Game Thread 2022-23 Game #21 BLAZERS VS CLIPPERS - NOVEMBER 29, 2022 - TUESDAY - 7:00 PM (PDT) TNT

There were no screens to turn down. They were blitzing him the moment he crossed half court.

I don’t remember a lineup where Dame had to deal with FOUR non-shooters. Maybe 2 with Harkless and Aminu. But tonight’s lineup had Hart, Nurk, Winslow and Watford. All non-shooters.

 

Games that were at or within three points during any point in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter or OT.

 

And Dame wasn’t successful at it either.

 

No, they weren't. Batum was guarding him, they'd rub Batum off on someone and get the switch and Ant would just wait out there for Batum to come back and double.

 

It was also their defensive rebounding. It was 1 and done for us every time down.

 

Maybe not, but I've seen him do it with some really challenged lineups. He'd certainly get himself on the line, IMO.

 

And the Clippers started a good chunk of the their bench!

 

They spent the first part of the 4th trying to post Nurk. That triggered the Clippers run.

 

I'm in agreement that Dame has done some amazing crap with some marginal players on the court.

The knock shouldn't be the Dame/Ant can or can't do it, but that these guys shouldn't be in that position to have to do it. We should always be able to have 3 shooters on the court!

 

Sure but he needs to step up when we lose Dame, Grant etc.

 

I agree, but I don't know whether this is a decision by Hart, Chauncey or a combination of both. It's just odd and it keeps getting more odd.

 

What would you suggest him do? The Clippers were packing the paint with the other 4 guys. Ant was able to get to the rim twice at the end and encountered 3 guys in the paint and got his shot blocked.

 

Absolutely. Dame's done that stuff more with this team and it's been noticeable because he doesn't need to. He doesn't need to try to split doubles with the dribble at the top of the key as much as he does. It's hyperbolic, though, to say because that happens to him sometimes that it isn't sometimes necessary to do those things. Ant has the floater Dame lacks. Ant has the vertical Dame lacks. If Ant's driving with purpose instead of hesitating, I like Ant's chances to get a reasonable scoring opportunity on plays like this, especially when they alternatives are 3-pointers by Justise Winslow.

 

He's never played like that for the Clippers either until tonight

 

Are we going in circles? I answered this a few minutes ago. I've literally explained exactly what he should/could do. I'm not going to keep doing it ... please read the thread.

I really don't get your argumentativeness on this. Cronin's not going to fire Chauncey and hire you, so accept that other people have differing opinions. This isn't a fight to the death to see who's right. Besides, if it was, I'd have already won.

 

They hated him? Come on now

 

I know. I think we were kind of screwed by the personnel available. Hart SHOULD be a capable scoring option there but won't shoot. I would have played Sharpe over Watford simply because Sharpe CAN create good scoring opportunities more readily than Watford even if he's in a slump. Plus, he defends well.

My feeling is this game really wasn't lost at the end. It was lost in the third quarter when we had a chance to step on the Clippers' throats and we started settling for lower-percentage shots and playing lackadaisical defense thinking the game was over.

 

Its tragic