# GAME THREAD: Blazers @ Pacers (formerly: Interesting match up tonite.)



## Focus (Feb 13, 2004)

*Interesting match up tonite.*

Take a look at the matchup tonite.

Zach - O'Neal
From the stat sheet they're about equal but O'Neal is slightly better. 
Miles -Artest
A wash, Artest play better D but Miles is a high flyer.
Mouse - Tinsley
Mouse is better, but not much
DA - Miller
wash?
Theo - Foster
Theo is da man

RP - Al Harrington
Al > RP
Reef - Croshere
Reef >>> Croshere

Man to man comparsion is about equal, it will be a good game.


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## Trader Ed (Jun 17, 2002)

Mods - Perhaps we can change this thread to the Portland vs Indiana game thread


Good recap Focus

I am looking forward to this one. I sure hope we can pull this one out and win it. It will be tough!


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## ZBoFanatic (Feb 10, 2003)

In reality, Jermaine and Zach will battling on the offensive end, with Zach being a little better of a scorer and rebounder, but Jermaine is much better on the other end. Adv. PACERS.

Foster is better than Ratliff on the offensive end, but Ratliff is unquestionably the best defensive big man in this game. Adv. BLAZERS

Artest is the Pacers most valuable asset and their heart, he is much better than Darius. Adv. PACERS

Reggie will outshoot DA any day of the week. DA takes stupid shots. Slight Adv. PACERS.

Tinsley is a much better POINT GUARD than Damon. Damon is a wannabe Iverson, and that isn't saying much. Adv. PACERS

Harrington, Bender, Pollard, 2 decent backup PGs, Fred Jones
vs.
Reef, RP, and Dale, and 2 unproven PGs.. I'd give the bench adv. to the Pacers also. The Blazers get it if Reef shows up.

Carlisle is worlds better than Cheeks in the coaching department.

Pacers have home court, and don't have the best record in the league for nothing.

With all this being said, it's Zach's homecoming and I'll definitely be there to watch him step his game up for his truest fans and help the Blazers to another upset victory! I also get to watch my sister sing the national anthem and perform in the halftime show!

It is always fun watching my 2 fav teams go at it.


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## MAS RipCity (Feb 22, 2003)

Zach>JO...I think some may fail to recall Zach's 34 pt 9 reb performance vs Indy earlier this year.


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## Playmaker0017 (Feb 13, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>MAS RipCity</b>!
> Zach>JO...I think some may fail to recall Zach's 34 pt 9 reb performance vs Indy earlier this year.


Oh jeez ... that's just silly.

One game is NOT indicative of overall skill.

I am not a huge fan of O'Neal though. In fact, I think he is extremely overrated as a superstar. I think he is more polished then Zach overall - but no where close to Zach's offensive skill.

I think he is a defensive standout, but I think Randolph is a bully. Randolph can body O'Neal up and I don't know if O'Neal can stop that. 

If Zach settles for jumpers --- we're in a heap of trouble. 

It all depends on whether O'Neal is bullied down low. If he isn't I give the edge to O'Neal, because even though O'Neal isn't good offensively ... he's good enough to score on Zach.

Play.


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## mook (Dec 31, 2002)

this will be the first game we've had to play Jermaine without Sheed completely stifling him. 

I'll be curious to see if we use Zach or Ratliff on him for most of the night. If you use Ratliff, you take away some of his ability to block shots from the weakside. If you use Zach, you've got a height disadvantage and a pretty poor defensive player on their best man. 

I think we have to use a lot of sagging zones and hope that Miller/Tinsley/Artest don't kill us with jumpshots.


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## Focus (Feb 13, 2004)

I think Zach/Ratliff/Reef will all have their time to guard O'neal, on the O, Mo will go to Zach/Reef all nite long to try to get O'neal in F trouble.

Do you think Miles is quick enough to keep up w/ Miller? 

Mouse/Miles/Reef/Zach/Theo
Tinsley/Miller/Artest/O'neal/Foster

This would be interesting.


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## RP McMurphy (Jul 17, 2003)

*Re: Interesting match up tonite.*



> Originally posted by <b>Focus</b>!
> Man to man comparsion is about equal,


Yet the Pacers have the best record in the league while the Blazers are a .500 team. Says a lot about the value of man-to-man comparisons, doesn't it?


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## SheedSoNasty (Dec 31, 2002)

You guys should go check out the Indy board for the game thread. We're up by quite a bit on their poll as to who will win tonights game. Plus, the poster who started the thread did a great job of laying it all out... not to take anything away from you, Focus.


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## Playmaker0017 (Feb 13, 2004)

*Re: Re: Interesting match up tonite.*



> Originally posted by <b>ArtestFan</b>!
> Yet the Pacers have the best record in the league while the Blazers are a .500 team. Says a lot about the value of man-to-man comparisons, doesn't it?


It does. It does.


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## Skelton (May 18, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>theWanker</b>!
> this will be the first game we've had to play Jermaine without Sheed completely stifling him.


This is the exact reason I'm really looking forward to a Pistons/Pacers series this year! Hopefully it'll be the ECF which could be a real barnburner! It'll be fun to see those two go at it, the master and the apprentice.

Oh yeah, tonights game should be interesting too.


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## HOWIE (Dec 30, 2002)

*Re: Re: Interesting match up tonite.*



> Originally posted by <b>ArtestFan</b>!
> 
> 
> Yet the Pacers have the best record in the league while the Blazers are a .500 team. Says a lot about the value of man-to-man comparisons, doesn't it?


Not really, Portland has gone through an extreme make over this season. What we are begining to see is what many of us hoped for, a team that is coming together and playing with some heart.

I could throw out the old Indiana is in the East, but I won't. Indiana didn't just gamble by trading away their best players this season. 

If this Portland squad was the squad that they had to start the season with, they sure wouldn't be one game above .500 right now.

All in all this is going to be a great game and I am looking forward to seeing how the back court does after last nights game in Milwaukee.


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## Masbee (Dec 31, 2002)

*Re: Re: Interesting match up tonite.*



> Originally posted by <b>ArtestFan</b>!
> 
> 
> Yet the Pacers have the best record in the league while the Blazers are a .500 team. Says a lot about the value of man-to-man comparisons, doesn't it?


Not really it this case. Though I agree man-to-man comparisons are not that useful. Indiana has not gone through the wrenching changes tha Portland has during this season. That makes a big difference in the ability of the available talent being able to play together as a team. Indiana has been together since training camp, retains their 2 best players from last season - O'Neal and Artest, and kept their veteran leader, Miller.

And all the man-to-man comparisons can't factor in coaching, where, IMO, Carlisle is leagues ahead of Cheeks in his ability to devise clever and effective systems and plays for the team to run, and in his ability to get his players to run the system.

Cheeks is a nicer guy than Carlisle though. Unfortunately, that doesn't do us fans a damn bit of good.

As for the man-to-man comparos above, I disagree with a couple of points:

O'Neal, this season, is a better overall player than Zach, and he is used much more effectively in Indy. The end result is Indy gets better production out of O'Neal than Portland does out of Zach.

Darius Miles, this season, is not anywhere close to the player that Ron Artest is.

My analysis:

PG: Tinsley is a better POINT guard than Damon
SG: Reggie is a better SHOOTING guard than DA - who is having a bad year
SF: Ron Artest is an all-star for gosh sakes, of course, he is a better SF than Miles, and some consider the best defender in the game right now.
PF: O'Neal is a better post man than Zach
C: Foster is better this season than most non-Indy fans would think. He and Theo are about even.
Bench: Ruben, SAR and DD is a solid big man bench, but we have no guards, VS. Kenny Anderson, Avery Johnson, Freddy Jones, Al Harrington, Bender, Chrosere, Scott Pollard. SAR is the best player on both benches, but Indy's is much deeper, so is better.


With all of this it becomes much clearer why the Pacers have the record they do, and the Blazers have the record they do:

Better talent + more talent + better coaching + fewer changes + Eastern Conference schedule = much, much better record.


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## RipCity9 (Jan 30, 2004)

> Tinsley is a much better POINT GUARD than Damon. Damon is a wannabe Iverson, and that isn't saying much. Adv. PACERS


The way Damon's been playing lately, I expect Stoudamire to outshine Tinsley, who is no all-league point guard himself. This is a game we should win, the only thing that worries me is that we played last night.


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## Masbee (Dec 31, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>RipCity9</b>!
> 
> 
> The way Damon's been playing lately, I expect Stoudamire to outshine Tinsley, who is no all-league point guard himself. This is a game we should win, the only thing that worries me is that we played last night.


You do realize that Damon almost single-handedly shot the Blazers OUT of their easy victory at the Bucks last night?

It was so obvious what was happening, when it was happening, that the Bucks announcers brought it up at least 4 times in the second half - the Blazers bigs (Zach and Shareef) can do anything they want in the paint, and the Blazers have been doing the Bucks a huge favor by not pounding the ball inside on every play.

You do realize that over the last 10 games, Tinsley is the highest rated PG for Tendex points per minute played (though in somewhat limited minutes)? Damon isn't in the top 10 despite "the way he's been playing lately".
http://www.dougstats.com/03-04TendexLF.html


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## Blazerfan024 (Aug 15, 2003)

We look very tired and sluggish so far


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## NateBishop3 (Jul 22, 2003)

the only one showing any hustle is Z-Bo


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## Blazerfan024 (Aug 15, 2003)

yea there is alot of stand and wait


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## Blazerfan024 (Aug 15, 2003)

so far damon has 3 to


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## NateBishop3 (Jul 22, 2003)

replay of the second half agains the Bucks.... Damon and DA are killing us...


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## quick (Feb 13, 2004)

Sadly the bench players are the ones saving everybody.


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## NateBishop3 (Jul 22, 2003)

aren't the bench players supposed to step it up on a back-to-back? 

Still, there's no excuse for DA's poor play.


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>NateBishop3</b>!
> aren't the bench players supposed to step it up on a back-to-back?
> 
> Still, there's no excuse for DA's poor play.


DA's poor play is not uncommon, so in essence, there is no excuse for it...it's normal, and really nothing warrenting an excuse..


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## Playmaker0017 (Feb 13, 2004)

Personally, I liked the lineup with Theo, Miles, Reef, Randolph on the floor. 

They were looking decent on defense ... I think it had a little pep on offense.

Play.


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## SheedSoNasty (Dec 31, 2002)

That's a mamoth lineup, Play. I kind of like it. It doesn't give us much perimeter shooting, but it's down right scary down low. Good for stretches at a time, but I have mixed feelings on how that lineup would work throughout the course of an entire (majority) game.


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## CatchNRelease (Jan 2, 2003)

*Home Cook'n?*

Artest should'a been tossed for that shot to DA's head.

Go Blazers


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## mook (Dec 31, 2002)

bring back Gill! what did he do wrong? as far as I could tell, he played flawlessly in the first half.


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## Focus (Feb 13, 2004)

Reef need to be in the game, he is fresh.


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## quick (Feb 13, 2004)

Yeah bring back gill stoudemire is being an idiot thinking he rules tinsley.


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## Storyteller (Dec 31, 2002)

Well, once again, Portland's starting PG has taken more shots than anyone else....

At least he's hitting a few of them in the second half....

But, I still do not think this is the best strategy....


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## Focus (Feb 13, 2004)

Boston is doing good and Toronto is close. Go PDX.


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## NateBishop3 (Jul 22, 2003)

not just our point guard.. both our guards are jacking up shots


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## RipCity9 (Jan 30, 2004)

Twelve minutes to go, and we've got the lead. Get the win and send a message to this bunch of whiners and cheap shot artists.


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## Storyteller (Dec 31, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>NateBishop3</b>!
> not just our point guard.. both our guards are jacking up shots


Yeah, you're absolutely right on that count!


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## Focus (Feb 13, 2004)

Jazz 47
Rap 48


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## Playmaker0017 (Feb 13, 2004)

How hard is it to feed the post?

I may not like Randolph much, but he can freaking score. Get him the ball!


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Playmaker0017</b>!
> How hard is it to feed the post?
> 
> I may not like Randolph much, but he can freaking score. Get him the ball!


hold on..you mean it's not good to have crappy outside shooters shoot the ball??

coughcoughDAcoughcough..


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## Focus (Feb 13, 2004)

can we stop shooting 3s?


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

here seems to be the play in the 4th:

dribble till there's 6 seconds left..launch a bad outside shot. Or commit a turnover.

I said in the email last night to the 5th quarter that the teams karma was wasted last night due to Damons shot..they of course didn't see it that way.

well, golly, guess who's not getting bounces their way? or making shots?


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## RipCity9 (Jan 30, 2004)

This game was in the bag, then we score 8 points in 10+ minutes.


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## NateBishop3 (Jul 22, 2003)

this is getting rediculous.... we basically just pass around the perimeter until the shot clock is down to 5, and then we hoist a bad shot. Why doesn't Cheeks put a stop to this? I just don't understand.


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## quick (Feb 13, 2004)

They keep trying to make 3 pointers are they seriously that stupid?


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

8 points in the 4th quarter.

replace the backcourt this summer.


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## RipCity9 (Jan 30, 2004)

A wasted opportunity. A decent fourth quarter and we win.


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## Backboard Cam (Apr 29, 2003)

Wha! Why didn't we foul?


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## arenas809 (Feb 13, 2003)

You guys just quit the last 2 minutes...

Like you just walked off the floor and didn't want to play anymore...

Well at least you aren't the Bulls...

We quit before the game even starts.

Another note, Ratliff blocks everything...


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

1-10 for DA...

make that 1-11.

so instead of Zach getting more shots (or anyone else) DA launched 10 bricks..

nice job DA...nice job Damon...


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

You simply can not have Damon dribbling down
to the wire and then throwing up crap.

Derek is hurling up shots so far out he is struggling to shoot.
Why so far back??
He might have had the winning shot last night ..but tonight is the real Damon.

WOEFULLY INADEQUATE

:no:


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## Focus (Feb 13, 2004)

Our guards 2/11 3s
No FT from Zach

lucky that Boston and Tor is looking good.
Funny thing is 5 west teams visit east tonite and they all lost(assume Atl don't blow it and Tor can hold on)


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

Hap, who would you like to see in the backcourt next year??


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## NateBishop3 (Jul 22, 2003)

three people that need to go by next season:

Maurice Cheeks
Damon Stoudamire
Derek Anderson


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## Storyteller (Dec 31, 2002)

OK, in the category of tonight's Blazers' game, here's the answer for Final Jeopardy:


22 vs. 15


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## Playmaker0017 (Feb 13, 2004)

Thank you Damon and DA! Way to find a way to shoot us out of the game ... this time we weren't treated to a last second heroic shot!

Randolph/Reef (where our strength is) - 
10-16 % TOs


DA/Stoudamire (where our guards think our strength is) -
7-29 8 TOs

For the sake of it, let's looks at DA/Stoudamire vs. our entire frontcourt:

DA/Stoudamire - 7-29
Frontcourt (incl bench) - 16-30

Hrrrm...

Thanks Andermire ... you two cost us the game. We owned them inside.

Play.


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## Leroy131 (Mar 11, 2004)

Anderson, Damon, and Miles all had brutal games and they still had a chance to win. It feels like we're always on the brink of disaster with Damon and DA shooting so many deep contested shots. I was impressed with our defense once again; can't win them all. Time to make hay against some lesser opponents.


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## quick (Feb 13, 2004)

There we have it the guards were a bunch of imbeciles.Ratliff was the reason we were hanging with the pacers.


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>jackiejackal</b>!
> Hap, who would you like to see in the backcourt next year??


as starters? or period?

Im partial to getting Brent Barry as a backup, or starting SG if need be. I can handle Damon as the PG another year, if we have a decent shooting SG to compliment him. 

Best possible scenario? Ray Allen and Brent Barry...but the team would *have* to get rid of DA if thats the case. We've already had the "loaded with SG's* experiment.

actually, we should just get rid of DA period.

Most likely case?

Damon and DA are the starting guards next year. 8(

worst case scenario?

Damon and Cook as the PG's (horrible shooters) and DA and Dickau as the SG (horrible shooter, and too short to play SG).

the ideal guard lineup (in reality world)?

Damon
Barry

with backups:

Dickau and Person and sign someone else.


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## KingSpeed (Oct 30, 2003)

Why is tonight the real Damon?

Damon hit the game tying and game winning shot when we played Indy before. Damon's game winner at Bradley Center last night was a REPEAT performance for Bucks fans.

Is Damon a 33% shooter? That's what he shot tonight.

You're flat out wrong, Jackie.

To say that this is the real Damon, when he had an off night and wasn't able to be a super hero two nights in a row is flat out ridiculous.

Hey- look at his stats for the road trip. I'll take it. 2-1 road trip, ain't bad at all.


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## Playmaker0017 (Feb 13, 2004)

There is just NO WAY in Hades that Woods is so awful that he can't get a minute over DA.

If he is THAT bad, I put Miles in at SG.

Next game:

PG - Stoudmire
SG - Miles
SF - Reef
PF - Randolph
C - Ratliff

Just say "NO" to <b>Andermire</b>!

Play.


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## KingSpeed (Oct 30, 2003)

Don't rag on Damon and DA. They're all we have. They HAVE to shoot the ball. They have to play aggressively. If anything, they didn't shoot ENOUGH tonight. They played good defense and they are our leaders right now, for better or worse.

You can't say they didn't play hard.

Go Blazers


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

Derek 1 for 11


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

Barry for sure


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## NateBishop3 (Jul 22, 2003)

Come on Speed, it had nothing to do with hitting or missing his shots. Damon should have PASSED the ball. Our backcourt took WAY TOO MANY outside shots. It's the point guard's JOB to make sure that doesn't happen.


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## Storyteller (Dec 31, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>So Cal Blazer Fan</b>!
> OK, in the category of tonight's Blazers' game, here's the answer for Final Jeopardy:
> 
> 
> 22 vs. 15


What is "the number of shots missed by Anderson and Stoudamire compared to the number of shots missed by the rest of the team combined"?


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## quick (Feb 13, 2004)

They did play hard and on the defensiv end but still they continously make slow executions and attempt stupid shots.


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## Playmaker0017 (Feb 13, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>NathanLane</b>!
> Why is tonight the real Damon?


It isn't so much of the "real" Damon as it is the worthless Damon.



> Is Damon a 33% shooter? That's what he shot tonight.


No, but he shot it enough times to put us out. Those are WASTED possessions. 33% on 9-10-12 shots is one thing .. but 17-18 hurts a team!



> To say that this is the real Damon, when he had an off night and wasn't able to be a super hero two nights in a row is flat out ridiculous.


He wasn't a superhero last night either. 

By all accounts, he lost us that game too. All he did was redeem himself last night. But tonight he handed the team our rears on a silver platter and our forwards battled as hard as they could to stop it. 



> Hey- look at his stats for the road trip. I'll take it. 2-1 road trip, ain't bad at all.


But it could just as easily been 1-2. Damon got LUCKY last night. L-U-C-K-Y!

It is luck that the ball was swatted back. It was lucky that he still had time on the clock to get the shot off. It was lucky that it went in. 

That wasn't skill ... it was luck. And sometimes it is better to be lucky then good ... but tonight was not that night.

He and Anderson lost this game for the Blazers.

Play.


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## Storyteller (Dec 31, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>NathanLane</b>!
> Don't rag on Damon and DA. They're all we have. They HAVE to shoot the ball. They have to play aggressively. If anything, they didn't shoot ENOUGH tonight. They played good defense and they are our leaders right now, for better or worse.
> 
> You can't say they didn't play hard.
> ...





> Originally posted by <b>NathanLane</b>!
> A great game= win.
> 
> A bad game= loss.



Which one is right, Nathan?


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## Playmaker0017 (Feb 13, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>NathanLane</b>!
> Don't rag on Damon and DA. They're all we have. They HAVE to shoot the ball.


What?

Theo is really the ONLY good center we have. I guess he should just jack it up too.



> They have to play aggressively.


Aggressive - yes. Stupid and out of control - NO. 

They were the latter tonight and last night.



> If anything, they didn't shoot ENOUGH tonight.


They outshot our ENTIRE frontcourt. How can you say they didn't shoot enough?! Any more shots from Andermire and we would have lost by 20! 

Long jump shots lead to fast breaks! We got slaughtered on the fast breaks. 



> They played good defense and they are our leaders right now, for better or worse.


Good defense? 

Why could Tinsley penetrate and dish at will? Why did Miller have more open looks then he has had in a year?

They played AWFUL defense.



> You can't say they didn't play hard.


Nope, they played hard alright. But that doesn't make up for the fact that they played stupidly.

Play.


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## Blazerfan024 (Aug 15, 2003)

Damon has reminded everybody why he can not be on this team, I think some were fooled by his "Sudden" good play but the last 2 games the "real" Damon has come out, the guy who wants to drain the shot clock, who wants to shoot first, passes are a bad thing. 

Tonights loss could have been avoided if not for damon and some of DA but we have been saying that all season so I guess there is nothing new there. 

Until the guard situtation is dealt with in off season we will deal with these games here on out. 

Hopefully Someone gives are "captain" a word on how to play point guard.


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## ThatBlazerGuy (May 1, 2003)

They drove me crazy tonight. I was throwing stuff at the dam TV. 

I have come to the decision that Damon is better than any PG we could realistically trade for, so i can accept him as the starter for next year and maby one more year after

But, DA has to go. We are a good SG away from being a AWESOME team. If we had a consistent SG this team could be 6th or 7th seed right now.


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

Let's take a vote.
Woods is out of the NBA soon.
Woods is going to be on the Blazers roster
next year.
Woods could help out another team.


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## ThatBlazerGuy (May 1, 2003)

let me add this...

Cheeks coached a HORRIBLE game. 

SAR was killing. Playing great and we keep him in for a measly 22 minutes. 

Ratliff was left out far too long at the start of the 4th

Gill should have played 15-18 minutes instead of 10. Damon was obviousally getting tired. 


Overall, cheels played the starters too much for the first 3 quarters and then kept them out too long at the begenning of the 4th.


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## quick (Feb 13, 2004)

Yes those were the reasons we lost I agree with everything you said there blazerguy except for the 'Cheeks coached a HORRIBLE game' part.


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## Playmaker0017 (Feb 13, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>quick</b>!
> Yes those were the reasons we lost I agree with everything you said there blazerguy except for the 'Cheeks coached a HORRIBLE game' part.


Cheeks could have stopped our guards from forcing shots. 

He could have said "Hey guys, stop forcing up jumpers. We own them inside. So, rush up court and get the offense in place early ... so we can get a good look inside."

Play.


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## RG (Jan 1, 2003)

Shooting too much is only the tip of the ice berg. Damon has jacked 17 3's in 2 games, hitting only 4!


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

Well he is shooting waaay outside to boot.
So either he is dribbling or shooting outside.
I thought his weaknesses were on full display tonight.

It seemed like he was the center of the game..
and not making anything.
Everybody else brought them back and the backcourt shot them back out.


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## quick (Feb 13, 2004)

Its true the guards did take up too much shots but I thinkl they felt that the pacers were doing a good job guarding the paint that they decided to jack up shots.Overal though it was an okay game.I thought cheeks coached a descent game we came back down from 15 points to make the game competetive and had chances to win the game.But of course there were blown opportunities.


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## Storyteller (Dec 31, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>jackiejackal</b>!
> Let's take a vote.
> Woods is out of the NBA soon.
> Woods is going to be on the Blazers roster
> ...


I'll take "Woods is going to be on the Blazers roster next year."


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

Boy if this just doesn't say it all

MSNBC:
"Blazers made just two field goals in the fourth quarter."


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## Webster's Dictionary (Feb 26, 2004)

I only read this last page, but I don't see anything that really mentions DA's performance tonight.

1-11 FG
0-5 3FG
6 AST
4 REB
3 TO

Way to go. He shot under 10% for the game
UNDER FRICKIN 10%!!! 
He's got such great character, but you have to have both character and talent to play on this team. This isn't the first time hes shot a rediculously low percentage either. He's shotting under 40% for the season. If his back is hurting him _this_ much, he shouldn't be playing.


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## Flaming Homer (Jan 27, 2003)

Typical Blazer-Loss 
I think, _Playmaker0017_ pointed it out best: Guards took 29 shots, the rest of the team 32 (Miles only 4 Shot-Attempts?). And still it was almost a close game, that gives me some hope.
But what happend to Patterson? He seems not to be really effective over the past few games, but my judgement bases only from the stats, so I'm probably wrong on this. Can somebody tell me how he did the last games?


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## Oldmangrouch (Feb 11, 2003)

The trio of Zach, SAR, and Darius got only 20 shots tonight, sinking 12.

Damon and DA jacked up 29 shots, despite making only 7.

The Blazer reputation for low basketball IQ remains safe!:sour: I know the players have to play the game, but Cheeks has to take some of the blame for this. 


BTW, I predict that Woods will be on another team next season, and go on to have a career comparable to the Memphis version of Bonzi - not a huge star, but a productive player who will be better than whoever replaces him on the Blazers!!


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## Backboard Cam (Apr 29, 2003)

DA's last 4 games: 

(per game averages)

FG% 3PTM 3PT% PTS
.365 1.3 .238 13.3 

AST TO 
6.0 1.0 

REB ST BLK	
4.5 1.8 0.3

That was a good week, even figuring in Wednesday's game. Of course the shooting %'s are horrible, especially from 3, but ast/to is nice.

Team Defense. I'm telling you, that's our thing now. We played a good East Coast team, and held them to 80.

Both teams played hard, for real.


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## ABM (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>NathanLane</b>!
> Why is tonight the real Damon?
> 
> Damon hit the game tying and game winning shot when we played Indy before. Damon's game winner at Bradley Center last night was a REPEAT performance for Bucks fans.
> ...


Nathan, I don't know about the _real_ Damon, but he cost the Blazers the game in he end. He made stupid decision after stupid decision in crunch time. (It's his *job* to run the team, and he blew it this time.)

Walton saw it; my buddy and I watching the game saw it; virtually everyone in here saw it.

What game were you watching?


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## HOWIE (Dec 30, 2002)

Portland is going to live and die by the play of their back court. They really need another shooter to make the defense honest so the big men can do their thing.

I was a little worried about the back court for the Indiana game because of the long minutes they played in Milwaukee. Portland will bounce back from this set back, but a sweep of Indiana sure would have been nice, not to mention a 5 game winning streak against playoff bound teams.


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## mook (Dec 31, 2002)

it's obvious to me that when Damon gets tired he just stops thinking. he dribbles more and just figures he'll shoot it from the perimeter or pass is to Anderson. it's just too much effort to try to set up a teammate. 

I am SO looking forward to next season. our backcourt incompetence is just too glaring to go unresolved over the summer, and we have too valuable a commodity in SAR to just leave on our bench.


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## Trader Ed (Jun 17, 2002)

our team right now as structured lives and dies by our guards shooting. It will not change until they either figure out how to run an offense or the summer comes and changes are made to the roster.

not only did Damon shoot to much, but Mo and him quit going to the big men. We were killing them in the paint. Z Bo, Rahim and Ratliff were doing well. Even with Indiana's sudden defensive clamps in the 4th, IMHO they would have scored. *We have a superior frontline to most teams in the league. When is our coaching staff and guards going to figure it out.* :whoknows:

In crunch time... go to the 4 or 5... not hoist a few on St. Pattys day :cheers:

Darius had a bad game... I could feel his pain. He wants to win so badly. He and Zach are fierce competitors. I hope he can convince Q Rich to come here over the summer.


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

When all is said and done,I am still very excited for next year.
This is a very exciting young(as in time together)team !!
If they make the playoffs ,god love em,if they don't I will get
into my "wait til next year". And be very comfortable with that.

I think Portland is rebuilding and needs to keep everybody
but these players.

Cheeks --over his head in 4th quarters.Get some game plans !
Damon -- he is making rookie mistakes !! rookie !
Derek --- a wonderful young man,but just doesn't have his legs,
particularly on back to back.His shots are costing Portland games.
Davis --just not productive for a whole game.
Woods --- experiment over please..too much no idea of what to do.I think what threw me for awhile,is he looks so graceful at times.The other 90% of the time he looks horrid.

If you looked at Indiana,they didn't seem to have a glaring weakness. Their point guard is not a "star"..but did you notice
his terrific ball distribution?
I will bet if you counted his total ball dribbles vs Damon's total
dribbles,it would be off the charts.
Portland is right at their heels talent wise,I love what we have right now !!.
But until the floor general is replaced,I don't see any improvement.


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## Trailbeaver (May 30, 2003)

Okay, I'm tired of seeing Damon thrown to the wolves after every sub-par game. Did he play poorly last night? Most definitely. But putting the entire loss on him like some of you are claiming is pretty questionable. All fourth quarter their offense was a joke and yes it's the PG's job to run the offense, but there are many other factors involved:

1) People get all over Damon's *** for dribbling out the shot clock and then passing the ball off with to little time to do anything. Obviously all 4th quarter we had a problem getting good shots off before the clock but there was no movement at all by players without the ball. I'm not sure where your'e supposed to pass the ball when the other 4 players are just standing in the same spot.
On the rare occasion when the ball was dropped down into the post it was just kicked back out forcing one of the guards to jack up some ugly shot in order to beat the clock.

2) We ran the exact same play for about half of the 4 th quarter. Damon brings the ball up, Zach sets a pick at the top of the key, Damon rolls off the pick and then passes to zack. Damon then gets the ball back from Zack and low and behold there is now about 6 or 7 seconds left on the clock. After watching this play lead to bad shot after bad shot, as the head coach of the team I think it's Cheeks' responsibility to change something up.


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

But you can point to very specific things he does game after
game. I have never seen a point guard dribble so much of the game clock away. Have you?

I have never seen a point guard hoist up so many shots from
outside without one pass. Have you?
Several times last night he was hoisting up long 3 pointers without even throwing the ball to anyone else.
That works great when he is making them.
But when he doesn't,wow is it apparent.

For a point guard to keep the ball dribbling all the way from
the backcourt into the frontcourt and then to shoot without 
one pass.. 
Not one pass,time after time.
That is Damon that I have watched year after year.

On the nights he distributes the ball,that is the lively pass pass
shoot games that look so good.
How can that fall on anyone else than Damon??
And I like Damon,I have said that time and again.
But not as the point guard.


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## Trailbeaver (May 30, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>jackiejackal</b>!
> But you can point to very specific things he does game after
> game. I have never seen a point guard dribble so much of the game clock away. Have you?


Hmm... not really, but I don't see the other point guards on a regular enough basis to know if anyone else has his nasty habit.


> Originally posted by <b>jackiejackal</b>!
> I have never seen a point guard hoist up so many shots from
> outside without one pass. Have you?


Francis, Marbaury, Arenas, Iverson (whether you want to call him a point or not is arguable), Bibby ( on occasion). Unfortunately the game today has evolved into a shoot first league and the man who brings the ball up the court has that first option of whether to shoot or pass, more and more these days that option has been to shoot. There are still some really good pass first PG's out there, but the blazers, along with a good chunk of the rest of the league don't have them on their roster.



> Originally posted by <b>jackiejackal</b>!
> Several times last night he was hoisting up long 3 pointers without even throwing the ball to anyone else.
> That works great when he is making them.
> But when he doesn't,wow is it apparent.
> ...


I'm not here trying to admonish Damon of all of his faults as we all know he has them. I'm just amazed at how much people love to jump on him after a bad game. Look at what happened the times we did get the ball around the rim last night: a travel by Randolf, Rahim getting swatted by an off-guard, Rahim getting a nice pass right under the basket and losing it out of bounds. Damon had a bad game, that being said, I didn't see any remarkable offensive play from anyone else on the team that warrants Damon being cast as the sole reason they lost.


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