Game Thread 2023-24 Game #22 - BLAZERS @ CLIPPERS - DECEMBER 11, 2023 - MONDAY - 7:30 PM PST - ROOT

I agree with those saying too much Simons 1-on-1 in the 4th Q. 2nd time it's happened. He was more successful at it tonight than against the Warriors because he got to the line, but the primary impact is that it completely freezes Sharpe out of the offense, and the Blazers need him to be a threat

that game will help Portland's offensive rating and hurt the defensive rating

Brown had 12 rebounds, which was important, but he has to be a league leader in doofus

Scoot finally played like the player we were hoping he was

 

I love that this team just keeps trying. I really like Ant but he has to become a better distributor or he'll have to play with a big distributor like Malcolm. I also thought the first half of this game was the best sustained play we've seen out of Scoot to this point.

 

Clippers were stressed out. LAC up 50 million in team salary and down by 1 point.

 

that wasn’t a layup. They clogged the paint cutting off his path to the hoop and he forced a bad pass as a result. After consecutive iso drives by Simon’s

 

Having rhe Clips on the ropes without three of our best players is a win in my book.

 

Ant could've easily got off that floater/layup he's made many times before. Hurd said the same thing during the broadcast if you go back and listen.

1.65pts/attempt for Ant while getting the Clippers best defender. Elite stuff.

 

Moses Brown had 12 rebounds off the bench. That's windex level glass cleaning

 

footwork on this is unreal



he also just glides

 

I'm talking about the offense, you're talking about the defense.

 

And Lue had the better team all 9 times.

Billups +1 on Coach Effect metric!

 

Part of it is the players around home. In the Mavs game, there was more than a couple possessions where Ant passed to Walker out of a double team and Walker had no idea what to do with it. Some of it also came down to guys not hitting their shots. He had two passes to Reath where he didn’t convert. Had he made both baskets, Ant would have 6 assists, around the apg mark that I expect from him till the end of the season.

 

Yeah the Clippers obviously knew that our only two guys who could score were Ant and Shae so they ball denied Shae and forced Ant to go one on two or three. I guess that was a bit of an unfair critique of Ant. I just think Shae is already the better scorer and he does more quality passing than Ant does.

 

Glad to see Dickau employed by the Blazers after everything that happened.

 

maybe, but I've watched enough NBA to know that's often not the case. Having other players changes the nature of the game. Maybe Grant & Brogdon would have combined for 2-15 on three's while committing 8 turnovers; maybe Ayton would have been in foul trouble or been a non-factor as he has in several games

 

We are sorely lacking Ayton's rebounding.

 

He got away with the Harden travel

 

I’ll give that to you, that Shae looks like a better quality passer than Ant, I’m not blind to what I see. But I also don’t see that as a critique of Ant though, that’s really a testament to Shae’s development as a player. Who thought Shae was going to be able to do all this?

Part of it is going to be on Shae to make it be known he wants the ball in the clutch. Dame had to actually ask for the ball in timeouts before he was given any opportunities to win the game.

 

Ant can be great, but he needs to learn how to play team ball and bring the best out of his teammates. Sharpe is absolutely that guy and this was Scoot's best game. This three-headed monster can be great if Ant learns how to share the ball more.

 

I knew Sharpe was gonna be a Superstar since we drafted him. I could just see it way back then due to highlight reels. He had it all, skills, body control, quickness and insane athleticism. All he lacked was a handle which he is now developing and he's improving at everything. He's going to be a Superstar, not an All-Star a top 10 guy in the league and he has the tools to be MVP level talent. I'm not saying he will reach that and look at the league right now it's unreal stacked and talented. That said, I think Sharpe has no ceiling. Legit unlimited potential.