Game Thread 2023-24 Game #24 - BLAZERS VS MAVERICKS - DECEMBER 16, 2023 - SATURDAY - 6:00 PM PST - ROOT

His shot wasn't falling when he got it but once again there is a reason why I don't want vets that Shae feels he should defer to on this team. Shae is our greatest weapon right now when he's engaged. The guy needs reps as our number one scorer. I think he'll be inconsistent until the trade deadline when he feels like he's at least our second option again. He did play hard on defense but he wasn't even as confident on that end of the floor as he was before the vets came back.

 

he was deferring to the two players we probably want on the trade block in February, and we lost the game while they looked great. He did his job just fine.

 

Ayton is dropping WAY too deep. He's practically under the basket; Luka was SHREDDING us with that extra space. I think that's why Chauncey was grilling him.

Ayton is coasting. Checked out. When he has an issue with something (in this case too much ISO ball, or "coach yelled at me"), he just shuts down. Victim mentality. Really, I'm not sure giving him more touches will even help?

 

They almost tore the whole team down. They are expecting losses. I think besides Ant they'll finish the job before the deadline. I said when Dame was traded that Joe and by extension Chauncey had bought themselves a few years before they have to worry about really winning again. Next season I'd assume they'll expect a team that gets more wins than this season and the season after that they'll want this team competing for a play-in spot... it will be 2027 before the playoffs are the expectation for fuck's sake.

 

raw numbers from scoot this month aren't that bad when you squint a bit:

28.4 mins, 15.6 pts, 5.2 asts, 3.2 rebs, 2.8 to, on 40/28/75 shooting.

 

I can’t remember the specifics but at the beginning of the season Marang was really harping on the fact that only a handful of 19 year old rookies have ever averaged 15 and 5 or better.

 

Marbury, Kyrie, and maybe one other.

Dennis Smith Jr was close!

 

I mean roster wise what do you expect. When you get someone’s like Jrue holiday in trade and deal him away without hesitation it’s obvious it’s all about the future.

 

Sad that Portland media was trying to bait him

 

It feels a bit like Lillard's fleshbacks. One, two guys having good scoring game and it is boring and hard to watch.
This season I am here for Sharpe and co. development, hard defense, team play. I had it all just few games ago. It is not there now.
I like Ant, but I am afraid, we going Lillard path with him. He is very good, but it is not our path.
Trade Grant and try to play Shea with Ant. If it's not working, trade Ant. Not because he is not good, but because we are going different direction as a team (I hope).

 

If they don't find the right deal for Ant, they should insist on bringing him off the bench. He can be as aggressive as he wants coming off the bench. A rich Lou Williams type.

 

I think Ayton is like the quintessential mediocre center. Mediocre defense, sufficient rebounding, converts at an adequate rate when he happens to get an opportunity. Certainly not a max level player, and there is no "Domin" in him.

 

You can't blame Ant and Grant for Shaedon and Ayton disappearing. The former are taking good shots and playing very efficiently -- I remember when that used to be a problem and justifiably drew complaints.

There might be an issue with the offense, but I think the bigger thing with Shae is he just defers too much. When there are other scorers on the floor, he's either lax about scoring or unwilling to look to shoot because he's concerned how others will feel about him taking shots.

He's getting touches, though. Maybe not as many as I'd like to see and hope to see as this team matures, but he's getting them. He's just not forcing his offense -- that's a good and bad thing.

Ayton's issue is more that he's not getting the ball. They gave it to him early and he feasted. Then he gets forgotten. But he's playing well. He's a significant upgrade over Nurk in what he does and what he opens the door for those around him to do.

I think some fans are just looking for things to complain about. If we aren't winning, we want the team to be competitive. If we aren't winning and are competitive, we want the young guys to play a lot. If we aren't winning but are competitive and the young guys are playing a lot, then the complaint is the wrong guys are producing efficiently. Almost gives one the impression people were going to complain about this process no matter how it goes. I expect that even if/when Brogdon and Grant are traded, there'll be complaints about something else, probably Chauncey. And if the Blazers switch coaches, then they'll complain about something else.

 

Sharpe hasn't been efficient at all with the low volume of shots he has taken over the past few games. Sharpe has been wildly inconsistent this year. It's hopefully just growing pains. But I need to see a player be efficient and the guy who is taking the shots not be before I start complaining about them needing more shots.

 

Tough to be worse than a team that has lost 23 straight.

 

I love this comment. It's exactly the way i see it. You simply don't see what he is doing that makes him get to the hoop? He looks slow. He doesn't jump. He's not bigger than everyone else. He makes plays....I ask how does this happen? Waddle power!

 

It's only gonna get worse this year. Brought that guy here and made him tank three straight years.

 

He methodically backs people down and his footwork although slow is great, uses his body to clear space. Scoot should study his game.

 

Our intensity, Our defense, Our playing hard no matter what, the fun watching this team all went away when Ant came back. Yes he can score with the best of them but the team looks lost out there. What happened to our 10th ranked defense?

 

Might have something to do with playing The Mavs (better team) twice, the Jazz (better team) twice, The Warriors (better team) twice after tonight, The Clippers (better team) since he came back but what do i know?
For what It's worth i don't expect it to get much better against the Suns on Tuesday. Maybe they can hold the Wiz under 100 points on Thursday?