Game 62 Preview: Bobcats vs. Trail Blazers
by Dave on Mar 5, 2011 1:00 AM PST
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PrintGame Time: 7:00 p.m. TV: CSNNW
Hmmm...the Bobcats. What to say?
Well, the Blazers took their best player, resulting in plenty of Charlotte fans wearing "My GM Traded With Portland and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt" t-shirts. Yes, they got Joel Przybilla (huge applause tonight please) and Dante Cunningham (also applause tonight) in return but they added them to Stephen Jackson, D.J. Augustin, and Boris Diaw. Jackson and Augustin have been scoring like gangbusters since Wallace departed, Diaw is up and down, and the rest of the roster is best described as "people who used to be somebody with somebody else". Dominic McGuire is the Wizards' cast-off, Tyrus Thomas (injured) is Chicago's, Desagana Diop is Dallas', Eduardo Najera and Kwame Brown have had turns everywhere. It's like this roster was crafted from the second-hand store. Some finds were nice, some are just junk. None of it would approach most people's definition of acceptable quality.
The Bobcats are 26-35 and have won a surprising number of games versus good teams. Most people know about the Lakers but Boston, Atlanta, Houston, Denver, and Chicago (twice) are also on that list. They've gotten by with a slow pace and good interior defense making up for their inability to shoot from anywhere on the floor. The huge asterisk there is that those numbers were posted with Wallace in tow. He plays for the bad guys now and Charlotte will have a hard time replacing his defense, Joel Przybilla or no. In the post-Wallace era they've allowed 98 to the Kings, 100 to the Magic, 120 to the Nuggets, and finally calmed down to hold the Lakers to 92 but still lost. They're 1-3 without GW.
When you tear the heart out of a team it's hard to predict how they'll do. In the short term the prosper sometimes, banding together and fighting the odds. Over the long haul that averages out and they usually lose more than win. We're still in a short-term view and this is the team they traded with so there might be extra incentive to win tonight. Jackson has often been a problem for Portland and Diaw has caused the Blazers fits as well. But neither offer the fit potential that Wallace did. He's always been the dynamite. The Blazers now hold the match. Portland needs to rebound, up the tempo, and blow this team out of the water. They should be sorely disappointed if they lose this game at home no matter who plays or doesn't for either side. Oh, and if Wallace wants to score 30 in the process of winning, let him.
See what they think over at Rufus on Fire.
Enter tonight's Jersey Contest form here.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
[Update: Stephen Jackson is injured and will not play.]
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Jackson out tonight
Stephen Jackson went out during the third quarter against the Lakers last night with a hamstring injury. It appears to be somewhat serious as Silas said in the post-game press conference, “He [Jack] is going to have to sit out until it gets better.” He also said, “Jack might be out for a little while now…”
Lemonade was a popular drink and it still is,
I get more props and stunts than Bruce Willis
- Guru, of Gangstarr
lol....
Facing Joel is alot scarier than I thought it would be….
The Faith don't panic, the Faith freaks out, burns out small farms and villages in the name of the Faith.
I've got mixed emotions for Joel
I expect he’ll get a huge cheer from the crowd, but I don’t think those good feelings will last long.
Porter, Drexler, Kersey, Williams, Duckworth. The greatest starting 5 ever.
It could be a strange/eerie kind of game for the players it seems..
Last year the same sort of scenario didn’t happen bc no one could play in the game against the Clippers immediately post trade.
This is fairly soon after the trade. Seems like it could be strange for Wallace and Joel especially. Both guys on one team for a long time.
Joel blocking Roy’s attempt to go to the basket….talk about weird world….Joel being ABLE to block Roy’s attempt…it would be almost as if everything is ok with both of them…
that was hilarious when Batum was saying he wanted to dunk on Joel.
I think we’re gonna see a lot of smiles tonight.
I would love for Joel to have a great game and even some big blocks.
#52
Yeah I'm expecting a good Joel foul at some point
Maybe even a flagrant if someone drives the lane too much. It will be interesting to see how that goes.
Thankfully they don’t play him or Dante much at this point. Joel is one of those kind of guys you love if he is on your team. If he’s not, more than likely he has a hold of your jersey.
Nothing quite like a good hard Przy foul
What if he just hammered Roy or Andre and there was a scuffle.
Also I would love to see Joel and GW trade huge blocks.
Welcome to Portland Mr. Wallace.
Should be interesting...
On paper? There is little reason to believe this shouldn’t easily be a Blazer W. But lately no “W” has been easy for The Blazers…
And this is the classic subtext “emotional” game. You never know what’s going to happen in a situation like this.
However I agree with Dave, " They should be sorely disappointed if they lose this game at home",,,,but GULP New Jersey? Houston?….Sorely disappointed at home has been a trend lately…
Hopefully one we can reverse.
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
Houston is not exactly New Jersey..and New Jersey is not exactly New Jersey this year either.
Now the loss to the Nicks was pathetic. Complete lack of effort.
It seems there are many games that teams should or should win/lose…and they don’t!!!
And Atlanta
Where was the effort? Can’t save it all until the end.
Now all we need is the rest of the roster to get into "how can everybody help Nicco and Oden" mode. -- Oden Mad, Oden Smash! Sep 29, 2010 7:47 PM
My brother went to the Atlanta game.
He said that the refs were AWFUL for the entire first half of the game. That they tried to make up for it with ridiculous calls in the Blazer’s favor in the 2nd half..but by this time Atlanta had the game well in hand.
I KNOW…the refs don’t/shouldn’t determine the outcome of the game. And I wish very much the players would not allow the refs to affect how they play.
However…if I were a player,and worried about fouling out, or sending a player to the free throw line for 1/2 or>than half of the quarter (over the limit), perhaps I wouldn’t be as inclined to risk fouling.
And if not getting calls on the other end when driving to the basket…I may not want to continue to do this.
Did not see the game…so don’t know. But my brother knows basketball very well…and he was not alone..apparently the refs were escorted by SECURITY to and from the court…
and there was a ton of booing on calls….this doesn’t happen if the replay shows the foul is legitimate.
But the Houston game was well reffed and the players did NOT play defense..no excuse for that.
I was at the Hawks game
sure the calls in the first half were bad, and they kept killing Portland’s momentum
but the team played like ______ in the 2nd-3rd quarters. They couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean and they were making sloppy turnovers. Atlanta played well—give them credit—Jamal Crawford did what he usually does when he plays against Portland
But during the 2nd half I was not impressed with the Blazers, at all. It had to be one of their worst performances at home this season, they were flat and disjointed. Wallace made a few plays and I was glad to be there for his debut, but you could tell the team was out of synch because of Crash’s newness, the return of Camby and the loss of a couple of glue guys (Joel/Dante) They put up a good fight in the 4th quarter, but it was one of those “too little, too late” NBA comebacks that you could kind of tell would peter out at the end. The Hawks were fully in charge of that game and they knew it
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
My brother concurs...
still think the calls can lead to this sort of play…ON TOP OF…the other factors that you mentioned..which I am sure affected the Blazer’s that night.
It was a perfect “shoot” storm…(pun…and in place of the word that is not allowed)!
I agree, you'd think this would be an easy win, especially with them not having jackson now.
I just want them to come out with energy and ready to play some D.
#52
I'm looking forward to seeing Joel.
If Jackson is not back and they are on a back to back, you would think it would be easy pickings, but as said there is no easy pickings for the Blazers. They just play good enough to win against any team, but that sometimes back fires.
hg
Last night
The Spurs led Miami 36-12 after the 1st quarter. I’d like to see that tonight.
One moral dilemma: after rooting so long for Joel to learn how to shoot free throws, now we have to root for him to miss?
And thus Canzano spake unto the multitudes: "Before Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were, I suck."
when you are up by 20 with 2 minutes to go
you can still root for Joel to hit his FTs
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Mar 5, 2011 12:27 PM PST up reply actions
Blazers can't sleep on the Puss-Bobs....
We’ve had too many games where we should have won but didn’t.
And to the RG: be sure to show big love to Prizz and DC during the announcements; but show no love after the tip – they sure won’t.
"Easy for you to say coach, you don't have Big Greg rolling up on your blind side about to lay the wood to you." - Batum
2 Minute Standing Ovation For Joel Tonight. No Excuses.
Spread the word.
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
any word on dwight howard for the magic game?
I know he has a one game suspension for the 16 Ts, but on sportscenter last night they made it sound like he’d miss their game against the Cavs, not the Blazers
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
by sammymohawk on Mar 5, 2011 9:09 AM PST via mobile reply actions
the more I listen to Sports media...the more I don't necessarily believe what these people say.
Half the time it’s like the regular news…let’s just say whatever we happen to feel like saying…either to stir up the pot or simply because they are too lazy to get real info.
thoughts (new edger)
y’know, ya gotta hand it to nate to have this team ready at this point this season. Rufus was pretty down with Jackson out – we gotta like what we did without Roy and Camby. Now that their back, this team could gel into a real darkhorse. Still, the key is keeping players on the court. Anyone know if Rudy’s back tonite?
IMHO – the Spurs are a virtual lock, but if the Blazers can stay out of the 8 hole, i’d rather get the Lakers or Dallas, than Denver in a 4/5. But that’s just this week.
damn, i wish i had tickets to the game tonight
I went to the denver game and that was awesome! But to see joel and dante return, as well as crash play against his former team (who told him that he was going nowhere!) Would be the best! BIG CHEERS FOR JOEL!!!!
LET'S PLAY SOME DAMN DEFENSE!!!!!!!!!!
by Batum Shakalaka on Mar 5, 2011 9:40 AM PST via mobile reply actions
The season tix for this game have a picture of Joel on them
That is great
Harry Bosch: "Everybody counts....or nobody counts."
by 92wastheyear on Mar 5, 2011 10:03 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
go to blazers.com
hit the tab “for season ticket holders” next page hit “resell your season tickets” this will lead you to the season ticket resale site.
you have to become a “member” and pay a dollar I think to purchase but you can go on the site and look. I bet there are plenty of seats/tickets available in all price categories.
There are often better deals through this site than the box office.
It is a well hidden site as the Blazers like to sell their seats first.
Let me know if you have any trouble.
I am going to the game tonight. Have gone to the last 3 and have mixed feelings.
Want to go but will be pissed if the Blazers continue to play little defense.
there are 70 posts for tickets to tonight's game. The deadline to purchase is 3 hrs
before the game. When you go to the site, note the “expiration time” for each listing.
Everyone who posts can put a different end time on his/her posting. The last possible time is 3 hrs before the game.
Looks like my worst fear regarding Crash and Nate is happening.
Hmm…this seems familiar.
McMillan, on the other hand, is trying to sell Wallace on the idea of becoming the “go-to-guy” on the second unit as a power forward.
“Right now, the best for us would be for Wallace to come off the bench and be that go-to guy, and be that post up player at the four. But certainly, I want to get him in that lineup with L.A. and Nic. That gives us good balance.”
The cake was a lie.
So long as Crash gets a lot of minutes.
But I don’t see why he doesn’t start at SF over Batum. He’s better in literally every way.
I dispense B.S. and facts. It is up to you to figure out which is which.
Can Wallace get his own shot?
Am curious about this and do not know…it seems like he can. Maybe it has more to do with who is able to hit 3s? Brandon can…Wallace can..but not as well as Brandon I think.
I think this has more to do with wanting the players who have been playing together for quite awhile now…and having some success with it…to continue to play together.
I wonder if McMillan will change things with Rudy back now…he said Wallace would start when Rudy came back.
Wish I knew more about match ups etc…than I do. It seems to me Wallace should start and so should Batum and that Batum should start at the 2 position.
Matthews could come off the bench. But then the 2nd unit loses height…but gains defense…
I don’t know.
I wouldn't slide Nic to the 2 to make room for Wallace
if Nate decides to start Crash he’ll probably bring Marcus in off the bench, but as of now I think he’s thinking along these lines
I think this has more to do with wanting the players who have been playing together for quite awhile now…and having some success with it…to continue to play together.
Wallace is going to play alongside Nic, Matthews and LMA a lot—that’s probably the best lineup in terms of balance at both ends—they can switch on just about everything and not be in a mismatch. I can smell what Nate’s cooking, he’ll get LMA started at the beginning of each half, then when he takes Aldridge out (hopefully a little earlier, and for more rest now that Crash is here) he can clear a side and let Wallace do his thing.
Gerald can face up and drive (get his own shot) but his biggest problem is charging. To prevent offensive fouls, he needs space to operate against his defender—which is the same thing that LMA and Roy need—and what every other one-on-one player in the NBA is constantly looking for
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
thanks...and I think bringing Camby off the bench is a decent idea.
His lack of offense can contribute to those double teams…how about subbing HIM in for LMA? What do you think of this idea?
Am learning….
I think Nate should just have Marcus and Gerald play rock-paper-scissors for the starting job
then we wouldn’t have to spend so much time agonizing over the analysis
The funny thing is, no one was complaining about how Camby was “so bad” for LMA until Wallace joined the team and now suddenly there’s a big push to get Gerald into the starting lineup. You could hear it in the media’s leading questions to Crash the other day at practice “would you like to start?” “how do you feel about not starting” etc
If I was Gerald I’d tell them to all bugger off and go ask the coach, it’s Nate’s decision, after all
Everyone’s an expert. But there will be 9-10 Blazers out there playing ball tonight, and who starts each half isn’t nearly as important as who finishes—and how many points the Blazers beat the Bobcats by, at the final buzzer
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I'll see your exagerration and raise you a literal, or two
Batum TS% = 55.7
Wallace TS% = 52.8
Batum TOV% = 8.6
Wallace TOV% = 12.6
Batum ORtg = 118
Wallace ORtg = 105
Wallace has a better DRtg, rebounds better, blocks more (this year), assists more – but Batum shoots better and turns it over less.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Mar 5, 2011 12:15 PM PST up reply actions
Batum shoots better
because most of his shots are open looks while Wallace, as the main option in Charlotte, had to try to create his own more often. That also probably contributes to the turnover %.
I dispense B.S. and facts. It is up to you to figure out which is which.
Wallace shot much better in Charlotte than he has in Portland
and Batum, while having a down year (especially early), is still better…
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Mar 5, 2011 12:33 PM PST up reply actions
However, I also think Wallace should start
it should just be over Camby instead of over Batum
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Mar 5, 2011 12:36 PM PST up reply actions
How well do you see Marcus fitting in with the bench players?
His strength on offense is post entry (lob) passing, and with Wallace/LMA (hypothetically) both in the starting lineup there wouldn’t be any targets for Camby to feed the ball to, at least part of the time
I can see why Nate is leaving the starting lineup alone, for now
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
he could, and he probably will at some point regardless of who's starting
but I can’t think of a scenario where Marcus and Crash would both start out on the bench…that would be a small starting lineup, with either Roy or Rudy at SG, pushing Wesley/Nic up to the 3/4
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Camby came back at the same time that Wallace joined the team
Correlation is not causation, but the team has struggled with Camby’s return to the starting lineup
Camby hasn’t returned to rebounding at his normal pace and generally has played very poorly. An LMA/Wallace/Batum frontcourt would play to the Blazers’ strength this season – which is small ball.
Miller/Mathews/Batum/Wallace/LMA has outscored the opposition by 28 points in 32 min of floor time. I’d definitely like to see more of that.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
Wallace can create his own shot
and take guys off the dribble, post them up and even take over a game. Nico just isn’t there yet. And yes…Wallace is stronger and a better defensive player.
Wallace not starting over Nico will be more based on Nate’s desire to have a go to guy off the bench than anything. The guy is All-Star level talent and when these guys figure out how to play defense together and run the offense it’s going to be a major game changer for the PTB.
spreading out the talent and productivity over 48 minutes
instead of concentrating it at the beginning/end of each half
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I can live with that I guess
In thinking about this a little more I realized Wallace is good for 35 to 40 minutes a game easily and that bringing him in off the bench gives him an opportunity to get in rhythm as the primary scoring option.
After that, he’s probably playing most of the rest of the game. Sounds like, if it works, it might be pretty cool.
that's what a real 6th man does
just because Portland hasn’t had one in awhile doesn’t mean it’s a “bad” idea
Travis was the closest thing, in the last 10 years. Wallace could brutalize the opposing bench forwards and still finish the game, if it’s close/late
I think that’s what Nate has in mind, we’ll see how it goes
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
It's very frustrating to see repeatedly see Crash come into a game where the Blazers are already struggling
Perhaps if he started, they wouldn’t struggle from the beginning?
To be clear, I know I could be wrong here. But it sure would be nice to find out.
Perhaps if he started, they'd struggle later
lineup balance is a touchy thing, start messing with it and what was working fine for months can quickly unravel. Eventually they’ll figure it out, but Nate doesn’t have the luxury of tinkering too much right now. He needs to get everyone rowing in the same direction and sort out the lineups later. I expect Wallace to play more than 32 minutes and take a couple more than 11 shots per game, and it will be easier for McMillian to get Crash those extra touches if his minutes are staggered with LMA, for now
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Being 2-4 (and playing poorly) after the All-Star Break, and facing an upcoming tough schedule, isn't the worst time to tinker
Of course, a week from today, we could be talking about the triumphant Blazers’ 5 game winning streak after they beat Charlotte twice, hold off the Dwight-less Magic and upset the reeling Heat. All without any tinkering.
The NBA is so hard to predict these days.
but tinker too much and you could be 3-9
chemistry is a delicate thing, it’s easier to maintain what you have rather than trying to break it down and rebuild it, in the middle of the season
I’d like to see them sweep this upcoming road trip as well, it’s looking a lot more possible than it did after Sunday night’s game ;^)
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Oh, no he didn't! You gotta: Start! Gerald! Wallace!
Say it with me, Nate: Start.
“Start.”
That’s right, you can do this. Now: Gerald.
“Gerald.”
I am so proud of you! Just one more word: Wallace.
“Someday.”
Okay, Nate, you’re not getting this. Do you remember Andre Miller?
“Uh, yes.”
Remember that trouble with Steve Blake.
“I wish we had Blake.”
I do to … coming off the bench.
“With Roy coming back—”
Stop it! This is exactly what I’m talking about.
“-I could start Steve, and use Dre with Wallace on that second unit-”
You are not listening! That kind of thinking is why KP had to trade Blake.
“-second unit, you know-”
No, I don’t know.
“-would present match-up problems for opposing-”
Dear God! With the injuries, we don’t have a second unit.
“-teams on a nightly-”
Help! Help! Men in white overalls, stat!
“-basis. With Steve pulling-”
Take me now, Lord, take me, now!
Now all we need is the rest of the roster to get into "how can everybody help Nicco and Oden" mode. -- Oden Mad, Oden Smash! Sep 29, 2010 7:47 PM
by LaoTzu on Mar 5, 2011 11:56 AM PST up reply actions 5 recs
"Like" instructions
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And thus Canzano spake unto the multitudes: "Before Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were, I suck."
That kind of thinking is why KP had to trade Blake.
Sure. The team’s acute need for a center (and Steve’s EC) had nothing to do with it
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Mar 5, 2011 1:41 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
fun little factoid full of optimism
Kwame Brown total Win Shares in 556 games: 19.2
Greg Oden total Win Shares in 82 games: 6.8
Greg Oden has produced 35% of Brown’s total in less than 15% of the games.
There are first pick busts, and then there are first pick busts. Optimism? Oden can and should return to his initial level of productivity (although how good he was before his broken knee is pretty phenomenal).
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
I love optimism
I dispense B.S. and facts. It is up to you to figure out which is which.
I'm bullish on Greg's future
a starting frontcourt of Wallace-LMA-Oden could be dominating and advance the Blazers back to the finals
I hope we’ll get a chance to see it, in less than 12 months
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I don't think it will be averted
and typically the owners make the players knuckle-under after 3-4 months. If the economy is bad next fall, then it may not even take that long
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
the dollar is on life support
and it’s not expected to pull through
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
yep...kind of why I got into following the Blazers...
first the news was too depressing/annoying to follow closely..then business news…too depressing/irritating…to follow closely…so I turned to sports…well plus it’s way more fun…upbeat for the most part.
Esp when compared to the rest of the news out there…
anybody watching the nets/raptors game? Going into triple OT in london.
These OT’s have been pretty good.
#52
Crazy close game. Yesterday’s game between these two teams was pretty close until the very end. I just can’t believe it has gone into 3 OT’s.
BATUM: The sound the ball makes going through the hoop, BATUM!
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