Re: GAME THREAD: NETS @ BLAZERS - NOVEMBER 15, 2014 - SATURDAY, 7 PM (PST), NBATV & C
Blazers @ BKN Game Preview (11/15/14):
Our Last game: v. DEN 11/12/14. Damian with 27 and 9, Kaman and Lopez combining for 35 and basically putting it away at halftime, and Portland nursed a 34-point halftime lead to a 130-113 shellacking vs. Denver.
Their Last game:
ESPN said:
The Nets, however, look to bounce back after being held to a season-low 43.8 percent and going 3 for 16 from beyond the arc during Thursday's 107-99 road loss to the Warriors.
Jarrett Jack scored 23 off the bench, and Deron Williams and Lopez each added 18.
Changes to their roster:
Wall Street Journal said:
This season’s roster is similar and the payroll is still north of $90 million, but new coach Lionel Hollins is the antithesis of his predecessor (Jason Kidd).
The biggest changes are coming on offense. Whereas Kidd used a modified version of the Princeton offense that he ran as a member of the New Jersey Nets, Hollins has implemented the more motion-based “flex” offense.
“This offense is predicated on movement, catch-and-shoot, and making plays,” said Joe Johnson, the Nets’ top scorer last season. “You can’t game-plan for this, as opposed to having just one or two scorers and you’re running plays for those guys and [opponents] can take it away with a double team, triple team.”
Hollins used the scheme during his successful six-year run in Memphis. But unlike the Grizzlies, who didn’t have enough perimeter shooters to warrant many three-pointers, the Nets are brimming with perimeter marksmen, including 25-year-old Croatian rookie Bojan Bogdanovic.
Some aren’t big fans, though (per HNGN)
http://www.hngn.com/articles/49107/...lfish-basketball-says-forward-joe-johnson.htm:
Joe Johnson said:
"Defensively we help from time to time," Johnson said after Tuesday's practice. "Offensively, I think guys kind of exhaust their options and then when there is nothing else for them, then they'll pass it when they have to. For the most part, we have been very selfish."
Johnson expressed aggravation with Brooklyn's style of play, despite the team winning four of their last five games. He noted the lack of ball movement and guys playing "a little selfish" after Sunday's 104-98 win over the Orlando Magic. He tweeted shortly after the game, "I'm off this [expletive]."
Injury Updates: Nicolas Batum SF - Nov 15: Out LaMarcus Aldridge – Nov 15: Out
Matchups:
PG: Damian Lillard v. Deron Williams: Deron's averaging 19 and 6.5 assists per game, and still has that "veteran savvy" that made him one of the best players on the planet a few years ago, but I might as well talk about Dame's domination at Weber State. With LMA and Batum out, look for Damian to try to get the new guys involved early, but then to shift to Lillard Time if it starts getting slow.
SG: Wesley Matthews v. Bojan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic has been pretty good for the Nets, almost like a not-as-good-on-D, early-career Wes. He's averaging 10ppg and 36% on 3's. Wes can own this matchup, and may need to if Dame's getting doubled.
SF: Allen Crabbe v. Joe Johnson. Crabbe's been better than anyone except maybe his mother have thought in the starting lineup. Decent hounding D, making his open shots, not turning the ball over or looking lost. Joe Johnson is another one of those "may have been awesome in 2009" players, but he's started the year off by shooting well, averaging 19ppg on 42% 3pt shooting. Crabbe should be able to hang with him athletically, but Joe has a variety of moves that will blow up Crabbe if he's undisciplined.
PF: ?? v. Kevin Garnett/Mirza Teletovic: Interesting to see what Coach does here. If Kaman's spending time in the game across from KG, there's definitely a chance for a double-technical, and a melee isn't out of the question. KG hasn't been "KG" for years (see a theme here?) but he still plays smart D and rebounds like a fiend. If there's someone who'll take a cheap shot at Dame, trying to get him off his game, it'll be KG. And if Leonard starts, they might try to feed KG just on general principle to get some quick fouls.
C: Robin Lopez v. Brook Lopez.
ESPN's Game Preview has a good breakdown of this matchup, but the gist is that while Brook has generally been way better than Robin, but they each have played way better than average. With Brook averaging a below-averaging 15ppg on 44%
Give-a-Rip (City) Factor—a.k.a. why you should watch: Simmons isn't crazy about the Nets plot this season. "I reached my League Pass limit for Joe Johnson and Deron Williams about 20 months ago. And KG’s farewell tour and Brook Lopez’s make-or-break season aren’t exactly sucking me in." Who's starting in place of LMA. Whether a hockey match breaks out b/c of something KG does (dog barking is soooo 2010). The ability of the bench to continue their stellar run of good play. Whether Dame takes the mantle on himself early and goes off for a 40-10 game.
Current Power Rankings:
RipCityTwo (PtldPlatypus): (23) I'm pegging this as the slowest starting 5 in the league. Not coincidentally, it's probably the oldest too
ESPN: (16) You can predict what we're going to say here. Deron Williams essentially forced our hand with how good he looked in the Gotham derby. It's as big an if as there is in this league, but the Nets' outlook -- he said for the zillionth time -- brightens considerably if they can keep that D-Will around.
NBA.com(18) Pace: 95.7 (19), OffRtg: 107.7 (7), DefRtg: 110.7 (29), NetRtg: -3.0 (23)
Lionel Hollins aimed to put more movement in the Nets' offense, but when Joe Johnson starting cooking in Detroit on Saturday, Hollins did what every one of Johnson's coaches has done in the past. He got the ball right to Joe Jesus, who dropped 34 on the Pistons. The Nets get their first win and good news regarding Brook Lopez, who is set to play Monday.
covers.com (17) A very favorable schedule has the Nets looking better than they really are.
Link to Grandpa Blaze's Prediction Game
No MediocreMan's Over/Under game on the weekends.
Links to other team’s site(s):
ESPN
NBA
Final Thoughts: Little bit uneasy, with two starters out and (potentially) two deep-bench players starting in their place. Brooklyn did not look good against GSW, and oh-by-the-way, they're an old Eastern Conference team. Portland's been able to use this preponderance of home games to gel, and getting some of the deep bench some run in these blowouts has given Stotts confidence in what he'll probably get when he subs in a guy. BKN might stick around early, and they have some firepower if their 3pt shooters get off, but I imagine that that is Priority Uno on the defensive game plan. BKN might win the first, and get some back in the garbage time in the 4th, but I see Dame going off and Lopez/Kaman abusing the small lineups Hollins will roll out in the 2nd and 3rd.
Blazers 115
BKN 104
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BLAZERS' GAME NOTES 
