Improvements you noticed last night

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PtldPlatypus

PtldPlatypus

Let's go Baby Blazers!
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Sure we saw glimpses and possibilities in the pre-season, but none of it mattered until yesterday. So let's have a thread about the various player skill improvements we saw last night.

First things that come to mind for me:
  • Crabbe and Aminu's handles.
  • Vonleh's jumper and confidence.
  • Dame and CJ finishing inside.
 
PtldPlatypus said:
Sure we saw glimpses and possibilities in the pre-season, but none of it mattered until yesterday. So let's have a thread about the various player skill improvements we saw last night.

First things that come to mind for me:
  • Crabbe and Aminu's handles.
  • Vonleh's jumper and confidence.
  • Dame and CJ finishing inside.
Click to expand...

Yeah. Crabbe taking the dribble both before and after contact was really nice. He played under control and made smart decisions.

Turner, aside from his shooting, did a lot of the little things right to get people in the right spots. I think he is going to be a big net + here, and his shooting will just be something we will live with... especially if Crabbe does this on a consistent basis..

And Vonleh. That was beautiful. I've always been high on him from the day we got him... I will still wait for the consistency of it... but that is the Vonleh we only hope we can have most nights. With young players though, consistency is wavering... but we know what we COULD get from him. He may have to endure some Meyers' like consistency complaints from fans... but if he is like this, he is SO much more useful on this team than Meyers. Meyers is a decoy, Vonleh can actually do it.
 
Dame's defense looks better. Not great, but better. He got through a lot of screens. Yeah, he had a tough time trying to cover Joe Johnson, but that's to be expected. Overall, the team's defense is still a work in progress, but it looked to me like Dame is committed to getting better.
 
PtldPlatypus said:
Sure we saw glimpses and possibilities in the pre-season, but none of it mattered until yesterday. So let's have a thread about the various player skill improvements we saw last night.

First things that come to mind for me:
  • Crabbe and Aminu's handles.
  • Vonleh's jumper and confidence.
  • Dame and CJ finishing inside.
Click to expand...
Not new is boring old Ed Davis leading the team in +/-, AGAIN. +21 for the game. Yawn, when you gonna learn some new tricks, Ed?
 
Wizard Mentor said:
Not new is boring old Ed Davis leading the team in +/-, AGAIN. +21 for the game. Yawn, when you gonna learn some new tricks, Ed?
Click to expand...

I dont get the plus/minus at all.

Dame had one of the most efficient games of his career and he was only a plus 3?????
 
What's the deal with CJ refusing to pass the ball at the end of quarters? At the end of 2 different quarters he had the ball and screwed it up. One time there was like 20 seconds and he took a terrible driving super contested shot with like 10 seconds left giving Utah the last shot at a 3 which they missed. And at the end of the 3rd with like 8 seconds, he does like 5 crossovers in a row, goes nowhere and doesn't even get a shot off. Just bad plays by him.
 
Orion Bailey said:
I dont get the plus/minus at all.

Dame had one of the most efficient games of his career and he was only a plus 3?????
Click to expand...
He was on the floor with Meyers and Mason during the 3rd quarter when the Jazz made their run and took the lead. Johnson was scoring over Dame at will. Yes, Dame was excellent offensively, but he was also a big part of the worst defensive stretch of the game, so his +/- suffered.
 
PtldPlatypus said:
He was on the floor with Meyers and Mason during the 3rd quarter when the Jazz made their run and took the lead. Johnson was scoring over Dame at will. Yes, Dame was excellent offensively, but he was also a big part of the worst defensive stretch of the game, so his +/- suffered.
Click to expand...

Dame never should have been on Joe. He's giving up, what, six inches to him?
 
Natebishop3 said:
Dame never should have been on Joe. He's giving up, what, six inches to him?
Click to expand...
No different than CJ trying to guard Rodney Hood.

Other than Hill, all Utah's wings outsize Dame/CJ significantly. With all the picks they set, there's really no way to avoid those mismatches.
 
PtldPlatypus said:
No different than CJ trying to guard Rodney Hood.

Other than Hill, all Utah's wings outsize Dame/CJ significantly. With all the picks they set, there's really no way to avoid those mismatches.
Click to expand...

Good point. Utah is just going to be one of those difficult matchups for us defensively.
 
I couldn't understand why we refused to bring a double team on Johnson in the post, even if it left someone open - he was scoring at will.
 
Improvements over preseason:
CJ shot some free throws!
Crabbe took some shots!
Vonleh was... good!
Dame and CJ played 35 mins (instead of around 20).
Evan Turner looked useful. (Yes, he can't shoot, but I like the 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 0 turnovers)
Napier and Connaughton didn't see the floor!

Still worried about Harkless. Still hoping that we won't see Leonard at all some games when Festus comes back (and if Vonleh continues to be decent).
 
Good sign: I actually thought Utah played really well, and yet we won. It's easy to say they were without Hayward and Favors, but I think Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw more than made up for their loss.

If we can beat them when they're whole and at home I will be truly impressed. That is a pretty stacked team. They are going to battle us for Northwest supremacy.
 
PtldPlatypus said:
He was on the floor with Meyers and Mason during the 3rd quarter when the Jazz made their run and took the lead. Johnson was scoring over Dame at will. Yes, Dame was excellent offensively, but he was also a big part of the worst defensive stretch of the game, so his +/- suffered.
Click to expand...

Ahhh thanks, I forgot about the defensive aspect.
 
1.) Of course Vonleh: The guy has so much potential and he's finally coming into his game. Last year he started half the season and did very little....this year he will be a beast. To me he has effectively replaced Meyers in the rotation.

2.) Free Throws: The Blazers were 22/22 at the line for 100%. I know the Blazers aren't always going to make them all, but I think it's going to be an area of improvement this year.

3.) Shot Selection: The Blazers didn't get comfortable with taking low percentage jumpers. They took high percentage shots off of screens, by keeping the offense fluid, and by creating shots.

4.) Confidence: The Blazers seem to have a higher level of confidence. There seemed to be a sense of maturity in the team. The cake is baking just fine.
 
To me. the biggest improvement last night was Lillard. When your best player continues to get better and take it to a whole new level, that's HUGE for the success of your team. Yes, it's a one game sample size, but it's all we have right now. Dame's shot selection and scoring efficiency were the best I've ever seen. He created his own offense, created for others and took his shots within the flow of the offense.

As I said in the game thread, he was a hero without resorting to hero ball.

Remember when finishing at the rim was a weakness? Last night, he repeatedly took the ball right at Rudy Gobert, The Stifle Tower, The French Rejection, all 9'7" standing reach and 7'9" wingspan and repeatedly scored over and around him. It was so easy, it looked unfair.

He played within the flow of the offense, but when the game was on the lone, he put the team on his back and carried them to victory.

If he keeps this up, this could be the season he makes the lea from and all star level player to a bona fide superstar.

BNM
 
Chris Craig said:
1.) Of course Vonleh: The guy has so much potential and he's finally coming into his game. Last year he started half the season and did very little....this year he will be a beast. To me he has effectively replaced Meyers in the rotation.

2.) Free Throws: The Blazers were 22/22 at the line for 100%. I know the Blazers aren't always going to make them all, but I think it's going to be an area of improvement this year.

3.) Shot Selection: The Blazers didn't get comfortable with taking low percentage jumpers. They took high percentage shots off of screens, by keeping the offense fluid, and by creating shots.

4.) Confidence: The Blazers seem to have a higher level of confidence. There seemed to be a sense of maturity in the team. The cake is baking just fine.
Click to expand...

All great points. I also like that Dame got to the line 9 times and C.J. 7 times. That was one of the holes in their game last year. They were both aggressive attacking the basket and putting pressure on the defense. UTA is supposed to have an elite interior defense, and I know they were missing Favors last night, but Dame and C.J. shredded them all night, scored at the rim and drew fouls. I liked that aggressiveness. I liked the results even more.

BNM
 
BlazerBeav said:
I couldn't understand why we refused to bring a double team on Johnson in the post, even if it left someone open - he was scoring at will.
Click to expand...

I did like the change up Stotts did after a crucial timeout. Next play Utah gets Dame switched on Joe but while Joe ran through the paint Dame switched off of Joe and Harkless took over. It was perfect change up to what they were doing before where Stotts would just leave Dame on Joe.
 
I like that Dame went chest to chest with Johnson even in the mismatch..he didn't play matador defense so he took the challenge even though he couldn't win that battle....good to see him get in the stance like Wes used to and at least make the effort...Defense and ball movement look improved...much better switching and help defense
 
Orion Bailey said:
Vonleh
Vonleh

Oh... did I mention Vonleh? ;)

Oh and @Tunchi and @tlongII how do you feel about Dame's efficiency last night? I'm genuinely curious as you two have been the heaviest hitters with criticism on this facet of his game. ;)
Click to expand...

Well he did have 4 turnovers. He played well, but he has to take better care of the ball.
 
Chris Craig said:
2.) Free Throws: The Blazers were 22/22 at the line for 100%. I know the Blazers aren't always going to make them all, but I think it's going to be an area of improvement this year.
Click to expand...

That only happened because Plumlee had 4 fouls in his 15 minutes, so attempted zero free throws.

BlazerBeav said:
I couldn't understand why we refused to bring a double team on Johnson in the post, even if it left someone open - he was scoring at will.
Click to expand...

Wizard Mentor said:
Iso Joe was also willing to pass, so doubling isn't automatically "just better".
Click to expand...

His nickname should almost be haiku. "He's Iso Joe, but not Black Hole, shave and a haircut. Six bits."
 
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