Blazers have 10 wins in 13 games!

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by swish3, Nov 13, 2018.

  1. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

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    You know the best thing about this entire post? Thanks to Meyers improved play, other posters are actually starting to take @swish3 seriously (well, semi-seriously, or maybe seriously1/2). What was once a laughable gimmick is now getting serious replies.

    BNM
     
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  2. swish3

    swish3 Well-Known Member

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    BNM, I'm surprised that you would call swish3 scoring a laughable gimmick. Now that 72 point per game scoring is a reality by 2 teams, the power of the swish3 is growing. The need to counter high scoring by swish3s is greater and never was a gimmick. Meyers is playing a lot better defense, is making the Blazers better, the big runs by opponents have been limited, scoring is better and well distributed, Evan, Nik, and Seth are playing well, and the flow is better at both ends of the floor in the games in which Meyers has 12+ min. There is a lot to build on and reason for optimism.
     
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  3. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

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    You know what, if the biggest criticism is he doesn't shoot enough, I'll take that. In fact, I noticed during the sky box game, the ONLY time people were all over Meyers' shit was when he turned down an open 3-pointer. Sure. I'd be happy to see him knock down one or two extra swish3s per game, but if he's not comfortable shooting it, he shouldn't shoot it. That's one reason his percentages are as good as they are, he only shots when he's 100% confident he's going to make it.

    The other thing I noticed at the sky box game was even when Meyers doesn't shoot the open 3, he's creating space. Teams have caught on that they can't leave him fucking wide open all damn day at the 3-point line. So, when he catches the ball beyond the arc and mentally debates whether to shoot it, or not, his man is actually closing out hard on him. Which creates lanes and spacing for his teammates. At that point, rather than launch a shot with a defender flying at him, I'm fine with him passing off. It's had the desired effect.

    I'm also fine with his minutes. As his minutes have increased from the 8 - 9 MPG he was averaging earlier in the season to the 6 - 18 MPG he's been getting lately, his production has remained good and his overall contributions have remained a net positive. Any minute he's on the floor and not hurting the team is a minute Nurk is resting and not picking up fouls. It may not seem like much, but over the course of an 82-game schedule, those minutes take a toll on a person as big as Nurk. I'd rather have Nurk rested and ready for the stretch run and the playoffs than playing big minutes in November and December.

    His OWS, DWS, OBPM and DBPM are all positive. He's rebounding, drawing fouls, making the right pass and knocking down the occasional wide open 3-pointer. I'll take that from my back up center any day - even at $10 million a year. I'll even go so far as to say, for the first time since the ink dried on his contract, Meyers is actually earning his paycheck. A back up center who does all those things in 16 - 18 MPG with a PER = 16.4 making $10 million per season, is not overpaid by current NBA standards. The onus is on Meyers to continue to produce at this rate, but if he does, hats off to him and his biggest fan @swish3.

    BNM
     
  4. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

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    I was referring to your posting style. We all have our unique online personas. Yours is one of the best. Don't ever change!

    BNM
     
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  5. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

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    For consistency, I propose we refer to Meyers' free throws as free1s. We already have swish3s and dunk2s. Free1s completes the set.

    BNM
     
  6. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

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    I hate to ruin the beautiful symmetry of your post, but Meyers has not played in all 13 games. He's only played in 10 of the 13 games (again, 76.9%), but the team is actually 8-2 (80.0% winning percentage) in the games Meyers has played. In games Meyers has actually played, the team is winning at a rate that exceeds even his record setting playoff swish3 shooting percentage.

    BNM
     
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  7. swish3

    swish3 Well-Known Member

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    OK, BNM, I agree with you. He is not only making deliberate shots but using spacing and his scoring threat to open shots for teammates. And his off ball movement, screens, handoff assist-screens, rebounds, boxing out, changing his opponent's shot trajectory, and getting free at the rim have added up to scoring that I think can translate into 10-20 valuable points per game. Meyers alternating with Nurk, and often playing together with Zach, has added significant scoring and really improved Nurk by keeping him fresh and active. The entire team benefits with these demonstrated talents.

    What does amaze me is having the NBA best percentage swish3 scorer on the team, but not reaping the success that outstanding shooting can bring to the team. I imagine this combination of relieving Nurk, spacing the floor, screens, assists, active rebounding, and shooting talents with swish3s, dunk2s, and free1s will bring high scoring game where the Blazers can meet and exceed 130+ point challenges and win 60+ games, and quite possibly the NBA championship.
     
  8. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

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    Yessssss!!!!!

    BNM
     
  9. swish3

    swish3 Well-Known Member

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    Yes, you are correct. Winning with Meyers is even better at 80%. If Meyers had played in those other 3 games, especially to provide for Nurk playing in his intense mode, the Blazers would probably have at least 1 more win. Thinking of the Oct 12 and other games with Meyers scoring 16+ points and playing well, I expect to see Meyers contribute to many more wins if the coaches have him in the game, not on the bench.
     
  10. Sarni

    Sarni Well-Known Member

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    So if Meyers played in the remaining three games, of which we lost one, we would have AT LEAST one more win - meaning it’s also possible we would even have two or more more wins so we could win even 4 or 5 of the 3 games he did not play in. He’s amazing that Meyers guy.
     
  11. swish3

    swish3 Well-Known Member

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    OK Sarni. It should say 1 more win. Please strike the "at least."
     
  12. TorturedBlazerFan

    TorturedBlazerFan Well-Known Member

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    My problem was the post made it sound like they need to encourage ML to shoot more. He can obviiusly shoot the ball, but theyve been encouraging him to just shoot and not think for a couple years now. Not sure what else they can do. Meyers at least looks like a decent back up center this year, Im not knocking that..
     
  13. H.C.

    H.C. Well-Known Member

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    Swish3 is a meme account.
    Treat it like KS, HCP, Maris, etc.
     
  14. Shaboid

    Shaboid Well-Known Member

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    Nah man. I'm about to change my moniker to slypokerswish3
     
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  15. swish3

    swish3 Well-Known Member

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    The MIN game Nov 16 is the exemplary game to illustrate the Blazer weakness that I think is the barrier holding us back from wins. This was again a failure to observe and recognize who was the hot hand and where the strongest scoring threat could be found. On a night when the Blazers record holding swish3 percentage shooter was 2 of 2 and playing well, and knowing that he contributed well also in the Nov 4 MIN game, the coaches did not have Meyers on the court and looking for him to shoot at least 6 swish3s. Dame, CJ, Chief, Jake, and Nik were cold from the arc, but Meyers was red hot!

    Nurk had a good game (13 points and 11 rebounds in 23 min), and CJ had 18 points in 31 min, but Meyers had 10 points and 5 rebounds in only 14 min. When Dame missed 3 consecutive swish3s, he should have stopped shooting them and instead looked for Meyers, who should have been on the floor for at least 22 min based on his productivity. The failure to substitute also contributed to the poor defense by the Blazers in the 2nd half. When Chief, Jake, Evan, and Nik are not scoring, but Meyers is, he should be in the game. Meyers can be in the game simultaneously with Nurk ( or Zach) giving a strong defense and enhanced scoring threat.

    To get back to the 70% win record that we crave, it is important that the Blazers be opportunistic about scoring, and play and feed the Blazers with the hot hands. In this MIN game, that was Meyers, Zach, and Gary. The Blazers need to be open minded about scoring and ready to substitute to keep up the determined defensive intensity that allowed the early 10 of 13 wins record.
     

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