Game Thread PLAYOFFS: ROUND 1, GAME 1: BLAZERS @ LAKERS - AUGUST 18, 2020, TUESDAY, 6:00, TNT & NBCSNW

[illmatic99]

So I guess this one is going to sting, huh.

Just gotta prepare for it. This was a fun run in the bubble-- quite enjoyable

 

[Lanny]

Fun fact:

Lebron has never lost a first round series in his career. 13-0. Seven of those series have been sweeps.

It's all been in the East, but still. The closest he got to losing was the series in his most recent finals run in 2018 with the Pacers taking him to 7 games.

He'd better prepare for disappointment.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Just gotta prepare for it. This was a fun run in the bubble-- quite enjoyable

Don't tell me, tell LeBron. He's the one who's going to suffer. He may have to retire.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Too bad we'll never get to see these:

Maybe the refs will want to see them though.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Too bad we'll never get to see these:

Bad Karma releasing plans to the public of this.

 

[James lamphear]

Davis is a great outside shooter.

He shoots 33 percent from the 3 and he he takes 3 per game. Now overall he 50 percent and that's good.

 

[Chris Craig]

Too bad we'll never get to see these:

To afraid to wear them vs Blazers. Still, having nightmares about losing to us on Kobe night. They should just wear them against us. We are the Lakers and Kobe's biggest rivalry. It only makes sense.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

To afraid to wear them vs Blazers. Still, having nightmares about losing to us on Kobe night. They should just wear them against us. We are the Lakers and Kobe's biggest rivalry. It only makes sense.

The Lakers are the Blazers biggest rival. But they don't give a shit about us, we aren't up in the top 5 of Lakers biggest rival.

I posted on this a few months ago http://www.sportstwo.com/threads/return-format.356030/page-4#post-4958712

The Lakers have lost more recently in the playoffs to the Spurs, Thunder, Mavs, Celtics, Suns, Pistons, Spurs, Spurs, Jazz, Jazz, Rockets, Spurs, Suns. Then the Blazers in 1992 when Magic retired and they didn't care about basketball. Two years prior they lost to the Bulls and Suns.

You have to go back to 1977 to find another playoff series the Blazers beat the Lakers.

The Lakers think of us basically how we think of the TWolves.

I would love to see Dame change that.

 

[THE HCP]

There is always a first time for everything

LINK?

 

[Chris Craig]

LINK?

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Emotionally, I never want to lose. Particularly to the Fakers and their ref accomplices!

Common sense says it would be a major upset for the Blazers to not get swept.

Please. Lakers aren’t that good.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Please. Lakers aren’t that good.

Neither are we. All they have to do is trap/pressure Dame (like every other team in the play-offs) and our horrible defense will do the rest.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

Neither are we. All they have to do is trap/pressure Dame (like every other team in the play-offs) and our horrible defense will do the rest.

Trap/pressure Dame and Melo/CJ/Nurk go off like they did at end of play-in game. Or Dame will shoot from half court before the trap comes. Lakers can’t guard us. We’ll see how good a coach Vogel is.

 

[tlongII]

The Lakers are a poor 3 point shooting team. And I don't think you can beat us without making a lot of 3's. I like our chances.

 

[Labinot41]

The Lakers are a poor 3 point shooting team. And I don't think you can beat us without making a lot of 3's. I like our chances.

They are poor shooting team which means they will hit every 3 against us like every other team in the NBA

 

[Orion Bailey]

They cant guard us!!!!



The rest of the nba teams......
“Hahahahahahahahahahhaha!!!!”

 

[Serbian]

Zach is out. Hopefully his ass doesn’t return. Im sick to my stomach how weak and pathetic zach is on defense and offense he offers nothing except fouls. Gabriel is 10x better. Never seen a player take 20 steps back in development.

 

[Strenuus]

They cant guard us!!!!



The rest of the nba teams......
“Hahahahahahahahahahhaha!!!!”

To be fair we scored at a high clip.

 

[wizenheimer]

There is always a first time for everything

I tell myself that every time I realize I've been arguing with my wife for 38 years and haven't won once

 

[wizenheimer]

Trap/pressure Dame and Melo/CJ/Nurk go off like they did at end of play-in game. Or Dame will shoot from half court before the trap comes. Lakers can’t guard us. We’ll see how good a coach Vogel is.

it's funny how many ways Blazer fans have for beating the trap-Dame defense, but how often Portland gets crushed in the playoffs by the same defense

now maybe the Lakers don't have the defensive chops at guard the Warriors and Pels had. Those two teams had good guard defenders with length. But the Lakers have 6'5 KCP, 6'5 Caruso, and 6'6 Danny Green. They also have Lebron who has often switched onto Dame at crunch time. And they might have Rondo who has always played Dame tough

 

[wizenheimer]

The Lakers are a poor 3 point shooting team. And I don't think you can beat us without making a lot of 3's. I like our chances.

they are #1 in the league in FG% and #3 in 2ptFG%....and Portland sucks at defense, so it isn't all clear sailing

 

[Darkwebs]

 

[THE HCP]

Zach is out. Hopefully his ass doesn’t return. Im sick to my stomach how weak and pathetic zach is on defense and offense he offers nothing except fouls. Gabriel is 10x better. Never seen a player take 20 steps back in development.

Zac is twice the player Gabriel is. On both ends.

 

[tlongII]

This sucks. Now I want to change my prediction.

 

[blazerkor]

That's fine, it means that our rotation won't really change from what it was in the games where Wenyen didn't play. He's the most athletically gifted option we have to defend AD maybe he can limit him without needing help every time Davis touches the ball.

 

[Darkwebs]

------- JOYSEES -------

-

​

 

[Darkwebs]

 

[Strenuus]

Am I missing something? LeBron aint no where on there.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Am I missing something? LeBron aint no where on there.

Neither is Anthony Davis. That means we have the two best players in the Lakers-Blazers series.

Dame and Melo.

 

[wizenheimer]

Zac is twice the player Gabriel is. On both ends.

that may be, but for the Blazers this season:

PER: Zach 9.9....Gabriel 10.3
TS%: Zach .538....Gabriel .606
Reb%: Zach 12.4%....Gabriel 12.6%
Block%: Zach 1.5%....Gabriel 2.5%
winshares/48: Zach .052....Gabriel .075
BoxPM: Zach -3.4....Gabriel -3.8

obviously there's a sample size issue with Zach....and with Gabriel for that matter. And Zach had the injury; and he's a starter so tends to play more against 1st unit opponents than Gabriel

but if Zach was twice the player, those stats above, which tend to gauge impact and efficiency, would probably not show Gabriel leading in all but one metric

Zach has Harkless level impact, at best. But I'd agree that Gabriel is not at that level.

it's going to be a baptism of fire for Gabriel going against AD.....yikes!! I think we know where the Lakers will go on offense quite often