Game Thread 2022-23 Game #64- BLAZERS @ MAGIC - MARCH 5, 2023 - SUNDAY - 3:00 PM (PDT) ROOT

Nassir was supposed to be that 10 & 5 guy off the bench. It's been a roller coaster season for him, but he got his numbers and hit a big shot today.

 

what aspect of Cronin’s approach to the frontcourt and RFA evaluation looks unlike tanking to you?

 

As long as we're agreed that it appears Cronin has set this thing up for draft positioning. No one is debating you on Dame.

 

Yep. By fouling, we put the pressure back on ourselves to make FTs. It was a bad strategy. Just play defense and grab the rebound.

 

With Dame's FT shooting, the numbers seem to indicate anything under 10-15 seconds should be a solid play. We basically didn't give Orlando a chance to tie it.

 

I'll take the over on 2. What's the bet?

 

That's not really how it works.

We were having our 80% and 90% FT shooters going up against their 75% FT shooters. The odds of Orlando making one more FT than us and making an additonal FG are much less than their 35% 3pt shooting. No strategy is without the possibility of it not working, but the probablity of us fouling vs letting them shoot a 3 is certainly in our favor.

 

Ok, it's over.

Still your fault!

 

On the bright side we can make this blunder of a game up with a big loss tomorrow against the Pistons

 

You don't let them get a shot at three? What are you thinking? Just play defense? What? Grab a rebound? What What?

 

Dame for 40 and another win gets them back on the play in and closer to the scoring title. A miraculous win streak gets Dame in the MVP talk.
A loss gets them back into the lottery talk.
What's not to like?

 

Play in is pointless. Not sure if you noticed but we can’t beat good teams. A higher pick is much more valuable. We won’t make the play in or the playoffs anyways so Lillard’s scoring title doesn’t really mean much to me.

In a winning season I’d be absolutely stoked for a scoring title.

 

I would’ve preferred us to just play defense and get a stop.

 

Good teams we’ve beaten: Healthy Suns (twice), Denver, Sacramento, Warriors, Wolves (twice). That’s 5 of top 6 in West. We’ve also beaten 3 of the 4 current play-in teams.

 

I am not sure which strategy is best, but there certainly are a lot of coaches who believe you don't give a team the chance to tie with a 3 when you can put them at the line for 2. Especially when NBA players are so good at shooting them now.

Personally, I go back and forth on that strategy because you always run the risk of giving up a rebound if the shooter intentionally misses the 2nd FT. But I had no problem with Chancey's trying it, especially since the rules favor the 3-point shooters these days. You get close to them and it is a foul. However, fouling twice after only 2 seconds had run the clock seemed a little quick IMO.

 

I usually don't get into these back and forths but I still think it was wrong to foul intentionally three times in last 9 seconds. That's three times some guy could have anticipated a foul and thrown up a crazy three that went in. That's three times we had to inbound after they made free throws with the chance of getting the ball stolen under their basket.

 

It was only twice in the last 9 seconds, but I get your point.

 

Are you Terry Stotts?