2020-2021 NBA Game Thread

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
2 post men left, 3 picks, not sure why he didn't take Mitchell there.
It’s obvious isn’t it? These guys aren’t picking like it’s Ainge and Jerry West......they are picking their buddies and avoiding those they want nothing to do with.
 

benhogan

Granite Truther
SoSH Member
Nov 2, 2007
20,111
Santa Monica
Pacers 16-19 going into the All-Star game

Maybe the mainstream NBA media will take a run at Pritchard for not doing enough to add Hayward
 

Euclis20

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 3, 2004
8,014
Imaginationland
Pacers 16-19 going into the All-Star game

Maybe the mainstream NBA media will take a run at Pritchard for not doing enough to add Hayward
Eh, considering they would have lost Turner (he's been excellent) it's hard to really say they'd be that different. The real problem is that they've got two solidly above average starters (LeVert and Warren) who are out indefinitely. Maybe they make some noise next year if those guys are healthy (their starting five is really quite impressive, although lacking in high end star power unless Sabonis makes another leap), but considering no one had them as title contenders coming into the season I doubt anyone cares about Pritchard and Hayward.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Enes Kanter puts up 22pt/21reb game...averaging a double/double this season

nice game for a nice guy
And getting stops down the stretch, blocking shots, etc. Melo is lighting it up on the second unit providing scoring, CJ and Nurkic will return soon........don’t sleep on this team making some noise and being a major 1st round headache for Phoenix or one of the LA teams.
 

lovegtm

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 30, 2013
11,996
And getting stops down the stretch, blocking shots, etc. Melo is lighting it up on the second unit providing scoring, CJ and Nurkic will return soon........don’t sleep on this team making some noise and being a major 1st round headache for Phoenix or one of the LA teams.
The Lillard Blazers: “we may get swept, but you’re going to work damn hard doing it!”
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 26, 2005
30,483
Eh, considering they would have lost Turner (he's been excellent) it's hard to really say they'd be that different. The real problem is that they've got two solidly above average starters (LeVert and Warren) who are out indefinitely. Maybe they make some noise next year if those guys are healthy (their starting five is really quite impressive, although lacking in high end star power unless Sabonis makes another leap), but considering no one had them as title contenders coming into the season I doubt anyone cares about Pritchard and Hayward.
I thought reports were that IND could have had GH for Oladipo.
 

Sam Ray Not

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
8,848
NYC
The Lillard Blazers: “we may get swept, but you’re going to work damn hard doing it!”
They currently have the #28 ranked defense in the association, with a negative net rating. McCollum doesn’t help the defense much; and Nurkic pretty much obviates Kanter (or vice-versa). Of course Dame + CJ give them a puncher’s chance in any given game, but yeah, scrappy first-round exit remains their most likely scenario.

Beyond the fatal defensive issues, I’m not sure Stotts’ uncreative, iso-heavy offense (perennially at the bottom of the league in passes and assists) really does them any favors in the playoffs, either. Dame has been surprisingly meh in the playoffs over his career by his standards (.548 ts) which I blame partly on Stotts not figuring out better ways to get him going beyond “you do you and CJ do CJ.”
 

cheech13

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 5, 2006
1,608
The Blazers did make the Western Conference Finals two seasons ago. It’s not like they’ve perennially failed in the playoffs.
 

Sam Ray Not

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
8,848
NYC
The Blazers did make the Western Conference Finals two seasons ago. It’s not like they’ve perennially failed in the playoffs.
Yeah, they’re 4-7 in playoff series under Stotts, which isn’t that bad in the West. Making the playoffs seven straight seasons alone is an accomplishment (last time they missed them was 2012-13, Stotts’ first season). On the other hand, they’ve been below average defensively in six of Stotts’ eight seasons, and atrocious the last two (#27 and 28, respectively).

More puzzling to me than the bad D (which could be more about personnel than coaching) is being *dead last in the NBA* in assist rate in three of the last four seasons. Maybe that’s just optimizing the elite iso skills of Dame and CJ, but I can’t help but think they could/should play a better brand of ball.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Yeah, they’re 4-7 in playoff series under Stotts, which isn’t that bad in the West. Making the playoffs seven straight seasons alone is an accomplishment (last time they missed them was 2012-13, Stotts’ first season). On the other hand, they’ve been below average defensively in six of Stotts’ eight seasons, and atrocious the last two (#27 and 28, respectively).

More puzzling to me than the bad D (which could be more about personnel than coaching) is being *dead last in the NBA* in assist rate in three of the last four seasons. Maybe that’s just optimizing the elite iso skills of Dame and CJ, but I can’t help but think they could/should play a better brand of ball.
Their personnel has been built for the double iso offense of Dame and CJ. I’m not sure having the ball out of their hands and into the hands of guys like Aminu and Harkless would generate optimal results. It seems to me that Stotts (and Dame) has emptied the tank each year to get as far as their talents have allowed them. I’ve never once seen them eliminated only to say “Wow, the Blazers were the better team but didn’t get it done.”
 

Sam Ray Not

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
8,848
NYC
Their personnel has been built for the double iso offense of Dame and CJ. I’m not sure having the ball out of their hands and into the hands of guys like Aminu and Harkless would generate optimal results. It seems to me that Stotts (and Dame) has emptied the tank each year to get as far as their talents have allowed them. I’ve never once seen them eliminated only to say “Wow, the Blazers were the better team but didn’t get it done.”
It’s happened at least once — when they got waxed by the Pelicans in the first round of 2018 — but I generally agree that they have not underperformed their talent level. If anything, Dame’s Fruitbat-like closing ability has allowed them to overperform expectations slightly. I just find it hard to get too enthused about a team that features a bottom 3 defense and shares the ball worse than any other team in the league. Probably an aesthetic criticism more than anything else.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,668
Yeah, they’re 4-7 in playoff series under Stotts, which isn’t that bad in the West. Making the playoffs seven straight seasons alone is an accomplishment (last time they missed them was 2012-13, Stotts’ first season). On the other hand, they’ve been below average defensively in six of Stotts’ eight seasons, and atrocious the last two (#27 and 28, respectively).

More puzzling to me than the bad D (which could be more about personnel than coaching) is being *dead last in the NBA* in assist rate in three of the last four seasons. Maybe that’s just optimizing the elite iso skills of Dame and CJ, but I can’t help but think they could/should play a better brand of ball.
I never really thought if a coaching change would be in order for Portland but you could be right. I've never felt like Portland ever lost a series they should have won, with maybe that one Pelicans series being the outlier, but that was more just a "holy shit Anthony Davis is great" series.

Portland from a personal standpoint has had two critical issues that have undermined them again and again in the playoffs. The first is that they have never had the right wings; they have lacked the reliable 3 and D guys that can play off of Dame/CJ on offense and help protect them on defense. Even now, they have a lot of offense first wings, in Hood, Trent and Melo. That has been okay with CJ out, but in the playoffs they have to have more guys that can play both ways at the wing position. Covington is the only real versatile player they have at the wing position. Trent, Anferee Simons and Nassir Little have potential but are all young. Hood is inconsistent. Melo has finally accepted his role and has won them some games, but he isn't stopping anyone at the other end. They made the WCF with Aminu and Harkless playing big minutes as big wings that could play defense, but those guys were not world-beaters either. At least with Trent/Simons/RoCo/Little/Hood you can say they are trying to find guys who can fill that role, but outside of Covington none of them really have proven anything.

The other problem is the Portland curse. They've had horrible luck with their bigs staying healthy. Nurkic has been great while healthy and would anchor the defense, but he has missed a ton of time since coming to Portland. Collins has never been able to stay healthy and is likely out for the reason.
 

Tony C

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Apr 13, 2000
13,694
That was a fun game. Lillard appears a bit gassed but all these guys must be.

I remain amazed at how Curry and to a degree which you noted upthread, Draymond have dragged this roster to 19 wins. I do wonder how many wins Curry alone is really worth this season. The advanced metrics, which are just flawed models, say around five but that feels really light.
is it really that surprising? They were considered 2nd level contenders w/ Klay and obviously it was a huge hit to lose him, but Curry and Green still have a decent supporting cast. I thought Oubre was a really good signing and obviously he flopped terribly at the start of the season and Green took a while to get into it, too. But now that Green is in better shape and Oubre seems to be back in last year's form (43% from 3 point land in Feb), there's nothing too shocking about GS at 19-18...frankly I think they're still underperforming a touch and should end up ahead of Dallas and San Antonio in the West and would be top 4 if in the East. It looks from advanced stats that Wiseman is the real drag on their performance, but obviously they need to develop him and 20 minutes a game seems about right for that.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
Would they ever cancel the all star game? They wouldn't postpone it. I know it won't come to that but they should have cancelled it this season anyway. Just do the voting so players can get acknowledged and give them 5 days off.
 

DGreenwood

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 2, 2003
2,444
Seattle
There can't be time to replace these guys, right? Team Durant only had two bigs to begin with and now they're down to just Vucevic.

I wonder if there'll be a trade. Lebron has Jokic, Gobert, and Sabonis.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,429
There can't be time to replace these guys, right? Team Durant only had two bigs to begin with and now they're down to just Vucevic.

I wonder if there'll be a trade. Lebron has Jokic, Gobert, and Sabonis.
Lebron should accept nothing less than Harden or Beal or Tatum for Gobert
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,429
They got to put every rack in the mountain dew area just to show how great he is in comparison.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,429
That's waaaaaay too much one and done dooook on the Durant team, especially when they stand next to each other and 2 of them hate each other.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,429
Alessia killed O Canada. Best rendition post-Vancouver Winter Games I've heard possibly. Tampa Raptors represent!