Game Thread PLAYOFFS: ROUND 1, GAME 3: GRIZZLIES @ BLAZERS - 4/25/15, SATURDAY, 7:30 PM (PST), ESPN & KGW

[Blazer Freak]

Stotts needs to go. This game finalized that thought in my mind...in NO REALITY should a 50% Kaman play over Meyers.

Stotts and RoLo were just so much better than their predecessors that you guys are overrating them beyond reason.

 

[HailBlazers]

You're the 'energy man' how are you feeling about this team as a fan? Are you upbeat? Are you feeling it from these guys? What are your thoughts?

I'm feeling like the West is insanely tough. But that the Blazers are not far off at full strength. As soon as Wes went down I lost all hope for this season anyway, already looking one two years down the road.

I am upbeat because IMO Neil is the best GM we've ever had and I think he's earned the respect of LMA to execute a long term plan. Adding Afflalo and maturing the bench are big steps in the right direction.

 

[MAS RipCity]

We're lucky Meyers is taking his inconsistent minutes like a champ. There's absolutely no reason why he should be getting so little run. Seriously, what the fuck is up with Stotts' rotations this entire season?

 

[magnifier661]

Hats off to Memphis. They have completely forced us to play their game. We were just outmatched

 

[BlazerBeav]

We're lucky Meyers is taking his inconsistent minutes like a champ. There's absolutely no reason why he should be getting so little run. Seriously, what the fuck is up with Stotts' rotations this entire season?

Given that Meyers is the only player not named Batum to hit more than 40% of his shots in the series, I should think it's reasonable to expect him to get some more run.

 

[MarAzul]

We were just outmatched

We were out coached, and it wasn't close.

 

[e_blazer]

Aldridge's slow start was a killer. Got down 10 and it was an uphill battle from then on. Memphis is just too good to spot a lead like that and hope to win very often. Good effort in the second half, but not enough. I never realized exactly how important Wes is to what ghe Blazers do until he was injured.

Damn! Tough ending to a promising season.

 

[Strenuus]

Reason on why Meyers only played 5 min?

"Coaches decision" - Stotts.

Yep. He needs to go.

 

[HailBlazers]

The reason Meyers doesn't play is because he's a liability on defense, and on the boards. Of course it doesn't help that the refs hate him.

 

[BlazerBeav]

The reason Meyers doesn't play is because he's a liability on defense, and on the boards. Of course it doesn't help that the refs hate him.

If we weren't playing people for being a liability on defense, why on God's green earth was Steve Blake on the court? We can talk about Dame's defense all we want, but Steve has been AWFUL this series.

 

[PDXFonz]

As shitty as these game threads get, they are no where near as horrible as the classless fan who was cheering when Mike Conely went to the ground, and continued cheering when they realized it was a serious injury. I am absolutely ashamed to see that kind of classless action from a Blazers fan.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

The boards? Huh?

This series: 8 rpg | 16.5 PER36 | 23.5 TRB%

Rebounding isn't his issue.

 

[HailBlazers]

The boards? Huh?

Rebounding isn't his issue.

The only rebounds he gets are ones that bounce his way. He's often pushed off position. And almost never gets second chance points.

 

[magnifier661]

As shitty as these game threads get, they are no where near as horrible as the classless fan who was cheering when Mike Conely went to the ground, and continued cheering when they realized it was a serious injury. I am absolutely ashamed to see that kind of classless action from a Blazers fan.

Wait what?!?!

 

[PDXFonz]

Wait what?!?!

Some jackass sitting by me who probably had too much to drink and didn't realize how big of a scumbag they were being.

 

[magnifier661]

Some jackass sitting by me who probably had too much to drink and didn't realize how big of a scumbag they were being.

You acted like the entire arena was cheering! Holly hell bro!!!!

I stopped watching at 3rd period

 

[PDXFonz]

You acted like the entire arena was cheering! Holly hell bro!!!!

I stopped watching at 3rd period

You must have accidently added an s to the end of "classless fan".

 

[Haakzilla]

Some jackass sitting by me who probably had too much to drink and didn't realize how big of a scumbag they were being.

...that must have been the same guy that was yelling, "C'mon Conley you fucking pussy it's just your nose! You pussy! Really? It's just your nose you pussy!"

 

[DUB]

...that must have been the same guy that was yelling, "C'mon Conley you fucking pussy it's just your nose! You pussy! Really? It's just your nose you pussy!"

For some reason I'm imagining this guy saying that.

 

[jlprk]

Reason on why Meyers only played 5 min?
"Coaches decision" - Stotts.
Yep. He needs to go.

Leonard had 2 fouls in 5 minutes (and all zeroes on his box score line). Stotts benched him to save him for later. Kaman got 6 rebounds in 17 minutes, so Leonard wasn't needed.

Gasol was easily stopping our big men from making distance shots, and would have done the same with Leonard.

 

[stampedehero]

I hate skinny Green. He flops like he has a personal force field. They should have sent him to the locker room for crap acting.

 

[stampedehero]

The Grizz can consistently penetrate and make assists. We are stinkin jump shooters.

 

[rasheedfan2005]

Grizzly playing like warriors. I watched warriors game before ours and they did same shit grizzly did. Everytime we make a run they get a stop or we commit a stupid turn over next thing you know lead back to 12ish. Curry did that shit to pelicans too. Just hit dagger after dagger. either grizzly or warrior winning it all this year they play with no mercy.

Blazers to me are where warriors were. I think we are minor adjustments and maybe minor personel changes to a 60 win season. It takes a little luck too. Like not losing the toughest guy on our roster. I just hope the chemistry can be salvaged, it appears to be gone.

 

[jlprk]

Blazers to me are where warriors were.

All we need is a shooter of the decade like Curry.

 

[Blazinaway]

The reason Meyers doesn't play is because he's a liability on defense, and on the boards. Of course it doesn't help that the refs hate him.

WTF Lopez looked like a liability everywhere with his plodding feet and hands of stone, and Kaman was clearly hurt, no excuse IMO

 

[Sinobas]

The Grizz have a simple formula. Defense and ball movement. They don't ISO a ton or take too many threes.

They are the anti-Blazers in a lot of ways. It really highlights the gimmicky Stotts systems.

Stotts system is supposed to have ball movement....at times the Blazers ball movement has been great, and they had the best offense in the league when they move it around. But lately, it's been stagnant.

 

[Strenuus]

Leonard had 2 fouls in 5 minutes (and all zeroes on his box score line). Stotts benched him to save him for later. Kaman got 6 rebounds in 17 minutes, so Leonard wasn't needed.

Gasol was easily stopping our big men from making distance shots, and would have done the same with Leonard.

.... no.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Stotts system is supposed to have ball movement....at times the Blazers ball movement has been great, and they had the best offense in the league when they move it around. But lately, it's been stagnant.

Last night, the flow offense had no flow. As I watched the game, I wondered how much we really miss Wes. Wes isn't a big assist man, but it seems like the ball movement has really ground to a halt without him. We don't seem to be getting those extra second and third passes that lead to wide open shots anymore.

I was at the game last night and haven't read the game thread so this may have already been mentioned, but I found it surprising that at the end of the game we had the EXACT same FG% as the Grizzlies. In fact, we attempted and made exactly the same number of FGs (both teams were 36/77, .468 GF%). Watching the game live, it sure seemed like we had to work a lot harder and took a lot more contested shots than MEM. They seemed to have much better ball movement and got a lot more open looks. So again, surprising we were able to match their FG%. A lot of that was Batum. He was very aggressive last night and looking for his shot.

Matching their FG% is even more surprising given we attempted 22 more 3-pointers than they did. On 2-point FGs, we were exactly .500 (25/50). We made 7 more 3FG than they did, but of course, they made 13 more FTs and that was the difference in the game. A lot of those FTs came in the last 2 minutes when we were fouling to stop the clock, but there were also some ridiculous fouls that went against us in the first half. It sure seemed like any questionable call that could go against us went against us. Again, I haven't read the game thread, but based on what I saw at the game, including the slow motion replays on the jumbotron, I'm guessing the officiating was a major topic last night. So much for home court advantage...

BNM

 

[KeepOnRollin]

Read it when you get a chance BNM. Someone posted something directly for you. Too bad they don't know how to work the tag like I do now! Haha. @Boob-No-More

 

[Boob-No-More]

Leonard had 2 fouls in 5 minutes (and all zeroes on his box score line). Stotts benched him to save him for later. Kaman got 6 rebounds in 17 minutes, so Leonard wasn't needed.

Gasol was easily stopping our big men from making distance shots, and would have done the same with Leonard.

Define "distance shots". In his entire 12 year NBA career, Chris Kaman has not made a single 3-pointer. He is a collective 0-20 in the regular season and 0-0 in the playoffs. Robin Lopez is equally futile from "distance". In his entire 7 year NBA career, he's 0-3 on 3-pointers during the regular season and matches Kaman's 0-0 from downtown in the playoffs.

Perhaps you haven't been paying attention, but Meyers Leonard lead the team in 3FG% the year and was 4-5 on 3-pointers in the first 2 games of this series.

I'm not proclaiming Meyers as our savior, but to claim Gasol "would have done the same with Leonard" doesn't add up. At the very least, Gasol would have had to guard Leonard out to the 3-point line, something he doesn't have to do with Kaman or Lopez, and that would have opened up the paint more for our other guys. Again, not claiming we would have won the game if Meyers had played more, but his ability to hit the 3, would have definitely changed the way MEM in general and Gasol specifically, played defense.

BNM