Game Thread GAME# 20: BLAZERS @ WIZARDS - FEBRUARY 2, 2021 - TUESDAY, 5:00, NBCSNW

So many times when a coach isn't doing well, people want to hire the polar opposite of that coach. I do not see how a Thibs experiment ends well.

 

Yeah, I don't want a guy who burns through players like that but I don't want one that panders to players either... there are a bunch of better guys who fall in between.

 

As a big fan of this team I would hope this is the case.

 

Give me the name of a player that could be acquired that would improve our defense substantially, and what would we have to give up?

 

I hope we do, but I'm far from confident we do.

 

I'm not a GM but step one would be having a coach that cares about defense and step two would be having a GM that wasn't so religiously devoted to the worst defensive starting back court in the league that happens to be the back court with the best combination of two offensive guards individually but not the best combined.

 

If the objective is for a big jump in defense, the best move would be to replace our below average on-ball defending perimeter players with above average ones.

 

Roco. Trent and DJJ are our defensive guys who you put on the ball handler......Tony Allen and Jrue Holliday are excellent defenders but we are not going to get them through trades. Trent did a decent job on Bradley Beal and that's a tough cover

 

Trent did a nice job. His defensive abilities got its own thread, much of which I agree with.

RoCo is not a great on the ball defender, but a GREAT team defender. If you face a team with 2 elite guards and are forced to put your SF & PF on them, that means we're putting Dame & CJ on the other teams SF & PF; which causes a bunch of other issues.

 

Not correct. I have no clue how this team would perform under a new coach. We have never seen Dame/CJ play under a different coach.

 

Are Dame & CJ both below average on ball defensive player?
If we didn't have the injuries stand back and look at the assets we'd have for pulling of a trade for a defensive specialist, even though no guarantees we'd become contenders.

 

Is there any truth to, sometimes, the best defense is a better offense?

 

there is really only one all-star caliber player. A maybe-sorta-kinda-fringe all-star when everything breaks just right doesn't count

 

Beal put up 37 on 58% shooting and 50% from three. That's above his season average.

 

You don't feel your knowledge of the game is strong enough to determine if the players on the roster would be of championship caliber without seeing them play in a different system? In my opinion, you're selling yourself short if you think that.

 

I think 100% yes. I think calling them below average might be a nice way of putting it. Dame is improving, I'll give him that.

 

I think more than likely this team is being held back by the Dame/CJ pairing, but I'd still like to see what a different coach could do with this team.

Obviously there's some fundamental flaws in putting faith in Nurk and Collins being healthy.

Take Melo out, give Nas more minutes and bring in a coach that actually encourages defense and ball movement... who knows what could happen.

 

I remember last season... And even this season, homers saying "it's just one game", calm down. It's interesting, when I say that one game could be important later into the season, you guys saying it doesn't matter, it's just one game. And now, when we all know, we all know, bc it was obvious from the beging of this season, that this team can't play defence even if younger Camby was here along with Gary Payton and we not goin deep into playoffs without D, you saying Blazers want to stay in playoff run for decent spot to avoid crazy run? Are you even serious, man?
If we are going to play worst team in the league and Stotts message to youngs is "you stay home, you are useless" how does it exctly built the team for the future. Ask yourself what Pop would do.
The only opportunity for youngs to show under Stotts are injuries (and he works great with trying to injure Lillard) and games Stotts wants to lose - Denver - and even there he failed. In fact he has so little control of what's happening, he can not even lose the game when he wants to.
So, Lillard plays on one leg just to save Stotts and Olshey asses now. And they could be both on the hot seats, but injuries saved them, and saved them so good, they can drink champagne already, cos it's the beginning of the season and Olshey can write his afterseason speech already.

But, yeah, nothing happening, let's repeat the cycle that is internet meme already.

 

How do you explain the WCF run less than 2 years ago? Same bad defensive guards and scheme.

Saying it can't be done goes against recent history. Unlikely, maybe.

 

Easy.

The Thunder were trash. Westbrook is a fake superstar. They didn't double team Dame.

Denver was young and inexperienced. Realistically they should have won that series.

Golden State spanked us.

The league has also gone all-in on three point shooting in the past 2-3 years. Our three point defense has been completely exposed.