We are much improved than last year. Harkless is better. Turner has become a positive off the bench that we didn't have last year. Dame is better. Our record is better. Our defense the last two games has been near elite. Even Utah couldn't stop Miami from scoring 111. We held them to 92. And we don't even have all of our players. 8 of our next 9 games are on the road. Let's get out there and go at least 5-4. That would set us at 16-14 and then we can make our big run. Go Blazers!!!!
Thrilled is a bit much, but encouraged compared to this time last week. Hopefully Aminu's return can spark a successful road trip.
Still, that Miami team is chalk full of D-Leaguers. I'm glad we won, but it doesn't prove much. I really hope it's a step in the right direction, though. You're right about Turner and Crabbe has even come to life in the last two.
I don't know if we're currently better than we were at the end of last season, but we're definitely better than we were at this point last season; and we have the potential to be better than we were at the end of last season. Agreed. I love seeing inexperienced players fulfilling their potential. His play has improved, as his confidence has improved. It's great seeing the coaching staff placing him in a position to succeed, and him grasping his opportunity. I bet Dame is loving Moe's play, seeing how he took Moe under his wing last season. I can't find the article, but does anyone else remember an article from last season (I have a feeling it was around All-Star break) where Dame inspired Moe? I don't know about elite, but it's definitely improved. Our effort, if not (maybe) effectiveness is definitely better. Where does our defence over the last two games rank with the better defensive teams in the NBA? Throw some numbers at me. I haven't even looked at who we're playing on these road trips, but that kind of a schedule does make it a very important part of our season, momentum wise. Who do we play for our one game at home? That game could play a very important part in our confidence for the second half of this block.
I just checked. Bulls (A), Bucks (A), Griz (A), Pacers (A), Clips (A), Thunder (H), Nugs (A), Warriors (A), Kings (A). That's tough. I'd be extremely happy with 5-4.
Dragic and Whiteside aren't bad. But Johnson & Johnson need some no tears baby shampoo after the shit they pulled tonight.
Me too. As for throwing numbers at you, how about this? The Utah Jazz are supposed to be a great defensive team but they allowed the Heat to score 111 IN UTAH. We held those same Heat to 92.
I don't think that KS was wrong in his earlier opinion that ET was playing badly, and a major cause of our losses. But I do think that KS wasn't patient enough, in that he was calling for ET to be traded ASAP. All players/teams need time to gel.
I get that all the NBA experts/writers believe that the Jazz are apparently a "great" defensive team, but they play at a slow pace. We were a "great" defensive team during the "Nate years", but all of us here know that that was only because of the glacier pace that we played. I dunno, are the Jazz really that good defensively?
Confidence? Knowing where his teammates are going to be/what they're going to do when he has the ball. Did Stotts tell ET that he doesn't have to shoot the three? Create for your teammates first, score second? He definitely is playing his natural game, relaxing, not forcing it. Maybe Stotts convinced ET that we acquired him for who he is, not because we wanted to shoehorn him into our system. Maybe that's it? Early in the season ET was trying to fit into our system, or Stotts was trying to fit ET into our system. Now our system has adapted to utilise ET's skill set.
Miami isn't a great team, however they are well coached and have arguably the best defensive big man in the league clogging the lane.
