Game Thread GAME# 57: PELICANS @ BLAZERS - FEBRUARY 21, 2020 - FRIDAY, 7:30 PM, ESPN & NBCSNW

Go ahead. Problem is he's in Portland. If we had Kendrick Nunn or Duncan Robinson, they would barely be playing and you'd be saying the same thing about them.

 

Best part of the game was Trent snatching the ball from Reddick like the Duke 3pt record.

 

I just want to say, I think almost every basketball player has watched an NBA game and at times thought wow this dude is getting paid to fire wide open bricks, I can do that! Or Insert terrible defense, or whatever. That doesnt mean that we are saying wow I could be an NBA player. I think almost everyone understands the level of athlete’s those guys are is like the 0.0001% of the earth and the skills they have to play in the NBA is greater than us even in our wildest fantasies once reality hits us at about 16ish.

I think when people say oh I could do that, its not a delusion of oh I could play NBA basketball its a frustration that the players on the court arent performing well, and because they are NBA players doing “basic” basketball things such as hitting wide open jumpshots, or playing even a tiny bit of defense should be part of the job. We understand when it happens here and there but when half the Blazer team is guarding basically air while NO is running a layup drill with no resistance or hitting 60% of their 3’s. Bones or me or anyone watching the TV thinking, “I could do that” we arent fantasizing about how good at basketball we are, were annoyed at how crappy the professionals are playing.


And honestly at times this year the Blazers effort on defense is about the same as the guys at 24 jogging back while one guy runs down and gets a layup.

 

EXACTLY.

 

At first i wasn't going to respond to this. Maybe i shouldn't?
I can understand your point here. But to people like me it's an absolute slap in the face. I've competed at the very highest national levels in two sports, USA Eagles Rugby and Ironman Triathlons, and also division 1 in baseball Oregon State. When i hear or read "I could do better" the very first thought that comes to my head is "Prove it!". It's a respect thing. When you have competed on their level you understand and see things much differently. When you have only fantasized about it it's plain "fantasy".
Like i said. I can understand your point. Try to understand mine now. My time and effort in competition and training over the years is worth more than that. So is everything those guys are putting out on the court. To minimalize it is disrespect at the highest level and almost criminal.
This is just my take on it. I do understand in the heat of the moment and game thread issues. But when someone "Doubles" and even "Triples" down on their claim over and over again? Nope! Not gonna listen to that garbage.

 

I wouldve been the best player the court that game. Tortured wouldve been 2nd best. Its a fact. Get over it.

 

You forgot the green font.

 

Before I blew out my knees I put in my hours at the gym, I thought I was really good at basketball until I started playing d1 guys in my early 20’s. In my industry now Ive put in my share of 100 hour weeks. Being an athlete doesn't have a corner on the market for working hard. They also dont somehow get a pass on criticism because hey they worked hard to get there.
The thing is though its a customer / service relationship. The hard work doesnt really matter. Say I go build an app or a program for someone and it doesnt meet a standard they wanted it too. Do they have to stop and say, oh man how many hours did you put into being a software engineer? Before they can say look, I got 3 hours into a book on programming in scratch I couldve done better! No they really dont, because whether right or wrong about what their abilities are they are being presented with something they dont find acceptable and they are paying for.
No one doubts that NBA players put a lot of time into their profession but it doesnt change the fact (we have video evidence!!!!) that there are way too many times Blazers this year have looked terrible on defense, and maybe they should take it personally... Again Im not at all advocating that I could do better on the whole but honestly Ive seen carmello and others on defense basically stand in one spot for 15 seconds and then turn around and watch someone dunk, you honestly gonna tell me that any of us cant stand still for 15 seconds and then watch my guy go back door and dunk, because that really doesn't take much athleticism.

Now, I understand to some extent if you’re saying over and over I can do that, then yeah the implication starts to come around that hey I think I could play in the NBA, but I dont think anyone believes that.

Heres my final point, if you really believe that criticizing people who “worked hard” is out of bounds, the next time you get a tool thats not working up to snuff, remember some engineer designed that and probably went to school for 4-8 years, the next time you turn on your computer and find some bug remember some developer put in a bunch of hours just to get to the point they could work at MS to make that bug for you. - I know this isnt what you’re saying -

 

You're right. It isn't what i said at all.
And this just solidifies that yes i indeed should not have responded.
Hope you enjoy the game tonight.

 

You could respond to the other parts.

 

No idea what you’re trying to say here

 

He’s criticizing that Stotts wont give young guys a shot to play. Least thats how I took it.

 

Because you went here-

My comment never even began to approach this idea. I even said "I understand".

If you don't like the app or program buy a different one. You can even say it sucks all you want. But don't say you can do better if you can't. Then double and triple and even quadruple down that you can.
What i said was simple.

Don't try to wash away what was said in a comment with a bunch of hypothetical "In this circumstance" crap.
If you are gonna say "I could've done better" that is one thing. If it doesn't meet your standards then put your money elsewhere.
But don't go on thread after thread and say you could do better multiple times when you can't.
PROVE IT!
The rest is complete lip service.

 

Ok so if I show you a video of an NBA player standing around and then turning to watch a guy Dunk I in turn have to show a video of myself watching a guy dunk in order for you to believe that I too can stand still and then twist at my hips...

The thing your equating is that when someone says, “I could do that” its about some guy in the NBA doing their job well, which no one is claiming they could do. The claim is when NBA players either dont do their jobs at all or do it badly that normal people could do that, and newflash normal people can also play basketball badly.

Its one thing if you finish a triathlon for some bozo like me to say I could do that! Its another if you epicly fail at the triathlon for me to say I could also do bad. That doesnt mean on your good days when you finish I could.

Every athlete has had bad days I dont care if you’re in 3rd grade volleyball or Lebron James and when Lebron James dribbles it off his foot out of bounds yes indeed other people can do that. What other people cant do is what makes him great, and better than us.

So sure I understand they put in hard work to be great, and I never have said I could do what they do when they’re even average for them.

 

Again you have missed the entire point completely and are trying to wash it down into something that was never said.
And again i will say to you.
Hope you enjoy the game tonight.

 

I think you got mixed up in those hypotheticals because Im the engineer / developer of those apps not the customer complaning about it.

Anyways, sure I get it that too often us “normal” people think we can do stuff we cant. We can agree to disagree or agree to agree sort of Im not sure where were at lol. Have a good one.

 

I didnt miss it, I just dont think your point is all that strong. Have a good one.

 

Another thing, Bones does play basketball and does watch the NBA and college basketball on a daily basis in an analytical way. So a better example if we're equating it to triathlons or whatever would be someone who does train for and can complete a triathlon but it's nowhere near fast enough to qualify for a major tournament. That person would have some knowledge of what it takes to get to that level even though they are limited athletically to the point where they can't actually get there themselves.

Take Lamar Hurd for example. He never played in the NBA. Does he not know what it takes to play defense on an NBA level? Should only ex-NBA players be allowed to be color commentators?

 

In Gabriel’s case it’s because he sucks.

 

You started this comment of with "Another Thing". Yes it's another thing.
Bones is definitely very knowledgeable and i agree his analytical view is valid.
Same with Lamar Hurd.
This conversation is not about that. Again don't try to muddy the waters on this. It's why i should have left it alone in the first place as i said.
Here is what it is about again.
I challenge you to find a clip or tweet or any statement by Lamar Hurd where he said "He could preform better"or "Might as well be me out there" or "Even i can shoot that well" . Now try to find one where he doubles down and even triples down on the statement.
What this conversation is about and has always been about is the respect not shown to the players or coaches when someone says that. To use your example; A person who is not fast enough to qualify for a Tri knows better than to nit pick someone who is. They understand the work it took to get there. They show respect for those who have achieved that level. Goes the same for the Eagles. It's an honor to even be there.
I have posted multiple times now "I understand the heat of the moment game thread". People say things and let their emotions take control.
But this is more than just game threads. This is posting on threads throughout the forum before and after games and even before or after the season.

Nobody anywhere said anything about fans or posters or analysts being critical. Again don't try to muddy the waters any more on this. I should have left this alone. The same people coming out to protect the same people in exactly the same way.