Game Thread GAME# 82: PELICANS @ BLAZERS - APRIL 12, 2017 - WEDNESDAY, 7:30 (PDT), ESPN & KGW

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Will Lillard make an All-NBA team this season?


  • Total voters
    51
  • Poll closed .

That .351 is very precarious. ANYTHING less than 33% tonight will put him under 35% for the season.

What are the chances that he's willing to shoot even one three tonight? I don't think it's a coincidence that since going 3-5 from 3 against Minnesota, he's only shot 1 3PA total the past three games. In fact, these past two games are the first time all season he's gone two straight games without shooting a three.

He knows exactly where he is in relation to the bonus.
 
That .351 is very precarious. ANYTHING less than 33% tonight will put him under 35% for the season.

What are the chances that he's willing to shoot even one three tonight? I wouldn't.

I wouldn't even stand out beyond the arc if I was him. If he does.....just attack the basket Mo!
 
I'd be disappointed if he he puts his measly $500K bonus above what's good for the team. With that said, it's a meaningless game so NOT shooting won't exactly be detrimental to the team.
As I mentioned earlier, it's not really on him. It's on the team for not realizing this would happen and adding an attempts clause in that bonus.
 
That .351 is very precarious. ANYTHING less than 33% tonight will put him under 35% for the season.

What are the chances that he's willing to shoot even one three tonight? I don't think it's a coincidence that since going 3-5 from 3 against Minnesota, he's only shot 1 3PA total the past three games. In fact, these past two games are the first time all season he's gone two straight games without shooting a three.

He knows exactly where he is in relation to the bonus.
Correction--basketball reference's game log wasn't showing the Spurs game, in which he also didn't shoot a 3. So it's actually been 4 consecutive games in which he's been afraid to risk his bonus, three of which were actually relevant to the playoff push.

I understand what you're saying @yuyuza1, but it's still pretty douchey to put the personal interests above the team interests. It's what many in here lambaste Westbrook for, so I'd think the same thinking should extend to our own players as well.
 
Correction--basketball reference's game log wasn't showing the Spurs game, in which he also didn't shoot a 3. So it's actually been 4 consecutive games in which he's been afraid to risk his bonus, three of which were actually relevant to the playoff push.
Interesting, he's more interested in money than he is winning?
 
Correction--basketball reference's game log wasn't showing the Spurs game, in which he also didn't shoot a 3. So it's actually been 4 consecutive games in which he's been afraid to risk his bonus, three of which were actually relevant to the playoff push.
Well, he also didn't PLAY in that game...
 
Correction--basketball reference's game log wasn't showing the Spurs game, in which he also didn't shoot a 3. So it's actually been 4 consecutive games in which he's been afraid to risk his bonus, three of which were actually relevant to the playoff push.

I understand what you're saying @yuyuza1, but it's still pretty douchey to put the personal interests above the team interests. It's what many in here lambaste Westbrook for, so I'd think the same thinking should extend to our own players as well.

Oh come on. This is really unkind. Why does a faction of people here insist on thinking the players are assholes?
 
I read a web site that made it make sense to me so I take back what I said. Y'all are horrible teachers though that a web site did better! :ghoti:

(In fairness to you, I was the dumbest nerd in the nerd clubs. In chess club in grade school, they put a dunce cap on my head and I left after three weeks)
That chess club story is horrible, but i confess I laughed at the imaginary of chess nerds being so mean.
 
Oh come on. This is really unkind. Why does a faction of people here insist on thinking the players are assholes?
I'm not saying that at all. What I am saying is that at no point this season had Harkless taken fewer than 4 3's over a 3-game span until his bonus game into play, and over his past 3--during which the team's playoff hopes were uncertain--he took 1 total. When you see that kind of departure from the norm, and there's an obvious motivation for said departure, it's not unreasonable to draw the obvious conclusion--that he stopped shooting 3's once he locked in his bonus.
 
That chess club story is horrible, but i confess I laughed at the imaginary of chess nerds being so mean.

Dude, nerds are jerks... there's so much defensiveness because all you have is pain from being picked on by non-nerds, but that sort of vicious social hierarchy is the only social interaction you know, so they set it up in their own circles. It's No True Scotsmen arguments all the way down.
 
I'm not saying that at all. What I am saying is that at no point this season had Harkless taken fewer than 4 3's over a 3-game span until his bonus game into play, and over his past 3--during which the team's playoff hopes were uncertain--he took 1 total. When you see that kind of departure from the norm, and there's an obvious motivation for said departure, it's not unreasonable to draw the obvious conclusion--that he stopped shooting 3's once he locked in his bonus.

And you called it douchey. But in all honesty, any 3pt shots he makes are a bonus anyway. I wouldn't mind it if he drove to the hoop every time.
 
And you called it douchey. But in all honesty, any 3pt shots he makes are a bonus anyway. I wouldn't mind it if he drove to the hoop every time.
I said that putting personal interests above the team interests is douchey. IF that is in fact what he's doing, then it qualifies as such, IMO. If the sudden lack of perimeter shooting is simply coincidental, then it's not douchey.

Come on--as long as I've been around, and considering my history, you really can't give me the benefit of the doubt here?
 
If we depended on his 3 point shooting to win then I would agree. But we really don't. Now if only he could convince ET and Aminu to follow his example......
We may not depend on it but that doesn't mean he should be passing them up just because of his bonus.
 
Blazers inbound the ball, down 2 with 4.5 seconds left......... Dame drives, draws 3 defenders leaving Harmless wide open in the corner......Dame finds Mo, who takes 1 step INSIDE the 3 point line and.........clank.......
 
He probably already met the minimum attempts threshold. $500K? Get real! Each player is their own business.
I'm just trying to picture (for example) a sales manager passing up a profitable sale that would benefit the company because the gross margins aren't high enough to help him keep his quota-driven bonus, and how an executive would respond to such a thing happening.

I understand and appreciate self-interest, but am not in favor when it comes at the detriment of others.
 
All I'm saying is if the Blazers set it up that way, its on them. They gave him a contract with a very significant bonus incentive that he met. Why should he risk that for the team when that's clearly not something he's depended upon, day in and day out, for the good of the team.

If it was JJ Reddick or Ray Allen that would be one thing, but it's...Mo Harkless.
 
We may not depend on it but that doesn't mean he should be passing them up just because of his bonus.

I get what you are saying. I would not want him to pass up shots if it hurt the team. But scenarios where that might occur are pretty limited IMO. i.e not shooting a 3 if the clock shot was expiring.

But again, would it really hurt the team if he plays closer to the basket? I admit the Minnesota game was fantastic, where he was 7-10 and 3-5 from deep. But I really liked the game against Utah where he was 6-7 ....basically on just dunks. He was around the basket and everyone found him.....even Meyers.

We have 3 excellent 3 pt shooters in Dame, CJ and AC. Yes we also need him to spread the floor but for an extra $500 grand let the man be a little selfish. In some areas of the country that is a nice little condo for a relative. (even after taxes)
 


Surprising. Thought Dame and CJ were gonna get some run?


Probably a good idea. I can see both sides of the debate. On one hand you want to stay sharp, but on the other hand you want to be as fresh as possible. I think against the warriors, where they run you to death, being fresh is more important.
 

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