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

[kjironman1]

Yo KJ, my problem with it is that after Game 3 we shouldn't still be hearing Dame talk about it like the first two games didn't happen. I'm not trying to bash Dame but he just doesn't look right mentally out there. I think he's getting okay looks for playoff basketball he's just really struggling. The turnovers are the thing that is killing me though. He's usually pretty careful with the ball. That is why we get away with virtually no fast break points or easy baskets. That is also why we can still compete in games where we shoot poorly because at least we get shots most possessions.

Dame has to learn how to play without the pick and roll. Stotts (or whoever is the coach) needs to design an offense that can counter if a team takes that away. You know what's not a good idea? Running pick and roll over and over again with Dame as he gets blitzed and turns the ball over. How about playing Dame off the ball? How about letting him go at his defender without a pick? He's gotten decent shots in those situations (for him at least) but he hasn't been making them. After the team turned the ball over 6 out of 7 plays in a row last night there we were running another pick and roll with Dame and Ed Davis. Then after the game Quick says the players seem like they can't figure out what the problem is just like pre-Nurk last year. It's called the playoffs. You have to step your game up or the season is over.

I'm not trying to knock Dame, he's an amazing player and I hope he spends his entire career in Portland. Honestly though after all the talk about being snubbed for All-Star games and not getting the recognition he deserves this is why he won't be a lock for that in the future and probably won't ever make 1st team All-NBA again (if he gets it this year). People remember what you did in the playoffs. He can have another MVP level season next year but the voters will remember that he didn't perform when it mattered. One of the reasons I love Dame though is that he is the type that will fight instead of run away like Aldridge did. After being in the playoffs 5 straight years though there is no more excuses about the talent around you or that they focus their defense on you. I can maybe see that excuse up until this year but he has to be better.

Something is telling Turner was doing more for Dame than people are giving him credit for.

 

[hoopsjock]

Something is telling Turner was doing more for Dame than people are giving him credit for.

That doesn't really explain the 1st two games though.

 

[Chris Craig]

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

You will feel our pain next series

 

[BonesJones]

That doesn't really explain the 1st two games though.

Yeah, I don't get his angle here at all.

 

[NolaVoodooBoy]

You will feel our pain next series

TBH Nah not really even a 4 game sweep to the warriors next series and we still would have exceeded expectations. No one and I mean absolutely nobody besides Pels fans that felt the Blazers we're our best matchup expected us to win this series. Not one "expert analysis" picked us to beat the Blazers.

 

[Chris Craig]

TBH Nah not really even a 4 game sweep to the warriors next series and we still would have exceeded expectations. No one and I mean absolutely nobody besides Pels fans that felt the Blazers we're our best matchup expected us to win this series. Not one "expert analysis" picked us to beat the Blazers.

Beating the Blazers isnt an accomplishment

 

[NolaVoodooBoy]

Beating the Blazers isnt an accomplishment

Let me put it this way. The Pels are the 6th seed even tho only one game separated us from the 3rd seed blazers. But we were not expected to win. Just like we are not expected to beat the 2nd seed warriors so no matter what happens from now. We exceeded expectations so yes it is an accomplishment no matter how down you might be on your team at this moment. I'm sure most here felt the same as the rest of the experts. And in a season when we lost our second best player and everyone wrote us off after that. Just making it was something to build on. But advancing is a positive no matter what happens in the next round.

 

[Chris Craig]

Let me put it this way. The Pels are the 6th seed even tho only one game separated us from the 3rd seed blazers. But we were not expected to win. Just like we are not expected to beat the 2nd seed warriors so no matter what happens from now. We exceeded expectations so yes it is an accomplishment no matter how down you might be on your team at this moment. I'm sure most here felt the same as the rest of the experts. And in a season when we lost our second best player and everyone wrote us off after that. Just making it was something to build on. But advancing is a positive no matter what happens in the next round.

Well good luck to you and your team.

 

[NolaVoodooBoy]

Well good luck to you and your team.

Likewise. The Blazers and Spurs are the only other teams in the West I pull for. Fuck Houston, GS and Okc

 

[Chris Craig]

Likewise. The Blazers and Spurs are the only other teams in the West I pull for. Fuck Houston, GS and Okc

Well at least we have that last part in common

 

[hoopsjock]

Likewise. The Blazers and Spurs are the only other teams in the West I pull for. Fuck Houston, GS and Okc

Awww, so close. Fuck the Spurs too and that fucking traitor Benedict Aldridge.

 

[NolaVoodooBoy]

Awww, so close. Fuck the Spurs too and that fucking traitor Benedict Aldridge.

Yeah I can see how you guys would feel about that situation. But watching them cook the Rockets last postseason was the best.

 

[kjironman1]

That doesn't really explain the 1st two games though.

Well there is a huge difference between being in the game for the last possession and getting blown out by 30. This series could be 2-1 Blazers if a few shots fell.

 

[hoopsjock]

Well there is a huge difference between being in the game for the last possession and getting blown out by 30. This series could be 2-1 Blazers if a few shots fell.

We were down by at least 19 in Game 1. In Game 2 Turner was horrendous (0-6, 0 points) and the guy he was guarding most of the night (Jrue Holiday) had a monster game. I don't think this had anything to do with Turner.

 

[kjironman1]

Game one we were also down 1 with dame in the lane with the ball in his hands taking a shot he makes 9 out of 10 times.
Game two they go to the last possession.
Guess it’s all perspective

 

[NolaVoodooBoy]

Not a huge fan of Turner but he did seem to handle the traps, blitzes and pressure without being as rattled, and seemed a little more poised than Lillard. Lillard looked very overwhelmed and sloppy with his ball handling and decision making, 8 TO's. And even his post game interview he seemed like a man defeated already.

 

[hoopsjock]

Game one we were also down 1 with dame in the lane with the ball in his hands taking a shot he makes 9 out of 10 times.
Game two they go to the last possession.
Guess it’s all perspective

Did they comeback because of Turner? No, Turner was absolutely dreadful in the 2nd half of Game 1 and the entire Game 2. He's practically the top reason they got blitzed in the 3rd quarter of Game 2. He wasn't in the game when they came back in that game either. Also, the game absolutely did NOT come down to the last possession. They took the lead with 3 minutes left and completely shit the bed after that. They lost by 9.

 

[hoopsjock]

Not a huge fan of Turner but he did seem to handle the traps, blitzes and pressure without being as rattled, and seemed a little more poised than Lillard. Lillard looked very overwhelmed and sloppy with his ball handling and decision making, 8 TO's. And even his post game interview he seemed like a man defeated already.

Huh? Who in their right mind would trap or blitz Turner? He had a complete mismatch in Games 1 and 2 and couldn't do shit other than a few buckets at the beginning of Game 1. No team, including the Pelicans would double team or pressure Turner. You want Turner with the ball if you're on defense.

 

[NolaVoodooBoy]

Huh? Who in their right mind would trap or blitz Turner? He had a complete mismatch in Games 1 and 2 and couldn't do shit other than a few buckets at the beginning of Game 1. No team, including the Pelicans would double team or pressure Turner. You want Turner with the ball if you're on defense.

We didn't necessarily double team ET but we absolutely used the same switching and big guys hard hedge. It's our defensive scheme. The difference between him and Lillard is we kept our bigs up on Dame longer and took our chances on someone else beating us. Either way it's kinda complexing. Because we didn't have to pressure as hard with ET handling the ball more and taking some pressure off of Dame but that allowed the blazers to get some better looks that just didn't fall. And the game was not as sloppy. Without ET it made the Blazers even more predictable and had one less ball handler to worry about. And the results were more to's than asst. For rip city.

 

[Strenuus]

We didn't necessarily double team ET but we absolutely used the same switching and big guys hard hedge. It's our defensive scheme. The difference between him and Lillard is we kept our bigs up on Dame longer and took our chances on someone else beating us. Either way it's kinda complexing. Because we didn't have to pressure as hard with ET handling the ball more and taking some pressure off of Dame but that allowed the blazers to get some better looks that just didn't fall. And the game was not as sloppy. Without ET it made the Blazers even more predictable and had one less ball handler to worry about. And the results were more to's than asst. For rip city.

Trust us, we worry about it when ET has the ball.

 

[NolaVoodooBoy]

I

Trust us, we worry about it when ET has the ball.

Fully understand. Like I said I'm not a fan of ET but having that extra ball handling guy that can take Dame off the ball at times makes it less predictable than it already is. It's a shame CJ is a black hole. Players don't move off the ball or cut when he has it because they know 90% of the time it's just going up.

 

[Strenuus]

I

Fully understand. Like I said I'm not a fan of ET but having that extra ball handling guy that can take Dame off the ball at times makes it less predictable than it already is. It's a shame CJ is a black hole. Players don't move off the ball or cut when he has it because they know 90% of the time it's just going up.

Here's ET's moves:

Baseline dribble, fadeaway.

OR

Pass

OR

Turnover

 

[blue9]

Players don't move off the ball or cut when he has it because they know 90% of the time it's just going up.

It's not just when CJ has the ball - nobody EVER cuts. Except Harkless and Pat...and even then not very often, and nobody ever sees them. Mostly everybody runs in a big circle, passing the ball like a hot potato in a fairly contained area at the top of the 3-point arc - that's "movement" even if the ball never goes anywhere.

 

[Lanny]

Don't worry fellas'.........I called the right people to put a spell on them> View attachment 20269

Oh yeah, that really helps my confidence.

 

[LayneStaley]

Just Sayin

 

[stampedehero]

Oh yeah, that really helps my confidence.

Apparently, phantom chicks could not help them either.
For all of us, confidence is a word that has faded since tip off game one.
Today will be the end of the road. The odds are against us.
It was fun while it lasted.

 

[stampedehero]

Here's ET's moves:

Baseline dribble, fadeaway.

OR

Pass

OR

Turnover

Turnover (s)--------- just like last year.

 

[stampedehero]

It's not just when CJ has the ball - nobody EVER cuts. Except Harkless and Pat...and even then not very often, and nobody ever sees them. Mostly everybody runs in a big circle, passing the ball like a hot potato in a fairly contained area at the top of the 3-point arc - that's "movement" even if the ball never goes anywhere.

Include Nurk. He cuts...The problem is he can be soft with a good defender within his path to the basket.

 

[Lanny]

Let me put it this way. The Pels are the 6th seed even tho only one game separated us from the 3rd seed blazers. But we were not expected to win. Just like we are not expected to beat the 2nd seed warriors so no matter what happens from now. We exceeded expectations so yes it is an accomplishment no matter how down you might be on your team at this moment. I'm sure most here felt the same as the rest of the experts. And in a season when we lost our second best player and everyone wrote us off after that. Just making it was something to build on. But advancing is a positive no matter what happens in the next round.

Whatever happens in this series, you're not gonna take down the Warriors.

 

[Nikolokolus]

TBH Nah not really even a 4 game sweep to the warriors next series and we still would have exceeded expectations. No one and I mean absolutely nobody besides Pels fans that felt the Blazers we're our best matchup expected us to win this series. Not one "expert analysis" picked us to beat the Blazers.

I think the Pels are going to be a headache for GSW . . . I don't think they'll win the series, but I expect competitive games. Bon Chance.