Playoff game 2 Rd 1 Portland vs Lakers 6:00PM SNW/ESPN

remi_222 · Post #81 » by **remi_222** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 3:54 am

monopoman wrote:
Brandon-Clyde wrote:
Matt800 wrote:and hezonja needs some lessons on making layups

Hezonja is only good as some salary in a trade. I still think he looks like Forrest Gump with the way he runs

He doesn't seem to be an NBA player at all he belongs in the G-League or in China or something.

Cant believe he still gets minuts in the league while youngsters like Hoard could do a way better job carrying less ego and expectations so these young guys would produce more

zzaj · Post #82 » by **zzaj** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 3:54 am

Beating LeBron James and Anthony Davis is going to take good games from Lillard, CJ, Nurkic and Melo. We didn’t really get even one of those tonight.

If Lillard is hampered with a finger injury then it will be a Blazer bloodbath—he’s literally the only person capable of running a basketball team on the roster—I would expect 40-50 point losses.

Brandon-Clyde · Post #83 » by **Brandon-Clyde** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 4:06 am

zzaj wrote:
Brandon-Clyde wrote:Consolation GLB pic
Spoiler:

I'm thinking Zoe Saldana for Saturday's game and Scarlett Johansen for Monday. Sound good?

I just watched Weird Science again for the first time in...I don’t know, 35 years?

I nominate Kelly LeBrock at some point. She is UNBELIEVABLE in that movie...

I will keep her in mind should we advance or next season. I recall her as being extremely attractive

zzaj wrote:Beating LeBron James and Anthony Davis is going to take good games from Lillard, CJ, Nurkic and Melo. We didn’t really get even one of those tonight.

If Lillard is hampered with a finger injury then it will be a Blazer bloodbath—he’s literally the only person capable of running a basketball team on the roster—I would expect 40-50 point losses.

Actually I believe if CJ were healthy he has shown the ability to carry the team. Not as well as Dame but he could do 30 and 10. Without Dame our odds certainly decrease but I don't think we would be totally out of it. Especially if Nurk or Trent played well

monopoman · Post #84 » by **monopoman** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 4:55 am

CJ was paramount in that game 7 win against Denver last year, he was incredibly good in that game and did the very difficult task of pulling down a win in a game 7 must win situation in Denver.

Wizenheimer · Post #85 » by **Wizenheimer** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 4:58 am

Brandon-Clyde wrote:Actually I believe if CJ were healthy he has shown the ability to carry the team. Not as well as Dame but he could do 30 and 10. Without Dame our odds certainly decrease but I don't think we would be totally out of it. Especially if Nurk or Trent played well

CJ has said himself that's he's fine and the injury has been way overblown.

but this Blazer team won't win any games when Dame is bad, or even just average. They need super-Dame and the lakers probably aren't going to allow it. They adjusted their defense and were trapping Dame a lot more this game. And of course, since the Blazers have only had 5 seasons to come up with an answer, they don't have one

Epicurus · Post #86 » by **Epicurus** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 5:20 am

Trap your lead ball handler, make shots. Don't make shots, then they'll trap him more and harder. Make shots.

Sinobas · Post #87 » by **Sinobas** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 12:13 pm

Let down of a game I was looking forward to. Good thing is it only counts as 1 loss. It'll be interesting to see how they respond.

PDXKnight · Post #88 » by **PDXKnight** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 4:33 pm

I like Gabriel as a 10th man but there’s no way he’s ever a starter. He’s aggressive but Seems like he tries to shoot too much when he touches the ball.

PDXKnight · Post #89 » by **PDXKnight** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 4:34 pm

Klinky wrote:Yikes. Offense was terrible this game, it was also had for Lakers in first half, but we're still struggling. I can't imagine this will be the status quo though.

Yeah, lakers played good d to their credit but our offense was completely unable to operate due to missing damn near everything. I think we can take this series to 6 or 7 still

Epicurus · Post #90 » by **Epicurus** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 5:36 pm

The NBA is ultimately a game of matchups. The Lakers don't match up that well with our starting backcourt, but it is not nearly as bad as our matchup with their forwards---one of the worst matchups in NBA playoff history. With Nurk shooting so poorly and Whiteside's roaming mind, the center position is pretty evenly matched. Trent when hitting becomes a wild card, but the noncenter backups on the Lakers are not matched by the Blazer bench. Lots of words, to say, bet on the Lakers to win somewhat easily this series. No amount of anything brings 4 out of 7 games when you match Gabriel against Davis and Anthony against James. Playbooks, schemes, and whatever wishful variables, beyond pure luck, are trumped by massive mismatches.

zzaj · Post #91 » by **zzaj** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 6:31 pm

The Stotts "dynamic"offense isn't really set up for it, but this matchup is a classic case of where an extra emphasis on inside-out basket would be valuable. IMHO, Blazers need to force pace early in the possession and get Nurkic established down low. That will allow the ball to get out of Lillard's hands quickly. Based on coverage Nurkic either attacks or passes out to the perimeter for either Lillard or CJ to take off the dribble. Either way, Laker help defenders will be on their heels if executed correctly.

Every team in the NBA has figured out how to defend Stotts' high screens by pressing early and getting the ball out of Lillard's hands. You'd think by now there would be really good and effective secondary offense built around the first or second pass after Lillard gives up the ball, but there simply isn't. That's one of Stotts' big failings, IMO.

Epicurus · Post #92 » by **Epicurus** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 8:13 pm

They have eyes and yet they see not.

BlazersBroncos · Post #93 » by **BlazersBroncos** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 8:27 pm

I like Gabriel as a 10th man but there’s no way he’s ever a starter. He’s aggressive but Seems like he tries to shoot too much when he touches the ball.

He has the offensive feel of a blind man on uppers.

Post #94 » by **DaVoiceMaster** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 8:34 pm

The Blazers need to utilize Nurkic more in offense. They didnt seem to do that at all in Game 2 after it was effective in Game 1.

Goldbum · Post #95 » by **Goldbum** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 8:56 pm

Each and every possession Portland needs a rim running big to establish position quickly and keep the defense spread out lengthwise. Guys have got to hit shots and hopefully Dame's finger is okay enough for him to break "the box" from extra long distance distance. Giys have got to hit shots... but we have guys who can, from GTJ to Melo to CJ and Weyan spotting up in the corner.
We won game one. The Lakers made their big adjustments and won game two. Now can we adjust to the adjustments or are we already beat? Healthy scorched earth Dame and we win another game or 3 ineffective injured Dame and we are just delaying the inevitable... at that point give Simons and Little some run...

Epicurus · Post #96 » by **Epicurus** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 8:58 pm

DaVoiceMaster wrote:The Blazers need to utilize Nurkic more in offense. They didnt seem to do that at all in Game 2 after it was effective in Game 1.

Perhaps, but it would be nice if Nurkic shot better. His percentages are embarrassments for any quality NBA center. We need the Nurk with the touch he had from the middle of his injured season.

Soulyss · Post #97 » by **Soulyss** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 12:26 am

Oden2 wrote:I like Gabriel as a 10th man but there’s no way he’s ever a starter. He’s aggressive but Seems like he tries to shoot too much when he touches the ball.

Feels premature to label Gabriel after his rookie year for struggling to defend a much bigger AD.

Soulyss · Post #98 » by **Soulyss** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 12:29 am

Epicurus wrote:
DaVoiceMaster wrote:The Blazers need to utilize Nurkic more in offense. They didnt seem to do that at all in Game 2 after it was effective in Game 1.
Perhaps, but it would be nice if Nurkic shot better. His percentages are embarrassments for any quality NBA center. We need the Nurk with the touch he had from the middle of his injured season.

With Nurk comes good (defense, court vision, etc..) and bad.. (occasional doink'd layups, etc..) but the Blazers are basically a 60 win team when he plays...

So this feels a little nit-picky :lol:

Soulyss · Post #99 » by **Soulyss** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 12:32 am

d-train wrote:
DaVoiceMaster wrote:Alba!!!

I approve

Wait a minute....

Brandon-Clyde wrote:

You picked a LOS ANGELES girl as our GLB against the LAKERS? No wonder we got blown out... How dare you! EPIC FAIL!

Let's try and avoid the Los Angelenos for the rest of the series eh? :lol:

Wizenheimer · Post #100 » by **Wizenheimer** » Sat Aug 22, 2020 2:04 am

Soulyss wrote:
Epicurus wrote:
DaVoiceMaster wrote:The Blazers need to utilize Nurkic more in offense. They didnt seem to do that at all in Game 2 after it was effective in Game 1.
Perhaps, but it would be nice if Nurkic shot better. His percentages are embarrassments for any quality NBA center. We need the Nurk with the touch he had from the middle of his injured season.

With Nurk comes good (defense, court vision, etc..) and bad.. (occasional doink'd layups, etc..) but the Blazers are basically a 60 win team when he plays...

huh?

Nurk got injured in game 73 last season and Portland had 9 games left. They had 46 wins. Kind of impossible for Nurkic to propel them to 14 more wins in 9 games

and that team had Aminu, Harkless, Curry, Layman, Turner, and Meyers. This year's team is much worse