Game 64: Portland vs Detroit 6:00pm Chargetv and KUNP

[Walton1one]

Simons hits a 3 on one end, gives up a easy basket on the other end, sums up his game nicely, then gives up 3 to Cade a play later

Sharpe 0-4 from 3pt, feel like a broken record, he really needs to stop taking those shots so often

That was a heck of a lob by Cade to Duran there, I almost thought he lost the ball, but it was actually a pass wow, DET up by 18

Cunningham is single-handedly destroying POR

Nice run by Simons too bad even with all this POR is still down by 11.

ISO Simons….fail

4Q

Bad TO by Banton there

Simons being targeted on defense….again

Bad 3pt miss by Scoot

That looked like a good screen to me by DC

Why isn’t Sharpe in the game? And now he is.

Duren is only 21? Wow

Schroeder shenanigans, completely dislike him as a player

That is two back to back calls that POR could’ve challenged if they hadn’t wasted it

Anybody who Simons is guarding is just an easy bucket

Billups just remembered that DC still has one foul to give

Tough shot by Simons

Ballgame

Should POR pivot to the tank? Or should they still keep trying to make the play in?

[Brandon-Clyde]

Consolation GLB pics

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

[Walton1one]

Simons scored 34, Cade scored 28. Who do you think was more impactful tonight?

Simons\Grant 38 of 93 shots tonight, FTL

[Walton1one]

lol, yeah, POR resembles HOU last year for sure, unbelievable, I think that was a scripted question by POR management

[PDXKnight]

Simons hits a 3 on one end, gives up a easy basket on the other end, sums up his game nicely, then gives up 3 to Cade a play later

Sharpe 0-4 from 3pt, feel like a broken record, he really needs to stop taking those shots so often

That was a heck of a lob by Cade to Duran there, I almost thought he lost the ball, but it was actually a pass wow, DET up by 18

Cunningham is single-handedly destroying POR

Nice run by Simons too bad even with all this POR is still down by 11.

ISO Simons….fail

4Q

Bad TO by Banton there

Simons being targeted on defense….again

Bad 3pt miss by Scoot

That looked like a good screen to me by DC

Why isn’t Sharpe in the game? And now he is.

Duren is only 21? Wow

Schroeder shenanigans, completely dislike him as a player

That is two back to back calls that POR could’ve challenged if they hadn’t wasted it

Anybody who Simons is guarding is just an easy bucket

Billups just remembered that DC still has one foul to give

Tough shot by Simons

Ballgame

Should POR pivot to the tank? Or should they still keep trying to make the play in?

Shouldn't they have pivoted to tank starting in the pre season?

[Walton1one]

Blazer broadcasting highlighting dunk scores, this is what loser franchisees do, talk about meaningless stats that have nothing to do with winning and are totally subjective, but this is the joke of leadership that this team is led by, embarrassing, new ownership cannot come fast enough

[Walton1one]

Bill Walton, arguably? The best player in franchise history? No, he IS the best player in franchise history, he led his team to a championship. No other blazer player has done that, so he is atop the mountain and he stands there alone, and Drexler is looking up at him

[PDXKnight]

This game would be so awesome without the months of Jan + Feb.

Imagine being like, we are locked in to a top 5 pick at worst… man that would be cool.

But now, that win streak by vets who won’t be here in a year and a half was doooooooooppppppppeeee!

Top 4 team. In our division.

Lol yes by record maybe. But I'd trade places with any roster in the division including Utah with their warchest of firsts

[PDXKnight]

Bill Walton, arguably? The best player in franchise history? No, he IS the best player in franchise history, he led his team to a championship. No other blazer player has done that, so he is atop the mountain and he stands there alone, and Drexler is looking up at him

If Clyde had a 10 time all star next to him (let's be real Porter and duckworth were solid but not all stars without Clyde probably) we'd likely be having a very different conversation about Clyde right now. To me that 10 time all star would have been Sabonis if we could've had him a decade sooner. If Sabas came over in his prime maybe he would've made his own case as the Blazer goat you never know. Not to mention we passed on Jordan of course.

[Wizenheimer]

lol, yeah, POR resembles HOU last year for sure, unbelievable, I think that was a scripted question by POR management

Blazer front office is pathetic

[Norm2953]

Bill Walton, arguably? The best player in franchise history? No, he IS the best player in franchise history, he led his team to a championship. No other blazer player has done that, so he is atop the mountain and he stands there alone, and Drexler is looking up at him

If Clyde had a 10 time all star next to him (let's be real Porter and duckworth were solid but not all stars without Clyde probably) we'd likely be having a very different conversation about Clyde right now. To me that 10 time all star would have been Sabonis if we could've had him a decade sooner. If Sabas came over in his prime maybe he would've made his own case as the Blazer goat you never know. Not to mention we passed on Jordan of course.

Going back to my earlier comments about Moses Malone, Moses was still an all-star level player in the 80's
and would have impacted Portland teams for years to come for with Malone, there is no need to reach for
Bowie in 1984 and was an effective player until 1991

[JasonStern]

The lack of snipers on the Blazers was evident tonight. So many WIDE open with enough time to test the wind 3-point shots that was bricked.

And this is one of the dumbest thing about Billups coaching strategy. I know we live in a modern era where teams jack up 3 pointers. But the team was 15/50 from 3. 50 three pointers attempted. After going 8/43 last game. Repeat that. If you are jacking up 3s at a rate that my drunken ass can hit - even at a pro level with pro defenders, it's not some money ball "a 3 is worth 50% more than a 2" offensive scheme. It's players just being lazy and jacking up typically contested jumpers versus attempting to screen and drive and have proper ball movement. And there is no accountability or realization that, even if this team is trying (bad because it indicates a complete lack of any talent) - there is no adjustment. It's literally let's keep jacking up 3s and make excuses when we don't hit the backboard, let alone the rim.

"It's a shooting slump, J!"

Okay. Then stop shooting long range jumpers until you are out of the slump.

But, we held a Detroit team to 119. So, it could have been worse. Blazers were just outmatched against Malik Beasley and Dennis Schröder.

[JasonStern]

Bill Walton, arguably? The best player in franchise history? No, he IS the best player in franchise history, he led his team to a championship. No other blazer player has done that, so he is atop the mountain and he stands there alone, and Drexler is looking up at him

If Clyde had a 10 time all star next to him (let's be real Porter and duckworth were solid but not all stars without Clyde probably) we'd likely be having a very different conversation about Clyde right now. To me that 10 time all star would have been Sabonis if we could've had him a decade sooner. If Sabas came over in his prime maybe he would've made his own case as the Blazer goat you never know. Not to mention we passed on Jordan of course.

Don't forget peak Barkley literally flying to Portland to be a Blazer, only to be shot down by the front office and not even have his return flight ticket comped.

[dckingsfan]

Fun fact, since Avdija's quad injury at Washington, the D has kind of fallen off the cliffs a bit.

Washington scored 121; Brooklyn playing scrubs scored 102; Cleveland scored 133; Philadelphia playing less than scrubs scored 102; Boston scored 128; OKC without SGA scored 107; and Detroit scored 119.

When the trio of Simons, Sharpe and Grant are on the court, it doesn't seem like D is there highest priority

[dckingsfan]

But, we held a Detroit team to 119. So, it could have been worse. Blazers were just outmatched against Malik Beasley and Dennis Schröder.

Detroit averages 114.7 per game. So, there is that...

[zzaj]

I'm contemplating going back and watching this one--I had to miss it due to work--don't think I will. I just have no interest in seeing high 1:1 games from Grant and Simons. 25/2/1 and 34/2/1, respectively. Gross.

17 assists on 93 shot attempts is not good basketball.

Walker appears to have nailed Kris Murray's butt to the bench, which is probably a good thing. If he can continue to hit 3s, he's a valuable bench player on his current contract.

I'll say it again...Deni is the engine of this team right now.

[dckingsfan]

I'm contemplating going back and watching this one--I had to miss it due to work--don't think I will. I just have no interest in seeing high 1:1 games from Grant and Simons. 25/2/1 and 34/2/1, respectively. Gross.

17 assists on 93 shot attempts is not good basketball.

Walker appears to have nailed Kris Murray's butt to the bench, which is probably a good thing. If he can continue to hit 3s, he's a valuable bench player on his current contract.

I'll say it again...Deni is the engine of this team right now.

You hit on 3 things that I think are material.

Grant and Simons aren't all that. I am hoping that Grant's knee is causing his issues. I just don't see why they aren't shutting him down to get him ready for next season - puzzling.

Deni has made one of Simons or Sharpe irrelevant. I am hoping it is Simons as he doesn't play a lick of D and that needs to be the identity of the team. With Simons, Sharpe and Grant playing together, we are a defensive sieve. On the offensive end, Deni's A/TO ratios were October 1.27, November 1.76, December 1.09, January 1.46, February 1.54 and March 1.78. He really needs to break that 2:1 ration by next year. Because...

Twenty-two-year-old Jabari Walker is becoming a really good bball player and he needs to play SF/PF along with Grant & Camara. That, IMO would be a very solid Forward rotation.

Other point. I hope that Scoot breaks into the starting lineup as the PG next season and let Simons come off the bench with Sharpe - let the howls begin. There is no reason to start either as they don't have trade value (given the current bargaining agreement in place now) and their value wouldn't tank having them come off the bench. Edit:

PerJohn Schuhmann's March 10 power rankings....

Over the last 24 games, the Blazers are 15.6 points per 100 possessions better with Scoot on the floor.

https://www.nba.com/news/power-rankings-2024-25-week-21

Ayton/Clingan/Williams is a fine C rotation. Just don't let Ayton play more than 24 minutes. BTW, Henderson/Williams is a really good combo.

Which takes us to the off-season. DO NOT extend any of Ayton, Simons or Sharpe unless they are on very reasonable declining contracts.

Guess I am preaching to the choir here.

[Blazinaway]

"Twenty-two-year-old Jabari Walker is becoming a really good bball player and he needs to play SF/PF along with Grant & Camara. That, IMO would be a very solid Forward rotation."

Isn't Jabari an expiring contract?

[DaVoiceMaster]

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right.

Here i am!!!

[DaVoiceMaster]

"Twenty-two-year-old Jabari Walker is becoming a really good bball player and he needs to play SF/PF along with Grant & Camara. That, IMO would be a very solid Forward rotation."

Isn't Jabari an expiring contract?

It'd be more solid if you removed Grant from the rotation.