Game Thread PRESEASON GAME# 4: BLAZERS @ NUGGETS - DECEMBER 18, 2020 - FRIDAY, 6:00, NBCSNW

9 days... 2 or 3 without Nurk. What are we expecting from a new system with 2 new starters? Seriously, did you think it was going to look good in 9 days?!? Give it a little time "in the morgue" before you bury it, it might just surprise the hell out of you and come to life.

 

Did the Nuggets have more preparation than we did?

It all comes down to what you're working toward, doesn't it, when you are evaluating whether or not a performance is acceptable? Are the Blazers installing a bunch of new things that we can expect there to be a learning curve? Are the Blazers playing a bunch of new guys trying to get chemistry? Are the Blazers just letting guys get run to knock off the rust, or are they playing younger players?

I don't think any of the above apply. They didn't look like a team with any real idea of how to play or how to play together last game.

We'll get a better idea tonight whether that was an aberration or if there are things with this team that might become glaring problems. If it looks the same as it did on Wednesday and our rotation again is playing most of the game, it's reasonable to be concerned.

 

Well, like I said in the next post ... the Nuggets were together so much longer than us ...

 

Yeah they did, we got started with our training camp a very crucial two days after everyone else (that's 2 days out of 11) because the team decided to close the practice facility for a deep clean (I'm not blaming the team, it's smart to be safe with COVID). So yes we have less preparation, we have two new starters that weren't with the team last season and are incorporating a new defensive scheme. It's my understanding that the Nuggets aren't dealing with any of that... so yeah they would be expected to look quite a bit more cohesive than we do... them after 11 days and us after 9. Oh and because of what I just said, I don't expect to get a better idea of anything tonight. They may play better or they may not but with under two weeks together as a team... the results tonight will be nowhere close to indicative of what the team can do. Nothing is unacceptable at this point besides knee jerk reactions.

 

Our starting five is strong I think but way out of sync at the moment. I’m not too worried them. They will gel especially if DJJ can improve his 3’s.

But then take 1 pint of Melo cancer iso ball, add in 4/5 cups of bad defenders, top it off with a gallon of lazy defensive intensity and you have a recipe for our second unit.

I doubt it will get fixed until we give Melo #86. The whole league passed on Melo. Took Houston all of two weeks. But somehow we think he’s sixth man of the year and someone to run your offense through for 40% of a game. LOL. Post ups and mid range turn-around fade-aways where he’s a career 35% shooter. Then it spreads to the whole second unit. Wasting Dame’s prime.

 

I will have Ducks on the TV and Blazers on my 17" laptop.

 

too distracting

I'll probably bounce over to the Blazer game at halftime of the Duck game and during commercials. Probably. I won't bother recording the Blazer game though because according to many here, pre-season games don't mean shit

 

I tried it last night (Oregon basketball and Charger/Raiders) and you are right it is distracting. I recorded both so when I went back and forth it left off where I was last watching. The good part is you don't miss anything.
But I could never relax.....I felt "rushed," I think I will wait and watch the Blazers until after the football game and fast forward through some of it.

 

I don't give a crap about the last game. Every Blazers team I've rooted for has had dreadful games where you'd go, "what the hell was that", and think that they'd never win again. Coming tonight against the same team is the test. I have a lot of respect for the Kings the way that they were able to flip the tables on the Blazers in the second game at Moda. Tonight, the Blazers have to show up and, at the very least, challenge to beat the Nuggets. Hopefully, they'll win, but that's never easy in Denver.

 

Yeah I’m more concerned with how we play, style-wise and effort-wise, than if we win.

 

I was honestly going to talk about how the purpose of pre-season games is not competing to win for a whole game. The purpose is for the coaches to see what they have, how that can be used and see where these guys are at in the implementation of new schemes and integrating as teammates in new roles.

If you are a team returning virtually every rotational player and intending to use the same system (which we are far far from) maybe then you take a quarter or even two where you try to play to win but that still wouldn't be reflected in the final score because the other two quarters for a team like that would be aimed at figuring out your pecking order for garbage time and if you can work some new wrinkles into your offense and/or defense. Also if any team plays to win the entire game they are fooling themselves if they think that win means anything because the other team was almost definitely using the preseason correctly.

 

But most are ILLOGICAL real time responses.

 

Let me know when I can start on the opening night game thread. At some point you guys will send the much deserved blame of these losses towards @Darkwebs and not Stotts and CJ.

 

I love to watch a team full of players who are rootable-for, including a legit MVP candidate and another player who can go off for 50 at any time, as well as an exciting group of supporting players, including some players taken lower in the draft than they were projected who could turn out to be stars. And I'm in luck, because tonight that team is playing the Blazers.

 

The Nuggs had twice as many assist than we did last game. If we dont swing the ball and get others involved its going to be tough. Offense is what hurts us the most if we dont play team ball.

 

Our assist numbers will always be low due fact the players should be getting majority assist is the same players that put up the most shots.

 

Precisely...its not winning formula for the most part.

 

No Dame tonight?

 

WOULDN'T IT BE NICE TO HAVE A BACKUP PG ABOUT NOW