I'm surprised more people haven't mentioned this. Aldridge put up some nice numbers and he played well for most of the game, but on a handful of plays he was lackluster or simply didn't bother. I'm used to seeing that from him in the regular season - but you can't afford to take any plays off in the Play-offs. This team has an effort/focus problem. When your two longest serving veterans, ie. Aldridge and Batum both play in effort spurts - it is emulated by the youngsters and lower tier players. It permeates this team top to bottom. What sort of a leadership example does that set?
This. Teams have been chasing Dame off the 3 point line all year. It became clear early that Batum wasn't going to punish anybody for cheating off him. Dame has actually done a nice job of getting to the rim while teams are overplaying him on the perimeter. But you can't expect him to do that against the wall Mem puts up in the paint. There's no question he's struggling with his confidence and rhythm at this point, after these frustrating recent months where the shots he used to get aren't there anymore. He's pressing, & he's forcing it. But if you started last year's Dame from the Hou series against the Grizz last night the result wouldn't have been much better, if at all. This Grizz D is a different animal. Dame is going to need some help from his backcourt mates to at least give their D something else to think about. If they're able to hone in on blanketing Lillard while sagging off Batum/Aflallo/CJ/Crabbe without paying a price it's not going to be a very long series.
No, it was about the time he whined because the coaches didn't originally vote him into the AS game. I'm a huge Dame fan, but I think he's got a fragile ego. Chris Paul abused him a couple times as well and he hasn't been the same. He needs to get the swagger back, like now, or we can pack our bags and start dreaming about next year.
When I made a thread about this around the time of him talking about it, I said he sounds like a whiner, and people dismissed it. I love the work he does in the community, and the way he gets in "dame mode" on the court. But much more so lately he's become a whiner. To officials, and this incident as well. It sucks.
Then he must use that penetration to open the lanes, punish the help defender by dishing it to them for a slam, or utilize that mid range jumper. You can beat Memphis with 2's. The 3 ball has made teams lazy because they think they can make up big points with threes. If Stotts started punishing teams from 2, then the three will open up.
Honestly, Dame does need to be called out. He wanted the limelight, then he must take the lumps. He doesn't get a pass. I'm sorry
You're spot on with the timing. Back in January when that all went down he had been killing it. Triple OT game at SA, the comeback at OKC. Can't blame him for feeling like he was snubbed. That whole All Star fiasco was brutal. Adidas releasing his Signature Shoe with special All Star color way . . . assuming like we all did that he'd be on that roster. He vowed to prove his doubters wrong & it hasn't gone according to script. What has happened since has humbled him & I think he'll learn from it. He'll get it back. Does anybody think he's really been exposed?
Stotts entire offense: Iso LMA Dame bail out Dame drive and kick and hope we hit a 3 If we are 2 out of 3 on that, we win. Thing is, two out of those 3 are predicated on things this team does not do consistently.
The ones that have been waiting 3 years to talk about how they were right all along are having a field day. They just forgot they had to wait 3 years, which completely nullifies the argument. lol.
That is exactly the adjustment I think he will make in game 2. He was able to get around Conley and even Allen but he kept surging to the rim where he was met by Gasol and Co. Several times he could have pulled up for an open 15' jumper. You hit about 5 of those and they stop running so hard over the top of screens. Then, bang, bang, couple of 3s open up.
I don't know if he got exposed but what really did it was game 1. I think that opened a lot of eyes for people. Before game 1 he got a decent amount of pass from a lot of folks I think the natural thinking was the playoffs is a new season, a new start and that everything will be ok. I don't really mind his huge drop off like that perhaps it makes him slightly cheaper this offseason plus it might humble him a little which will in part make him work on his game more. The only big problem I have with it is LA. Now what does LA have to do with it? I just wish he continued to be dame that we know so LA can really be enticed not to leave. At the end Of the day it's hard to leave a young superstar who continues to flourish. I still remember what LA said after the big game Lillard had agasint the Lakers, that sometimes he just wants to sit back and grab some popcorn to watch Lillard kill like that. Ironically it was around that time Lillard fell off from a cliff..
It's the new Mags! Tough guy! What happened to you Magging out? That's because for the last 11 seasons, individual Blazers have absolutely sucked at steals. http://bkref.com/tiny/AQCHh You see that the Oregonian is wrong. Matthews is on the list once, not twice.
We need this Lillard back, only a few months back this season he was doing this kind of stuff: Let's not forget what Dame is capable of...
I wish Stotts would create some more off ball screen plays that setup our guards for open shots. Something like the clippers run a lot for Reddick or the Warriors run for Curry and Thompson.
