GAME THREAD: BLAZERS @ PISTONS - DECEMBER 9, 2014 - TUESDAY, 4:30 PM (PST), CSN

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Eastoff, Dec 9, 2014.

  1. magnifier661

    magnifier661 B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

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    How did that AD defense work for NOLA in the 4th?
     
  2. BrianFromWA

    BrianFromWA Editor in Chief Staff Member Editor in Chief

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    If the Pels offense had not acted like the Blazers O and gone away from their most efficient scoring option, we lose by 15.
     
  3. magnifier661

    magnifier661 B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

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    If the refs didn't blow the calls in the clipper and GS game, we would be 19-2.

    Btw, AD was shooting a bunch in the 4th, so I don't know what you are trying to say
     
  4. BrianFromWA

    BrianFromWA Editor in Chief Staff Member Editor in Chief

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    c'mon Mags, try to understand here.

    NO lost because they did the same things that our offense does regularly. They went away from a very efficient scoring option (Davis) to a much less efficient one, but one who normally gets "counting stats" (Evans and Holiday have decent PPGs). At one point in the 4th quarter that efficient offense combined with LMA's 6-13 (edit: not saying it was just his fault, Dame was shooting poorly as well) shooting had them up by 15. He took 2 good jumpers (made both), made a layup, got fouled on an inside attempt and missed 2 jumpers. He scored 10 of the 34 points in the 4th. You know who else scored? Blake on an open 3. CJ on an open 3. CJ on a drive where he got fouled. Wes on an open 3. Blake dished twice for layups on P&Rs. Kaman buried an open J. See the trend? Open shots, layups and foul shots >> inefficient shooting. In this case it was 23 points better in a 10-minute stretch.
     
  5. magnifier661

    magnifier661 B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

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    Brian, here is the game log for the 4th quarter...

    http://espn.go.com/nba/playbyplay?gameId=400578445

    9:12 - Anthony Davis enters the game for Alexis Ajinca
    9:12 - 83-73 - Robin Lopez enters the game for Chris Kaman
    9:12 - 83-73 - LaMarcus Aldridge enters the game for Joel Freeland

    Anthony Davis personal foul (Robin Lopez draws the foul)
    Anthony Davis makes 9-foot two point shot
    LaMarcus Aldridge misses hook shot
    Anthony Davis misses running hook shot
    LaMarcus Aldridge defensive rebound
    LaMarcus Aldridge makes 20-foot jumper (Steve Blake assists)
    Anthony Davis makes two point shot
    LaMarcus Aldridge makes driving layup (Steve Blake assists)
    Anthony Davis shooting foul (Robin Lopez draws the foul)
    LaMarcus Aldridge makes two point shot (Steve Blake assists)
    LaMarcus Aldridge defensive rebound
    Anthony Davis defensive rebound
    LaMarcus Aldridge misses 18-foot jumper
    Ryan Anderson shooting foul (LaMarcus Aldridge draws the foul)
    Anthony Davis misses layup
    LaMarcus Aldridge defensive rebound
    LaMarcus Aldridge defensive rebound
    Anthony Davis shooting foul (Robin Lopez draws the foul)
    Anthony Davis offensive rebound
    Anthony Davis misses three point jumper
    LaMarcus Aldridge defensive rebound
    Tyreke Evans personal take foul (LaMarcus Aldridge draws the foul)


    As you see, both players enter the game at the same exact time. Aldridge clearly out played AD in the 4th. We would have "lost the game" if Aldridge didn't do what he normally does. The fact, that you assume that if NOLA played the same "game plan" as they did earlier in the game (going to AD) they would have won by 15 is ludicrous! They did try and play that way. They DID try to defend Aldridge the same and they lost.
     
  6. magnifier661

    magnifier661 B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

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    Davis had 7 shots in the 4th quarter... Davis only shot 20 for the game, so he actually took more shots in the 4th than any other period. So how does that work?!
     
  7. magnifier661

    magnifier661 B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

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    When Davis and Aldridge came into the game, Portland was down 10. Davis (7 shots) took more shots than Aldridge (5), yet Aldridge led his team to come back from a 10 point deficit and win by 9. That's a +19 turn around the moment those two entered the game.
     
  8. BrianFromWA

    BrianFromWA Editor in Chief Staff Member Editor in Chief

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    They were up 15 right before LMA came in. LMA scored 10 as we outscored them by 23.

    You left out a ton of the game log. Like, the parts where Holiday and Evans went 0-12. Like the parts where there shot chart looked like this. Davis only missed one layup, one hook shot and one desperation 3pt shot. He didn't get "outplayed", he got frozen out.

    They defended the same way and lost because Blake set up others for 3 layups/open 3's. Because LMA only took 2 "bad" shots (amazingly enough, missed both) and got hockey assists for more. We didn't come back because LMA took bad shots. We came back because he either took good shots or passed to others who had better ones, while NOP went away from their efficient scorer to ones taking inefficient 2's. WHICH IS THE WHOLE POINT OF THE LAST 20 OR SO POSTS. ;)
     
  9. magnifier661

    magnifier661 B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

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    No, the Pelicans were up 10...

    9:12 (Anthony Davis enters the game for Alexis Ajinca): Score: 83-73
     
  10. BrianFromWA

    BrianFromWA Editor in Chief Staff Member Editor in Chief

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    No, he had 5, and one was a desperation 3 at the end. Outside that he had 4 shots. One on an offensive rebound. 3 shots within the flow of an offense. Not 7
     
  11. magnifier661

    magnifier661 B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

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    1.) Anthony Davis makes 9-foot two point shot
    2.) Anthony Davis misses running hook shot
    3.) Anthony Davis makes two point shot
    4.) Robin Lopez shooting foul (Anthony Davis draws the foul)
    5.) Anthony Davis misses layup
    6.) Anthony Davis misses three point jumper

    My mistake, he took 6 shots, not 5.
     
  12. BrianFromWA

    BrianFromWA Editor in Chief Staff Member Editor in Chief

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    Davis didn't take 7 shots. I don't know where this is coming from. And it wasn't LMA taking "LMA shots" that got that +19. It was Blake setting up layups and wide-open 3's, it was LMA passing out for hockey assists to shooters, it was taking wide-open Js. Or, more appropriately, the stuff I've been saying works better than what LMA normally does. ;)
     
  13. BrianFromWA

    BrianFromWA Editor in Chief Staff Member Editor in Chief

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    #4 isn't a shot attempt. But whatever. He scored 6 points on 5 shot attempts (1.2pps). The rest of his team scored 8 on 22 (.36pps)

    LMA scored 10 points on 5 shot attempts (2.0pps.) It was awesome. I wish he played every game like he did the 4th, where he took less than half of his shots on long J's and passed out of double-teams to open shooters. The rest of the team had 24 points on 12 shots (2.0pps). Wait a second, that's amazing! The team of shooters shooting and driving, making open shots and layups, was JUST AS EFFICIENT AS LMA PLAYING AWESOME?
     
  14. magnifier661

    magnifier661 B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

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    As Mike Barrett pointed out in the game interview with Aldridge, sometimes Aldridge adjusts his game. I would much rather him score in the clutch, while his game adjusts, then be like Davis and do all his damage in the first 3 quarters.

    In the end, I do agree that Aldridge should go inside more. But if he is doing most of that inside work in the 4th, I like that just the same. There is no question he has become our most "clutch player" in the 4th.

    http://stats.nba.com/league/player/#!/clutch/?sort=PTS&dir=1

    Aldridge is the 10th most clutch scorer in the entire NBA, but if you exclude Schroder, Maxiell, Henson because of lack of games (I left Durant in because we all know he's clutch); he is 7th most clutch in the entire NBA for points.
     
  15. H.C.

    H.C. Well-Known Member

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    The problem with this whole argument is the NBA is a real life situation..
    One can't always get a perfect wide open shot vs real life NBA players... Or even a shot that isn't contested..
    One can always get wide open shots in a video game because well.. It's just that a video game.
    But in real life... things don't always work out how it's drawn up.
    I understand fully that statistics say a contested 3 pointer is the more efficient shot when compared to a contested two point shot.
    But being around basketball as long as I have.. I have to disagree.

    I would rather have a contested two point shot.. than a contested three point shot.
    Due to the two point shot not being from 24.9 feet away like the minimum range a three has to be shot.(in the NBA)
    Can be a contested layup, a contested jump hook, a 10-20ft jumper whatever. I'd rather have those contested than a three point shot that has less chance of going in due to it being further away.
    (and that goes for any player... at any age... in any league.)
    Due to the simple fact that on a contested three ball one isn't going to shoot 40% or even 35%. Unless they're God they're going to shoot much... much lower.
    Same goes for a contested midrange jumper. Not going to shoot 50% on them. Probably won't even shoot 40% on them. But the closer you get.. The higher the % go up.
    Is a contested mid range jumper the best shot? sometimes. Would I prefer a wide open layup/two/three? yes but doesn't always work that way. Guys on the other team get paid too... Not a video game.


    Aldridge is a damn good mid range jump shooter only a few better than him in the league.
    The mid range shot is a lost art that is a shot most teams give because it's "not efficient".
    Yet the Blazers are off to a 16-4 start with their best player shooting it most of the time.



    However I'm pretty sure most of the people arguing that Aldridge takes a less-than-efficient shot... are not only talking about his fadeaway go-to-move he's had ever since he came into the league... But they're also talking about all two pointers he shoots.. Wide open or not. They'd rather see him shoot the three... And with him shooting 50% on the year it adds fuel to that argument if that's the only thing they're biasing it off of.. In fact I could find posts easily on this board to back that previous statement up.
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2014
    magnifier661 likes this.
  16. Pinwheel1

    Pinwheel1 Well-Known Member

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    Any of you still want Josh Smith and his salary? This guy was so over rated by some of you. At some point in his career he may be an effective player for a playoff team. But only as a role player. It will take a really good coach to convince him of that.
     
  17. magnifier661

    magnifier661 B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

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    Well said! Repped!
     
  18. MarAzul

    MarAzul LongShip

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    Now if we had Rudy (or anybody) running that Oop, Lamarcus roll to hoop, he could
    be shooting near %60. But we don't, not even part time. Dang I miss that!
     
  19. Jayps15

    Jayps15 Active Member

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    http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2015.html#shooting::16
    http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/aldrila01.html#shooting::none

    Lamarcus Aldridge is shooting 39.1% from mid range (10ft - 3pt line) on the season, the average for the entire NBA combined this season is ~40% from that range. Career wise Aldridge shoots just ~41.5% combined on these mid range shots.

    People need to quit saying he's great at that range, he's barely above average. The only remarkable thing about LMA from that range is the sheer volume of attempts he takes.
     
  20. magnifier661

    magnifier661 B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

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    He is great at shooting the mid range!

    You need to factor that most of those shots are contested, with the defense focused on him and with him as the last resort.

    People need to quit comparing his mid range to that of a spot up shooter!
     

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