Game Thread GAME# 59: CELTICS @ BLAZERS - FEBRUARY 25, 2020 - TUESDAY, 7:00 PM, NBCSNW

Man, you can't throw softballs out like that.

 

I don't know how, but 98:94 W

 

So CJ comes out with hammer to actually break ankles?

 

so then, Blazers essentially have 3 starters, not 1. So far, Ariza has matched Hood's offense, but has been a better rebounder and a much better defender

 

I hate these stats.

It's apples to oranges. Hood is a guy you could throw the ball to to create offense, and he was an elite shooter this year from three. Ariza is good in transition and is serviceable as a corner catch and shoot player. But he's so much more limited than Hood, who was one of the best iso players in the league this season before he went down. We are a worse team without him because of the defensive attention he drew away from Dame/CJ. You think teams guard Ariza at all, much less actually plan for him?

This is yet another situation where the stats aren't exactly "holistic," and need to be taken with a massive grain of salt.

 

Well, we had 1starter yesterday and now we got 3. That's should be enough for Celts.

 

Sacramento is a mess but we have 3 whole wins more than they do. Ariza has played well here no complaints there but he's also very inconsistent. I'm not really sure he's a starter on many teams that we would consider championship contenders, but he's been fine.

 

No they essentially have 1 starter or had one starter the last two games. You're smart enough to be able to figure this out. If the starting line up would be, Nurkic, Zach, Hood, CJ, and Dame, but they're playing Whiteside, Melo, Trent, CJ, and Ariza. Only one is left. Sure they're getting "something" starterish like from those guys, but it's a 48-minute game numbers will be put up, even on the worst teams (hey like the Blazers) someone will get some points/rebounds/assists. The fact is though they played two games now with 1 guy starting who would be starting if the roster was healthy. Their bench might actually be decent though if the 4 guys who are starting were coming off the bench.

 

Ariza has also been a better defender. I'd say there's an argument there that Ariza has been just as good, if not better than Hood.

 

They're different players with different strengths.

 

well then, here's another stat you'll hate: Portland was 8-12 with Hood (.400). And they are 18-20 without Hood (.473). If Portland was actually better with Hood then you'd think they'd have a better record with him than without him, but that's not the case

besides that, the Hood we saw is very likely gone for good. Matthews was never the same after his injury and that's the norm for Achilles injuries. Hood was a jump shooter that gained great elevation on his shot, often after quick change of direction iso-moves...those are two things most likely impacted by an Achilles injury

 

Why do you quote my post when you just cut off sentences that cut off context? Seriously?

 

Wonder what Hassan have to do to be a starter. Wilt Chamberlain stats? Your logic is mind-blowing, seriously man.

 

Hassan didn't start for Miami either (last year). I never once said Hassan is a 'bad' player, he may start somewhere next year. I am saying that if healthy Nurk would be the starter here not Hassan. I'm not sure whats mind-blowing about that, but whatever.

 

you said Portland was a worse team without Hood. The reasons you gave don't matter because there's a simple test of Portland being worse without Hood...the record of wins and losses. All of the explanations you can come up with seem pretty secondary to that test.

but just to make you happy I'll edit back in the extra verbiage

 

If Nurk wasn't hurt, Hassan wouldn't be here. He is a starter.
And btw, would Nurk be a starter in Denver rite now? Was he then?
Was Hood a starter in Cavs? Was he then better then Ariza?
Would Collins really be a starter in any team better then we are now?
We got Lillard out and, let's say Melo should not be a starter.

 

If you count the games that Hood played with the Blazers last year and this year they're better. Also, I think Dame could go super-nova to lead to those W's with Ariza or Hood it had little to do with who the SF was and was mostly because Dame went out of his mind.

The problem with the start of this season and using that small sample size to say well Hood really wasn't good. Everyone knew they had a tough first 20 games before the season even started. Hood wasn't the issue (at least all of it). CJ played awful at the start of the year, and they couldn't guard anyone.

Hood and Ariza are both ok players and have different strengths, but Hood would be starting if healthy not Ariza, and I don't know if they'd be worse or better.