Game Thread GAME# 11: BLAZERS @ KINGS - NOVEMBER 12, 2019 - TUESDAY, 7:00 PM, NBATV & NBCSNW

The color commentators that see us a couple times a year and are focused on their teams and calling the games when they do sure know the most about our team. Especially more-so than someone who watches nearly every possession all year long.[/QUOTE]

 

Youre blaming Whiteside for this...?

 

Do you see what I mean by set design though? Almost all our motion is like this: around the perimeter with every option being outside the arc, with wasted motion to start.

Even our Horns sets, which you can run a lot of cool wrinkles through, usually just involves with the big at the elbow getting the ball, then down screens to the corner for a wing to come up and recieve a handoff from the big at the perimeter, turning the play into a basic pick n roll... same thing.

 

What they also fail to realize is its not simply just "running", and the body gets exponentially more tired and worn the more minutes are played. The difference between 35mpg and 38mpg isnt the same as 0mpg and 3mpg. If that was the case, why not play them 41mpg? Or 48mpg?...

 

Golden State's offense is much more complex than ours and they have a bunch of rookies and G-League guys who have never ran it, yet the game they played against us was a better style of basketball than we've played all season.

 

Not only, i just focused on him and CJ. Hassan certainly did not do what he was supposed to do here. This guy i believe will be out of the league in 2 years. He will get a 1+1 this summer and then that's it.

Funny thing is this guy is probably our 2nd best player right now the way CJ is performing. Which basically shows why we are a terrible team.

 

Have any coaches really LED their teams to a championship?

Coaches have definitely got more out of their team, but the NBA is a players league. The best players win, not the best coaches. Example.....if Portland calls heads or drafts Jordan, or Sabas comes over right away, Mike freaking Schuler goes down as the greatest coach in NBA history over Phil Jackson.

Erik Spoelstra went to 4 straight championships, and hasn't done shit since. Did he suddenly become a bad coach, or did he simply stop having the best player in the league on his team?

The Blazer have overachieved most years under Stotts. With the right talent they can win with Stotts.

And whoever said we should have hired Budenholzer.....what has he won?

 

You're underestimating the impact of a head coach to defend Stotts... Its a weird tactic. And what did the last 2 championship winning coaches win before getting there? Exactly.

 

Its also the set design. Almost all our motion is like this: around the perimeter with every option being outside the arc, with wasted motion to start.

Even our Horns sets, which you can run a lot of cool wrinkles through, usually just involves with the big at the elbow getting the ball, then down screens to the corner for a wing to come up and recieve a handoff from the big at the perimeter, turning the play into a basic pick n roll... same thing.

 

I’m liking our chances of a big time trade that when you couple with the return of Nurkules with the excitation of Ant we again could be a tough out in the playoffs.
This team has always responded ok to adversity!

 

I'm glad we have him over not having him. But, he doesn't provide nearly the impact Nurkic does on both ends of the court. His numbers are very welcome, but the screen setting, PnR action, team defense, ball movement all suffer as compared to Nurkic.

 

I completely disagree. We must be watching completely different teams.

Some of our weaknesses (ie - roster construction/injuries) - there are no simple fix for.
Other of our weaknesses (ie - ball movement / fast break opportunities) - are the same issues the team has had for several years now.

There's a lot more going on than "just gonna take time playing together".

 

I think Neil knows more about roster construction than you. We also made it to the WCF last year without “ball movement or fast break opportunities” bc that’s not the style we play, nor should it be.

 

No one said Stotts doesn't get any credit for Dame's progress. Again - Stotts is an AVERAGE coach, not a terrible coach.

However, there's also many other coaches that significantly impact Dame's progress. Dame has specifically talked about Vanderpool & the guy he trains with during the summer (can't remember his name) as guys that have helped him develop his game.

 

Phil Beckner

 

average coaches don’t improve no-name lottery picks from unknown schools into MVP candidates. Vanderpool is someone Stotts hired...

 

Great post

 

we've had bad timing with Hassan on pick and roll passes...too many turnovers...it's why our guards stopped trying to force the pass into the paint...it was leading to turnovers...Dame addressed this timing with Hassan post game after our first home win. The rookies that beat us in Golden State played a hell of a game...I respect them and credit them for that....if they bricked shots all night, it would have been a different game...Dame and CJ have blown alley oop passes to Hassan several times already...they need to get in synch for our system to be effective....

 

not really. He took us to the WCF and has been getting coach of the year votes.

Virtually nobody thinks Stotts should be fired outside of some disgruntled and frustrated blazer fans, who are delusional about our level of talent and always think the grass is greener on the other side.

 

I think even with Hezonja, coach could do more to help him succeed. All summer and in exhibition, Hezonja played with units that passed a lot and fast break a lot. Now he is with a starting unit that doesn't do that. Is it any wonder he is confused?