Game Thread 2024-25 GAME #38 - BLAZERS VS HEAT - JAN 11, 2025 - SAT - 7:00 PM - CHARGE - KUNP - BLAZERVISION

Even the Blazers free-throw defense is 27th in the league. Trash!

 

And I think we’re on a great path, high lottery picks, drafting promising talent, seeing flashes of greatness, and have a good shot at another high lottery pick. This is how you build a winner in Portland. Be patient. Look at Houston and OKC if you need to be comforted.

 

It was an 18-2 run and Clingan scored their 2. So WE actually scored 20 points in a row.

 

Here’s a ray of light:


Lots of rays of light. We had an 18-2 run tonight. Nearly went 4-1 on our road trip. 4-6 in our last 10. Scoot hit a game winner and recently had a 12-12 game from the free throw line. Shaedon’s been playing very well despite poor shooting tonight. Clingan produces for us when we play him. Deni and Camara are championship role players who could develop into more.

 

I’d rather be us than the Suns or Warriors. Lakers and Clippers are poorly run too.

 

I'd blame it on the staff and the situation before I'd blame it on Scoot.

He needs to get a left though. That's on him.

 

Scoot needs to start. Putting him in 5 minutes into the game because we have to start Ant is dumb to me. I don’t think Ant’s defense is good enough for him to be a starter on a winning team. Not for us, that is. Get whatever you can get for him.

 

I'm all for developing player, but I think starting needs to be earned.

 

Nah. We started Dame from Day 1- 40 minutes per game- with no PG signed to compete with him. He didn’t have to earn anything. Scoot and Dame are different players but with some guys, they have to take in a whole game to play well. Not everyone can play 6th man. Scoot needs to start and finish games. He needs to be able to read a game, read his teammates, and then orchestrate a path to the finish line. Scoot is not being allowed to do this. Can you imagine if Dame’s rookie year was playing for a coach who only plays rookies if they defend? Dame had everything handed to him in Portland. And even then, we ended the season with 13 consecutive losses.

 

Tonight that Herro, Jovic, Jacquez trade for Lillard would’ve been nice.

 

I personally don't care if Scoot starts or not if and hopefully when we move Ant. I just don't want any of his minutes to be played with a guy like Ant. Moving Ant is also about clearing the runway for Shaedon who I think has earned the right to be the number one option on a high lottery, rebuilding team.

For Scoot I just want him to have the onus on him when he's in the game. They should probably play him as many minutes without Shaedon as possible for a while too. Ant just gums up the development and I'm sorry after seeing the way Ant can light it up as a first option, I have a really hard time believing there aren't a few teams out there who wouldn't want him as a third or maybe even second scoring option, obviously with a lot of really good defenders to play with him.

 

One of my favorite plays of the year -

 

Would have been nice then too, but that’s not what was offered

 

okay, that was a thing of beauty. And it involved players we want to see playing right now.

 

This is the kinda stuff that Sharpe does that add to my hope of him being a star.

 

Can you remind me of the package?

 

Agree.

Ant was a -1 for the game
Sharpe -18
Scoot -17
Deni- 16

Yes the +/1 does not paint the whole picture, and Yes, we can debate whether or not to trade Ant so that we can tank more easily, but criticizing Ant's performance as of late is
silly, as is making excuses for Scoot's performance on the fact he is not starting. He entered the game at the 7.32 mark with the Blazers up 10-9. So how bad could Ant's D have been while "starting"?

 

last year, Scoot started in 52% of his games and he averaged 28.5 minutes (32 games starting). This season he's started in 9% of his games (3 games) and he's averaging 25.7 minutes. Now, I don't know if there's any correlation between good/bad games, starting, and more minutes.

But I do think the Blazers might need to try him as a starter and give him at least 30 min/game for a long stretch of games before they can truly know what they have in Scoot. Unfortunately, that likely won't happen with Simoss and Chauncey around

it is kind of strange that Scoot averaged 3 more minutes when the Blazers had Brogdon, Simons, & Sharpe

 

I think he has to focus on his strengths: speed and strength. Try to be a poor man's Westbrook. I am not sure what the coaches are doing with him. He looks very cautious, afraid to make a mistake, and is not really helping the team.

 

And none of his good games this year are as good as his best five games last year. And yes, I think coaching has a lot to do with it.