Game Thread GAME# 5: BLAZERS @ HEAT - OCTOBER 27, 2018 - SATURDAY, 5:00 PM (PDT), NBCSNW

100%.

 

He's been doing it about a quarter as much as he used to. He's been missing shots he normally makes. The first step to fixing his game is by getting him to not isolate and pound the ball as much. It looks like that's been successful.

 

Hmm. That would allow us to have length at the 3, instead of relying on Nurk to run back and forth between the paint and trying to guard the 3. Because that shit ain't working.

Yeah....why hasn't Stotts tried this yet? I actually like this idea.

 

I'm not sure what the stats say, but sometimes I think CJ shoots better when he does just take the ball to one side the other 4 go to the other side and he just does his thing. Do you know what his numbers look like on catch and shoot vs dribble and shoot?

 

I don’t know but eventually Zach will force Stotts into this move if he keeps playing like this.

Dame
CJ
Harkless
Collins
Nurkic

Curry
Stauskas
Turner
Aminu
Leonard

Leonard and Layman can alternate based on matchups.

 

The funny thing is Layman's not even playing that bad, they just refuse to play him for more than like 3 minutes at time... I don't know where Aminu's stats are this year, but it seems like he's just pretty much sucked on both ends of the court...

 

ooooook, I think I finally see where you're coming from here. Not sure I agree with him doing it "about a quarter as much as he used to", but I think you and I are finally coming to an understanding about this. I think we're essentially agreeing on the same things here.

I do feel as if he's missing more shots than usual, but I kept trying to put my finger on what it was. Why do you think this is that he is missing more shots than usual?

Huh....I like that lineup.

Maybe Stotts is getting too bogged down in playing guards, rather than covering ALL areas of necessity?

 

His Defense is okay at times, and he picks his 3 shots well.

The problem I find is relying on him to play Defense in the paint in absence of a Center. He's not a Center, and he's barely a PF, if at all (I think I see him more as a PF/Wing). And his inability to drive into the paint without fouling or turning the ball over. God, his dribbling is awful.

 

It’s still early. We’ll see. All I know is Collins needs to be playing more than 20 minutes.

 

And yet his dribbling is still basically the same as Aminu's. I don't think Layman can play center, but PF/SF I think he could do, and I'm not advocating he gets 30 minutes a night, but the way they're handling him is frustrating to watch. He's a starter, but not really...

 

They should put Layman on that second unit and let him run with them. He’ll get more shots and will get more of an opportunity to make an impact. He’s even more useless than Vonleh was as a starter. At least Lillard has acknowledged his presence lately. Don’t think CJ even knows he’s on the court.

 

I must apologize, I thought you were talking about Aminu, not Layman.

And God no, I would never advocate him playing Center.

Agreed with everything else though.

 

Probably just giving the vet Aminu the starting nod since it is a contract year for him and he's more than played up to his contract. Collins will for sure be starting next year when Aminu leaves for a better contract.

I do like having Aminu in the second unit though.

 

Is it possible that CJ is now thinking about whether or not he should shoot when he gets good looks and it's messing with his head?

There was a stretch in the first half where Dame got like 3 good looks in a row off of pick and rolls and they didn't fall but they looked smooth and then the next play he was wide open off the pick and hesitated when wide open. Dame is strong enough mentally to forget about it and hit the switch back on.

CJ is playing like something isn't quite right mentally. This isn't meant as an excuse for his play, I'm just trying to figure out how such a deadly shooter is struggling so bad. Maybe the solution is to just let him be CJ again and not force him to be something he's not. Kind of like when a running QB gets told not to leave the pocket.

I don't know.

 

Envy/ego? He is getting paid like Dame, so he should be as big a star? He doesn't project that image off the court - but I think you are right that the problem is mental. There is no sign of physical breakdown, and he is too smart to just suddenly forget how to play.

 

I do not. Would have to Google them.

 

Probably not shooting with as much confidence as before. Probably due to himself 2nd guessi g whether he should shoot or pass.

 

CJ is just cold. He’ll regress to his mean and A LOT more of his 2 pointers will go in. We just have to pray his 3 point shooting so far is at least kind of sustainable because hes on fire from deep. Maybe take more 3’s until he finds his rhythm from inside

 

Yet the refs missed key calls in the last two minutes that would have likely altered the score board in both losses.

 

It's funny - I would've said that we were getting killed with Nurkic on the floor but that Harkless was doing great things. But Nurk was a net neutral while Harkless was -13.