Open thread: Regular season game 70
by Pradamaster
on Mar 25, 2008 6:26 PM EDT
in Game Threads
The essentials:
Wizards (36-33) at Trailblazers (37-34)
10 p.m.
Rose Garden
CSN and NBATV
This year:
November 17: Wizards 109, Blazers 90.
Notable Blazers numbers this season
17th in expected winning percentage (.461).
29th in pace factor (86.9 possessions per game).
15th in offensive efficiency/offensive rating (108.4).
18th in defensive efficiency/defensive rating (109.6).
Key links
Blazers Edge.
The Inferno.
Blazers Blog.
Blazers Edge's remedial look at the Wizards.
This is a separate post, but hearing this account makes me angry. Also, it appears Gilbert is serious about the whole sixth man thing.
Nick's a game-time decision, and the Blazers are ready to play.
Game of the Night!
Coach of the Year? Let's chill a bit.
True Hoop blog preview.
The Inferno blog preview.
Starting lineups:
Blazers
PG: Steve Blake
SG: Brandon Roy
SF: Martell Webster
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge
C: Joel Pryzbilla
Wizards
PG: Antonio Daniels
SG: DeShawn Stevenson
SF: Caron Butler
PF: Antawn Jamison
C: Brendan Haywood
Tonight's lines:
Wizards at Blazers: Wizards by 3
Over/Under on points: 189 points.
Scroll down for more. It's Game One of gutcheck time for this team.
This is an open game thread, so remember Terry Porter, one of the all-time underrated greats of the league. He was Chauncey Billups before there was a Chauncey Billups.
Update [2008-3-25 22:19:18 by Pradamaster]: No LaMarcus Aldridge tonight for Portland. Travis Outlaw starts in his place.
0 recs |
15
comments
Email
PrintComments
Wiz over.....
by houserocker on Mar 25, 2008 6:52 PM EDT 0 recs
That was in 1991
They remind me most of the 2006/07 Mavericks team, in that they got out to a fast start, but weren't able to reach another gear.
by Pradamaster on
Mar 25, 2008 8:36 PM EDT
up
0 recs
Picks
Over
Bad, unsubstantiated feeling about this one.
by JakeTheSnake on Mar 25, 2008 7:22 PM EDT 0 recs
Picks
Wizards
Over
by SP Yup on Mar 25, 2008 7:33 PM EDT 0 recs
Picks
Under
I read Gilbert's blog. I don't like the way the trainers and medical staff are handling his comeback. I don't blame him for being angry. I'm horrified that thoughts of wrapping his car around a pole are occurring for him.
by ooba on Mar 25, 2008 7:44 PM EDT 0 recs
Info from a Blazer fan
The Blazers lost in HORRIBLE, AWFUL, RIDICULOUSLY bad fashion against the Sonics just last night in Seattle, so while they're on the second night of a back to back they might be angry about the loss and come out strong against the Bullets. OR, the loss stays with them and the Wiz cruise to an easy victory. With the 3rd youngest team of all time, it is really hard to tell what you're gonna get every night.
Roy had one of his worst games ever last night, and he usually follows these rare off nights with a good to great game. Until last night, LMA (Blazer fan shorthand for LaMarcus Aldridge, if it wasn't obvious) had 9 straight games of over 20 points and had been doing most of his damage inside. He went out early against the Sonics with a sprained ankle, but it is being reported as minor and he is set to play tonight.
The Blazers usually force feed LMA early, and he often responds with big first halves, and then Roy takes over in the second half. The Blazers are 12-3 when both young dudes score over 20 each. The key to a Blazers victory will be a strong outing by the slumping bench (Outlaw, the 2nd leading scorer off the bench in the NBA, has been in a pretty bad slump the last few weeks), and the outside shooters hitting the open 3's that they will get when the Wiz double on Roy or LMA. If they are hitting, obviously it makes things a lot easier.
Lately, the starters have been playing pretty well but the bench has been losing the leads nightly. This is in sharp contrast to the 18-1 streak back in Dec/Jan, when the Blazers bench often were the reason they won the game. The bench has the ability to dominate most teams' bench units, but just haven't lately.
The Porter/Clyde/Duckworth/Kersey/Buck/Uncle Cliffy led Blazer teams went to the NBA Finals in 1990, losing to the Pistons, and in 1992, losing to Jordan and the Bulls.
And that's some long winded info from a Blazer fan! Good luck on the rest of the season after tonight. I wish your team was still the Bullets, because that's almost as cool of a team name as Trail Blazers.
Mortimer
by Mortimer on Mar 25, 2008 7:50 PM EDT 0 recs
If you're right about LMA
by Icantfeelmyface on
Mar 25, 2008 8:01 PM EDT
up
0 recs
Conditioning problem?
With LMA, it's coach Nate's tendency to want to over-establish the post game as a viable threat and then get the rest going afterwards. LMA is in great shape, but is more likely to start big and end soft because he's still getting used to the day in day out grind of the NBA. He only played about 50 games last season, and is only a 2nd year player. He's still getting used to being one of the main guys, as should be expected.
If LMA could end the games as good as he usually starts the games, the Blazers wouldn't find themselves in so many close games all season. They tend to win the close ones because of Nate's coaching and Roy's clutchness, but they almost always give back the early lead they establish. Like I said before, young team and all that.
Early in the season it really seemed like Haywood was having a breakout year. Has he slowed down a bit since then?
Mortimer
by Mortimer on
Mar 25, 2008 8:45 PM EDT
up
0 recs
I don't think so
It's just a product of the "feeding the big man to get him in rhythm" offensive philosophy. Many feel if you give your big guy touches early in the games, they will be more active for you when rebounding and playing defense. It's why the Bulls posted up Bill Cartwright early in so many games during their three-peat, and it's why Haywood struggled so much last year (he never got the ball early).
I haven't watched too much of Portland, but I imagine it's the same with Aldridge. From the games I've seen, Portland, like Washington with Arenas, is a pick and roll (or in Portland's case, pick and pop) team down the stretch, which means the bigs don't get as involved. It's probably more because Roy and Arenas/Caron Butler are the team's go-to-guys, and you give the ball to your best down the stretch. Even with the Shaq/Kobe Lakers, it was Kobe who was far more involved offensively at the end of games than Shaq.
So basically, I haven't watched Portland nearly as much as you, but my sense is that Aldridge's disproportionate first half/second half scoring is a product of the gameplan.
by Pradamaster on
Mar 25, 2008 9:06 PM EDT
up
0 recs
Yessir on the Gameplan
LMA's jumpers tend to hit the front rim more in the 4th quarter, a sign of fatigue, and his post moves aren't as decisive. I think he just gets a lil' rundown because of his skinniness and lack of long-NBA-season conditioning. It'll come.
Plus, like you said, you put the ball in your best player's hands at the end of the game, and that is definately Roy. The Blazers pick and roll and pick n' pop all day and all night, especially in the 4th.
BREAKING NEWS: LMA might not play tonight after all. We Blazer fans are getting conflicting reports, so it might just have to wait till tip off for confirmation.
Mortimer
by Mortimer on
Mar 25, 2008 9:20 PM EDT
up
0 recs
Picks
Under
One of my close friends is a Blazers fan so a win would be really nice. I'm going to the game against the Lakers on Sunday, too, so having the Wiz pick up a few wins before they hit up Staples would be a nice comfort.
by MikeMid on Mar 25, 2008 8:20 PM EDT 0 recs
Crappy start defensively
Portland is definitely coming out fast after last night. We need to regroup and withstand this.
by Pradamaster on Mar 25, 2008 10:21 PM EDT 0 recs
Part 1 is an official failure
by Pradamaster on Mar 26, 2008 12:05 AM EDT 0 recs
I Knew This Was Coming
I'm hugely disappointed in the defense. Why is it when another player starts getting hot, the Wizards just ignore him? It was obvious during one particularly dreadful stretch during the 3rd quarter that Jarrett Jack was killing them, but they kept leaving him in one-on-one coverage and kept letting him penetrate the lane. When a guy gets hot like that, at least make him take a shot from the outside. Better yet, make him give up the ball and make the other guy take an outside shot. Giving up layups is not going to get things done.
by cuppettcj on
Mar 26, 2008 8:28 AM EDT
up
0 recs
The Paradox
Offensive system = A+
Keeping this team above water with all the injuries = A+
In-game adjustments = F-
Rotation management = F-
-------------------------------
Summary, Eddie Jordan is a great assistant coach, probably one of the best of all time. But he is an average at best lead man. There is no way this team constantly comes out and lays an egg, when they've shown the capacity to play at a near-elite level.
How disappointing that game was.
by kdp922 on Mar 26, 2008 9:38 AM EDT 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
New FanPost
