.

Jerking your chain?

 

[Hoopguru]

Honestly they need a better coach for the playoffs. Stotts and his system seems to work fine for the regular season. Thats the problem, until Stotts proves he can adjust in a playoff series his lasting impression will be he gets beat by the same schemes all the time. They might get 50 wins this year, which yes is partially on Stotts putting together a good system for the regular season. If they get swept again then that mostly proves yet again he’s behind what the opponents are doing.

Their scheme has now changed on the O side has changed with the additions of the new players, rather than just locking down Dame & CJ we now have some lethal options.
On the D side we are a bit better than last year.
The West is so competitive that right now it looks as if a number of teams could contend and maybe give GS a series.

 

[riverman]

I understand what you are saying, but I don't entirely agree. Case in point: Nate was inflexible about the offense, but you can't really say that about defense. We can't know what schemes are discussed, but we do see what schemes are implemented.

Nate's issue was playing his starters into the ground regular season and being injured or burned out come playoff time...we don't have to do that anymore with a bench...the bench isn't consistent yet at all but has looked great in short sample sizes. I like that we can win without Dame or CJ needing to score more than half our points and there's some hesitancy to share the ball but that's getting better these days...I see improvement and think we are way better built for the playoffs than we have been in a long while. Personally I don't think "schemes" is our issue in losses...it's lack of execution ...turnovers, bricked free throws, ticky tac fouls, etc....disclaimer....riverman is a fan, not a basketball expert by any stretch and as a fan, I like what I'm seeing...Pops would lose several games every regular season just in order to give his bench players big minutes and prepare them for playoff time...smart coaching. He'd sit Duncan, Parker and Ginobli and make Danny Green the go to guy for a night...people knew why he did it....

 

[hoopsjock]

The issue to me is that the Blazers are now 2-6 on the road against non-playoff teams in the West. That includes 0-4 against the 13th and 14th teams in the West, Dallas and Memphis.

That simply isn't good enough.

 

[CupWizier]

The issue to me is that the Blazers are now 2-6 on the road against non-playoff teams in the West. That includes 0-4 against the 13th and 14th teams in the West, Dallas and Memphis.

That simply isn't good enough.

Playoffs is a new season and Dallas and Memphis won't be in the playoffs.

 

[riverman]

The issue to me is that the Blazers are now 2-6 on the road against non-playoff teams in the West. That includes 0-4 against the 13th and 14th teams in the West, Dallas and Memphis.

That simply isn't good enough.

That's just a glitch in the Matrix....

 

[riverman]

Suns beat the Warriors early in the season too

 

[hoopsjock]

Playoffs is a new season and Dallas and Memphis won't be in the plaoffs.

And we're also not in the Eastern conference so we won't get to pad our playoff record against them.

If we can't beat non-playoff teams on the road it doesn't bode well for the playoffs when we face better teams.

 

[Hoopguru]

We’ve beaten some decent WC playoff teams on the road as well.

 

[CupWizier]

And we're also not in the Eastern conference so we won't get to pad our playoff record against them.

If we can't beat non-playoff teams on the road it doesn't bode well for the playoffs when we face better teams.

Like i said, it's a new season when it comes to playoffs and we have a top 10 record on the road. History is nice but come playoffs just like a new season everyone starts off equal. Too many people dwell on the negatives.

 

[kjironman1]

Might be time to just lock this game thread eh?

It's always BonesJones. Wonder why it always includes the same dude?

 

[riverman]

And we're also not in the Eastern conference so we won't get to pad our playoff record against them.

If we can't beat non-playoff teams on the road it doesn't bode well for the playoffs when we face better teams.

We had a poor stretch during those losses...seems to me that the staff has probably addressed the film of those losses and we've improved since. I think it's difficult for some folks to see the value in a players coach approach as opposed to a Stan Van Gundy or Thibs approach to a game where they berate players for 48 minutes and lose their voice at the end of a game.....I'm not a fan of that style and think Stotts is actually refreshing with his trust in the players...he doesn't yank a guy just because he's missed a couple of shots in a row or turned the ball over

 

[kjironman1]

Bad scheme and bad execution. Plenty of blame to go around. The difference is that the players had some excuse (fatigue).

So you honestly think the coaches and all of the support that goes with it doesn't get tired also? @ThePosterFormerlyKnownAsTheHCP i bet would disagree with you wholeheartedly.

 

[wizenheimer]

Actually, I've PM'd him about stuff already.

considering the conduct, you should have BM'd

 

[PtldPlatypus]

considering the conduct, you should have BM'd

Perhaps if I'd been full of crap, I would have.

 

[wizenheimer]

Perhaps if I'd been full of crap, I would have.

timing is everything

 

[hoopsjock]

We had a poor stretch during those losses...seems to me that the staff has probably addressed the film of those losses and we've improved since. I think it's difficult for some folks to see the value in a players coach approach as opposed to a Stan Van Gundy or Thibs approach to a game where they berate players for 48 minutes and lose their voice at the end of a game.....I'm not a fan of that style and think Stotts is actually refreshing with his trust in the players...he doesn't yank a guy just because he's missed 3 shots in a row.

Like i said, it's a new season when it comes to playoffs and we have a top 10 record on the road. History is nice but come playoffs just like a new season everyone starts off equal. Too many people dwell on the negatives.

You guys are obviously missing my point. We are making the same mistakes that have plagued us in the playoffs. It's not about berating the players, it's about continuing to play a style that falls apart when teams take away Dame on the pick and roll and a failure to try a different pick and roll scheme on defense when an opposing player is going off hitting shot after shot in his comfort zone.

How many playoff series do we need to see before realizing the current approach isn't the best for post season success? What leads you guys to believe this year will be different?

 

[CupWizier]

You guys are obviously missing my point. We are making the same mistakes that have plagued us in the playoffs. It's not about berating the players, it's about continuing to play a style that falls apart when teams take away Dame on the pick and roll and a failure to try a different pick and roll scheme on defense when an opposing player is going off hitting shot after shot in his comfort zone.

How many playoff series do we need to see before realizing the current approach isn't the best for post season success? What leads you guys to believe this year will be different?

Have we seen the current approach to the playoffs yet?

 

[hoopsjock]

Have we seen the current approach to the playoffs yet?

So your answer is that you're simply hoping this year will be different?

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Have we seen the current approach to the playoffs yet?

Are you suggesting that after running the same basic offensive strategy for the past 4 regular seasons and 3 playoff appearances, that they may employ a completely different and untested (with this roster) strategy in this year's playoffs?

Or to restate the question in a different way--if Stotts has other approaches to countering a Dame-trapping defense that he may employ in the playoffs, wouldn't you think he'd be likely to implement those at times in the regular season to gauge their effectiveness and prepare his team for their use?

 

[CupWizier]

Are you suggesting that after running the same basic offensive strategy for the past 4 regular seasons and 3 playoff appearances, that they may employ a completely different and untested (with this roster) strategy in this year's playoffs?

I don't see it as the same at all. Nurkic wasn't even here 4 years ago and he helped change this team a lot. Are you suggesting that we haven't changed or improved at all in 4 years especially when factoring in new personnel?

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I don't see it as the same at all. Nurkic wasn't even here 4 years ago and he helped change this team a lot. Are you suggesting that we haven't changed or improved at all in 4 years especially when factoring in new personnel?

Not talking about the team as a whole; just talking specifically about the issues @hoopsjock mentioned--how they respond on offense to a defense that traps Dame on the P&R, and how they respond on defense to other teams running a P&R. I believe that the scheme is largely the same now as it has been since Aldridge left, and largely ineffective.

 

[CupWizier]

So your answer is that you're simply hoping this year will be different?

My answer is we are not the same team and that very few teams that will be in the playoffs aren't the same team. Pelicans are significantly different and won't even make the playoffs. We also don't know who we will face and who has home court Too many variables.

 

[riverman]

So your answer is that you're simply hoping this year will be different?

I answered it sort of...I think we're deeper and not only that but hopefully we have a healthy Mo to shore up defense which we sorely missed last summer

 

[riverman]

Not talking about the team as a whole; just talking specifically about the issues @hoopsjock mentioned--how they respond on offense to a defense that traps Dame on the P&R, and how they respond on defense to other teams running a P&R. I believe that the scheme is largely the same now as it has been since Aldridge left, and largely ineffective.

To me it's simpler than this...we get teams to play our game or we get stuck playing theirs....when we get stuck playing their game we struggle..they play ours, we dominate... I don't think we execute or respond the same way at all...some nights we're on and some we're not...we've started to win some games when we're not for a change....Dame is going to always getting doubled....what I see are guys we don't game plan for having career 3 pt shooting nights against us because we leave them open...that is just pick your poison....if Rodney or Mo or Jake make them pay for doubling Dame will get some breathing room. Nurk is already making teams pay for bottling up the guards. We need more than 3 players in double digit scoring...when we don't get that we struggle.

 

[swish3]

The Blazers should not have lost this MEM game! In the 4th Q the Blazers were looking tired and 0 of 6 swish3s, in spite of the fresh legs and record Playoff shooting Meyers left on the bench. Blazer coaches need to pay attention to who can score swish3s in the 4th Q and this game, future late challenges, and the Playoff games can be wins. The NBA Championship is still possible if the Blazers can optimize the use of talent and better assess signs of tired legs to avoid late game losses.

 

[hoopsjock]

Not talking about the team as a whole; just talking specifically about the issues @hoopsjock mentioned--how they respond on offense to a defense that traps Dame on the P&R, and how they respond on defense to other teams running a P&R. I believe that the scheme is largely the same now as it has been since Aldridge left, and largely ineffective.

I just want to note that this is what frustrates me and leads to threads going off the rails. Myself (and @BonesJones) name specific examples of coaching deficiencies that worry us and the response we get often questions the expertise level of the poster and that this season isn't the same as last season. At least @riverman stated that he thinks the added depth, Nurk improvement, and Mo's health will help in the playoffs. We can then have a discussion about whether or not that will help. Everyone is entitled to their opinion so it's fine for me to then disagree that depth really helps in the playoffs if a team takes Dame out of the equation. Either of us could be right when the playoffs come around so it's fine for people to think differently.

What I don't think is alright is for people to try and discredit someone's opinion citing reasons like "you aren't in every practice", "you're not an NBA coach", "you need to get a life and not waste so much time on the Blazers", or "we don't know what will happen in the playoffs yet". Those comments don't add anything to the discussion.