Why Portland Trail Blazers Are Going Nowhere in the 2014 Playoffs

I think its going to be a tougher series than most expect. Our D is very inconsistent, especially when Beverley is off the floor. I expect it to go to 6 or 7 and (hopefully) Houston win. You guys need to double Harden from the start and just let Howard get his, and you MUST go at Harden on D to make him work and exploit that advantage. If a team doesn't make Harden work on defense then it usually results in a win for Houston.

 

I like the idea of doubling Harden, but he manages to have phantom fouls called in his favor. And our perimeter defense did not exactly shine during the regular season. It'll be interesting seeing Stotts defensive game plan in action.

 

Damian Lillard? You can't touch Damian Lillard!

 

If you watch those two videos and analyze the Defense, you can see the point in the article. We are doing a bad job at communicating incoming screens. It's evident almost every single game I've been able to watch recently. The guards are getting smashed, tangled, screened, slowed-up by the Defensive big man setting the screen. We aren't handling it like Tony Parker does in that video where he sees it before the big guy is even set, thus allowing him to move out of the way much easier.

Now that could have been just poor timing of the offense there, but it worked for the Spurs, and obviously continues to. We however aren't getting the jump on the screen and Lillard and everyone else expends a ton of energy trying to get out of the big's jersey.

I've been bitching about that screen shit for a while now, good to see that someone put some video to it.


That Curry shot w/that perfect Bogut screen was our team's fault for not communicating OR Lillard just didn't hear them because hes too locked in on his man. (this will be a problem against the Rockets..)

 

Both of our teams are to explosive offensively for these games to not come down to the wire everytime. There will be huge runs all the time but the final minutes are when the game will really be decided. Which team can get stops and step up defensively in the final 3 minutes, if its us we will win the series if its houston they will win it.

 

If that's the case, that doesn't bode well for us at all.

 

I think you mean the duo known as Danger Will Robinson? Barton and Thomas are both energy guys!

 

Doesn't bode well for houston either. Its why both teams wont make it out of the second round

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How are people comparing Harden to a championship Kobe? Calling him a superstar? Harden is not an MVP level player, he is a borderline all-star. You put Batum or Wes on that team and they could fulfill a large portion of that role. The more I look at it the less and less concerned I am with our Blazers playing against Harden. Harden chocked in the finals and shot 39% against a depleted injured OKC team last year. Players such as LeBron, Durant, Chris Paul, Steph Curry and even at times Paul George have a gear they can go to where they are unguardable and can win games on their own. Harden is not that level of player.

 

Seriously? Man, I disagree. Harden can put a team on his back. What's scary about him is not only can he get hot, but he can get to the line better than almost anyone else.

 

Clearly