The Blazers won the swish3 contest scoring 13 of 39 vs the Washington Wizards 12 of 37 in the Jan 15 win 115-110, gaining the 3rd road win. This was a game without Dame, CJ, Norm, Larry, or Cody that showed progress in communication, team defense, and offense, despite too many TOs. Simons led scoring 7 of 14, Nas scored 2 of 3, Roco scored 2 of 6, and Ben scored 2 of 8. Nurk, Watford, and Blevins were each 0 of 1, Elleby was 0 of 2, and Tony was 0 of 3. The swish3 lead early in the game did not hold up well in the 4th Q in which bench players missed many attempts. For the Mon game against the Magic, the return of CJ and Norm should allow Blazer scoring of 18+ swish3s for a better chance for a win.
This may, or may not be popular, but our Blazers are about to go on a run IMO. They're getting pretty healthy. Nurk is playing his most consistent ball since before the injury. RoCo looks like the guy we traded 2 picks for. With the emergence of a consistent & powerful performing Ant, the return of CJ & Powell , help from McLemore off the bench, this is gonna be a fun team to watch. This team could be a .500 or better team by the time a fully healthy Dame and the Blazers make a decision on his status. It's all about that health. And a potential deal by the deadline could help set this team up very nicely.
Yes, Tykendo, I agree! We can have a run that will get us closer to 50% wins. Let's go for seeing what this year's Blazers can do.
The Blazers lost the swish3 contest scoring only 7 of 34 vs Orlando Magic 8 of 32 in the Jan 17 win 98-88. This was a balanced scoring game with many good defense plays and included CJ for the first time in more than a month. Team communication continues to improve. Ben led scoring 4 of 10, CJ scored 2 of 4, and Roco scored 1 of 5. Watford was 0 of 1, Nas, Tony, and Blevins were each 0 of 2, Nurk was 0 of 3, and Simons was 0 of 5. That 7 of 34 means a terrible 20.6%, far below the Blazer average of 35+%. The swish3 performance must be much better to have a chance Wed against the Heat. Let's imagine with CJ gearing up, Ben continuing, Norm returning, and at least 30% shooting by Simons and Nas that the Blazers score 18+ swish3s for a better chance to win.
The Blazers won the swish3 contest scoring 14 of 46 vs the Miami Heat 12 of 35 in the Jan 19 loss 92-104 in a game where the Blazers quit competing at the end of the 3rd Q, only scoring 12 pts in the 4th Q! After a competitive 1st half, scoring 10 swish3s, the 2nd half saw only 4 swish3s, and the Blazers missed the last 12 swish3 attempts. At the end of the 3rd Q, the defense seemed to stop and perhaps consequently scoring shut down to less than half of what the Blazers need to score per Q. Simons led scoring 6 of 14, CJ scored 4 of 9, Roco scored 3 of 6, and Tony scored 1 of 3. Dennis and Watford were each 0 of 1, Elleby was 0 of 2, Nas was 0 of 3, and Ben was 0 of 7. Although Butler was thrown out in the 2nd Q, the Heat played strong defense in the 2nd half. The Blazers fell short of the consistent focus and energy needed to score 18+ swish3s and to play defense against a very good team. To be competitive against the Celtics Fri, the Blazers need to continue to improve communication leading to strong team defense, keep focus and consistency to allow for scoring through 48 min, and to show determination.
The Blazers won the swish3 contest scoring 16 of 33 vs the Boston Celtics 11 of 37 in the Jan 21 win 109-105. It was great to see Nurk score the winning goal in the final seconds on an offensive rebound while battling 4 Celtics. And the swish3 by Roco just preceding were enough to get this sweet revenge win over a strong Celtics team. The Blazers showed good communication and team defense in the last 7+ min that was excellent! CJ led scoring 5 of 10, Ben scored 4 of 7, Simons scored 4 of 8, Nurk scored 1 of 1, Roco scored 1 of 2, and Nas scored 1 of 4. Elleby was 0 of 1. This was a well played game with good energy and focus that included nice runs and effective defense, especially in the 4th Q. Playing like this, the Blazers can get back to a 50% win road and a chance for the playoffs. The Blazers have found the way to road wins!
The Blazers tied the swish3 contest scoring 18 of 32 vs the Toronto Raptors 18 of 54 in the Jan 23 win 114-105, a game that the Blazers led from the start by as much as 32 pts. This was a good game for CJ, Nurk, Nas, Ben, Roco, Simons, Elleby, Watford, and Dennis, with a number of good defensive plays, good communication, good team defense, and energy. There were too many Blazer TOs. Ben led scoring 5 of 7, Simons scored 5 of 9, CJ scored 3 of 5, Nas scored 2 of 3, Roco scored 2 of 6, and Elleby scored 1 of 1. Nurk was 0 of 1. That 18 of 32 is 56.25% swish3 shooting, which is excellent efficiency. And 18 scored swish3s is the magic number for a win. Let's do it again!
The Blazers won the swish3 contest scoring 16 of 41 vs the Twolves 14 of 42 in the Jan 25 107-109 loss. This was a game again taken away from the Blazers by hostile referees who gave the Twolves a 6 pt scoring advantage, calling fouls against the Blazers but not the Twolves. The NBA most fouling Twolves pushed, pulled, and pounded the Blazers, especially in the 3rd Q, allowing them to crawl back into the lead when the refs refused to call obvious fouls that gave the Twolves a big advantage. The obvious foul of Nurk on the last shot of the game should have allowed for a tie and OT. Nas led scoring 4 of 6, Simons scored 4 of 13, Ben scored 3 of 5, CJ scored 3 of 9, and Norm scored 2 of 4. Watford was 0 of 1 and Roco was 0 of 3. With the physical abuse the Twolves were allowed in the 2nd half, the Blazers scored only 6 swish3s, after scoring 10 in the first half. For the chance to win on the home court, the officiating needs to become professional, instead of significantly biased. Let's imagine better for the Wed Mavs game.
The Blazers lost the swish3 contest scoring 14 of 38 vs the Dallas Mavs 16 of 36 in the Jan 26 loss 112-132 in a game missing Dame, Nas, Roco, Larry, Dennis, and Cody. The officiating was hostile, error filled, and unprofessional, holding down the Blazer comeback in the 3rd Q. Simons led scoring 4 of 7, CJ scored 4 of 10, Ben scored 3 of 5, Norm scored 2 of 9, and Elleby scored 1 of 4. Nurk was 0 of 1 and Tony was 0 of 2. The lack of size and weak defense were consistent problems and the Mavs outrebounded the Blazers 45-38. The Rockets game in Houston Fri is winnable if we get Nas, Roco, and Dennis back, play energetic, focused defense, and score more swish3s.
The Blazers won the swish3 contest scoring 17 of 39 vs the Houston Rockets 10 of 41 in the Jan 28 win 125-110 in Houston. Dame, Nas, Larry, Cody, and Elleby were missing from the lineup. There were good teamwork O and D in this game, but also some lapses. Simons led scoring 5 of 9, CJ and Ben each scored 4 of 9, Roco scored 3 of 7, and Norm scored 1 of 3. Tony was 0 of 2. The 43.6% swish3 shooting improves the Blazers to a season 36.1% ave, hopefully on the way to getting back to 37%. The advantageous 18+ swish3 scoring will be needed for a good chance to get a win over the Bulls on Sun.
The Blazers won the swish3 contest scoring 18 of 39 vs the Bulls 13 of 32 in the Jan 30 loss 116-130 in Chicago. This was a low energy game for the Blazers with weak defense, poor rebounding (36 vs Bulls 44), and too many Bulls layups. Dame, Nas, Larry, Cody, and Elleby were missing. Norm led scoring 5 of 6, Simons scored 5 of 10, Roco scored 3 of 4, CJ scored 2 of 7, Ben scored 2 of 9, and Nurk scored 1 of 1. Watford and Tony were each 0 of 1. The good 46% swish3 shooting is encouraging, but without defense there is no win. The Bulls played well. For the Thunder game Mon, a win is expected if the Blazers will bring energy and winning mentality to the game.
The Blazers lost the swish3 contest scoring a terrible (18.4%) 7 of 38 vs the Thunder 12 of 41 in the Jan 31 loss 81-98, the poorest Blazer scoring of the year. This was a bad game for Norm, Simons, Nurk, and Roco, and a low energy weak defense episode that goes down as a low point. The Thunder outrebounded 50-41 and got way too many layups. Norm led scoring 3 of 8, Simons scored 2 of 12, Ben scored 1 of 4, and CJ scored 1 of 6. Watford, Brown, and Blevins were each 0 of 1, and Roco was 0 of 5. This extremely weak swish3 performance is the formula to losing games. Against the Lakers, there better be some swish3 scoring and defense!
The Blazers won the swish3 contest scoring 14 of 42 vs the Lakers 11 of 39 in the Feb 2 loss 94-99 in LA. This was an inconsistent game in which the Blazers had lapses in defense and rebounding, especially in Q4, and with a lot of missed layups and open shots. The offense continues to be weak. Norm led scoring 5 of 11, CJ scored 4 of 7, Simons scored 3 of 10, and Nurk scored 2 of 3. Ben was 0 of 5 and Roco was 0 of 6. The Blazers again shot FT poorly scoring just 10 of 19 conceding 12 pts to the Lakers who scored 22 of 33. Blazer rebounding failed in the 4th Q when Davis prevailed. To win the OKC home game Fri, the Blazers need to have team communication, make easy shots, play consistent defense, and have energy.
The Blazers badly lost the swish3 contest scoring 6 of 33 (18% again!) vs the OKC Thunder 15 of 42 in the Feb 4 loss 93-96. This game was ruined in the 4th Q by hostile unprofessional referees who allowed Muscala to take 4 steps before a foul, called an incorrect 5th foul on Nurk, did not call fouls of Nurk, Simons, and CJ, and gave the Thunder a FT advantage (OKC 15 of 21 vs Blazers 7 of 10). Norm and Roco were traded earlier in the day and Larry was still missing, so the Blazers were really short handed (Dame, Nas, and Cody are out). Tony led scoring 3 of 8, Elleby scored 1 of 2, Simons scored 1 of 6, and CJ scored 1 of 9. Watford was 0 of 1, Brown was 0 of 2, and Ben was 0 of 5. Compounding the terrible swish3 shooting, the Blazers missed a lot of layups and allowed OKC rebounds on missed FT. This was an up and down game that the Blazers had a chance to win if there were consistent accurate refereeing. Let's hope for a fair shake in coming home court games.
The Blazers decisively lost the swish3 contest scoring 14 of 45 vs the Milwaukee Bucks 23 of 50 in the Feb 5 blowout loss 108-137. This was a losing game for the Blazers who did not have a defense for the Bucks, compounded by having Winslow play his first game for the Blazers and another instance of hostile and unprofessional referees who enhanced Giannis stats by not calling his fouls of Nurk, CJ, Ben, Brown, or Winslow and by calling touch fouls and incorrect charges against the Blazers. Simons led scoring 5 of 13, Ben scored 4 of 12, Tony scored 3 of 6, Brown scored 1 of 2, and CJ scored 1 of 8. Winslow was 0 of 1 and Elleby was 0 of 3. In addition to playing inconsistent defense, the Blazers were outrebounded 38-44 and had 16 TO. The Bucks were the better team. The Blazers have a good chance to win the next game against the Magic if there can be professional consistent referees, team energy and focus with good communication, determined defense, and aggressive rebounding. Go Blazers!
The Blazers lost the swish3 contest scoring 11 of 38 vs the Orlando Magic 19 of 38 in the Feb 8 home loss 95-113. This was the first game played after today's trade of CJ, Larry, and Tony to New Orleans Pelicans, and a jumbled game with weak communication, poor defense, and untimely TOs. The lack of team defense and energy made this game out of reach. Ben led scoring 3 of 8, Simons scored 3 of 9, Brown and Winslow each scored 2 of 7, and Elleby scored 1 of 2. Watford was 0 of 2 and Nurk was 0 of 3. This 28.9% swish3 shooting was bad, and again showed the lack of swish3 offense or defense that must be improved. For the Lakers game tomorrow, there must be planning that finds and feeds the hot hand, hopefully Ben, Simons, and others, and some ball movement, off-ball moving offense, and assists to swish3 shooting in a game with strong defensive energy to stay in the game with Lebron and the Lakers. Go Blazers!
The Blazers lost the swish3 contest scoring 10 of 32 vs the LA Lakers 17 of 37 in the Feb 9 win 107-105 on our home court. This was a game that showed how energy, communication, and determined defense allow a win over the Lakers, which included Lebron and Anthony Davis. The Blazers had a season high 15 steals, with 6 by Dennis, 4 by Winslow, and 3 by Ben, and Dennis had 11 assists. Every Blazer contributed to this great win! Simons led scoring 5 of 11, Blevins scored 2 of 4, Ben scored 2 of 11, and Brown scored 1 of 1. Elleby was 0 of 1 and Winslow was 0 of 4. The Blazers had a terrible first half, shooting only 1 of 13 which was compensated by active defense with many TOs. The playmaking and 11 assts by Dennis were laudable, and suggest that he should continue to be a key Blazer rotation player worth 22-28 min per game. To optimize the chance to beat the Knicks on Sat, the Blazers need to aim for scoring 18+ swish3s, and continued team play. Go Blazers!
The Blazers won the swish3 contest scoring 15 of 40 vs 12 of 39 of the NY Knicks in the Feb 12 win 112-103. This game showed how 4th Q defense intensity and continued team effort and energy can win games. The Blazers came back from 23 pts down to win. Hart and Winslow had great games. Simons led scoring 6 of 12, Hart scored 3 of 6, Ben scored 3 of 9, Winslow scored 1 of 2, Elleby scored 1 of 4, and Hughes scored 1 of 5. Brown was 0 of 2. The nicely divided swish3 scoring at 37.5% efficiency and the active passing with 29 assists made for a winning formula. To beat the Bucks on the road Mon, the Blazers will need at least 18+ scored swish3s, high energy, active consistent communication on both O and D, and some breaks. Go Blazers!
The Blazers won the swish3 contest scoring the target 18 of 43 vs the Milwaukee Bucks 13 of 41 in the Feb 14 win 122-107. This was a great game with balanced scoring, 30 assists, energetic team defense, and a lot of fun to watch. We are seeing the gains due to coaching and substitutions which keep energy up and team defense on the floor. Simons led scoring 7 of 16, Hart scored 5 of 9, Nurk scored 2 of 2, Watford scored 1 of 1, Elleby scored 1 of 3, Winslow scored 1 of 4, and Ben scored 1 of 5. Hughes was 0 of 3. There was great scoring and play by all of the Blazers. The Bucks had scored 23 swish3s beating the Blazers earlier this year (Feb 5), making this 15 pt advantage a welcome turnabout. For the best chance to win over the Grizzlies in Memphis Wed, the Blazers need to keep scoring the 18+ swish3s, keep the team defense and offense energetic and focused as it was in this game, and enjoy the emergence of the defense and offense that Chauncey is tuning the Blazers to win with.
The Blazers won the swish3 contest scoring 13 of 32 vs the Grizzlies 11 of 30 in the Feb 16 win 123-119 in Memphis. This was a well played game with active defense, good communication on O and D, and with some good ball movement and off-ball movement, with substitutions that kept energy going to get a good start and lead most of the game. In spite of clearly biased foul calling that gave the Grizz a 10 pt FT advantage and gave Morant a season high 25 FTA, the close out by the Blazers was a winner! Hart and Winslow have really improved the Blazers, especially Nurk and Simons play. Simons led scoring 5 of 10, Hart scored 3 of 6, Winslow scored 2 of 3, Ben scored 2 of 5, and Nurk scored 1 of 2. Elleby and Hughes each were 0 of 3. Although failing to reach 18 scored swish3s, the 40.6% shooting, nearly matching the 41.9% of the Bucks win, are good shooting coming from good active play that now seems to show the progression of Chauncey's coaching. After the All Star break, the Blazers can return to continue this improved play with a favorable schedule and the chance to get back to the 50% win track with a good chance to make the playoffs or playin. Let's look for continued advances in the new defense, offense, and more wins. Go Blazers!
