Game Thread GAME# 74: CLIPPERS@ BLAZERS - APRIL 1, 2015 - WEDNESDAY, 7:00 PM (PST), KGW & NBATV

This has been a problem but the Clipper defense also was being pretty active and the last couple games Aldridge has not missed much so i can see them going there.

 

Is this a 4-1 thing or where did you pick that up? Post a link?

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Wright fractured the 4th metacarpal bone. X-ray confirmed the injury. <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers">@trailblazers</a>.</p>&mdash; Jay Allen (@PDXjay) <a href="">April 2, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Now we really have an excuse. Atleast we won't get our hopes up in the playoffs..

 

Fuck this season. Seriously.

 

...I was saying this very same thing about just dumping it off to LMA and standing around. Like they just give up all the effort and extra ball movement while running the "flow" offense. Trying to play hero ball like the old Roy ISO days

 

Atleast we get to see Crabbe now. Im ready to just see what he has and be ready for next season when Wes is back.. Hopefully LMA resigns let's just worry about that and go from there

 

It was exactly like Nate McMillan and his iso-Roy offense. Not only was the team standing around, but when I was watching Aldridge, he was moving unnecessarily quick and it forced him to take difficult, contested shots.

 

Free Crabbe!

 

Stay out of the kitchen and away from the knives my friend. And please don't go on any long walks around any bridges.....

 

You just admitted everything I fear but try not to say out load. Good team, likable guys but not dominant & definitely not comfortable being front runners. You're right it's hard to see winning more than 1 series. It took two monster/career 40+ games from LA + a .9 miracle to win 1 series last year. It was amazing, exhilarating, but not sustainable. It feels like that's what it's going to take to win even 1 series again this year. We'd be underdogs vs Clips, Rockets, or Spurs even if we did have home court, which we probably won't after tonight. It does hurt watching our defense get torched w/o Wes. Didn't realize what an anchor he was. Not a lock down "stopper", just a really solid team defender. It feels like one and done for us. MAYBE we catch lightening or our opponent has a crazy injury and we win A series. Hard to see WCF or better. We just don't get enough stops, and our offense is good but we're not the Dubs. I'm just hoping we show up well enough to make LA feel good about staying. Beyond that, I don't see how we can get much better. We don't have enough draft picks, or studs youngsters playing on rookie contracts that can either improve a lot or be packaged in a trade for a real difference maker. We also wont have any cap room if we re-sign the guys we already have. It could be worse. 50 win seasons and playoff appearances with a good group of guys isn't terrible. Even if it doesn't end up with a championship. The only downer is we keep starting seasons 30-8 which makes us think we have a chance at being elite.

 

Is this like your last thread "Looking At The Rest Of The Schedule And We'll Go Undefeated" when there were like 15 games left?

 

what i saw:
constant shitty screens by rolo. bad offensive choices (dame continually getting trapped at the base line) move to the center for fucks sake. dame whining and not putting his head down and playing, terrible defense on CP3, shitty screens by kaman. (trend here?) and on/off again play from dame. not being more dynamic on the offensive side when LAC started making runs.

biggest things though, the screens we set, and the defense play on the PnR/PnP's. I don't get it. We do it, so why can't we learn how to defend it at least somewhat?

 

Terrible terrible terrible loss

You can literally set a timer on when we will blow a lead. Dallas and Portland are the two most beatable teams this playoffs.

I can't wait till the season is over. This one hurt. This loss is indicative of where the Blazers are as a team. Very much fools gold imo. You couldn't put away a team the Blazers went up 19 on that was playing on the second night of a back-to-back is not a good look for Portland. Plus your playing them at home. Pathetic.

If you think about it Blazers haven't defeated a playoff-bound team since Mar. 15 when they beat Toronto. And really Toronto isn't really a team you can hang your hat on but hey whatever. Then after that win a five-game losing streak happens then four wins over the likes of Utah, Denver and Phoenix (twice). All teams lottery bound.


Let's hope LMA resigns and focus on that.

 

Our defensive numbers have improved so much, but it all comes down to this. In crunch time, with 10 seconds, up by 1, and the ball in the hands of someone like CP, Curry, TP, or Harden, will we get a stop to win the game?

I have no hope for a stop. CP got anything he wanted last night-- he absolutely ROASTED anyone who was guarding him. A near 40-20 game on the second night of back to back is transcendental stuff. Last year, with Wes in the lineup against Harden, we had a chance. But with him sidelined we miss our best on-ball defender.

All in all, very discouraged.

 

We won't play on the road in the first round. I Guaransheed it

 

Without Wes, we're pretty much doomed in this crazy tough Western conference.

Couldn't agree more. So frustrating watching the ball movement die and the lack of changes in approach on D.

 

Stotts is getting a bit exposed as of late, we'll see what he does in the playoffs.

Thibs has one foot out the door in CHI. Him being on the market this summer will give me real pause if Stotts flames out in the playoffs

 

I would definitely consider firing Stotts if we're one and done this playoffs. I like what golden state did last year with mark jackson after their 1st round exit. It seems we just need that one coach to take us to the next step.