Game Thread PLAYOFFS: ROUND 1, GAME 3: LAKERS @ BLAZERS - AUGUST 22, 2020 - SATURDAY, 5:30, ABC

It seems like way back in the past; Stotts and our team was one of the pioneers in emphasizing three pointers and right at the basket. What happened to that?

 

He seems like to me a pretty darn good all-around player. Active defense and he is not short. Good passer, good driver. Doesn't turn the ball over much, shoots decent % from three. I have heard that LeBron loves him.

 

not disputing anything...just thought I'd add this context on three's:

2012-13 - 4th in attempts, 20th in percentage
2103-14 - 3rd in attempts, 10th in percentage
2014-15 - 3rd in attempts, 8th in percentage (last year of Aldridge teams)
2015-16 - 6th in attempts, 4th in percentage
2016-17 - 10th in attempts, 6th in percentage
2017-18 - 19th in attempts, 11th in percentage
2018-19 - 18th in attempts, 9th in percentage
2019-20 - 3rd in attempts, 11th in percentage

of course, in terms of three's that's only half the story. There is also 3 point defense:

2012-13 - 10th in attempts, 3rd in percentage
2103-14 - 2nd in attempts, 11th in percentage
2014-15 - 2nd in attempts, 6th in percentage (last year of Aldridge teams)
2015-16 - 9th in attempts, 26th in percentage
2016-17 - 6th in attempts, 27th in percentage
2017-18 - 5th in attempts, 16th in percentage
2018-19 - 3rd in attempts, 20th in percentage
2019-20 - 26th in attempts, 29th in percentage

so then, if you look at the entire 3 point picture, offense + defense, Portland was pretty obviously better in the Aldridge years. That makes plenty of sense too because of Matthews and Batum both being really good perimeter defenders. They also had some ok to decent defense off the bench in guys like Dorell Wright, Will Barton, Gerald Henderson, Afflalo, plus the mobility of Aldridge (and TRob) to rotate out to the perimeter on switches

but for the most part, that was 3 point defense Olshey and Stotts inherited. Now, if you're a Stotts supporter you can point to cratering of 3 point defense in 2015-16, when Olshey finally got to be 100% responsible for the roster. I think it's clear that Olshey doesn't value perimeter defense. He went from the Matthews/Batum to the Aminu/Harkless defense to the WTF defense of this season. Matthew and Batum had quite a bit of help; Aminu and Harkless has very little help; and this year's defense was brain dead

I'm not a Stotts fan, at all, but this looks to me like it's more the fault of the architect than the contractor

 

agreed

Caruso is better at running an offense than anybody Portland has had in Dame's tenure except for maybe Mo Williams. He's sure as hell better than CJ or Evan Turner, or Napier, or Simons, or Hezonja

and he's a solid defender with size. The irritating thing is he's just a role-player, and probably a below average one, but he's better than about 20 of the backup guards Olshey has run thru the Blazer roster over the last 8 seasons

 

thanks for posting that; I didn't realize we had come back up in attempts after a downward trend for four years. It does seem like there was more emphasis on defending the three in previous years.

 

It would be nice but not going to happen

 

You're ignoring how much the game has changed since 2012. Compare the number of three pointers taken then to now.

 

In the year of the pandemic, with the season interrupted and modified (and played in the summer when most people are outside, pandemic be damned) the NBA needs the TV ratings. That means that the Lakers (with James and Davis) are a lock for the finals, no matter who they go against. Add the loss of Kobe and I’m sure the (already self entitled) Lakers (especially “King” James) feel they are owed a championship. And I’m not sure that the NBA powers that be are in disagreement. Sorry for the cynicism, but the Blazers could play absolutely perfect basketball (though they haven’t even come near to that yet) and they’d still get hosed by the refs/league administration. The NBA is about as close to the WWE as you can get when it comes to the final results.........

 

I was thinking about that after the last game with the foul discrepencies...CJ and Melo were in the paint all night and had zero free throws...they were getting mauled all game...the NBA would love a Celtics Lakers finals....Celtics just swept the 76ers

 

I just want to say the makeup of this team is all wrong. When you got your guards shooting almost 50 percent your shots and then you throw Melo then got 3 players taking approximately 70 Percent of your shots. So basically the other team has to guard 3 players with 5 players. They really haven't got Nurk in the offense even though when they did at times didn't look very well. But we really are totally domaniating is our guards they look to score almost every time they bring the ball up but it depends which one brings the ball up. CJ is worst then Dame he will fancy dribble all around until he shoots sometimes there good and at other he either loose the ball or throw un wise shot. I nothing against CJ but I believe we could be more balanced team if we traded him for some quality players just my opinion.

 

So if it does will you stop always posting so negative? Just a thought?

 

Sure I won’t. How about dallas though what a franchise

 

I don't and never will buy the conspiracy theory that the NBA gives its refs marching orders on who should win. If owners suspected that they would demand an investigation and info would be found (in the form of communication of those direct orders). Refs however have always, whether the market is small or big, made calls for superstars, come into games thinking that certain guys are good at drawing fouls and some aren't and they come in with the bias of who they think will win the game/series... refs do call the games based on these preconceptions and that's a big problem. Refs also give in to whining and while some of me is glad that we never do that, a big part of me realizes that Doc Rivers' and Steve Kerr's teams get more calls due to their strategy of whining about every call no matter how obvious. The problem is not some huge conspiracy to get the teams into the finals that will get the best ratings or whatever the fuck all of you are saying. The problem is biased officiating in the game that is endemic with the refs, not a league mandate.

While I am complaining about bullshit theories in here let me also so it doesn't matter what goddamn jersey our guys wear.

 

Facts. If it wasn't for Dame I'm not sure I'd continue to invest in the WWNBA. Been spending time on RealGM and basketball fans around the country are calling out the BS against the Blazers unlike ever before. Without the crowds the officiating bias is all the more evident.

 

That 2002 Sac Vs Lakers series will forever make me think the NBA does in fact want certain teams to be more successful than others. The fact Arvydas and Shaq would go at each other and all the fouls would go on Sabonis in 2000 didnt help much either. But refs alter games so much, they kill momentum, they get guys in foul trouble, they keep guys from foul trouble.
I dont think the NBA is totally rigged like WWE stuff, but on the flip side there are a lot of games that seem like 5 vs 8...

 

Wow dame getting old and all the sudden the new dames of the nba are coming along like Donovan Mitchell

 

As I've said for years, Stotts had a new gimmick for a year or two, but the rest of the league caught on fast.

This reminds me of the fall of the Roman Empire. For awhile they beat the surrounding tribes, but after a few centuries, the Goths and the Visigoths and the Slavs and the Slobs and the Rooskees and the Eskimos had the Gaul to learn from them, play the Roman game, and outcompete.

 

the Romans lost because they killed Russell Crowe

 

dame is getting old. So it might change when he starts dropping off

 

Do you know how old John Stockton was when he lead a team two the NBA finals? 35 and 36. Jason Kidd was 38 when he won a title with the Mavs. Jamal Crawford dropped 50 when he was 39. Dame's best years are still ahead of him and I think with the way he plays and takes care of himself he will be at an all NBA level for at least the next six years.