Game Thread GAME# 79: BLAZERS @ NUGGETS - APRIL 5, 2019 - FRIDAY, 7:30 PM, ESPN & NBCSNW

C'mon.... They played with that team all night. They were in a position to steal a win with 30 seconds left. If they get that win and they bring Denver back here under huge pressure to try to keep the second seed and with a greater possibility at the third seed then this was a huge win. Now if you want to complain about wins they should have got earlier in the season then that is another story but as far as playing to win that game? There is no question Lillard plays. You do remember them being ahead in the first half right? You do remember them being ahead in the second half right? You do remember being behind by three with the ball and Aminu driving to the basket trying to bring the game within one point right?

 

Looked it up. It seems like it for some reason but Dame has actually played really well recently against good playoff teams:

- vs DET: 28/9/6 on 9/16-- W
- vs IND: 30/15/2 on 9/16 -- W
-@ SA: 34/6/5 on 13-29 shooting -- L
- @LAC: 20/12/3 on 8/14 -- W
- vs OKC: 51/9/5 on 15/28 -- L
- @ TOR: 24/8/6 on 8/17 -- L
- @ BOS: 33/7/4 on 13/28-- W

But man he was awful last night. Shot selection was abominable. Didn't really control the game like he usually does.

 

I would imagine more than a few Denver's fans are not happy with squeaking by a team missing two stars, one major bench scorer, and a below average Dame performance.

I hate to say it but just a typical Dame performance last night and we win. It happens.

 

Im gonna have to go rewatch parts of this because it seems like Harkless got switched onto him a few times.

I dont really get where you’re coming from about Aminu being a crappy defender, I dont think anyone said that...

 

I think Denver has a big match up advantage against Portland in that they always have 2-3 guys who can switch / trap and guard dame on PNR’s and the PNR is what the Blazers run... a lot. I actually dont mind the matchup with Utah because I think Rubio cant guard Dame, I dont think Mitchell can either, Ingles, Crowder, those guys dont scare me much in traps. The Blazers should be able to score, there problem will be RudyG.

 

Yeah that never came into conversation. Blazers are lucky to have a guy work as hard on defense as Aminu.

 

Some of that is just as Bones has pointed out. Blazers use that High PnR way too much. Some of that has to do with Players being able to hit shots and giving Dame more room to pass but they could break it up a bit and move closer to mismatches on the side at times? Just show some different looks a bit more.

 

Lillard had numerous opportunities where he could have isolated one on one and he instead passively threw the ball to Chief or Harkless in the corner. That’s not being a “ball hog” to take the best available option and not be passive - it’s being a ball hog when he launches a 40 foot 3 pt shot with 20 seconds left in the clock.

After the first quarter, he was making bad decisions all night. He was also passive on defense all
game and didn’t get through a single pick all night.

You guys are delusional. Lillard had one of the worst games of his career last night. He was mentally out of it like he was against the Pelicans last year in the playoffs. His energy was pathetic given what was at stake in that game.

 

If Lillard is gonna go out and play 70% then yeah we may as well have forfeited.

 

I'm glad you saved me the time because when you asked your original question I was thinking...wut? He's played pretty well against playoff teams
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personally, I think it's fucking pathetic that people are hammering Dame for last night's game. The bile is strong in this thread

to start with, the only reason Portland was in a position where last night's game was a big game was because Dame had carried them there. And the asinine irony of this is that the people blaming Dame are blaming him for not taking yet another step and carrying Portland to a win last night in a building they've had historical trouble winning in (had lost 4 in a row before last night), over a team they haven't beat when healthy

second, anybody questioning Dame's commitment to the Blazers and to winning is 100% nincompoop

Dame didn't cost Portland the win last night by playing below his average. He was +5 which was 2nd best on the team behind Kanter. In fact, the starting unit was all + last night. Where was the failure? It could have been:

Evan Turner -10
Jake Layman -18
Zach Collins -14
Meyers Leonard -11
Anfernee Simons -7

vs

Mason Plumlee +11
Torrey Craig +10
Malik Beasley +15
Monte Morris +12

I believe Dame is simply fatigued by the burden he's been carrying. To me, the worst result wasn't the loss, it was Dame already working on tired legs playing 39 minutes at elevation in the 79th game of the year only 8 days before the playoffs start

 

If he didn’t spend as much time rapping etc. and spent more time conditioning, maybe he could play over forty minutes like all the great nba superstars? Also if he took pre-game preparation more seriously he would have more productive games even when fatigued. I often go to the games early to watch warm ups. Dame never warms up. He casually shoots about 5 min before the game and that’s it. You’re really gonna blame the fuckin altitude...? It’s his work ethic.

+\- can be a very misleading stat. Dames numbers improved bc he was on the floor at the same time as Kanter and Layman.

A Dame-led blazer team has basically never got past the first round (clips series didn’t count), stop acting like he’s above criticism. He is far from a bum, but his performance last night was utter shit and you’re delusional if you deny this.

 

like I said, the bile has been strong in this thread and you're one of those spewing the most bile, and a lot of it sure looks like ignorant bile

 

Yet you can’t dispute anything I’ve said and you can just namecall

You don’t have to carry Dame’s water. It’s ok for him to not be perfect. Everyone who states valid criticism isn’t “spewing bile”

 

Which part of my comment specifically was “ignorant bile”?

These are all facts:

- Dame has never led a team out of the first round (besides fluke clipper series)

- Dame doesn’t warm up much at all before games

- Dame doesn’t play as many minutes as other elite superstars

Facts don’t care about your feelings.

 

Oh boy.... You are gonna get pummeled for that one. I'll start.... Houston .9

 

Wow... What is this post. Sure his performance last night wasnt good.

Everyone around the organization I have ever talked to says Dames work ethic is second to none on the team, he sets the tone for everyone else.

Dame isnt above criticism, but this criticism is more like slander then criticism.
He’s 6th in minutes per game this year.
Tied for fourth in minutes per game last year.
Was 10th before that.

Also what you see “pregame warm ups” is a small part of how they prepare for the game.

Last night Dame didnt play well, you know who else has had bad games? Everyone!

 

Dames been in the top 10 in minutes pergame most of his career.
He has been to the second round twice.
Pregame warm ups are mostly for the fans most guys get there and get in work hours before its open for us to get there.

So really none of them are facts.

 

I embellished to make my point.

Paul was very effective, but aminu made him work for everything minus the late dunk on a gamble.

But instead all im hearing is that Aminu got smoked and isn't big enough to guard him.

And feel free to go back and watch. One switch is all I saw, but maybe I missed one.

 

I typically don't respond to idiot moron trolls, but here ya go - this is your ignorant, idiotic, moronic bile:

 

It's not the Denver game last night, in the past six games Dame is averaging 19.8PPG, 36.9FG% and 30.3 3PT%, that’s really bad for his standards, if Dame plays like this in the Playoffs, it will be a short series just like last year. Of course, I hope that it does not happen, but right now it's difficult for me to belive in Dame's shooting, considering the fact that he's a 40%FG and 34% 3pt% shooter in the Playoffs. One month ago i said Lillard is my favourite player and very good, but not elite, and by Elite i mean players like Steph, Durant, Harden, Giannis, Kawhi, Paul George, Joel Embiid etc. I think you can argue that Anthony Davis is better 1on1 than Dame as a player, i know he wont make the Playoffs this year, but you cant deny what a great player he is and what he did to Dame and our team last year. I'm not hating Dame, he's my favourite player, but i dont accept excuses this year if he doesn't show up in the Playoffs this year. If you want to be one of the elite Players in the league, then you have to be great in the Playoffs, nobody cares about Regular Season, we know that better than probably any other fanbase. Nothing would me make more happy than Dame time in the Playoffs, i really really hope it will happen this year!