GT: Trailblazers (48-31) vs. Spurs (45-34)

[Nolan]

When: 7:00 PM MT, April 7th 2018
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio TX

This is a big one!! The last two losses have been disappointing but winning this one combined with a Denver loss will secure us a playoff spot.

Our defense is going to be the key to this one. If we play the solid shut down defense we're capable of playing and score at a steady pace we can steal this one.

Go Spurs!!

[ducler]

[G R E Y]

Forty-eight minutes of attention, precision, and execution on both ends. We have to keep pushing and stay resilient. Every single play counts, but so does our mental approach throughout the game.

Looks like we're going big with our starting line-up.

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As for who is not on the roster, it's still "... and then there was one."

Calm and focused. Forty-eight minutes.

GO SPURS GO!

[G R E Y]

REALLY important win for us, and a great regrouping after leaving our D at home on the LA road trip.

True it wasn't as crucial for Portland, but the fact that Lillard came back for this one showed that they wanted to seal that third seed as soon as they could, so it was good for us to stay resilient with such a dynamic opponent returning.

We started (32 points) and ended (35 points) the game strong, staying with them early in a torrid shooting game for both teams (we shot a ridiculously good 70% in the 1st, and 56.4% by the half).

I kept thinking we better find a way to stop their CJ / Dame duo, and if we did, we'd have a great chance to win. We shot very well throughout, but thought we settled for good but long Js via drives and kicks while both passing up closer shots and not taking the time to manufacture good-to-great opportunities.

Cue the excellent second-half adjustments by Pop, and execution by the Spurs. We were 2-10 from the 3 in the first half, 5-11 in the second, so not only were we more selective in when we took them (not looking for the 3 as the first or last shot, but as the best shot), we made a concerted effort to spread the floor, with our bigs starting on the arc which allowed more room for P&R's and drives, taking advantage of mismatches. We finally started taking it to them down low consistently, getting into their key more to good effect.

On D, we were outrebounded in the first half 20-14 with NO O rebounds - unusual for us. I don't recall seeing that all year, but it happens, and it's about how you respond. So we outrebounded them 22-20 in the second half (with a 6-4 O rebound advantage for them), had a very good 21 assist-to-7 turnover ratio, and capitalized for 18 points on their 13 turnovers. Getting 12 steals and 56 points in the paint were byproducts of our concerted effort to being assertive and aggressive on both ends.

Our D did a great job in staying their runs so that they didn't get more than, I think, a 6 of 7 point lead. Pop called timeouts when we had a D breakdown or when they went on a small run, and the timeouts gave us a breather and mental readjustment to get back into it. Our bench outscored theirs 42-22 thanks in large part to Rudy's 16 points (8-15, 0-4 from 3, but also 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and a key block), and Manu's clutchness showing up again just when we needed it most: 17 points on a perfect shooting night of 7-7 including 3-3 from the 3, with 3 rebounds, an assist, and a steal. His 8-0 run and steal to pull us ahead 101-89 in the fourth conjured that mix of excitement and relief that leaves you marveling and grateful at what he's still doing. At 40. I love Manu and his competitive spirit. It infuses the team, energizes the crowd, and buoyed by the way the team played to get us to that point, Manu's run may well have saved our playoff hopes, not taking the upcoming opponent for granted.

Our starters were stellar overall, making important contributions on both ends, Swiss army knives, all. We were led once again by LMA's 28 (13-22), 8 rebounds, an assist and a team-high 4 steals, but he got solid help from Pau's 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block, and Kyle's 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block; their high-low game and O rebound putbacks were big for us.

Patty hopefully played well enough to get imagump off the ledge he seemed to be on after the last game (good observations, gump, even if Patty's sometimes erratic play gets you all heated). Patty scored 13 points on 5-11, with 2-5 from 3 including a clutch, late shot-clock corner triple and foul from an inbound pass with just over 3 minutes left in the fourth that was a huge dagger for us. He also got a team-high 6 assists, a rebound, and a steal.

Murray was incredible in attacking the basket, getting to the FT line a team-high 10 times, making 7, and finished tied with Manu for 17 points on 5-9, with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He's been making noticeable improvements throughout the year as a starter, but Dejounte's really elevated his game on both ends the last couple of games. He had a tough D assignment guarding Lillard, and team-wide we were getting caught on screens and were late to recover so they kept getting open Js in our key, but we adjusted in the second half to help and double, deflect passes and contest shots, and crash the boards. Portland missed some bunnies, but we got the rebounds; CJ and Lillard can't really be completely stopped, but our efforts dropped their second half FG%, and we kept the Blazers to 49 second half points while scoring 62.

Things we need to improve:

An over-reliance on the 3 to get us going especially if it's not falling. It just seems we settle in to taking it too early in the clock rather than working to create a shot. Then again, maybe we're just going with what's there and living with it rather than overworking for shots, overthinking things and getting stuck with late shot clock heaves. We need all the scoring and momentum we can generate. Still, good-to great is the best option when we can manufacture it.

Making FTs is always a good strategy (we were 15-21, not bad but can be better).

Tony's ongoing lack of O production is starting to stand out in a bad way. He usually gets through defenders with those crafty drives, but tonight he got blocked or the ball was deflected so he had 0 FGs. It's not all about scoring (Kyle had 0 attempts in the first half, but was still helpful), but Tony's been mostly reliable with some steady Js throughout the season when coming on for Murray, so not getting that from him the last several games has been noticeable. We may need to put a picture on a milk carton again to find his missing jumper.

Bryn - sometimes he makes his shots and justifies being a regular sub in the rotation as it is tightened up, sometimes his shot disappears. I've read how he's tired and adjusting to a much longer schedule. Fair enough, and though he's clearly making a concerted effort with some success to stay with his man on D and get back to his man after screens, he IS a scorer, so it's not unreasonable to expect that from him, right? (I feel I've written this before...).

Danny uncharacteristically lost his temper and got a tech. He did get fouled on that play, even the Blazers commentators admitted it, but that T took some mojo out of him (he missed all his shots after that, after going 2-2 in the first). It happens, I'm sure he'll bounce back. I like that he's been making a concerted effort to drive, a new challenge for defenses that expect him to only shoot (same with the new wrinkle of Kyle and Murray shooting and hitting 3s more - love the extra difficulties these pose for opponents, giving them something else to worry about, keeping them honest, giving us more options on O).

Pop called a timeout with around a minute left and a 113-103 lead to, bless his heart, put out a line-up of Murray, Paul, Bryn, Bertans, and Joff. Honestly, for a tenth of a second I felt a pang of anxiety, but kudos to Davis for sitting the whole game, and coming in to hit a 3 from a great Murray pass. They closed it out

I'm not sure whether our winning the season series against the Blazers will have any impact, but the win itself was huge. We have an equally important game coming up. No joke. Securing a playoff spot depends on not taking any opponent lightly. We've already gotten burned twice recently by teams with worse records but nothing to lose. We need to show up and play hard on both ends as we did tonight. I love our team.

GO SPURS GO!!!

[Nolan]

Manu!!! I was worried going into that 4th quarter, I was flashbacks to past Lillard 4th quarter performances but Manu single handedly sealed this one one for us with those 8 straight points.

LMA was outstanding as well and Murray really stepped up again. Wasn't a fan of Patty's shot selection late (that three late was nice but still) and I didn't like Pops benching Green after he picked up that tech. I get it Pop, but it wasn't anything crazy and we could of really used his defense in the third.

One more win and we're in!!

[imagump1313]

Patty hopefully played well enough to get imagump off the ledge he seemed to be on after the last game (good observations, gump, even if Patty's sometimes erratic play gets you all heated). Patty scored 13 points on 5-11, with 2-5 from 3 including a clutch, late shot-clock corner triple and foul from an inbound pass with just over 3 minutes left in the fourth that was a huge dagger for us. He also got a team-high 6 assists, a rebound, and a steal.

I'm sorry Grey but no. Like I said, I'm sure he is a wonderful man and a great supporter in the locker room but we will never win anything relying on him 30 plus minutes a night. He hit some shots tonight but its 1 night in 10 for a guy playing that much shows exactly why this team struggles. Also his shot selection (Like Nolan said) is frustrating. Mills works as a spark off the bench in very small spurts before he gets exposed. When he is used in that way he helps this team. The way he is being used now is hurting us, although I do understand our options are limited.

I didn't like Pops benching Green after he picked up that tech. I get it Pop, but it wasn't anything crazy and we could of really used his defense in the third.

This was necessary IMO. Sure he was fouled but as weak as Green usually goes to the hole he has no business asking for a ref to bail him out. There was no way he was going to make that shot regardless and the referee can see that. I actually didn't see the foul in real time either. And there was absolutely no reason to overreact the way he did. I agree we could have used him later but an example had to be made. Green doing that probably takes away a more important call we might need to have later in the game.

Can't say enough about Aldridge, he and Ginoibli willed that game for us.
Forbes is tired? He needs to figure that out in a hurry. In San Antonio, this is when the season starts, not ends. Like I've been saying, he is what he is. His game disappears for long stretches for no apparent reason. he hasnt played nearly enough minutes to be "tired" and he hasn't been playing with Austin at all. No excuse.
Parker has no elevation anymore. maybe another off season could help him get some of that back but like Grey said, his mid range jumper is his best weapon at this point and he needs to do that more. I understand him trying to get to the basket because he does it better than most on this team but against a more athletic team like Portland its not working.

[G R E Y]

Patty hopefully played well enough to get imagump off the ledge he seemed to be on after the last game (good observations, gump, even if Patty's sometimes erratic play gets you all heated). Patty scored 13 points on 5-11, with 2-5 from 3 including a clutch, late shot-clock corner triple and foul from an inbound pass with just over 3 minutes left in the fourth that was a huge dagger for us. He also got a team-high 6 assists, a rebound, and a steal.

I'm sorry Grey but no. Like I said, I'm sure he is a wonderful man and a great supporter in the locker room but we will never win anything relying on him 30 plus minutes a night. He hit some shots tonight but its 1 night in 10 for a guy playing that much shows exactly why this team struggles. Also his shot selection (Like Nolan said) is frustrating. Mills works as a spark off the bench in very small spurts before he gets exposed. When he is used in that way he helps this team. The way he is being used now is hurting us, although I do understand our options are limited.

It's all good, imagump. It's not that I disagree with your points and insights, just not to the same degree. Like you said, Patty's minutes and role are largely a function of adapting to unusual roster circumstances. More minutes in a bigger role, more potential for errors and scrutiny; when Patty makes a quick shot, it's he's a spark plug; when he misses, it's he's too erratic. Ideally, you want both - a good make, but not so early in the shot clock (depending on the circumstance) that other better options are ignored.

I do think there's a lot to be said also for the 'corporate knowledge' and experience in tense situations, and Patty has both so a trust factor in limited options is important.

Also, and this is just based on eye test (haven't checked the stats), Patty's defense has been noticeably better in terms of staying with his man, reading screens, recovering, etc.

But speaking of stats, more minutes in a bigger role has also been a positive. Patty's synergy with LMA has been boon.

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It's a big bonus knowing that from the tribulations of this season we developed an important offensive tandem. It can only help us in having this additional offensive facet once we get our full team back. Good to have many options.

I didn't like Pops benching Green after he picked up that tech. I get it Pop, but it wasn't anything crazy and we could of really used his defense in the third.

This was necessary IMO. Sure he was fouled but as weak as Green usually goes to the hole he has no business asking for a ref to bail him out. There was no way he was going to make that shot regardless and the referee can see that. I actually didn't see the foul in real time either. And there was absolutely no reason to overreact the way he did. I agree we could have used him later but an example had to be made. Green doing that probably takes away a more important call we might need to have later in the game.

Can't say enough about Aldridge, he and Ginoibli willed that game for us.
Forbes is tired? He needs to figure that out in a hurry. In San Antonio, this is when the season starts, not ends. Like I've been saying, he is what he is. His game disappears for long stretches for no apparent reason. he hasnt played nearly enough minutes to be "tired" and he hasn't been playing with Austin at all. No excuse.
Parker has no elevation anymore. maybe another off season could help him get some of that back but like Grey said, his mid range jumper is his best weapon at this point and he needs to do that more. I understand him trying to get to the basket because he does it better than most on this team but against a more athletic team like Portland its not working.

About Danny, though I see Nolan's point, I agree with your assessment. I checked his minutes, and after Danny got T'd and subbed out at 10:40 in the second, he went back in at 4:18 to finish the half, so it didn't seem as if he was in the dog house. We don't know what transpired during the break, but he did not play at all in the third quarter, and but a minute in the fourth. He provides an important defensive presence for us, but we had a good enough chemistry with who we did put out to win the third 27-21 and the fourth 35-28 so we were able to mitigate his absence. Pop said in a post-game interview that Danny was fine physically, so connecting the dots leads to an example being made indeed, it seems.

Yeah, Bryn's frustrating mostly because you see the talent, and want him to put it together more and faster. I do think he's improved on defense, and his offense is smoother (I mean moving without the ball and running the plays, making v-cuts, drawing his defender away from the ball handler to clear space, and then getting into pockets of space for his own shot). He says his consistency has been affected by inconsistent minutes (he played more with Tony out) so that was something he's had to adjust to (as most of our players did).

In terms of minutes,

Forbes played in just 36 games without a start as a rookie. Through April 3 this season, he had played in 76 games with 12 starts.

“It’s a grind,” assistant James Borrego said. “For a lot of guys who come from college to the NBA, it’s a lot more games, a lot more preparation, physically, mentally. You’ve got to take care of your body, take care of your scouting reports. You’ve got to know your matchups.”

https://www.expressnews.com/sports/columnists/tom_orsborn/article/Forbes-adjusting-to-tough-NBA-grind-12812146.php
I don't know how big his role was in Michigan State, but he's averaging 18.9 minutes this season and has played in about twice as many games as they have in a college season. Even getting used to NBA travel is something I've read young players say takes a while to adjust to. He's got two young kids, too, so the family impact is another factor. It all takes it's toll, but all young pros have to learn to deal with it. I don't get the sense that it's an excuse so much as a statement: he's in the midst of that growth. I still hope he gets back to being that 8PPG (or more) player we had earlier in the season once he is better used to the grind.

Tony said he has spoken with PATFO about how much longer he wants to play (at least 20 seasons so he beats Timmy's 19 lol). Given that this is a contract year, I hope he can find his jumper to better make his case. We need Bryn's and Tony's bench points to distribute the offensive load.

[imagump1313]

Yeah, Bryn's frustrating mostly because you see the talent, and want him to put it together more and faster. I do think he's improved on defense, and his offense is smoother (I mean moving without the ball and running the plays, making v-cuts, drawing his defender away from the ball handler to clear space, and then getting into pockets of space for his own shot). He says his consistency has been affected by inconsistent minutes (he played more with Tony out) so that was something he's had to adjust to (as most of our players did).

In terms of minutes,

Forbes played in just 36 games without a start as a rookie. Through April 3 this season, he had played in 76 games with 12 starts.

“It’s a grind,” assistant James Borrego said. “For a lot of guys who come from college to the NBA, it’s a lot more games, a lot more preparation, physically, mentally. You’ve got to take care of your body, take care of your scouting reports. You’ve got to know your matchups.”

https://www.expressnews.com/sports/columnists/tom_orsborn/article/Forbes-adjusting-to-tough-NBA-grind-12812146.php
I don't know how big his role was in Michigan State, but he's averaging 18.9 minutes this season and has played in about twice as many games as they have in a college season. Even getting used to NBA travel is something I've read young players say takes a while to adjust to. He's got two young kids, too, so the family impact is another factor. It all takes it's toll, but all young pros have to learn to deal with it. I don't get the sense that it's an excuse so much as a statement: he's in the midst of that growth. I still hope he gets back to being that 8PPG (or more) player we had earlier in the season once he is better used to the grind.

In his rookie year, how many games did he play with Austin? I would argue he probably played more minutes of basketball last year than he has this year being with the team full time. I'm just not a big fan of the "tired" excuse. Not from a 24 year old. That Tom Orsborn article just states the obvious. Pros play more games than college players. Really??? What a shock!!! I would argue that with classes, more practices and a more compressed schedule that college players play just about as much basketball as pros do to a point. The official season is just shorter.
As far as people blaming inconsistent minutes goes, I have one answer. PLAY BETTER and you wouldn't have inconsistent minutes. Plain and simple. He has been given plenty of opportunities to get higher minutes and he has squandered it. Its no one's fault but his own.

Don't get me wrong, I'm pulling for him. But I know what I see with my own 2 eyes and Ive been watching him for nearly 4 years. I really want him to figure it out because if he does he could be a pretty useful player here.

Tony said he has spoken with PATFO about how much longer he wants to play (at least 20 seasons so he beats Timmy's 19 lol). Given that this is a contract year, I hope he can find his jumper to better make his case. We need Bryn's and Tony's bench points to distribute the offensive load.

Tony's situation is an interesting one. I think what we've gotten from him this year is a bonus. I think a healthy off season with more conditioning will help him a lot if he sticks around next year. Its obvious he is not nearly as explosive as he used to be and he has zero lift(not that he had a lot of lift before). Part of that is age but I believe much of it is because he rushed back soo quickly and still needs time to get fully healthy and conditioned. If we can get him on an affordable contract I would be happy to have him back next year off the bench.