Game 2 Preview: Blazers vs. Suns (with Camby Take)
by Dave on Apr 20, 2010 1:34 AM PDT
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PrintGame 1: Blazers 105, Suns 100
Game 2: 7:00 p.m. Pacific KGW and NBA TV
A playoff series is all about adjustments. Phoenix and Portland remain the same teams they were coming into this series. Their overall game plan won't revolutionize because of a 5-point victory by the road team on Sunday. But each game brings new tweaks and emphases that change the color of the contest...the result of teams learning as they go.
What did Phoenix learn on Sunday night? That they're in for a fight, for one. Any overconfidence will have evaporated with home court advantage. This had better be a renewed, refreshed, re-dedicated Suns team or this series could go bad in a hurry. Phoenix played in spurts on Sunday night. The Blazers certainly had something to do with that but the Suns also failed to sustain their focus. That shouldn't be a problem tonight.
The Suns have got to get more out of Amare Stoudemire. Part of that comes with utilizing the pick and roll better. Part of that might be just dumping it down low. But a huge part of it is taking care of Marcus Camby. In order to do that, Phoenix needs to penetrate more. Camby is the last-ditch defense when Portland gets beat on the drive. If you make him focus on helping out instead of guarding Stoudemire you've already affected his defense. Chances are he'll pick up fouls if he has to swing over. That's the best way to nullify him. Camby is a good defender but you can beat him by taking advantage of the Blazers who aren't.
The Suns need to take more immediate advantage of mismatches on switches. They did so intermittently in Game1 to great success. They need to be more conscious of their opportunities and attack immediately when they benefit from a switch. Don't wait, don't dribble 10 times...make your move and take your defender. Pretty much every guy they field can score. Nash and Stoudemire will be two of the more often-switched-upon players and both of them can really score. Decisiveness and early moves will be the key.
The Suns need to run out more. The Blazers did a superior job of getting back on defense in the first game. Phoenix needs to test their resolve again. At a certain point Phoenix stopped pushing the ball on Sunday, just as they stopped going aggressively at their defenders in the halfcourt. Those huge mistakes allow Portland to escape its worst enemy: fatigue that saps what little depth remains on the squad. Make Portland tired and they stop driving, stop running, stop defending, and stop hitting threes. At that point Phoenix wins. This is kind of like a body blow in boxing. Any individual punch may not yield great results but if you get in enough of them the opponent will tire. That's when your head shots start landing. The Blazers may not fall short in Game 2 but running them ragged in this game sets up Game 4, 5, and 6.
The Suns did a good job bothering LaMarcus Aldridge on Sunday. They need to expand their focus to Andre Miller too. More particularly they need to crowd in the lane so neither Miller nor Aldridge can get inside. You KNOW Miller is going to get his shots up, particularly now. That's going to be true no matter what those shots are. If you keep him out of the lane he'll start shooting jumpers. When he starts shooting jumpers he becomes far less effective. Maybe you double him. Maybe you put a bigger guy on him. Maybe you just pack it in and keep everybody out of the paint. Whatever the specific strategy the Suns should be willing to live with anybody besides Miller and Aldridge beating them. If Nicolas Batum scores 20 on jump shots, so be it. If Marcus Camby scores 14, so be it. Without Aldridge and Miller combining for 50-55 points besides those numbers won't win the game.
The Suns also need to shock the Blazers by pressing in the backcourt when Miller isn't handling the ball. Portland was walking a tightrope bringing the ball up the court on multiple possessions in the first game and Phoenix didn't do anything to make them uncomfortable. When Miller isn't playing you can even go with non-traditional defenders at the point. A big guy who wouldn't let Jerryd loose until he crossed halfcourt and who backed off of him thereafter, daring him to shoot, wouldn't be the worst idea in the world.
As the victors the Blazers don't feel the same kind of pressure to upgrade. They mostly need to play the same kind of game they just did. They'd like better free throw shooting, particularly down the stretch. They need to recover faster when they collapse into the lane. Even better they need to stay in front of Phoenix dribblers so they don't have to collapse in the first place. They'd like to tidy up their defensive glass, a task made more difficult by the way Phoenix spreads the floor. The trick here is not to get caught in no-man's land. Phoenix's three-point shooting was devastating on Sunday not just for the number of shots they hit but for the number of times they got extra shots after attempting a three in a possession. This was caused partly by Blazer defenders running out late with no chance to affect the shot, taking themselves right out of the play. If you can get out and a guy is going to shoot, at least turn and try to grab the miss. Even open with time to shoot the Suns won't make all of them and those rebounds do carom long.
Most of all the Blazers need to get something out of LaMarcus Aldridge outside of the halfcourt offense. He either has to get more rebounds or he has to leak out and get more fast break opportunities, putting pressure on his defender to get back and get in front of him. Pick one. Also LaMarcus needs to play stronger against Channing Frye when he does get the ball in the halfcourt offense. Not pulling the string on his jumper would help too.
Doug Collins gave some great insight on Sunday when it became clear that the Blazers were going to win the game. He said you never let a playoff game go. Winning Game 1 is no reason to lose Game 2 without a fight. The first win was great, but realistically Portland's job is only 1/4 done. They don't make slimmer leads than a single game. The Blazers need to be ready for the Suns to try and bowl them over. Just as they did on Sunday they need to weather the storm and come back with strong, confident, aggressive play. If the game is close going down the stretch again Phoenix is going to doubt. Even if the Suns do pull off a win under those conditions they're more relieved than confident headed back to Portland. Settling for a 1-1 trip banking you'll win all your home games is a recipe for disappointment. The Blazers just proved that home teams don't always win. Portland needs to play this like it was Game 1 all over again. Look to the rebounding totals again plus who gets to the loose balls first. It should be the Blazers every time. If it's not, Portland probably isn't into this game.
See how Phoenix is preparing at BrightSideoftheSun.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
P.S. Quick Camby Take: 2 years at $21 million is a good deal for both sides. 3 years at $30 million would not have been good for Portland. But the Blazers don't mind the double-digit salary because it doesn't last long, they have another expiring contract to dangle in the second season, and even if Camby ages like he's seen a ghost by that second year Portland is banking on having another center operating in his stead. Camby, on the other hand, doesn't mind the shorter contract because he gets about the same money as if he had signed a 3-year, $7-8 million deal for one less year of work. If his game goes south he just retires with all that money. If he can still play he can sign another contract. Win-win.
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Jerryd looks like he’s straining.
"If we win a title, I promise not to hate on anyone associated with the Blazers for 1 full season" - jksnake99
"...black on black. my favorite!" - portlandgiirl91
by fajunga on Apr 20, 2010 1:42 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
to do what is the question.... ewwwwe.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
Head Czar of Amerika <--- Mortimer said so so there!!!
true
but, no one on Phx looked like they were straining, except Amar’e after the 6th foul.
You can’t really diss Bayless’ intensity with a straight face, can you?
I’d rather see strained Bayless face, than pouty Webster face, or depressed Rudy face anyday.
Strained Bayless face = win.
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
by pdxborn on Apr 20, 2010 8:49 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I want to see the Rudy dance again
Phil Mickelson: "A Great shot is when you pull it off.....a smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it"’
by 92wastheyear on Apr 20, 2010 8:55 AM PDT up reply actions
That would be nice wouldn't it?
I miss the Rudy swagger and tongue rolling after a tre.
by pappasan.duck on Apr 20, 2010 9:13 AM PDT up reply actions
Rudy was having a good time, on the sideline
as the Blazers took control of the game down the stretch, and at the buzzer
he probably wishes that he could’ve played better/more, but there was no denying that Jerryd was more effective and was creating mismatch problems for the Suns’ backcourt
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
If the suns
Don’t come out in full desperation mode we’ve got them. Blazers win tonight is massive. MASSIVE!!!
by doomsdaymachine on Apr 20, 2010 6:11 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
re: Camby Take
It’s a wonderful deal for the Blazers (and for Camby). Thank you Clippers!
Thinking long term - I was thinking that the Blazers should have also got a 3rd year option in case Camby can play beyond two more years. But given Camby’s professed and now demonstrated loyalty to his current team, it probably doesn’t matter. He would probably re-sign with PDX for a reasonable price anyway if we want him back (probably for less than a 3rd year option established now because of declining minutes and performance by then).
Camby is not only a great addition as a player, but an outstanding example and coach for LMA’s defense and rebounding, plus his defensive presence in practice will help Greg develop his offensive game. Camby’s ability to defend and block shots from off the ball will also be a great example to Greg.
"Brandon eats first around here" - KP
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Apr 20, 2010 2:21 AM PDT reply actions
I agree in all aspects
IMO, he will not only be a good example for Greg, but can teach Greg. I know Grant has been working with Greg, but he is a different type player then Greg. Also, IMO, he has already helped LMA game both offensively and defensively.
Another addition to your post, is that if needed, Camby can play the four while Greg is at the 5 if LMA is in foul trouble or (heaven forbid) get injured. We would lose very little of the offense if that happens and no defense would be lost. In fact at this stage our interior D and Rebounding would be a great improvement.—-Come to think about it that would be a good idea in spurts anyway.
I have often posted that Greg, at 5, Camby at 4 and LMA at three would be great, with BRoy and Dre as our guards. Wow! Then you have Bayless, Martell, Batum, Dante and maybe Pendergraph to back up. Not a bad team to draw to.
hg
PS
I think Camby may Start next year and Greg will come off the bench, and that will slowly switch, by the end of the two years Greg if healthy will be getting most of the minutes and Camby will come off the bench. If that is not suitable with Camby as decreased playing time then he is free to sign else where.
hg
That could well be the current thinking.
But that was also the plan going into this season, only with Joel starting. Greg forced them to toss that plan in the wate basket. He very likely could do so again.
Clarence, It's better to have a gun and not need it, then need a gun and not have it.
Why no 3rd year?
My guess is because a 3rd year on the extension would make his current deal 4 years long, thus categorizing it as an ‘over 36’ contract, meaning the cap hit would be especially hard this year and next year.
Larry Coon’s FAQ on the Over 36 rule
"It's Our Time":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O99POVJfglY
by Storyteller on Apr 20, 2010 12:16 PM PDT up reply actions
film study
someone (coach Monty?) on the radio was interviewed yesterday who talked about how Camby could look at film with Greg and give him tips on how to defend, where his feet should be, etc
Between Howard (if he’s resigned) and Camby, the Blazers may not even need to hire a “big man’s” coach to replace Mo Lucas
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Let's go Blazers!!!!!!
No time to to settle, we are still the underdogs. Win this game!
I think that it’s obvious that everyones looking to step up for Phoenix, Nash and Amare will look to control the offense. I expect Fry to try to step up defensively. The Phoenix consensus thinks the team underperformed, I expect all to “step up”. As we should.
I hope our team opens up a wide arsenal of offensive weapons a la Rudy et Webster. They will obviously look to shut down Andre, Jerryd and LMA. Nic should be big for us defensively but some offense would surely needed. I’m also have hoping Camby puts in some buckets in, especially his fake jumper that leads him him taking it to the hoop, which he did try to do the other night before getting called for a travel. I have a small feeling of hope that tonight’s game is a well balanced attack from all of our players.
Being a Blazer fan is not exactly healthy.
I don't know if chasing Rudy around affected Nash down the stretch (he was 3 for 5 in 4th qtr)
but it could add up over several games. I wonder if Phoenix will stay with Nash on Rudy or switch him back to Miller. He couldn’t do much worse than give Miller 31 again.
"Brandon eats first around here" - KP
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Apr 20, 2010 2:39 AM PDT reply actions
oh yeah
If they put Nash on Rudy again, we HAVE to run Rudy through 3 dozen picks
"In fact you might say that Ugly is the Blazers' secret weapon this year."
-Dave
NOOO
no picks at all just have rudy’s younger legs run the hell out of nash..
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
Head Czar of Amerika <--- Mortimer said so so there!!!
That is what their Radio announcer said.
But, Nash is a defensive liability. —-Radio announcers words not mine
hg
I thought I saw Nash favoring his leg, late in Sunday's game
after he had bumped into a screen and fell down
the Blazer don’t just need to keep Steve moving, they need to put a body on him as often as possible without fouling (and as we saw the other night, he’s good at “drawing” phantom fouls)
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Does anyone else think
we have a big advantage in terms of coaching? I know Nate has his shortcomings, but give him and his staff credit. They’ve adjusted all season long to our wacky injuries and to the Marcus Camby trade. After all that, we have a rock-solid rotation with great chemistry (imo).
i don’t know much about gentry, but i’m pretty sure nate’s game-planning won us game 1 as much as miller’s bullying.
Monty said on Courtside last night
that Nate was up until 4am that morning watching film and planning. That said it all to me.
Travis to Patty, "Why you sound like that?"
I do.
Putting Batman on Nash then when they did a pick and roll Batum switched on Amare and Camby or LMA was on Nash. our advantage both ways and they couldn’t expose a mismatch. that was brilliant. Of course there are not many teams that has a player that can guard from the 1 to the 5, but we have 3. Remember what Camby did to Kevin Durant. So, maybe it was just taking advantage of what we have, that is also good coaching.
We took away their bread and butter play and forced them to shoot out side or try to force it up the middle. again our advantage.
Now it is up to Gentry to get some of the advantage back. If he wins the series than he would get the nod as a superior coach. Right now it is 1-zip in favor of Nate.
hg
Absolutely
my only hope is that if a player is hot, he leaves them in there. I get frustrated when I see a player having a scoring spree, and then they are taken out.
Has anyone ever asked nate why he does this?
I’d be curious to hear his response. I think Nate is brilliant (this season proves it), so I would hope there is an explanation for doing that. I’ve always wondered too.
Travis to Patty, "Why you sound like that?"
I'm glad you're curious too!
I’ve seen games earlier in the season where Martell is on a shooting spree with three pointers, and then he’s taken out. Keep him in while he’s hot!
Depends if they are performing on both ends
Going on a scoring run while allowing the opposing player to score at will is a fools game. If the player is playing hard at both ends of the court, then they should stay in provided they don’t get worn out.
"My shoulder is OK. And away we go." -- Nic Batum
"wang-dang diddly wubba SPROING wow-wow" -- Dave
by DonkeyShins on Apr 20, 2010 11:31 AM PDT up reply actions
Nate has a plethora of short comings but he is doing his best coaching ever right now and I commend
My only current question is why are we not using Dante and Pendy but since we won I’ll assume the reason is a good one. Those are some nice, ready weapons off the pines should we need them. Young powerful legs who don’t back down and have confidence in what they’re out their to do. D Up, Grab every board and dunk and shoot mid range jumpers if they’re there.
Oh and I"m going to my first ever playoff game on Thursday. Just say’n.
by Great Sergios Ghost on Apr 20, 2010 10:54 AM PDT up reply actions
Nate really wants proven players, at times, seemingly, to a falut
But, we don’t have a lot of room for error in these games, where a single basket could make the difference, so mistakes can be very costly. So, I understand not going witn Pendy and Dante when we are in a tight game. I agree, Nate is doing fine. With injuries on our team, because our “unproven” players have a lot of talent, when he has to use them, they perform. He is having to work without a net now, and frustrated guys are getting their chance. I loved the motion and ball movement in game 1, the freedom to work to the open man, whoever, not force to Brandon. I just wish we play that way with Brandon, he will get his shots – moreso – when everyone is a real threat.
That win must have been like a confidence drug shooting the whole team (and fanbase) on a nice high. That has to be a help – a shot of confidence, with a shot of doubt for the Suns. The bad news is, we got the Suns attention for sure now. Game one was satisfying because it publicly stated what most of us know: the Blazers are not easy, even without Roy, and we got to smack down the “Roy’s team”, front runner historical pundits who have little clue of whats going on in Portland now. But, now, we have the next challenge, the Suns, at home, with their back getting a bit to the wall. Some head games possible – I would like to win those – stay cool, and play their heads. Let them yell at the refs, let them get frustrated. Should be interesting. This should be the Suns game, but, we aren’t giving it to them.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
Uh Dave
Which team are you rooting for? This reads like you are writing for the Suns’ blog and looking for how the Suns are going to take game 2….
Just sayin’….
Honor Alaa Abdelnaby.
First in the NBA. At least alphabetically
Probably because
we all know the Blazers. There’s only so much you can write on this team about this game.
Except he doesn't say
“Phoenix will look to run out more…”, he says “Phoenix needs to run out more…” Maybe Dave is unconsciously falling for the flashy, fast-driving team from the bright south?
Maybe we should rename the Blog to Suns' Edge.
But that wouldn’t reflect the series very well.
"[S]ince men enjoyed very great leisure, they used it to pursue many kinds of commodities unknown to their fathers, and that was that first yoke they placed upon themselves without thinking about it, and the first source of evils the prepared for their descendants. For, besides continuing thus to soften body and mind, as these commodities had lost almost all their pleasantness through habit, and as they had at the same time degenerated into true needs, being deprived of them became much more cruel than possessing them was sweet; and people were unhappy to lose them without being happy to have them." -Jean-Jacques Rousseau
How about
Dark Side of the Sun.
"My shoulder is OK. And away we go." -- Nic Batum
"wang-dang diddly wubba SPROING wow-wow" -- Dave
by DonkeyShins on Apr 20, 2010 11:31 AM PDT up reply actions
It's a good strategy
to not become overconfident here. We always play better with a chip on our shoulder, and just take a look at Game 1 to see the effects of a fanbase and team looking too far ahead. Dave sees that and I’m sure Nate sees that, I’m sure he has the guys ready.
Dave is only Feeling the Pitty that we cannot feel.
“He is Conan”,
“He does not cry, so, …”
“So Dave crys For him!”
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
Head Czar of Amerika <--- Mortimer said so so there!!!
Pretty sure I recall Dave mentioning
how he grew up a fan of Kevin Johnson and is still seething about that Suns team never getting past Clyde, Terry, Jerome, Buck and Duck.
Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil, and cruel. True, and they have many other fine qualities as well. - Missy Dizick
guessing this a bit sarcastic
but if Alvin Gentry can’t figure out the same stuff – he isn’t qualified to coach H.S. basketball…
by blacknoiseNW on Apr 20, 2010 8:53 AM PDT up reply actions
It's called covering your back.
He wants us to win, but letting us know that the suns has many good options and in case they suceed he can say it was like I said LOL.
hg
Thus the part about
“The Blazers, as the winning team, don’t feel the same kind of pressure to upgrade.”
—Dave
I was thinking the same
I want to hear about what the Blazers need to do to make sure the Suns DON’T win. What will be the likely game plan of the Suns and how we will shut them down? I felt like i was reading a guide to how the Suns will win the game.
Yeah, really, I was thinkin
sheeze Dave, enough help for the enemy ! :-) All improvements for them, we stay the same ???
Hopfully our coaches are adjusting to their adjustments. But this is so new for the Blazers, especially without Roy. I have to believe the Blazers are learning more, faster, each game. We showed such promising team play, ball movement, multi threat action in game 1. We have a real foundation to build on, so, really, yes, more of the same – only better – and we can win this series. We have the talent, if most of out guys play their good game, my money’s on the Blazers.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
Does anyone else think Andre is playing out of his mind because he finally has great team around him?
I remember early predictions stating that Andre would do well with us because we were probably the best team he’s ever been with. Not to toot our own horn or anything but is this cursor to his quality play?
Being a Blazer fan is not exactly healthy.
The people who said that...
Assumed he’d be playing with Roy & Oden. I haven’t heard anybody calling this a “great” team. We hope in the end they are considered a very good “team”. The total needs to be greater than the sum of it’s parts. I think it will be.
by 52therim on Apr 20, 2010 6:50 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
the past
has anyone looked at his record in the past with other teams in the post season. The Oregonian pointed it out this morning that he has always won his first game, but the team slowly fades and loses the series. I hope this doesn’t happen again.
Has any of the teams that Miller has been on made it out of the first round of the playoffs?
I don’t recall… Did Philadelphia make it past the first round when he was there? I’m not saying he isn’t good enough by any means.. as the Sixers are now lottery bound.. just curious.
by pappasan.duck on Apr 20, 2010 8:13 AM PDT up reply actions
no
Dre’s teams have always been the underdogs in the playoffs, but he’s stepped his game up
hopefully the Blazers will start out 2-1 like Miller’s former teams did, then win two more games this time around
he’s going to need more “help” from his teammates than he got in those previous years
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
what I should have said
hopefully the Blazers will start out 3-0 and win one more game
but let’s not get greedy, eh? Bad karma
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
The danger with 'Dre
is that he can score you into or out of a game. Phoenix could make strides just by forcing him into tougher shots. That naturally happens as series wear on. Defenses become more accustomed to him and he gets more fatigued. It’s not inconceivable that in Game 6 we’re going, “ARRRGH!” at some of those same shots we were cheering in Game 1. Well…not exactly, as he was getting shots WAY inside during the first game. But you get the drift.
—Dave
I think Rudy,LMA, amd Martel need to hit some outside shots tonight
Bayless and Miller were ridiculous at finishing in game 1. I can’t see every Bayless left hander high off the glass, or every Miller in the lane versus three guys going in all series. But if they do, wow.
by Dominator13 on Apr 20, 2010 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions
The play
where Miller cleared out the right side of the court by telling batum to switch was amazing. Probably my favorite miller play this season. He then only had to beat one man to the basket and did so easily.
I hope I can get a bunch of championships, like 15. " - Greg Oden
Miller has become my favorite Blazer over the course of the year
I love it when he backs his defender into the lane and kicks the diagonal pass out to Nic or Rudy for the three
by Dominator13 on Apr 20, 2010 11:04 AM PDT up reply actions
old school
Magic and Barkley used to do that all the time, back in the day
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I wish Brandon Roy would do that.
"[S]ince men enjoyed very great leisure, they used it to pursue many kinds of commodities unknown to their fathers, and that was that first yoke they placed upon themselves without thinking about it, and the first source of evils the prepared for their descendants. For, besides continuing thus to soften body and mind, as these commodities had lost almost all their pleasantness through habit, and as they had at the same time degenerated into true needs, being deprived of them became much more cruel than possessing them was sweet; and people were unhappy to lose them without being happy to have them." -Jean-Jacques Rousseau
If Phoenix adapts to Andre, Andre adapts to Phoenix
would be the plan – a single smart playmaker can adjust faster than a whole team. The great playmaker has to be a threat to draw defense, opening up someone. Let’s see this team mindset flourish. We do have viable scoring threats for Dre to dish off to, and he has the passing skill to do it. So, lets hope he is smart enough not to play hero and go solo. I am thinkin’ he is.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
To be fair, his team was always the underdogs and not as talented as this one...even with injuries.
The usual case is that Dre is killing it early on, but he gets no support and runs out of gas. Hopefully, that’s not the case with us. I don’t think we have to worry about Dre falling off as long as he gets consistent help from LA + different guy stepping up each game.
"I think he’s been doing some good things. I think he’s been doing some good things. He’s had to play a lot of minutes lately with Blake being out. I think he’s been doing some good things." -Nate McMillan
Canal Plus has taken broadcasting crazyness to a new level.
It will broadcast Phoenix Suns – Portland Trail Blazers/L.A. Lakers – Oklahoma City Thunder SIMULTANEOUSLY!!!!!
That also means that both games are blocked out by League Pass. ¡Me cagüen to!
I'm guessing "Me caguen to" is similar Nic saying
“I put myself in mode asshole”?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
The Blazers are definitely still underdogs.
Anyone who thinks otherwise is giving in to wishful thinking. But Portland can still win. It’s true that team rebounds is often the stat to watch during a game. It’ll be nice if Rudy has a better game (I think this is distinctly possible).
ignacio
will suns play some zone d?
it worked in portland’s lone loss to suns—bit i do not recall them playing it sunday
i think that's what nate thought to and that's why he started rudy.
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
Head Czar of Amerika <--- Mortimer said so so there!!!
I think so..
But I believe they (Blazers) have been extensively practicing to play against the zone d as well.
by pappasan.duck on Apr 20, 2010 8:14 AM PDT up reply actions
they did a bit during the fourth or third, but batum drove right in on it, and we scored multiple times, so they broke out of it… mike and mike made the comments about them going to zone and this is how they won last game… but alas we rocked them
dang, mike and mike were top of things
Nonetheless, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them give it another go.
Their zone is no good here
Or shouldn’t be, anyway. That was probably Item #1 on the Blazers’ “Let’s Practice This for the Playoffs” list.
—Dave
sure, but I'd at least make the Blazers prove that they solved it.
also, maybe a good reason to delay it’s use.
I believe it is super important for us to give this game everything we have
If we can’t win this game we need to battle like mad to keep it close so Phoenix doesn’t gain any confidence from a blowout victory. We need to make sure that even if they win, nothing is going to come easy.
This will be an excellent barometer of our mindset for the rest of the series.
#52
As much as I hate to say it
I think we lose this game. Phoenix will be fighting and Amare’ will be mad. So long as we keep this close and keep it physical I’m okay, provided that the Blazers don’t adopt my mentality.
agree...
but at the same time I have hope that this Suns team lacks the toughness to win a playoffs series. Yes, they played great in the regular season, but the regular season is the regular season and the suns have played worse in the playoffs than implied by their regular season record for several years.
Positivity
Goes a long way, my friend. If you “hate to say it”, you probably shouldn’t. Jinxes are extremely real.
I am a firm believer in the reverse jinx.
All day Sunday and throughout the game I kept up the belief we would lose. Of course holding on to the hope that we would win. Works like a charm!
completely agree!
A Suns fan friend of mine trash talked me on FB telling me to prepare for a loss, and don’t have too much hope, etc. etc. for game 1. I took the high road and didn’t respond, because I didn’t want to jinx us, haha. Let’s stay positive and keep it classy P-town!
To me it's not exactly whether we lose
but how. Going back 1-1 would be perfectly acceptable. But if we play like we think it’s perfectly acceptable that’s a problem. There’s a big difference between the Suns surviving a hard-fought, intense battle to pull out a win on their home floor and the Suns smashing us into the ground and parading on our graves.
—Dave
Exactly
Agree 100% with this. Make it a hard-fought game, preferably a win. As long as we don’t allow them to beat us by a huge margin (should they beat us, which I have a sneaking suspicion they won’t) things should be fine and I won’t cry myself to sleep tonight if we lose.
That all being said, we need to step on their throats. A defeat tonight will crush their spirits even more so than they all ready are.
GO BLAZERS!!!
I thought we'd lose Game #1, too
Although I’m with you on an intellectual level, on an emotional level my expectations have been raised by that victory on Sunday.
"It's Our Time":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O99POVJfglY
by Storyteller on Apr 20, 2010 12:18 PM PDT up reply actions
I was disappointed
in the way the Blazers handled double teams of LA. No one came to the ball. If they had the unbalanced Phx defense could have been exploited. I expect to see more zone from Phx.
The key to this series is the trio of Batum, Webster and Fernandez. If they can combine for 30 pts a game then I think the Blazers can win this series.
LA 21
Andre 15
Batum, Webster, Fernandez 30
Camby 10
Bench (Bayless, Howard) 18
Total 94 pts
So Aldridge, Bayless, Webster, Batum and Fernandez can score less and the Blazers remain successful?
by blacknoiseNW on Apr 20, 2010 8:55 AM PDT up reply actions
Yes.
Camby plays the pick and roll well and it stymies the Phx offense, and when Phx doesn’t shoot well they get exposed on defense ( so it’s likely that one Blazers will score better than usual if the Blazers play good pick and roll defense)
I tend to agree.
Dave talked about Phoenix doubling Miller. They can’t double both him and Aldridge without leaving those three guys with wide open looks.
LaMarcus turns in his average from the last month (i.e. an efficient 23 and 9), Portland’s odds are good.
Andre turns in another performance like game 1, Portland’s odds are good.
.
If Martell or Nic pump in 20 points and either of the two above happen, Portland likely wins.
Clarence, It's better to have a gun and not need it, then need a gun and not have it.
They'd take that, I think.
And they can do both because they only have to double the guy who actually has the ball.
—Dave
I'm naturally a pessimist
but I really think the Blazers come out firing tonight. I expect them to do everything they can to win tonight and I think they might just pull it out.
Travis to Patty, "Why you sound like that?"
Agree
I think we’re going to come out tonight with guns “blazing”. It’s a holiday game today, and we are the “Blazers” after all. :)
We’re going to be looking for blood tonight to try and put PHX away for good, I’m sure. A win tonight means PHX will ultimately crumble, IMO.
I think if we jump out to big lead...they might panic
at least Amare might…that would be good
Phil Mickelson: "A Great shot is when you pull it off.....a smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it"’
by 92wastheyear on Apr 20, 2010 8:52 AM PDT up reply actions
the Suns are front runners
there was a stat that said they won most of the games they led heading into the 4th quarter
but the reverse was not the case, they rarely come from behind
I mentioned this the other day, in their final 13 wins, they outscored their opponents in double-digits 10 times. They haven’t been in many close games lately. This reminds me of a NCAA tournament team that has won it’s last 20 games handily, but when they face a close game in March madness they can’t make their FTs because they haven’t faced that kind of pressure, recently. We saw that the other night from Phoenix, when Portland was “trying” to cough up the lead late, the Suns couldn’t take advantage. Gentry didn’t reinseet Nash in the game until there was less than 5 minutes to go, that may have been because he’s rarely had to send Steve back into a game (recently) because the team had a comfortable lead
Portland’s used to winning ugly, and doing whatever it takes. while the Suns have mostly been “boat racing” opposing teams during the 2nd half of the season
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
The MSP was talking about this this morning...
The Suns are not a resilient team. I think you guys are both right. The Suns know they HAVE to win this game. The second that things don’t go their way tonight, they are gonna get tight, they’re gonna get frustrated, they’re gonna force some things. If the Blazers have a strong 1st qtr, I predict some offensive fouls by the Suns and eventually some T’s. The key: Strong start.
Travis to Patty, "Why you sound like that?"
Pros and cons
Pros
Quotes paraphrased from BSoS:
Gentry: Camby did a great job on Amare. He’s long, no reason to expect anything else. Amare missed some shots also that he would normally make. We’ll still go to Amare. We have to do what we do. We’re not going to change what we done, we’re just going to do it better
Nash: We just got to play better. I don’t think we played a good game. Just got to do a better job on both ends of the floor and play up to our standard
Nash: We were up a couple of points with 5 minutes to go in the game so we were right there
Nash: Have to come out tomorrow with a great attitude. Play better. Not give up so many layups. It’s simple, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel
It seems the consensus from the enemy camp is that the loss was a fluke….this I like. All the games this year have been played at our pace and this wasn’t really mentioned in any of the Suns comments with the exception of Grant Hill’s.
You’ve got to credit them for taking us out of our comfort zone and making us play that way. It’s a battle of wills. We have to be more disciplined and not be suduced into playing their way. They don’t want to be suduced into playing our way.
If this trend continues, I really like our chances
Cons: The Refs.
If the refs decide to provide a (decided) home court advantage, this could be our downfall.
I can’t wait to see how this all plays out
Phil Mickelson: "A Great shot is when you pull it off.....a smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it"’
I love that "This loss was a fluke" attitude
By the time they get over it and figure out that they have to play it could be too late. But that’s just the public face they’re presenting. Privately they’re probably preparing more. If not, though, I think we beat them 92 ways from Sunday in this series.
—Dave
Well...if it is mis-direction it was pretty uniform
but you are probably right ….however if we impose our pace on this game, win or lose, I like our chances in the series
Phil Mickelson: "A Great shot is when you pull it off.....a smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it"’
by 92wastheyear on Apr 20, 2010 12:12 PM PDT up reply actions
4 games played between these teams so far this year ...
… and all 4 have been at Portlnd’s pace or style of play.
That perhaps better than anything else gives me confidence that Portland can win this series.
Clarence, It's better to have a gun and not need it, then need a gun and not have it.
Me too.
We are bending them to our will….and that is good …very good
Phil Mickelson: "A Great shot is when you pull it off.....a smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it"’
by 92wastheyear on Apr 20, 2010 12:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Andre Miller
Jedi mind tricks
Waves hand in front of Amare “This is not the playoff series you want to win…”
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
watch for 2 quick cheapie fouls on camby to help out the home team. The NBA, where ref influence happens.
I do not want to see Dick Bavetta in this series
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I'd rather see him now than in a series againt the L*kers.
Travis to Patty, "Why you sound like that?"
I guess...
he and Fonzie Mauer can stay far away from Blazer games as far as I’m concerned
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I don't expect the Blazers to win tonight
Home teams that lose game rarely lose game two, and the Suns are a very good team with a lot of pride, so they will come out firing. That said, this game is very important for two reasons:
1) Just because I don’t expect us to win doesn’t mean we can’t. You have to try to win every game.
2) It’s key that the Blazers not let the Suns impose their style. If they come out and are able to run the floor for treys and dunks in a circus-like exhibition, that’ll carry over and they will feel they can come into our house and destroy us. If they win a slugfest like they did in our last game of the series, I like our chances of continuing to play our game.
Kenny predicts
Blazers take the series
http://www.nba.com/video/channels/tnt_overtime/2010/04/19/20100419_inside_4.nba/
I think he’s right. Go Blazers.
I hope he is right too, he has some good points
but, Barkley does as well. If the Suns lose to us w/o Brandon Roy, it will be very ugly in Phoenix. Then again, I think Arizona could use a taste of ugly.
bust up the Suns!
Stoudemire is probably gone anyway…so who wants Nash? Who wants JRich? Who wants Barbosa?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
the blazers are
33-18 over the last two seasons after scoring 105+ the previous game.
"There was a time when this blog was for intelligent BASKETBALL fans. It has unfortunately become O-Live 2…" ~Ilikeemall
"Did they really expect me to bow down to Jesus?!?" ~Sophia
"At first glance, I saw a fairly unremarkable penis." ~Sophia on Greg Oden
Interesting
Phil Mickelson: "A Great shot is when you pull it off.....a smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it"’
by 92wastheyear on Apr 20, 2010 8:54 AM PDT up reply actions
The Blazers
should start the game by running a play for Camby: a reward for the first game and for signing the extension, plus it will be two free points.
back in the late 80s
the Blazers used to run the first play of the game for Caldwell Jones
every night
that was not a typo
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Argh.
Tough to say. My gut tells me that this is a Blazers loss, unfortunately. I really don’t want to see a blowout PHX win, so if the Blazers continue to control the tempo I will be happy. Overall, if they focus on defense and if more than one of the X-Factor guys (Marty, Batum, Rudy, Bayless) gets hot, Portland can win the series. I’m not confident that those guys will step up consistently enough, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it happened!
well
as far a pressure is concerned, there is none on the Blazers, we dealt with that in the last game. I expect Phoenix to have tons and tons of pressure which will make them play tight.
Assuming Amar’e and Steve can handle the pressure, a big if, then all the role players have to deal with that pressure, which I honestly don’t think they can. Fry, Dudley, Barbosa, Admudson, not sure all those guys can deal with the pressure.
I still think we play exactly the same way, make it slow and dirty, and we win hands down. Make life difficult for Amar’e, get him frustrated again, watch him pick up a T, which I’m just waiting to see happen, the guy looks like a teapot on full boil.
Let Nash do his thing, run him big time off the ball screens and make Dragic play more minutes. I doubt he can handle it for long either.
To me, all signs point to a Phx meltdown, especially if they start missing shots. I say this because the suns don’t think they need to change anything, they think they just didn’t hit “their” shots. I think Blazer defense schemes made them miss a lot of shots. We will just have to wait and see.
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
Especially if we can jump on them early.
Suns meltdown!
Somebody step up! - Mike Rice
by We-B-Dunkin on Apr 20, 2010 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions
Blazers just need to keep it together tonight
Play like this is the championship game, and don’t get sloppy at the end, close out the game STRONG!!! GO BLAZERS!
I just want to see Frye try to d-up LmA 1 on 1 again.
Don’t get me wrong, I like most posters on here are happy his career has been saved, I just don’t want it
Question
I’ve got a question: What’s up with that falcon screech the Phoenix PA makes everytime they make a 3? Shouldn’t Atlanta be playing that? I know I’ve never heard the sun make that noise.
A beard on a blind man! Too much, I say.
I suppose
they could flash the arena with blinding light and heat. Might not make for a fun experience though.
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
But
Who could forget it?
A beard on a blind man! Too much, I say.
no one would.
Might be hard to keep players in the game, heat stroke and severe skin burns are no fun. Nothing like a memorable sun burn, very hard to forget.
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
That would be the wail of
the sweet old grandmother they sacrifice to the basketball gods in order to make each three go through.
You didn’t think they shot 42% on threes because of talent alone, did you?
—Dave
The calls will not go our way tonight
I think we should start the game first play hard at Amare and try and get him a foul early.
Batum in particular looks like an easy target for the refs for tonight. I think its his baby face.
Continue to exploit Nash’s defense.
Don’t let Richardson/Frye get open three’s (and also I don’t want to see a guy like Dudley go off)
-
Pray for the team who after a playoff loss says they just need to increase the tempo of the game. Historically this is the losing team. It is so much easier to slow a game down then to try and play at a fast pace. If the slower team remains diciplined, the fast breaking team will only end up forcing it. That means turnovers. Eventually they will have to succumb.
Nash, Frye and Amare these are not great defenders.
Tempo and defense are in our favor for this series. A win tonight and we sweep.
I would love to see round 1 come to a close this Saturday at the RG!
A win tonight would be huge for us!
Hang up with Camby Deal?
Sounds like the first camby deal got vetoed by the NBA. Blazers submitted a second one and are awaiting approval.
I hope I can get a bunch of championships, like 15. " - Greg Oden
Phoenix has to win 4 out of 6 games
That’s a daunting proposition considering half those games are on the road. Portland is in the driver’s seat of this series now and needs to come out and play like it tonight.
Go Blazers!!!!
Most inexplicably NOT Clark Kellogg?
Addicted to Quack
by Matt Daddy on Apr 20, 2010 10:14 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Blazers should run a play for Rudy to start the game
If they can get Rudy an open jump shot, probably using Aldridge as a decoy (since we always run the first play for LMA) I’m pretty sure Rudy will make the shot. I think we will need Rudy’s production to win this game, and he needs to produce anyways if he’s going to play, so getting him going early is a good strategy. We can run the second play for Aldridge.
If we need Rudy's playing to win this one
We have all ready lost. He hasn’t been a scoring factor for the team since his injury and is completely homesick. He is not in these games at all and if I were Nate, I wouldn’t rely on him one bit.
*Disclaimer: I love Rudy. But I’m a realist and I’m just calling it like I see it.
The officials for tonight's game (this is kind of interesting)
According to NBA.com: Monty McCutchen, Tom Washington, Greg Willard
According to covers.com (betting/gaming info site): Scott Foster, Derrick Stafford, Zach Zarba
The WWE does this all the time
most famously in the old Earl/Dave Hebner switcharooni. Look for the Blazers to get screwed out of the belt after the first set of officials gets knocked to the court.
—Dave
Whichever crew you think can/will be more biased
Is probably the correct crew.
agreed
i think our series will have fairly reasonable/consistent officiating. I don’t really think the NBA would care who the victor is
by Billy Hoyle on Apr 20, 2010 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions
Plus...
A Blazers comeback is a much better story! Our team has the eyes of the nation looking at the Western Conference now, being that we were the only team to win game 1 on the road.
I don't want to get to John Maddeny
but I really think whoever knocks down their shots is going to win this game, our defensive game played seemed to be to shadow Amare and now let him catch the ball on the move, packing the paint and leaving open shooters for 3. They seemed to miss a lot of those open shots in the 2nd half while the Blazers started to hit them late in the game when it really counted. The Blazers missed seemed to miss a whole lot of open shots too early in the game. I expect the Suns to try to zone up and be quicker to help to limit Miller/Bayless penetration so the Blazers will need to knock down shots to open it up. I am looking at you Rudolpho
by Peteyhasnohead on Apr 20, 2010 11:23 AM PDT reply actions
whoever holds the other team to the least points
will win
by Billy Hoyle on Apr 20, 2010 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions
see, I think that
the team that scores the most and has the lead at the end of the game is going to walk away with the “w”
Gentry possbily switching Hill to Miller.
This means Nash will be on Rudy and JRich on Batum. I think this could be a big difference maker for the Suns. Rudy needs to run Nash ragged and make shots off screens. Hill’s length could bother Miller and force him to take jumpshots. Batum isn’t strong or skilled enough to take Jrich one on one.
I’ll be watching how these matchups change the complexion of the game.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
Rudy has to hit his shots
if he can hit the 3 off a side screen, that defensive strategy will disappear very quickly.
But, it’s an interesting gambit. We did so well by attacking the paint and Phoenix is daring us to shoot deep against Nash. Probably a good bet on their part, hopefully Rudy can hit his shot or at least remain confident even if he misses.
Seeing him on the bench after he missed the two open 3’s really made him look like a target for phoenix.
Or alternatively
bring in Bayless or Webster. Bayless can drive on Nash, and Webster is athletic enough to challenge JRich.
But It is important that Rudy hits some shots early. I don’t think the Blazers can win this series if he isn’t contributing offensively.
NBA tv still going to be blacked out for me?
"And our second unit can probably start in most NBA cities." -Maurice Lucas
woah, this site works now: http://aretheblazersplaying.com/
#10 & #52
"Shame on us if we agree all the time." -KP
AmorEst
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