Game Thread PLAYOFFS: ROUND 1, GAME 3: BLAZERS @ PELICANS - APRIL 19, 2018, THURSDAY, 6PM PDT, NBATV & NBCSNW

[RipCityDSCPL]

IMO a sweep leads to breaking up this backcourt

Rooting for a sweep then?

 

[BonesJones]

Regreesing huh.
4th seed 2015
5th seed 2016
8th seed 2017
3rd seed 2018

Doesn't seem like regression.

Lmao. Regular season is pointless if you can't succeed in the playoffs, and if other teams were as healthy as us, we'd be the 7th or 8th seed. We're not built for the playoffs and it's mostly pur coaching staff. Our coaching staff is what's regressed.

 

[BonesJones]

With respect, that's bullshit. Not calling proper time outs and not adjusting defense strategies and calling the same fucking plays over and over and over again AFTER a timeout.....that's on Stotts.

For real. It's easy to look at a team, see they're not playing well, and call the roster flawed.

So someone needs to ask Haynes, is Damian Lillard part of the reason we have a "flawed roster", or is Stotts not putting him in a position to succeed? It's one or the other.

 

[Drttimmy]

Jason Quick appeared visibly distressed and pained during his post game interview. Man, he's invested emotionally hard with this team. I guess it's cool in a way.

Anyway, he's trying to find explanations for their play, as are the rest of the post game dudes. Lots of good explanations, but I have yet to hear the real reason....the Pelicans are simply more talented than the Blazers. They can scheme our best two players and we can't scheme against theirs. That's usually Jaynes's job to announce, but I have yet to hear him utter anything near it. These guys look as lost as the Blazers trying to rationalize it all.

 

[kjironman1]

Way too ignore my post before this... Pathetic.

"Give the ball up", "He's standing around"...

It's our system. It doesn't put Lillard in a position to succeed against double teams. He's never off the ball, and there's no pplays designed to free him up. He does give the ball up but he doesn't have enough shooters around him and it's on him to constantly create. It's a SYSTEM issue.

You're sitting here shit-posting, while failing to see how tough of a position Stotts puts Dame in, and how our system, combined with a good gameplan from New Orleans, leaves him with no chance at success during this series.

But you won't break down the actual game with me, it's just basic stuff like "He's standing.." and "Give it up get it back". Everyone's standing, and once he "gets it back", how is he in any more of a position to succeed than he was before? Our offensive system is seriously flawed, and Dame is the only reason we aren't a bottom 5 worst team the league.

I kind of think a little of that has to do with the personnel around him. Dame ain't gonna make excuses. But i would love to see what he could do with a bigger stronger defensive minded SG. Like Jimmy Butler next to him.

 

[WillG]

This team needs to be blown up. Lillard is NOT a good leader.
His effort , body language, shot selection and ball protection has been PATHETIC!
The team takes its cues from its 'Leader' and, frankly, the whole team is just full of themselves & fake tough guys.

If the BLazers brass bring this team back next season I will refuse to support them, and not follow games for the first time in 30 years.
Will be no big loss - as this incarnation of the Blazers is not fun to watch anyway.

They have absolutely quit these playoffs with their effort, and, after this pathetic display (not even trying) do not deserve our support.

 

[kjironman1]

Jason Quick appeared visibly distressed and pained during his post game interview. Man, he's invested emotionally hard with this team. I guess it's cool in a way.

Anyway, he's trying to find explanations for their play, as are the rest of the post game dudes. Lots of good explanations, but I have yet to hear the real reason....the Pelicans are simply more talented than the Blazers. They can scheme our best two players and we can't scheme against theirs. That's usually Jaynes's job to announce, but I have yet to hear him utter anything near it. These guys look as lost as the Blazers trying to rationalize it all.

Well. We've all been saying this for a week now.

 

[BonesJones]

Last in the league in assists, we don't move the ball, he relies on Damian too much, and when Damians double teamed he doesn't have an answer. His playbook is rudimentary with no cuts or screens freeing up guys going TOWARDS the basket. He doesn't know when to call timely timeouts and he never switches up defenses to keep opposing offenses off balance. We never run the break or score I'm transition even though we have a roster built for it. We shoot way, way, way too many jumpers. He lets players do whatever they want, lile Nurkic shooting very long 2s and Aminu trying to go 1v1 against Anthony Davis... He sucks at making adjustments and that's why we struggle in the playoffs. Damian Lillard carries us to the 3 seed and then New Orleans double teams him and Stotts has no answer.

But it's Dames fault. It's the rosters fault... right.

 

[BonesJones]

This team needs to be blown up. Lillard is NOT a good leader.
His effort , body language, shot selection and ball protection has been PATHETIC!
The team takes its cues from its 'Leader' and, frankly, the whole team is just full of themselves & fake tough guys.

If the BLazers brass bring this team back next season I will refuse to support them, and not follow games for the first time in 30 years.
Will be no big loss - as this incarnation of the Blazers is not fun to watch anyway.

They have absolutely quit these playoffs with their effort, and, after this pathetic display (not even trying) do not deserve our support.

What a crock full of shit. People quit on Dame because our system is fucking flawed and our coach is a fraud? Dame plays harder than anyone and has to do the most. The dude went vegan, and spent a ton of time improving his defense. The dude is one of the best leaders in the league. The failure in leadership is Stotts.

 

[BonesJones]

I kind of think a little of that has to do with the personnel around him. Dame ain't gonna make excuses. But i would love to see what he could do with a bigger stronger defensive minded SG. Like Jimmy Butler next to him.

It's slightly personell and mostly coaching.

 

[BonesJones]

Props to Dame for not ducking questions and being forthcoming in giving credit to the defense.

No false bravado bullshit. Tell it like it is

Not everything has to be pick n roll.... why do we go to the trap and then try to decide what to do and how to attack the trap? Why don't we try something different? Why don't we make ADJUSTMENTS?

 

[H.C.]

Lmao. Regular season is pointless if you can't succeed in the playoffs, and if other teams were as healthy as us, we'd be the 7th or 8th seed. We're not built for the playoffs and it's mostly pur coaching staff. Our coaching staff is what's regressed.

IDK, I'm pretty sure the point I was making is there isn't much separation between 3-9 seed.
Therefore it comes to match ups.
That Portland is a middle of the pack playoff team who for 2 straight years has been eliminated by GSW.
Now we're against another middle of the pack playoff team and going to be eliminated again.

I can agree on the coaching staff tho.
As I'm not sure having Lillard, although a pick and roll guard.
Run 90 pick and rolls all night against the best pick and roll defense in the league...
Hoping the other teams best player gets tired in the 4th.. Is a winning strat.

Can we get some down screens? Anything to get Lillard a rhythm early?
Rather than asking him to read the defense for 40 minutes a night.

 

[BigGameDamian]

Last in the league in assists, we don't move the ball, he relies on Damian too much, and when Damians double teamed he doesn't have an answer. His playbook is rudimentary with no cuts or screens freeing up guys going TOWARDS the basket. He doesn't know when to call timely timeouts and he never switches up defenses to keep opposing offenses off balance. We never run the break or score I'm transition even though we have a roster built for it. We shoot way, way, way too many jumpers. He lets players do whatever they want, lile Nurkic shooting very long 2s and Aminu trying to go 1v1 against Anthony Davis... He sucks at making adjustments and that's why we struggle in the playoffs. Damian Lillard carries us to the 3 seed and then New Orleans double teams him and Stotts has no answer.

But it's Dames fault. It's the rosters fault... right.

Dame, Ed Davis and Zach Collins are the only guys I really care about. Everyone else can be traded.

 

[WillG]

What a crock full of shit. People quit on Dame because our system is fucking flawed and our coach is a fraud? Dame plays harder than anyone and has to do the most. The dude went vegan, and spent a ton of time improving his defense. The dude is one of the best leaders in the league. The failure in leadership is Stotts.

Bullshit. One of the reasons we are last in fastbreaks is BECAUSE we have Lillard. He just doesnt run. He also is hellbent on taking the hero shot. The guy is all about marketing. Why else would a sane person wear those stupid shirtless suits on the sideline.
He's all talk, and no walk.
If only he was as selective with his shots as he is with his effort.

 

[kjironman1]

It's slightly personell and mostly coaching.

We agree to disagree on that then. A coach has to work with the players he has. I would go more with Personnel and then changing you way he coaches for the people he was dealing with.
Look tonight if Aminu and Harkless blistered the Pels like Mirotic did the Blazers then this game is way different. The lanes open up. Dame gets more room. The passing gets easier. The doubles and triples loosen up. In my opinion it's personnel not coaching.

 

[A$AP Meyers]

Way too ignore my post before this... Pathetic.

"Give the ball up", "He's standing around"...

It's our system. It doesn't put Lillard in a position to succeed against double teams. He's never off the ball, and there's no pplays designed to free him up. He does give the ball up but he doesn't have enough shooters around him and it's on him to constantly create. It's a SYSTEM issue.

You're sitting here shit-posting, while failing to see how tough of a position Stotts puts Dame in, and how our system, combined with a good gameplan from New Orleans, leaves him with no chance at success during this series.

But you won't break down the actual game with me, it's just basic stuff like "He's standing.." and "Give it up get it back". Everyone's standing, and once he "gets it back", how is he in any more of a position to succeed than he was before? Our offensive system is seriously flawed, and Dame is the only reason we aren't a bottom 5 worst team the league.

I've been plenty critical of Stotts. That doesn't give Dame free-pass.

 

[KingSpeed]

Dame, Ed Davis and Zach Collins are the only guys I really care about. Everyone else can be traded.

Why isn't Aminu on your list? He's the only guy who shows up in big games!

 

[Drttimmy]

Well. We've all been saying this for a week now.

Fool me. A lot of people seem upset to have already come to terms with that.

 

[theprunetang]

Why isn't Aminu on your list? He's the only guy who shows up in big games!

Aminu is doing his job, and always does in the Playoffs.

 

[NolaVoodooBoy]

Hey guys. Not here to talk shit or anything. Just my observation of the style of play for the blazers. Again Dame and CJ do not compliment each other at all and yes Dame is part of the problem but he is still a stud and a great player but if he is going to be a score first point guard you need someone to balance it out the same way we got Rondo to take the pressure off of Jrue and let him play off the ball and take advantage of his scoring and defence. Next is that system. It's very predictable it's basically 3 plays with different sets and Rondo himself said it himself. He calls out the play that you guys are running in our terminology so we can adjust our defense accordingly. We had the exact same problem the year we got blown out the building in the playoffs against the warriors. That's why we Fired Monty Williams as soon as the playoffs we're over for us and hired Gentry from the warriors coaching staff. Now it's more motion, ball movement and curls and cutting to the basket and he wants fast pace. Most Iso teams can't keep up the pace we run for the whole game and you see the results in game two the blazers we're absolutely winded by the middle of the 3rd. Iso ball is just to easy to defend and game plan against.

 

[KingSpeed]

Aminu is doing his job, and always does in the Playoffs.

Exactly

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

C'mon guys....Alls we need is a 4 game winning streak.

 

[Chris Craig]

Hey guys. Not here to talk shit or anything. Just my observation of the style of play for the blazers. Again Dame and CJ do not compliment each other at all and yes Dame is part of the problem but he is still a stud and a great player but if he is going to be a score first point guard you need someone to balance it out the same way we got Rondo to take the pressure off of Jrue and let him play off the ball and take advantage of his scoring and defence. Next is that system. It's very predictable it's basically 3 plays with different sets and Rondo himself said it himself. He calls out the play that you guys are running in our terminology so we can adjust our defense accordingly. We had the exact same problem the year we got blown out the building in the playoffs against the warriors. That's why we Fired Monty Williams as soon as the playoffs we're over for us and hired Gentry from the warriors coaching staff. Now it's more motion, ball movement and curls and cutting to the basket and he wants fast pace. Most Iso teams can't keep up the pace we run for the whole game and you see the results in game two the blazers we're absolutely winded by the middle of the 3rd. Iso ball is just to easy to defend and game plan against.

Yeah we suck, we get it

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

What happened to Kingspeed's voodoo curse?

Did he use a live chicken?

Please tell me he didn't forget the live chicken!

 

[NolaVoodooBoy]

Yeah we suck, we get it

As a Pels, Saints and old Blazers of the 90s fan I feel your pain but the sky is not falling.

 

[Chris Craig]

As a Pels, Saints and old Blazers of the 90s fan I feel your pain but the sky is not falling.

It is

 

[hoopsjock]

Asik makes more than Meyers next year. He’s got a team option the following year but still has money guaranteed. Chicago would be better served holding onto him as an expiring contract they could use in a trade.

And Asik is a lost cause on the court. Meyers could still play, especially on a rebuilding team like Chicago.

It's not even close over the next two years:
Meyers owed $21,882,023
Asik owed $14,286516

That is over $7.5 million less PLUS they expected their pick to be much better too. It's not even close to the same offer.

 

[tester551]

Hey guys. Not here to talk shit or anything. Just my observation of the style of play for the blazers. Again Dame and CJ do not compliment each other at all and yes Dame is part of the problem but he is still a stud and a great player but if he is going to be a score first point guard you need someone to balance it out the same way we got Rondo to take the pressure off of Jrue and let him play off the ball and take advantage of his scoring and defence. Next is that system. It's very predictable it's basically 3 plays with different sets and Rondo himself said it himself. He calls out the play that you guys are running in our terminology so we can adjust our defense accordingly. We had the exact same problem the year we got blown out the building in the playoffs against the warriors. That's why we Fired Monty Williams as soon as the playoffs we're over for us and hired Gentry from the warriors coaching staff. Now it's more motion, ball movement and curls and cutting to the basket and he wants fast pace. Most Iso teams can't keep up the pace we run for the whole game and you see the results in game two the blazers we're absolutely winded by the middle of the 3rd. Iso ball is just to easy to defend and game plan against.

Thanks for the comments.
I think most of us agree with your statements.
Do you have that Rondo quote somewhere? I was thinking about that during game 2. The anouncers were talking about Rondo & how he is a coach on the floor & breaks down film - etc. I was sitting there thinking, I bet Rondo looks at our offensive sets and thinks to himself that Portland is like shooting fish in a barrel.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Blazers are 0-3 in Blazer games that @HCP has worked.

Coincidence?

 

[THE HCP]

Heading over to the arena in a few minutes. This is your last chance to have The HCP create a new “UNJINXED” game thread. Let me know.

BUMP