Rockets @ Blazers 11/16/12 - GAME THREAD

[BlazerCaravan]

Great tidbit from Lillard in a postgame interview: Stotts doesn't run termination plays that have to be run as-setup. He sets up read-and-react plays. That's how you get Lillard and Batum abusing the pick and rolls, and setting up LMA when neither saw anything they liked. Trust your guards to make good decisions, and they'll reward you. Stotts is a breath of fresh air.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

I thought "the gift" was taken? Most people refer to it as herpes, no? Usually in sarcastic terms, but still...

 

[Darkwebs]

Here are the updated stats through 9 games. Batum is stuffing the stat sheet and shooting well from everywhere.

 

[HailBlazers]

Top Performers:

Houston: J. Harden 29 Pts, 6 Reb, 6 Ast, 3 Stl
Portland: N. Batum 35 Pts, 6 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 5 Blk

Batum owning that new contract.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Only 4 assists?! What a chucker.

 

[KingSpeed]

Just got home from watching the game at Blondie's, boy was that fun! Most fun since 2011 Game 4 vs Dallas. I have three questions:

1) why wasn't it a clear path foul?

2) Will Wes get a flopping warning? Will he care? In big games like this, are people gonna care whether or not they get a fine?

3) why wasn't Lillard awarded a three for his shot? There was yellow between his shoe and the three point line!!

 

[KingSpeed]

Top Performers:

Houston: J. Harden 29 Pts, 6 Reb, 6 Ast, 3 Stl
Portland: N. Batum 35 Pts, 6 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 5 Blk

Batum owning that new contract.

Batum quickly becoming the best fantasy player in the league? He must be top 15 at least?

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Just got home from watching the game at Blondie's, boy was that fun! Most fun since 2011 Game 4 vs Dallas. I have three questions:

1) why wasn't it a clear path foul?

2) Will Wes get a flopping warning? Will he care? In big games like this, are people gonna care whether or not they get a fine?

3) why wasn't Lillard awarded a three for his shot? There was yellow between his shoe and the three point line!!

4) Will Harden get a flopping warning?

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Just got home from watching the game at Blondie's, boy was that fun! Most fun since 2011 Game 4 vs Dallas. I have three questions:

1) why wasn't it a clear path foul?

2) Will Wes get a flopping warning? Will he care? In big games like this, are people gonna care whether or not they get a fine?

3) why wasn't Lillard awarded a three for his shot? There was yellow between his shoe and the three point line!!

Officiating is your answer to all.

If Wes gets a warning, Harden will get 2-3. One or two were absolutely ridiculous.

 

[illmatic99]

If Nic keeps this up, I see him winning Most Improved. Even over Harden.

 

[Natebishop3]

If we had lost, I'd be much more irritated about that clear path foul, the flopping, and the lack of call on that shot clock violation.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

If Nic keeps this up, I see him winning Most Improved. Even over Harden.

Possibly, but Harden wasn't a starter; I see him winning it hands down if he keeps it up.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Possibly, but Harden wasn't a starter; I see him winning it hands down if he keeps it up.

One could argue that, as a bench player, Harden hasn't improved more, he just gets more minutes now.

Harden's a name, so I expect him to win.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

One could argue that, as a bench player, Harden hasn't improved more, he just gets more minutes now.

Harden's a name, so I expect him to win.

Good point, but yeah... after the fouls Harden got his way, I don't expect anything good to happen for the Blazers.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Good point, but yeah... after the fouls Harden got his way, I don't expect anything good to happen for the Blazers.

Agreed. But pretending the NBA was a wide-open, unbiased playing field for a few....

Snap back to reality.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Batum quickly becoming the best fantasy player in the league? He must be top 15 at least?

According to ESPN he was 6th before tonight's monster game.

According to nba.com, he was 4th, before tonight's huge game.

According to CBSSports, he was 6th before tonight's game.

So yeah, I'd say he's top 15. I laugh at the fools that think Batum isn't worth his contract. The value of his contract is inline with last year's performance. The way he's performing this season (so far), he's one of the better bargains in the league that's not on a rookie contract. And this year is the HIGHEST of his 4-year contract.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

Here are the updated stats through 9 games. Batum is stuffing the stat sheet and shooting well from everywhere.

Cool, three players almost averaging 20ppg. It hasn't been done often. I remember the Sonics did it a couple times back in the late 1980s with Tom Chambers, X-man and Dale Ellis. I think Golden State also did it during the RunTMC era.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

BTW, after tonight's games, Damian Lillard has passed Anthony Davis and is now leading all rookies in EFF.

Before tonight's games:
Anthony Davis EFF = 19.8
Damian Lillard EFF = 16.9

After tonight's games:
Damian Lillard EFF = 17.9
Anthony Davis EFF = 17.8

Still looking like a two horse race for ROY, although Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is hanging reasonably close at EFF = 15.1

BNM

 

[Further]

According to ESPN he was 6th before tonight's monster game.

According to nba.com, he was 4th, before tonight's huge game.

According to And this year is the HIGHEST of his 4-year contract.

BNM

Not according to storyteller contracts. I'm not sure what the truth is but [URL="http://www.storytellerscontracts.cm/"]storyteller has it going up each year

 

[THE HCP]

Where did all the Batum skeptics go? He has been playing like an All-Star all year.

Who was the guy on here all last spring/summer that was killing us for being Nic fans?

 

[THE HCP]

Still worried Nic/LA/Dame are going to be worn out by XMAS! TOO MANY MINUTES!

 

[julius]

I've given up on LaMarcus averaging decent rebound #s

 

[Sinobas]

Fun game last night! Missed FTs and bullshit calls almost cost the Blazers though, yet AGAIN. I don't know what the NBA's clear path rule is, but if what happened last night was not a clear path violation, the rule needs to be fucking revised.

Random thoughts:

-Nic Batum is taking over the team, soon Aldridge will be 3rd fiddle to Lillard and Batum. Batum impacts both ends of the floor, whereas Alrdridge is just a jump shooter

- If you combined all the best attributes of Ronnie Price and Nolan Smith, you'd still have a shitty PG.

- Blazers offense is much better than last year, but the team is atrotious on defense. It doesn't seem we should be so awful given our personnell.

 

[Sinobas]

Agreed. But pretending the NBA was a wide-open, unbiased playing field for a few....

Snap back to reality.

Every game I see, the refs affect the final score by terrible and inconsistant calls. I pay attention to bad calls in our favor, and it always seems to come out against us to the tune of 6-8 points. Last night you had the shot clock violation, the clear path, you had Aldridge and Lillard being bodied to the floor (no call), you had a clear charge on Harden called a blocking foul....

 

[BrianFromWA]

Not according to storyteller contracts. I'm not sure what the truth is but storyteller has it going up each year

Story gives you the cap numbers, and then contract details afterwards. His signing bonus is (iirc) paid all up-front, so even though this year's "cap number" is $10,825,000, you have to subtract the 375k annual cap hit for the bonus and give the full 1.5M bonus payment to this year. In actual cash, Nic will make $11,950,000, which is the highest of his contract. His last year (assuming no trade kicker) is $11,860,750 in payments.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Every game I see, the refs affect the final score by terrible and inconsistant calls. I pay attention to bad calls in our favor, and it always seems to come out against us to the tune of 6-8 points. Last night you had the shot clock violation, the clear path, you had Aldridge and Lillard being bodied to the floor (no call), you had a clear charge on Harden called a blocking foul....

...the no-touch foul on Leonard leading to free throws for Harden...

 

[Boise Blazer]

I posted a basketball reference to this earlier but...

Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) tweeted at 5:13 AM on Sat, Nov 17, 2012:
Nic Batum finished w/ 35 pts, 5 3PTs & 5 blks- just 3rd player in NBA history w/ those stats in 1 gm (Cliff Robinson & Raef LaFrentz) #Elias
()

 

[santeesioux]

Whoa, Raef LaFrentz, haven't heard that name in a while.

 

[julius]

Whoa, Raef LaFrentz, haven't heard that name in a while.

I haven't heard of his name in a long time either. At least, written out as Raef LaFrentz instead of RLEC.

Hm...I wonder if we should retire some of these sayings:

CTC
RLEC
PGOTF
"let it bake"

 

[BrianFromWA]

"kpee"...