Game Thread GAME# 2: BLAZERS @ SUNS - OCTOBER 30, 2015 - FRIDAY, 7:30 PM (PST), CSNNW

Going to be fun watching Lillard drop 41 tomorrow night. The whole team should come out heated at how they played and how the refs treated them, if thats not motivation I don't know what is.

 

Derozen yes. Paul George hell no.

 

Anyone still want to see Meyers extended for $11 million per year?

These are the biggest games of his life; I believe the deadline is Monday and he's choking. One game left for him to prove something.

I'm hoping we wait till next summer until considering signing him unless it's some super team frendly cheap deal.

I think there's a real chance Harkless will be better. He's gonna be a restricted free agent too.

 

His wife probably would but she'd have to split the money with him

 

81-1

Not swayed

 

43

 

Crabbe, albeit having a few nice plays on defense, doesn't play with urgency, physically, nor with intensity, mentally. He's way too relaxed - and 'checked-out'.
I think we should move him on in a consolidation trade.

Dame still forcing it . .

Could've used Hendo tonight. .

Steve Nash - helluva player, helluva nice guy. Shoulda had that ceremony at a more appropriate time . . .

Davis is solid.

Rouq is magnitudes better than Batum, and it's not even close. People who said otherwise are delusional. Hail the Chief!

F*&K those M-F*&king Refs - disgraceful display of 'Officiating' - you were 'officially' incompetent!

 

I hope Stotts doen't take the blame too early for these types of games. This team is going to have to get dirty to manufacture buckets, literally, any way they can. If we draw so many damn fouls, it isn't his fault. This would be so much easier if we had somebody to dish it in down low. Grumble Grumble.

 

No I don't think Indy trades George unless they get a ridiculously good offer. He's still really young. He's a star. It would be stupid to trade him.

 

Riverman, I see what you mean about the game threads. Lol.

All I have to say is even with our poor shooting we were in this game until the refs took it from us.

Phoenix deserves credit though. They came out with a lusting vengeance and wanted to please their best player in franchise history.

I do believe tonight? Will be a much different story.

 

I think the key to this team, is whether or not they will play team ball on offense, or degrade down to one one one hoist up bad shots offense. Through most of the pre-season, and in game 1, we saw good team offense. Which is what teams often "resort to" when they don't have offensive stars. I have no idea what the commentators were seeing last night, when they said the blazers got looks and "just need to make them". We had very few good looks because guys were trying to go one on one. Stotts recognized that too. It was a very sloppy performance offensively, and the refs made it look even worse.

 

Also, Terry Stotts is so enamoured with shooting PFs, but play Ed Davis more. He needs to be on the court more than just when he's backing up Plumlee.

 

good questions Sinobas.

I saw something simliar too and this is what I got from it.

Stotts does need more plays. Phoenix had some pretty swarming defense at times that really got the Blazers confused on offense. When that happens, that's when it seemed we stopped trying to move the ball and just tried to get it to CJ or Dame, or they had it already, and dribble and shot too much. I key this on Stotts. IO am not saying he sucks or ios bad, but it was clearly evident that Portland has not prepared much for a swarming trapping D. Sometimes writing offensive plays are not about the offense. Sometimes its about the opposing Defense. Sometimes when creating an offensive set, it needs to be planned around... "Okay, if the D does this, then..."

It didnt seem like that has happened at all, or we had such piss poor execution that it was not visible.

This is going to happen alot this season and if I am going ot get close to my 42 win prediction, then the team needs to figure out how to get out of these situations, or Im in for some serious crow.

With that said, I also understand this is not the end all and we wont get out of all the traps. The learning curve.

 

Yeah, another thing!!! So Meyers got into foul trouble early in the first game, so Davis came in early along side Amino. Those two were a true menace on D. I dont recall seeing both of them on the court at the same time last night. Or if they were it was for only a moment or two. I want to see Amino along side Davis much more. That D was seriously impressive and im surprised Stotts didnt do that more last night.

 

Guys, we sucked against the Suns in previous years too... something about Hornysack and Arizona is killing Stotts and his players.

My new starting 5:

C Plums
F Aminu
F Heartless
G CJ
G Dame

Bench:

C Kaman
F Davis
F Crabbe
G Hendo (extended minutes plz)

Matt Booner's role: Leonard (until he warms up a bit during the season)
Garbage time: Patt, Vonleh,Fraizer

 

The concerning stat with Meyers is only attempting 5 shots. He has had a low usage rate his entire career. Shooting a high percentage isn't worth much if he rarely shoots. We have much better defensive players so he needs to be shooting double digit attempts every game to have a chance of being a productive starter.