Game Thread 2023-24 Game #20 - BLAZERS @ WARRIORS - DECEMBER 6, 2023 - WEDNESDAY - 7:00 PM PST - ROOT

I think the 'play-type' stats at NBA.com can reveal some things about how good players are at specific things

this season, only 4 Blazers have registered enough isolation to be listed so far:

Brogdon: frequency 10.7%...points/possession 1.21....percentile - 87th
Sharpe: frequency 7.8%...points/possession 0.77....percentile - 28th
Grant: frequency 14.1%...points/possession 0.72....percentile - 25th
Scoot: frequency 7.1%...points/possession 0.46....percentile - 7th

last season:

Lillard: frequency 17.5%...points/possession 1.17....percentile - 91st
Simons: frequency 14.0%...points/possession 0.89....percentile - 48th
Grant: frequency 10.0%...points/possession 0.82....percentile - 33rd
Sharpe: frequency 5.9%...points/possession 0.85....percentile - 40th
Keon: frequency 12.9%...points/possession 1.10....percentile - 83rd (wut?)


last season, Dame going iso was a justifiably good option. So far, it looks the same for Brogdon this season. For anybody else, no. Last night, Ant going full-iso lost the lead and the game, or at least those two factors coincided. Now, the options were limited because all the good screeners and pick-setters on the team were either out or in foul purgatory

but unless the player is elite at iso, running that play over and over is a losing proposition. So far, Brogdon has averaged 1.21 ppp on iso and he averages the same 1.21 ppp on spot-up. Grant averages 0.36 more ppp on spot-up than iso; Sharpe 0.35 more. Last season, Dame averaged 1.17 on iso and 1.18 on spot-up; Simons averages 0.27 more on spot-up; Sharpe 0.29; Grant 0.36

again, unless you're talking elite talent, team basketball is much more efficient than 1-on-1, even if the team BB is as simple as PnR with an outlet passing option

 

I thought the offense looked better with Ant, regardless of how many shots he took lol. I would love to see the expected FG% last night versus on other nights with Brogdon and Grant as the number 1 option. From just the eye test, I'll take the shot quality we got last night. It's a make or miss league.

 

Perhaps the fact that the Blazers are actually playing good defense should be considered? It was Ant’s first game back and that fact didn’t change. The Blazers got an 11 point lead on the Warriors by playing solid, at times inspired, defense on them despite being down 2 starters (3 after Brogdon went down). Yeah, the Warriors came back in the fourth (refs and Steph). Looking forward to seeing how the team plays when healthy.

 

Here is the unfortunate rebound by Camara that became a turnover.

Camara first looked to the right, and Anfernee Simons is wide open. A couple seconds later, Sharpe is heading that way too.
There were no Warriors on the right side of the court. Green had run down the court to defend.
Camara did have defenders in his face, but all he had to do was throw the ball in the general direction of Simons.

Instead, Camara shifted to looking left/center as he was falling out of bounds. Right where there were defenders.




Simons and now Sharpe are both open.

 

What should the Trail Blazers do in this situation? We know a 3-p0inter likely means a loss, but the option of giving up an easy 2 pointer or fouling for 2 free throws isn't a fantastic option either.

 

I wonder if Giannis will...

 

If you've been on this board long enough, you would know the answer is pretty simple:

1. Fight through every screen
2. Sound individual defense, maximum effort
3. Mix up your help, talk on defense
4. Get the rebound
5. Run the "dunk play" on the other end

The game is easy!

 

Anyone can do it.

 

Ayton Doubtful, Brogdon Questionable, Grant Out for tomorrow against Dallas.

 

don’t feed the trolls.

 

I think he sees the two Warrior defenders facing him and is worried if he throws it that way it's going right in the basket so he only has time to avoid what he sees as the worst option.

 

God I wish I was hip enough to know what the hell this means.

 

I didn’t think I was trolling anybody…..there were people just a few weeks ago saying this on here I swore.

 

finding one terrible take and conflating it to be 'the' take, then dismantling said take is very aaron fentress core. I hope for your sake you're not him.

 

But there were more than a few thinking that the first of the week I swear. Not just one dumbass, but multiple.

 

And I'm sure we'll hear about it from you for the next 3 years.

 

Rewatching the game….. how are the warriors still getting the calls that they got 7 years ago when they were actually good?

 

The ref training is firmly imbedded in their psyche. We'd have to kidnap them and submit them to months of intense deprogramming therapy combined with electric shock treatment for them to reject the cult.