I used to love CJ McCollum when he was coming up. He would always be the smartest guy on the court, making the smartest decisions ... Now he looks like the dumbest guy on the court every time. I don't know if he has been shooting 30% in the last 10 games. Tonight: 5-18 = 27%. Against Houston E.T. 38 minutes, 4 points ... 2-9 = 22%, ZERO free throws. but that is expected. He is not getting paid enough to score 10 points.
Why Stotts continued to call a PnR with Aminu setting the pick is beyond me. That is just poor coaching. Denver would just blitz Dame and leave Chief wide open time after time. They didn't even try to guard him. Why not run the PnR with Nurk? Not rocket science....
Welcome. I haven't liked CJs game for a couple of years now and kept taking grief for it. He can create shots like few in the NBA but when he isn't hitting, he can't do anything else....and he won't stop shooting. Defensively he is below average as well so it's a double-whammy.
Portland has it's core on Lillard/CJ/Nurk. I expect CJ's next development for his game to be throwing lob passes, or pocket passes to bigs on the P&R. I mean Collins/Nurk are going to be with the team long term. CJ must develop this part of his game.
Yeah, I teach it to kids in camps. But if you look at his NBA experience, what big man did he have rolling or catching lobs before Nurk got to Portland? How often did he get to run with Aldridge?
We were throwing lobs in high school and college and I'm sure CJ had the opportunity as well. He may even know how....just would rather shoot. (Regardless of how many defenders he is going against.)
No doubt he's done it before. And I wasn't trying to give him an excuse. That pocket pass though, basic fundamental. CJ just needs to develop it. Less he become more Jamal Crawford, than Steve Nash.
thats not a fair assessment. First, CJ hardly played the first year and a half, and second, lob passes to Plumlee? He hasnt had the bigs he has now. Should he continue to develop his game? yes, but sometimes that development can be hindered by other players abilities... or lack of. I also think Stotts was running Aminu into the pick to put jokik on Dame. Mismatch for Dame.
Pretty sure that's what I was hinting at. CJ hasn't had the bigs to throw lobs to. And the one big were he could throw that pocket pass out of the P&P.. How much run did he exactly get with him? If he can't develop that pass going forward.. Then well Portland needs to find a player who can. For whatever reason Turner is not that player... I was never, nor am I now a Batum fan. But he was able to make P&R work with Rolo. Why can't Turner make it work with Nurk? Soon as a couple times happened when Jokic was just leaving Aminu unguarded, playing center field. An adjustment needed to be made. Pull Aminu for Nards, change whos setting the P&R and sit Aminu in the corner. Something. to get your best player some space.
Don't worry. CJ has found the answer. He is now practicing Apathy. That should help. https://www.blazersedge.com/2018/4/...-mccollum-not-worried-about-slump-jason-quick
I think my biggest issue with Stotts has become his willingness to allow his back up guard to not run offense. I have no issues with Napier dribbling and calling his own number if. He's got others involved first, or ran some offense and got an easy bunny jumper for himself. But for Stotts to allow Napier to run p&r, back it out and call for another p&r. Only to take a 15 foot jumper or a contested three with a few seconds left on the clock bothers me. There is no reason for the back up point guard to dribble the ball for 20s only to take a shot which he could've got in the first 4s of the possession. I remember as 7th grade kid being told by coaches. 'HC, it's cool you made that shot. But you can get that shot any time. Where if you get this teammate a shot, it will make it easier on you next time.' Napier needs to run offense or Stotts needs to pull him. Cause right now he's armon johnson
I only included your quote because that is what @TBpup was responding to. Sorry I wasn't clear. I meant that I didn't think T's assessment was fair based o your post.
I don't think this team has "too much talent" to be sitting on 48 wins. I think they have more wins than the talent indicates. That's where this forum splits in two. Every team loses to crap teams. Memphis and Dallas have wins over a bunch of teams that are better than them. Tuner playing like garbage most of the time isn't Stotts' fault. How about we hold the actual player who makes $17M a year accountable for his play?
That isn't fair either though. You think he is going to say to NO, "naah, I'm not worth that. I cant play at that level. Ill take 10 mill a year though." I'm still a semi supporter of NO, but that's on him. Not Turner.
Whats wierd is it was just a few weeks ago he was considered mister consistent. Now it feels like those were the dark ages....Pre Atlantis or something.
