Game Thread GAME# 51: MAVERICKS @ BLAZERS - FEBRUARY 3, 2017 - FRIDAY, 7:30 PM (PST), KGW & ESPN

Freezing rain/snow tonight?

 

Big game for Dallas if they have playoff aspirations. Big game for us if we have 7th seed aspirations plus needing to keep Dallas at bay for 8th.

 

Are the Mavericks already in Portland?

 

Both teams are playing much better recently. This won't be an easy game for us, even with us playing much improved.

So random that Yogi can come in and just start for the Mavs and have a major impact right away.

 

DAL has won 5 of 6 and their lone loss was on the second night of a home-away back-to-back at OKC when Wes and Dirk didn't travel with the team.

Seth Curry has been playing really well lately, including 24 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in their recent road win over SAS.

BNM

 

How the hell did we lose to this team?! I was in the Moda that night and I still have to ask that. What a junk lineup that is!

 

Yeah I was wondering the same thing about Cleveland and SA. And the Spurs lost to them at home!

 

“We’re A Shit Team, But We’re An Underrated Shit Team” — Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle

 

They've been going with a small ball staring line up recently with Wes at the 3, Harrison Fucking Barnes at the 4 and Dirk at the 5 and it's working. They are still last in the league in scoring, but their scoring has been way up since they went with the small ball line up. Their defense has also improved. They haven't just been winning, they've been beating some very good teams.

It should be an interesting game. We should have the advantage at the guard spots, but the match up I find most intriguing is the Vonleh vs. Barnes. I don't think Noah has the speed to keep up with Barnes, but Barnes also lacks the size and strength to defend Noah down low. If I was Stotts, I'd test that match up early. With no rim protector playing behind him, Barnes will be on an island trying to guard the bigger, stronger Vonleh. Try it early, see how it works and try to pick up a couple quick fouls on Barnes.

And with no shot blockers in the game, Dame and C.J. should be attacking the rim as often as possible and not just settling for contested 3-pointers. Although Wes is listed as their starting SF, I expect to see him guarding Dame quite a bit and possibly on C.J. at times. Wes' biggest strength is keeping his shoulders in front of players trying to penetrate. With no rim protection, he'll need to do that, which is why I expect to see him on Dame a fair bit.

BNM

 

The big Tunisian guy had a huge game their last game against the 76ers. If he is that effective again, they will have some size and rim protection. Not sure what got into him last game, but he put up a nice line.

 

Yeah, I checked his game log and he's more likely to post all donuts than he is to ever repeat that performance. In the two games before that, he played a total of 9 minutes with 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 BLKs and 1 PF. That's his only double digit scoring game all season and the only time he's scored more than 4 points in a game since before Christmas.

His BLK% of 5.8 is very good, but because he plays so few minutes he averages less than 1 BLK/g.

BNM

 

A side note on Mejri, the Mavs found him on Youtube! He also had an on court verbal incident with a Rockets player earlier this season for crossing trash talk boundaries and his teammates had to sit him down to let him know what is acceptable..haha

 

He's raw as fuck, but also big as fuck. He's OK standing under the basket with his arms up, but not quick enough to effectively guard the pick and roll. If they do play him, we need our center setting high screens to draw him out from under the rim. That plus Plumlee passing out of the high post should render him pretty useless on defense. There are reasons he plays so little, even with Bogut out.

BNM

 

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=18362163&ex_cid=espnapi_public

So apparently the gist of the situation/conversation was as follows:

Ariza thought Mejri said something to him

Ariza: "Did you just say my momma's a b*tch?"

Mejri: "No, but if you say your mom a b*tch, then she a b*tch."

Funny stuff!

 

There are trash talk boundaries??

 

Should have just said his mama tastes like honey nut cheerios.

 

Didn't Melo get in a big tissy because Garnett said Lala tastes like honey nut cheerios or something?