That one hurts

[Shooter]

Ouch. Last night's loss is especially painful for several reasons:

--The Knicks have been horrible for years, and now they are suddenly better than us--even though we drafted a host of star players over the last few years--Roy, Aldridge, Oden, etc.

--We played better against Miami than we did against New York--and Miami is a much better team!

--We've now lost two games in a row at home that we should have won.

--And, finally, being from New York, I always relish watching my Blazers pound the bigshots from the Big Apple. Last night the tables were turned, on Portland's home court, and it was not fun to watch.

 

[MIXUM]

the whole season has hurt.

welcome to party...

 

[The_Lillard_King]

The Knicks have been playing well and the Blazers ripe for a let down.


Throw the game out . . . I expect the Blazers will come ready to play next game.

 

[maxiep]

Last night was a hangover from Miami. Aldridge's foul trouble kept him from getting in a groove.

 

[MIXUM]

e x c u s e s

 

[Mediocre Man]

e x c u s e s

I hate them too. You are at home, you had a day to prepare and you had no surprises medically speaking. No reason Portland should have lost that game. it was a poorly designed game plan from McFly, and the team paid the price

 

[The_Lillard_King]

e x c u s e s

Maybe that what those are . . . doesn't make any less true though.

 

[LittleAlex]

I hate them too. You are at home, you had a day to prepare and you had no surprises medically speaking. No reason Portland should have lost that game. it was a poorly designed game plan from McFly, and the team paid the price

No doubt part of Nate's plan was for Mathews to go 2 for 13 from the field thereby not spreading the floor so LaMarcus couldn't get going.

Right on the money with this one.

 

[Nate Dogg]

Ouch. Last night's loss is especially painful for several reasons:

There will be many more nights that we will lose on the road and at home.

At home vs Celtics - Loss

We need to win the next home games this month!

 

[MIXUM]

like i said... next 8 games have to be 6-2 or worst 5-3

 

[TripTango]

like i said... next 8 games have to be 6-2 or worst 5-3

Or.... what? We will have a slightly worse record than if we'd won?

But in regards to last night's debacle, it definitely hurt. I was really counting on a win to soothe my battered Duck pride, but nope... The word that comes to mind when I think of this team these days is "brittle". Could be just the effects of a thin roster, or Sarge's inflexibility, or both, but it seems like there's a general inability to respond well to setbacks on the court.

 

[MIXUM]

or its gonna be a shitty lotto pick

 

[TripTango]

or its gonna be a shitty lotto pick

You and your micro-season kneejerking... 82 games, man. Eighty. Two. No matter how badly you want to make the single game separating 4-4 and 5-3 the reason we make or miss the playoffs, it's not. It is exactly 1/82 of the numbers making our final win percentage.

 

[Mediocre Man]

No doubt part of Nate's plan was for Mathews to go 2 for 13 from the field thereby not spreading the floor so LaMarcus couldn't get going.

Right on the money with this one.

Of course it's not Nate's fault that Matthews is struggling from the field. However, he is once again starting to force the ball to his best player and have everyone else spot up. That is not what has been successful since brandon went out.

 

[RoyToy]

Of course it's not Nate's fault that Matthews is struggling from the field. However, he is once again starting to force the ball to his best player and have everyone else spot up. That is not what has been successful since brandon went out.

If Wesley wasn't completely terrible from the field the last two games those games would have looked entirely different. If Wesley isn't going to make layups/wide open shots then there's not much Nate can do. No offense can make players make shots. Consistently higher % looks, sure. Problem is though like I said Wesley was missing high % shots in that they were layups and open shots.

Part of being a good player is being consistent. Nate's coaching a bunch of "all or nothing" players. He can't force the ball in the hoop.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Why is it that no one gets I am not blaming Nate for the poor shooting?

 

[RoyToy]

Why is it that no one gets I am not blaming Nate for the poor shooting?

When you say things like...

I hate them too. You are at home, you had a day to prepare and you had no surprises medically speaking. No reason Portland should have lost that game. it was a poorly designed game plan from McFly, and the team paid the price

To me this says Nate didn't put the team in the right spots to make shots, thus blaming him for the loss. For the most part that's not what I watched last night. I saw players miss wide open shots and play bad defense.

Maybe I'm reading it wrong...but I doubt it

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Why is it that no one gets I am not blaming Nate for the poor shooting?

Because you usually blame Nate for everything. So most probably read your post thinking you are blaming Nate for the problem last night . . . which was bad shooting.

 

[Mediocre Man]

When you say things like...



To me this says Nate didn't put the team in the right spots to make shots, thus blaming him for the loss. For the most part that's not what I watched last night. I saw players miss wide open shots and play bad defense.

Maybe I'm reading it wrong...but I doubt it

This time either you read wrong or should have been more clear. Nate's poor offensive game plan to constantly throw LA the ball and have guys spot up was a poor decision, win or lose. The Blazers are better when they are moving and cutting. Getting guys wide open 23 foot jump shots shouldn't be the game plan if your team is near the bottom of the league in 3 point shooting %

 

[The_Lillard_King]

When Aldridge was beasting and blazers would make come backs in the 4th quarter, I didn't see posters complaining about the ball in Aldrdige's hand in the 4th.

Truth is that 4th quarter is the money quarter and very few guys can step and deliver on a consistent basis. Nate gets the ball in the hands of the money player. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. But I'm willing to bet it works just as often as trying to create some motion offense in the 4th and expecting a man to get open and htting the shot. Everything tightens up in the 4th and I would rather have the ball in aldrdige's hand instead of expecting someone else to create.

 

[Mediocre Man]

When Aldridge was beasting and blazers would make come backs in the 4th quarter, I didn't see posters complaining about the ball in Aldrdige's hand in the 4th.

Truth is that 4th quarter is the money quarter and very few guys can step and deliver on a consistent basis. Nate gets the ball in the hands of the money player. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. But I'm willing to bet it works just as often as trying to create some motion offense in the 4th and expecting a man to get open and htting the shot. Everything tightens up in the 4th and I would rather have the ball in aldrdige's hand instead of expecting someone else to create.

The ball was getting to him in different ways. Not strictly posting on one siad and ISOing him. There is a huge difference.

 

[Denny Crane]

The Knicks are a hot team that's been rebuilding for several years and finally cashed in by signing Amare. Their record is no fluke.

LMA had his hands full last night. It's a loss I expected, but I'm thinking the Blazers are going to wins some games coming up.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Of course it's not Nate's fault that Matthews is struggling from the field. However, he is once again starting to force the ball to his best player and have everyone else spot up. That is not what has been successful since brandon went out.

Yeah, I was pretty disappointed in how much guys have been standing around the last few games where LMA is starting to isolate in the post. One way or another Nate's offense slowly but surely seems to gravitate to one player holding the ball and everbody else standing about.

I was really scratching my head at why Patty was getting so much run and Miller has been asked to sit more and more and it hit me that whatever Dre's strengths, in Nate's mind it all comes back to "you don't play the way we want you to." Patty is like a slightly quicker, less talented Steve Blake, but he can hit a three (sometimes) and when Nate has a "point guard" who can shoot a three, by god he's going to use him.