Game Thread PLAYOFFS: ROUND 1, GAME 1: BLAZERS @ NUGGETS - MAY 22, 2021 - SATURDAY, 7:30, ESPN

[e_blazer]

Surprising that this series and the Mavs/Clippers series got the NBA TV treatment. These are probably going to be two of the more competitive series. There's star power on every team. Hell, the Clippers are in LA.

I’m not following you. Only Thursday’s Blazers/Nuggets game is on NBA TV. Saturday’s is on ESPN and the other two that are scheduled are on TNT. One weeknight game on NBA TV seems about what you’d expect if you’re not an LA team.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Has anybody played the Blazers and Nuggets game one on NBA 2K yet to give us an update on how this game might go?

 

[SharpesTriumph]

I just read a post by a guy who says the teams should be matched up in the first round by being able to pick their opponent starting with the #1 seed and so on through the #4, which would get the team that is left out of the top 8 by default. He says it would stop the tanking bullshit that the Clippers pulled off in order to avoid the Blazers and get the Mavs. I tend to think he is right Anyone have any opinion as to why it would not work, if the league were truly interested in integrity and encouraging teams to win and not tank. There would be no incentive to tank under the system and nothing would be lost, in my opinion. But, I wonder what any of you might see as a problem with this idea.

I wonder if some players and coaches might not like this option because they have to choose a weak opponent which makes it seem like their afraid of the best. Maybe players or coaches prefer to just be assigned an opponent. The other downside is people wanting to stay with tradition or resisting change.

Otherwise I agree with you. I'm not sure how or if at all those are major downsides.

 

[Strenuus]

It's the playoffs. There is no shoo-in. Deadly assumption

Assuming in the playoffs is just flat out dumb.

 

[B-Roy]

I’m not following you. Only Thursday’s Blazers/Nuggets game is on NBA TV. Saturday’s is on ESPN and the other two that are scheduled are on TNT. One weeknight game on NBA TV seems about what you’d expect if you’re not an LA team.

The Clippers also have an NBATV game.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

That's kind of crazy considering Jokic is going to be the league MVP, and there's a 50% chance that he doesn't make it out of the first round. So the league decided not to market him at all. Dame and Jokic are pretty much the most fun guys to watch in the league.

I guess they'd rather go with bigger markets and Luka?

Ugh. So annoying when people respond to a post they haven’t read. As everyone said, Clips and Luka are also on NBATV.

 

[KSF-ERIC]

On Nuggets board, their poll has one vote for Blazers in 4 and 0 votes for Nuggets in 4. Interesting. Nuggets in 6 won the poll.

 

[Strenuus]

On Nuggets board, their poll has one vote for Blazers in 4 and 0 votes for Nuggets in 4. Interesting. Nuggets in 6 won the poll.

I dont think it's far fetched for this series to go 6 or 7 and either team winning it.

What's annoying is when people already talk about their team already being in the 2nd round before a game is played. I'm saying that in a generality, not towards you.

 

[THE HCP]

On Nuggets board, their poll has one vote for Blazers in 4 and 0 votes for Nuggets in 4. Interesting. Nuggets in 6 won the poll.

Because that’s what’s going to happen kid.

 

[Natebishop3]

It's the playoffs. There is no shoo-in. Deadly assumption

And yet I can pretty efficiently predict who the refs want to win based on which star is on the other team.

 

[DDolla]

HBD Enes…

 

[crandc]

Can't tell what the gifts are.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Latest word is Barton is practicing with the team and may be available to play tomorrow.

 

[garbagetime]

I wonder if some players and coaches might not like this option because they have to choose a weak opponent which makes it seem like their afraid of the best. Maybe players or coaches prefer to just be assigned an opponent. The other downside is people wanting to stay with tradition or resisting change.

Otherwise I agree with you. I'm not sure how or if at all those are major downsides.

Everyone knows that the Clippers tanked to get the Mavs; or avoid the Lakers. I think they are a chicken shit team because of that. They were able to manipulate the system to their advantage. It would be much better to play every game to win which would happen if the highest seeds got to pick their opponent in the first round.

 

[wizenheimer]

HBD Enes…

that's a fun video. And I wouldn't mind at all if both Kanter and RHJ were on next year's team. They both seem to be quality people and Kanter is pretty effective on the court. And, if the Blazers can go a season with Blevins on the bench, they can go one with RHJ on the bench; he's a lot more useful

 

[wizenheimer]

Powell is really good at lay-ins on the right side of the rim, especially against bigger players. I'm not sure if it's strength, or elevation, or a command of where to place the ball on the backboard. Probably a combo of all those

 

[Fairly-Hard]

Does anyone on here watch or listen to Brian Noe?
I only just started listening to him. Seems at least down to earth.

 

[maxiep]

I worry about what I will call the Melo Hero Factor (MHF). He still has a huge following here. If he goes Black Hole again, it could be problematic. Since he left,, in Denver the Nuggets have historically let him play one on five and shoot his team right out of the game.

 

[BlazerBeav]

 

[BlazerBeav]

If Rivers can't go either, what are they possibly throwing at our backcourt?

 

[Chris Craig]

If Rivers can't go either, what are they possibly throwing at our backcourt?

Shit...and hope it sticks


Facundo Campazzo, Monte Morris, Shaquille Harrison

They will have MPJ guard Dame

 

[DDolla]

Game 1 is always the best time to steal it. Go Blazers!

 

[Fairly-Hard]

You don’t sit in the playoffs because you are sick unless it’s COVID which they are saying it isn’t.
Rivers will play is what I’m thinking.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Its crazy Rivers signed for what a 10 day contract and now hes a key rotational player or starter?

He might even legit be their best all around guard....

 

[garbagetime]

What more do the Blazers want than this early Xmas gift? I wouldn't be surprised if the Nuggets just forfeited the whole series before or after game one. No sense in playing the games in this series with one team at full strength and the other mostly depleted. Can't believe anyone in Denver would pay to see this bloodbath. Blazers in 4, unless the Nuggets forfeit the series before, or after, game one. The Clippers knew what they were doing when they tanked to avoid the Blazers and get the Mavs. Last year the Clippers made it to round two before getting bounced. This year they did not want to take a chance on getting bounced in the first round series.

 

[blazerkor]

Its crazy Rivers signed for what a 10 day contract and now hes a key rotational player or starter?

He might even legit be their best all around guard....

Early in the season when both CJ and Randle were both lighting it up I wanted us to trade CJ for Randle and Rivers but most in here thought that would be a bad trade for us... hilarious.

 

[blazerkor]

What more do the Blazers want than this early Xmas gift? I wouldn't be surprised if the Nuggets just forfeited the whole series before or after game one. No sense in playing the games in this series with one team at full strength and the other mostly depleted. Can't believe anyone in Denver would pay to see this bloodbath. Blazers in 4, unless the Nuggets forfeit the series before, or after, game one. The Clippers knew what they were doing when they tanked to avoid the Blazers and get the Mavs. Last year the Clippers made it to round two before getting bounced. This year they did not want to take a chance on getting bounced in the first round series.

According to the Nuggets both Dozier and Barton are practicing and they hope to have them for game two. I think they're gauging how what they have can do against us and if they beat us with this limited roster in the first game they might just rest those guys for the next series.

Campazzo, Morris, MPJ, Gordon, Joker, Harrisson, Green, Millsap and JaVale is not a rotation we can just expect to roll over.

 

[blazerkor]

What more do the Blazers want than this early Xmas gift? I wouldn't be surprised if the Nuggets just forfeited the whole series before or after game one. No sense in playing the games in this series with one team at full strength and the other mostly depleted. Can't believe anyone in Denver would pay to see this bloodbath. Blazers in 4, unless the Nuggets forfeit the series before, or after, game one. The Clippers knew what they were doing when they tanked to avoid the Blazers and get the Mavs. Last year the Clippers made it to round two before getting bounced. This year they did not want to take a chance on getting bounced in the first round series.

The Clippers did not lose that game to avoid us... every intentional loss on that final night of the regular season was about avoiding the Lakers not us.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

I think they're gauging how what they have can do against us and if they beat us with this limited roster in the first game they might just rest those guys for the next series.

That would not be very smart. Think about that? Chancing going down 0-1 in the series when they could play the players to get a win in the first game? If Barton and Dozier can play and contribute without hurting the team or having a chance of making the injury worse they will play. Usually you have to make the decisions for the players. No player will sit just to see if they can get away with it.

 

[blazerkor]

That would not be very smart. Think about that? Chancing going down 0-1 in the series when they could play the players to get a win in the first game? If Barton and Dozier can play and contribute without hurting the team or having a chance of making the injury worse they will play. Usually you have to make the decisions for the players. No player will sit just to see if they can get away with it.

They're practicing so they're close, I don't think Denver is pushing it and that would probably represent a lack of urgency. Remember that this is the team that lost on purpose in order to play us in the first round. It all might be foolish on their part but they obviously don't see us as the hardest match up.