Nov 14th AT Charlotte

[dreamcloud]

Also dayum, we have the best defense in terms of Points Allowed at just 87.1 in the entire NBA! I don't really know how much that's worth, but our point differential has been good too.. Oden and Joel have been amazing at D

[jeffhardyfan52]

ugly win ut 6 in a row ill take it

[farzi]

When did we start freaking out about the streak 2 years ago? 7 games? I was at the Utah one right after it was broken, that to me was the start of the return to Rip City.

[EGame]

Nice.. tied for most wins in the entire league!

Also wow jeez, Atlanta is tied for the best record in the league.. It's gonna be a helluva hard game there, I hope everyone doesn't go on suicide watch if we lose that?

I will don't worry.

[kumquat]

So outlaw is out. Heard he had the same injury as Martel??

[jeffhardyfan52]

yup same thing

[BlazersRizing]

damn Outlaw out til mid Jan ? ****.

Cunningham needs to get those minutes.

[BballFanAddict]

Welp - those that have been heavily critical of Outlaw will inadvertantpy get their wish to have him benched. Now we will find out just how valuable he is; I guess it means Juwan Howard is out backup PF?

[Yangsing]

Guess we'll see. Martell and Rudy can pick up the offensive slack for Travis. I don't mind Juwan as the backup 4. Steady defense and rebounding, at least better than Outlaw.

[mojomarc]

Wow, was that ugly. The refs were brutal--Oden's fouls were terrible, and Bell probably could have gotten a flagrant for that elbow to LMA's chops. That said, if we had any motion at all to our offense this game wouldn't have been even close. I'm so sick to death of this stagnant offense. Larry Brown on the other sidelines has complete crap for talent, but for crissakes they actually move on offense to get open. We have more talent, tons of continuity, but a coach that still runs the exact same limited offense he had to run when Sebastian Telfair and Jarrett Jack were the PGs and our only legitimate offensive set was dumping it into Zbo, only it is LMA and Brandon on the isos now.

We might be winning, but we're still playing like crap waaaaaaaaay too much.

[southnc]

I was able to attend the game and was surprised to run into plenty of Portland fans.

That was one UGLY game. But, you know, winning ugly on the road is a real plus sometimes.

However, they better start hitting their shots in Atlanta.

From what I could see, they had plenty of open shots - just couldn't convert anything - especially perimeter shots.

The Bobcats played pretty good physical defense - they really got on Rudy and prevented him from getting an opportunities. Blake was really off tonight - he should have been the high scorer with the open shots he got. Roy and Miller were both consistent. Oden had some nice baskets, but got into silly foul trouble again.

The highlight for me was the Joel stuff on a fast-break attempt.

[Malapropism]

Wow, was that ugly. The refs were brutal--Oden's fouls were terrible, and Bell probably could have gotten a flagrant for that elbow to LMA's chops. That said, if we had any motion at all to our offense this game wouldn't have been even close. I'm so sick to death of this stagnant offense. Larry Brown on the other sidelines has complete crap for talent, but for crissakes they actually move on offense to get open. We have more talent, tons of continuity, but a coach that still runs the exact same limited offense he had to run when Sebastian Telfair and Jarrett Jack were the PGs and our only legitimate offensive set was dumping it into Zbo, only it is LMA and Brandon on the isos now.

We might be winning, but we're still playing like crap waaaaaaaaay too much.

Players were missing open shots.

I think we can cut them some slack. 4 games in 5 nights. It's tough.

[jeffhardyfan52]

what happend with the fight or what not with chandler lamarcus roy and felton, did joel habe to punch chandeler again?

[doogul]

what happend with the fight or what not with chandler lamarcus roy and felton, did joel habe to punch chandeler again?

Basically LaMarcus was boxing out Raja Bell and Raja basically yanked him out of the way and in the process smacked him in the head, so LMA got real mad and got in his face and then pushed him. Then everyone tried to separate each other and it looked like Roy and Gerald Wallace had some words for each other. I was actually surprised that many technicals were given out, it looked more to me like everyone simply trying to separate each other.

It was clearly a foul on Raja Bell, but somehow we ended up with a jump ball out of all of it...beyond me, but oh well. I won't moan any more than I already did in this game thread, haha.

Unfortunately Joel wasn't in the game, lol...I guess we'll never get through another game without some kind of Chandler-involved altercation though! Greg was in though, but he just held LMA back.

Not pretty, but a nice win considering it was our 4th in 5 nights...plus I had forgotten how much trouble we've had in this building in the past.

[monopoman]

Most teams look beaten and weak on a 4th game after 5 nights that is as bad as a NBA schedule can get. It is irrelevant which team you face on that 5th night you will come out slow and look like a bad team.

[Sinobas]

Ya, if we don't make our open 3s against Atlanta, we have no chance. But it would be nice to return the favor, and steal one on their home court. Portland will have one day of rest, and should be revved up for the Hawks (if they have any pride).

But even if we lose, 4-1 on the road trip would be great, 5-0, outstanding.

[southnc]

Wow, was that ugly. The refs were brutal--Oden's fouls were terrible, and Bell probably could have gotten a flagrant for that elbow to LMA's chops. That said, if we had any motion at all to our offense this game wouldn't have been even close. I'm so sick to death of this stagnant offense. Larry Brown on the other sidelines has complete crap for talent, but for crissakes they actually move on offense to get open. We have more talent, tons of continuity, but a coach that still runs the exact same limited offense he had to run when Sebastian Telfair and Jarrett Jack were the PGs and our only legitimate offensive set was dumping it into Zbo, only it is LMA and Brandon on the isos now.

We might be winning, but we're still playing like crap waaaaaaaaay too much.

Players were missing open shots.

I think we can cut them some slack. 4 games in 5 nights. It's tough.

I would agree. Still, if they can somehow find the energy to beat Atlanta away, that would be a huge lift for this team.

[mojomarc]

True, players were missing open shots. But players were also standing around watching every time Roy got the ball, or LMA got the ball for the turnaround, or Oden got the ball deep. The only player who seems to move at all without the ball is Oden, and that's to go after offensive rebounds since it is so mind-bogglingly obvious when were' giong to stop passing and just iso in our offense. There's also a little bit of movement from Miller (probably doesn't know any better what Nate wants yet) and some from Martell on occasion (exuberance after his year off?), but so much of the game is spent standing around with this team that it's just not good. This isn't just an issue from Charlotte--this has been an issue basically every game except for the two against Minny. It's simply a situation where Nate dumbed down his offense when he first took over and has never smartened it up again, and it is a shame because we have some really court-savvy vets out there now but they have no idea how to run any sort of motion in the offense. And yes, it does look efficient since we don't turn the ball over and we still rebound offensively well, but come on--can anyone really argue that this is a playoff caliber offense? It's the same non-nuanced offense that got stuffed up by Houston in the playoffs last year, and the same offense that looked so brutal to start the season where if the outside shots weren't falling we seemed completely incapable of considering running the offense through the low post for some high percentage power shots. You have to have nuance to the offense in the playoffs, and we just don't have it and really don't appear to be adding any new wrinkles in there to get it, no matter what Nate says about "new" isolation plays. Instead, we go to Oden a few times, but if Roy or LMA or Outlaw or Blake get a low-percentage outside look and Oden is flapping his arms in deep position, 98% of the time we settle for the low-percentage shot, and that's just wrong.

As for the scuffle, the big issue appeared to me to be Bell really yanking on LMA and then, as they jostled back, throwing an elbow right into LMA's kisser. You could see him afterwards while the refs were looking at it wiping some blood from inside his mouth, but I could be reading into it as it looked to me like he took the elbow more in the jaw. Still, Bell was extremely agressive on Roy for a good part of the game (as was Diaw), but the Bell shot was the only one I thought was really over the line. Good for LMA for standing up to him, and good for Oden to get him in a big bear hug so LMA won't get a suspension (I hope). When Oden grabs you, you don't move around a lot I guess

[Wizenheimer]

couldn't watch the game live as my wife had me committed to a family dinner...her family so that made it even worse

Recorded it so I can savor that exceptional basketball display over and over...

observations:

) I think I'd go into shock if more then one of Portland's perimeter shooters is hot in the same game> it's pathetic how bad they've been so far, and it doesn't help that Roy is having his worst shooting season so far. yuck

) Aldridge is making more of an effort to be an inside force on both ends. That's good to see. Now if he can stay inside and increase his efficiency, he'd actually be a PF

) As has been said repeatedly here (mostly by me I guess), Nate needs to go to bat for Oden with the officials. That game would have been the perfect time to do so, and Nate should have gone ballistic on Sean Corbin in the 3rd quarter and then gone ballistic in the press conference after. The Blazers have to serve notice and bring attention to the the crappy way Oden is being officiated. And when one single official is the one who calls all 6 fouls (may have been 5) on one single player...it's the official that is screwing-up, not the player

) Martell is the same as he's always been. I don't think a 'breakout-season' is in his DNA

) I look forward to the Charlotte game because those tight, orange, vinyl pants the Charlotte cheerleaders wear are fine eye-candy. (sorry SBE for the sexism)

[britblazerdude]

People that live in Charlotte are never going to spend money to go and see their NBA team if they play in that style. What a snoozefest, Larry.