No Good Blazer!

[Fez Hammersticks]

Lillard: 19 ppg | 21 3p% | 33 fg% | 43 ts% | 10 PER | 119 DRtg
McCollum: 12.5 ppg | 25 3p% | 32 fg% | 42 ts% | 5.6 PER | 121 DRtg

Actually there is one good Blazer: Mason Plumlee. He's the only one to have a decent game on this roster. Both could pick up their shooting but it's their defense that's the problem. CJ is making JJ look like a prime Rip Hamilton. When they run JJ off screens, which they do often, it's an automatic two points.

 

[blue32]

the offense looks all sorts of out of whack. apparently it's really predictable too because Doc Rivers is out coaching the shit out of Stotts.

IMO
-Dame and CJ should be running those same plays Redick does.
-Someone needs to tell Dame that he needs to stop being so damn predictable. Instead of driving and getting obliterated, how about and stop, pop, shoot?
-Aminu stop shooting please, you are worse than Batum.
-Crabbe please do something

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

JJ Redick: 17 ppg | 56 fg%

To get back into this series it starts here.

 

[Rhal]

Its been rough. CP3 is still the best defensive PG in the game and he is making it show with his ability to stop Dame but its not just him. Because Harkless/Aminu/Chief/Plumlee ect are all being left open and dared to shoot they can put extra pressure on both CJ and Dame making it almost impossible for them to score. They will keep putting the pressure defensively on CJ/Dame until our role players can show they can make some open shots, which they haven't.
Defensively its another story. We aren't doing horrible on DJ/Blake, they both have gotten theirs but it hasn't been easy. On the ther hand JJ and CP3 slide through our screens like they are nothing and are picking us apart.

 

[blue9]

the offense looks all sorts of out of whack. apparently it's really predictable too because Doc Rivers is out coaching the shit out of Stotts.

This is because Stotts doesn't have a playbook - his entire offensive philosophy is to let his players freelance within a loose system. It's fine for the regular season but IT WILL NOT WORK in the Playoffs. I don't care about how efficient we are in the regular season - Stotts has got to go.

 

[TBpup]

A record for least amount of points in the paint. Not shocking that in a series when they are so one-dimensional that the other coach takes that away and dares you to beat him in a way you haven't played, practiced or have the mind set to perform.

All season long I BEGGED for Stotts to run more post plays, cross screens, down-pick/curls so at least there was a contrast to the continual '3' barrage that works in the regular season and beats bad teams. I'm not on the Stotts is a horrible coach bandwagon but I certainly don't think he has been very balanced in his offensive approach.

 

[blue9]

I'm not on the Stotts is a horrible coach bandwagon ...

Patience - you'll get there.

 

[Hobbesarable]

JJ Redick: 17 ppg | 56 fg%

To get back into this series it starts here.

Yep. I posted something similar to this in the game thread last night.

 

[noknobs]

the offense looks all sorts of out of whack. apparently it's really predictable too because Doc Rivers is out coaching the shit out of Stotts.

IMO
-Dame and CJ should be running those same plays Redick does.
-Someone needs to tell Dame that he needs to stop being so damn predictable. Instead of driving and getting obliterated, how about and stop, pop, shoot?
-Aminu stop shooting please, you are worse than Batum.
-Crabbe please do something

Although I agree with most of your ideas (except for Aminu to stop shooting), I don't think Stotts is getting out coached. The Blazers must have missed 15-20 shots they've been making all year last night. Tons of wide open shots. Stotts can't make those for them.

The team is just really showing their lack of post-season experience. Maybe the series will mirror the regular season - slow start then get hot and over-achieve.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Stott's had a game plan and tweaked for game 23 that gave us 51% uncontested shots. Its not his fault if we shot 30% on those.

 

[blue9]

Stott's had a game plan and tweaked for game 23 that gave us 51% uncontested shots. Its not his fault if we shot 30% on those.

It is if the average FG% on the shots created is 30%. There's a reason Aminu is being left open - getting him open shots isn't a good game plan. OTOH, getting him the ball when he's open is the BEGINNING of a good plan. As I suggested after G1, Aminu should dribble towards the hoop then PASS when a defender commits to him. Last night he did exactly that - ONCE. And it resulted in a wide-open 3-pointer for CJ.

 

[B-Roy]

Stott's had a game plan and tweaked for game 23 that gave us 51% uncontested shots. Its not his fault if we shot 30% on those.

Where is this 51% number coming from? Just curious.

 

[Orion Bailey]

It is if the average FG% on the shots created is 30%. There's a reason Aminu is being left open - getting him open shots isn't a good game plan. OTOH, getting him the ball when he's open is the BEGINNING of a good plan. As I suggested after G1, Aminu should dribble towards the hoop then PASS when a defender commits to him. Last night he did exactly that - ONCE. And it resulted in a wide-open 3-pointer for CJ.

You are isolating too much. Aminu isnt the only one who missed open shots. Dame missed an uncontested layup within the 1st 90 seconds.

But you blame Stott's for everything so I'm pretty sure you wont be impartial in this discussion, so I must bow out.

 

[Orion Bailey]

Where is this 51% number coming from? Just curious.

It was reported this morning on Rip City Radio that 51% of our shots were uncontested. We shot 34% total, but only 30% on the uncontested shots. That's piss poor shooting all the way around. Not just on AMinu.
Stott's got the teams open shots, we just missed them.

 

[e_blazer]

the offense looks all sorts of out of whack. apparently it's really predictable too because Doc Rivers is out coaching the shit out of Stotts.

IMO
-Dame and CJ should be running those same plays Redick does.
-Someone needs to tell Dame that he needs to stop being so damn predictable. Instead of driving and getting obliterated, how about and stop, pop, shoot?
-Aminu stop shooting please, you are worse than Batum.
-Crabbe please do something

Dame and CJ can run those same plays that Redick does as soon the Blazers get guys who can set as good of picks as Jordan and, to a lesser extent, Griffin.

I seem to recall some nice finishes at the rim for Dame last night. Yeah, some of his possessions he got obliterated. It would have been nice if the refs had called some of the pushes and trips that sent him sprawling. I do agree that he could stand to stop and shoot a mid-range shot more often, but then Jordan is a big dude to try to shoot over.

In order for the Blazers to have a chance to get more open looks for Dame and CJ, Aminu and Harkless HAVE to keep shooting. They also HAVE to hit some of the open shots they're getting. The Clippers are selling out 100% on doubling Dame and keeping a bigger player on CJ. Getting production out of Aminu and Harkless is the only way to penalize them for their defensive strategy. Unfortunately, so far those guys are firing way more blanks than bullets. Maybe some home cooking will get them out of their funk.

Crabbe and Henderson both seem to be rushing their shots. I think they are feeling the pressure and not playing in the flow the way they have in the past. Part of that is the Clippers defense is closing on them quick. Part of it is just them being young guys who haven't experienced much playoff basketball. Again, maybe playing at home will help. If not, they'll have plenty of time to practice in the off-season that's coming soon.

 

[B-Roy]

It was reported this morning on Rip City Radio that 51% of our shots were uncontested. We shot 34% total, but only 30% on the uncontested shots. That's piss poor shooting all the way around. Not just on AMinu.
Stott's got the teams open shots, we just missed them.

It would be cool to see if this information was available for all teams.

Honestly sometimes the difference is just you make shots or miss shots.

Steve Clifford had a great quote in his post game interview that I think people should listen to because I think it applies here too:



Blazers stuck around for 3 quarters despite shooting like horse garbage. They lost the game in the 4th when the Clippers started making more shots. I also thought we got called for a bunch of egregious fouls in that last quarter, but we probably would have lost that game anyways even without the fouls.

 

[handiman]

Both could pick up their shooting but it's their defense that's the problem. CJ is making JJ look like a prime Rip Hamilton. When they run JJ off screens, which they do often, it's an automatic two points.

This is shocking! Shocking! Umm, not. People have been burying their heads in the sand all season long when a few of us have harped on how doomed this team is because of the defensive shortcomings and lineup redundancies. We make every perimeter player look like an all-star. We're like the Mike D'Antoni for opposing teams.

 

[Sinobas]

Although I agree with most of your ideas (except for Aminu to stop shooting), I don't think Stotts is getting out coached. The Blazers must have missed 15-20 shots they've been making all year last night. Tons of wide open shots. Stotts can't make those for them.

The team is just really showing their lack of post-season experience. Maybe the series will mirror the regular season - slow start then get hot and over-achieve.

That's totally right, they are missed many shots they should have put down last night.

 

[Draco]

JJ Redick: 17 ppg | 56 fg%

To get back into this series it starts here.

CP3 is so good at having those passes to JJ dead on in stride right where he starts his shooting motion.

CJ defense has been bad. Dame's defense on the passer is bad. If their guards both outplay ours we have zero chance.

 

[Draco]

Its been rough. CP3 is still the best defensive PG in the game and he is making it show with his ability to stop Dame but its not just him. Because Harkless/Aminu/Chief/Plumlee ect are all being left open and dared to shoot they can put extra pressure on both CJ and Dame making it almost impossible for them to score. They will keep putting the pressure defensively on CJ/Dame until our role players can show they can make some open shots, which they haven't.
Defensively its another story. We aren't doing horrible on DJ/Blake, they both have gotten theirs but it hasn't been easy. On the ther hand JJ and CP3 slide through our screens like they are nothing and are picking us apart.

Our role players need to start bombing away any and every open shot. We very well may lose with them missing. But we certainly will lose if they pass up open looks.

 

[Draco]

A record for least amount of points in the paint. Not shocking that in a series when they are so one-dimensional that the other coach takes that away and dares you to beat him in a way you haven't played, practiced or have the mind set to perform.

All season long I BEGGED for Stotts to run more post plays, cross screens, down-pick/curls so at least there was a contrast to the continual '3' barrage that works in the regular season and beats bad teams. I'm not on the Stotts is a horrible coach bandwagon but I certainly don't think he has been very balanced in his offensive approach.

Is be curious if we could see stats when we play teams above .500. I suspect much of our players stats are inflated from pileing on points against crap teams. That's irrelevant in the playoffs though. A player who is worse statistically over 82 games but has a smaller variance when playing winning opponents is much more valuable to win a championship.

 

[Draco]

It would be cool to see if this information was available for all teams.

Honestly sometimes the difference is just you make shots or miss shots.

Steve Clifford had a great quote in his post game interview that I think people should listen to because I think it applies here too:



Blazers stuck around for 3 quarters despite shooting like horse garbage. They lost the game in the 4th when the Clippers started making more shots. I also thought we got called for a bunch of egregious fouls in that last quarter, but we probably would have lost that game anyways even without the fouls.

The difference in this series isn't random making or missing of shots. The Clippers continuously get much easier shots while we have much harder ones.

 

[Orion Bailey]

The difference in this series isn't random making or missing of shots. The Clippers continuously get much easier shots while we have much harder ones.

This is so not true. We had plenty of open uncontested shots in game two. We just missed them. Unless your talking about where on the court. They get alot more in the paint shots, which are easier.

 

[handiman]

Our role players need to start bombing away any and every open shot. We very well may lose with them missing. But we certainly will lose if they pass up open looks.

That's exactly what their defense wants us to do. Our role players are mostly non-shooters. They need to drive and put pressure on the defense to collapse, not take the open shots they're being dared to make. CJ and Dame will make their shots if and when the defense starts chasing the ball.

 

[blue9]

That's exactly what their defense wants us to do. Our role players are mostly non-shooters. They need to drive and put pressure on the defense to collapse, not take the open shots they're being dared to make. CJ and Dame will make their shots if and when the defense starts chasing the ball.

Exactly.
I just did a quick scan of Aminu's game log, because so many people are saying he needs to shoot because he's a 36% shooter. I say percentages be damned - he's not a good shooter, he's a guy who'll make an occasional shot when the team is rolling. Until the last 3 weeks of the season when he went on a mini-tear, he was generally chipping in ONE or TWO 3-pointers per game. For every game that he made THREE+ 3-pointers, there was a game where he went 0-fer. Aminu shooting 3s is NOT what this team needs. Take the occasional open corner 3, but otherwise ATTACK AND PASS.

 

[Strenuus]

Exactly.
I just did a quick scan of Aminu's game log, because so many people are saying he needs to shoot because he's a 36% shooter. I say percentages be damned - he's not a good shooter, he's a guy who'll make an occasional shot when the team is rolling. Until the last 3 weeks of the season when he went on a mini-tear, he was generally chipping in ONE or TWO 3-pointers per game. For every game that he made THREE+ 3-pointers, there was a game where he went 0-fer. Aminu shooting 3s is NOT what this team needs. Take the occasional open corner 3, but otherwise ATTACK AND PASS.

swish3s, blue9... swish3s.

 

[Draco]

That's exactly what their defense wants us to do. Our role players are mostly non-shooters. They need to drive and put pressure on the defense to collapse, not take the open shots they're being dared to make. CJ and Dame will make their shots if and when the defense starts chasing the ball.

CJ and Dame will never be competitive in a series playing 2 vs 5 on offense. If the opponent is leaving multiple Blazers wide open we have to shoot open shots. If we need to put different players in the game who can hit those shots; fine. Saying CJ and Dame need to "pressure" the opponent by running into double or triple teams is ridiculous. There isn't any player in the NBA that can do such. LeBron passes to the open man when doubled. Steph Curry passes the ball immediately to the open man when doubled.

Well I suppose Westbrook or Durant challenge double teams in the 4th quarter; do you want us to emulate their 4th quarter success?

 

[handiman]

CJ and Dame will never be competitive in a series playing 2 vs 5 on offense. If the opponent is leaving multiple Blazers wide open we have to shoot open shots. If we need to put different players in the game who can hit those shots; fine. Saying CJ and Dame need to "pressure" the opponent by running into double or triple teams is ridiculous. There isn't any player in the NBA that can do such. Steph Curry passes the ball immediately to the open man when he's double teamed.

You've got the cause and effect all effed up, and I never said anything about CJ/Dame being the ones to drive and collapse the defense when doubled/tripled. Yes, our role players need to take and make open shots, but they don't need to settle for the 3-pointers that the defense wants them to take. Finding open mid-range spots on the floor is a lost art, but Stotts' entire defense is based around the idea that that's the shot you should funnel players to, so he should have no problem figuring out how to put his own guys in that position.

 

[Draco]

You've got the cause and effect all effed up, and I never said anything about CJ/Dame being the ones to drive and collapse the defense when doubled/tripled. Yes, our role players need to take and make open shots, but they don't need to settle for the 3-pointers that the defense wants them to take. Finding open mid-range spots on the floor is a lost art, but Stotts' entire defense is based around the idea that that's the shot you should funnel players to, so he should have no problem figuring out how to put his own guys in that position.

That's actually a great offensive strategy.

In 1987.

 

[Blazers Roy]

The Blazers lose games if the following 2 conditions apply:

1.The Blazers don't make 3 point shots (="fools gold" -Pat Riley).
2.The opponent makes open midrange shots (problematic against Courtney Lee and Beno Udrich, devastating against Crispy Paul and Red-dick).

Just think about it, Stotts got a lot of his ideas from Frank Vogel and the Indiana Pacers. Vogel will probably get fired soon and so should Stotts.