Game Thread GAME# 22: NUGGETS @ BLAZERS - NOVEMBER 30, 2018 - FRIDAY, 7:30 PM , ESPN & NBCSNW

Calling on Meyers to, play like a bad ass, instead of being a poser.

 

My guess would have been.."why can't you block anybody?"

 

Sweep the Nougettes!!!!

 

nothing personal, just about his slow shot release

 

#Hammer

 

New rule - Meyers (or his wife) can only block someone after Meyers blocks someone on the court.

 

The poll results surprise me. Turner is unequivocally our best bench player. Hell, I don't think Collins has been better than Meyers outside of his early hot stretch.

 

I dunno Turner gets force fed the ball a lot as they try to make themselves feel good about his paychecks. The bench seems to be either on or not outside of that. Meyers might be our best bench player overall right now...

 

One block per block!

 

Collins "would" be our best bench player, if he would stop with the silly fouls.

He needs to develop a reputation with the refs as a good defender, so they'll let him get away with stuff. Unfortunately, at this point, he's developing the wrong reputation.

Keep in mind though how young and inexperienced he is. He'll be fine in the long term, but that negative reputation he's earning is going to haunt him in the short term.

Here's a novel idea: How about the Blazers get a legit big man coach to help Zach learn the tricks of the trade?

Nah, that would be silly.

 

Zachs actually got about going straight up, its his screens, and silly reaches on the perimeter that bother me. Which I think is actually a good thing because those are easier to fix in my opinion.

 

I legit prefer to see Meyers come into the game and have the ball in his hands than Turnover

 

Jason Quick answer question on The Athletic:

Trail Blazers mailbag: Are there concerns over McCollum's play?

It’s been an odd start to the season for the Trail Blazers, who spent some time atop the Western Conference, only to absorb some humbling losses to send them back to the middle of the pack.

Heading into Friday’s big game against Denver, the Blazers are 13-8 and in the thick of the West standings, thanks in large part to the excellent play of Damian Lillard and the emergence of a reliable second unit. The concerns are the defense, and some inconsistent play from Al-Farouq Aminu, Seth Curry and CJ McCollum.

So as we get set to head into December, it seemed to be a good time to open it up for questions … so let’s go:

At 12-8, the Blazers have the same record after 20 games as they did last year. That said, it felt like they had a hotter start and then cooled off. Do you get the sense that the team is better off or more set up for success than they were a year ago?

Caleb K.

I would agree that this year’s start feels better than last season. And at first blush, I would say the Blazers are set up better for success than last year, mostly because I believe more in this bench. However, the defense has been a concern, especially of late, and the offense hasn’t really shown it can counter defenses when they blitz Lillard.

Other than fatigue, what do you see as the most obvious reason for their losing streak?

Zander B.

Defense. The most glaring area has been defending the 3-point line. Six of the last eight opponents have shot 40 percent or better from 3 against the Blazers. Coach Stotts said before the Orlando game that the Blazers ranked sixth in 3-point defense the first 10 games, then 28th in the next 10. That could be for a variety of reasons — too much penetration, which collapses the defense and leaves shooters open; poor rotations; or late reactions. At any rate, it’s safe to say defense as a whole is on the Blazers’ radar. Stotts had an extended film session after the Clippers loss. Then after giving up 63 points in the first half against Orlando, he lit into the team about defense.

If the Blazers have a fully healthy roster, which players should be getting consistent double-digit minutes in the rotation?

James S.

I think Stotts has played it smartly so far. My only quibble: I think Nik Stauskas should be getting more than 17 minutes a game, but then you have to ask where do those minutes come from? Seth Curry is also averaging 17 minutes, and if you reduce those minutes it starts to be counter-productive because it’s difficult for a player to get a rhythm playing 10 or 12 minutes. I think most people will first look at Al-Farouq Aminu — who is averaging 29 minutes (third most on team) — as a candidate for fewer minutes, but Stotts has an enormous amount of trust and belief in Aminu, even if his shots aren’t falling.

However, with Aminu’s recent slump, I think Stotts is starting to consider perhaps shaving some minutes. There also figures to be a numbers crunch when Maurice Harkless — now starting — gets approved for more minutes. Right now, Harkless is limited to around 20 minutes and is averaging 15 minutes on the season.

Who is the best third option to help the Blazers for the rest of the season and potentially playoffs? Also, is this the year Meyers Leonard finally gives us consistent production and provide quality minutes on a night to night basis?

Khari L.

By third option I assume you are referring to offense, but I will extend it even further — the third most important player on this team is Jusuf Nurkic. When he is right, this team is very, very good. His defense is the key. I think he has been good this season, but not as good as he has been for stretches here in Portland. I think that’s the frustrating thing about Nurkic. The coaches have seen him be a dominant defender, but he has lapses. Sometimes it’s foul trouble, sometimes he drifts mentally. If he can sharpen his focus defensively, the team will improve immensely.

And offensively, I think Nurk has been very solid this season (15.1 points, 10.5 rebounds). The pick-and-roll with Lillard has been deadly. Just flat-out dominant. In fact, I think there are times when the team has gone away from it too much (think Clippers second half). In a way, you can argue that Nurkic and how he plays is more important than McCollum in terms of the team’s success.

Just looking at some stats this season as compared to the last three regular seasons, most of the numbers offensively are quite similar (mid-range percentage, 3-point percentage, eFG%). There’s no doubt they’ll make the playoffs again but is the first-round their ceiling again?

They’re making the right noises again this season but it’s difficult to see anything changing with effectively the same roster. Throttle CJ and Damian, where does the offensive threat come from?

P.D.

This is the question of the season, and one the team hasn’t answered in the first 21 games (not that they should have a definitive answer at this point). Wins and stats are fine and dandy in the regular season, but what happens in the postseason when teams blitz Lillard and McCollum? The Clippers game had to send chills down the spine of Blazers fans as Doc Rivers came out of halftime ordering his troops to blitz Lillard. The Blazers did not react well. Lillard handled it correctly, but his outlets were either hesitant with their shots or unsure of where the next pass should go. The next day in the long film session, dealing with the blitz was one of the major teaching points.

The hope was that surrounding Lillard with better shooters would make defenses think twice about blitzing. Stauskas has been great, Meyers Leonard (51.4 percent from 3) is shooting well, but the Blazers are still waiting for Seth Curry to get hot and for CJ McCollum to be more consistent. But how they handle the blitzes will be something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

How are things going with Seth Curry? He has seemed a bit tentative particularly before the injury. Is he fitting in with the offense and finding opportunities?

Thomas B.

I thought Curry was an excellent signing, and thought he would be doing the things Stauskas has been showing through the first 21 games. But you are right in your observation — I think there has been some tentativeness, and some rust after missing all of last season with a leg injury. His recent knee injury, which caused him to miss four games didn’t help either. And recently, he’s missed some big shots that could have brought the house down.

That being said, his analytics are favorable, according to Coach Stotts. He is averaging 4.5 points in 17 minutes while shooting 44.7 percent (17-for-38) from 3-point range, and Stotts calls him reliable in that he rarely makes errors.

Bottom line: I still think we are going to start seeing Curry bust out, much like Stauskas gets in those grooves where he hits five 3-pointers in a game. Curry is too good of a shooter. I keep thinking back to how bad Gerald Henderson looked early in 2015, when he was coming off hip surgery, only to become a major force for the Blazers down the stretch.

Have you had a chance to talk to Meyers about his play this season? Do you think he’s earned a more consistent spot in the rotation?

Will T.

I’m working on a larger story on Meyers, so yeah, we’ve been talking. I do think he has earned a more consistent spot in the rotation. The last five games he has been averaging 17 minutes, and those minutes have been warranted. He’s shooting numbers are off the chart (51. 4 percent from the field, 51.4 percent from 3 and 85 percent from line) and he has shown he can be a reliable rebounder (career high 16 against the Clippers).

But the thing I like the most about Meyers is how he is pegging defenders on screens. He brings at least one guy to the court in every game with a brick-wall screen. That’s invaluable for the shooters on this team. There is still room to grow, particularly defensively, but this has been a nice start for Meyers, who can be a very unique and effective weapon for this team.

Has there been any concern you have seen from those around the team with CJ’s one-dimensional play? It seems like if CJ isn’t hitting his shots, he is a negative on the court due to his subpar defense and playmaking.

Cole D.

I’ve said this before, but a major subplot to this season and whether the Blazers can take the next step (win a playoff series) is whether McCollum can elevate his game. He has been a good player throughout his career, but can he be great? He hasn’t yet this season. We’ve seen flashes (40 points in the win vs. Milwaukee) but we haven’t seen consistent, dominant play. His numbers are okay (20.8 points, 2.3 assists) and his shooting has been near his career averages (45.6 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from 3) but I think it’s time to expect more from him.

As far as concern from the team … first off, nobody is going to show that, at least not to the media. And within the Blazers, there’s probably not a player outside of Lillard that the front office, coaching staff and players trust more than McCollum. He works his tail off. He cares. And they all see the talent. Now it’s just time for him to put it together on a consistent basis. But that’s what separates great players from good players — being able to be exceptional more often than not.

Jason, I have a concern and question about Aminu. The last two games 1 for 18 offensively. He usually has at least one unforced turnover. Defensively he doesn’t get recognized on all defensive teams. Is he as good as mentioned as a defensive stopper or just the best we have?

Second question can we continue to have limited scoring from our forward positions and make playoffs? Thanks.

Gerry B.

Good questions, Gerry. First off, Aminu is invaluable to this team. The all-defensive teams can be a bit misleading because defense is such a hard trait to quantify. But he is very good in that he is tough, versatile and long. Offensively, the thing we’ve learned with Aminu is you’re going to have to endure shooting slumps. In his last four games, he is 6-for-29 from the field and 2-for-20 from 3-point range.

So I guess what I’m saying is this: Aminu is good. Solid. But when you are talking about being an elite team, he’s probably better cast as a role player coming off the bench. Fact is, the Blazers just don’t have anyone better suited for that role, although I think eventually Zach Collins will get there.

(Photo: Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)

 

On tonight’s menu....sour diesel.

Go blazers what could go wrong

 

I get to watch a whole game.
Amazing.

Go Blazers!

 

Props to 2016/17 NBL Defensive Player Of The Year Torrey Craig. Going from the Australian National Basketball League to starting in the NBA is quite a feat, and highlights his hard work, and determination.