Jabari comes back and drops a 17 & 13 game and is the Blazer’s best player of the night. He’s been very missed. I know he said he could have a long career in the NBA as a role player, but he looks like he could have a long career as a starter.
Piano9717
Here are some of my thoughts on this game. Not gonna lie, these are getting really depressing to write because it’s getting harder and harder to find positives in these games. Lol.
Positives:
* I thought Ant did a better job passing out of the double teams and generating open shots for others tonight, compared to the other day against OKC. We didn’t make any of the open shots, but I thought he did a better job running the offense especially in the first quarter. * Saw some of Badji’s potential and athleticism, although he looked raw. * Really missed Jabari’s hustle and size out there – he did Jabari things and you can always appreciate a player like that.
Negatives:
* This is more of a general statement than a “this game” statement, but we are missing our entire center rotation, so why are we picking up full court and giving up dribble penetration WITH NO RIM PROTECTORS IN THE GAME??? Likewise, why are we sending two guys to crash the offensive glass (and allowing countless 5v3s the other way?) It’s inexcusable, bad fundamentals, and philosophically unsound. Sometimes it feels like we are totally blind to the scouting report defensively (remember the Jazz game where we went OVER every screen on THT and Kris Dunn despite them probably shooting like 10% on pullup jumpers?) * Ant and Grant both with an ice cold shooting night. Not going to win too many games when both of them shoot like this. Yikes. * Minnesota erased Ant from the game with double teams. We have to find a way to punish the double teams – playing Ant together with Scoot and Camara just allows opposing teams to load up on Ant (and Grant) and watch as we brick wide open threes. Scoot needs to go back to the bench where he can actually play with the ball in his hands, and it will make life easier for Ant as well. Have a look at this awful spacing, because Minnesota just doesn’t respect Scoot/Toumani’s outside shots (credit to Marang on twitter for the image). https://imgur.com/a/4RvstEO I’m not excusing Ant for going like 0/10 but we are making life really hard for him by not getting shooters on the floor when he’s being doubled (and Reath isn’t spacing the floor because he’s almost always the one setting the screen and rolling to the rim, so even though he can shoot, he’s the guy in the short roll so he’s not spacing the floor). * Reath with probably the worst game I’ve seen from him on either end of the floor so far this season. Tough matchup for him as an undersized center going up against the biggest team in the league. * Not a fan of switching so aggressively on defense when we don’t have to. We basically spotted KAT and Gobert a ton of free points and rebounds by switching Scoot or Ant onto them and watching as they sealed our guys under the basket. Not good.
RipCity56
Pain
xXboxPlaysx
i just want my free 6pc nuggets guys
kalebglover
That’s a -113 point differential over the last 3
alandwarinasia_
jabari said not my +/-, no sir
lillardametime
Guys, guys, we almost scored 100 points!!! Woulda blown out ourselves from last night by 16
PDXOKJ
Grant: 0 rebounds in 31 minutes. Jabari: 13 rebounds in 32 minutes.
OkStable3333
Ant killing his trade value.
Scalmaa
God please trade jerami
rrcab
Development might not always be obvious, but Jabari’s improvement from last season has been awesome to see. Dude’s got that dawg in him.
kazmir_yeet
I’m tired boss
DankTriangle
Jabari can rebound the mf rock. Dude is the truth on the glass
Sa-Tiva
So…im not an Ant hater….While i may not think he is the guy long term, i recognize he is a very potent scorer and shooter. That being said, a lot of the people who really like Ant had been calling him a star or borderline star. I think this stretch has shown he is 100% not that.
With that in mind… i cant help but think the only way to maximize Ant is to put him in the role where he has the keys to the offense… i didnt love him as a SG next to dame. Im not sure its a winning formula for Ant to have the keys to the offense though(long term). So now im asking myself if Ant is a good keep long term.
This isnt even to say Scoot is the answer long term because anyone who is definitively saying yes to that is crazy. The PG of our future may not even be on the roster right now, which is crazy to say.
brannigansbackbaybay
Excellent developmenting Coach Billups. Much motivating. Very discipline with excellent engagement from team. You has definitely earned another 2 years with such good performance. A+++ stuf
I’m convinced. Been won over by all the compelling arguments in his favor. So, good job select people posting on r/Ripcity for repping your ‘patience’ plan for the last 2.5 years of his tenure. It worked and I see now he’s the best coach for the job. Sorry for being so doubtful that first year when he took a playoff team and made them into a sub-30 win team. It was all a sneaky good plan that morphed into last year, which was equally based and cool as heck. Only made better this year by all the awesome development we are seeing. Go Billups, Go!
soto1653
Get rid of Anfernee
MyNameIsJoe68
Trade all of Brogdon, Ant and Jeremy for a combination of non-guard young players with potential plus 1st round picks. Sharpe is a keeper at SG. Give Scoot this and next year to develop. But if it doesn’t work long term, perhaps one of those picks is the future at PG.
terrordactylz
Great bounce back game tonight to lose by only 23 points
AyKayAllDay47
15 points in the opening quarter, let alone any quarter, is pitiful basketball.
Good work Portland!
MurdocksTorment
I’m not disappointed. I’m just mad.
bigtrackrunner
Vibes were horrible from the start. Half the team looks checked out.
23 Comments
Jabari comes back and drops a 17 & 13 game and is the Blazer’s best player of the night. He’s been very missed. I know he said he could have a long career in the NBA as a role player, but he looks like he could have a long career as a starter.
Here are some of my thoughts on this game. Not gonna lie, these are getting really depressing to write because it’s getting harder and harder to find positives in these games. Lol.
Positives:
* I thought Ant did a better job passing out of the double teams and generating open shots for others tonight, compared to the other day against OKC. We didn’t make any of the open shots, but I thought he did a better job running the offense especially in the first quarter.
* Saw some of Badji’s potential and athleticism, although he looked raw.
* Really missed Jabari’s hustle and size out there – he did Jabari things and you can always appreciate a player like that.
Negatives:
* This is more of a general statement than a “this game” statement, but we are missing our entire center rotation, so why are we picking up full court and giving up dribble penetration WITH NO RIM PROTECTORS IN THE GAME??? Likewise, why are we sending two guys to crash the offensive glass (and allowing countless 5v3s the other way?) It’s inexcusable, bad fundamentals, and philosophically unsound. Sometimes it feels like we are totally blind to the scouting report defensively (remember the Jazz game where we went OVER every screen on THT and Kris Dunn despite them probably shooting like 10% on pullup jumpers?)
* Ant and Grant both with an ice cold shooting night. Not going to win too many games when both of them shoot like this. Yikes.
* Minnesota erased Ant from the game with double teams. We have to find a way to punish the double teams – playing Ant together with Scoot and Camara just allows opposing teams to load up on Ant (and Grant) and watch as we brick wide open threes. Scoot needs to go back to the bench where he can actually play with the ball in his hands, and it will make life easier for Ant as well. Have a look at this awful spacing, because Minnesota just doesn’t respect Scoot/Toumani’s outside shots (credit to Marang on twitter for the image). https://imgur.com/a/4RvstEO I’m not excusing Ant for going like 0/10 but we are making life really hard for him by not getting shooters on the floor when he’s being doubled (and Reath isn’t spacing the floor because he’s almost always the one setting the screen and rolling to the rim, so even though he can shoot, he’s the guy in the short roll so he’s not spacing the floor).
* Reath with probably the worst game I’ve seen from him on either end of the floor so far this season. Tough matchup for him as an undersized center going up against the biggest team in the league.
* Not a fan of switching so aggressively on defense when we don’t have to. We basically spotted KAT and Gobert a ton of free points and rebounds by switching Scoot or Ant onto them and watching as they sealed our guys under the basket. Not good.
Pain
i just want my free 6pc nuggets guys
That’s a -113 point differential over the last 3
jabari said not my +/-, no sir
Guys, guys, we almost scored 100 points!!! Woulda blown out ourselves from last night by 16
Grant: 0 rebounds in 31 minutes.
Jabari: 13 rebounds in 32 minutes.
Ant killing his trade value.
God please trade jerami
Development might not always be obvious, but Jabari’s improvement from last season has been awesome to see. Dude’s got that dawg in him.
I’m tired boss
Jabari can rebound the mf rock. Dude is the truth on the glass
So…im not an Ant hater….While i may not think he is the guy long term, i recognize he is a very potent scorer and shooter. That being said, a lot of the people who really like Ant had been calling him a star or borderline star. I think this stretch has shown he is 100% not that.
With that in mind… i cant help but think the only way to maximize Ant is to put him in the role where he has the keys to the offense… i didnt love him as a SG next to dame. Im not sure its a winning formula for Ant to have the keys to the offense though(long term). So now im asking myself if Ant is a good keep long term.
This isnt even to say Scoot is the answer long term because anyone who is definitively saying yes to that is crazy. The PG of our future may not even be on the roster right now, which is crazy to say.
Excellent developmenting Coach Billups. Much motivating. Very discipline with excellent engagement from team. You has definitely earned another 2 years with such good performance. A+++ stuf
I’m convinced. Been won over by all the compelling arguments in his favor. So, good job select people posting on r/Ripcity for repping your ‘patience’ plan for the last 2.5 years of his tenure. It worked and I see now he’s the best coach for the job. Sorry for being so doubtful that first year when he took a playoff team and made them into a sub-30 win team. It was all a sneaky good plan that morphed into last year, which was equally based and cool as heck. Only made better this year by all the awesome development we are seeing. Go Billups, Go!
Get rid of Anfernee
Trade all of Brogdon, Ant and Jeremy for a combination of non-guard young players with potential plus 1st round picks. Sharpe is a keeper at SG. Give Scoot this and next year to develop. But if it doesn’t work long term, perhaps one of those picks is the future at PG.
Great bounce back game tonight to lose by only 23 points
15 points in the opening quarter, let alone any quarter, is pitiful basketball.
Good work Portland!
I’m not disappointed. I’m just mad.
Vibes were horrible from the start. Half the team looks checked out.
Pathetic 🤣
WTF did we get for trading Dame???