Game Thread 2024-25 GAME #15 - BLAZERS @ THUNDER - NOVEMBER 20, 2024 - 5:00 PM PST - KATU - CHARGE - BV

watching the game without looking at the box score I would have guessed the Blazers had 30 turnovers....but only 24

finally getting Hartenstein on the floor was huge for OKC.

Portland's starting back court had 10 assists & 10 turnovers while shooting 9-24. That's not going to win on the road too often

 

Hey! I picked that play bro!!!

 

If you asked what stat line an opposing backcourt needed for you to get that win, then 0-10 with 9 fouls might be close.

 

Sharpe needs to figure out how to tighten up that dribble, otherwise he should only be played off the ball. Defenders are chomping at the bit to strip the ball when he spins into them in space.

 

He IS our backup center

 

Walton was 10 times the defender that Clingan is. That is absolutely not a dig at DC either. Walton was ridiculous

 

Yeah, he was pretty butter-fingered tonight.

 

Yep. I just gave up the game thread during games.

 

Still have to read what others posted unless you aren't communication with others and just posting what you see.

 

You can't be a "High Post Distributor" without being able to shoot from there.

 

I still take this game as evidence that the Blazers are better without Simons and Ayton. The game was close till the end.

 

I find myself paying attention to the thread. I've learned over the years to just wait for breaks and go back but then sometimes that is when I need to get to the kitchen or bathroom.
IDK I think he is right and all of you are just really more talented at this than I am.

 

Anyone who uses "Willy Nilly" in a sentence gets a "Like"!

 

I don't have the exact numbers from before the first game against Minny, but IIRC, Portland's defensive rating was about 114.8-115.0 and their net rating was around -8.5

I don't really recall what the offensive rating was but I think it was somewhere in the 106-107 range

so I was curious about Portland's numbers in the last 4 games:

Minny #1: def rating 108.0....net rating +14.0 (off rating 122.0)
Minny #2: def rating 98.4....net rating +8.0 (off rating 106.4)
Atlanta: def rating 107.9....net rating +4.0 (off rating 111.9.0)
@ OKC: def rating 112.2....net rating -10.3 (off rating 101.9)

what about the 4 games prior to the B2B Minny games?

Memphis: def rating 121.4....net rating -39.8 (off rating 80.6)
@ Minny #2: def rating 119.9....net rating -23.6 (off rating 96.3)
@ Spurs: def rating 126.1....net rating -13.9 (off rating 112.2)
@ New Orleans: def rating 107.6....net rating +19.3 (off rating 106.4)

obviously, there's a home/road imbalance in the comparison. But the Blazers did catch a huge break and play New Orleans when the Pels were missing 4 starters and their 6th man. The counterweight to that is the Blazers played by far their worst game of the year against Memphis.

and of course, small sample sizes.

Still, it's hard to ignore Portland's improvement when Simons and Ayton didn't play. That's especially true on defense. In the 4 games Simons/Ayton played the quick and dirty def. rating average was 118.8; in the 4 games they didn't it was 106.6 (season mark is 113.5). Now, I doubt even Simons and Ayton fans would say they wouldn't expect Portland's defense to get better without those two guys. But the other side of those expectations would probably be that Portlands's offense would get worse. But it didn't. Portland's season mark in off. rating is 106.4. The Q(uick)&D(irty) average in those 4 games without the pair was 110.6. And, while the season net rating is -7.1, in those 4 games without it was +3.9

of course, I'm obviously biased. I've been pretty open about my disdain for Simons and Ayton as players. I believe they are both empty calorie players carting high usage who tend to subtract more than they add. So this all dovetails neatly into my bias. And as I said, the sample sizes are way small and there's a reverse home/road imbalance. But those number sure do fit into what we've watched

 

This is how the world be

 

Oh come on now, Ayton is a center like LaMarcus Aldridge was a center.

 

I’m gonna have to disagree with you on that one

 

Totally fair. What I saw of Ayton doesn't make me excited by the probability that he's walking back through that door. I hope this conversation is moot, since he's on the trading block. Clingan is starting quality already, unless last night was by far the best game of his career. IMO we could do a lot worse than start him and look for a backup.

 

Deni needs the ball in his hands more. Grant needs to go.