Game Thread GAME# 35: BLAZERS @ JAZZ - DECEMBER 31, 2015 - THURSDAY, 6:00 PM (PST), CSNNW

Leonard did a better job at protecting the rim, still not what I expect of him but he shows growth

 

Expected loss wasn't it?
A limited team is without it's best player can't win 10 in a row.

Let's be grateful for the ones we won.

 

Utah was without 4 of it's 5 starters on the 2nd of a back-to-back and was up by almost 30 pts at times. This ranks as one of the worst losses of the season.

 

Yes, but we were also on a back2back, Snyder reads Stotts' offense pretty easily (we had difficulties against them last year too) and they hit a gazillion 3pointers.

Missing players on their team didn't matter because other talented players were able to step up.

 

So perhaps it isn't unreasonable to expect our players so step up especially when so many of their starters are missing. Yes we were also on a back-to-back.....guess that is an excuse for us and not for them? I'm a huge Blazer fan but sometimes am puzzled by the lack of reality of ones own team that applies to anyone else we are playing. Maybe Mike Barrett just has that much of an influence.

 

It's expected. We're terrible. Stotts is doing an amazing job with what he has, but the cupboard is bare. We knew this was going to be a 3-5 year rebuilding project. All we've learned this year is that McCollum and Aminu can be useful bench players. Everyone else is who we thought they were.

 

don't disagree except about CJ being a "useful bench player", I think he is a lot more than that

don't disagree is general but you classify CJ as a "useful bench player" - huh?, I think he's proven he is a lot more than that. In fact he's our best trade chip "if" we decide to make a move. I am sure there are several GM's looking at him as a very desirable piece, if they pay enough I'd trade him.

 

You don't say!

 

Yep, we saw it coming.

 

I responded to him in another thread with this when he spouted off with that CJ is bench player nonsense:

McCollum a backup on a playoff team? Only if that playoff team was the Bulls, the Warriors, the Heat, or the Rockets. Last I looked there are 16 playoff teams but even if you are only thinking just the West then there are 8 total and only 2 teams wouldn't start him over their current guy. He is 6th in SG PER, 4th in SG Value Added, 4th in Estimated Wins Added, and tied for 3rd in SG scoring for the whole NBA.

 

CJ is putting up numbers we only hoped he would get to. Now we just need to figure out if that model of 2 ball dominant scoring combo guards works for a playoff and then contending team. I struggle to remember examples of that working but likely someone else remembers instances of that being the case.

 

I think it'd work a lot better if we had a do-everything SF. Wonder where we could find one of those...

 

I know where one is that shows ups once ever 5 games and in contract years.

 

Two seasons ago was not a contract year.
And even at his worst he was better than most.

 

Look at the inconsistency in the year. He put up some good averages but he was all over the place in terms of showing up night after night....which he did not do. One of the most talented SF's in the league but he frustrated the heck out of the last two coaching staffs in Portland.

 

I actually charted his entire season (scoring) against LMA's quite a while back, and showed that Nic was more consistent than LMA. But people didn't want to hear it because it didn't fit the popular narrative.

 

He had 25 games that season of single digit scoring. He also had 37 games with 4 assists or less. For someone who was the primary ball handler with Dame, that is a lot of games of little production. That's not a narrative, just what happened. Again....extremely talented but he just didn't play up to that ability very often or on a very consistent basis while he was here.

And that was his BEST season here in 7 years. There were a lot of seasons of much worse.

 

It was a big game, and the Jazz played harder than we did (perhaps spurred by their hot shooting).

I've been a Frazier supporter, but after this game, I think he should quit basketball! He passed up a WIDE open 3 pointer, telling the Jazz he didn't want to shoot (which they already knew), penetrated, and passed back. Since the Jazz know he didn't want to shoot, even from close in, they easily intercepted the pass. This was in the 4th quarter, when we were trying to catch up, and were actually making some progress. It killed us. If you're a PG and you don't have confidence enough in your shot to shoot an open 3-pointer, find a new job, period.

Plumlee was outplayed by Jeff "Effing" Withey.

 

The fact that they are both extremely good outside shooters makes me confident that it can work.

It's not like one of them is Rondo, who needs the ball in his hands to be effective. Both CJ and Dame can catch and shoot. Theoretically both should be able to dominate the ball and both should be able to play SG. Weren't we looking for a PG who could take pressure off of Dame so he could slide over to SG part of the time? CJ looks to fit that part perfectly because he keeps the defense honest so they can't double Dame as much.

Keep in mind in mind they have only been playing together for about 30 games.