Game Thread GAME# 77: GRIZZLIES @ BLAZERS - APRIL 1, 2018 - SUNDAY, 6:00 PM (PDT), NBCSNW

I just got back from the game. Even though it was against the lowly Grizz, the crowd was really into it!

It seemed like a tale of two teams. The starters would get a nice lead, then the bench would let it slip away. Looking at the box scores, that's definitely the story:
Starters (+/-): + 164
Bench (+/-): - 89

What a game from Dame. Just his presence on the floor makes the whole team better. He plays with such poise.

 

That is pretty much what they need from him now. If Nurk gets into foul trouble and he can give them 3-4 quality minutes to get through the quarter or here if they need to rest some guys he can play 15-20 mins a game until the playoffs start then he is doing his job. I can't complain about that.

 

That is really too bad. Shabazz does fit in well with this team and i really don't want to lose either of them. Maybe Baldwin can fill that role. But it's really tough to let that backup player go.

 

The Blazers are now at a season high 19 games over 500.



Damn, this has been a fun season!

 

Shabazz is often about getting shots for....Shabazz. The 2nd unit needs help getting themselves set up for shots which isn't his strong suit. He can throw a fancy dime now and then but for the most part, he isn't getting his teammates involved. That prevents them from getting into a rhythm and prevents the 2nd unit from holding a lead on many nights.

 

That's hardly a choice. Bazz had a great little run, but Ed's gotta get paid.

 

Been a while since we had a 50 win season. Looks like it could happen this year.

 

Wanna bet?

 

Dame had an outstanding night with 27 points on 15 shots, 9 assists and 0 turnovers. That's an efficient and dominant night of basketball right there.

 

You don't think Baldwin can do what Shabazz does on a min contract?

I do. I bet the team does too.

 

I'll rephrase it:

We won't pay all 3 of Nurk, Ed, and Shabazz.

 

I do too. But the team won’t let Napier go. Now they might trade him later, but I see them matching any offer. His contract won’t be prohibitive.

 

Wanna bet?

 

I wonder if they give a fuck, and if they do, why?

Meyers played a good all around game tonight. He actually hasn't sucked this year. He's barely played, but when he has, he's been productive. When you get production out of your third string center, like he provided tonight, he can flex and make all the faces he wants.

It really just seems like some people will always find something negative to say about Meyers, even when he plays well.

BNM

 

I thought Swanigan looked ok. I love bigs that can pass and we now have three of them in Nurk, Collins, and Biggie. Davis has improved in that department, and Papa G has some skills there as well. I remember hearing Olshey on a podcast recently saying they look for bigs that can pass, so it’s not an accident.

 

Strenuus, you should never boo a Blazer. The result of your negativism is to tear down the performance of the Blazers, instead of encouraging them. This is the year when the Championship is within reach. It will take the best of the Blazers working together with confidence to get there, but it is possible. If you want the Blazers to win the Championship (as I think that you do), please consider what helps and what hurts those probabilities.

 

I know you're a troll account.
But that's not even trolling. That's just dumb.

 

Meyers played solid D in the first half, but he actually seemed to tire as the game progressed. I realize 19 minutes isn't a lot, but it's the first time he's played more than 10 minutes is a game since December 11. It's hard to be in game shape when you don't play in the games.

But, I saw way more good than bad from Meyers tonight. He actually played like a center. He finished strong, grabbed rebounds, and set good screens. He even made some good passes and ran the floor.

The thing that impressed me the most is he was ready to play. He hasn't played much all year, and it can be hard for a guy to step in, fit in, and play well when he hasn't been part of the rotation. Due to Ed's injury, Meyer got the call tonight and he answered it. He's not going to replace Ed, because let's face it, if Meyers was as good as Ed, he'd be playing more minutes, but he was solid tonight.

In fact, he was our best bench player in tonight's game. He finished a -1, but that wasn't his fault, it's a direct result of the fact the other guys he was playing with couldn't hit a shot to save their lives. Look at the other bench players: Pat - 24, Shabazz -15, Zach - 20, Biggie -12, Baldwin -14. Our bench sucked, but it had nothing to do with Meyers.

His performance tonight showed that he was mentally ready to play. That even though he's barely played all year, he's stayed engaged and prepared.

With Ed out, hopefully we can see more of this Meyers.

BTW, Meyers also got a lot of love from the guys on the Blazers postgame and Talking Ball. I get why people get down on Meyers, but I think it's only fair he also gets credit when he makes a positive contribution.

BNM