What needs to be changed

[Natebishop3]

I agree the turnovers killed us but my point was if those guys put up half of what they have been doing in the playoffs we would of won even with the turnovers. Not saying they are the reason we lost. I think we are in fine position, clean up the mistakes and get everyone involved and I expect a win tomorrow.

Gotta be honest...... I would rather Hood take those shots for Harkless. Or Kanter for Aminu.... or CJ.... or Dame..... or Seth.....

I have pretty much zero faith in those guys being able to score consistently. They have a great game every 3 or 4 games, but we have no idea when that will be.

 

[calvin natt]

Blaming refs lol.

 

[The Professional Fan]

What we need to be changed is your face

 

[LayneStaley]

Gotta be honest...... I would rather Hood take those shots for Harkless. Or Kanter for Aminu.... or CJ.... or Dame..... or Seth.....

I have pretty much zero faith in those guys being able to score consistently. They have a great game every 3 or 4 games, but we have no idea when that will be.

I agree with you, they are probably 6th and 7th options. I just have a hard time with 2/5 of our starting lineup combining for 4 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists in 50 combined min. If we can’t get more than that out of the Starting Forwards we are pretty fucked imo.

 

[BonesJones]

Blaming refs lol.

Even a Lakers fan said they srewed us over, which they did.

 

[swish3]

Enes did a heroic job in Game 1, but played 33 min. Let's complement his points and efficiency with 20+ min and 3+ swish3s from Meyers, who bothered the shots of Jokic, screened excellently, set up Rod's swish3 with the behind the back pass, and provided strong defensive hustle. We should count on Meyers and Seth to each score 9 points via swish3s and win Game 2. With fewer turnovers, better defensive intensity, more consistent fouls called by the refs, and some points (30+) from the bench, we can be 1-1 with DEN tomorrow night! We are on the way to the Championship!

 

[BlazerWookee]

Sorry, here are the answers to your points.



Inept people can't make adjustments, because they are inept. I believe you meant adept. This a concern that is raised every single game by forum experts -which has some truth- , when things are not going right, yet here we are in the second round of playoff. I am sure I heard we were going to be swept by OKC. Adams was going to destroy Kanter.



He had flashy moments but he was not a monster. "Worked" is a relative term. His offensive deficiencies and silly mistakes take away most of what you see "working". Sure I would love to have everyone's best attributes on the field all the time but we are allowed to have only 5 players at a time.



Some things stick. Someone you know very well may be seen as a horrible forum poster. But every now and then, he may post logical things.
Enes is doing a respectable job before and after the injury on defense. His defense is not a strong suit, but not bad considering what he brings on offense, you just need to be a competent and fair observer to see that he is improved rather than gushing over his potential replacement aka Collins. He may become as decent as Kanter in a few years, or he may not. He is not now. Anyone who is not blind or obsessed can see that.

​

No one denies we had a horrible defense as a team and forwards were unbearable to watch but we write that as an off night. CJ should and would get better. Aminu and Harkless are not known to be offensive juggernauts. When your injured replacement of the third (second?) best player on the team can shoot with a much higher percentage than the All Star best player of the other team, you don't complain about his defense. You cheer for him.

This game came down to two things. Outside Dame, Enes and Hood we shot very poorly and defended even worse and still lost by single digit due to a late meltdown. Otherwise, we would be talking about sweeping the "trash" Nuggets right now.

Milona go BOOM.

 

[calvin natt]

Even a Lakers fan said they srewed us over, which they did.

Blaming refs is so lazy and getting to be a tired excuse. Every. Single. Game.

 

[illmatic99]

Blaming refs is so lazy and getting to be a tired excuse. Every. Single. Game.

Ya our game was pretty much normal from the refs. No really egregious bad calls and if there were, it happened on both ends. We straight up lost that game.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Ya our game was pretty much normal from the refs. No really egregious bad calls and if there were, it happened on both ends. We straight up lost that game.

I thought they were letting Jokic get away with a ton on both ends, but really the biggest part I thought they played was the Blazers let them get into their heads, they started playing 5 on 8 when they didn't need to. You could tell they were really frustrated by the officials. Which I get to a point the only way to stop Jokic and Milsap is to match their physicality and if you feel like the officials aren't letting you then it's frustrating but it took Aminu and Moe out of the game mentally. They lost that game because they didn't play a lick of interior defense and the #1 rule in NBA defense is to dictate what shots the other teams get they didn't do that, the Nuggets got basically every one of their shots in their comfort zone.

 

[illmatic99]

I thought they were letting Jokic get away with a ton on both ends, but really the biggest part I thought they played was the Blazers let them get into their heads, they started playing 5 on 8 when they didn't need to. You could tell they were really frustrated by the officials. Which I get to a point the only way to stop Jokic and Milsap is to match their physicality and if you feel like the officials aren't letting you then it's frustrating but it took Aminu and Moe out of the game mentally. They lost that game because they didn't play a lick of interior defense and the #1 rule in NBA defense is to dictate what shots the other teams get they didn't do that, the Nuggets got basically every one of their shots in their comfort zone.

I think Aminu/Moe weren't as engaged because they got no shots on offense. Dame shot 13 FTs. Thought the refs were fine.

 

[Natebishop3]

I thought they were letting Jokic get away with a ton on both ends, but really the biggest part I thought they played was the Blazers let them get into their heads, they started playing 5 on 8 when they didn't need to. You could tell they were really frustrated by the officials. Which I get to a point the only way to stop Jokic and Milsap is to match their physicality and if you feel like the officials aren't letting you then it's frustrating but it took Aminu and Moe out of the game mentally. They lost that game because they didn't play a lick of interior defense and the #1 rule in NBA defense is to dictate what shots the other teams get they didn't do that, the Nuggets got basically every one of their shots in their comfort zone.

Here is where we need to look at the big picture. Yes, Jokic was abusing our bigs and getting calls.

Dame was abusing their guards and getting calls as well. Think about how many FTA he had in the 4th.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

I think Aminu/Moe weren't as engaged because they got no shots on offense. Dame shot 13 FTs. Thought the refs were fine.

They passed up a ton of shots and made some stupid decisions. I thought the refs were pretty much whatever, but you could tell in the 4th quarter Moe and Aminu were really frustrated and complaining to the refs all the time it got in their heads. I didn't say that the refs favored Denver just that Jokic was allowed to be more physical on both ends than what the Blazers were allowed to match. Jokic and Dame both got a lot of star calls. The difference is that I think it's more frustrating for a defense when one player is really physical and getting all the calls and one player is a guard who isn't really physically beating you up.

 

[illmatic99]

Those 3 FTs Dame got when he double clutched and rose up was ridiculous. There was hardly any contact.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Here is where we need to look at the big picture. Yes, Jokic was abusing our bigs and getting calls.

Dame was abusing their guards and getting calls as well. Think about how many FTA he had in the 4th.

I didn't "blame" the officials or say they favored Denver though.
Also big difference to me between a lot of physicality in the paint being called one way and a guard getting a lot of calls because defenders are being physical with him.
I didn't have a huge problem with the officiating, I did have a huge problem with the Blazers defense or lack thereof.

 

[Natebishop3]

Dame shot 7 FTA in the 4th quarter.

Jokic shot 6.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

I'll even say I think when Nurkic is healthy he frustrates teams in a similar way that Jokic does. Initiates a ton of contact, is physically kind of beating you up and get's calls. It's not really bad calls, but I understand how frustrating it can be. Blazers can't let it get in their heads as they did.

 

[Natebishop3]

I'll even say I think when Nurkic is healthy he frustrates teams in a similar way that Jokic does. Initiates a ton of contact, is physically kind of beating you up and get's calls. It's not really bad calls, but I understand how frustrating it can be. Blazers can't let it get in their heads as they did.

It's Stotts fault for putting guys that are technically wings on guys that are true power forwards and centers.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

Dame shot 7 FTA in the 4th quarter.

Jokic shot 6.

not sure why you guys are so stuck in FTA's and what Dame vs Jokic got, I didn't claim it was one way or that the Blazers lost because of officiating.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

It's Stotts fault for putting guys that are technically wings on guys that are true power forwards and centers.

I'm not sure what options he really has, Do you want to see 30 minutes from ML to guard Jokic? He's probably the only guy left physically strong enough to deal with him 1v1. Milsap is an issue too.

 

[Natebishop3]

not sure why you guys are so stuck in FTA's and what Dame vs Jokic got, I didn't claim it was one way or that the Blazers lost because of officiating.

I didn't quote you, did I?

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

I didn't quote you, did I?

Fair enough.

 

[Natebishop3]

I'm not sure what options he really has, Do you want to see 30 minutes from ML to guard Jokic? He's probably the only guy left physically strong enough to deal with him 1v1. Milsap is an issue too.

If I'm being honest.... yes..... if Meyers can fare better defending Jokic, then I would rather see him out there.

Right now our best hope is that Kanter can try to play Jokic 1 to 1. He can't defend him, so he has to basically equal his scoring and rebounding. If there was a way to slow Jokic down, either with Meyers or Zach, I would do it.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

If I'm being honest.... yes..... if Meyers can fare better defending Jokic, then I would rather see him out there.

Right now our best hope is that Kanter can try to play Jokic 1 to 1. He can't defend him, so he has to basically equal his scoring and rebounding. If there was a way to slow Jokic down, either with Meyers or Zach, I would do it.

Meyers might be able to defend Jokic better than Kanter does, but the overall head-to-head production gulf would likely not be any less.

 

[Natebishop3]

Meyers might be able to defend Jokic better than Kanter does, but the overall head-to-head production gulf would likely not be any less.

Meyers has a way of getting under people's skin. We saw it against Boogie multiple times. I'd be curious to see how he does against Jokic.

 

[hoopsjock]

Meyers has a way of getting under people's skin. We saw it against Boogie multiple times. I'd be curious to see how he does against Jokic.

See this is where I think dismissing the refs impact on game 1 based on FT attempts isn't telling the whole story. When Jokic gets irritated he initiates contact and flails around like he got punched. The refs fall for it, a lot. So instead of Meyers getting under his skin they'll simply get into the bonus early each quarter and get easy points that way.

 

[wizenheimer]

It's Stotts fault for putting guys that are technically wings on guys that are true power forwards and centers.

at PF Stotts has Aminu and Zach; at C he has Kanter, then Meyers and Zach. Those are just weak options. Blame the GM that left Stotts with those options. Portland could have Ed Davis and Noah Vonleh....but 2016

 

[hoopsjock]

at PF Stotts has Aminu and Zach; at C he has Kanter, then Meyers and Zach. Those are just weak options. Blame the GM that left Stotts with those options. Portland could have Ed Davis and Noah Vonleh....but 2016

Honest question: Would you rather have Enes Kanter or Ed Davis?

 

[oldmangrouch]

FTs aren't the real issue. The issue is that Jokic and the Blazer bigs are being judged by different standards. If "X" amount of contact is legal for Jokic, then it should be legal for everyone.

 

[wizenheimer]

Honest question: Would you rather have Enes Kanter or Ed Davis?

tough call. I'd probably rather have Nurkic and Davis than Nurkic and Kanter, but without Nurkic, Kanter's offense has been crucial

I'd rather have Kanter and Davis than Kanter and Meyers, but yeah, having Davis would have likely meant not signing Kanter, although it's good to have bigs to close the season. But swear to god, 7 years of Meyers is about 5 years to long and I fear it will be 8 years...and if Olshey is still GM next summer, maybe 10 or 11

for these playoffs, Vonleh would be better than either Zach or Skal