Season OPener: Portland vs Utah 7:00pm SNW

d-train · Post #61 » by **d-train** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 5:31 am

When you have a good team, I would rather lose by 20 than 1.

Sinobas · Post #62 » by **Sinobas** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 5:32 am

d-train wrote:When you have a good team, I would rather lose by 20 than 1.

You think this is a good team?

d-train · Post #63 » by **d-train** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 5:33 am

Brandon-Clyde wrote:4th quarter GLB pic
Spoiler:

Can we have a blowout babe?

Pattycakes · Post #64 » by **Pattycakes** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 5:35 am

monopoman wrote:
Case2012 wrote:The chemistry is non existent. I know it takes time to develop but they don't look cohesive at all.

Usually our teams have bonded and formed quickly, but we do have a lot of new pieces this year so maybe it will take more time. Covid might be making it harder to Lillard usually gets the team together in a nice locale, before the season begins to help strengthen bonds that might not have been possible here.

This is a good take, and you’re probably quite right.

Norm2953 · Post #65 » by **Norm2953** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 5:49 am

Its going to take some time but once again Portland does not have that Batum type of SF with size who can
handle the ball, play defense and shoot.

d-train · Post #66 » by **d-train** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 5:57 am

Sinobas wrote:
d-train wrote:When you have a good team, I would rather lose by 20 than 1.

You think this is a good team?

Yes

Post #67 » by **DaVoiceMaster** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 7:48 am

What a crap game. I actually turned it off and I never do that. Trent Jr can't make a wide open layup and Lillard can't make a wide open 3 point shot. WTF???

Post #68 » by **The Sebastian Express** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 10:06 am

monopoman wrote:
The Sebastian Express wrote:The rim has not been kind to Gary in those completely wide open situations so far this December.

Well hopefully last season wasn't a fluke, I don't think it was the ball looks extremely good coming out of his hands in most situations.

I was more referencing his blown wide open transition dunk in preseason and now the wide open transition layup tonight, not the ranged shots. He still has a nice form and touch there.

armin-x · Post #69 » by **armin-x** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 12:56 pm

melo was washed three years ago. sooner you replace him with little, who has energy and plays defence, better for your chances to win a game. you should have sign backup PG like monte morris, CJ can't play that role. only thing he cares is his statline, terrible fit next to lillard.

Sinobas · Post #70 » by **Sinobas** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 1:05 pm

Is it just me, or do these guys look like they are playing playground ball rather than professional?

I watch the Jazz quickly swing the ball around the perimeter, getting open shots, then the Blazers, they just take turns going one on one. No execution. Lillard....is this the worst game of his career? 9 points? He missed an point blank layup and acted like he didn't want to shoot a 3 where he was wide open, and he bricked that.

Sinobas · Post #71 » by **Sinobas** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 1:07 pm

armin-x wrote:melo was washed three years ago. sooner you replace him with little, who has energy and plays defence, better for your chances to win a game. you should have sign backup PG like monte morris, CJ can't play that role. only thing he cares is his statline, terrible fit next to lillard.

Melo was abysmal in his first stretch of the game, and was a big part of the hole we got ourselves into, but he was far from the only problem last night. He plays too much 1 on 1, but the whole TEAM does that.

JRoy · Post #72 » by **JRoy** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 2:56 pm

Coaching matters.

POR looked like they’d never seen a high screen before

BlazersBroncos · Post #73 » by **BlazersBroncos** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 3:13 pm

The ball movement that Utah showed is something we have not seen on the offensive side in a very long time. We had an elite offense last season but so much is predicated on iso ball, and that often falls apart in the playoffs.

GTJ looks like he is playing for his payday. Forcing the issue, something I noticed in preseason too. Melo looks washed as well.

We made role player changes that everyone got overly excited about. The truth is we didnt seriously elevate the talent level and this team is still just fodder come playoff time.

I found myself switching to the Dallas / Phoenix game. Watching Luka is more enjoyable than the trash Portland exhibited last night. From the initial whistle the game seemed over.

We need Hood to get in game shape. DJJ should be coming off the bench as an energy guy and we need a consistent kick-out 3PT shooter in the lineup.

Also, Nurkic hasnt looked like Nurkic all preseason and last night. We all know Gobert is better, but he isnt 14 rebounds better.

Sinobas · Post #74 » by **Sinobas** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 3:35 pm

The fact that the blazers can't make teams pay for the attention given to Lillard is absurd. The Jazz don't have anyone close to Lillard's ability and they moved the ball and got open shots.

BlazersBroncos · Post #75 » by **BlazersBroncos** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 4:29 pm

The fact that the blazers can't make teams pay for the attention given to Lillard is absurd. The Jazz don't have anyone close to Lillard's ability and they moved the ball and got open shots.

IDK about close. Mitchell is well on his way to being near that Dame level of #1 options. He is on a very similar career trajectory when you look at Dame at the same age. He clearly isnt as good as current Dame, but he is a special player.

I think its pretty easy to argue that Utah's top 2 looked at as a unit is better than ours. And their high rotation role players are likely better than ours too. I dont think this was just a bad showing by Portland, I think Utah just has more talent in their top 7-8 than us. Combine that with no urgency and low effort and we were destined to be blown out.

Sinobas · Post #76 » by **Sinobas** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 4:51 pm

BlazersBroncos wrote:
The fact that the blazers can't make teams pay for the attention given to Lillard is absurd. The Jazz don't have anyone close to Lillard's ability and they moved the ball and got open shots.

IDK about close. Mitchell is well on his way to being near that Dame level of #1 options. He is on a very similar career trajectory when you look at Dame at the same age. He clearly isnt as good as current Dame, but he is a special player.

I think its pretty easy to argue that Utah's top 2 looked at as a unit is better than ours. And their high rotation role players are likely better than ours too. I dont think this was just a bad showing by Portland, I think Utah just has more talent in their top 7-8 than us. Combine that with no urgency and low effort and we were destined to be blown out.

I don't think they're more talented, I think they just execute much better. Why can't our offense generate the same looks theirs do? Why can't we move the ball like they do? I think it's because of our ball-stoopers CJ and Melo.

Soulyss · Post #77 » by **Soulyss** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 7:28 pm

Well if they continue to play like they did last night... 0-72! :lol:

They will gel, it's going to take a couple games and some more practices... Talent is there, Talent always wins. This reminds me a bit of a couple of years ago when Utah got off to a slow start and came roaring back in the 2nd half.

Matt800 · Post #78 » by **Matt800** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 8:54 pm

I think Melo might work but it really would have been better to have another decent SF. If Melo were replaced with Ariza I think the team would be a lot better. Better defense, less offensive isolations. Especially with Hood currently being slow, it doesnt seem like the greatest idea to have him and Melo playing together.

Epicurus · Post #79 » by **Epicurus** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 9:20 pm

Playtype ISO (NBA status)--last night Jazz 3.7% of possessions; Blazers 1.9% of possessions. ( both under last seasons 5.7 and 9.0 percents). ISO narrative doesn't coincide with NBA definitions or what I learned long ago. Rockets last year were the highest ISo use team some 19% of posssessions, with the Blazers being second with half that percent. Normally the Blazers are around 10th.

I would have lost my bet regarding contested threes. The Jazz took 27 of their 50 threes wide open, compared to the Blazers taking 10 wide open threes out of their 33 attempts. They both hit at a 40% rate (actually 41 for Utah). On open, and tight attempts thingss were basically equal.

I wish a stat existed to determine what wide open threes came from the initial play or from 2nd chances, including from broken plays where the offense retrieved a deflection or other loose balls. My impression from the one viewing is that a disproportionate share of those favored the Jazz.

Epicurus · Post #80 » by **Epicurus** » Thu Dec 24, 2020 9:52 pm

It's been mentioned above that the 2nd unit should not be put on the court together again. That may be true, given the failure of the reserves to keep the game tied as when they entered at about 7:30 or so. They put (again counting the previous warmup games) the Blazers in a hole. Yet beyond their first stint together, the starters as a unit even worse. The new starters in particular contributed poorly--rim finisher Jones, wasn't; three shoot forward Covington, didn't. No matter the squad, rebounding, rebounding, rebounding is needed. Neither the starting unit nor the the present replacement unit has a 2nd rebounding big (aka PF). Last season one of the main differences with the 50+ win team of the year prior was rebounding. Without a true PF or sometype of role playing rebounder, the same problem obviously exists. Must think about using Giles with one of the units.