Game Thread GAME# 62: BLAZERS @ RAPTORS - MARCH 1, 2019 - FRIDAY, 5:00 PM, ESPN & NBCSNW

Then you disagree with most NBA coaches.

 

L....since it's also one of my initials. All rah-rah aside, and I am certainly raising the flag on Jake island, I'm a fan of anyone who is shooting with his efficiency.

Except for every coach who has a team play against the Blazers. Dame gets double constantly.

 

I never wanna see Meyers again on the court for the Blazers

 

Last play of the game is a different deal though.

And yes, you still see it. But it's very rare you see any player doubled in the final seconds of the game.

 

He lets the players improvise so much on offense; why not on defense? If am out there, I'm thinking "Leonard very hot, time running down; I' leaving my guy and doubling"|.

 

Improvising on defense is a very different thing than doing it on offense.

 

It's not being specific with a gameplan, it's having a specific philosophy for unique last second situations. This is something that should be practiced throughout the season. What to do if there's a screen and roll with less than 5 seconds. There should be a coverage call for that, which should've been shouted out to the team in between Dame free throws so they knew what to do. I feel like a lot of fans haven't experienced a high enough level of basketball and just see a mistake by the players and blame the players alone, instead of the coach. Then they see me and just think I'm trying to blame the coaching staff when what I'm saying is based on actual basketball experience.

Anyway, that's the right thing to do coaching wise, and even my H.S. and College coach did this. That's why it's kinda infuriating when my favorite NBA team simply switches a 6'3 PG onto Kawhi (which is what they wanted and seemed to know would happen when they screened for Kawhi with Lowry)... Especially when tied with no timeouts where the difference between a 2 and 3 is negligible... Especially when Kawhi loves pull-up jumpers and is the only one hitting shots for them.

 

They did improvise, because they didn't know what to do. When our defense is unsure of how to guard a screen and roll effectively, or when they're simply lazy, we switch into mismatches. It's on the coaching staff to prepare them well enough so they know how to effectively guard a pick n roll without switching, and to stay on them and hold them responsible enough so that they don't lazily switch pick n rolls.

As I've said though, they should've had a better pick n roll scheme in place instead of not knowing how to guard it. Maybe Stotts wanted them to switch under 5 seconds which is a good strategy with switchable defenders, but not Dame onto Kawhi. If that's what he wanted, then that's bad coaching too.

 

Meyers was on the court?

 

HS and NBA are two very different things.

I'm sorry, you might not like the decisions Terry makes, but I'm not sure you're going to find many coaches that agree with giving up a wide open shot to either Kyle Lowry or Danny Green (who both hit crucial shots in the final minutes) over a contested mid range jumper, regardless of who that player is or how hot he may be.

 

Exactly right @BonesJones . The only other player on the floor who had more than 11 points was Lowry. So make 1 of those other 3 players make a clutch shot instead of letting the guy with 36 points get an easy, uncontested 12 foot jumper.

 

I would bet my bottom dollar that the Raptors have a hell of a lot more respect for the Blazers than people on this board.

 

you may want to add some context to that:

TS%: Jake .630....Meyers .676

 

I don't like the decisions Terry makes....because in the Playoffs when they really matter, he has one of the poorer winning percentages around. Games like this are playoff-like.

 

I knew that exception was coming....lol.

 

Completely fair.

 

Man.... 2 pts....
Heartbreakin...

 

What a heartbreaker. Can't ask for anymore.

 

Terry taking a timeout with 50 secs left was brutal. Wasted it