Game Thread GAME# 9: LAKERS @ BLAZERS - NOVEMBER 2, 2017 - THURSDAY, 7:30 (PDT), TNT

And you forget I was the closest last season on my predictions. Some don't choose to remember this. So your theory doesn't really add up sir.

 

Maybe Luke Walton isn't a good coach if he didn't see that we defended the play horribly.

 

So you think I was out of line thinking we would suck after losing 4 of our starters?
Last year I was closer than you on my win predictions.
You think predictions that THIS team will finish lets just say 3-6 in "realistic" just because a bunch of pinwheel blinded maniacs think so makes it so? Cmon, you are better than this,

 

In theory Nurk's length should have kept the pass from being perfect. But Ball delivered it regardless.

 

I think both screens were illegal. The one Kuzma set was worse though. Especially compared to the ones they called earlier in the game. (and season for that matter) The refs are swallowing their whistles late in games unless it is on an actual shot.

 

THANK YOU.
This is how you react to a win like this.

Doing YOLO,random moves to win the game can be surprising and it can work from time to time, but nothing beats solid play as a system.

Why wouldn't you play your best defensive unit with 0.7 seconds left?? why does everyone in the building know that it's going to be a high difficulty Lillard shot for the win?

 

Oh like last night when it was a relatively easy floater?

 

There are a couple of schools of thought on this one. Guarding the inbounder is one of them.

 

Every year I've done predictions I've been within 5 games? of their actual record. I expect the same for this year as well.
Yeah you were out of line, because overall record isn't just about what one team does. It's also about what other teams do.
How many years running have you predicting Minn would be in the playoffs? Finally looks like you might be right...

The only reason why Portland finishing 3-10 is realistic is because GSW & Spurs are the clear elite of the West.
Then you have Rockettes & zombieSonics as the favorites for HCA. But realistically they're not THAT much better than 5 other teams in the 2nd tier.
The teams 3-10 have to play the same teams as Portland does. Being that these teams aren't elite it's not unrealistic to think they could struggle with the same teams Portland does.

 

I thought the Blazers won the game last night. I guest from all the bitching around here I must be wrong.

I was encouraged that the "Big Three" finally looked like one last night. Nurk has had two positive games in a row. Dame and CJ are still shooting below their averages, so there's obviously room for improvement when they finally start clicking. The defense was about what you'd expect given that the best defender, Aminu, is out for a couple of weeks.

Yeah, there's reason for Monday morning quarterbacking on the defensive sets that let the Lakers get two clean looks at threes at the end of the game. Lillard taking an iso-three to get the win? Looked to me like the Lakers were choosing to stick with man defense and denying anything going towards the hoop. Dame did what Dame often does and we got the win. I wasn't aware that there were style points awarded or that they affect the win-loss record.

 

To pin every single move that the players do on Stotts means that players don’t ever go rogue and do their own thing. And this we know is clearly not true. Who knows, Stotts could have specifically told someone to do xyz for Kuzma. Then the player/s did something else. Now you can say well then they don’t listen to their coach so he still needs to go. Fine. But that’s different than Stotts is an idiot. He isn’t.

 

I don't know if you remember, but the Spurs lost a championship to the Heat partly because at clutch time, Duncan missed a little bunny shot he made a million times.

Solid play does not guarantee 100% success rate, but it does increase your odds of winning.

The big problem with our YOLO play at clutch - we went for this crazy shot so many times in the past that it has become predictable. What's the advantage of choosing to perform a high risk play which has no surprise factor?

 

thats what Im saying, props where props are due

 

The Spurs aren't elite any more. Watch the game, then post!

 

My main complaint with Stotts on the last play was IF he had a timeout left, he should have used it.
I bitched about Hark not being ready, but he did hustle to get back to take away the Pope option in the corner after he was "blocked". But when you only have one defender and 3 of their 4 players in one area....you got a possible matchup problem.

 

Of course you can pick your own nickname. Is anyone using their own name here on S2?

 

That's one way of not answering my question.

 

Check back with us in April sir.