Another guy they won't pass the ball to

Lets compare to another top back court in the NBA.

By my calculations, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry shoot 43.1% of their teams shots.

Damian and CJ shoot 43.2% of their teams shots.

Barkley is a fucking idiot.

 

Sure they are but part of that is moving WITH the ball. Also, often times they run miles to get open to have the ball passed to them....by the other one and many times the run all that way to get a hand off so the ball really doesn't move that much.

I get that many of the Blazers aren't good shooters but until recently, Harkless was shooting better from '3' than Dame. Also, it's tough to shoot well when you get few touches in most cases.

 

And for the record, I think Lillard is too unselfish. Very rarely do I see him miss an open guy.

CJ is more of a ballhog, but this team almost requires that from him.

Barkley probably hasn't watched one Blazers game, not even the ones on TNT. His takes are always so generic, and not just with the Blazers. It's like he comes up with a narrative and just runs with it forever. He sucks at his job, but I guess he's funny so he'll never get fired.

 

For example Barkley is always going on about how we need a post presence and won't win with just jump shooters. Well, we get Nurkic (all the money he doesn't know who that is) and what does he say? "Just another guy they won't pass the ball to"

Fuck him.

 

Dame/CJ may not have the best people to pass to but James freaking Hardin is averaging more assists than Dame/CJ combined and it's not like he has Reggie Miller or Larry Bird to pass to.

 

Harden is only surrounded by shooters what are you talking about

 

I watched a TNT a couple of years ago and it was clear none of them did any preparation for the game. CB didn't even know all of the players on the teams. I suppose that's part of their schtick - shooting from the hip on players and teams that they may or may not know anything about.

In the intervening years, I have yet to see much of a difference. Personally, I think it's unprofessional.

 

Team stats from the field and from 3-pt range are very close between the 2 rosters.

 

Also, most passes are being made to stationary players for long jumpers, rather than a moving player for a lay-up. Crabbe, CJ, and Dame are the only players that receive a pass in motion - and most of the time the motion is moving away from, or lateral to, the hoop. That's bad basketball.

Also, most of our passes occur outside the 3-point line. I'd love to actually tally how many passes are made to players within the arc versus how many are those stupid weave passes that keep the ball (and players) within a 20' path at the top of the arc.

 

Have you seen the HOU roster? Have you watched them play. They went out and deliberately surrounded Harden with shooters (the "others" as Charles Barkley calls them) so Harden could play the Steve Nash role in D'Antoni's offense. As a team, HOU (14.5) makes 40% more 3FG/G than POR (10.3).

But, since Dame/C.J. make the majority of our 3FG, the quality of their "others" is much lower than the quality of Harden's "others".

Here are Harden's top 4 "others":

Trevor Ariza: 2.5 3FG/G, 7.1 3FGA/G, .355 3FG%
Patrick Beverly: 1.7 3FG/G, 4.3 3FGA/G, .390 3FG%
Ryan Anderson: 2.7 3FG/G, 6.8 3FGA/G, .404 3FG%
Eric Gordon: 3.5 3FG/G, 9.2 3FGA/G, .387 3FG%
Total: 10.4 3FG/G, 27.4 3FGA/G, .380 3FG%

Dame and C.J.'s top 4 "others"
Maurice Harkless: 1.1 3FG/G, 3.1 3FGA/G, .342 3FG%
Al-Farouq Aminu: 1.1 3FG/G, 3.7 3FGA/G, .307 3FG%
Meyers Leonard: 1.0 3FG/G, 3.1 3FGA/G, .336 3FG%
Allen Crabbe: 1.5 3FG/G, 3.6 3FGA/G, .431 3FG%
Total: 4.7 3FG/G, 13.5 3FGA/G, .348 3FG%

Harden is definitely surrounded by better shooters.

BNM

 

^^^ So Dame and CJ have each other to pass to (assist opportunities) and the best shooter of anyone else listed above in Crabbe.

 

I think the title should be finally another guy we can pass it to that will actually put in in the basket

 

Not really. They both create their own shots much, MUCH more than any of Harden's team mates. Dame doesn't get an assist when C.J. beats his man off the dribble and C.J. doesn't
the get an assist when Dame hits a pull up 3, or drives to the basket.

Yes, Crabbe would fit right in in HOU (but only if he took twice as many shots). None of Aminu, Leonard, Harkless or Turner would. They are all worse shooters than Ariza, Beverly, Anderson and Gordon. And, it's not just about percentages, it's also about volume. Harden gets more assists because the guys he passes to take, and make, more shots. How many times do we see Leonard or Crabbe hesitate and pass the ball when they are wide open? You don't see Ryan Anderson or Eric Gordon hesitate and pass up wide open shots - ever.

BNM

 

I have no idea what happened to his confidence, but there have been times in the past when he was lights out if left open at the 3-point line. Now, whenever he shoots a 3, I automatically assume it's a miss and am surprised when one occasionally goes in.

BNM

 

more like Vonleh gets his jump shot going playing next to Nurkic...Vonleh becomes a great 3 pt shooter

 

His body language seems like pure panic attack....he's got serious stage fright

 

I think this is going to work really well with Vonleh and Nurkic side by side...Nurkic will allow Vonleh to step out of the paint and shoot...Vonleh has a good looking shot...just hasn't shot much in our games..