Game 2: Portland vs Houston 7:00pm SNW/NBATV

[Epicurus]

??? re last sentence. Yes, Anthony is a problem and all things being equal should not get much more rope with Giles available. But all things are not really equal.

[Epicurus]

Further, I doubt if any of us not watching a game three times would catch ingame adjustments of any NBA coach, unless, of course, it was some major substitution change.

[DaVoiceMaster]

Further, I doubt if any of us not watching a game three times would catch in game adjustments of any NBA coach, unless, of course, it was some major substitution change.

I'll even go one step further, having never played organized basketball, and say I probably wouldn't even notice an adjustment unless it hit me in the head!!!

[Soulyss]

Jordan Kent just suuuuucckkkksss... This can't be our telecast unit going forward.

Kent is pretty mechanical and flat, it's a pretty noticeable and painful downgrade from Mike B -> Calabro -> Kent.

Yeah, we never should have fired Mike B. I know some people liked Calabro, but I was never a fan.

I didn't mind Calabro, he was a pro... but Mike B was a better "local" guy... I wish Kevin had stayed on national broadcasts, calling a game as a neutral party was his strength.

[GEE]

I didn't get the Trent minutes. Why play Simons and sit Trent Jr? Why play Melo so much and sit Trent Jr. Maybe they didn't want Trent Jr to have a great game and Houston ask for him in return. I don't buy that though cuz they all have film and know exactly what each player can and can't do. I can't explain it cuz logically, it makes no sense.

Not saying you, but some folks complain that Stotts doesn't make adjustments. Then complain when he does. Trent was part of a miserable bench team performance in the first half and he did absolutely nothing positive in in that stint (end of 1st q and beginning of second). Simmons, however, got inserted in the early part of the second and was about the only bench Blazer in the lineup at that time worthwhile on the court. That gave the green light to seeing if Simons was going to be more like his practice time and he mostly was. Trent is not good enough or regarded that well to take stints off.

DVM makes a good point, and this is likely a jab at me, so I guess I'll respond. Stotts IS slow to react, like a drunk person. Melo is a great example. His shooting has pretty much stunk throughout the first game and a half, and it took that long for Terry to reduce his prescribed minutes and bench him. This stuff really shows up alot more when the playoffs role around.

My other big gripe with Stotts has always been his player rotations. In the past it was usually because he'd have a tendency to always go small with GTJ at the 3, but that hasn't been an issue this year. The main criticism I have about him now is his over-correction for the defense in the starting rotation.

I said in a previous post how I thought time is important, and I think our PF rotation stinks. Starting ROCO/Jones Jr. and bringing Hood/Melo off the bench seems obviously unbalanced. I'd just like to see a bigger lineup approach before we rack up a bunch more losses. The Lakers will show you what I mean.

SG: CJ / Hood / GTJ
SF: ROCO / Jones Jr. / Hood
PF: Giles / Melo / ROCO / Collins(IR)


As for Simons and Trent, I've said several times I encourage competition for those minutes, and actually like playing a guy longer if he's having a good night, and vice versa. Hood is also battling for SG minutes, and I actually like the 1&2 rotations so far.

[Epicurus]

Hyperbole does not help analysis.

[GEE]

Jordan Kent just suuuuucckkkksss... This can't be our telecast unit going forward.

Kent is pretty mechanical and flat, it's a pretty noticeable and painful downgrade from Mike B -> Calabro -> Kent.

Mechanical and flat, sure... painfully boring and dorky are the words that come to me. "Dame all day, for a cup of coffee".... Clank.

[Epicurus]

!4 choose 5, I think gives you the combinations. You don't like the one selected by the coach, ergo the coach is wrong. Easy criticism to make to support a 9 year belief that someone else should have been hired.

[The Sebastian Express]

Yeah, Lord knows we could certainly use Mike B's whine about 'HOL-EE COOOOW' towards the refs five to ten times a game again. That was fun to listen to constantly.

[PDXKnight]

Maybe a harden showcase to Portland? And it’s Always odd when starters are out, you never know what you’ll get so I’m not surprised this was so close

Kudos to the rockets though, they gave us a tough out and wood had himself a game.

[BlazersBroncos]

I think GTJ has been playing for GTJ since the preseason. He is forcing it a ton and until he settles down, stops looking at summer 2021 and starts getting back to his strengths he should see limited PT.

Also, CJ might have this type of game 2-3 times a year. Harden does this 20+ times. There is no comparison.

[Epicurus]

I think GTJ has been playing for GTJ since the preseason. He is forcing it a ton and until he settles down, stops looking at summer 2021 and starts getting back to his strengths he should see limited PT.

Also, CJ might have this type of game 2-3 times a year. Harden does this 20+ times. There is no comparison.

Trent was certainly poor in his first half stint this game (along with the rest of the second unit). On the other hand, Simons looked pretty decent on both sides of the court. It shouldn't have surprised anyone that Simons got the 2nd half court time. Yes, you are correct, right now this Trent is not the one who was in the Bubble.