Game 16: Portland vs Utah 7:00pm Root+,NBAtv

[Case2012]

The blazers should start Gp2, Hart, Winslow, Grant and Eubanks from now on, just tell them the game started 10 minutes ago and they're down 20. Every game would be a blow out by half time.

[monopoman]

I think Dame and Ant set the tone for the game by chucking 3s. They started off great moving the ball, lots of assists the first few minutes, then they started chucking 3 after 3 and kind of sucked the energy out of the rest of the team and it stayed like that until Dame sat. If Dame isn't hitting then he needs to be more of a play maker rather than force it.

Good observation. The first eight field goals were assisted.

Usually we see Dame drive nearly as often as he hoists from three. Could be related to the calf issue.

There is no way he is 100% out there that calf is more of an issue then he has ever talked about. Also these injuries typically cause more problems the later in a career a player gets them, it's much easier for a 24 year old Dame to recover than a 32 year old one.

[Case2012]

I think Dame and Ant set the tone for the game by chucking 3s. They started off great moving the ball, lots of assists the first few minutes, then they started chucking 3 after 3 and kind of sucked the energy out of the rest of the team and it stayed like that until Dame sat. If Dame isn't hitting then he needs to be more of a play maker rather than force it.

Good observation. The first eight field goals were assisted.

Usually we see Dame drive nearly as often as he hoists from three. Could be related to the calf issue.

There is no way he is 100% out there that calf is more of an issue then he has ever talked about. Also these injuries typically cause more problems the later in a career a player gets them, it's much easier for a 24 year old Dame to recover than a 32 year old one.

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[PDXKnight]

Man I hope dame doesn't start missing half a season right after this extension otherwise it looks really dumb giving him all that money

[Dame Lizard]

Billups really should've used his challenge on that last Nurkic foul. Haven't been impressed with his 4th qtr coaching since that Dallas game.

Billups' (lack of) use of challenges does my head in.

It's like he refuses to use them unless there's 4 minutes left in the game.

[GEE]

Billups seems more concerned about not getting the use of that Timeout just before the 3 minute mark. Called one in this game with like 3:10 left, just as the tide seemed to be turning in Blazers favor. Stopped a positive momentum. As for the challenges and to Chauncey's defense, There were so many bad calls in that game, I would have had a hard time deciding when to use it, but the best strategy IMO (and we had the chance in this game): When a successful challenge will result in a foul against one of their key player vs. a foul against one of ours and the change in two or more points would be the result... Freakin' use it! I don't care if it's 5 minute into the game... Use It! The bigger challenge/problem for the NBA will still remain though: Trying to preserve the Integrity of the Game while also championing Gambling.

As for Dame, I think he just had his worst shooting night on record. My Dad used to say... After a game like that, Better grab something. PG's are generally born not made. It's a complete opposite mindset from a SG. Dame seems to still be slightly conflicted with team success over individual success.

[Case2012]

He's gonna miss a few weeks, for sure.

[DaVoiceMaster]

Billups really should've used his challenge on that last Nurkic foul. Haven't been impressed with his 4th qtr coaching since that Dallas game.

You were impressed with Billups 4th quarter coaching against Dallas?

[Case2012]

Billups really should've used his challenge on that last Nurkic foul. Haven't been impressed with his 4th qtr coaching since that Dallas game.

You were impressed with Billups 4th quarter coaching against Dallas?

No, he's been garbage since then.

[DaVoiceMaster]

Billups seems more concerned about not getting the use of that Timeout just before the 3 minute mark. Called one in this game with like 3:10 left, just as the tide seemed to be turning in Blazers favor. Stopped a positive momentum. As for the challenges and to Chauncey's defense, There were so many bad calls in that game, I would have had a hard time deciding when to use it, but the best strategy IMO (and we had the chance in this game): When a successful challenge will result in a foul against one of their key player vs. a foul against one of ours and the change in two or more points would be the result... Freakin' use it! I don't care if it's 5 minute into the game... Use It! The bigger challenge/problem for the NBA will still remain though: Trying to preserve the Integrity of the Game while also championing Gambling.

As for Dame, I think he just had his worst shooting night on record. My Dad used to say... After a game like that, Better grab something. PG's are generally born not made. It's a complete opposite mindset from a SG. Dame seems to still be slightly conflicted with team success over individual success.

There's some rule about having to take a timeout prior to the 3-minute mark or they force you to take one at the first stoppage under 3-minutes. I don't know anymore about that though.

[DaVoiceMaster]

Some bad decisions down the stretch. some bad shots early on. Some bad defense in the final minutes. Like someone else said, why switch Eubanks on to Clarkson every time. What annoys me is that they just switch and don't even try to fight through the screen, switch back defensively, or double team to move the ball away from Clarkson.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

Billups seems more concerned about not getting the use of that Timeout just before the 3 minute mark. Called one in this game with like 3:10 left, just as the tide seemed to be turning in Blazers favor. Stopped a positive momentum. As for the challenges and to Chauncey's defense, There were so many bad calls in that game, I would have had a hard time deciding when to use it, but the best strategy IMO (and we had the chance in this game): When a successful challenge will result in a foul against one of their key player vs. a foul against one of ours and the change in two or more points would be the result... Freakin' use it! I don't care if it's 5 minute into the game... Use It! The bigger challenge/problem for the NBA will still remain though: Trying to preserve the Integrity of the Game while also championing Gambling.

As for Dame, I think he just had his worst shooting night on record. My Dad used to say... After a game like that, Better grab something. PG's are generally born not made. It's a complete opposite mindset from a SG. Dame seems to still be slightly conflicted with team success over individual success.

I get the idea of saving a challenge for the end of the game. There are lots of opportunities to make up for it early that often you cannot say it would change the rest of the game in a meaningful way. But at the end of the game each possession is that much more important because there is less time to make up for it. So I get the strategy...

The situation where I would use it early is as a protest, to make a point to the refs to say watch for this if a player is consistently getting away with something. Lauri was grabbing our players all night long and got more than several calls for the exact thing he was doing. By the 3rd or so time I was calling Billups to use the challenge just to make a point to the refs to look at what is really happening because they were buying Markkanen's BS all game long. And what happened after he used it? Lauri stopped trying that BS. He's just a dirty player and sometimes you need to burn a challenge so the refs have his antics clear in their mind for the next time he tries it.

[DaVoiceMaster]

I wish you would keep the challenge if successful and/or you get 1 each half.

[Dame Lizard]

I wish you would keep the challenge if successful and/or you get 1 each half.

Yeah it's crazy that it doesn't.

Cricket and Soccer both have the rule that you keep successful challenges.

The NBA should adopt a rule that each team is only allowed one unsuccessful review per game.

[m0ng0]

So glad we signed that huge extension, can anyone say albatross?