Game Thread GAME# 31: PELICANS @ BLAZERS - DECEMBER 23, 2019 - MONDAY, 7:00 PM, NBATV & NBCSNW

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Darkwebs, Dec 21, 2019.

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POR currently sits 8th in the West. Where would POR be now if they were healthy from the start?

Poll closed Dec 26, 2019.

  1. 1st

    3 vote(s)
    6.7%

  2. 2nd

    2 vote(s)
    4.4%

  3. 3rd

    5 vote(s)
    11.1%

  4. 4th

    11 vote(s)
    24.4%

  5. 5th

    12 vote(s)
    26.7%

  6. 6th

    10 vote(s)
    22.2%

  7. 7th

    1 vote(s)
    2.2%

  8. 8th

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%

  9. 9th

    1 vote(s)
    2.2%

  10. 10th or lower

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
Moderators: 7

Moderators

  1. BrianFromWA
  2. Chris Craig
  3. Darkwebs
  4. Ed O
  5. PtldPlatypus
  6. SlyPokerDog
  7. Strenuus
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  1. Darkwebs

    Darkwebs Awakened to emptiness Staff Member Moderator

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    [​IMG]




    2019-20 REGULAR SEASON RECORD
    NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
    7 - 23
    (3-12 Road)
    PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
    14 - 16
    (8-6 Home)

    _____________________________
    ---------    PROBABLE STARTERS---------

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG] PG [​IMG]
    JRUE HOLIDAY VS DAMIAN LILLARD

    [​IMG] SG [​IMG]
    J.J. REDICK VS C.J. McCOLLUM

    [​IMG] PF [​IMG]
    KENRICH WLLIAMS VS KENT BAZEMORE

    [​IMG] PF [​IMG]
    BRANDON INGRAM VS CARMELO ANTHONY

    [​IMG] C [​IMG]
    DERRICK FAVORS VS HASSAN WHITESIDE

    ------------------------------------------------------

    ------- JERSEYS -------
    [​IMG]---[​IMG]

    --------------------------------------------------------------


    WHEN: 7:00 PM (PST), MONDAY, 12/23/2019

    WHERE: Moda Center, Portland, OR
    [​IMG]


    TV BROADCAST:
    [​IMG]
    AND
    [​IMG]

    RADIO BROADCAST:
    [​IMG]


    -----------------------------------------------------------------



    --------------BENCH--------------

    ---- NEW ORLEANS PELICANS ----
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    GRAY , JACKSON , BALL
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    MOORE , ALEXANDER-WALKER , HART
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    CHEATHAM , MELLI
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    OKAFOR , HAYES

    ---- PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS ----
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    SIMONS , TRENT Jr.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    LITTLE , HEZONJA , HOARD
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    TOLLIVER , LABISSIERE , BROWN


    INJURIES
    PELICANS
    Zion Williamson (Right Knee Scope): OUT
    Darius Miller (Right Achilles Surgery): OUT
    TRAIL BLAZERS
    Carmelo Anthony (left knee contusion): QUESTIONABLE
    Mario Hezonja (back spasms): QUESTIONABLE
    Rodney Hood (torn Achilles): OUT
    Zach Collins (dislocated left shoulder): OUT
    Jusuf Nurkic (left leg): OUT



    HEAD COACHES
    [​IMG] - VS – [​IMG]
    ALVIN GENTRY --- TERRY STOTTS



    :reading:OFFICIAL PELICANS' GAME NOTES
    :reading: OFFICIAL BLAZERS' GAME NOTES     ​







    [​IMG]​
     
    Darkwebs, Dec 21, 2019
    #1
    rotary111, BUNTA, HailBlazers and 12 others like this.
  2. Darkwebs

    Darkwebs Awakened to emptiness Staff Member Moderator

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    Blazers are on a season high 4-game winning streak. Here's a prime chance to get a 5th win in a row against the Pelicans, who have lost 9 of their last 10 games and are the 2nd worst team in the West.

    And Portland needs payback for their loss to this team in the early season. But things have changed since then and the Blazers have seemingly found their groove.

    Get this win and keep it red, hot, and rolling!
     
    Darkwebs, Dec 21, 2019
    #2
    rotary111, BUNTA, HailBlazers and 11 others like this.
  3. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

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    Would be another good game to go to.
     
    kjironman1, Dec 21, 2019
    #3
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  4. DUB

    DUB Da, da da, da dah!

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    Christmas Eve game for me. Get lost with your snowflakes, it's going to be 93F here, so I'm going to the beach. Second year in a row that I'm watching the Trail Blazers on Christmas Eve from the beach, it's almost becoming a tradition.
     
    DUB, Dec 21, 2019
    #4
    HailBlazers, Titan, hoopsjock and 4 others like this.
  5. 42N8Bounce

    42N8Bounce Red Hot And Rebuilding

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    Time to break out the 'Blazers Over 500' graph!

    upload_2019-12-22_14-7-33.png

    There's a lot of season left. The Blazers have plenty of time to climb that playoff seeding ladder.

    Here's a look at how the Blazers have ramped up their performance over the second half of the season the past few years:

    upload_2019-12-22_14-24-26.png

    The Blazers have played the second half of the past 4 seasons at a 0.647 clip.

    If the Blazers can maintain that trend, that would give them a finish to this season with 48 wins.

    I don't see any reason they can't achieve that win total, as long as they can get some players healthy. With a healthy roster, this team can do some damage come playoff time!
     
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2019
    42N8Bounce, Dec 22, 2019
    #5
    stampedehero, Titan, BlazerBeav and 4 others like this.
  6. TorturedBlazerFan

    TorturedBlazerFan Well-Known Member

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    This was oddly depressing lol
     
    TorturedBlazerFan, Dec 22, 2019
    #6
  7. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    I didn't vote in the poll yet, I would think healthy means if Zach and Hood were healthy. Nurk was out before the season and the roster would've likely been steucted differently in the summer if he was healthy.
     
    SharpesTriumph, Dec 22, 2019
    #7
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  8. DDolla

    DDolla Well-Known Member

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    Just Win Baby!
     
    DDolla, Dec 22, 2019
    #8
  9. Strenuus

    Strenuus Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

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    Will get excited once we start beating playoff caliber teams consistently.

    Until then this is just nothing.
     
    Strenuus, Dec 22, 2019
    #9
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  10. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    So when are fans going to realize this is an average team as essentially half of their rotation (including three starters) are out? What team can lose three fifths of their starting lineup (and four rotation players overall) and still have playoff expectations? So any win now is the OPPOSITE of nothing, as the only *realistic* objective right now is to stay afloat (aka in the playoff race) until those players do return.
     
    Scalma, Dec 23, 2019
    #10
    Dougnsalem, KingSpeed and TorturedBlazerFan like this.
  11. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Except...one of those players (Hood) won't return, a second (Collins) might not, and the third (Nurk) plays the same position as arguably our most consistent current starter. So there's an open question as to what actual boost this season's team can legitimately expect from any post-injury returnees.
     
    PtldPlatypus, Dec 23, 2019
    #11
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  12. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    Collins and Nurk are the two best defenders on the team and rebound the ball. I’d say those two are at the top of Portland’s list of issues. Getting them back also deepens the other big issue; the bench. Hood isn’t irreplaceable but Olshey probably has to go external.
     
    Scalma, Dec 23, 2019
    #12
  13. CupWizier

    CupWizier Well-Known Member

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    There is a better chance than not that Collins will return and having a combo of Nurkic and Whiteside at center should never be considered not a boost. Skal has been seeing more minutes now at the 4 and with Nurkic back that just adds much needed depth at center and the 4. If we are able to pick up a rotational player at sg/sf then that would transform us into a deeper and much better team. It begs the question, why not be enthusiastic?
     
    CupWizier, Dec 23, 2019
    #13
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  14. CupWizier

    CupWizier Well-Known Member

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    Even if we don't pick up a Hood replacement, with Collins and Nurkic back that means Melo can get some minutes at sf and Baze can play some back up shooting guard. That all of a sudden makes us a pretty deep team and can go big or small and defensive and offensive minded platoons.
     
    CupWizier, Dec 23, 2019
    #14
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  15. TBpup

    TBpup Writing Team

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    Not sure it is nothing because they weren't even beating some of these Division III teams before....so it is at least going in the right direction. However, very much agreed that for it to be anything other than losing the opportunity of a much better Draft pick, they will need to translate this into progress against the teams.....they would actually be playing in the Playoffs. Otherwise, it is just another season ending Playoff sweep.
     
    TBpup, Dec 23, 2019
    #15
  16. hoopsjock

    hoopsjock Well-Known Member

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    Guys, OKC is now above .500 so we have 3 wins against teams with a winning record!
     
    hoopsjock, Dec 23, 2019
    #16
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  17. KingSpeed

    KingSpeed Veteran

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    This is an excellent post. More please.
     
    KingSpeed, Dec 23, 2019
    #17
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  18. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

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    Whiteside will not be with the Blazers after the trade deadline.
     
    kjironman1, Dec 23, 2019
    #18
  19. twobullz

    twobullz Well-Known Member

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    Taking my daughter to our first game of the year tonight. I sure hope Melo plays.
     
    twobullz, Dec 23, 2019
    #19
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  20. BigGameDamian

    BigGameDamian Well-Known Member

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    Isn't he on load management tonight?
     
    BigGameDamian, Dec 23, 2019
    #20
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