Game Thread GAME# 15: BLAZERS @ KINGS - NOVEMBER 17, 2017 - FRIDAY, 7:00 (PST), NBCSNW

Only because I wanna see Z-Bo go up against Biggie right out of the gate.

 

Kings are so bad at this moment. 2 Wins should be safe

 

Dearon Fox is an exciting player, didn't see much of Hield but he's supposedly not bad as well. Obviously Zach Randolph and VC can still very much play and Willi Cauley Stein I think could turn out to be a good prospect now that he has a bigger role. But I think we should win both games, and not give ourselves any excuses. This is the type of team we should be able to beat

 

The Kings just lost by 46 to the worst team in the league (Hawks). We need to stop losing to the Brooklyn's and Kings of the world, so I actually think it's a big game (well, 2 games).

 

Swanigan should watch footage nonstop of ZBO and what he does on the offensive end. I think he has done MORE with the LESS than anybody in decades. If he can master that pump fake up and under, and positioning he’ll be good to go.

 

If the Blazers can keep up the defensive intensity that they've shown over the past couple of games, this should be two 'easy' wins. I'm definitely looking forward to the Swanigan Randolph match up.

 

Man, ZBO is gonna put that kid in the spin cycle and have him back on the bench with 2 fouls, minutes into the game.

 

I don't think this a easy game, they play a lot on the road. Everygane is a different game, I hope we can comeback home with a W.
Rockets have trouble to beat them.

 

You should change the thread title so it reads Blazers @ Kings....

 

As long as he doesn't turn the ball over or take a bad shot....I am ok with that. Rather have him pick up early fouls than anyone else.

 

That 46 point win was ATL's largest margin of victory in the 69-year history of the franchise. With all the good (made the playoffs 46 times), and a few great, teams they've had over the years, it seems a travesty that the current shit show of a team now holds that record.

But, that just shows you how bad SAC is. I know, on any given night, blah, blah, blah, but if we don't take both of these games and take them both easily, it will be hugely disappointing.

BNM

 

Further evidence of how bad SAC is:

They are ranked 29th of 30 teams in both ORtg and DRtg. The only other team to be ranked in the bottom 5 in both offense and defense is DAL at 27th in ORtg and 26th in DRtg.

SAC is as bad as GSW is good. GSW leads the league SRS (Simplified Rating System, a combination of margin of victory and strength of schedule) at +13.31. SAC is dead last at -13.09. No other team has an SRS of less than -10.

The Blazers are currently ranked 13th in ORtg, 3rd in DRtg and 5th in SRS at +4.78. We should win both games, and we should win them easily.

BNM

 

Interesting post, as usual. Why do you think they are underperforming so badly? I mean, Hield, WCS, Fox, Jackson are pretty good players. For all of the bigs they've gotten, they don't have a good rebounder, but still.

I actually think they're in much better shape than Cleveland post-LeBron.

 

I say this, and I mean it sincerely...

Thanks for the lesson, professor.

 

They aren't underperforming. With that roster, 3-11 is overachieving.

They suck at offense, defense (especially) and as you mentioned rebounding.

Their roster is an odd mix of guys who are too old and well past their prime combined with guys who are young and/or inexperienced.

George Hill should be their best player, one of the few on their roster that should be in his prime. I have no idea why, but after having a career year in UTA last season, he has completely stunk it up so far this year.

Fox will be good eventually, but he's a 20-year old PG in a conference that is absolutely stacked with veteran PGs. He's going to get abused a lot before he can hold his own, which is why he isn't starting, and Hill is.

Hield is nothing special, neither is WCS. SAC's principal owner thinks Hield is the next Steph Curry. Hield is a decent shooter, but he's nowhere close to Curry, or Klay or Kover, or C.J. He's, at best, on the same level as guys like Crabbe and Joe Ingles (who is much longer and a better defender). He's only 14 games removed from being a rookie, but is almost 24. I don't see a lot of upside there.

I already mentioned that their DRtg is 29th in the league. They start 36 year old Zach Randolph at PF, and sadly for them, he may actually be their best player. He's never been a good defender. He's always lacked lateral quickness and as a power forward that plays below the rim, gives them absolutely no rim protection. He was slow to begin with and has lost a couple steps due to advancing age.

In addition to being 29th in ORtg and DRtg, they are also 29th in DRB%. It's actually a miracle they have managed to win 3 games. Looking at all the advanced stats, they should have the worst record in the league and very well may by the end of the season.

BNM

 

Why don't you tell him?

You know you only run in the best circles...

 

I'll be at this game too. I really want to see De'aaron Fox. Does anybody know why Jonathan Isaac didn't play last night?