Did I say it was? Nor is Game 5. How many games this season have you seen the rest of the squad not show up like last night? Was it something magical that Denver was doing that prevented them from scoring? It didn’t look that way to me. The offense was moving the ball and generating the same open looks as usual. Guys we’re just clanking them. I expect a good game tomorrow that could go either way. Changes are going to need to be made after the season comes to a close. I just happen to hope that’s a few weeks away. Some of you seem to be looking forward to that more than the games.
I'd say game 5 is a more credible template than games 2 or 4. Both teams showed up to play. And, while it was due to Dame, Portland shot well in the game. 46% on FG's and 44% on three's. Portland's eFG% and TS% were well above their regular season averages. Portland's season average TS% was .577. Last night, it's was .605. I'm honestly not sure how realistic it is to assume the Blazers will shoot better in game 6. I'm not "looking forward to changes" because I'm unconvinced any major changes will occur. There should have been major changes every off-season over the last 5 years and it hasn't happened. Olshey may very well scapegoat Stotts, but if he's allowed to just rinse-repeat the lineup, it won't matter
You realize that when something does happen it won't have anything to do with any post in this forum, correct?
Sure, the overall shooting stats look pretty good, but that’s only because of Dame’s ridiculous shooting. I don’t expect him to have that game again and, frankly I don’t want him to. Dame only took the game over when it became clear that that was the only option given how poorly his teammates were shooting. The two things are interconnected. People talk about wasting Dame’s brilliant performance because his teammates couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean. The truth is that if CJ and Norm are contributing to their normal levels, if Nurk isn’t getting called for five lame-brained fouls in the second half, and/or RoCo just takes a couple of lay-ins instead of trying to throw down tomahawks, Dame works with the guys and doesn’t play hero ball. It was a weird game that featured the brilliance of Lillard and an unusually bad showing by his teammates. It proves nothing except that the Blazers have to play better or go home. And I am pretty sure that changes are going to come no matter what. The treadmill needs to be kicked to the corner and get some new pieces and life.
This is how the Timberwolves felt all those years with Kevin Garnett. It was amazing for that franchise to have a guy who could legitimately be argued that he was even better than Tim Duncan. Maybe not convincingly, but legitimately. And the best they could do for a sidekick was Latrel Sprewell. And once KG was gone all they really had for the next 13 years were the memories of The Big Ticket. Sure, they had some guys who made them hope a little like Kevin Love and KAT, but real greatness comes so rarely. Especially to franchises like ours. I'm with HCP--enjoy the ride. It was a long time between Drexler and Lillard, and such transcendence may be a long time coming again. Hoard these memories like acorns before the winter. But I'm also with Nate. It fucking sucks how much we've squandered his best years. There could have been so many more acorns. I think we all feel both sides of this. Which you tend to post more of boils down to are you a glass half full or half empty kind of guy. I go back and forth all the time. A lot of life is like that.
I voice my displeasure of NOs roster construction in hopes my complaint is the final straw of the million straws that Jo Lynn somehow sees, hears or reads about and says “ENOUGH!!!”
You do realize in between those two we had a pretty good run and went to the playoffs 8 straight years after Drexler left, including 2 WCF Fuck the ride. This is the longest ride ever.
People continue to underrate quality of shot when they make the "This team just missed shots and this team just made shots" argument. Most of the time, the team that gets higher quality 3s makes more of them.
True, but if they are off that game or for a few it can mean the difference between a win or loss just like 2 point fg's.