Game Thread GAME# 39: PELICANS @ BLAZERS - MARCH 16, 2021 - TUESDAY, 7:00, TNT & NBCSNW

I'm so glad we were on the opposite end of this stat. This place would be going way more bonkers had we blown the lead vs making the comeback.

 

Dame/Trent/Hood/RoCo/Melo. That could be our closing lineup in playoffs. Switch everything, shoot the 3. Houston almost won that way in 2018.

6'8"

If LeBron wants to play with Dame, he needs to force Lakers to trade him to Portland. That's always been an option.

I don't know about those last three. Simmons is a very flawed player. PG13 is a choke artist in playoffs. Murray is hella inconsistent. CJ is much better than him. He proved it in 2019 playoffs.

 

I wouldn't say it's imposible. I would even give it 50/50 chance. Lebron is traveler and I can see him doing it.

 

Yeah because the only place I ever engage with Blazers fans is here.

 

Damn. Would like to see you post fans who back up their criticism like we do.

Otherwise what your posting seems kinda pointless.

 

Wingspan matters.

 

Stotts is a helluva raw raw guy. He seems very likable... is that the only prerequisite for being an NBA head coach?

Regardless, Dame is amazing. All of those other guys LeBron, Larry Legend and Big O all had MVP seasons and at least one championship. Robertson only had one MVP in 1964 and one championship in 1971. 1970-71 was Robertson's 11th season in the league and he went to Milwaukee and played with some second year player named Lew Alcindor. I guess if that Milwaukee team was good that might explain why he won that title. I hope Dame can stay here, win MVPs and championships like Bird was able to do in his career.

 

MVP !!!!!!!!!

 

I watched them miss wide open looks the entire first half. Those shots did not have any higher of a "Degree of Difficulty" than what the usual three point or drive and dish shot is. Then i watched Kanter miss 6 shots around the rim throughout the time he was on the floor. (yes i looked at a shot chart) it's here https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/shot-chart/202102170NOP.html
Now if you want to talk about containing the paint i would agree. The Blazers currently have nobody to protect the rim and because Kanter is the only Big they have he has been told to "absolutely do not get into foul trouble". The Pelicans waltzed their way to the rim uncontested way too many times. That is why i feel having this teams true starting center back might help to some degree. How does a team only get 4 offensive rebounds all game?
The Pelicans shot a blistering 10-16 from 3 point in the first half and the Blazers shot 5-17 which we all know they can do better than that. They were down by 14 at halftime and from the arc the Blazers were 8 of 23 at 34%. Not horrific but lets be honest. RoCo was 0-4, Little missed his one attempt as well as Melo did. Kanter even tried one that missed. Jones didn't even shoot one.

Lets see how they adjust and what kind of shooting night they have in game two? My thinking is if the Blazers would have made them pay a bit by making the three the paint would have opened up a bit. If Van Gundy comes out playing the same way I'm betting the Blazers win the second one.

 

Dame is a stone cold assassin.

 

TNT had a shot of Stotts talking to the players during a timeout at one point. He said something like:

"They got hot from three, but keep trusting"

You can't make that shit up

He is so lucky to have Dame to save his sorry ass

 

Ubelievable close by Dame and the Blazers. Cranked up the D the last 6 minutes which was very different with a little more size and activity on the floor. However, let's not also give credit for the complete ineptitude by the Pelicans to help the cause. Bricking FT's, can't inbound the ball, forgot their best players....it was a comedy of errors by a bad team which the Blazers took advantage of in quite the entertaining manner.

 

i'm looking for positive trends in our style of play that could tells us how we'll do in the playoffs. Right now, we're looking like a first round sweep if we continue to defend like this. Even Dame agrees:

“I think right now it’s good that we talk about it, and are bothered by it,” Lillard said. “But the action has to start to kick in if we want to seriously be a team that can get in the playoffs and make something happen.”

We showed a level of desperation in the last 6 mins that was completely absent the rest of the game. How/why does that happen?

 

Btw, Covington is up to 36% on three. He should shoot a bit more even. All that chatter about him losing his shot in the early season has gone away.

 

Im guilty as Al Capone, went to bed early and turned the game off thinking it doesn't look to good!
Nice to see they came back on Dames shoulders. Looks like GT was solid off the bench.
Rip City

 

They didn’t really blitz him until the 4th. When they did that they were able to get some stops. The “blitzes” in the first half were half assed and guys were not even up on Ingram. Maybe that’s the players fault, I don’t know, but the half assed defense had no chance of succeeding.

 

I wasn’t gonna admit to doing the same but....since you went first.........all I’m gonna say is it was a nice surprise to wake up to.....

 

Man its easy being a fan!

 

You gotta be kidding me