Trent.

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Scalma, Nov 21, 2019.

  1. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    the “silver lining” is if they keep losing Stotts will be forced to play the young players he’s screwing over. Bazemore is still in the rotation, which is non sense, but his minutes are at least decreasing. Hopefully by January he realizes what fans did in November.
     
  2. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    https://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/...s-to-enjoy-career-night-on-21st-birthday.html

    OKLAHOMA CITY – Less than 24 hours before the best game of his career, Portland Trail Blazers guard Gary Trent Jr. received intravenous fluids as he lay motionless on a treatment table in the visitor’s locker room at American Airlines Center in Dallas. He was pale and so nauseous that he struggled to even respond to his teammates when they asked how he was feeling, fearing that he would throw up if he tried to talk.

    “There was no way I thought he was playing today,” Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony said. "I tip my hat off to him for giving it a shot and sticking with it.”

    The flu didn’t stop Trent from putting together the best performance of his career Saturday night -- on what happened to be his 21st birthday.

    The young guard scored a career-high 30 points to go along with five rebounds, shooting 66.7 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from beyond the arc in the Blazers’ 119-106 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is the first Blazer to score at least 30 points off the bench since Allen Crabbe reached the mark in January 2017.

    “There was no time when I didn’t think I would be good to go,” Trent said. "Our job is to play basketball. Some people go to work sick. You still have to work, you still have to do your job. I was always going to be available, no matter what my state was.”

    Trent might have been the only person inside the Blazers’ locker room that never doubted whether he would play Saturday night.

    On Friday, the second-year guard tried to play through illness in Dallas, but had to depart the game in the fourth quarter after feeling dizzy and light-headed. Blazers guard Damian Lillard said that Trent was then so groggy and sore Saturday morning that he barely made it to a team meeting.

    But while Lillard was impressed to see Trent play through illness Saturday night, he wasn’t surprised to see the young guard sinking shots when he was finally given the opportunity.

    “We knew he could fill it up coming in,” Lillard said. “Even in training camp his first year, he was scoring a lot, he was able to get baskets, but I think his understanding of the game has improved from last year to this year, as far as recognizing play calls, remembering coverages, knowing personnel, knowing where to be, knowing how to make plays and be in position. He’s gotten better in that way.”

    Trent, whose father, Gary, played for the Blazers for three seasons, spent his rookie year in Portland working to improve his game behind the scenes, making just 15 appearances for the team in the 2018-19 season. He was expected to once again see only limited minutes in his second year with the team.

    But injuries have thrust the second-year guard into the rotation. On Saturday, the Blazers took the floor with just eight available players after trading Kent Bazemore and Anthony Tolliver to the Sacramento Kings for Trevor Ariza, Caleb Swanigan and Wenyen Gabriel earlier in the day. With limited options off the bench, Blazers coach Terry Stotts asked Trent to play a team-leading 36 minutes against the Thunder.

    "I was really happy that Gary Trent had a good game,” Stotts said. “It was the best game of his career and particularly coming off illness, I thought that was a great effort by him.”

    Prior to Saturday’s game, Trent was shooting just 36.1 percent from the field and averaging just 4.2 points per game this season. But if his performance Saturday is a sign of things to come, that could be big for the Blazers, who rank 29th in the NBA in bench points per game (27.2).

    Trent is likely to see big minutes again Monday when the team hosts the Golden State Warriors. The Blazers’ trade with the Kings isn’t expected to be finalized until Tuesday, due to restrictions in Gabriel’s contract, meaning that the team will have to wait until later in the week for its reinforcements from Sacramento. That will give Trent another chance to prove that he deserves to continue getting key minutes in the rotation moving forward.

    “Sometimes, it’s a matter of opportunity and getting comfortable,” Lillard said. “Sometimes, you might have a guy who can really score, but it takes time to get comfortable to score in an NBA game. I think that’s what type of situation it is with GT.”

    Whatever happens moving forward, Trent won’t forget the night that he pushed himself to play through illness and scored 30 points on his 21st birthday.

    But while he said he was happy to contribute on the floor Saturday night, Trent also said that a better birthday gift would have been a win for his team.

    “We came here to win," Trent said. "We’re not here to get numbers, but it was a great thing on my birthday. Okay, hooray, but you know we lost. We got to go back to the drawing board and the good thing about the NBA is we have another game on Monday.”
     
  3. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    Side note: In January, the month where he’s gotten the most minutes (20mpg) he is shooting 43% from the field, 37% from deep. I think he’s an even better shooter than that tbh, and as his minutes increase, so should his confidence and comfort.
     
  4. swish3

    swish3 Well-Known Member

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    Yes! There are numerous reasons to include Gary with more min in the rotation. His scoring, energy, defense, and determination are valuable.
     
  5. Labinot41

    Labinot41 Well-Known Member

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    Much better that overated Simons
     
  6. TBpup

    TBpup Writing Team

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    Not once this entire season has CJ had as efficient of a shooting night as Gary Trent did last night....while he was sick. And only one time all year has he had a higher combined game score. (via Basketball reference)
     
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  7. Mediocre Man

    Mediocre Man Mr. SportsTwo

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    Is GT jr the savior we've all been waiting for?
     
  8. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    The thing with Simons is he probably should’ve sat another year. Trent played college ball and is physically more ready for the league. Simons is way more raw despite being the same age. Relying on him to fill a significant role with no backup plan was a risk in regards to the team, but it also accelerated his development. You'll see Simons take the jump next year.
     
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  9. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    So the problem was that he wasn't sick before?
     
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  10. UKRAINEFAN

    UKRAINEFAN Well-Known Member

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    I think so. Maybe his shots earlier were going off the back rim.
     
  11. James lamphear

    James lamphear Well-Known Member

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    I think both in Trent and Simons will be alright. Trent more 3 and D right now and Simons more of a shooter. Simons moves his feet alright but he need get stronger to help him on the defense side. On offense he try to be Dame and CJ instead try being offense player that to get everyone in involved in the offense. So right now Trent is ahead of Simons in the overall game at this level.
     
  12. Labinot41

    Labinot41 Well-Known Member

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    I hope you're right.
     
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  13. B-Roy

    B-Roy If it takes months

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    Trent Jr = Wes Matthews Jr.
     
  14. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    I wish.

    Edit: I just checked, and maybe I don't!
    upload_2020-1-19_16-15-27.png
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2020
  15. damianlillard

    damianlillard Well-Known Member

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    Okay obviously not the current day Wesley but if Trent can be good as pre injury Wes then I am happy with that
     
  16. BBert

    BBert Weasels Ripped My Flesh

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    He saved us from needing to keep Bazemore.

    So, yes.

    :cheers:
     
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  17. TBpup

    TBpup Writing Team

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    That is reason enough to celebrate Trent's sudden ability to shoot. Either that, or he has always been able to shoot and Stotts just wouldn't give him more than 5 minutes until forced to. Sound like what happened to CJ? We had to go out and make a horrible trade and CJ was sitting on the bench the whole time. He 'suddently' learned how to shoot (too much sometimes) when given minutes....when everyone else in the country already knew he was at least quite good at putting the ball in the hoop.
     
  18. James lamphear

    James lamphear Well-Known Member

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    Trent can be streaky at times but he needs the minutes to get going sometimes in games. When he play down the G- league last year he might miss 2 or 3 but when he start hitting he can score in bunches.
     
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  19. TBpup

    TBpup Writing Team

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    As with most players, it's tough to get hot when you are playing such sporadic minutes here and there. Also, as with any other player (especially guard often forced to play SF) their main role is to get the ball to Dame/CJ.

    Very small sample size, but twice Trent has played in a game where one of Dame/CJ was out. At Milwaukee back in November when Dame was out and Saturday against the Thunder when CJ was out. In those two games, Trent is a combined 17-25 (68%) including 8-13 from '3' (62%).

    En Fuego! :evilfire:
     
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  20. BBert

    BBert Weasels Ripped My Flesh

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    Okay, so, was Trent playing with the flu tonight? Did anyone count how many air balls he threw up?

    (See what I did there? ;) )
     
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