Game Thread GAME# 29: WIZARDS @ BLAZERS - FEBRUARY 20, 2021 - SATURDAY, 7:00, NBCSNW

Blazers need a couple good rest days.
I'm betting Stotts gives them one off tomorrow.

 

Dame vs his 4th son

 

is that a game of thrones take?

 

Wizards have been playing well recently and have beaten a couple good teams (Boston and Denver). Getting a W is never easy, let's not have a let down. Go Blazers!

 

I think because Dame is so competitive with Russ that he will not let anyone take this match up lightly, so that eliminates this being a trap game. Russ and Beal are just too damn good to sleep on. With that said, we are the better team. So we should come out ready for a team led by two great players and kick their asses. That's my prediction, you heard it here first, we're going to kick their asses.

If you are wondering if that will be my prediction every game for the rest of the season, the answer is that I'm not sure. I thought I wouldn't make that prediction against the Lakers in our upcoming game but then AD went down. I look at our remaining first half schedule and while it's not easy, I think we should kick all of their asses. That is unlikely to happen, we'll probably drop a game or two that we could win but then again maybe not.

For this game though. Ass kicking!

 

Trap game. First game home from a road trip is always tough.

These are the wins we need. Beat the poorer teams to give a cushion against the better ones. Great teams don't play down to the level of competition.

 

Make the game about Russ. If he goes into stat mode, we'll beat them.

 

I've been watching a lot of the wizards lately, they score a lot of points but their defense is poor. They've looked better of late, coming together a bit. Beal is getting less points but is a little more efficient, Westbrook is at least less uninterested. They have a good player in Hachimura who can score in different ways and is also solid defensively, they have Avdija who's bvery smart and a terrific defender, he's usually their leader in +/- as the team plays better with him on the floor. They have 3 centers, 2 of them will play, in Wagner, Len and RoLo. Raul Neto can score some points and of course Davis Bertans who just made 9 3s against Denver is a shooting machine.
If Giles plays and we have a backup Center i think that's a fairly easy win for us, if he isn't it could go either way

 

Good to see you back Max!

 

Sure you weren’t watching Blazer games?

 

or Nets games?

 

This guy acknowledges how great Lillard is and how he is able to take over games at the end more than Curry since he always has the ball. But he is concerned how far this can take the Blazers until they get a playmaking big:
"A play-making big man is the natural partner for a good pick and roll point guard.
Draymond unlocks the rest of Steph’s game and gives him a counter for anything the defense throws at him.

Dame has never played with that kind of teammate, and until he does, there’s a ceiling to how far he can go in the playoffs. He has put himself firmly in the MVP discussion over the past month. But Portland still knows how this story ends, even when McCollum and Nurkic return. Eventually, it will run into an elite defense with a mobile center who blitzes Lillard on pick-and-rolls and exposes the fact that his teammates can’t make enough plays to make them pay for it. Dame Time is the most thrilling one-man show in the NBA. The problem is that the clock always runs out."


https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/2/18/22289410/damian-lillard-clutch-all-star-mvp-blazers

 

Trap Game but Just Win Baby!

 

What I was seeing is Nurk getting in better shape and "Making Plays" both assisting other players and passing from the post while rolling at times to the rim.
I think Nurk very well could become a good enough playmaking big that this team could contend. If He Stays Healthy! Another issue has been Collins. They need a defensive PF. Melo is doing what Melo should be expected to do. But he isn't going to bring them the trophy. They need a defensive big that can score at the PF position.

 

We need to win this game before that 3 brutal road games of Suns, Denver and Lakers

 

I think we will get up for this one because of the Russ factor. So we'll win it but I don't think those following three games are really that brutal.

Both of the Suns and Nuggets should be great tests for our team and tell us we're at and the Lakers should be very winnable without AD and the rest of the team outside of LeBron is pretty banged up with Morris and Kuzma working through nagging injuries and not knowing what's going on with Schroder and COVID. Regardless AD will be out so we have a great chance in that game too.

What I'm saying is that playing the Jazz getting a day off and then playing the LA teams when they're healthy back to back is brutal. What we have coming up is manageable and exciting because it will tell us a lot about the team.

 

Looking forward to seeing Blevins play. He and Dame combined for 43 points and 16 assists last game...