Game Thread GAME# 29: RAPTORS @ BLAZERS - DECEMBER 14, 2018 - FRIDAY, 7:00 PM, NBCSNW

You almost jinxed it!

 

Bro, why don't you DVR it and watch from the beginning when you get home? Isn't it your job to watch and comment on the games?

The Blazers defense was actually pretty good in the 1st half minus a few times where people fell asleep off ball and gave up wide open 3's. There were also a couple of really good defensive plays by Nurk where the ball just happened to bounce right to Ibaka for an open basket.

3rd quarter was brutally bad defensively giving up 39 points. Offense was good pretty much the whole game. Lots of ball movement. Dame didn't really have to exert himself at all.

 

The entire 2nd half when the bench was in, Meyers had CJ Miles guarding him. Not once did we try and take advantage of that?

 

The defense was much better than usual tonight.

 

Just finished the game. Here are some of my thoughts....

1) This felt like an entirely different offense. There were cuts to the basket! Much less dribbling the air out of the ball than usual. We used Nurk in the high post more. They pushed the ball & passed it. The first 2 quarters, they really didnt take (settle for) that many 3s.

2) The team played with a lot of energy & urgency tonight. Blazers were first to a loose ball several times where they usually get beat to them. Probably best game I've seen this year.

3) Defense was good tonight. 3rd & 4th quarters slipped a bit.

4) This was a great win. Stotts deserves credit for how the team played. It will be interesting to see how quickly we revert back to the 'typical' Blazers style of ball.

5) Tonight's offensive improvement is not JUST because we 'hit shots'. There was a lot more movement towards the rim & passing. It was SO much more enjoyable to watch.

 

So basically the players have the skills, and the coaches have the game plan, but the players lack the motivation to execute consistently?

IMHO player motivation is the responsibility of the players. If you aren’t motivated to play 100% every game, try forging a career in the backwaters of Eastern Europe, or God forbid getting a regular 9-5 job, then see how motivated you are to run up and down a court a few times a week.

 

And no, not as an individual, but as a collective.

Peer pressure can be a wonderful thing.

 

Thank God they won. Everything is fixed now

 

Well
Well
Well....

 

They have these new age devices called dvrs. I think almost any cable company offers it.

 

I don't got time for that lol

 

Always like that at Mariner games.

 

I didnt really have time tonight.

 

3 games ago we play very good minus the turnovers. Good ball movement and then went on the road we went back the old way. Yes it was a good but I want to see if they can back that up against the Clippers.

 

That's what I saw as well, and the offense fueled the defense, even if TOR shot a ridiculous percentage from everywhere.

WTF happened in 2 days. Pretty sure they didn't even have practice between the MEM game and this one.

 

Win or Lose, it is often HOW they play that I'm more interested in. Offensively they played very well and defensively in the first half they were quite solid. Now, can they repeat it or do they revert to the oft Iso ball that is sadly too often the norm?

 

Good win, but again low BBIQ down the stretch. You have a big lead so guard the damn 3 point line, make them use clock. We have two really good players. Zach needs to become the 3rd. I'm glad to hear him say he's focused on the defense - offense will follow. Toronto will give Warriors a run for their money.