Game Thread 2022-23 Game #14 BLAZERS VS SPURS - NOVEMBER 15, 2022 - TUESDAY - 7:00 PM (PDT) ROOT

I was telling folks at Moda tonight that ya'll be pussies.....
Nice to see I wasn't wrong. (this is just from 2 pages!!!)
You guys really need to toughen up.
48 minutes, boys.

 

This, is how ya do it.

 

Maybe because the big 3 is Dame/Jerami/Shaedon?

 

It’s not because they hate him. It’s because Shaedon should start at Simons has value in trade market.

 

Calabro and Hurd were acting like we were done when the game was tied with 9-10 minutes to go.

 

2 issues. First, not everyone is convinced Simons is a great complement to Dame. Second, when you compare Simons in his 5th season to Sharpe as a rookie, it is distressing how small the gap is. Every game Simons seems to have streaks where he looks like a rookie - bringing back the old complaints about his learning curve. I'll admit it...I believe that if they made Sharpe the starter now, by the end of the season we would be the better team for it.

Keep in mind I am saying this as someone who didn't want Sharpe and thought it would years before he was productive - if ever. It has been so long since we had a rookie who was actually good, I forgot what they should look like!

 

Yep. He’s really good. He scores so easily and is a better defender than Ant. It makes too much sense.

 

I felt like Sharpe definitely needed more than 22 minutes in this game. But is he really a better defender than Ant at this point? Certainly a better shot blocker, but it seems like his man blows by him at about the same frequency as Ant. I haven't looked at the stats, though. Still, that it's even close between a 19yo and Ant says a lot about both.

Lots of talk about Eubanks vs Nurk, but to me neither guy is playing in the 4th quarter if Winslow is healthy. I'd rather us take our chances on small ball to finish out this game, or really any game where Nurk isn't feeling it.

It felt like Ant was really stinking it up. Eye opening to look at the box score and see him with 23 on 7-16.

I really can't wait for Winslow to come back and Payton to play. Dame logged 40 minutes--he's not going to be fresh in the playoffs if this keeps up. With those two back, Dame will be able to sit while Payton slots into the point guard position on defense and Winslow takes over ball handling.

You can easily imagine how drastically it'll change the look of our team if it works. Teams will have to adjust everything on the fly as they go from facing Dame to an elite defense. It could really dictate the terms of the game.

 

Jerami Grant is getting more and more expensive

 

ew

 

Exactly my thoughts. However, the $28m/yr deal that I saw someone thrown out there doesn’t sound as terrible. Slightly more than the Wiggins deal, and he deservedly should be making more than Wiggins. The glass-half full thought would be that we got a likely AS for only a 1st rounder in a few years that will likely be 25-30.

 

All those things can be true, and it still wouldn’t make sense to trade Ant right now. Unless Ant is in apart of a deal to bring in a player that is an AS or near AS player, or he brings in 2 or more 1st rounders, we shouldn’t just move him.

We have yet to try Starting Sharpe and using Ant as a 6th man. Sharpe also could be prone to getting cheap fouls starting against starters early, so we still need someone like Ant to be a high level scorer off the bench. Sharpe getting a 3rd foul in the 1st quarter off a Booker pump fake still sticks in my memory.

The earliest time to think about trading Ant should be in the offseason after seeing Dame and Ant in a playoff run together first.

 

I don't think most of us who want to look at trading Ant are looking for a fringe role player or some draft picks to replace him. Ideally it's a Jimmy Butler/Anunoby-type--someone who can play SG or SF who is bigger, defends well, can score (but maybe not as well as Ant)....they may force their way out because of dissatisfaction with the team or it may be their team just wants to tank/rebuild.

Ant put up 27+ points in 1/3 of his games last year. It's pretty easy seeing him as guy who can sell tickets on a team that's tanking.

The timeline really depends on the player. Things can move quite quickly if the right player becomes dissatisfied, or a team feels like they could still be in the Wembanyama sweepstakes. It may be the best offer happens sooner than the summer. I'd be fine with trading Ant at the deadline if there's somebody out there who is a better fit next to Dame.

 

I think something is still wrong with Nurk. Nurk can guard Poeltl. Just couldn't last night.

 

C'mon. Nurk has always been hot and cold. This isn't just a one time thing. It sure isn't the first time we have said "he is injured".
I think he could have been better against Poeltl but we have seen him play like this a bunch of times.

 

Can you choose a different descriptor? A non anatomical word please.

 

The team is in first place and people want to blow it up?

Blazers so used to passing ball to someone in red and black. Green unis confused them.
As good an explanation for turnovers as any.

 

Oh, you thought I was serious?

 

It's only fair you should get to ask a question that is so often directed at you

 

Eubanks got so many minutes tonight because we were gloating. "You cut this guy so you could throw a ton of money at Zach Collins! Nerny nerny nerny"