T-WOLVES @ BLAZERS - GAME THREAD

[PapaG]

They weren't forced shots though Papa. A lot of them were pushing the ball, cuts, or wide open shots.

Aldridge got the ball. 11 shots.

Oden got the ball. 8 shots.

I think the Wolves focused on Roy and he simply deferred. Roy touched the ball a lot.

I'm not criticizing Miller. I advocated him starting, and the early results are fantastic, although I don't think any of us saw him starting alongside Blake.

I do worry a bit about Roy at this point, though. Miller leading the team in shots while Roy gets 2 points will not translate into championships. It's a work in progress, and again, I'm very happy about tonight's result.

 

[Mediocre Man]

"They have no clue."

L-O-fucking-L

Haha. I forgot about that quote.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I cant imagine this team without Przybilla. He doesn't get enough credit for his defense. By the way did you guys hear when Mike Rice said that Cunningham throws it down with the likes of Outlaw and Bayless? Cant wait to see him throw one down this season.

I love Joel and most nights he's superb defender, but I have to say I was kind of shocked how well Jawai played against him.

 

[PapaG]

Who would have thought that running, pounding the ball inside, starting Miller and getting Oden involved in the offense would work so well?


That's why Nate is an NBA coach, and the rest of us are just forum nerds who know nothing.

LMA/Oden 19 shots/4 assists. Miller/Blake 20 shots/8 assists. Pound the ball inside? Huh?

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Miller leading the team in shots while Roy gets 2 points will not translate into championships.

In most cases, yes... but that set of stats doesn't happen in a vacuum. Beating teams by 22 does translate to championships, no matter who's scoring and who's not.

Roy with 6 assists. So he did get the rock. He just passed it up.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

LMA/Oden 19 shots/4 assists. Miller/Blake 20 shots/8 assists. Pound the ball inside? Huh?

Well, Miller and Blake weren't always spotting up and shooting three's. They were driving, too. That's the guard equivilent of "pounding the ball inside".

Please don't split hairs after a game like this. It's like you're spoiling for an argument.

 

[BBert]

I only saw the second half, but they were taking the ball to the basket on every opportunity. Often it got passed back out, but they were driving and passing inside. Great to see.

 

[Mediocre Man]

LMA/Oden 19 shots/4 assists. Miller/Blake 20 shots/8 assists. Pound the ball inside? Huh?

Yes because all of Miller's shots were jumpers.....right?



And yes, they pounded the ball inside. Please see the FTA


The ball went into the key on most possessions

 

[ABM]

I only saw the second half, but they were taking the ball to the basket on every opportunity. Often it got passed back out, but they were driving and passing inside. Great to see.

Probably the most glaring team stat to me: 35 assists on 41 made buckets. That's pretty amazing.

 

[B-Roy]

I love Joel and most nights he's superb defender, but I have to say I was kind of shocked how well Jawai played against him.

To be fair to Joel, Jawai is like....4 bajillion pounds.

 

[PapaG]

Yes because all of Miller's shots were jumpers.....right?



And yes, they pounded the ball inside. Please see the FTA


The ball went into the key on most possessions

30 FTA tonight. 27.5 FTA averaged prior to tonight.

 

[PapaG]

To be fair to Joel, Jawai is like....4 bajillion pounds.

Jawai was -21 in +/-. Przy was +12.

 

[PapaG]

Sessions did nothing, FWIW.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I'm not criticizing Miller. I advocated him starting, and the early results are fantastic, although I don't think any of us saw him starting alongside Blake.

I do worry a bit about Roy at this point, though. Miller leading the team in shots while Roy gets 2 points will not translate into championships. It's a work in progress, and again, I'm very happy about tonight's result.

I have to ask if you watched the game. If so wouldn't you say though that everything that happened on the court was within the flow of the offense. Even Brandon was getting plenty of touches, he just wasn't shooting especially well and the rest of the time he seemed pretty content to defer. In all likelihood if the game had been closer and more in doubt Brandon would have certainly been a bigger part of the scoring emphasis, and if he'd played through to the end of the game I expect we'd have seen 4-6 shots in that period alone when Brandon tends to take over games.

For me if Miller can get the bigs going early and get them to a point where they are able to command double teams or draw more attention, eventually that's going to free up attention on Brandon when teams have to consider LMA and Greg as legitimate clutch time scoring threats.

 

[hasoos]

Nothing to bitch about tonight. Everybody played well. I was surprised Howard didn't get some burn tonight though. This was a great game for "getting better".

I am also liking how Bayless and Rudy are working together in the 2nd unit. Considering how he played in summer league, I think Bayless has shown a lot of maturation in his 2 games so far this season.

 

[PapaG]

I have to ask if you watched the game. If so wouldn't you say though that everything that happened on the court was within the flow of the offense. Even Brandon was getting plenty of touches, he just wasn't shooting especially well and the rest of the time he seemed pretty content to defer. In all likelihood if the game had been closer and more in doubt Brandon would have certainly been a bigger part of the scoring emphasis, and if he'd played through to the end of the game I expect we'd have seen 4-6 shots in that period alone when Brandon tends to take over games.

For me if Miller can get the bigs going early and get them to a point where they are able to command double teams or draw more attention, eventually that's going to free up attention on Brandon when teams have to consider LMA and Greg as legitimate clutch time scoring threats.

Yes, I watched the game online. Point?

 

[Nikolokolus]

Yes, I watched the game online. Point?

It was an honest question. Without watching the game I can see how it would be easy to assume that Brandon was excluded or frozen out of the game, but live it was a completely different situation. Point?

 

[alex42083]

I am also liking how Bayless and Rudy are working together in the 2nd unit.

That's one thing I've noticed as well. Those two have a pretty good chemistry with one another, know where each is at, and know they can throw lobs to one another on the break. Hopefully Bayless can continue to get some burn.

Great game overall. I've never seen so much running by a Blazer team in Nate's tenure. It really is fun to watch and Andre is fantastic. We just haven't had a PG like him in a long long time.

 

[PapaG]

It was an honest question. Without watching the game I can see how it would be easy to assume that Brandon was excluded or frozen out of the game, but live it was a completely different situation. Point?

My point was that Miller leading the team in shots while having 3 assists, while Roy has 2 points and 7 assists without handling the ball primarily, does concern me. I love the win tonight, though.

 

[ABM]

Yes, I watched the game online. Point?

OK, how about looking at Roy's stat sheet from the Spurs game......utilizing the same starting unit.

Not every game will go Brandon's way offensively. He found other ways to help the team tonight. His points weren't needed.

 

[Ed O]

LMA/Oden 19 shots/4 assists. Miller/Blake 20 shots/8 assists. Pound the ball inside? Huh?

LMA/Oden had 12 combined free throws attempted.

Miller and Blake had 3 combined three point attempts.

The team definitely made an effort to get the ball inside.

Ed O.

 

[PapaG]

OK, how about looking at Roy's stat sheet from the Spurs game......utilizing the same starting unit.

Not every game will go Brandon's way offensively. He found other ways to help the team tonight. His points weren't needed.

Roy's points are needed against good teams. Against NBDL teams like Minnesota? I'm not sure much was proven tonight other than the Blazers have superior talent over the Pups.

 

[PapaG]

LMA/Oden had 12 combined free throws attempted.

Miller and Blake had 3 combined three point attempts.

The team definitely made an effort to get the ball inside.

Ed O.

That doesn't really prove anthing, though. Oden had 8 FGA and 3 FTA. LMA played his usual mid-range game. I'm not sure what your point is, Ed.

 

[alex42083]

Roy's points are needed against good teams.

I'm pretty sure when the time is needed against the elite teams, we'll be going to Brandon a ton and he'll get his shots and points. I see no cause for concern that we're fazing out our superstar.

 

[PapaG]

I'm pretty sure when the time is needed against the elite teams, we'll be going to Brandon a ton and he'll get his shots and points. I see no cause for concern that we're fazing out our superstar.

I'm not concerned. I just noticed something and commented on it. I'm not sure why some people seem to be upset about it.

 

[Ed O]

That doesn't really prove anthing, though. Oden had 8 FGA and 3 FTA. LMA played his usual mid-range game. I'm not sure what your point is, Ed.

Sorry that you missed it. Given that I was responding to a very specific point you made and that I stated what my point was at the end of my post, I think most people would have figured it out.

Oden and Aldridge attempted free throws because they were had the ball right at the hoop. Blake and Miller only shot three three pointers because they were making an effort to get the ball to interior players and/or finish at the rim themselves.

Those things contribute to the notion that the team pounded it inside.

Ed O.

 

[JDC]

I'm not concerned. I just noticed something and commented on it. I'm not sure why some people seem to be upset about it.

post# 169

You have baiting/trolling down to a science.

 

[PapaG]

Sorry that you missed it. Given that I was responding to a very specific point you made and that I stated what my point was at the end of my post, I think most people would have figured it out.

Oden and Aldridge attempted free throws because they were had the ball right at the hoop. Blake and Miller only shot three three pointers because they were making an effort to get the ball to interior players and/or finish at the rim themselves.

Those things contribute to the notion that the team pounded it inside.

Ed O.

The team shot 2.5 more FTs than normal, and the post players combined for less than 20 shots. How is that "pounding the ball inside"?

 

[Boob-No-More]

Just got back from the game. It was fun. Nice to see them blow out a team they should blow out and not play down to the level of the competition.

The ball movement in the first half was amazing - easily the best I've seen all year. It started right from the beginning. I believe every FG but one in the 1st quarter was assisted. And it carried over with Rudy in the second quarter. Very balanced scoring in the first half, and everyone was passing the ball and setting up their teammates for easy baskets. It was fun to watch.

Concerning Joel and Jawai - Joel seemed to hurt his left hand early in the 4th quarter and was pretty ineffective after that. Earlier he had done a better job not letting Jawai get the ball so deep. After he hurt the hand it looked like he stopped trying to push him off the low blocks and just let him get the ball deep. I kept wanting Nate to bring Oden back in against Jawai, so we could see strength against strength, but with a 25 point lead, he probably didn't want to risk an injury to Oden.

In any case, I hope Joel's hand is OK. Fun win and CHALUPAS BABY!

BNM

 

[ABM]

I'm not concerned. I just noticed something and commented on it. I'm not sure why some people seem to be upset about it.

"I do worry a bit about Roy at this point, though. Miller leading the team in shots while Roy gets 2 points will not translate into championships."

It just seemed like and odd comment.......based upon us drilling a scrub team?