Game Thread GAME# 13: HAWKS @ BLAZERS - JANUARY 16, 2021 - SATURDAY, 7:00 PM, NBCSNW

Better hope capela don't play. I see this as a loss, unfortunately. Portland has terrible perimeter defense and Young tends to kill us.

Let's face it this is a 7 man roster right now. 7 that have actual nba experience and skill. Nobody can convince me otherwise.

And fucking point guard on the bench. This was Neil's doing. I recall him appearing quite defensive at the idea of getting a REAL point for the second unit. Simon's game has not improved at all since his rookie year. I like the guy I really do but he isn't a good fit at point. He is another iso heavy guy. I see the nurkic injury as the end of playoff hopes.

As soon as dame or cj sit the shit hits the fan. god forbid they miss games.

 

we've seen this movie before. As the injuries mount, Dame and CJ play more minutes, especially Dame. That's the only way Stotts knows how to avoid piling up losses....grinding Dame into the floor

and by the time the playoffs roll around, Dame usually has some nagging, fatigue-type injuries. Then other teams start playing as physical as they are allowed against Dame. It's a cycle just about guaranteed to end with a quick exit from the playoffs

 

IF they even make the playoffs...

For the record, I think they'll sneak in with the 7/8th seed. However, I still see this team having a higher probability of missing the playoffs than getting the 4th (or better) seed.

 

I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but didn't Nurk play well in the bubble?.......... "stunk up joint in bubble"?

 

Biggest lie ever. He had 2 good games. Did you see how many bunnies nurk missed in bubble?? Insane amount. Now new season who has the worst finishing rate around rim of all starting centers in nba!? Nurkic!!! . Guess who has hightest in nba? Its Kanter!

 

So you seem to be very set in your mind that we are better WITHOUT Nurk? We will see bro.

 

I was actually very pleased with what we got out of Nurk in the Bubble......considering his god damn leg snapped and fell off the season before.

 

We need Nurk for sure. But he has not looked good since his injury. Not enough time in the gym/weight room. A broken wrist will not help that. Next year is his contract year. I bet he comes back hungry and in better shape.

Having said that we can not depend on him to ever be healthy. We need another option.

 

Is it though? Isn't this a lot like the team that he rode to his best playoff run? If we don't get out of the first round, Olshey should be fired, Stotts should be fired and they should do a massive rebuild around Dame... not worrying about his timeline but getting younger guys that are ready to win now and if they stick around, after Dame.

 

The Kanter signing looks fantastic now!

 

Man we've been doing the shootout thing for a long time and we win a bunch of games doing it. We have a ton of offensive (iso and pnr expert heavy) firepower on this team, a few disruptive defenders and little to no defense after that. That sounds like Olshey/Stotts brand basketball, they should get a trademark on that shit.

 

If Stotts can actually find a way to ride this team into the playoffs and get both Collins and Nurkic back in time to be fairly healthy and in shape by then i would assume he will have enough to get past the first round. Assuming they don't end up with the 8th seed and face the Lakers.
So many ifs and and buts.
8 weeks for Nurkic so that is the end of March. They should be somewhere around game 50-52? That leaves him 20 games to get back into game shape and see if they can make a run.
Now Collins was out 4 months and then went to surgery again. 4 months again (I know I know I'm looking foolish here right?) puts him end of April or 60 games into the season. If he ever even plays again?

Blazers either need to do as you say. Blow it up and rebuild again around Lillard or sign a decent big and try to salvage this season again? PJ Tucker is who i have been throwing around but that puts them over the cap again and then we are looking at multiple repeater tax issues right?

I'm sorry this shit is just messed up. I feel sorry for Lillard and even Stotts kind of. Most of all i feel bad for young Blazer fans that never got to see the glory days and the Drexler, Porter, Williams, Kersey, Duckworth teams.
This team will once again be something special but it's hard to say how long that will take?

 

Could you imagine this forum if Hezonja were still on the team and he moved up in the rotation?

 

Well... Yeah. We all read what it was like last year no?

 

Getting a mobile big would help but I don't think anything will make Olshey or the Vulcans go into the luxury tax this season.

I think you're off about how many games will be played though because on May 11th when the all star break is over and the second half of the season begins, we'll only have played 37 games. So if Nurk returns in 8 weeks that would put him right at the beginning of the second half so we'll have him back for 34 or 35 games.

For Zach, who really knows because whenever you have to get a surgery a second time that's bad news and the prognosis is very hypothetical (which you alluded to). If he did make it back by the end of April and the second half of the season is on schedule you're probably right as far as the games he'd have left.

That being said, I think the smart move for Zach would be to sit the rest of the season, unless he is just killing it in practice and thinks he can really increase his value as a free agent. If the guy comes back looking like someone who hasn't played in eight months, he'll just hurt his next contract.

 

Max this place is crazy enough now! I could only imagine!

 

Nurk was smoking joints in the bubble? No wonder we lost to the Lakers!

 

The rookie hurts his foot handing out Gatorade and towels???

 

Not going to make light of a foot injury at this point i guess? Both Dame and CJ had foot injuries early in their career. Obviously we are seeing Zach out. We all know they are issues for big guys. Even small guys by NBA standards are not "Small". I think i stole that comment from you didn't I? CJ Elleby is 6-6 isn't he?