We're getting killed with all the missed 3 point shots guys like Aminu and Hark are taking. I mean a lot of these are just wide open shots and guys are choking. So the Clips just repeatedly double the ball handler because they know DeAndre will swallow up anything at the rim. I think we need to go smaller and push Crabbe to the starting lineup and move Harkless to the bench. Crabbe is just a far superior shooter. We'll give up some size on defense, but we just aren't going to win if we allow the Clips to shut down our offense for large portions of the game.
I agree. You can't have both Harkless and Aminu in there at the same time. Not against their starters anyways. Doc dared Aminu to shoot from deep. Left him wide open. Also as predicted, Roberts needs to be in the game with CJ when Dame is out. They are doubling CJ with a PG and a center. We need two PG's in the game at all times to counter their traps. (Dame/CJ and CJ/ Roberts)
Yeah, the downside of developing the third youngest roster in the league is that you have to designate some guys as end-of-the-bench journeymen like Kaman and Roberts. We never really gave them a chance this year to fit in to the offense, and then the playoffs come around and you aren't really sure if they can give you something, but you kind of suspect they can. So you have to experiment in garbage minutes where you've already lost. I'm not mad about it. It was part of the player development strategy. But it'd be nice to feel a little more confident throwing them out there when the game is still close. I bet Kaman gets all of Vonleh's minutes in game 2. Sorry, Noah, you may be the future, but we're focusing on the present right now.
Stick with the same starters, Hark played good until he got the two quick fouls. Aminu needs to keep taking three's. Boston played him the same and he got 28. Dame need to pass the ball quicker when the double comes and trust teammates. They struggled in game 1 but they deserve another chance. Be prepared to play more shooters, Roberts, Kaman.
One option to consider given Plums' ineffectiveness: Start Aminu at C. Move either Crabbe or Gerald into the starting lineup.
The problem with starting Crabbe is that the Blazers would get completely outrebounded every game. Blazers already got outrebounded 57-50 and 11-10 on the OREB last game because they went small. The Clippers are one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the league but that is without Blake Griffin for most of the season. I think a more interesting option is actually starting Ed Davis instead of Harkless and trying to beast them on the offensive glass. You'll probably get more open three point shots that way as well.
I'm sure that was part of it, but the Blazers should be able to get more offensive rebounds since the Clippers are so awful at it. The fact that we missed so many shots and still grabbed less boards than the Clippers is not a good sign since that should be one of our advantages. On the defensive boards DeAndre got a ton of tip outs and the team as a whole couldn't grab a lot of the 50/50 balls. When taking free throw possessions into account, Blazers were pretty much even on possessions with the Clippers and that can't happen if they want to have any hope of winning the series.
Starting Crabbe over Aminu will stretch our offense which we need and not allow them to bog us down...but it might hurt us on defense
???? Crabbe has been MIA for weeks. He has given back all the progress he was showing the first half of the season. You might as well put Baseball Pat in the rotation.
I've wanted us to start Crabbe at the 2 since preseason...I think CJ could become a 6 man of the year and play more minutes than Crabbe but it would beast our first qtr defense against starting backcourt guards like Paul and Redick. Wasn't a popular topic. I'd even start Henderson if that helped
How about starting Kaman, and trying to draw some fouls on Jordan early? Getting Jordan into foul trouble has to be part of our strategy -- whether it's by continuous drives inside by Dame/Moe or by force feeding Kaman the ball in the post and telling him to go to work one on one. Will probably fail a few times when Jordan blocks shots, but do it enough, and he'll pick up two fouls in the first quickly. Immediately changes the complexion of the game after that.
Meh. I agree on the 6th man thing, but I dont think Crabbe is any better a defender than CJ. NOt so much so to make a noticable difference anyhow.
My preference is to stand pat and hope Aminu hits those open shots in game too, but . . . . . . it would be interesting to see what would happen if you moved Crabbe to the starting SF at the last minute and see how he did. If he gets a few open shots and hits then you leave him in, if not then swap in Harkless as the first sub. It could shake things up a bit.
I would like to revisit this idea, but I would start Crabbe in place of CJ. See if he can have any better luck on Redick. Maybe starting will get Crabbe going early. We NEED him to be a factor in the series. Let CJ come off the bench against the second unit and maybe throw Roberts in there. We need scoring badly, and it might be time to change things up. Dame Crabbe Harkless Aminu Plumlee With Roberts, CJ, Hendo, Kaman, Davis off the bench.
