Game Thread PLAYOFFS: ROUND 1, GAME 4: NUGGETS @ BLAZERS - MAY 29, 2021 - SATURDAY, 1:00, TNT & NBCSNW

I agree that they should not settle for 3s. But IMO NP and CJ don't.
Dame needs to attack the rim more because he is good at it. And when he does, he can dump it off to Nurk.

 

Nurk is a good passer, but he is not close to being as good as Jokic. Jokic plays slow and under control. Nurk does not.
And of course, Jokic is also a great outside shooter so if things break down he can score from anywhere. Nurk is good, Jokic is great.

 

“Jokic is a great outside shooter” He’s a career 34% shooter. That’s not even average.

 

They lost game 3 by 5 points and Stotts pulled Kanter for RHJ and all the while the team shot 14 of 45 from 3 point and two of those made were in the last minute. Not really convincingly in my book at all.
Now game two in Denver was convincing.

 

I said outside shooter, not 3 pt shooter. Forget stats, the guy is going to be the MVP of the league, (or runner up) he earned Malones' trust.

 

They are not wrong. It's pretty darn negative around this place even when the team wins.

 

he always had his trust, which is my point. If Nurk got 20 shots a game and the ball he’d put up big numbers too. And what’s an outside shooter if not a 3 point shooter? His jump shots? Yeah, he isn’t great there either.

 

Having a reliable and consistent low post threat opens up things for everyone else, especially if it draws a double. LMA commanded one for a minute and it made our entire offense way more versatile. Nurk needs to be rewarded for everything else he does. I also believe if you feed him purposefully he'll actually make less boneheaded plays. When he was in beast/feast mode for that one half a season he made us look like contenders.

 

True Malone has always trusted, Jokic.....but not Nurk when he had them both.
Nurk is playing well right now. But I don't he should be getting 20 shots per game.

 

I know I couldn't.

 

Its not the first time the Blazers have played well when Dame is struggling or injured. Its good see see Norm and others get more touches with Dame only taking 10 shots rather than 31.

 

yeah me neither, but I do want the ball in his hands more, at the expense of CJ.

 

Powell is the key in this team moving on. He needs to attack the rack! He needs 15 shots a game, at least.

 

Blevins shot 100% from the field, but his cousin, who is also on the team shot 10%, and that guy gets paid way, way more.
What a bunch of BS.

#FreeBlevins

 

Relieved it's 2-2. Frustrated and a bit perturbed because this should be 3-1 and could be a sweep.

Games like this show you what this team is capable of. It wasn't just hot shooting. It was defense and sharing the ball on a team with a bunch of dangerous scorers, like we did in the last 10 or so games of the regular season and Game 1 of this series.

I'd be considered a CJ supporter in relation to many on this board. But I can see the point others make. He can break down defense so well. When he looks to pass a few times after doing that and drawing help, he becomes 50 times the player. Today, he did that. He's very bright. I have to imagine he can see this, and I realize players turn to their comfort zone and passing isn't it for him, and yet, today, watch him set up teammates.

I know. I know. Enjoy this win. I just get agitated that these guys make it so much harder on themselves by figuring they're the better team and they only have to win four and talent will win out. The analyst on the broadcast today said it best: The Blazers are the more talented team. When they decide to match the Nuggets intensity, it's no contest. The only way the Nuggets can win is if the Blazers allow themselves to be outworked.

 

Great win.
Not to be a pessimist but..

to get Norm involved...it was dame who only took 10 shots.

Should be the other guy

 

Best defensive players in the league according to RAPTOR

 

Why is that? The other guy had 8 assists and shot close to 50% for the game. He played just fine.
Dame's shooting was clearly off today.

 

See that wasn’t hard at all. Pretty easy. I guess this is the nail in the coffin for Reddit. Once people like PapaG start posting on there it’s basically Facebook.