Game Thread Preseason Game #1 - Blazers vs Raptors in Vancouver BC

[tykendo]

Man! Alittle too much put on the 1st preseason game in which your "BEST" player played a whopping 12 minutes. The Blazers will be fine. Collins is still developing, and will be fine. Way too early for doom and gloom. And if the final outcome is so important, then the fact our starters beat their starters should be just as important, and the fact that "Their" starters played more minutes, almost half against our bench, shows it seemed to mean more to their coaches, than ours.

 

[James lamphear]

Simon offense is not bad but a long ways on the defense side. He young and when he gets stronger that should improve. I going till you right now don't over look Trent. He shot the 3 ball 2-5 that 40 percent he need some of those mid range shot to go down. Defensely he does real good job due his feet always moving there pretty quick too.

 

[Driew]

Simon offense is not bad but a long ways on the defense side. He young and when he gets stronger that should improve. I going till you right now don't over look Trent. He shot the 3 ball 2-5 that 40 percent he need some of those mid range shot to go down. Defensely he does real good job due his feet always moving there pretty quick too.

Simons is going to be a star in a few years once he grows into his body.

 

[KingSpeed]

Simons is going to be a star in a few years once he grows into his body.

Would you put him in a package for one year of Butler?

 

[jlprk]

Nothing changed my Summer League opinions, already posted: Simon's shooting is unconcious. The future starter makes it look effortless, and I see raw playmaking instincts too. Trent is just another Crabbe/Connaughton.

Collins is not the future star that Olshey portrays. Just as Olshey oversold McCollum (Until recent years, most on this board treated him like a near-Lillard, so I had to say, "He is no Lillard"), I may have to remind you about Collins, "He is no Ed Davis."

Ive always thought Zack was a guy that would need two seasons to get an offensive game going. His D is legit but he will need to develop an offensive game.

People forget that he wasnt even supposed to play last year. It was supposed to be a red shirt season with this year basically being his rookie year. Everyone wants everything now.. patience. He's 20.

One guy disagreed, and traded our 4th-best player. What do you think of Olshey's misdiagnosis that Collins will replace Davis now? How can you twist logic to excuse both Collins and Olshey? It should be one but not both.

 

[ripcityboy]

I want to see how Collins does through the season before I make any judgements on his progress. There are guys who go four years in this league before reaching their potential.

 

[Driew]

Would you put him in a package for one year of Butler?

No.

Edit: Would you?

 

[jlprk]

I want to see how Collins does through the season before I make any judgements on his progress. There are guys who go four years in this league before reaching their potential.

Again...since you say that Collins isn't ready right now, we should have kept Davis for this year to cover our bases. Olshey thought that Collins is already ready, so he rushed to dump our 4th-best player on the first day of free agency, to replace him with Stauskas. Olshey loves offense and hates defense.

 

[ripcityboy]

Again...since you say that Collins isn't ready right now, we should have kept Davis for this year to cover our bases. Olshey thought that Collins is already ready, so he rushed to dump our 4th-best player on the first day of free agency, to replace him with Stauskas. Olshey loves offense and hates defense.

I agree. We should have kept Davis. I'm still pissed about that.

 

[kjironman1]

Pretty much this.
Players don't shoot free throws underhanded because they get laughed at and they find it embarrassing.

Whats more embarrassing. Shooting 39% from the free throw line, or shooting an underhanded free throw?

Both are pretty bad. Neither belong in the NBA. Just my opinion. Seems like S2 doesn't allow opinions any longer?

 

[James lamphear]

Simons is going to be a star in a few years once he grows into his body.

That's very possible especially on the offensive side at least.

 

[kjironman1]

Again...since you say that Collins isn't ready right now, we should have kept Davis for this year to cover our bases. Olshey thought that Collins is already ready, so he rushed to dump our 4th-best player on the first day of free agency, to replace him with Stauskas. Olshey loves offense and hates defense.

Yeah i agree with you on this. The Blazers will miss Ed Davis.

 

[James lamphear]

One thing Trent does that Crabbe or Pat couldn't do is get his own shot. Plus he will be better on the defense side and already better passer.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

I sure hope @TorturedBlazerFan didn't take it as "unnecessarily rude". We were discussing hindsight.

I didn’t, if you wanted to be rude Im sure you could do much better!

 

[Hoopguru]

Nothing changed my Summer League opinions, already posted: Simon's shooting is unconcious. The future starter makes it look effortless, and I see raw playmaking instincts too. Trent is just another Crabbe/Connaughton.

Collins is not the future star that Olshey portrays. Just as Olshey oversold McCollum (Until recent years, most on this board treated him like a near-Lillard, so I had to say, "He is no Lillard"), I may have to remind you about Collins, "He is no Ed Davis."





One guy disagreed, and traded our 4th-best player. What do you think of Olshey's misdiagnosis that Collins will replace Davis now? How can you twist logic to excuse both Collins and Olshey? It should be one but not both.

You are way off in comparing Collins to Ed Davis now. Collins is 20 years old, and has more total upside than Davis.
I loved Ed on the team, but he disappointed me big time in the playoffs as he seemed like he was going through the motions and wasn't more than one dimensional. Cant do that in todays NBA! hell Ed has been in the league for many years and still doesn't have a consistent inside offensive game? You talk about raw instincts with re: to Simmons and I too like his potential, but his D isn't anywhere to found either, at this point, just like Collins looking for his O.
Both young and talented.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

Both are pretty bad. Neither belong in the NBA. Just my opinion. Seems like S2 doesn't allow opinions any longer?

It’s debate. I don’t see it as people shutting you up.

 

[hoopsjock]

It’s debate. I don’t see it as people shutting you up.

It's not even up for debate for KJ apparently. He said the Blazers have no business having a guy on the team that shoots free throws underhanded. I asked him why it matters and he got all macho about it. A real man wouldn't shoot underhanded no matter what!!!

 

[HailBlazers]

Zach cant score in the post against a guy 6 inches shorter.... yikes.

It's alright, our big man coach will straighten him out...

 

[Schilly]

1 preseason game after 4 days of practice...

 

[THE HCP]

1 preseason game after 4 days of practice...

So you’re saying good or bad we should not take much from this game. Well that just makes too much sense FAMS.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Again...since you say that Collins isn't ready right now, we should have kept Davis for this year to cover our bases. Olshey thought that Collins is already ready, so he rushed to dump our 4th-best player on the first day of free agency, to replace him with Stauskas. Olshey loves offense and hates defense.

That's a bizarre thing to say give how much more advanced Collins' defense is than his offense. It was his defense, not his offense, that got him minutes last season, and it will be his defense that keeps him in the rotation this season as he continues to struggle on offense.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

It's alright, our big man coach will straighten him out...

I wish I could like this pots 1000 times!

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

One thing Trent does that Crabbe or Pat couldn't do is get his own shot. Plus he will be better on the defense side and already better passer.

He also gets to the FT line and isn't afraid to take a big shot with the game on the line. He's a SG/SF that was taken in the second round that can shoot the 3. That's where the similarities to Crabby Patty end.

BNM

 

[THE HCP]

Is DarkWing still in his summer break? Should I just start working on the next games thread? Let me know. Got some real nice graphics all ready to go for that one.

 

[H.C.]

Both are pretty bad. Neither belong in the NBA.

Andre Drummond 4 times out of his first 5 nba seasons he shot under 40% from the free throw line.
You're saying he didn't belong in the NBA?
It was widely reported he was open to shooting underhanded free throws but ultimately didn't due it because he was too embarrassed to go to underhanded free throws.
He finally improved to 60% last season, but that's still pretty awful.

At the end of the day it's more 'manly' to not care what others think about you and do what works.
Rather than let others decide for you because you're too embarrassed about what people think.

Regardless, if this Blazer makes an NBA team or not. It won't be because of his free throw form.

 

[Boob-No-More]

That statement can go both ways. There are plenty of pretty good shooters that say it is not reliable and doesn't coach well. But that is your opinion so be it. I guess you shoot the granny shot. Hope you do well with it.

It was reliable for Rick Barry:



When he retired, he was the career leader in FT% for both the NBA and the ABA. You seem to value the aesthetics more than the results. IT may not be for everyone. Sure, guys like Steph Curry are better off shooting with the same motion as their regular shot, but for guts like Shaq, Ben Wallace, Andre Drummond who flat out suck at the line, t the point they become a liability with the game on the line, it can improve their percentages. No one is saying guys who shoot well should switch, but guys who suck at FTs should consider alternatives, if they care more about winning thane being teased.

Rick Barry was one bad ass dude who gave ZERO fucks about what anyone else thought. Teasing didn't bother him so nobody bothered teasing him. Plus, it's pretty hard to tease the guy who was THE best FT shooter in the league (both of them) for his entire career.

Serious question: game on the line, score tied. A Blazer player is at the line, with one shot for the win. Would you rather he shot underhanded and made the shot, or shot overhanded and missed it? Would you be so embarrassed by winning on an underhanded FT that you'd rather risk losing than win in such an unmanly way?

Would your opinion change if it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals? If the Blazers won an NBA Championship on an underhanded FT would you hang your head in shame, or celebrate our first championship in over 40 years?

BNM

 

[James lamphear]

Shooting under handed or over handed when goes it all counts one point. Hell I shoot under handed in game horse to limit out of the game. Plus it not at easy as it seems you still have to practice it.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

It was reliable for Rick Barry:

View attachment 22568

When he retired, he was the career leader in FT% for both the NBA and the ABA. You seem to value the aesthetics more than the results. IT may not be for everyone. Sure, guys like Steph Curry are better off shooting with the same motion as their regular shot, but for guts like Shaq, Ben Wallace, Andre Drummond who flat out suck at the line, t the point they become a liability with the game on the line, it can improve their percentages. No one is saying guys who shoot well should switch, but guys who suck at FTs should consider alternatives, if they care more about winning thane being teased.

Rick Barry was one bad ass dude who gave ZERO fucks about what anyone else thought. Teasing didn't bother him so nobody bothered teasing him. Plus, it's pretty hard to tease the guy who was THE best FT shooter in the league (both of them) for his entire career.

Serious question: game on the line, score tied. A Blazer player is at the line, with one shot for the win. Would you rather he shot underhanded and made the shot, or shot overhanded and missed it? Would you be so embarrassed by winning on an underhanded FT that you'd rather risk losing than win in such an unmanly way?

Would your opinion change if it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals? If the Blazers won an NBA Championship on an underhanded FT would you hang your head in shame, or celebrate our first championship in over 40 years?

BNM

As a physicist, I would say that the lower the release point, the slower the ball speed closer to the basket. Basically, everyone should be shooting underhanded FTs from a strictly physics POV. Shorter players have a clear advantage over taller players shooting regular-handed. OTOH, shooting in a way that mimics your regular shot has some advantages, too.

Having a 5'10" dude teach your bigs how to shoot FTs isn't particular helpful if they don't understand the fundamental problem.

I didn't comment on KJ's post before because I thought picking out this irrational sentence in a very long post was nitpicking, but it seems people want to talk about FT shooting.

 

[Blazers Roy]

So Meyers is our big off the bench?! The fuck is this shit now? It's bad enough we didn't waive him already...

That Oliver dude might be a solid big off the bench, didn't follow him closely enough though...

 

[Scalma]

So Meyers is our big off the bench?! The fuck is this shit now? It's bad enough we didn't waive him already...

That Oliver dude might be a solid big off the bench, didn't follow him closely enough though...

Meyers doesn’t look any different. He’s still hesitating when inbounding the ball. He’s never going to change. I understood letting Ed go, I think his shortcomings held the offense back, but leaning on Meyers for any sort of role outside of waiving a towel is INSANE. Looking at the roster, Stotts should start testing out Turner at PF. In other words, we need help.