Game Thread GAME# 30: BLAZERS @ SUNS - FEBRUARY 22, 2021 - MONDAY, 6:00, NBCSNW

I understand giving our vets (ie, Melo, Covington, Jones and Hood) enough rope to either climb out or hang themselves.
But at some point you have to:
1. Recognize that Dame needs some help out there scoring. Against a really talented offense like the Suns have, Gary Trent isn't going to get it done.
2. Look at the only forward on our team who has put up a 30 point night this season

30 minutes of that rope you've been giving to these four guys needs to get tossed over to Nassir Little.

Here's the per 36 minute comparison:

Code:

                                                                               
Rk                    Age  G GS  MP  FG  FGA  FG% 3PA  3P%  2P% FTA  FT% TRB PTSV
3     Carmelo Anthony  36 29  3 730 6.5 16.5 .391 6.3 .375 .401 3.9 .838 4.9 18.6
4       Nassir Little  20 15  2 162 6.0 10.9 .551 5.6 .560 .542 3.8 .882 6.9 18.4
5          Gary Trent  22 28 15 860 6.4 15.0 .426 8.8 .431 .419 1.6 .744 2.5 17.8
10      Derrick Jones  23 26 25 703 3.9  8.0 .487 3.4 .284 .640 2.7 .585 6.5 10.3
11        Rodney Hood  28 25  5 472 4.0 10.7 .371 4.0 .288 .420 0.6 .625 3.2  9.5
13   Robert Covington  30 28 28 876 3.1  8.3 .373 5.8 .340 .450 0.8 .850 7.2  8.8

On the box score, Nas is out-producing all of the guys.

He's basically producing Melo's points on 6 fewer shots, and Trent's on 4 fewer shots.

I just....I just don't get why he's not getting just as much leeway as any of these guys.

 

Oh i agree. Nas needs to see more time but it was over before the starters were being subbed last night. Now if you want him to start then that is another option. Lets hope he can stay healthy longer than one or two games.

 

Some really cringeworthy comments on the Woj pod with Melo this week about what the Blazers promised him. Apparently he had multiple offers this past offseason for more money and decided to come back because he was blown away by Neil's comments about how he'd protect Melo's legacy. We all know that translates to shots and minutes, apparently even at the detriment of the team. Also, Neil thinks of Melo's impact similar to Billups' during his tenure with the Clips -- made me nearly crash my car into a mile marker on the highway while hearing this on my drive yesterday.

So we're stuck essentially. Melo will get 25-30 mpg and free reign to do what he wants on offense because he's a future HOF'er and came to Portland for cheap, while we have a better player itching to get more PT behind him. I don't get it.

 

Look at the gap/chasm/continental divide in terms of efficiency. .551/.560/.882. All of that is without the benefit of playing with Dame for the vast majority of the time. Most of it may be in 'garbage' minutes, but it is also with Ant/Elleby at the PG spot. That may make it even more impressive.

 

I took the 2018-19 playoff run (our largest sample size). Like I expected, in general offensive ratings go down in the playoff - this makes logical sense. Portland's offensive rating did decrease, but by less than the average playoff team. Of course, Portland was missing Nurk, which probably hurt that as well.



Edit: Also of note, but no surprise. Teams with 0 all-stars saw the greatest change in offensive rating from regular season to playoffs. Teams with 2 all-stars saw their offensive rating decrease by 40% less than teams with 1 all-star.

In 2019, of the 8 teams in the playoff with only one all-star, the Blazers were right in the middle in terms of offensive rating change.

Lots of problems with a sample size this small, but nothing to indicate Portland saw an abnormal change in their offensive rating in comparison to the league averages.

 

It was just for the night I be ready to go for Denver game. I was pretty frustrated about they play tonight.

 

Stotts has never gave young players a lot leeway he kind telling them they haven't earn that right yet. Even though if he allowed them play through there mistakes and learn from them he Yanks them. Olshey kind ties Stotts hand when he tells players that going start or like Melo we want to protect your legecy. Problem is Stotts is on the same boat with Olshey that's bad business and usually comes back to bite them. In the 4th quarter Little was the best player on the court even though he score against there end of bench guys he did pretty easy. Stotts going to loose good young guys just how he handles them with there playing time. To me it's probably time for this organization to cut ties with him it really don't matter what Dame thinks about him.

 

Haha. There might only be one. CJ might like running his own team; having two great defenders to back him up, East Coast exposure!

 

I don't know. According to this ten day contract tracker; there have been guys signed as early as January 4, 2021
https://www.hoopsrumors.com/10daytracker

 

Do all these numbers factor in WHO he is scoring on? He was playing against a retired plumbers team in a church league during the 4th quarter. He BETTER be putting those numbers up FAMS.

 

Olshey doesn't manage this team like it matters if we compete for a title, he manages it like some charity dedicated to making players feel better about themselves. It's fucking bullshit! It's inexcusable that we don't have another big on the team and Melo is getting minutes at the 5 and the amount of minutes Melo is getting overall is humiliating as a fan of a team that is supposedly trying to contend.

What does Melo's legacy have to do with anything? Why the fuck would anyone's legacy that didn't spend the majority of their career or deliver a championship mean anything to any team? It's some celebrity bullshit, like we're just happy to have the hall of famer around us and we'll give him anything to stay. I'd be surprised if Olshey doesn't ask Melo for his autograph on a basketball card every time he sees him. I get why the players are into it, they grew up worshiping the guy but management and coaching has to be so beyond that. This is the definition of bush league.

 

Shouldn't you be at work?

 

Nope and that's none of your business sir.

 

it's early, but the Suns may very well be this year's version of last year's Miami team. CP3 doing for Phoenix what Butler did for Miami

 

or you know... what he did for OKC

 

Glad to have you back!

 

Who is a better leader? CP3 or Dame?

 

Both are pretty good.

 

The phx Suns are who the blazers dream of being

 

I have a feeling I'm going to have to unplug my emotions from this team until Neil and Stotts are gone.