Game 5: Portland vs OKC 5:00pm SNW

[monopoman]

Lillard had a terrific game tonight filled up the stat sheet and really distributed the ball well.

Yeah he seems to be playing a well rounded game with better defense and rebounding this year. He hasn't shot particularly well yet though.

Meh, he still turns it on in the 4th that is all I care about he could shoot a bit better in the first half for sure but at least he hits buckets when it matters.

[Matt800]

Lillard had a terrific game tonight filled up the stat sheet and really distributed the ball well.

Yeah he seems to be playing a well rounded game with better defense and rebounding this year. He hasn't shot particularly well yet though.

Meh, he still turns it on in the 4th that is all I care about he could shoot a bit better in the first half for sure but at least he hits buckets when it matters.

True but I think it is almost like procrastination where the team starts resting in games and trying to turn it on late to win. It's working but not a great habit. But I think this team generally paces themselves throughout the season and so I don't want to read too much into things this early in the season.

[monopoman]

Yeah he seems to be playing a well rounded game with better defense and rebounding this year. He hasn't shot particularly well yet though.

Meh, he still turns it on in the 4th that is all I care about he could shoot a bit better in the first half for sure but at least he hits buckets when it matters.

True but I think it is almost like procrastination where the team starts resting in games and trying to turn it on late to win. It's working but not a great habit. But I think this team generally paces themselves throughout the season and so I don't want to read too much into things this early in the season.

Part of it is lacking Nurkic and trying to implement new pieces, I think this team just needs more time to gel. It would be one thing if we were having problems with mostly the same lineup as last year, and a fully healthy Nurkic.

[DaVoiceMaster]

Whoever is handling graphics for NBC Sports Northwest should be fired! When both Lillard and CJ went to the line in the final minute, they posted their free throw percentage. Any clown knows that almost guarantees they'll miss one. MORONS!!!

[zzaj]

That was a gutsy win...everybody seemed to have substandard games in some ways, yet also had moments that contributed to the win.

Being in the penalty for 9 minutes in the 4th quarter is almost always going to result in a loss. At one point the FT disparity was up to 22 by my count, even still you take away the last 4 by the Blazers and that makes it 20-37...and it's not like OKC wasn't playing just as physical as the Blazers. Yet, somehow the Blazers managed to make offensive plays and a couple defensive stops when it mattered most.

Bazemore needs to play smarter defense. Maybe he needs to take off that "How Much Do You Want It" bracelet he wears. The last two games he's biting way too much on fakes, helping just a little too aggressively, and hasn't taken it out of 5th gear. He had a reasonable night on the offensive side tonight though.

I'm not sure if he's always been this way, if he's nursing that ankle, or what...but Whiteside gets out of balance waaay too easily. His change of direction is super poor. He's making Chris Kaman look like Andre Agassi. Luckily, he has great instincts on where to be, has a knack for timing rebounding, and great hands overall--he's getting by on those. But on defense, when he ends up on the ground or headed into the stanchion after an attempted block, it almost always ends up being 4 on 5 the other way and it makes the Blazers eat up shotclock getting into their sets.

I'll say it again, the triple threat that each of Hood/Bazemore/Mario brings (vs. Hood/Aminu/Harkless of last year), seems to be opening up the court just a little bit to my eye. That's a good thing for the Blazers once they develop a little bit as the team progresses. They are still only going to go as far as Lillard will take them, but the offense feels like it can be a little more fluid now. It still looked pretty bad tonight, but God forbid the team actually doesn't come in last in fastbreak points this year...

Lastly, any time Schroeder plays I always end up yelling at my computer on his drives to the hoop. He has a great burst, is long, and uses screens well...but he's either going to shoot a layup or pass to the weakside every single time. The Blazer help always comes from the weak side and that's a huge mistake--it will always end up a foul or a wide open shot from the corner 3. The strong side is where that Blazer help needs to come from.

[monopoman]

Baze might still be in that wanting to show the new team how happy he is to be here mode, and trying to really earn his minutes. He likely will settle down as the season goes on, you see this constantly from rookies that enter the league where they try to do too much.

I think the spacing is MUCH better this year this game is a big time example of that Lillard has a lot more options from outside when driving the lane than he did last year.

[dunlop212]

Looks like Embiid will be suspended on Saturday. A lucky break for Portland with Nurk/Collins/Gasol out and Whiteside probably gimpy.

[Village Idiot]

Looks like Embiid will be suspended on Saturday. A lucky break for Portland with Nurk/Collins/Gasol out and Whiteside probably gimpy.

I can't stand Embiid. What an ass

[BlazersBroncos]

His shooting outside the 4Q hasn't come around yet, but its hard to argue that Damian isn't playing some of the most well rounded basketball of his career. His passing, defense and rebounding are the best they have been. Once he gets his jumper back in the 1st three quarters, he could be in the MVP conversation.

He is posting his 2nd best DBPM (-0.7), best OBPM (8.4), best WS/48 (.269), best TO% (7.4), best AST% (35.2), best TRB% (7.6) and is finishing around the rim at an outrageous rate (.719% 0-3FT). He is straight up balling outside the jumper going down. Like, somehow I feel in these first 5 games we have missed how good he is playing.

[Shem]

Watch on YouTube

[monopoman]

His shooting outside the 4Q hasn't come around yet, but its hard to argue that Damian isn't playing some of the most well rounded basketball of his career. His passing, defense and rebounding are the best they have been. Once he gets his jumper back in the 1st three quarters, he could be in the MVP conversation.

He is posting his 2nd best DBPM (-0.7), best OBPM (8.4), best WS/48 (.269), best TO% (7.4), best AST% (35.2), best TRB% (7.6) and is finishing around the rim at an outrageous rate (.719% 0-3FT). He is straight up balling outside the jumper going down. Like, somehow I feel in these first 5 games we have missed how good he is playing.

Yeah it's amazing how good his stats have been despite being fairly ineffective in the first 3 quarters offensively.

[zzaj]

Lillard started in earnest with the pattern of pacing himself until the 4th a couple seasons ago. Last season it was even more pronounced, and so far it’s obviously been his M.O. He’s talked about it plenty in the past, about “taking the temperature of the game”. In the postgame last night he made it as clear as can be—that he was seeing how the game was called, then going in to the fourth he said, “...coach, gimme 2 minutes and then I’ll try and impose my will.”

I never really worry about Lillard. His shot selection is sometimes a little suspect, but after hearing enough interviews of him breaking down plays, he takes every single one of those shots for a reason. He’s not trying to stat pad, or throw out the playbook for no reason...his game is a lot more cerebral than it looks.

[BNM]

Most telling stat from last night:

Dame had 13 of the team's 19 assists, but only 1 of their 17 TOVs.

Lillard AST:TOV = 13.0
Rest of Team AST:TOV = 0.375

I thought the days of Evan Turnover were over. His replacements have been worse!

2018-19 Per 100 Possessions:
Evan Turner: AST = 8.4, TOV = 3.2, AST:TOV = 2.48

2019-20 Per 100 Possessions:
Mario Hezonja: AST = 1.4, TOV = 1.8, AST:TOV = 0.75
Anfernee Simons: AST = 1.1, AST = 3.8, AST:TOV = 0.29

Every time Kevin Calabro remarks that the Blazers have three play-makers on the floor and I look up and see Dame, Ant and Rio on the court I want to puke all over my TV. How is Dame ever supposed to play off the ball when those two create more plays for the other team than they do for the Blazers?

I get that these guys are getting used to a new system/role and new teammates, but so is Evan Turner in ATL:

2019-20 Per 100 Possessions:
Evan Turner: AST = 9.7, TOV = 2.8, AST:TOV = 2.33

Do I want Evan Turner back? Oh hell no! I just want the new guys to take better care of the basketball. If ET can do it they can too!

[monopoman]

I am willing to give Anfernee some slack he is a young player and may not have the tools to be a PG. It would be one thing if Anfernee had 4+ seasons in the NBA while averaging 20+ MPG.

[Matt800]

I am willing to give Anfernee some slack he is a young player and may not have the tools to be a PG. It would be one thing if Anfernee had 4+ seasons in the NBA while averaging 20+ MPG.

His defense has looked a lot better and he's shown moments of making good passes. I'm generally encouraged that he's showing improvements. Mario looks like he isn't in sync with the team yet. I liked that he was driving more last game. I think from that he may find playmaking opportunities by drawing more attention from the defense.

[DusterBuster]

Looks like Embiid will be suspended on Saturday. A lucky break for Portland with Nurk/Collins/Gasol out and Whiteside probably gimpy.

I can't stand Embiid. What an ass

Yeah, Embiid sucks as a person. His personality makes him downright impossible to root for in any way even as a casual fan.

[zzaj]

Looks like Embiid will be suspended on Saturday. A lucky break for Portland with Nurk/Collins/Gasol out and Whiteside probably gimpy.

I can't stand Embiid. What an ass

Yeah, Embiid sucks as a person. His personality makes him downright impossible to root for in any way even as a casual fan.

After their tussle that little shadow box he did after laughing it up with that Philly bench player was so awful. It's just a mentality that I don't understand...

You know what else I don't understand? A league that will flatly suspend a player 25 games for taking a water pill but only 2 games for two star players getting in an altercation on national TV. I guess water pills don't get ratings...

[Shem]

Read on Twitter

[zzaj]

Most telling stat from last night:

Dame had 13 of the team's 19 assists, but only 1 of their 17 TOVs.

Lillard AST:TOV = 13.0
Rest of Team AST:TOV = 0.375

I thought the days of Evan Turnover were over. His replacements have been worse!

2018-19 Per 100 Possessions:
Evan Turner: AST = 8.4, TOV = 3.2, AST:TOV = 2.48

2019-20 Per 100 Possessions:
Mario Hezonja: AST = 1.4, TOV = 1.8, AST:TOV = 0.75
Anfernee Simons: AST = 1.1, AST = 3.8, AST:TOV = 0.29

Every time Kevin Calabro remarks that the Blazers have three play-makers on the floor and I look up and see Dame, Ant and Rio on the court I want to puke all over my TV. How is Dame ever supposed to play off the ball when those two create more plays for the other team than they do for the Blazers?

I get that these guys are getting used to a new system/role and new teammates, but so is Evan Turner in ATL:

2019-20 Per 100 Possessions:
Evan Turner: AST = 9.7, TOV = 2.8, AST:TOV = 2.33

Do I want Evan Turner back? Oh hell no! I just want the new guys to take better care of the basketball. If ET can do it they can too!

I think what Calabro means (and I could be wrong here, I don't listen to the guy) is the old school use of the word. People who scored a lot in different ways would often get tagged 'playmaker' for 'making a play out of nothing'.

That being said, I actually like the fact that Hood, Mario, Simons, and Bazemore have some ball handling and drive ability + some gravity as shooters at the 3pt line. That puts a lot more pressure on defenses than last year when none of Aminu, Harkless, or Turner had much penetration game in the half court + little to no gravity as shooters. Aminu sometimes would try and put the ball on the floor, and would usually end up with a TO or a bad shot. Harkless rarely did because he doesn't have much of a handle. And Turner is too slow with the ball against perimeter defense. Most of his assists came from passing out early in his backdown move or rare fastbreaks.

Now, you're absolutely right in saying that the newbies to the team are coughing it up too much. My hope is that by the time the POs roll around, if the Blazers make it, the team will have developed together a bit and thus have a teensie bit more leverage against defenses that sell out and load up on Lillard.

Right now:
1) Mario needs to hit shots consistently.
2) Simons needs to provide something besides chucking shots.
3) Bazemore needs to learn how to stay on the floor without getting in foul trouble.
4) Hood (IMO) is actually playing highly efficient basketball at a pretty low usage rate. His defense has been very good so far this year (for him). I'd love to see him improve on his A/TO ratio, however.

[dunlop212]

I think that MH has been in the league long enough to know that "consistent shooting" is not going to happen. To paraphrase Casey Stengel, we have the only Euro who can't shoot. I like the rest of his game, though.