Game 2: Portland vs Golden State 7 00pm KUNP/ RipCitytv

[monopoman]

Incredibly impressive game by the Blazers, while the scoring might not be often at this level the Defense showed is sustainable at a high level.

The Blazers should be in conversations for one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, they have so many great defensive players, and utilized properly should be devastating to most teams on that end. I think the only thing keeping the Blazers from being an elite contending team in the near future is having a goto scorer like a Lillard in his prime.

Jrue Holiday also seems to fit this team so well, he brings exactly what this team needs, and will help keep the younger guys accountable.

[oldfishermen]

Wow, 8 Blazers scored in double figures. Jrue with a double double, 12 pts, 11 ast.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

Very fun game, we even had quite a few things we could improve on and still had a big win. Love love love the defense this team has, cannot wait for Scoot and Williams to join the mix.


Kind of a poor challenge by Splitter but otherwise I liked the game management. Rotations made good sense and our small ball lineup was very effective but not overused.

String together a couple games with this same energy and teams are gonna notice. Might be a grind it out year but at least make other teams feel it too!

[monopoman]

Wow, 8 Blazers scored in double figures. Jrue with a double double, 12 pts, 11 ast.

Jrue was a brilliant pick up, and this is similar to the same move the Rockets made when they signed FVV. A team like this needs a guy that has been there and done that, and played at a high level most of his career.

We have Dame but Dame won't be out on the court for some time, Jrue can lead through demonstration on the court as well as words.

[Norm2953]

Encouraging but let's not get carried away for we knew they are an older team playing on a B2B

It'll be interesting to see how this team plays under Splitter as opposed to what we all saw under
Chauncey

[zzaj]

Whew. What a game following today's news...

I don't see how you can watch tonight and not be pretty excited about how the Blazers are playing. I said it last game, but if they play with this kind of intensity and focus on defense and shoot league average, they'll be competitive in a lot of games. And if they shoot above league average they'll win some games...

The team seems to be bought in and playing with purpose--swapping the hunted Simons for the lead guard savvy and 2-way playmaking of Jrue, plus getting Thybulle back, getting meaningful minutes from Murray, and Grant able to hit the broad side of a barn...well, it's made a world of difference compared to the team last year.

It'll be really interesting to see Scoot out there instead of Wesley once he gets fully healthy. To Wesley's credit, he apparently sought the Blazers because he knew his uptempo style would be a good fit...and I think he's right. He's still a 3rd guard type, but he really hustles on defense and he can penetrate on offense, which is 2 of the things that the team really needs. The other being 3pt shooting.

For the most part I really liked Splitter's substitution pattern tonight...it's hard to say because we saw only a little bit of what Billups had to offer this year, but Splitter seems to cycle guys a bit more to keep them fresh. That of course can backfire (not enough time to get a rhythm), but at least for tonight it seemed to work like a charm on the defensive end--lots of fresh legs. Also THE BLAZERS actually ran back to back plays out of a timeout for the first time since...probably Stotts. I don't know much about Splitter, but apparently he's a good Xs and Os guy...that would be refreshing after Billups.

Nice to see Clingan have a pretty good game. His hands and footwork need a lot of work, but he affects a lot of shots...and he should have been credited with a second block, by my count. It's nice having a Center that doesn't have to put up gaudy looking numbers, but that affects winning. That's like the opposite of Ayton. Nurkic was somewhat like that too, to a much lesser degree.

Grant playing the role that he was probably always built for is nice to see...

If there was a downside to this game, it was probably Sharpe's shooting %. I for one have zero problem with him taking the shots he takes. He's got to learn at some point where his consistency lies...and you can't find that out by not taking shots. As long as he really works on the defensive end and stays focused and engaged offensively, I'd still have him start games.

Hopefully the Blazers have a chance to test the old saying that 'winning fixes everything' this first month of the season. It'd be a nice consolation for the players, I'm sure...and certainly for us fans.

[DusterBuster]

Encouraging but let's not get carried away for we knew they are an older team playing on a B2B

It'll be interesting to see how this team plays under Splitter as opposed to what we all saw under
Chauncey

I’ll carry whatever I like sir!

[DusterBuster]

Wow, 8 Blazers scored in double figures. Jrue with a double double, 12 pts, 11 ast.

Jrue was a brilliant pick up, and this is similar to the same move the Rockets made when they signed FVV. A team like this needs a guy that has been there and done that, and played at a high level most of his career.

We have Dame but Dame won't be out on the court for some time, Jrue can lead through demonstration on the court as well as words.

Jrue and Dame are legit godsends for this team at this moment. The team seems pretty shook, so have not just one but both of these guys in that lockerroom at this moment and NOT Simons and Ayton… ooohhh buddy. Props to Cronin (even if it was very dumb luck).

[PDXKnight]

Tiago splitter seems competent. Good start

Idc that GS is an old team on a b2b that team has been our achiles heel can't remember the last time we've had it this easy against them

Also Chris Berkhart is annoying, he spent the whole pre game talking about how today just getting a moral victory would be a win because of everything going on. A loss is a loss to me, and im glad we won today.

[Norm2953]

Wow, 8 Blazers scored in double figures. Jrue with a double double, 12 pts, 11 ast.

Jrue was a brilliant pick up, and this is similar to the same move the Rockets made when they signed FVV. A team like this needs a guy that has been there and done that, and played at a high level most of his career.

We have Dame but Dame won't be out on the court for some time, Jrue can lead through demonstration on the court as well as words.

Jrue and Dame are legit godsends for this team at this moment. The team seems pretty shook, so have not just one but both of these guys in that lockerroom at this moment and NOT Simons and Ayton… ooohhh buddy. Props to Cronin (even if it was very dumb luck).

I'd agree with these sentiments for without veteran leadership, this team might really struggle after losing their HC.

[DaVoiceMaster]

Great win! I really liked Murray's aggressiveness tonight. I wish Sharpe would play the same way instead of settling for 3 pointers.

[PDXKnight]

Jrue was a brilliant pick up, and this is similar to the same move the Rockets made when they signed FVV. A team like this needs a guy that has been there and done that, and played at a high level most of his career.

We have Dame but Dame won't be out on the court for some time, Jrue can lead through demonstration on the court as well as words.

Jrue and Dame are legit godsends for this team at this moment. The team seems pretty shook, so have not just one but both of these guys in that lockerroom at this moment and NOT Simons and Ayton… ooohhh buddy. Props to Cronin (even if it was very dumb luck).

I'd agree with these sentiments for without veteran leadership, this team might really struggle after losing their HC.

Gotta give credit to the staff as well particularly bjorkren who seemed pretty willing to help splitter in these hard times.

[Butter]

Tiago splitter seems competent. Good start

Idc that GS is an old team on a b2b that team has been our achiles heel can't remember the last time we've had it this easy against them

Also Chris Berkhart is annoying, he spent the whole pre game talking about how today just getting a moral victory would be a win because of everything going on. A loss is a loss to me, and im glad we won today.

I know it's just one game, but how great would it be to find the next good young coach in Splitter?

[Blazinaway]

Also, props for Murray! He's looking so much more fluid and sure of himself out there. They also aren't just trying to use him as a 3pt shooter (which he never was).

He was just a dog on D tonight and I liked his inside scoring a lot, looks like he's carving out his niche on this team and the NBA, let's hope it is sustained

[oldfishermen]

Also, props for Murray! He's looking so much more fluid and sure of himself out there. They also aren't just trying to use him as a 3pt shooter (which he never was).

He was just a dog on D tonight and I liked his inside scoring a lot, looks like he's carving out his niche on this team and the NBA, let's hope it is sustained

I have been hard on Murray, time to eat crow.

Looks like all the time spent by the coaching staff working with Murray is paying off. Hope they can also fix Sharpe.

[PDXKnight]

Also, props for Murray! He's looking so much more fluid and sure of himself out there. They also aren't just trying to use him as a 3pt shooter (which he never was).

He was just a dog on D tonight and I liked his inside scoring a lot, looks like he's carving out his niche on this team and the NBA, let's hope it is sustained

I have been hard on Murray, time to eat crow.

Looks like all the time spent by the coaching staff working with Murray is paying off. Hope they can also fix Sharpe.

Yeah would like to see him play like this awhile he is a nice role player

Also jerami will come down to earth but hes looked good off the bench. Feels like a good spot for him but if he gets his value up im dealing him for the first expiring that comes our way.

[Blazinaway]

Also, props for Murray! He's looking so much more fluid and sure of himself out there. They also aren't just trying to use him as a 3pt shooter (which he never was).

He was just a dog on D tonight and I liked his inside scoring a lot, looks like he's carving out his niche on this team and the NBA, let's hope it is sustained

I have been hard on Murray, time to eat crow.

Looks like all the time spent by the coaching staff working with Murray is paying off. Hope they can also fix Sharpe.

From my viewpoint Shae's 3 pt shooting needs to be a lot less and more selective, he's got a really good midrange game and at least last year his finishing inside was very, very good. Take open looks from 3? Of course, but until that shot improves less 3's and more midrange/driving to basket.

[Wizenheimer]

I'll echo some thoughts:

* Sharpe's 3pt attempt rate is 43%. It should not be over 25% right now. He's actually competent at dribble-drive and penetration. He needs to stop settling for 3pt jumpers...that's the weakest part of his game. Getting Sharpe to make that adjustment may be task #1 for Splitter

* Grant has been team MVP so far. leading candidate for 6MOY. Of course that's all kind of ridiculous hyperbole 2 games into the season. Statistically what he's done is unsustainable; but the impact he's had can be sustained if he can match his efficiency from his first 2 seasons as a Blazer....and forget about last season. I know I'm trying to forget about it

* for years under Olshey the Blazer weakness was at wing, especially after the Aldridge team fell apart. Blazers had low talent at wing and were quite undersized. Norm Powell was the starting SF for 2 seasons for chrissakes. Now, the Blazer strength is at wing; talent and depth; relentless tenacity and disruption. And wing is where the NBA wins games

* I just can't believe I saw some posters on Blazer message boards thinking that Yang would replace Clingan as the starter sometime this season. And yes, there were some. The gap between Clingan and Yang couldn't be wider. Yang is nearly unplayable except for garbage time. Project; 2 years away from being 1 year away? Not sure I've ever seen a player's hype exceed his actual skills and impact by so much

[Blazinaway]

I'll echo some thoughts:

* Sharpe's 3pt attempt rate is 43%. It should not be over 25% right now. He's actually competent at dribble-drive and penetration. He needs to stop settling for 3pt jumpers...that's the weakest part of his game. Getting Sharpe to make that adjustment may be task #1 for Splitter

* Grant has been team MVP so far. leading candidate for 6MOY. Of course that's all kind of ridiculous hyperbole 2 games into the season. Statistically what he's done is unsustainable; but the impact he's had can be sustained if he can match his efficiency from his first 2 seasons as a Blazer....and forget about last season. I know I'm trying to forget about it

* for years under Olshey the Blazer weakness was at wing, especially after the Aldridge team fell apart. Blazers had low talent at wing and were quite undersized. Norm Powell was the starting SF for 2 seasons for chrissakes. Now, the Blazer strength is at wing; talent and depth; relentless tenacity and disruption. And wing is where the NBA wins games

* I just can't believe I saw some posters on Blazer message boards thinking that Yang would replace Clingan as the starter sometime this season. And yes, there were some. The gap between Clingan and Yang couldn't be wider. Yang is nearly unplayable except for garbage time. Project; 2 years away from being 1 year away? Not sure I've ever seen a player's hype exceed his actual skills and impact by so much

Thanks for putting percentages to his 3 pt shooting, way too high a rate when one is shooting it so poorly. Agree that this may be one of Tiago's main things to correct,

[DusterBuster]

I'll echo some thoughts:

* Sharpe's 3pt attempt rate is 43%. It should not be over 25% right now. He's actually competent at dribble-drive and penetration. He needs to stop settling for 3pt jumpers...that's the weakest part of his game. Getting Sharpe to make that adjustment may be task #1 for Splitter

I agree with this ... to a point. I think the problem I see with Sharpe is his 3pt shot is pretty dependent on just seeing the ball go through the hoop. He's not a Lillard or Curry type that can get his offensive motor running from beyond the arch. Most players need to see the ball go through the hoop early to really have a good game usually. So players should get those early hoops as easy as possible. Since Sharpe isn't a sharpshooter (pun intended), he should get his points the easy way as that is for his game... which is dribble-drive or mid-rage pull-up. Those shots should always be the first 4-6 attempts he takes every game. Full stop. Once he can see 2-3 or more of those go in that way, then extend out to the 3pt line and those shots are more fluid for him.

So to your point, I agree I don't like him settling for those shots, but I also don't want him to stop taking them. They're an important part of his game, but he needs to get himself going before going beyond the arch.

* Grant has been team MVP so far. leading candidate for 6MOY. Of course that's all kind of ridiculous hyperbole 2 games into the season. Statistically what he's done is unsustainable; but the impact he's had can be sustained if he can match his efficiency from his first 2 seasons as a Blazer....and forget about last season. I know I'm trying to forget about it

Agreed, but I also can't ignore the fact that this is Grant's pattern since game 1 as a Blazer. Every season, Grant starts the year freaking amazing. A Top 15 scoring bigman in the league level. It was the 22-23 season iirc, the Blazers started the year post-CJ just absolutely rolling. Grant hit a game winner or two I believe, Dame was lovin' it... things were looking so more balanced... than a wheel came off, Grant plateaued and that was the end of that.

23-24 the same thing kinda happened. Then 24-25, again, started out decent, but then just all the wheels officially went flat.

I hope this year follows a different pattern for sure. It's why I hope he stays on the bench and ends games like he has. It at least will give a new wrinkle to the pattern we've seen in the last 3 years that might have a chance to break the chain of events that seems to always happen for Grant.

* for years under Olshey the Blazer weakness was at wing, especially after the Aldridge team fell apart. Blazers had low talent at wing and were quite undersized. Norm Powell was the starting SF for 2 seasons for chrissakes. Now, the Blazer strength is at wing; talent and depth; relentless tenacity and disruption. And wing is where the NBA wins games

There's a lot of quibbles people throw at Cronin, that in my opinion are a bit overblown... the critiques are not wrong on the surface, but they are the kind of swings and misses literally every GM not named Sam Presti will make, and imo, hoping any GM to Presi's level is illogical. Currently tho, I think it's hard to deny he's unquestionably been head and shoulders better than Olshey in nearly every metric. Maybe that's setting a low bar, but this team construction is so much more logical than what Olshey ever threw out there.

On a semi-related Cronin note, I do think he missed an opportunity during this Billups mess to be the first team representative so speak. I think not going out to at least make a statement and take one or two questions from the media before Splitter was a misstep.

* I just can't believe I saw some posters on Blazer message boards thinking that Yang would replace Clingan as the starter sometime this season. And yes, there were some. The gap between Clingan and Yang couldn't be wider. Yang is nearly unplayable except for garbage time. Project; 2 years away from being 1 year away? Not sure I've ever seen a player's hype exceed his actual skills and impact by so much

I get this viewpoint, but I'm inclined to be a little more lenient on Yang. I think he's looking very overwhelmed and the game moving too fast for him. I'm ... hopeful ... that is going to come in time. If he can loosen up a bit on the court, and also the coaches and players need to trust him a bit more at some point (doesn't have to be now while things are so new) to play his game. He's basically only setting screens and trying to play under the paint. They aren't using him at all in the high post as a playmaker which is one of the brightspots of his game.

My guess is that's by design by the coaching staff. They know what his "natural" abilities are, they want him to learn the fundamentals of the NBA game at this speed first. Set hard screens, box out, defend without fouling. They aren't calling plays for him to score and they aren't asking him to play PG-C. Those things - on top of him just being raw and timid - are going to lead to looking out of his depth.

The other - imo bigger - issue I see with Yang is his speed overall. He does "feel" slow a bit out there with the eye test. Again, I'm willing to give it time. He's 2 games into his NBA career for god-sake so I'm pumping my own breaks on any proclamations of him for now and can revisit it a few months later or maybe even next year.

Him starting was always a nonsensical take (fingers crossed that wasn't me high on a SL game this summer...)