GAME THREAD! Blazers VS Pacers

[Blaze the Nugz]

Loved what Nurk showed today. The Bosnian Beast is back!

[Dzon Dilindzer]

am i the only who finds this funny (not the picture, but the fact that kendra lust commented on zach collins post)

[DaVoiceMaster]

Jaylen Hoard is pretty useless. I dont have any hope for him. Gabriel on the other hand is a really intriguing guy. Ant is completely invisible. GTJr has really surpassed him. I dont expect Simons to get much run in the last 8 regular season games

I agree with everything you said.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Blazers run with 7 players for the most part. Keep 2 of Nurkic, Collins, and Whiteside on the floor at all times. Keep 2 of CJ, Melo, and Trent Jr on the floor at all times. Lillard of course gets whatever amount of playing time he wants and give the remaining minutes to Simon's, Hezonja, or Gabriel depending on the matchup.

[d-train]

I think Simons will get more minutes than Trent, but it will be close either way. Trent finished the season getting more minutes and has more of a baked in role with Ariza and Hood out, but I think Simons will still get more minutes.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

Was good to see Nurkic and Collins again, both looked solid but a tad rough, no worries on either tho. Carmelo at the 3 is not going to help our 3 point defense so we really gotta be pouring them in ourselves as well.

Bench looked rough all around, Trent was the bright spot with Gabriel getting a nod for his defense, although Wenyen still got lost on the perimeter quite often and his rebounding looks poor for his size/length. Simons looked slower and less bouncy than I remember. At least we have Little and Whiteside replacing Hoard to look forward to but this bench unit is going to hold us back offensively (hopefully they develop an identity as a hard-nosed defensive squad that will out hustle and out work you).

BUT IT IS SO GREAT TO HAVE BLAZER BASKETBALL BACK!!

[d-train]

Carmelo at the 3 is not going to help our 3 point defense so we really gotta be pouring them in ourselves as well.

3-point defense isn't an individual defense skill. An open 3-point shot is rarely a defensive break down by the man covering the shooter. Open shots come from rotations, closing driving lanes, and passing lanes. Also, the defensive plan in general, for example, the Blazers dropped Whiteside on all screens. This helps defense at the rim but almost always gives someone an open shot off screens. Some teams game planned us because of this tendency. For example, Jazz setup their offense through a shooter, Ingles, instead of their guards.

[Goldbum]

Gabriel and Little at the 3/4 is a terrific combination of speed, length and energy. Their skills are somewhat complimentary. Add in Whiteside and likely Adams at PG with GTJ at SG and it could be fairly dynamic. I feel like we are still going to see plenty of Herzonja and Ant but a second unit like the one above could work for the rest of our time in the bubble.

[d-train]

Does anyone know when the Blazers next scrimmage is?

[JRoy]

Gabriel and Little at the 3/4 is a terrific combination of speed, length and energy. Their skills are somewhat complimentary. Add in Whiteside and likely Adams at PG with GTJ at SG and it could be fairly dynamic. I feel like we are still going to see plenty of Herzonja and Ant but a second unit like the one above could work for the rest of our time in the bubble.

Skills?

I wouldn’t call either Little or Gabriel skilled.

Athletic, sure. Skilled, not so much. Neither can dribble or shoot at even an average level relative to their positions.

[BlazersBroncos]

Gabriel looks very active, love the motor. Not sure he is skilled enough to be more than a 3rd string guy but that is a role someone needs to have and he can cover both forward spots so long term I am liking him as that 3rd string forward type.

Mario hit his shots, but he still seems so, IDK, uncomfortable on the floor. He really has such little fluidity to his game. Looks like he runs with a stick up his butt.

GTJ is a gem. For all his warts, Neil sure knows how to find 2nd round steals.

This is such a different team with Zach and Nurkic back. I hope that duo keeps progressing and is with us for a very long time. I love their games and the defense, o jesus thank god the defense lol

[Goldbum]

As a SF Gabriel isn't exactly skilled, but as a backup 4 I would say he fits the bill. He can shoot it a little (especially spotting up), he can rotate defensively, and put the ball on the deck at an above average proficiency for a back up PF... His quickness at that position can be a mismatch in space.
As for Little: Nassir is MUCH more skilled than what he's shown his rookie year. He has a decent bag of tricks finding the holes in the defense without the ball, and getting to his spots off the bounce. As a senior in HS most scouts rated his step back as excellent trending toward elite.
He just hasn't been able to unlock those talents yet as a pro. He has every tool in the tool box but he's been looking for the key since stepping onto Chapel Hill.
What intrigues me so much about him is he's so freaking intelligent and such a dedicated worker. Super smart guys who are perfectionists often take a minute to stop over thinking the game. When he can read and react as opposed to process and decide, he's going to make a second year leap that makes GTJ's look like a baby step. It's possible that that intellect keeps his game frozen for a bit until everything slows down but my bet is sooner rather than later...