RealGM

TMACFORMVP wrote:

Screwston wrote:
No hope?

Let’s see.

1.) We have no answer for LMA. He’ll drop 40 again b/c he’s in an incredible groove. McHale will refuse to double team him, so expect him to murder 1v1.
2.) Expect the Blazers to start by attacking Haren defensively with Matthews or whomever he’s guarding. Guaranteed easy buckets.
3.) On the flip side, expect Haren to try to find his groove by launching up 3’s which are all bricks.
4.) Then when he attacks the basket, expect Portland to sag off on him where Haren has no idea what to do b/c the whole point of him driving was to draw the foul.
5.) Expect Dwight to start out good early, and then get tired late which results in 5+ turnovers.
6.) Watch us have a run where we think we’re “back” only for Stotts to strategically employ the “Hack-A-Howard” where the mentally weak Howard will go 2-8 on those attempts.
7.) Wes Matthews has been off from three in this series. This will not last, expect a 20+ game with 4+ threes at home.
8.) Because we’re in a huge hole, expect the intensity defensively to be there for a stretch. But watch it be for waste as we forget to box out and Portland kills us on the offensive boards. Expect 15+ offensive boards for the Blazers.
9.) If it’s close, expect us to go iso-Haren and for Portland to pressure him which makes our entire team frantic taking 19 seconds to pass the ball around to get the ball to Haren resulting in a terrible possession offensively.
10.) I didn't even mention that Lillard went 3-14 last game. Expect him to rebound with a monster shooting game being at home.
11.) We've only had 12 and 14 TOV’s respectively in G1 and G2. Expect slightly better shooting being negated by one of those 18+ turnover nights. And for Portland to feast on easy bucket opportunities because of all those turnovers...
12.) Parsons will brick all his open shots, like he’s had pretty much since post all-star break. Only 32% from three since then and he’s 6 of his last 23 in this series.
13.) Lin will have another game with under double digits missing his 3 pointers, while Mo and Dorrell continue to feast off Portland’s bench. McHale will stick to the 7-man rotation despite players struggling.
14.) Expect that normal “Rockets stretch” where we have one of those huge lapses defensively and bad shots offensively prompting Portland to go on a 12-0 run and take control of the game.
15.) McHale will get outcoached again. I’ve already alluded to not showing help v. Aldridge or his short rotations, but he’ll go with the Twin Towers lineup against a Portland team that’s not even big at that moment. No adjustments will be made.

I’m excited.