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Trail Blazers 90 Vs. Clippers 103 Game Thread
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  1. DHawes22
    DHawes22
    Posts: 6475

    Posted 11/06/2012 1:38 PM



    November 8th, 2012
    7:30 PM | Rose Garden Arena | Portland, OR
    Trail Blazers (2-2) Vs Clippers (3-2)

    What To Watch For
    Prime Time Point Guard Battle
    Thursday's game will be a nationally televised affiar, pitting two of the NBA's most exciting point guards against one another in Damian Lillard and Chris Paul. Lillard finally came back down to earth against Dallas, shooting just 2-13 from the field and 1-8 from downtown. The Mavericks used an aggressive tactic by having Darren Collison attack Lillard, racking up two quick fouls on the rookie not even four minutes into the game. Dallas also did whatever they could to take the ball out of his hands. Will Portland find other ways to ensure the ball stays in Lillard's hands? Will the Clippers use the same strategies the Mavs did? Only one way to find out...

    Defense!!!
    While the Trail Blazers are currently 2-2, they have allowed the opposition to score 100+ points and to shoot 50%+ from the field in 3 of their 4 games. That's simply not a recipe for winning. If Portland can hold the Clippers under 50% shooting from the floor, they should be able to come away with the victory. But if the Blazers allow the Clippers free reign, much as they did against the Mavericks, Portland simply won't be able to match shot for shot, especially with the bench the Clippers have.

    Trail Blazers Vs Clippers Highlights
    I am a fan of
  1. postedbailblazers
    postedbailblazers
    Posts: 165

    Posted 11/09/2012 10:45 AM

    We have not shot well and our free throws have been really bad in past two losses.  Lillard has cooled off but still getting 16 pts.  Disappointing but we know that defending the paint is our flaw.  And...well let's face it, the Clippers are all about the paint.

    On a side note, as much as Brandon Roys rebound season has been a flop so far, Crawford's rebound season has been a shining success.  This seems to be further evidence of just how toxic our environment was last season.  Will he cool off or does he maintain this level of play into a playoff run?
    I am a fan of rhubarb pie.
  1. DHawes22
    DHawes22
    Posts: 6475

    Posted 11/09/2012 1:36 PM

    I fully expect Crawford to come crashing back down to earth. As for the free-throws, it's contagious. We missed a few early on and the whole team caught the bug. It really killed us down the stretch, because had we made our FT's, we would have taken the lead at some point and maybe that could have killed the Clips' hopes.
    I am a fan of
  1. riverman
    riverman
    Posts: 1098

    Posted 11/09/2012 5:26 PM

    Crawford had some hot streaks last season for us, he won us a couple of games. We also started hot last season as a team and crashed. Last night was disappointing. I almost shut off the game at halftime. Terrible 1st halves have got to be addressed. LaMarcus has to work the post and we rebounded horribly against that team. No motion to the motion offense. The 3rd quarter was great but we are not a team that can win with 2 or 3 guys scoring and no one else. JJ sometimes forces shots in the paint when he should kick it out and outside guys are forcing outside shots when they should be feeding the post. I'm putting some of our woes on Kanales. He's supposed to be the defensive coordinator and we're not defending well
    I am a fan of A team that plays like Tower of Power on a big stage on a good night
  1. cmeese47
    cmeese47
    Posts: 2224

    Posted 11/09/2012 9:14 PM

    What a pathetic showing how do you allow a scrub like Deandre Jordan to drop 21 on you.
    I am a fan of Getting Defensive Players This Summer.
  1. riverman
    riverman
    Posts: 1098

    Posted 11/09/2012 9:44 PM

    Cmeese..DeAndre Jordan is no longer a scrub my friend...he's having a career year and playing really really well. The Clippers are deep this season.
    I am a fan of A team that plays like Tower of Power on a big stage on a good night
  1. Blazer247
    Blazer247
    Posts: 503

    Posted 11/10/2012 1:33 AM

    Jordan is definitely not a scrub anymore. It wasn't just last night.

    Scariest thing about that game is how similiar it looked to blazer teams from last year and years before that; they put in maybe 2 quarters of effort, and they fill their attempts with jumpshots instead of moving the ball, spreading the d, and letting our strongest players take their game(s) inside.

    And the guy I blame most for that: LaMarcus. When he stays outside, the effect is both about math and leading by example... I'm not going to tell the big guy that he can't love his outside jumper; it IS a thing of beauty. But in a game situation, especially when it's a close score and you're a little fatigued, it doesn't take a mathematical genius to realize that the highest % shot is almost always going to be the closest one you can get to the hoop!
    Think about even the best 3pt shooters, who, on a relatively open shot in a game situation, are only slightly better than flipping a coin when it comes to whether they earn their team 3 or they risk losing the possession (Ray Allen, one of the best, is shooting just under 60% from long this year, and shoots barely 40% from deep for his career)... compare that to the same player driving a relatively open lane inside; he has a significantly higher chance of earning his team 2 points (and even if he misses, he can get 2 freethrows), plus he's in a better position to fight for a rebound (if necessary) than if he was shooting the long ball, plus as the game goes on and the opponents tire, he has an increasing chance to earn not only a 3rd point (equaling the value of the gambling outside shot), but he's also earning a brief rest for he and his teammates as he equalizes the value, which is the exact opposite of what your teammates get if you do manage to sink the 3 (and they have to hustle back on D).
    That's the math side (or logic, whatever you want to call it). Our guys are young and well conditioned, so it shouldn't be an excuse of being too tired to attack the rim late in the game. Add to that: when tired, most opponents are going to have a lot harder time stopping you inside (without fouling you) than simply getting a hand in the face of an oustide shooter to shake their confidence and possibly their aim. If it's not a conditioning problem though, then that means it could be a mental problem; something is influencing these guys to not put in the effort to be aggressive...

    And that's where Aldridge's leadership comes in! Like DHawes said about our FT shooting, our team is very "monkey see, monkey do". When LaMarcus focuses on jumpers, so do Nic, Wes, and even Damian, apparently. Aldridge MUST take the ball inside just so that our other guys can see it's possible, and have the confidence to follow suit. If he is settling for too many longshots, than other players could unconsciously assume "that's the way we're gonna do this", and down the never-ending spiral we go. If he keeps pushing to take the ball inside, however, then it gets the team involved to make it happen, and they all play better, active basketball. The type basketball that we've all been sold on seeing from our new team.

    It's all on you, LaMarcus. Man up.
    I am a fan of BLAZER BASKETBALL. Not drafts, not business, not trades, not David Stern. Just BLAZER BASKETBALL.
  1. Siccolo
    Siccolo
    Posts: 831

    Posted 11/10/2012 1:01 PM

    I loved what I saw out of Batum. He was hustling, playing D and driving in to the lane. Barely seen that out of him this year. He was great. Aldridge wasnt taking shots when he sohuld be
    I am a fan of
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