Lookback at Lakers/Blazers WCS in 2000

[mook]

We got 9ppg, 3.6 assists, .33 3p%, 41%fg, and absolutely shitty-ass defense from Damon Stoudamire that year in the playoffs. Dunleavy benched him after 20min in that game 7 because he was so thoroughly getting outplayed by Derek Fisher, and Kobe was just rising and shooting over him at will.

Just look at his playoff game log.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/stoudda01/gamelog/2000/#all_pgl_basic_playoffs

He was so fucking useless in that series. Our mistake was in trading for Rod Strickland too late.

Or why didn't we play Greg Anthony more in that series? He and Fisher would've been a wash.

Arggh. I need to let this go.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

What killed us was losing Game 3 (and 4 for that matter) at home. After clocking them in Game 2, we should’ve won the series in 5 or 6.

Didn't we lose one of those on a Ron Harper jumper?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

We got 9ppg, 3.6 assists, .33 3p%, 41%fg, and absolutely shitty-ass defense from Damon Stoudamire that year in the playoffs. Dunleavy benched him after 20min in that game 7 because he was so thoroughly getting outplayed by Derek Fisher, and Kobe was just rising and shooting over him at will.

Just look at his playoff game log.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/stoudda01/gamelog/2000/#all_pgl_basic_playoffs

He was so fucking useless in that series. Our mistake was in trading for Rod Strickland too late.

Or why didn't we play Greg Anthony more in that series? He and Fisher would've been a wash.

Arggh. I need to let this go.

I remember arguing that we should just have started Detlef Schrempf at PG. (Which amounts to saying, replace Damon with Schrempf in the starters and have Pippen play PG.)

 

[Wheels]

Aaaand now I’m going back into retirement again

 

[KSF-ERIC]

We got 9ppg, 3.6 assists, .33 3p%, 41%fg, and absolutely shitty-ass defense from Damon Stoudamire that year in the playoffs. Dunleavy benched him after 20min in that game 7 because he was so thoroughly getting outplayed by Derek Fisher, and Kobe was just rising and shooting over him at will.

Just look at his playoff game log.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/stoudda01/gamelog/2000/#all_pgl_basic_playoffs

He was so fucking useless in that series. Our mistake was in trading for Rod Strickland too late.

Or why didn't we play Greg Anthony more in that series? He and Fisher would've been a wash.

Arggh. I need to let this go.

Zach Lowe said Damon should’ve been on the court in 4th qtr of Game 7, that we needed someone to break down the defense when no one had it going. Similar to what we had from CJ in game 7 last year.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

We got 9ppg, 3.6 assists, .33 3p%, 41%fg, and absolutely shitty-ass defense from Damon Stoudamire that year in the playoffs. Dunleavy benched him after 20min in that game 7 because he was so thoroughly getting outplayed by Derek Fisher, and Kobe was just rising and shooting over him at will.

Just look at his playoff game log.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/stoudda01/gamelog/2000/#all_pgl_basic_playoffs

He was so fucking useless in that series. Our mistake was in trading for Rod Strickland too late.

Or why didn't we play Greg Anthony more in that series? He and Fisher would've been a wash.

Arggh. I need to let this go.

I forgot how much I hated Damon and how damn long I was forced to watch him play for my favorite team. Arggg

 

[Propagandist]

Please lock this thread! Every time I see it my heart aches! Please!

 

[mook]

I remember arguing that we should just have started Detlef Schrempf at PG. (Which amounts to saying, replace Damon with Schrempf in the starters and have Pippen play PG.)

If Damon Stoudamire is Plan A, all Plan B options sound fantastic.

Personally, I think we should have went with Stacey Augmon. Another long, active defensive wing would've been fantastic to put out there with Pippen at PG. But I liked Greg Anthony a lot too.

 

[mook]

Zach Lowe said Damon should’ve been on the court in 4th qtr of Game 7, that we needed someone to break down the defense when no one had it going. Similar to what we had from CJ in game 7 last year.

I have a high degree of respect for Zach Lowe. I don't for this opinion. If I need to get my offense going, I'm not going to a guy who is averaging 9ppg in the playoffs on 40% shooting.

The difference between Damon and CJ is that when CJ gets cold, he can defer. Also, he's not a primary ball handler. Also, he's no 5'8. Also, although he's no great defender, he tries 10 times harder than the Mouse did. Also, CJ actually shows up big for big games. He averages 20 ppg in the playoffs. Damon averaged 10ppg on much worse efficiency.

When you are going up against a Prime Shaq, you can't afford to have a big size disadvantage at another position. We were scrambling so much to try to contain Shaq and he knew he could pass it to whoever Damon was guarding and they'd get a decent look.

Portland choked in that 4th quarter because we just didn't have the two best players on the court. But I contend it never would've gone that way if we'd just benched Stoudamire the entire series.

 

[mook]

On a side note, have you re-watched any games from that series?

After all these years I still can't bring myself to do it. I think I'd rather sit through the Greg Oden draft first.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

On a side note, have you re-watched any games from that series?

After all these years I still can't bring myself to do it. I think I'd rather sit through the Greg Oden draft first.

I didn't even watch most of the 4th quarter of the last game. I knew it was unraveling so I went outside and shot baskets in our driveway.

 

[mook]

I didn't even watch most of the 4th quarter of the last game. I knew it was unraveling so I went outside and shot baskets in our driveway.

Yeah. You know, I'm not sure if I envy you or not. That game hurt so bad to watch, and in a weird way I think it was good for me.

At least that's what I tell myself.

 

[Minstrel]

I stopped watching after the Shaq dunk.

It's funny, I had a bad feeling when the Blazers were up 15 early in the fourth quarter, missed a shot and Brian Grant seemed to have the offensive rebound, only for Shaq to rip it out of his hands. Somehow, that felt in the moment like a big play. Ultimately, it probably wasn't, really, but that's what I always consider the beginning of the end.

I've never rewatched any of the games. I was living in San Diego at the time and I went with a (Lakers fan) friend for Game 5 in LA. That was a good time, at least.