Game Thread GAME# 37: 76ERS @ BLAZERS - DECEMBER 30, 2018 - SUNDAY, 6:00 PM, NBCSNW

You cut and paste these Stren? That's leading by example!

 

Leonard's relative value (as a percentage of the roster value) increased not because of his improvement, but because Olshey gave away Ed Davis.

The numerator didn't go up. The denominator went down.
fraction: numerator/denominator
Leonard/sum of Blazer roster

 

Except Leonard is better this year

 

How do you know he improved from last season? You're seeing 2 seasons of improvement all at once, since he never played last season (254 minutes). He's just more on display now than last season.

 

No team is playing consistent right now.

 

He might have improved last season but not had the opportunity to show it. I don't know how you draw such strong conclusions from last season's tiny sample size. He averaged 7 mpg in garbage time and played fewer than half the games.

 

He looking he starting to figure it out on offense end he just not 3 point shooter on this team. His dunks are over players so that part it good to see. Now is defense is better then it was but to me it still below average for a big. His rebounding has been good this year that a plus due Zach yet is a strong rebounder yet.

 

FWIW I actually think he was better last year and just didn't get an opportunity.

 

So i took a gander at the box.

How many times have we heard on a S2 thread this year that Stotts should start to develop Simons, Balwin, Trent, Swanigan and sit the likes of Turner, Stauskas, Curry and Harkless.

We hear it pretty much after every bad game the Blazers play. We hear it when CJ has a cold shooting streak. We hear it when Turner starts because Harkless is out. We hear it when Stauskas goes cold. We hear it when Curry doesn't produce.

Can anyone look at what Baldwin, Simons and Swanigan produced tonight against a very bad third string Philly bench and think for a second that playing those players in lieu of experienced players that have put together a 21-16 record would not be considered throwing in the towel on the season?

This is exactly why those players are not playing in games until "GARBAGE" time. It is also exactly why Terry Stotts is not going to play them in real game situations. Right now this team is on pace to win 45-46 games this year and as it has been pointed out the Blazers have played a very tough schedule. If the Blazers stay healthy and take care of business against teams they should beat, this team will make the playoffs. Management wants this team to make the playoffs. Fans want this team to make the playoffs. The players want to make the playoffs. The Blazers do indeed lack the talent to get past the second round this year if they can even get out of the first? But to make a decision to play any player other than the best players available on any given night would be very damaging to the team and the relationship it has with it's fans.

W. Baldwin IV 10:14 1-4 FG 3-4 FT 0-0 3pt -7 1 reb 5 pts
A. Simons 10:14 0-3 FG 0-0 FT 0-1 3pt -7 2 reb 0 pts
C. Swanigan 10:14 1-2 FG 2-2 FT 0-0 3pt -7 7 reb 4 pts

One bright spot Caleb Swanigan did rebound well. It's nice to see he will get some time in the D league to try and improve a bit more.

 

Great job until you get to non rotational players yes. But Simons, Swanigan and Baldwin were atrocious.

 

Don't you think they'd have done better if they were getting consistent minutes all year? It's extremely hard to sit on the bench for 90% of the games and then be ready to go in the 4th quarter of a game no one cares about. Also everyone rebounded pretty good because Philly had a problem finding the basket.

 

I do think they would get better. I agree it would develop them. But i also think the team would lose games they should win.

 

Yes they had plenty of chances to get rebounds but all of their +- stats were the same -7 so it seems that with those guys in there the Blazers had a tougher time finding the basket. This is against their 3rd string also.

 

You might be right. However I'd like to point out most of the games they've lost now, have been because of a terrible bench. Say if they decide to put anyone of those guys in the rotation and take out Nik, or ET, maybe even Seth (though I think he should be getting more minutes), I don't think it would really equate to more losses, and long run it would probably mean more wins as they would develop guys on Rookie contracts who will be here for a while.

 

You could very well be right. It could also light a fuse under one of the non rotational guys and ignite his game? But from what i am seeing those three in particular are a long ways away from seeing court time for any real game time situation.