I really couldn't and didn't watch hardly any Blazer ball until the last two weeks. So wtf is different about this team now? Now they were unwatchable at the beginning of the season. They are fun to watch and winning. Same team. I don't get it.
they're playing good defense. and scoot is figuring out some things. also keep in mind we're catching a lot of these teams on the 2nd night of b2bs right before the AS break. lot of our opponents are on fumes right now.
Things are clicking. Kinda like what happened to Phoenix a while back. They were terrible until the suddenly were not.
I think Chauncey has this team playing incredible defense and I see no reason why they won't continue to. A lot of our guys are also getting downhill on offense and it's just putting a lot of pressure on opponents on that end of the court too. That should be sustainable as well. What isn't sustainable (and I'll be happy if I'm wrong) is this recent win percentage. We're 7-1 over our last 8 games... maybe winning 60% of our games could possibly be sustainable for the rest of the season but probably closer to 50% and definitely not 87.5%. .875 is up there with the 95-96 Bulls and just a little under the 15-16 Warriors. I do think being a really tough team to win against is sustainable based on the youth athleticism and good attitudes of so many players on this team... combined with Chauncey's philosophies.
All five starters and two off the bench were in double figures last night. On offense, they are moving the ball and playing to each others strengths. On defense, benching Sharpe while calling out his play sent a message. Hate it for our draft position but definitely makes it easier to watch games.
Somehow, Scoot learned to shoot and stop turning the ball over. Somehow, Blazer vets learned to play D.
Watching this team grow has been enjoyable. Next few days are going to be interesting. I could honestly see us standing pat till summer. Players and even coach are making decisions a lot tougher. is Billups better coach than we thought and he’s just now getting a group that fits his coaching style. The offensive sets out of timeouts are damn good many ending in dunks or at least good looks. I’ve always thought that was a sign of good coach. Although Billups probably isn’t drawing up those plays lol
Yes, I think there are three key players behind this turnaround. In order of importance: 1. Anfernee. I have never seen him so engaged. His offense is back to where it has been, but his passing and his defense have never been this good. 2. Scoot. The shooting has just opened up his game exponentially. 3. Ayton. He's...actually good? Question is, will this mean Cronin will want to stand pat or sell high? If the former, I have a feeling Anfernee's game might drop off after the trade deadline. I hope I'm wrong, though, because right now he's better than Shaedon in almost every respect, without that just being a massive slam against Shaedon.
The defense is awesome - but there is actually secondary movement off the ball and secondary picks to free people for passes - which is something we have not seen before. Last night were a couple of these where Grant was setting a secondary pick for DA which left DA free to roll to the hoop and get an uncontested pass from the ball handlers (Ant, Scoot). We did not have that earlier in the year. It's fun to watch this team all of a sudden.
The team right now is 20-29. Was he a good coach when they lost 5 in a row, 4 in a row at home, in January? Was he a good coach when they lost 6 in a row in December, which included a 42-point blowout to the Utah Jazz at home?
I thought NBA coaches were just glorified babysitters and had no effect on the game. Is that still true?
That’s just it FAMS….he’s the SAME coach. I was just checking, because I don’t see anybody giving props for the wins. Can’t blame for the losses and NOT give credit for the wins. Not how it works.
I see no reason why it should drop off. They are all playing well right now. Everyone has upped their game defensively (to various degrees) They all seem to have a good attitude and are supportive of one another. They are having fun for the first time as Blazers. I think Deni is the key, he just needs to stay healthy. They seem to be following his example.
Deni and the improved shooting of Scoot has helped a lot. Both of them are instigators of energy and team play.
I don't believe in Ayton or Simons. In January they looked like Marcus Camby and Raymond Felton out there. Did they really find their spark right before the trade deadline coincidentally? It's a mirage.
