Blazer's Edge - Grizzlies 94, Blazers 76: Complete CoverageThe ultimate coverage and analysis of the Portland Trail Blazershttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47543/blazersedge-fave.png2013-04-04T01:14:47-07:00http://www.blazersedge.com/rss/stream/39450572013-04-04T01:14:47-07:002013-04-04T01:14:47-07:00Media Row Report: Grizzlies 94, Blazers 76
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<p>The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, 94-76, at the Rose Garden on Wednesday night.</p> <p>The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, 94-76, at the Rose Garden on Wednesday night, dropping Portland's record to 33-42.</p>
<p>As a team's winning percentage drops this time of year, the pretenses tend to drop too. Without meaningful pressure and with the finish line in sight, the truth tends to get set free.</p>
<p>Just ask Blazers reserve forward/center Joel Freeland, who has registered more fouls (61) this season than field goals (48) or offensive rebounds (36). On many occasions, he's looked like an actor playing on the losing team in a basketball movie: the action happens around him, he only gets face time after committing a violation or hacking someone, and there's usually a look of frustration or confusion on his face when the camera does find him.</p>
<p>He's making sub mid-level money -- $3.1 million this season, $2.9 million next season and $3.0 million in 2014-15 according to StoryTeller's Contract -- but he's not earning it, not even close. He's averaging 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, shooting 40 percent from the floor, and he hasn't played enough minutes to qualify for the Player Efficiency Rating rankings. For the sake of context, if we remove the minimum minutes requirement, Freeland <a target="_blank" href="http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/statistics/_/position/pf/page/2/qualified/false">ranks No. 89 out of 103 NBA power forwards in PER</a>.</p>
<p>There's a stubbornness that runs rampant among struggling NBA players, a refusal to admit to their shortcomings, and/or a denial of their bad play, and/or a self-assured focus that the next game will be better and that hard work and film study will make everything OK eventually. It gets tiresome to listen to and occasionally tiresome to type about, but there's no alternative when there are meaningful stakes on the line, whether that be playoff possibilities or impending free agency.</p>
<p>Freeland is in a position to be brutally honest, with himself and with the media, as the Blazers are effectively eliminated from the postseason and he has two more fully-guaranteed years remaining on his contract. He took that opportunity on Wednesday, telling Blazersedge that his goal for the rest of the season is to simply prove to the coaching staff that he can be trusted with playing time.</p>
<p>"I'm going out there to show the coaches I'm not a liability on the court," he said bluntly. "To show them I can be on the court, I'm not going to get scored on, I'm going to play solid defense and do the things they want me to do without making mistakes. That's what I need to do."</p>
<p>So there have been times this season that you've felt like -- to use your own word -- a "liability"?</p>
<p>"A couple of times, yeah," he admitted. "That's part of the learning process, part of the adjustment I'm making at the moment. Speed of the game, strength of the game, athleticism of the people. Everything."</p>
<p>Freeland finished with seven points, three rebounds and four fouls on three-for-four shooting in 17 minutes, but drew praise from Blazers coach Terry Stotts, along with JJ Hickson and Meyers Leonard, for his involvement in Portland's interior defense, which allowed only 38 points in the paint on 34 shots in the paint to a physical Grizzlies frontline.</p>
<p>"I want to take away some positives with the young guys playing," Stotts said. "We protected the paint decently, they only had 38 in the paint. Which is a good sign for us. Kept battling."</p>
<p>This game was far from competitive -- no surprise with both LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) and Nicolas Batum (shoulder) sitting -- but it wasn't pathetic. It passed the team's bar of playing with "integrity"; they should be able to watch the tape without feeling embarrassment or excessive frustration.</p>
<p>That hasn't always been the case for Freeland, who didn't hide from the fact that he's been involved in offensive sets that are messed up so badly that he's suffered through teammate-on-teammate collisions.</p>
<p>"Most of [my mistakes] have been coming offensively," he said. "We always get the rotations mixed up, between who is rolling and who is popping. Sometimes we run into each other. That's been my main problem at the moment. Today I did a pretty good job on that."</p>
<p>Expressing happiness that you didn't run into your teammate is the definition of dropped pretenses in the NBA. Better an honest self-assessment -- and Freeland wasn't kicking himself about this -- than a cluelessness or a disregard for mistakes.</p>
<p>The 26-year-old British big man sees himself struggling on the other end, too, where he often draws foul calls in one-on-one defensive situations and is a sure bet to lose any bang/bang block/charge play. Freeland believes he's improved on that end over the last few games, in terms of eliminating his worst mistakes, and that he's tried to narrow his focus.</p>
<p>"Slowing the game down, that helped me a lot," he explained. "[When I] slow down, I see what's going on, instead of being out of control and trying to see where everyone is. Slow down, focus on one thing and let it come to me. Instead of trying to anticipate and be in front of the game."</p>
<p>Improvement or not, the lasting memory of Freeland's season will be the whistles. Bite on a pump fake? Tweet. A half-step too slow to cut off the baseline? Tweet. Not quite in position to contest a put back attempt? Tweet. Try to give up the body by sliding across the key to provide help defense on a drive? Tweet. Look the wrong way at a superstar? Tweet. The list goes on.</p>
<p>Freeland was assessed three fouls in a two-minute stretch of the third quarter on Wednesday and it was barely enough to raise an eyebrow. All those foul calls must get old, right? At some point, wouldn't you start to take all those personal fouls, um, personally?</p>
<p>"I wouldn't say it's being picked on," Freeland told Blazersedge. "Everyone goes through it. ... Everyone says it's the rookie treatment, rookie year. Until I earn that respect I'm never going to get -- I'm going to come in and get three fouls in two minutes, that's happened on numerous occasions this year."</p>
<p>Freeland averaged double-figures for multiple seasons in Spain's ACB league, but he laughed when asked whether he got more favorable treatment from the referees overseas.</p>
<p>"No, I never got the superstar calls," he told Blazersedge. "I've never been on that side of the boat before. Yeah [I scored], but the refs didn't respect me like that."</p>
<p>Rookie guard Will Barton then piped up from across the locker room: "That's because you weren't <i>getting buckets</i>."</p>
<p>Indeed, that's precisely the curse that has the potential to haunt Freeland for as long as he remains in the NBA. His limited offensive repertoire, his stocky body, and his fairly fluidless game make him an easy mark. Opponents and referees alike see him coming a mile away. The upside is this: the next seven games are as important to Freeland as they are to any player on the team, as he can expect plenty of minutes against some of the best competition in the league.</p>
<p>That's clearly the mindset and the mode for the entire Blazers team from here on in, with no clear word on the availability of Aldridge and Batum.</p>
<p>"Unfortunately we're going to have to learn and get better like an extended summer league," Blazers guard Wesley Matthews, who finished with 12 points (on five-for-16 shooting) and two rebounds in 39 minutes. "That's not the way we wanted it to be but that's how it is."</p>
<p>Meyers Leonard, Freeland's rookie big man partner in crime, had 10 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes. He was only willing to say that the Blazers did an "OK job" defending the paint, although he pointed out that "OK" was better than their interior defense in a number of recent games.</p>
<p>"Throughout the season we've really been killed in the paint," he told Blazersedge. "Denver scores a lot of points in the paint. [The Grizzlies] score a lot of points in the paint, numerous other teams. Tonight I thought we did a pretty good job on the inside, try to force them to take tough twos. We've got to continue taking steps forward on defending every part of the court."</p>
<p>More pretenses dropped, more accountability.</p>
<p>I <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/4/1/4172154/buckner-blazers-c-meyers-leonard-discusses-possible-offensive">linked to an article</a> about Leonard's goals for offensive improvement the other day and the overwhelming response I received was that he shouldn't think about anything besides the defensive end, as the needs there are so much more dire. The two sides of the floor aren't mutually exclusive, but it's worth noting that when I asked him what he wanted to work on during the next two weeks of live game action, Leonard went straight to the defense, and only the defense.</p>
<p>"Guarding one-on-one in the post and blocking shots," he told Blazersedge. "It all comes with anticipation, learning the league. Timing and everything like that. It's gotten a lot better, from the beginning of the season until now, it's night and day."</p>
<p>A few more nights and days and Leonard will be all right. Freeland, though, remains an open question. On a night that saw Portland shoot four-for-29 from deep, score only 12 fourth-quarter points and trail by double-digits for most of the way en route to its sixth straight loss, at least the candor was fairly satisfying.</p>
<p><b><u>Random Game Notes</u></b></p>
<ul>
<li>The attendance was announced at 19,275. Slightly generous again but better than I expected with the injury absences being announced earlier in the day.</li>
<li>We have our winner for best sign of the year in a runaway. What I loved about this woman is that there was zero chickening out when I asked her if I could take a photo of her after she posed for a pre-game photo with her friends. She totally owned it. That's big time.</li>
</ul>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2418401/blazers-fan-of-the-year.jpg"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2418401/blazers-fan-of-the-year_medium.jpg" alt="Blazers-fan-of-the-year_medium"></a> <br id="1365056946156"></p>
<ul>
<li>Live mas, indeed.</li>
<li>Former Blazers center Greg Oden sat courtside during this game, randomly. Mike Conley, his childhood friend and the son of his agent, scored 20 points (on seven-for-11 shooting) and five assists. </li>
<li>Oden received a mix of cheers and boos when shown on the jumbotron. </li>
<li>It's now been 1,215 days since Oden last appeared in an NBA game.</li>
<li>Oden politely declined an interview request from Blazersedge after the game, which was disappointing but not surprising in the slightest.</li>
<li>Blazers guard Damian Lillard told Blazersedge that he has not yet decided whether he will participate in the 2013 Las Vegas Summer League. He hasn't thought about it and, by extension, he hasn't yet ruled it out.</li>
<li>Personally I think he should play. Leonard definitely needs to play, as do Portland's other rookies, and it would be a big thing for Lillard, coming off of a Rookie of the Year campaign, to lead them. There's a precedent: Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving planned to play last summer before injuring his hand during a Summer League practice. Also, Lillard is expected to be in Las Vegas for a USA basketball minicamp in July anyway.</li>
<li>I wouldn't fault him in any way if he passed on it -- he's more than earned the time off with the league-leading minutes load he's carried this year -- but it would be a great statement if he chose to participate.</li>
<li>Everyone's favorite third-string point guard Nolan Smith threw up two airballs within 76 seconds of checking into the game in garbage time. There's a clear hitch in his stroke; he obviously needs to adjust the location of his off hand by sticking one of his fingers into his nose as he gets into his shooting motion.</li>
<li>I'm not sure exactly what to say about <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/4/3/4179460/rutgers-fires-mike-rice-jr-son-of-blazers-broadcaster-after-tape">the Mike Rice, Jr. thing</a> except that the video was sickening, you feel for the players, the university should have fired him back in December, and the repercussions from the last two days are going to be felt by Rice and a lot of people close to him for the rest of their lives. Probably best to stop there.</li>
<li> <b>Dwight Jaynes</b> of <b>CSNNW.com</b> (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.csnnw.com/blog/dwight/i-cannot-imagine-what-our-mike-rice-dealing-right-now">here</a>) and <b>John Canzano</b> of <b>The Oregonian</b> (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2013/04/canzano_one_mike_rice_needs_he.html#incart_river_default">here</a>) both had some thoughts on what it must be like for Mike Rice, Sr.</li>
<li>I am impressed with new Blazers VP of Marketing <b>Dewayne Hankins</b>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/3/29/4162460/blazers-hire-dewayne-hankins-as-vp-of-marketing">who started on Monday</a>. He seems to represent a new, younger, more Internet-savvy approach at that level of management, and he expressed nothing but positive thoughts to me about what Blazersedge -- as both a site and as a community -- means to someone in his position. Rest assured, your comments on this site are being seen.</li>
<li>Matthews had a brutal shooting night and is clearly frustrated by the season's end: "We're not playing for a playoff spot but I'm diving on the monitor, hitting my back, trying to keep the ball inbounds. I'm always going to play hard and that's what I expect this team to do. I expect everybody to sell out, it's a blessing that we get to play this game every day."</li>
<li>Matthews on the end of this season compared to the end of last season: "Both suck. We're not in the playoffs. Both suck, both tough."</li>
<li>Leonard on playing without LaMarcus Aldridge: "It's not as easy without LaMarcus in the game on the offensive and defensive end. He attracts a lot of attention, he's very tough to stop on the block, pick-and-pops. [On defense], he talks, he helps us out, without LaMarcus it's tough. I feel like with my increased minutes, I'm starting to learn the game better. Feeling better in the games, better flow. It's a good learning experience for me, having to be in there and guard Zach [Randolph] and Marc [Gasol] who are two of the best bigs arguably in the league."</li>
<li>Lillard on playing in a five-man lineup composed entirely of rookies: "It wasn't weird. I felt like it was a chance for us to put on a show, if that's what you want to call it. Five rookies out here, we can play together and make things happen."</li>
<li> <a target="_blank" href="http://bucketsoverbroadway.com/2013/04/03/raymond-felton-should-keep-mouth-shut-as-playoffs-near/?utm_source=FanSided&utm_medium=Network&utm_campaign=Hot%2BTopics">Pretty solid Raymond Felton rant</a> on <b>BucketsOnBroadway.com, </b>a New York Knicks blog.</li>
<li>Standings watch: the Blazers are currently in the No. 12 draft slot, 2.5 games behind the Philadelphia 76ers for No. 11 and 3.5 games up on the Dallas Mavericks, who are No. 13.</li>
</ul>
<p><b><u>Terry Stotts' Post-Game Comments</u></b></p>
<p><b>Opening comments</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>I was pleased with our offense in the first half and our defense in the second half. Memphis is a good team and they did a lot of good things against us. I want to take away some positives with the young guys playing. We protected the paint decently, they only had 38 in the paint. Which is a good sign for us. Kept battling. We didn't shoot the ball well in the second half, I think we were one-for-18 from threes, that affected whatever run we were trying to make in the second half.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>Push the pace effectively?</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>We always try. They slow it down with their offense and they do a great job of getting back. That was the other thing we did well in the second half, they only had one offensive rebound in the second half. At halftime, they had almost as many offensive rebounds as we had defense, I liked the way we shored up our rebounding in the second half as well.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>Turnovers</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Disappointing. When you come out and have those three turnovers in the second half, it's pretty deflating. I think those that we executed, that we set screens, that we came out with the right purpose at the beginning of the second half, after that it got better. You can't take anything for granted with your passes against Memphis. Tony Allen is going to be there, [Mike] Conley has great hands, they anticipate well. I think we kind of took them for granted a little bit.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>Young guys</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Probably nothing in particular. I liked the way they played. Meyers, Victor, Joel and Will, they all went out and played hard and tried to do the right thing and execute, rebound, play hard. They were aggressive when they needed to be.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>Disappointment or some growth from this game?</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>You hate to lose and you hate to lose at home. I thought we played hard. Memphis is a top seed in the West, you have to give them credit. Obviously they're a better team than we are. You want to take away opportunities to teach and get better, particularly with the young guys. More importantly, I want to make sure we play the right way, play hard, get better, all the things you need to do. Most of these guys are going to be here next year and we've got to work with them. This is an opportunity for them.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/blazersedge" target="_blank">Twitter</a></p>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2013/4/4/4181030/media-row-report-grizzlies-blazersBen Golliver2013-04-03T21:26:08-07:002013-04-03T21:26:08-07:00Grizzlies Wear Down Cold Blazers, 94-76
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<p>The road to an attempted win is paved with bricked three-pointers.</p> <h4>Quickie:</h4>
<p>Without LaMarcus Aldridge or Nicolas Batum, the Portland Trail Blazers never led tonight, falling to the Memphis Grizzlies in a game that was closer than it had any right to be. Memphis' defense held the Blazers in check, and when Portland attempted a last-ditch comeback with three-pointers, it was ugly.</p>
<h4>Recap:</h4>
<p>The first quarter had all the makings of another blowout. Memphis had no problems against the Blazer defense, easily scoring the first six points. You know you're in trouble when Tony Allen is hitting jumpers. But, surprisingly, the scrappy Blazers kept Memphis close, as Damian Lillard ran the team efficiently. He scored, spread the ball around, and got everyone involved. The Blazers closed to within 2, but couldn't take the lead. And as the halfway point arrived, Blazers Head Coach Terry Stotts made it interesting: He removed Wesley Matthews and JJ Hickson, replacing them with Freeland and Barton. The All-Rookie lineup! Freeland had a few nice moments, but Memphis tightened down the D and took over. They outscored the Blazers by 9 down the stretch to take an 11 point lead.</p>
<p>Into the second, more of the same. Memphis continued to score at a high percentage against easy defense, and the Blazers simply tried to keep scoring to stay close. The result was predictable: The Grizz lead reached 18. The Blazers found some bread and butter though: the Hickson pick and roll. Both Maynor and Lillard tried it, leading to easy points for JJ. Matthews added a few step-back three-pointers, which helped cut the Memphis lead down into single digits again. But only for about five seconds. Once Memphis felt threatened, they settled down and went back to their big guys, who scored or assisted on every bucket down the stretch. But Lillard score 4 points late to keep the Blazers within 11 at the half.</p>
<p>The third quarter got off to a shaky start. The Grizzlies double-down on Lillard, and it paid immediate dividends. Lillard coughed up the ball on the first three Blazer possessions (technically almost twice in one possession!). That led to a 15 point Memphis lead, and a Portland timeout. Memphis' lead reached 16, before a little Blazer defense turned the tables. The lead was down to 10 when the Grizz called timeout. It didn't help, as Meyers Leonard found the range, and the lead was down to 7. Stop me if this sounds familiar: Memphis clamped down the defense again. They played the passing lanes, and threw Lillard off his game. At the other end, it was the Zach Randolph show. The former Blazer used his natural advantages over the Portland big men to score repeatedly, or get to the line. Down the stretch, things got testy with Randolph: First he was tussling with Hickson, then Joel Freeland. It worked: Memphis slowed down, and the Blazers stayed within 13 after three.</p>
<p>In the fourth quarter, the prospect of a Blazer comeback was halted by three-pointers: The Blazers couldn't hit them. Luke Babbitt checked in and missed three, including an airball. "Missed three pointer" was the theme of the entire quarter, as Memphis comfortably played their game, never worrying about a serious Blazer comeback.</p>
<h4>Players:</h4>
<p>Damian Lillard's night felt familiar: Pounded by a defensive-minded point guard, but played decently. He had some unfortunate "rookie moments" tonight, as Memphis's penchant for clogging the passing lanes forced Damian into plenty of turnovers. He's starting to look like a guy who will appreciate nice Summer of reflection and practice. He finished with 17 points, 6 assists and 5 turnovers.</p>
<p>JJ Hickson also had a familiar night: Plenty of points at a good shooting percentage, and a team-high in rebounds. JJ's natural position may be power forward, but he would love to have Aldridge back; without him, teams can focus more on Hickson. And in that situation, Hickson struggles to create his own shot. His high shooting percentage is primarily due to his ability to roll off the pick, and the point guards' ability to find him. If Aldridge can work on the pick and roll this Summer, he could see some more of those high-percentage shots this fall. JJ just missed another double-double, with 17 points (8-12 shooting) and 9 rebounds.</p>
<p>Wesley Matthews tried to do more in Batum's absence, but ended up doing less in the process. Wesley assuredly misses LaMarcus too, as he increasingly needed to try to break down the defense himself, instead of waiting for the open shot. Unfortunately, that's not his specialty, and it showed. He scored 12 points on 5-16 from the field.</p>
<p>Meyers Leonard had his moments tonight, including a nice hook shot and a few jumpers. He also did work on the boards, on the rare possessions where Memphis missed a shot. Considering how Meyers has looked at times this season, this felt like a solid evening with 10 points and 7 rebounds.</p>
<p>Victor Claver started for Batum, and had a quiet night. So he replaced Batum pretty effectively. As the season winds down, he'll get plenty of minutes, though. He'll get time to learn about NBA defenses. Tonight, he had 7 points and 2 rebounds.</p>
<p>Eric Maynor's 10 assists were handy, helped by Memphis' defensive focus on Lillard. He kept the ship steady when the game could have spiraled out of control early.</p>
<p>Joel Freeland was surprisingly physical, and had a few nice moves on offense. His 7 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals weren't a difference-maker (obviously), but he looks like a player who could benefit from increased minutes down the stretch. Things for him to work on this Summer: Cardio. He was pretty winded in 17 minutes.</p>
<p>Do not ask about Luke Babbitt, Nolan Smith, or Will Barton in the postgame comments. Not unless you want to hear the truth.</p>
<h4>Key Stats:</h4>
<p>Blazers shooting percentage inside the arc: 57% (29-51)</p>
<p>Blazers shooting percentage <b>outside</b> the arc: 14% (4-29)</p>
<p>Despite the role of the Memphis big-men, the Blazers actually outscored Memphis in the paint, 44-38. This stat would look different if it included free throws from fouls in the paint.</p>
<p>Memphis hit one more field goal overall (off 13 less attempts), and the same number of three-pointers. So why was this a blowout? Free throws. Memphis shot 28 (making 22) to Portland's 10 (6 made). No referee chicanery here today! The free throws were deserved.</p>
<h4>Final Words:</h4>
<p>The biggest takeaway from this game? We don't have to see Memphis again this season. Finally.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://blazersedge.urbanishment.com/gameform.php">Jersey Contest</a> | Our sister blog <a target="_blank" href="http://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Grizzly Bear Blues</a></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400278840">Box score</a> | <a target="_blank" href="http://www.tiqiq.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers-tickets?pubid=1011040">Portland Trail Blazers tickets</a> via TiqIQ | <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/blazers/schedule/">Blazers Schedule</a></p>
<p>Stay tuned for more analysis from Blazer’s Edge later tonight. In the meantime, check out the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.blazersedge.com/#schedule_tab">upcoming Blazers schedule</a>. -- Tim</p>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2013/4/3/4181304/final-grizzlies-blazersTimmay!2013-04-03T18:00:07-07:002013-04-03T18:00:07-07:00CHAT: The Grind Continues Against the Grizz!
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<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Starting three rookies against a Conference Finals contender? Piece of cake.</p> <p>Welcome to the Gameday Open Thread at Blazer’s Edge! This is a place to hang out and enjoy tonight’s festivities with your fellow fans. Treat it as if you’re watching a game at the local watering hole, but hopefully without the language. Like any passionate fan base watching a game, expect some disagreements, and a fair amount of changing emotions. But with some fun and some mutual respect, we'll get through it together.</p>
<p>[<b>NOTE:</b> In case you're arriving late, <b>LaMarcus Aldridge</b> is still injured, and <b>Nicolas Batum</b> injured his shoulder against the Jazz. Neither will play tonight, and Batum may be shut down. The Blazers will play a three-rookie starting lineup: <b>Lillard, Matthews, Claver, Hickson, Leonard.</b>]</p>
<p>Details for tonight’s game:</p>
<p><b>Tip-off: 7:10pm</b></p>
<p><u>How to watch</u><br> Portland: <b>Comcast Sportsnet Northwest, </b>or <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/blazers/stream-games-live">Blazers streaming</a> if CSN is unavailable to you.<br> National: <b>NBA TV.</b> There is no League Pass coverage tonight!</p>
<p><u>How to listen</u><br> Portland: <b>KEX </b>(1190 AM and 102.3 FM; 1190kex.com does not air the game)<b><br></b>National: <a href="http://www.nba.com/broadband/alp_schedule.html" target="_blank">NBA Audio League Pass</a><a href="http://www.nba.com/broadband/alp_schedule.html" target="_blank"> </a></p>
<p>The usual rules apply:</p>
<p>1. Please don't discuss non-sanctioned game streaming<br> 2. No swearing, pictures, or spoiler tags please.<br> 3. Please be cool to each other and don't be "that guy"!</p>
<p>Hang out and enjoy the game! -- Tim (blazer.timmay@gmail.com)</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.tiqiq.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers-tickets?pubid=1011040">Portland Trail Blazers tickets</a><br><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012-coverage" target="_blank">View complete season game coverage</a><br><a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/gameday-threads-2" target="_blank">View previous Gameday Threads<br></a></p>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2013/4/3/4180302/gameday-thread-grizzlies-vs-blazersTimmay!2013-04-02T20:54:19-07:002013-04-02T20:54:19-07:00No Aldridge, Batum As Blazers Wrestle Grizzlies
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<p>The Blazers face a daunting Memphis defense, two big players who can score, and a point guard on a blistering hot streak. Sound familiar? Tune in to see if the team can solve this puzzle any better than they did against Utah, or Golden State, or Utah again...</p> <p><b><u>Injury Updates (Wednesday)</u></b>: Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts told reporters that LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) and Nicolas Batum (shoulder) will not play against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Rose Garden on Wednesday night. Meyers Leonard and Victor Claver will start in their place.</p>
<p>Info via <b>Candace Buckner</b> of <b>The Columbian</b> <a href="http://twitter.com/blazerbanter/statuses/319511134224916480" target="_blank">on Twitter here</a> and <b>Joe Freeman</b> of <b>The Oregonian</b> <a href="http://twitter.com/BlazerFreeman/statuses/319511572131229696" target="_blank">on Twitter here</a>. More details on Batum <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/4/3/4179646/reports-blazers-to-shut-down-f-nicolas-batum-over-shoulder-injury" target="_blank">here</a>. -- Ben</p>
<p><b><u>Original Post</u></b>:</p>
<p>Have I mentioned that the Portland Trail Blazers' season-ending schedule pits the guys in red and black against a few playoff teams? And by "a few" I mean "every playoff team imaginable in the conference". The latest entry in the Parade of Pain: the 50-24 Memphis Grizzlies, facing Portland in a 7:00 game televised locally on CSNNW and nationally on NBA TV.</p>
<p>The Blazers met the Grizzlies within the last month, suffering twin losses at the hands of the returning Zach Randolph and a suffocating Memphis defense. That game came near the end of a 14-1 winning streak for the Grizz. They've fallen on slightly harder times since, running 6-5 in their last 11. But they've beaten some hefty teams in that stretch: San Antonio, Boston, Oklahoma City. Randolph's production has been spotty since he came back but Mike Conley and Marc Gasol have played masterfully against all comers, stamping themselves as the scariest duo in the league you'll never mention. Over the last five games Conley has averaged 21 points, 6 assists, 2 steals, 51% shooting, and 43% shooting from the arc. Gasol's 18 points on 58% shooting provided counterpoint. And despite losing 5 of their last 11 they allowed only 1 opponent to reach 100 in that span (and managed to win that game anyway).</p>
<p>That defense remains unchanged from the earlier previews. The Grizzlies don't give up points in the paint. They hold opponents to a reasonable percentage from the field. They don't give up free throws. They don't allow offensive rebounds. They force plenty of turnovers If you want to beat them you have to fast break or hit threes. Those are the only areas in which their defense is comparatively weak. And even then they're not horrible, just comparatively average.</p>
<p>Their offense depends on paint points with opportunistic jumpers salted in, followed by a league-leading percentage of offensive rebounds. Both Gasol and Randolph can face up. They can score off of screens. It's just a nightmare to stop them and then recover to the wings. Even with Conley on a hot streak none of Memphis' perimeter guys are really reliable, but somebody seems to get on a hot streak most every night. Outside of the board work the Grizzlies' offense pales in comparison to their defense, but that "D" is so good that it barely matters.</p>
<p>More to the point, the Grizzlies present a conundrum that the Blazers have yet to solve. LaMarcus Aldridge is officially listed as "day to day" but there are no indications yet that he'll return for this game. Meyers Leonard and J.J. Hickson have been trying hard but they've gotten plastered in the paint and brutalized on the boards since Aldridge went down. Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap had a comically easy time against the Blazers, as did Andrew Bogut, David Lee, and Carl Landry in Oakland. Now it's Gasol and Randolph. Throw in the stellar performance of every point guard who's faced the Blazers in the last week plus Conley's roll and you start to see the handwriting on the wall. It spells O-U-C-H. Portland's worst defenders match up against the best Memphis scorers. Portland's best defenders match up against the guys who don't matter as much...not that the Blazer wings have played 48 minutes of hard defense in the last few games anyway. The Blazers will have to recommit, emerging from their "Summer is only a few games away" rut, to even have a chance tonight. Portland has enough three-point firepower to give the Grizzlies fits. They'll need to control the boards and run whenever possible to keep the defense off balance. Maybe home energy and disgust with getting embarrassed nightly can turn the tide. If not, this could be one of the ugliest games of the season.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">GrizzlyBearBlues</a> will handicap this game from the other side.</p>
<p>Your<a target="_blank" href="http://blazersedge.urbanishment.com/gameform.php"> Jersey Contest Form </a>for this game.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.tiqiq.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers-tickets?pubid=1011040" target="_blank">Portland Trail Blazers tickets</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">--Dave (blazersub@gmail.com)</p>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2013/4/2/4177222/portland-trail-blazers-vs-memphis-grizzlies-2012-2013Dave Deckard