# Game 1: Blazers @ Spurs



## Samuel

Game on!


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## mgb

Alright, GO BLAZERS!!!!!


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## Samuel




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## Samuel

Foul on Bowen. Miracle?


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## BlazerFanFoLife

The Blazers are playing really well. You could really see how cheap of a push that was by Bowen.


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## Samuel

Roy needs to take it and go glass on one of these possessions.


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## alext42083

I'll take this start. LaMarcus Aldridge showing off the "entire repetoire" according to Marv Albert. hahaha.

Roy seems a little hesitant or nervous with the jumper, but I'll take it. Go Blazers!


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## PapaG

Aldridge is so much bigger looking than last season.

Roy is getting past Bowen at will.

Joel looks just OK

Martell looks too amped, but he'll calm down.

Jack just does not look very good at all right now.


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## Basel

Good game thus far; LaMarcus Alrdridge definitely looks good out there. It's going to be fun watching him throughout the night. He's doing a little bit of everything on the offensive end.


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## Basel

Tony Parker is going to give the Blazers fits all night.


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## PapaG

Parker's penetration is killing the Blazers right now.

Time to zone up.


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## BengalDuck

Good hustle there on the defensive end by Webster.


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## Samuel

Blazers getting jumpshot happy.


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## alext42083

That second unit needs to find someone to post up.. but outside of Aldridge, I don't know if the Blazers have that secondary post-up threat.

But yes, it's taken half hour and I'm already reminded how much I hate Ginobili and his constant flopping. Ugh.


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## Basel

The Blazers need to make sure they don't let this game out of hand early. They're still obviously very much in this game, but they have to be careful because if things start rolling the Spurs way, especially at home, then I don't think they have a chance at stopping them.


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## YardApe

What channel is it on through direct tv?


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## PapaG

Outlaw just made an offensive move that no one else on the roster can make.

He looks nice so far.


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## PapaG

YardApe said:


> What channel is it on through direct tv?


245


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## Basel

Well, it was an entertaining first quarter in my opinion. 29-26 Spurs after the first.


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## Samuel

I'll take it!!!


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## LameR

I want Sergio as our starting guard of the future.

Sergio
Roy/Fernandez
Fernandez/Roy
Aldridge
Oden


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## YardApe

Thank you!


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## ProZach

I could really really do without Brian Wheeler's personal jabs at the opposing team. Ex. - Popavich can grow his hair out all he wants, it's not going to make him look any better...

That just wreaks of amateurism.


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## Superblaze

Steve Blake is doing well, his shot is falling.


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## alext42083

29-26 at end of first, I'll take it.

Though I can't imagine that Nate is all too happy about Sergio's D. He just let Darius Washington go straight to the hoop.
And did I hear Cheryl Miller say Darius Miles was coming back soon, or something like that?


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## alext42083

ProZach said:


> I could really really do without Brian Wheeler's personal jabs at the opposing team. Ex. - Popavich can grow his hair out all he wants, it's not going to make him look any better...
> 
> That just wreaks of amateurism.


Hahaha... did he say that? Wheeler's already in midseason form though that is kind of a cheap shot.


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## gatorpops

YardApe said:


> What channel is it on through direct tv?


75 on HD or 245 reg,

gatorpops


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## Samuel

Darius Miles, 1 month away? 

Yeah... in your bra.


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## Samuel

First obviously bad call of the game.


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## LameR

alext42083 said:


> 29-26 at end of first, I'll take it.
> 
> Though I can't imagine that Nate is all too happy about Sergio's D. He just let Darius Washington go straight to the hoop.
> And did I hear Cheryl Miller say Darius Miles was coming back soon, or something like that?


Yeah about a month away apparently. The reason behind my thinking about Sergio as the future PG is his offensive skills, and if he doesn't improve much on D, we have Aldridge and Oden inside to back him up.


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## Basel

I wish I was at home so I could watch this in HD.


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## alext42083

So Ginobili gets to take a chop at Steve Blake, nothing called, and then gets the call later on? Geez... that's so terrible.

That is interesting about Miles. Where will he fit in with this team with Webster, Jones and Outlaw? That's going to be interesting to see how it plays out when he comes back.


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## Zybot

Someone please comment on Outlaw's oop. Was that just Wheels going crazy for no reason?


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## CrGiants

Outlaw's oop was nice. Reverse and all. But nothing fierce.


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## Basel

I think if the Blazers are down by only single-digits at the half, then the game could get very interesting.


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## CrGiants

So I think Portland's guards have forgotten about playing defense. The forwards have been denying the ball well downlow, but the little guys are getting too many layups.


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## Basel

Aldridge has really impressed me to start this game. He looks very good out there.


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## mgb

Aldridge is playing great on O! Hopes he doesn't get to many fouls.


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## CrGiants

Horrible. JJ comes down immediately and throws up a horrible jumped. TD comes back for SA with a 3-point play.


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## mgb

Jack hasn't impressed me. Blake played a lot better so far.


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## PapaG

They finally went zone, get a TO, then Jack doesn't rotate for a three.

Jack looks like he's regressed this season. He won't be a starter for long.


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## Basel

The Blazers only have 4 total assists right now. If I'm a fan, I'm a little worried about that stat.


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## CrGiants

Yeah Jack is off to a terrible start. Not impressed by our guard play on O or D thus far.


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## RetroBlazers

jack looks horrible. he needs to sit until he can calm down. he's trying to dominate the game by scoring, and he's hurting the team.


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## craigehlo

Ugh. Jack is stinking the place up. He's still the fastbreak killer he was last year but he's added sloppy turnovers to his repertoire.


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## Basel

Pryzbilla must hate being stuck guarding Duncan.


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## ThatBlazerGuy

Agreed with everyone on Jack.


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## PapaG

Duncan shoves Joel out of the way...NO CALL

I forgot why I hate the NBA at times.


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## CrGiants

Pretenders v. Contenders. Terrible.


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## LameR

CrGiants said:


> Pretenders v. Contenders. Terrible.


Congrats, you're a troll.


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## alext42083

Yeah, Jack doesn't good at all right now but hey, it's only the first half of the first game.

I think the biggest surprise so far is Brandon Roy with 0 points... ouch. Maybe he's pressing too much.


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## PapaG

Nate is leaving Jack in for sink or swim time. I think that's why he named him the starter as well. If Jack doesn't perform tonite, he'll have a very short leash and may end up #3 in a matter of a few games.

Kudos to Nate for letting JJ try and pull himself out of this.


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## Basel

With 3 minutes left in the half, the Blazers need to make some sort of run to get back into the game.


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## PapaG

alext42083 said:


> Yeah, Jack doesn't good at all right now but hey, it's only the first half of the first game.
> 
> I think the biggest surprise so far is Brandon Roy with 0 points... ouch. *Maybe he's pressing too much*.


Maybe he's hurt. The guy has hardly played so far this year.


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## CrGiants

Congrats, LameR. You really are lame. It was a comment on how the Blazers look thus far. What's wrong with the opinion? Should I say Portland looks great? Would that make me less of a troll? I guess I should be happy that the Blazers are slow on D, the guards look slow, etc?


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## rocketeer

PapaG said:


> Maybe he's hurt. The guy has hardly played so far this year.


he also hasn't been getting any help from the refs. it looked like he got fouled on that turnover bringing the ball up the court where he threw it out of bounds and that offensive foul shortly after shouldn't have been called on him and that would have been two more points.

from the little bit of the game i've seen, i like what i'm seeing out of webster and outlaw. i just wish oden was healthy. this would be a playoff team.


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## CrGiants

Roy had some slow games last year and turned it up in the 2nd half. I see the comments on Aldridge. What I like about him vs. our prior PF, the offense doesn't run through him, and it seems like he's hardly touched the ball, yet he has 11. Very quiet 11 points. In games where the offense runs through him, he could easily put up 30-40.


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## HB

LA is so smooth


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## PapaG

ALDRIDGE IS ABUSING TIM DUNCAN :yay:


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## LameR

CrGiants said:


> Congrats, LameR. You really are lame. It was a comment on how the Blazers look thus far. What's wrong with the opinion? Should I say Portland looks great? Would that make me less of a troll? I guess I should be happy that the Blazers are slow on D, the guards look slow, etc?


Did you really expect the Blazers to contend for a championship?


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## rocketeer

CrGiants said:


> Congrats, LameR. You really are lame. It was a comment on how the Blazers look thus far. What's wrong with the opinion? Should I say Portland looks great? Would that make me less of a troll? I guess I should be happy that the Blazers are slow on D, the guards look slow, etc?


you can't call the blazers pretenders. what are they pretending? no one even thinks the blazers are going to make the playoffs.


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## PapaG

Get Jack out of there.

I've seen enough of him.


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## PapaG

PapaG said:


> Get Jack out of there.
> 
> I've seen enough of him.


LOL

Joel bails out Jack with a jumper.


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## mgb

Look at Joel.


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## HAAK72

BIG Bucket Billa


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## CrGiants

Elson has 3-4 easy dunks. I'd say that's sad, but I'll be called a troll. Instead, I'll just say nice effort. If we were a little bit faster, we wouldn't give up quick, easy buckets. 

On a side note, Pryzbilla sure does look more comfortable on offense.


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## craigehlo

Jack needs to get pulled ASAP. 

Love Roy's defense so far


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## alext42083

I think Przybilla is playing well, 8 points, 5 boards and looks like he's always around the ball. It looks like the Joel of two years ago a little bit.

Aldridge is such a beast. He's playing REALLY well, and is posting up Duncan and taking it to him.


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## LameR

CrGiants said:


> Elson has 3-4 easy dunks. I'd say that's sad, but I'll be called a troll. Instead, I'll just say nice effort. If we were a little bit faster, we wouldn't give up quick, easy buckets.
> 
> On a side note, Pryzbilla sure does look more comfortable on offense.


My bad. Your initial post just seemed really trollish to me. I don't understand how the Blazers would be pretenders in any way. No one expects anything out of them this years, and it just seemed like something someone would say to purposely be negative and try to piss off people from a particular fanbase.


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## CrGiants

Pretenders in the sense that they are not ready for the playoffs, not meaning anything like overrated or on that level. The Blazers are a 9th or 10th place team in the West. Nothing wrong with it. They're young and inexperienced. Another year or two, and they will be a very competitive team. They'll beat some high quality teams.


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## HAAK72

...Jack should NOT start 2nd half!


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## Basel

Portland is definitely holding their own in this game. I'm hoping for a fun and exiting second half.


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## Samuel

Spurs: 12-14 FT
Blazers: 4-5

And that's the game...


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## CrGiants

Not sure if the "my bad" is sincere or not, LameR. I'm as die-hard as they come, and you can read my previous post on the "pretender" comment. I'm excited about the future, and I have no doubts that we're going to be very competitive. But I'm also honest and realistic. The team will play some nights like a top tier team, and others like a 9th or 10th seed. And there's no shame in it. Next year, I see no excuses, no reason why the team doesn't make the playoffs.


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## PapaG

Samuel said:


> Spurs: 12-14 FT
> Blazers: 4-5
> 
> And that's the game...


It's tough when the Blazer team leader is being guarded by a guy who is allowed 12 fouls/game.


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## craigehlo

HAAK72 said:


> ...Jack should NOT start 2nd half!


He shouldn't start anymore. Period. He looks exactly the same as last year if not worse.

I'd like to see Green turned loose a little bit in the 2nd half. He'll be much more disruptive defensively.


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## Tortimer

Jack and Roy sure had bad first halfs especially Jack. I thought he played really terrible. I know they won't but if he struggles early in the second half I would go with Blake. Glad to see LMA play well. You have to admit the Spurs look good. I really don't think we looked that bad against a great team.


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## ehizzy3

jack is killing me....blake was killing me when he first came in, but he made some shots...rodriguez and roy have had some uncharastic turnovers too.


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## zagsfan20

Put Blake in the game and keep him there. I have never been a big fan of Jack's style of play and he hasn't done anything this game that has made me change my mind about that. Stupid turnovers, stupid decision making, and overrated defensively. Blake should easily be the starter.

And give Aldridge the damn ball down low. Make them have to stop him from scoring and if he's double kick it out to our improved perimeter shooters.


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## CrGiants

Tortimer, you can't put Roy with Jack. Jack played terrible. Roy was silent in terms of stats, but he also wasn't making defensive mistakes and making bad decisions on O.


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## BlazerCaravan

CrGiants said:


> Pretenders in the sense that they are not ready for the playoffs, not meaning anything like overrated or on that level.



Just admit it: you only said it because it rhymed and you were trying to be clever. 


1st Half Good News:
Przybilla hit a 15 footer.

1st Half Bad News:
Przybilla had to shoot a 15 footer.

We're looking nervous but not nearly as horrible as we might have been if this game had been played last year or two years ago. Even with Roy giving us nothing in the stat line, we've had good contributions from the expected (LA) and unexpected (Joel).

We're only down 10. It's not like we're playing the Grizz, either.

I have to smile at the way that LMA shows no fear versus Duncan... because he knows Duncan can't shut him down. And the Sky Hook. Gotta respect the farking Sky Hook.


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## Basel

Samuel said:


> Spurs: 12-14 FT
> Blazers: 4-5
> 
> And that's the game...


That's not the only problem. They also have 10 turnovers and a total of 5 assists as a team. That'll usually have you on the losing end as well.


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## mgb

Samuel said:


> Spurs: 12-14 FT
> Blazers: 4-5
> 
> And that's the game...


Ya, we're not taking it inside enough. To many quick jumpers.


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## ehizzy3

BlazerCaravan said:


> 1st Half Good News:
> Przybilla hit a 15 footer.
> 
> 1st Half Bad News:
> Przybilla had to shoot a 15 footer.


:laugh: sooo true

duncan is having trouble with aldridge, im loving it!


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## ehizzy3

thats part of having an uptempo offense, you take quick jumpers..


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## #10

Basel57 said:


> Portland is definitely holding their own in this game. I'm hoping for a fun and exiting second half.


And I'm hoping for more posts from you so I can drool over that avatar... :drool:

Interesting to see Sergio getting those 3 minutes ahead of Green. Maybe Nate's comments have just been to try and keep Sergio working hard. Or maybe we'll see a few minutes from Green in the second half, who knows.


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## LameR

CrGiants said:


> Not sure if the "my bad" is sincere or not, LameR. I'm as die-hard as they come, and you can read my previous post on the "pretender" comment. I'm excited about the future, and I have no doubts that we're going to be very competitive. But I'm also honest and realistic. The team will play some nights like a top tier team, and others like a 9th or 10th seed. And there's no shame in it. Next year, I see no excuses, no reason why the team doesn't make the playoffs.


Oh, it was. I was just letting you know why I responded that way. Good to hear we're not as different as I initially thought.


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## CrGiants

Dear BlazerCaravan,

I'm an accountant. I'm really not that creative.

Sincerely.


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## #10

awww, lets all hug


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## Basel

The Spurs bench is also playing a little bit better, with 27 of the Spurs 59 points.


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## craigehlo

BlazerCaravan said:


> I have to smile at the way that LMA shows no fear versus Duncan... because he knows Duncan can't shut him down. And the Sky Hook. Gotta respect the farking Sky Hook.


Amen. LMA's play on national television is the only positive in my book so far. 

The Spurs are always a good 2nd half team so I've got a feeling that the score will soon get much more out of hand.


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## Basel

#10 said:


> And I'm hoping for more posts from you so I can drool over that avatar... :drool:


Haha, you can count on it.


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## CrGiants

On a side note, if anyone is looking into purchasing a new TV, I just got my new TV for the season, and I'm loving it thus far (with HDTV), and I've got a recommendation if people are wanting to avoid paying the cost of a Plasma or LCD.


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## LameR

CrGiants said:


> Tortimer, you can't put Roy with Jack. Jack played terrible. Roy was silent in terms of stats, but he also wasn't making defensive mistakes and making bad decisions on O.


True. Roy may have not have done a whole lot on offense, but he did create for others a couple of times. It didn't help that Frye just let one of his passes bounce of of his hands and out of bounds. He did well on D though. Also, factor in that Roy has Bowen on him.


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## southnc

Not too bad for the first half, considering how good the Spurs are.

-It's nearly impossible to guard Parker
-I liked the aggressive play from Blake
-Roy looks way too tentative so far.
-LMA is playing sensational
-Webster is playing good aggressive basketball as well.
-Joel is doing ok as well

The Blazers have got to watch the TOs and work to contain Parker and Genobli (not easy!)


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## Darkwebs

Jack is playing terrible, and Roy is rusty. On the bright side, Webster is playing suprisingly well. Aldridge is playing incredible. 

The blazers need to take care of the ball better in the 2nd half, and play better defense on Parker.


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## Tortimer

CrGiants said:


> Tortimer, you can't put Roy with Jack. Jack played terrible. Roy was silent in terms of stats, but he also wasn't making defensive mistakes and making bad decisions on O.



I agree and I'm not worried about Roy. He hasn't played that much in pre-season and has a tough defender on him but Jack is killing us. I have like Jack in the pre-season but he looks really bad tonight.


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## PapaG

Darkwebs said:


> Jack is playing terrible, and Roy is rusty. On *the bright side, Webster is playing suprisingly well. Aldridge is playing incredible.*
> 
> The blazers need to take care of the ball better in the 2nd half, and play better defense on Parker.


I have to add Outlaw to your list. 9 pts/3 rbs in 10 minutes.


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## yuyuza1

Halftime notes
1. Frye = Magloire 2.0
2. Outlaw, can you please pass the ball? 
3. Jack = deer in the headlights
4. Roy is getting by Bowen at will. He's gotta shoot it.
5. Aldridge = Duncan 2.0 

We need help at PG.


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## Tortimer

CrGiants said:


> On a side note, if anyone is looking into purchasing a new TV, I just got my new TV for the season, and I'm loving it thus far (with HDTV), and I've got a recommendation if people are wanting to avoid paying the cost of a Plasma or LCD.


What TV did you get? I like the new slimline DLP Samsung from looking at it at Best Buy.


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## CrGiants

Really, what's hurt us is a few bad turnovers and our slowness rotating on D. That's about it thus far.


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## Tortimer

yuyuza1 said:


> Halftime notes
> 1. Frye = Magloire 2.0
> 2. Outlaw, can you please pass the ball?
> 3. Jack = deer in the headlights
> 4. Roy is getting by Bowen at will. He's gotta shoot it.
> 5. Aldridge = Duncan 2.0
> 
> We need help at PG.


I agree but Outlaw never does pass but he has looked ok. We do need a PG and I think there are going to be a lot of good PG's in the draft(Rose) this year.


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## PapaG

yuyuza1 said:


> Halftime notes
> 1. Frye = Magloire 2.0
> 2. *Outlaw, can you please pass the ball? *
> 3. Jack = deer in the headlights
> 4. Roy is getting by Bowen at will. He's gotta shoot it.
> 5. Aldridge = Duncan 2.0
> 
> We need help at PG.


Why? He's shooting over 50% and can get his shot off at will. Who do you want him to pass the ball to with Aldridge and Roy out of the game?


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## Darkwebs

PapaG said:


> I have to add Outlaw to your list. 9 pts/3 rbs in 10 minutes.


Oh yeah. Totally forgot about Outlaw. That was a cool reverse alley oop dunk. The highlight of the first half for the Blazers I would say...well, either that or Przybilla's 15 foot jumpshot.

I hope the Blazers can make this more competitive in the 2nd half.


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## CrGiants

Tortimer, 

I went to the Costco in Wilsonville and got the new Panasonic 61LCZ7. Through tomorrow evening (10/31), it is $300 off. I paid $1649, it's 61", comes with a nice stand, is 1080p, etc. Good picture with standard TV, but great picture with DVD and HDTV. Plus, the bulb is guaranteed for 5 years. I've had it 3 days (talked the wife into it with the hope of the Blazers rise over the next year, no joke), and I really like it, especially for the price.


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## CrGiants

JJ reads this board at halftime.


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## Basel

2nd half is underway, and I'm sure you guys are happy to see Jack nail a jump shot, especially when it was a 3-pointer. Just like that, the lead is cut to 5.


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## mgb

ehizzy3 said:


> thats part of having an uptempo offense, you take quick jumpers..


That's not true. You can be a uptempo O without being a run and gun O. Take smart shots and take it inside if you can. Run when it's there.


----------



## LameR

How's it taste Tony Parker!?


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## Basel

And now Roy gets his first field goal. Nice.


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## LameR

Roy does things for this team that can't be measured by stats. He's going to be huge for us in a couple of years.


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## HAAK72

Lucas has a nice*** Blazer tie on!!!


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## PapaG

mgb said:


> That's not true. *You can be a uptempo O without being a run and gun O*. Take smart shots and take it inside if you can. Run when it's there.


The truth. It's about a secondary break and spacing.


----------



## AllEyezonTX

Yung Bucks still fighting, I like that....


----------



## BlazerCaravan

Thank GOD! Umberto got his 4th! We don't have to face that offensive juggernaut for a few minutes.


----------



## PapaG

LameR said:


> Roy does things for this team that can't be measured by stats. *He's going to be huge for us in a couple of years*.


Um, he's huge for the Blazers right now. :biggrin:


----------



## Basel

Aldridge, with his 15 points, is leading all scorers.


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## LameR

PapaG said:


> Um, he's huge for the Blazers right now. :biggrin:



(voice from fantasy football commercial) Championshipppp


----------



## CrGiants

Aldridge is a second coming of Wallace, without the crazy antics. That's for better or worse, though. Sometimes, he'll rely too much on the outside shot, not quite demanding enough on O, and not going to grab every loose ball. But he can score on 20 on anyone with ease.


----------



## AllEyezonTX

Basel57 said:


> Aldridge, with his 15 points, is leading all scorers.


:biggrin: :biggrin:


----------



## Samuel

Blazers:

Outshooting them from the field.

Shooting as well as them from 3.

Shooting a better percentage from the line

Outrebounding them.

I'll take it.


----------



## Basel

Blazers need to finish this 3rd quarter on a high note.


----------



## BlazerCaravan

Jack is having a nightmare game. He's a better player than this.


----------



## CrGiants

Pryz!


----------



## seifer0406

Aldrige is owning. Too bad he has absolutely no help this game.


----------



## PapaG

COME ON NOW!

Duncan just shoved Joel out of the way. Totally bogus, Bennett Salvatore.


----------



## Freshtown

B-Roy needs to cut and drive... the J isn't there right now


----------



## PapaG

seifer0406 said:


> Aldrige is owning. *Too bad he has absolutely no help this game*.


Um, Joel?


----------



## CrGiants

Oh Yeah! Alridge!


----------



## Basel

Aldridge is having himself one hell of game!


----------



## BlazerCaravan

Man, I hope we can find a PF who can score as many points as Zach.


----------



## BlazerCaravan

PapaG said:


> Um, Joel?


Crazy as it sounds, Joel is playing the Greg Oden role pretty well in the twin towers approach! This is the Joel we signed to that extension.


----------



## BlazerFanFoLife

Blazers are coming back. Watching Martell gaurd Finley makes me think that Martell and Finley could have simular careers.


----------



## PapaG

Quick thought -

Joel has 13 pts, 9 rbs, and 1 blk right now.

Throw in one more block, and that's about what I expected from Greg Oden. :whoknows:


----------



## Darkwebs

Aldridge with the fast break jam!!!


----------



## c_note

Jack is his usual horrible self. He's completely incapable of running a simple offensive set, everything positive he's ever accomplished consists of broken plays and ill-advised decisions.


----------



## PapaG

BlazerCaravan said:


> Crazy as it sounds, Joel is playing the Greg Oden role pretty well in the twin towers approach! This is the Joel we signed to that extension.


:biggrin: 

Read my subsequent post. Totally thought the same thing.


----------



## CrGiants

Um, how do I say this nicely? Cheryl Miller has gotten HUGE! Yeah, yeah, I'm a jerk.


----------



## PapaG

Great, let's interview Parker's old lady...

:biggrin:


----------



## BlazerCaravan

Roy looked almost bored shooting that three! Ice Water!


----------



## Basel

Jack & Roy now have 10 points combined in the 2nd half.


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## AllEyezonTX

Good Time for Roy to heat up


----------



## #10

what every basketball fan is really interested in.... Eva Longoria's ring! good call, TNT!


----------



## CrGiants

You guys remember when Darius Washington and his dad bragged about how much better he was than Telfair? Yeah, it neither has proven anything in the L. I guess that ain't saying much.


----------



## crowTrobot

lol at frye going 1 on 4


----------



## rocketeer

frye literally going 1 on 5?


----------



## LameR

That's great Frye. Go 1v5. There's probably not anybody open... :eek8:


----------



## CrGiants

Ladies and gentlemen....It is my pleasure to introduce to you....MARTELL WEBSTER!


----------



## Basel

81-77 Spurs after three.


----------



## PapaG

I am so sick of seeing the Blazers fouled on drives with no whistle.


----------



## mgb

CrGiants said:


> Ladies and gentlemen....It is my pleasure to introduce to you....MARTELL WEBSTER!


I was just about to post the same thing.


----------



## BlazerCaravan

LameR said:


> That's great Frye. Go 1v5. There's probably not anybody open... :eek8:


Admittedly, there's a point where you're so covered, if you let go of the ball, someone else will steal it from you. Yeah, he messed it up, but they collapsed on him hard and fast. He looked like an 18-year old runaway at a Hell's Angels party.


----------



## ROYisR.O.Y.

seriously what was up with frye how do u not kick it out then lose the jump ball??


----------



## crowTrobot

c_note said:


> Jack is his usual horrible self. He's completely incapable of running a simple offensive set, everything positive he's ever accomplished consists of broken plays and ill-advised decisions.



actually he's quite capable. like last year he is showing similar serious confidence issues - it's a mental thing. i'm glad nate left him out there since he is a much better player than he is showing.


----------



## CrGiants

PapaG, I hate to complain about officiating, but it does seem like the Spurs have gotten away with a bit tonight. Yeah, I realize they won the 'ship last year and all, but some of it is a bit ridiculous. When our big guy goes flying under the hoop and TD gets it for a wide-open dunk, you'd think they realized enough contact occurred to call a foul? Eh, guess not.


----------



## 2k

Give Jack some time to work out the pains. He is still getting a feel for the NBA game. The talent to make it happen is there.


----------



## BlazerCaravan

That we're within 4 after 3 is very encouraging, no matter what happens now.


----------



## crowTrobot

BlazerCaravan said:


> Admittedly, there's a point where you're so covered, if you let go of the ball, someone else will steal it from you. Yeah, he messed it up, but they collapsed on him hard and fast. He looked like an 18-year old runaway at a Hell's Angels party.



that's not what i saw. the spurs were crowded together under the basket and he made up his mind to go right at them no matter what.


----------



## ROYisR.O.Y.

BlazerCaravan said:


> That we're within 4 after 3 is very encouraging, no matter what happens now.


what about that? freaking inbounds pass!!!!!1


----------



## AllEyezonTX

you got a whole 2hrs to talk about #24 in the next game- why now?


----------



## BlazerCaravan

crowTrobot said:


> that's not what i saw. the spurs were crowded together under the basket and he made up his mind to go right at them no matter what.



Well, some runaways *want* to be a Hell's Angels plaything...


----------



## Basel

Martell Webster is ballin'.


----------



## BlazerCaravan

Which is more awesome? Outlaw passing the ball or MArtell hitting the 3?


----------



## BlazerCaravan

Why isn't LMA playing all 12 minutes of this 4th quarter? Major oversight, imho.


----------



## CrGiants

None if it matter without the D.


----------



## ROYisR.O.Y.

i hope rudy is half as good as manu! that would be awesome


----------



## AllEyezonTX

Tim Dun...oops Manu gets the rebound on 4 blazers - lol


----------



## CrGiants

I'm with you Caravan. Huge mistake IMO.


----------



## crowTrobot

nate paying for going with a dinky lineup. nate really needs to keep either joel or lamarcus in there.


----------



## Dan

Man, Oden is playing like crap. Can't believe we drafted that guy ahead of Jordan.


----------



## CrGiants

Who is Oden?


----------



## AllEyezonTX

Hap said:


> Man, Oden is playing like crap. Can't believe we drafted that guy ahead of Jordan.


:biggrin: - I keep forgetting he out for the season, he will have some catching up to do - they should be going for a playoff spot next year, mos def.


----------



## BlazerFanFoLife

Duncan doesn't miss if he wants the shot.


----------



## BlazerCaravan

BlazerFanFoLife said:


> Duncan doesn't miss if he wants the shot.


He also apparently doesn't travel or foul either.


----------



## AllEyezonTX

I don't think Nate has sat down once


----------



## mgb

Rebounding is what is killing us in this game.


----------



## crowTrobot

LA would look really good on the bulls : )


----------



## Basel

I must say that this game has definitely been more entertaining than I thought it would be.


----------



## mgb

Webster is money!


----------



## BlazerFanFoLife

Spyda for 3!

Webs for 3!

Buckets for 3!

Slots for 3! 

Webster needs a nickname.


----------



## BlazerCaravan

mgb said:


> Webster is money!


This tingling feeling is unusual... is it because I'm wathing potential being fulfilled just a little?


----------



## PapaG

Webster, Outlaw, and LMA look great.

I have to wonder if Roy is hurting. I keep forgetting he is on the floor.


----------



## Basel

mgb said:


> Rebounding is what is killing us in this game.


The rebounding is actually very even for both teams.


----------



## Basel

Looks like the Spurs are going to take this one, but Blazers fans should still be extremely happy with how the Blazers played overall. Aldridge is going to be something special in this league.


----------



## PapaG

The FT difference is the game. Duncan ran over Webster on a three with a 5 point game. NO CALL.

That said, I feel good about this team right now.


----------



## Darkwebs

Basel57 said:


> The rebounding is actually very even for both teams.


But I wish Aldridge would do a better job of rebounding. He only has 3 so far and it's the 4th qtr.


----------



## BlazerFanFoLife

We played well, looks like we get a Loss but as we get better at making less mistakes i think this team can compete with most teams.


----------



## mgb

Basel57 said:


> The rebounding is actually very even for both teams.


Offensive are? I'll take your word for it.


----------



## PapaG

mgb said:


> Offensive are? I'll take your word for it.


12 for SA, 8 for PDX.

At least two of the Spurs' are due to Duncan shoving people under the basket.


----------



## Basel

mgb said:


> Offensive are? I'll take your word for it.


12-8 in favor of the Spurs. Overall, the Blazers have 40 to San Antonio's 39.


----------



## BlazerFanFoLife

Wow blazers finally get a out of bounds call


----------



## mgb

Ya, it's been a good game. I have a feeling we are going to surprise a lot of teams.


----------



## Mateo

Good game for the young Blazers. I'm glad to see that Webster doesn't have the deer in the headlights look anymore and seems to be a real player. Ditto for Outlaw.


----------



## RoddneyThaRippa

Martell is nice. People better recognize.


----------



## Basel

Well, the Spurs are 1-0 but the Blazers put up a hell of a fight. I don't know that anyone other than Blazers fans thought they would play the way they did.


----------



## yuyuza1

Good game! Roy will get his soon enough, and we'll be fine. 

I love Webster's game.


----------



## Driew

I wonder why Ime Udoka didn't play


----------



## PapaG

Basel57 said:


> Well, the Spurs are 1-0 but the Blazers put up a hell of a fight. I don't know that anyone other than Blazers fans thought they would play the way they did.


I thought Roy would play a lot better. I hope it was just rust and not the heel. A normal game from Roy and the Blazers win this one. He was 2-10 from the floor with only 2-4 on FT atttempts.


----------



## PapaG

Driew said:


> I wonder why Ime Udoka didn't play


Because he has bad knees and is playing behind Bowen, Barry, and Finley.

That was the best non-signing of the offseason by PDX.


----------



## mgb

Basel57 said:


> Well, the Spurs are 1-0 but the Blazers put up a hell of a fight. I don't know that anyone other than Blazers fans thought they would play the way they did.


Ya, showed a lot of character not to just cave when they got down by 16 early. I think this team will just keep getting better because they want to and are willing to do the work that it takes. There are lot of new players so it'll take some time to get use to each others game and to improve on D, but if tonite was any indication they will just get better.


----------



## wastro

Blazers took the Spurs down to the final two minutes with Brandon having a bad game. I'm not complaining too loudly.

I was worried about Roy at first, but look at it this way: he only played about five quarters of pre-season basketball, and he's going against the best defender in the NBA. I'm not too worried. A little bit, yeah. But he'll come around.


----------



## GOD

Well I enjoyed the game.

Points - 
Aldridge, Webster and Outlaw played well, and Joel really surprised me. 
Roy was not able to get much done today and he looked real frustrated.
Although I have been squarly in the Jack camp, he was outplayed by Blake big time today.
Aldridge needs to figure out how to get position for rebounds.
Webster was money
I love the Blazers


----------



## wastro

Oh and how about Martell? I was worried about the pre-season being an aberration. But he dropped 21 on the best team in the NBA with no problem. I was happy with his performance.

Also, I'm with the posters talking about how Portland didn't cave after they were down by 16. They came back, and that's a great sign. I was afraid the San Antonio lead would balloon to 20+, but luckily Portland made a game of it.


----------



## c_note

Wow, we should've traded Martell & change for Mike Miller when we had the chance!!


----------



## LameR

I loved how Webster and Aldridge played. I expected more rebounds from Aldridge, but given where he was shooting from, you can't really fault him-especially with how Joel was doing on both ends.

Roy will only get better. Even with the poor stat line, I thought he did decently. He was creating for others throughout, maybe just a bit slow in execution at times.

Jack looked like a scrub. Hopefully he'll get a bit better, but if not he won't be starting for long.

Blake did fairly well. He should be starting.

I think Sergio deserved more time. I was stoked when he came in in the first, expecting him to play more, but it obviously wasn't the case.

Outlaw showed flashes of decent play, but at other times I was frustrated with him.

Surprised Taurean didn't play.


----------



## wastro

Nate's following through on his "tight rotation" promise. He only played 7 guys "big" minutes tonight.


----------



## mediocre man

Fair is fair

I hate Joel, but he played really well.
I love Aldridge, but he REALLY needs to concentrate on rebounding a bit more
I wanted to trade Webster, but he might actually be for real
With his mere presence in the middle, with Oden we probably win this game
Jack sucks
Sergio should have played more. I thought he did really well 

It will be a lot of fun watching the team this season. They play their tails off at both ends of the floor


----------



## yuyuza1

LameR said:


> Jack looked like a scrub. Hopefully he'll get a bit better, but if not he won't be starting for long.


He was garbage today. I couldn't count the times he drove right into double teams without a clue about where he was going. 



> Blake did fairly well. He should be starting.


Agreed.



> Outlaw showed flashes of decent play, but at other times I was frustrated with him.


Take out the forced shots, and missed defensive assignments, and he had a half decent game. He seems like a much bigger blackhole than Zach ever was.

Also, Frye = MIA.


----------



## Superblaze

I am disappointed in B-Roy and giddy over Websters game, he is Fo Real. It was a good game and what was expected. If we had Oden, and if Roy's shot had actually dropped, then there is no doubt in my mind that we would have won.


----------



## yakbladder

Go Joel! You even made MM admit you played well!


----------



## PapaG

yuyuza1 said:


> Take out the forced shots, and missed defensive assignments, and he had a half decent game. *He seems like a much bigger blackhole than Zach ever was*.


Outlaw had two assists, Aldridge had zero. Heck, Jack only had one assist as the starting PG.

Say what?


----------



## MAS RipCity

we win by 5-7 is Roy plays like ROY
We win by 15-20 if we have Oden
Martel and LMA are sick nasty!


----------



## mgb

mediocre man said:


> Fair is fair
> 
> I hate Joel, but he played really well.
> I love Aldridge, but he REALLY needs to concentrate on rebounding a bit more
> I wanted to trade Webster, but he might actually be for real
> With his mere presence in the middle, with Oden we probably win this game
> Jack sucks
> Sergio should have played more. I thought he did really well
> 
> It will be a lot of fun watching the team this season. They play their tails off at both ends of the floor


And we played more uptempo.


----------



## Iwatas

Turnovers were the difference tonight, and Blake and Jack get a lot of the credit.

iWatas


----------



## yuyuza1

PapaG said:


> Outlaw had two assists, Aldridge had zero. Heck, Jack only had one assist as the starting PG.
> 
> Say what?


Not going by stats, but Outlaw forced a lot in the first half.


----------



## Talkhard

Wow. I can't believe what I just saw. The Blazers were kicking the ball out and running at every opportunity tonight. It's a whole new look and I love it. They took it to the Spurs and fought them tooth and nail all night long. This team is very competitive and is going to be so the entire season. The Spurs had all they could handle.

As for Aldridge, I love his offensive game, but did he forget he's supposed to rebound? Steve Blake got twice as many rebounds as he did in 11 fewer minutes of playing time. That's just wrong.


----------



## PapaG

yuyuza1 said:


> Not going by stats, but Outlaw forced a lot in the first half.


He shot 4-7 in the first half. :whoknows: 

He didn't get in a flow in the second half, missed his 3 shots, but had 2 assists.


----------



## BlazerCaravan

I think it's okay for Outlaw to be a black hole. He's not Zach; he's not the #1 option. PGs will go to him when they need a shot and LMA has 8 guys on him. He'll shoot it, and will probably make it.


----------



## mook

my thoughts-

Aldridge is looking more and more like the 2000 Sheed every day. and just like back in 2000, I found myself yelling at the tv, "No! You stupid guards! Throw into the big guy who is absolutely killing in the post!" Aldridge would pass out of the post and Roy/Jack would just go off and do their own thing. Aldridge could've easily added another 10 points tonight if the guards just tried to repost. 

I dunno. maybe it's our new-fangled high-scoring offense and we don't want to play Aldridge like we did Randolph. but Aldridge was destroying San Antonio just like Amare does, and we didn't go to him enough. 

anyway, I'm really encouraged. Roy isn't going to have the best perimeter defender in the league on him every night. this is as bad as we'll see him (assuming his heel doesn't give out).

and Aldridge put up nearly Amare-like points against Duncan. 

and Webster is finally starting to seem like maybe not such a bad consolation prize for screwing up on missing out on Chris Paul and Deron Williams sweepstakes.

I'm not sure why Sergio got the quick hook. ok, that rookie guy blew right by him, and he had the ugly turnover. but he also had that sweeeeet fast break where Przybilla fell over, he picked up his dribble and somehow nailed Blake in the corner for the wide-open three. 

I've been a big pessimist on McMillan ever running a fast-paced offense, but it looks like he's actually going to try it.


----------



## PapaG

Iwatas said:


> Turnovers were the difference tonight, and *Blake and Jack get a lot of the credit*.
> 
> iWatas


Roy led the team in turnovers. Blake gets a break due to 4 assists, and Brandon had 6. 

Jack has regressed.


----------



## hasoos

After watching the LA vs Houston game so far, I don't feel bad about Portland's performance at all. :biggrin: 

I gotta say I am happy for Webster, he tore it up tonight. I still think the back court needs to be Roy and Martell, and move Outlaw to the starters. Then for bench rotation just make sure 2 starters are in at all times.


----------



## Entity

*The Good:*

Joel! 13 pts, 10 reb, 4-5 FG, 5-6 FT. Can he do that more often?
Martell! 21 pts, 3-6 3Pt, 6-9 2Pt. Playing aggressively and fearlessly. Will he be able to put his name in with the big three down the road?
LaMarcus with the ball. 12-19 FG. And half the time he was up against Duncan.
Steve. I like how he moves the ball and positions himself.
Shooting. 50% FG, 50% 3Pts
Staying with the Spurs. They fell behind by as much as 16, but they didn't let up. They couldn't get closer than 3, but it was nothing to be ashamed of.

*Eeh:*

Jarrett. Completely lost today. Running straight at double teams, forcing the ball. A third year player with a decent chunk of college shouldn't look like that.
Travis. Needs to look for the open man a little bit more. He wasn't too bad, he just needed to see the situation around him. 
LaMarcus without the ball. I'm not too worried about him here in most situations, but he didn't get a whole lot off of the glass tonight. He _did_ get three blocks.
Brandon. Needs to get back into the swing of things. Nice distribution of the ball.
Fastbreak. Or complete lack thereof. This is supposed to be a running team. They had a hard time stealing the ball to create those opportunities.
Finesse over Attack. This could have been because of San Antonio's defense, but I didn't see enough of Portland's athleticism.
Learning the Zone. I liked how they were forcing outside shots, but they've got a ways to go with that system.
Youth. They made a few mistakes. But a lot less than you'd expect from the youngest team in the league.

I'm holding out on the three that played 6 or 7 minutes. The Blazers pretty much went with a seven man rotation. I'm glad that Portland showed some maturity. They'll need it if they're going to open the season with three road games. Hopefully the rest of the team can work themselves into some playing time soon. I'm not disappointed yet.


----------



## hasoos

Anybody else notice the announcer blown away by Joels free throw percentage? That got a good chuckle from me.


----------



## blue32

you're not entirely accurate, broy had more turn-overs than blake, and blake was a little more productive than roy. Jack is what killed this team; that and the turnovers (9) from the guards.


----------



## crowTrobot

as bad as jack was in the first half, in case nobody noticed he did bounce back somewhat in the second - he played some decent defense (blake was terrible on D) and hit the only 2 shots he took. jack was part of the main comeback we made.


----------



## hasoos

blue32 said:


> you're not entirely accurate, broy had more turn-overs than blake, and blake was a little more productive than roy. Jack is what killed this team; that and the turnovers (9) from the guards.


Ya that was completely ridiculous. The funny thing is, Martell had zero turnovers. Who would have thunk that?:biggrin:

I wonder if we might see Green soon if this keeps up.


----------



## PapaG

BlazerCaravan said:


> I think it's okay for Outlaw to be a black hole. He's not Zach; he's not the #1 option. PGs will go to him when they need a shot and LMA has 8 guys on him. He'll shoot it, and will probably make it.


As I posted earlier, with Roy, Aldridge, and now apparently Webster out of the game with the second unit, to whom should Outlaw pass the ball?

Also, Frye sucked, and I've been in his corner since the trade. He needs to step it up immediately. His poor play hurt tonite.


----------



## crowTrobot

blue32 said:


> Jack is what killed this team;



that's funny because jack is the only blazer that had a positive +/- for the game (aldridge was even). i'm not apologizing for the way he played, but he did not cost us the game. roy's shooting did that.


----------



## YardApe

All I can say is this, Roy, Oden,LA and now Webster??? The rest of the NBA better be nervous cause this team is going to be the new champs in not to long. The whole game I thought how Oden would have created another 20 points just being there and I know Roy can play better. Webster didn't choke and all in all we ran with the world champs on their night. No need for regret, our team is going to be just fine!!!!

I came from this game inspired to be honest. Our team can do much better than they played tonight and they didn't come close to being blown out.


----------



## Stepping Razor

crowTrobot said:


> that's funny because jack is the only blazer that had a positive +/- for the game (aldridge was even). i'm not apologizing for the way he played, but he did not cost us the game. roy's shooting did that.


And Blake's all-around game (or lack thereof -- watch how no one else on the team can score when he's "running" the point, and how we can't get team stops to save our life). 

And Nate's bad coaching at the start of the fourth quarter (we should never have Joel, LMA, and Roy all on the bench at the same time; Blake was killing us yet played the whole quarter; that zone defense was awful).

Despite those complaints, though, there were a lot of positives. Martell! LMA! Joel! Keep it going fellas...

Stepping Razor


----------



## Tortimer

I'm happy the way we played tonight. I think LMA, Joel and Webster all had good games. I think Outlaw also did ok off the bench. I know Roy will come around. We should maybe do better this year then I first thought. I know Jack, Blake, Frye and Roy all had bad games but I think they can play better. Everyone has a few bad games and Roy just hasn't had enough playing time to get going IMO.


----------



## mook

I thought Outlaw had a pretty nice game off the bench. he clearly was our best bench player tonight. 

know why nobody is talking much about Frye and Jones? because they sucked and McMillan rightly yanked them. 

there are only three or four reserves in the NBA who don't have major flaws in their game. Ginobili is one of them. Outlaw isn't. if Outlaw does what he did tonight most nights as a reserve, I'm pretty happy. 

just nab some rebounds, create some offense when we get stagnant, don't be a complete tool on defense. what more do you want from a sixth man on the youngest team in the NBA?


----------



## crowTrobot

Stepping Razor said:


> And Blake's all-around game (or lack thereof -- watch how no one else on the team can score when he's "running" the point, and how we can't get team stops to save our life).
> 
> And Nate's bad coaching at the start of the fourth quarter (we should never have Joel, LMA, and Roy all on the bench at the same time; Blake was killing us yet played the whole quarter; that zone defense was awful).
> 
> Despite those complaints, though, there were a lot of positives. Martell! LMA! Joel! Keep it going fellas...
> 
> Stepping Razor


yeah those too, and frye being invisible on defense when he played center.

i know it's not the long term solution, but if nate really wants to win right now he needs to play roy at PG and jack at 2 down the stretch like he did against seattle.


----------



## BlazerCaravan

Roy-Martell-Outlaw-LMA-Przybilla -- this lineup should play some minutes together... yeah, it'd make our second string completely worthless, but I think this lineup has smarts in the right positions to get things done.


----------



## mgb

mook said:


> I thought Outlaw had a pretty nice game off the bench. he clearly was our best bench player tonight.
> 
> know why nobody is talking much about Frye and Jones? because they sucked and McMillan rightly yanked them.
> 
> there are only three or four reserves in the NBA who don't have major flaws in their game. Ginobili is one of them. Outlaw isn't. if Outlaw does what he did tonight most nights as a reserve, I'm pretty happy.
> 
> just nab some rebounds, create some offense when we get stagnant, don't be a complete tool on defense. what more do you want from a sixth man on the youngest team in the NBA?


This was only one game so I wouldn't draw to many conclusions until we see more games. A player might have been hot in this game and won't be in others and the same goes for a player being off. I do think Webster is the real thing, but we have to see it in more games. Same goes with Fyre and Jones, this was just one game lets give them more games before we decide they suck.


----------



## mook

hey, I didn't say "they suck." I said "they sucked." as in, "they sucked tonight." 

I don't have much hope that Frye will do much more than suck, but I think Jones could still be useful. but I'd love to be surprised by Frye. 

Frye looks to me like a jump-shooting version of Magloire. slow. big. mediocre defender. more hype than value.


----------



## KingSpeed

First off.... I had a GREAT time watching us play tonight. We lost, yes, but we were playing the champs and well, this team is on the rise. Little losses can't get us down. In the big picture, we are going in the right direction. I thought Roy actually played pretty well. He wasn't making his shot, but he created for others, played some good D, and stayed calm out there. AND he was willing to take the big shots in the final minutes. He missed all of them, but he was willing to take on that role. He will make those most of the time. I love his on-court demeanor. I hope his heel doesn't give him too many problems this season. He seems like a great guy.

I LOVED watching LMA play. He was great. I don't care about his three rebounds. He played great. He will rebound in other games. I thought Outlaw played great. He did what he was supposed to do. He was the go-to guy for the second unit. I loved that Nate got 10 of our guys out there in the first quarter. It was good to get a look at all of them.

WEBSTER played GREAT. I think he is for real. Could he average 20 ppg this year? 

Joel Przybilla was also a THRILL to watch. Hilariously wonderful performance.

And yes, Jack sucked but GET THIS.....

NBA.com keeps track of +/- now and get this.... Jack was the only player who had a +. Apparently, we won by three points when Jack was in the game. We were even with LMA.

Go figure.

Go Blazers


----------



## BlazerFanFoLife

We really have to work on our Zone it was horrible, the Zone was the major reason why the Spurs had so many open and easy shots.


----------



## PapaG

Stepping Razor said:


> *And Blake's all-around game (or lack thereof -- watch how no one else on the team can score when he's "running" the point, and how we can't get team stops to save our life). *


I am confused here. The boxscore tells me Blake had* 9 pts, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.* Sure he had 3 turnovers, but Blake's "all-around game" seems about as good as I would expect from a back-up PG.

What do you mean by "all-around game". Jack got toasted by Parker in the 1st quarter; was Jack's "all-around game" better than Blake's?


----------



## Zybot

CrGiants said:


> Um, how do I say this nicely? Cheryl Miller has gotten HUGE! Yeah, yeah, I'm a jerk.


 Ohhh! I thought Eva Longoria was interviewing Queen Latifah.


----------



## Yega1979

Good game. I thought the game was closer than the score indicated. We gave the Spurs a good fight, and the game came down to a few silly turnovers and the calls were a little unbalanced. If we had played this well against most other teams in this league, it would have been a W.

Aldridge and Webster proved they were not preseason flukes. Webster seems to have finally arrived! He's never put this many good games in a row together.

Channing French Frye and Jarret Jack are going to find themselves on my **** list if they keep it up.


----------



## Stepping Razor

PapaG said:


> I am confused here. The boxscore tells me Blake had* 9 pts, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.* Sure he had 3 turnovers, but Blake's "all-around game" seems about as good as I would expect from a back-up PG.
> 
> What do you mean by "all-around game". Jack got toasted by Parker in the 1st quarter; was Jack's "all-around game" better than Blake's?


Did you watch the game? The entire team plays bad at both ends of the court when Blake is in there. In terms of individual stats, Blake was marginally better than Jack (though both, to be fair, were pretty bad). But the two times when we got blown off the court for a few minutes at a time (when the Spurs went up by 16 in the 2nd and when they went from +2 to +9 in the first half of the 4th) Blake was the one "leading" the team. IMO he's just a player who has a strong negative impact on the overall play of the team. Maybe that's just my bias, but if nothing else the +/- in this particular game supports my view.

Note that this is not really intended as an endorsement of Jack, who played like crap today. I just think his crap hurt us less than Blake's did.

Stepping Razor


----------



## Boob-No-More

NathanLane said:


> NBA.com keeps track of +/- now and get this.... Jack was the only player who had a +. Apparently, we won by three points when Jack was in the game. We were even with LMA.


Stupid, meaningless, misinterpreted stat. It says more about who is on the floor with a player than how well that player played. Classic example from tonight's game:


Manu Ginobili - 16 PTS, 3 REB, 8 AST, 5 STL, 1 BLK, +/- -1
Matt Bonner - 8 PTS, 5 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, +/- +10

So, according to the way most people interpret this stat, Ginobili hurt his team and Matt Bonner was twice as valuable as Tim Duncan. Anybody with a brain knows that's not true. Duncan (+5) did EVERYTHING better than Bonner and Parker (+1) and Ginobili (-1) contributed way more to the Spurs victory than Bonner (+10), Darius Washington (+8) and Bruce Bowen (+7 on 0-5 shooting).

If you look at the Blazers, Martell played a much better game than Brandon Roy tonight, but they both ended up -8. Why? Because they were on the floor together most of the night. So, Roy's uncharacteristic bad play tonight hurt Martell's +/-. Basketball is a team game and you can't simply look at an individual's +/- as an indicator of how well or how poorly they played. It's highly dependent on who else is on the court with you and how well/bad they are playing at the time.

BNM


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## KingSpeed

The point is... it's not an individual sport! The Spurs played well when Bonner was on the floor. The Blazers played well when Jack was on the floor. Point blank. Fact.

Go Blazers


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## Boob-No-More

NathanLane said:


> The point is... it's not an individual sport!


Which is my point exactly. You can't use this stat as a measure of individual performance.



NathanLane said:


> The Spurs played well when Bonner was on the floor.


Better than when Duncan was on the floor? And they played poorly when Ginobili was on the floor? I don't think so. In the game I watched, it was Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, not Matt Bonner and Darius Washington who lead the Spurs to victory in the 4th quarter. If anything, Bonner benefited from playing alongside Ginobili - who had assists on 3 of Bonner's 4 made field goals. Yet Bonner is the one with the +10 and Ginobili is at -1. Again, this stats is meaningless for comparing individual performance.

BNM


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## Blazer Freak

I wouldn't worry about LMA's 3 rebounds. The thrilla will grab a lot, and with Duncan and the Spurs being a very good rebounding team there wasn't a lot to get too. I saw 2 more he might have had if he was stronger, but I still am thinking 20/8 this year.

God we are gonna be scary..


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## Perfection

I wish I could have watched the game. I looked at the stats and I was very impressed by Outlaw, Webster and LMA. It's really exciting to think that those three (Martell is emerging and Outlaw is a very capable backup 3/4) to add with Oden, Roy and Rudy. Damn we are gonna be GREAT!


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## Utherhimo

yeah i agree that our guard play sucked today, our forwards and center were great.

LA, Roy, Webster and Oden are the core, our point guards are rough jack what happened? blake? man he was chunking up shot and not even looking to pass.....blackhole where did he develop this? denver? he wasnt like that last time he was here. I didnt get to see Sergio play. 

I was not impressed at all by jack or blake, roy was being abused and refs lost the bead in thier whistles. 

Webster is on fire.....shooting is the reason we drafted him...greene who?

foye is out for the season......

wonder how TT is doing now? I have a friend that is a bulls fan that is starting to wish they wouldnt have traded for TT! I told him to watch out for him this year.


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## BlazerCaravan

Perfection said:


> I wish I could have watched the game. I looked at the stats and I was very impressed by Outlaw, Webster and LMA. It's really exciting to think that those three (Martell is emerging and Outlaw is a very capable backup 3/4) to add with Oden, Roy and Rudy. Damn we are gonna be GREAT!


To get some perspective on Martell, for those who only have the box score, subtract three misses from his total, two from 3 and 1 from 2. He missed his first three shots, and then caught fire.


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## blue32

Stepping Razor said:


> And Blake's all-around game (or lack thereof -- watch how no one else on the team can score when he's "running" the point, and how we can't get team stops to save our life).
> 
> And Nate's bad coaching at the start of the fourth quarter (we should never have Joel, LMA, and Roy all on the bench at the same time; Blake was killing us yet played the whole quarter; that zone defense was awful).
> 
> Despite those complaints, though, there were a lot of positives. Martell! LMA! Joel! Keep it going fellas...
> 
> Stepping Razor



Again, are you people even watching the same game I am? 

How do you think Jack helped his team more than Blake? Our Starting PG got 1 freaking assist, Blake had 4. That tells me people ARE scoring when he's "running" the point. And had he not been in the fourth quarter, we'd have lost by more than what we did. He's one of the main reasons we came back last night, getting some good offensive sets going, not just running down the court tossing up a quick Jump-Shot, or running into the defense getting stuffed.


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## crandc

I am detecting some double standard here. We can pretty much agree that Jack and Roy did not play as we would like. But I have not seen anyone say bench or trade Roy based on one game. However, I see a lot of bench Jack, Jack is worthless, even trade Jack. Based on one game. 

Now, the Blazers really don't have much in the way of back up two guard but have 3 other point guards, so I wonder if the bench Jack trade Jack is based less on Jack than on the posters wanting one of the other point guards to start/play instead of Jack.

If 3 or so games go by and Jack continues to struggle, IMHO there would be a better argument for benching him. But one substandard game against the league's best is insufficient.


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## gatorpops

Boob-No-More said:


> Which is my point exactly. You can't use this stat as a measure of individual performance.
> 
> 
> 
> Better than when Duncan was on the floor? And they played poorly when Ginobili was on the floor? I don't think so. In the game I watched, it was Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, not Matt Bonner and Darius Washington who lead the Spurs to victory in the 4th quarter. If anything, Bonner benefited from playing alongside Ginobili - who had assists on 3 of Bonner's 4 made field goals. Yet Bonner is the one with the +10 and Ginobili is at -1. Again, this stats is meaningless for comparing individual performance.
> 
> BNM


Another way to ilustrate your point is when a player makes a rash of turnovers, he is causing the other four very good players to have a minus score when they had nothing to do with the turnover. The one player causes the whole team to "lose".

gatorpops


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## Perfection

Honestly I'm quite impressed by how well the team played. Imagine when Oden is in there next to LMA tearing it up, with Webster hitting the threes and Roy getting into the lane. The only piece missing is a star-caliber PG. Granted, Jack may turn out to be a decent player, but I doubt he'll ever be an all-star, and Blake is nothing great either. Sergio shows flashing of things to come and is very young, and who knows how he or Koponen will turn out. I do not think that Blake or Jack are long term PG answers, maybe one of the Euros will be however. Or Derrick Rose. That would be idea in my opinion. 


But yeah, Blazers are the envy of just about every other team in the league when you see what they'll be like in 2 years from now. RipCityReturns!!!


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## crandc

Perfection said:


> Honestly I'm quite impressed by how well the team played. Imagine when Oden is in there next to LMA tearing it up, with Webster hitting the threes and Roy getting into the lane.
> QUOTE]
> 
> In fact that is pretty much what they said on TNT. They obviously expected Portland to be blown out of the building and were clearly impressed by Webster/Outlaw and Aldridge. One of the announcers said well it may be looking ahead too much but Nate must be thinking about adding a top caliber center to that frontcourt...


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## gatorpops

crandc said:


> I am detecting some double standard here. We can pretty much agree that Jack and Roy did not play as we would like. But I have not seen anyone say bench or trade Roy based on one game. However, I see a lot of bench Jack, Jack is worthless, even trade Jack. Based on one game.
> 
> Now, the Blazers really don't have much in the way of back up two guard but have 3 other point guards, so I wonder if the bench Jack trade Jack is based less on Jack than on the posters wanting one of the other point guards to start/play instead of Jack.
> 
> If 3 or so games go by and Jack continues to struggle, IMHO there would be a better argument for benching him. But one substandard game against the league's best is insufficient.


Good point! In fairness to the guards, *SA was keying on them the whole night, and especialy early*. Roy was rusty as well from not playing and he has a history from last year of being a little rusty with lay offs. He will get much better as he gets his timing. His play caused it to be harder for Jack and the whole team as a whole. Get some "slight improvement in the guard play and the Blazers win. 

Joel and LaMarcus, would have been able to be even better as SA could not have handeled them with the better guard play. The big guys on our team, were able to foul out one of their bigs so all in all this is a very competive team. 

gatorpops


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## Talkhard

Stepping Razor said:


> Did you watch the game? The entire team plays bad at both ends of the court when Blake is in there.


Ridiculous. One player cannot make the rest of the team "play bad" at both ends of the court. Blake himself can hurt the team with turnovers or lack of defense, but it's absurd to think that somehow the rest of the team starts playing like crap the moment Blake enters the game.


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## BlazerCaravan

Crandc, the avatar who triggered your change isn't from a guy who normally posts on our forum, so there's no need to post a (rather small) package just to get back at someone who won't even be around today to suffer through it.

But if you have to go there, give us something a little beefier. I've seen bigger outings from The Hedgehog, ferchrissakes!


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## hasoos

crandc said:


> I am detecting some double standard here. We can pretty much agree that Jack and Roy did not play as we would like. But I have not seen anyone say bench or trade Roy based on one game. However, I see a lot of bench Jack, Jack is worthless, even trade Jack. Based on one game.
> 
> Now, the Blazers really don't have much in the way of back up two guard but have 3 other point guards, so I wonder if the bench Jack trade Jack is based less on Jack than on the posters wanting one of the other point guards to start/play instead of Jack.
> 
> If 3 or so games go by and Jack continues to struggle, IMHO there would be a better argument for benching him. But one substandard game against the league's best is insufficient.



It is not a double standard when one player has performed to a high level for his whole career with the rare bad game compared to guys who perform badly at least every other game. 

As for the point guards, they are all stinking. That is why I think we should start Roy at PG and go big.


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## mgb

hasoos said:


> It is not a double standard when one player has performed to a high level for his whole career with the rare bad game compared to guys who perform badly at least every other game.
> 
> As for the point guards, they are all stinking. That is why I think we should start Roy at PG and go big.


Who starts at SG? Webster? SG is thin as it is, start Roy at PG and it gets a lot thinner. Maybe in a year. 

Also can Roy take the wear and tear of playing PG for the whole game?


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## Stepping Razor

Talkhard said:


> Ridiculous. One player cannot make the rest of the team "play bad" at both ends of the court. Blake himself can hurt the team with turnovers or lack of defense, but it's absurd to think that somehow the rest of the team starts playing like crap the moment Blake enters the game.


If you're the point guard and you're mismanaging the offense, you can make it impossible for other players to thrive. (See "Dan Dickau" and, I fear, Blake.)

Stepping Razor


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## Stepping Razor

blue32 said:


> Again, are you people even watching the same game I am?
> 
> How do you think Jack helped his team more than Blake? Our Starting PG got 1 freaking assist, Blake had 4. That tells me people ARE scoring when he's "running" the point. And had he not been in the fourth quarter, we'd have lost by more than what we did. He's one of the main reasons we came back last night, getting some good offensive sets going, not just running down the court tossing up a quick Jump-Shot, or running into the defense getting stuffed.


He wasn't in the game when we came back.


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## hasoos

mgb said:


> Who starts at SG? Webster? SG is thin as it is, start Roy at PG and it gets a lot thinner. Maybe in a year.
> 
> Also can Roy take the wear and tear of playing PG for the whole game?


Yes Webster. See where you say it gets a lot thinner at PG with Roy starting, I have to disagree. You see right now the team with the current guys playing PG, they are 0 deep, meaning that our starting PG is a bench player at best. By moving Roy over you are at least one deep. 

Secondly, this team is very thin, and any night we have to dig more then 2 or 3 players into the bench, they are going to be in trouble, unless somebody steps up and shows they are ready to play. I know it would be hard on guys going 38 to 40 minutes a game, but I think with this team you need to go with your best 5 on the court, and only have 2 bench players in at at a time. If you put in too many bench players at once, they will do too much damage and the Blazers will lose the game. Tighten it up until somebody shows they are ready to play. Go big and cause opposing teams mismatch problems. 

Lastly, why would playing PG be more wear and tear then playing SG? It's the minutes that would kill him, and I would worry about that.


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## Talkhard

Stepping Razor said:


> If you're the point guard and you're mismanaging the offense, you can make it impossible for other players to thrive.


True, to a point. But the point guard always gets the ball to someone evenually, and it's not his fault if a player misses a shot or double-dribbles or commits an offensive foul. Furthermore, you said "both ends of the court," and there's no way Blake can prevent the rest of the team from playing defense.


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