GAME THREAD: NUGGETS @ BLAZERS - JANURARY 23, 2014, THURSDAY, 7:30 PM (PST), TNT

After a cold start for LA (1-7) he finished the game 13-15.

 

I just want to say I love Wesley's game; to think that an undrafted guy has reached the point where you almost have to think about featuring him.
On a related note, best coaching decision of the game: limiting Mo Williams to 19 minutes.

 

Dude, you have this weird obsession with this argument of yours. I feel bad for you that you can't just enjoy a 44 point performance by your team's MVP candidate.

 

Agreed, he was terrible. I wish they would play more CJ and Dame together. CJ has a NICE stroke.

 

NBA.com/Stats @nbastats
In the 2nd half last night, the Nuggets had 38pts & 13rebs. @aldridge_12 had 30 & 9, in 19:48 of 2nd-half action

 

But that really makes no sense to me because if both feet leave the floor, and then you come back down without shooting or passing, that's an "up and down" and a traveling. At least that's what I was taught growing up.

 

If LA were one dimensional like, say Bargnani, I'd see your point. But midrange jumpers are just part of his arsenal. He can run the floor, post up, face up, pick and roll, crash offensive boards . . . The midrange part of his game is part of what makes him so hard to guard right now. How many defenders can match up with him? Put a big guy on him, he'll take him to the perimeter, which also opens up the paint for teammates. Try to defend him with smaller defender, LA will crush him down on the blocks. It's not just about his shooting % on jumpers. It's how the defense has to adjust to his versatility. PDX has the best offense in the league, and it all starts with the L Train. The havoc he creates is what sets it all up. Stott's "system", all the 3s, the ball movement, etc. We wouldn't be talking about any of that if it weren't for the MVP Caliber first half of the season from LA.

 

But Brian has advocated for LA to step out and shoot threes rather than shooting those 17-20 footers. If you play the numbers, the three is a better shot and he has the range.

 

NBA.com on Bargnani (injured) - John Schuhmann

"HANG TIME NEW JERSEY – Andrea Bargnani‘s injury – he’s out “indefinitely” with a torn ligament in his left elbow – may seem like more bad news for the New York Knicks. But it’s probably the opposite.

Now, I’m not wishing injury on anybody and I hope Bargnani has a full and timely recovery. But I am here to point out that the Knicks are better off without him. This injury may have just made Mike Woodson‘s job easier.
Simply, the Knicks have been better on both ends of the floor with Bargnani on the bench. They’ve been 2.3 points per 100 possessions better offensively and 2.2 points per 100 possessions better defensively.

The defensive issues are obvious. Get Bargnani moving and he might get turned around. He might switch when he’s supposed to stay home or stay home when he’s supposed to switch (a problem that seems to be contagious on these Knicks).

Offensively, Bargnani seems like a good player and he ranks 10th in mid-range field goal percentage (among those with at least 100 attempts). But overall, he’s a below average shooter, with an effective field goal percentage of just 47.2 percent, well below the league average of 49.7 percent. And his free throw rate (20 attempts per every 100 shots from the field) is poor for a big man.


He’s big, but plays small and doesn’t do it very well. The Knicks have a lot of problems, but you can start with the guy who’s a liability on both ends of the floor, is a square peg in a system that worked pretty well last season, and has somehow played the second-most minutes on the team.
With Bargnani and Carmelo Anthony on the floor together, the Knicks have been bad. With only Anthony on the floor, they’ve been good. And with only Bargnani on the floor (in a pretty small sample size), they’ve been awful.

Knicks efficiency with Anthony and/or Bargnani on the floor

On floor MIN OffRtg DefRtg NetRtg +/-
Anthony + Bargnani 1,061 102.5 106.4 -3.9 -44
Only Anthony 467 106.4 100.9 +5.6 +26
Only Bargnani 196 91.6 110.2 -18.7 -78

OffRtg = Points scored per 100 possessions
DefRtg = Points allowed per 100 possessions
NetRtg = Point differential per 100 possessions

It’s pretty simple. If Bargnani is on the floor with both Anthony and Tyson Chandler (or Kenyon Martin), it hurts the Knicks’ spacing offensively and requires either Anthony or Bargnani to guard the opposing small forward on defense. And if Bargnani and Anthony are out there without Chandler (or Martin), oh my gosh, are they terrible defensively."


Any questions? Class dismissed.

 

I'd advocate LA to shoot full court shots if it improved the team's offensive rating. I'd also advocate he stay on the offensive end of the court and stretch if it improved the Blazers' defense.

 

Please post an article that says LA is a below average shooter, that he is not the MVP of even the Blazers, and that he is a chucker.

 

He needs to write it before he can post it. Give him an hour.

 

On a jump stop, you have just picked up your dribble or caught a pass. For post players who catch a pass, it creates a significant advantage because they can pivot either way. For coming off a dribble, it allows a player to maintain balance and avoid a travel caused by momentum on a drive. I agree it can be confusing in the NBA, because guys will take a step (or more) after picking up their dribble and before a jump stop, in which case it should be ruled a travel if they take a step after the jump stop. If you don't take a step after picking up your dribble and go right into a jump stop, you are allowed to take another step. Traveling in the NBA could be called on almost every play down the court, so it stands to reason why observers are perplexed by the inconsistency.

 

Yup. And with that, I will leave him to his last word (x 4000).

 

I'm not sure what font to use for sarcasm, but anyone who wants to see LA slam dunking and shooting freethrows all night must really miss the 90's...that's all they used to do! I am thrilled to see players in the NBA who can actually make a jump shot, it went missing for over a decade. Stotts is reviving the art of winning basketball games and I really love watching it happen. LaMarcus will have a long career and some of the highlight reel dunkers may be bagged in ice before their 10th season. After the night he had against Denver, bashing LaMarcus is just ridiculous. Comparing him to Bargniani is equally ridiculous. For those who want a slam dunk hero, Portland may not be the best choice for you.

 

It's not about highlights, it's about high percentage shots. Lay-ups and hook shots are just fine by me!

 

Damian has been getting crushed trying to make layups without getting foul calls....that's low percentage and high risk in my book.

 

So you want a slow-down game in which the ball goes into the low-post on every possession. No thanks.