Game Thread GAME# 82: KINGS @ BLAZERS - APRIL 10, 2019 - WEDNESDAY, 7:30 PM, NBCSNW

Leaves a bad taste in my mouth that we were trying to tank away from OKC. It better be because the coaches had already prepped for UTA and not because they think OKC is a worse matchup. I truly believe we are in a better position to advance now vs if we had gotten 4th

 

I think it's more to do with rest than anything. Our goal was HCA, we got that. We didn't want last year with Dame burned out come playoffs.

 

YO THIS WAS AMAZING

BRING ON OKC I DON'T GIVE A SHIT

 

Yet you said he responded in kind.

 

Simons is a fucking baller. Holy shit.

And a big thank you to the Kings for giving us Skal for fucking Swanigan

 

Not true at all but oh well.

 

Yeah this is pretty much dead on. I would still prefer to play the Jazz but both teams present issues for the Blazers. (Completely different issues)
Gobert really shuts down Dame's ability to attack the rim in crucial situations. On the flip side Westbrook and George are better down the stretch of games then Mitchell IMO. Both environments would be tough to play in on the road and I think we will need to win 1 road game.

 

Don't want the team going into playoffs afraid. Last night showed they aren't.

 

Kings fired their smug coach after that debacle in Portland last night. Joerger always seemed like a slimy dude.

That opening should be pretty rewarding-- tons of young talent. Ownership/front office is a bit shaky, but what teams aren't?

 

Or Luke Walton, tbh. That guy got thrown under the bus this year.

Actually wouldn't mind him as a potential Terry replacement. Wash some of that Laker stink off first, though

 

let me ask a question: if the Blazer coaches (and Dame) decided that giving an extra day's rest to the rotation players was the biggest priority and that the 1st round match-up didn't matter ....wouldn't they have done exactly what they did last night?

 

sure. but it also opens up the narrative for articles like this:

https://newsok.com/article/5628427/...en-thought-portland-did-its-best-to-avoid-okc

 

^^^^^^This^^^^^^

 

Joerger looks like the type of dude that sits on the couch while his wife gets plowed by the pool boy.

 

OK...but that article is filled with speculative bullshit. Blazers shouldn't concern themselves with that.

sometimes, people ought to take things at face value. Stotts explicitly said the priority was giving rest to the main guys after securing HCA, and especially resting Dame. And Dame himself said he wanted the night off. Apparently, some want to assume that everybody was lying and the real motive was to avoid OKC. In that game last night, Portland acted exactly like a team that didn't care who they played in the 1st round, but obviously reading between the lines led some to other conclusions

 

Especially since Lillard has specifically mentioned OKC as a team he would like to see in the playoffs.

 

he did say that didn't he

here's the thing though....Dame has to play well in this series. Portland doesn't 'have' to win, but Dame needs to play well to avoid a stigma about is playoff performance being applied to his career

career marks:

PER: regular season 21.4....playoffs 17.6 (9.5 last year)
TS%: regular season .573....playoffs .533 (.471 last year)
Assist Rate: regular season 29.5%....playoffs 24.2% (16.6% last year)
winshares/48: regular season .169....playoffs .082 (-0.062 last year)
BPM: regular season 4.0....playoffs 2.2 (-4.7 last year)

obviously, there are some significant mitigating factors here, not the least of which is management's failure to give Dame elite talent to help, or even any player capable of consistently running the offense. I don't think the coaches have done a good job of helping Dame either, but again, it's kind of hard to scheme CJ into being Paul George

bottom line though is Dame needs to bring it this season