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Time: 7:00pm
Place: Portland
TV: SNW

GLB of the game Leighton Meester

For a team like PORTLAND ...

Every loss to a bottom feeder team means deserving a lower seed or missing the playoffs.
Every win snatched from a contender feels like hope is back again.
[... so the bottom 3-4 in the conference and the top 3, maybe 4.]

Where the Blazers will show who they are is against teams like Atlanta. The Blazers are better IMHO. Definitely. Atlanta is not trash. They are in that middle chunk of teams the Blazers need to win against to avoid the Lakers and the Clippers in the first round. Go .500 against the middle of the pack and it's 1st round fodder or keep the double digit, lottery protected pick.

Beating Atlanta with 7 very winnable games to follow ... that would be good.

Atlanta's starting front court is considerably better than the Blazers. Lillard and McCollum will need monster games to compensate.

Atlanta playing back-to-back road games. Seems like an opportunity Portland really shouldn't waste.

This is a good Hawks team if they can get healthy. Young is a true franchise player that a championship team can be built around.

d-train wrote:This is a good Hawks team if they can get healthy. Young is a true franchise player that a championship team can be built around.

I think he's got to get A LOT better on defense. He's honestly worse on that end than early career Lillard. But yes, he has big potential.

Obviously losing Nurkic sucks, and it looks like Kanter will get the start. Giles will hopefully be ready for important minutes off the bench. A 28/20 minute split with Giles getting 4, 5 minute runs would be ideal IMO. Hopefully this will be enough, and we won't see ROCO at C. This will definitely look alot different than before, but I think it has a real chance of success by failure, so to speak.

I still believe that getting the rotations right at the other positions, along with some load management concerns, are the real opportunities for this years' success. I had said in a previous thread that Stotts was doing a good job(up until last game) of rotating Dame, CJ and GTJ at the 1 & 2 exclusively, and not playing GTJ at the 3, except in special circumstances. Kudos for that Terry, now stick with it.

Next IMO, is figuring out the correct forward rotation using ROCO, Jones, Melo and Hood. In short, I think it could be better. Stotts has been pairing them for the most part as two units, at least early in games. I just feel ROCO/Jones Jr & Melo/Hood = Defensive Unit & Offense Unit. Maybe try switching up the pairings.

Hope to see Nurkic back in 8 weeks looking lean and mean. And Collins, you really need to get your body right. IMO, trying to bulk up is killing your game. Be that ideal stretch 4, either here or somewhere else, but don't try to be a C... age into that position like Duncan did. Wishing to have both guys back, in top shape by the playoffs.

RIP CITY

Just to summarize my main point...

PG/SG: Dame(34-38) / CJ(34-38) / GTJ(20+)

SF/PF: ROCO(30+) / Jones Jr(30+) / Melo(20ish) / Hood(10ish)

Try to have one of ROCO or Jones Jr on the court at all times, just like you were doing with Dame and CJ, up until last game.

A big question I'm having about the forwards is: What if Collins was 100%... would he still be projected as our starting PF? Is that still the plan going forward? I love the idea of Collins/Giles as a future 4 duo, with Nurkic and Kanter at the C. Regardless of who, there will definitely be a forward thinning next year.

1st quarter GLB pic

We gave up two 1st round picks for Covington? I'm actually ready to see Collins come back, he's garbage.

GEE wrote:Just to summarize my main point...

PG/SG: Dame(34-38) / CJ(34-38) / GTJ(20+)

SF/PF: ROCO(30+) / Jones Jr(30+) / Melo(20ish) / Hood(10ish)

Try to have one of ROCO or Jones Jr on the court at all times, just like you were doing with Dame and CJ, up until last game.

A big question I'm having about the forwards is: What if Collins was 100%... would he still be projected as our starting PF? Is that still the plan going forward? I love the idea of Collins/Giles as a future 4 duo, with Nurkic and Kanter at the C. Regardless of who, there will definitely be a forward thinning next year.

Collins is basically not on the team. He is out this year and probably most of next year, if he is back. Blazers could be a completely different team before Collins is ready to play.

2nd quarter GLB pic

RUN PLAYS. PASS THE BALL. LOOK FOR ASSISTS.

d-train wrote:

GEE wrote:Just to summarize my main point...

PG/SG: Dame(34-38) / CJ(34-38) / GTJ(20+)

SF/PF: ROCO(30+) / Jones Jr(30+) / Melo(20ish) / Hood(10ish)

Try to have one of ROCO or Jones Jr on the court at all times, just like you were doing with Dame and CJ, up until last game.

A big question I'm having about the forwards is: What if Collins was 100%... would he still be projected as our starting PF? Is that still the plan going forward? I love the idea of Collins/Giles as a future 4 duo, with Nurkic and Kanter at the C. Regardless of who, there will definitely be a forward thinning next year.

Collins is basically not on the team. He is out this year and probably most of next year, if he is back. Blazers could be a completely different team before Collins is ready to play.

The reporting on his current injury speculates at him being back around playoff time. Maybe he will continue having injury issues that keep him out next season, but there's no known problem that is currently demanding him out for that much time.

This defense is indefensible

Our bench is killing us. Anthony and Hood are -14 and Trent is -17

Brandon-Clyde wrote:Our bench is killing us. Anthony and Hood ar -14 and Trent is -17

Something needs to change. Can't keep trotting Carmelo and Hood out there. Need to give Little some more run and just have him rebound and play defense.

Call him Kaner

3rd quarter GLB pic