SWISH | Retired.

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Re: SWISH | crabbe traded for lobster

Postby Lamrock on Mon Feb 27, 2017 5:26 am

Yeah, it felt like a cheesy way to get to contender status, but given the diminishing value of good starting centers, the package Utah got wasn't bad at all. Honestly, the Meyers Leonard trade I made was probably worse.

One last off-season article to go (power rankings / each team's starting 5), then it's on to the season.
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Re: SWISH

Postby Lamrock on Wed Mar 01, 2017 12:51 pm

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Pre-Season Headlines

The off-season was a wacky one, with guys like Kevin Durant, Paul Millsap and Dougie McBuckets changing area codes. Here were some of the headlines!

- Terry Stotts has high hopes for season after "very good" training camp
- Cavaliers, Clippers emerge as betting odds favorites for 2018 championship
- Blazers' starting five: Lillard, McCollum, Aminu, Giles, Gobert
- Bruno Caboclo now just one year away…
- Curry on Durant's departure: "Fuck KD"
- Lance Stephenson to start at point guard for Kings
- Austin Rivers on Clippers' big 4: "it's really a big 5… don't leave DeAndre out like that"
- Thibodeau on Timberwolves: "we're spooky"
- Kerr on Warriors' offseason: "I need a drink"


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2017-18 PRE-SEASON POWER RANKINGS

You look at these power rankings, and start to get the sense that the Cavs, Clippers and Blazers are the only real title contenders. Gotta love parity! At the risk of losing my job, I won't say any more. Here's the power rankings!

1. Cleveland (last season: 60-22, NBA Champs) | Starters: K Irving, I Shumpert, L James, K Love, T Thompson
They're the two-time defending champs, and they have essentially kept last year's team together. The odds-on title favorites until further notice.
2. Los Angeles Clippers (last season: 40-42, missed playoffs) | Starters: C Paul, A Rivers, K Durant, B Griffin, D Jordan
The Clippers have no bench, missed the playoffs last year, and have never made it to the conference finals in their franchise's long history. However, the addition of Kevin Durant gives them a big four (!) comparable to last year's Warriors.
3. Portland (last season: 53-29, lost in WCF) | Starters: D Lillard, C McCollum, A Aminu, H Giles, R Gobert
Portland may not have added Kevin Durant, but they had a tremendous off-season nonetheless, improving their defense considerably. How their #1 rated offense will respond to a larger starting lineup is a question mark.
4. San Antonio (last season: 46-36, lost in round 2) | Starters: T Parker, T Allen, K Leonard, L Aldridge, P Gasol
Tony Allen seems like just the kind of player the Spurs would add. The age and lack of shooting in that back court is a major concern for San Antonio, but they still have a superstar in Kawhi, a great bench, and the GOAT coach in Popovich. Look out.
5. Golden State (last season: 65-17, lost in NBA Finals) | Starters: S Curry, K Thompson, D McDermott, D Green, C Felicio
The Warriors still have Curry, Thompson and Draymond. However, outside of their three stars, this team is looking very shallow. Steve Kerr will have his hands full replacing KD with Doug McDermott.

6. Chicago (last season: 54-28, lost in round 1) | Starters: B Jennings, D Wade, J Butler, N Mirotic, N Noel
Chicago was one of the biggest surprises of last season, winning 54 games to get the 2 seed. However, they were stunned in the first round by New Orleans. It's unclear how replacing Rondo with Jennings will go, but adding Nerlens is a huge coup for the formerly defensively challenged Bulls.
7. Toronto (last season: 52-30, lost in round 1) | Starters: K Lowry, D DeRozan, D Carroll, P Patterson, J Valanciunas
Toronto brings back the same team that lost in the first round last year. They're still a solid bet to win 50 games, but it's hard to imagine them seriously contending without making some moves.
8. Houston (last season: 46-36, lost in round 1) | Starters: P Beverley, J Harden, T Ariza, R Anderson, C Capela
The Rockets are back at it again, hoping James Harden plays at an MVP level and Capela improves into an elite defensive Center.
9. Memphis (last season: 51-31, lost in round 1) | Starters: M Conley, W Baldwin, C Parsons, M Beasley, M Gasol
Every year, some predict the demise of the aging Grizzlies, and this one is no exception. Losing Zach Randolph and Tony Allen is a big hit to the identity this team crafted early in the decade, but they still have Conley, Marc and some nice role players.
10. Minnesota (last season: 41-41, lost in round 1) | Starters: K Dunn, Z LaVine, A Wiggins, G Dieng, K Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns is a beast, but we already knew that. It'll be the improvement of Andrew Wiggins and Kris Dunn that decides whether this Wolves team can become the future contender many expect them to.

11. New Orleans (last season: 40-42, lost in ECF) | Starters: J Holiday, J Clarkson, Q Pondexter, A Davis, T Chandler
Perhaps this team would be ranked higher, coming off a surprise conference finals appearance, while adding Jordan Clarkson and Tyson Chandler. However, this team is very shallow, which is a huge problem considering the fragility of their two best players, Davis and Holiday.
12. Detroit (last season: 48-34, lost in round 2) | Starters: R Jackson, K Caldwell-Pope, J Green, T Harris, A Drummond
The Pistons had a very nice season last year, but one must wonder whether they reached their ceiling as a team last year.
13. Philadelphia (last season: 41-41, lost in round 2) | Starters: D Fox, W Matthews, B Simmons, D Saric, J Okafor
Trust the process! The Sixers are ahead of schedule after not only making the playoffs, but somehow sneaking into the second round. This team looks incredibly promising - the question is, who will start at the 5? Embiid or Okafor?
14. Milwaukee (last season: 33-49, missed playoffs) | Starters: M Fultz, K Middleton, G Antetokounmpo, J Parker, G Monroe
People are sleeping on the Bucks, but they got the steal of the draft in Markelle Fultz, a guy many expected to go first overall. Boasting three potential all-stars and some nice role players, the Bucks might make some noise sooner than you think.
15. Los Angeles Lakers (last season: 37-45, missed playoffs) | Starters: D Russell, V Oladipo, B Ingram, J Randle, T Mozgov
Brandon Ingram had a terrific rookie season (in this universe) and won Summer League MVP. After being in the playoff race up until the last couple weeks, and adding Victor Oladipo, the Lake Show might make their triumphant return to the post-season.
16. Oklahoma City (last season: 58-24, lost in round 2) | Starters: R Westbrook, T Wroten, A Roberson, E Kanter, S Adams
Looking back, it's a mystery how this team managed to win 58 games last season. Truly a testament to Westbrook's greatness. However, things will be even harder this year with starters Victor Oladipo and Ersan Ilyasova leaving town.

17. Indiana (last season: 38-44, missed playoffs) | Starters: R Sessions, M Ellis, P George, C Bosh, M Turner
That front court is sick! Possibly the best in the East if Bosh can stay healthy. However, that back court is hot garbage, as is their bench. Borderline playoff team once again. Let the Paul George 2018 speculation begin.
18. Denver (last season: 34-48, missed playoffs) | Starters: E Mudiay, G Harris, D Gallinari, N Jokic, D Howard
Adding Dwight Howard is a bizarre move for a young team midway through a rebuild. Their rebounding will be elite, but their spacing will be dreadful.
19. Phoenix (last season: 31-51, missed playoffs) | Starters: E Bledsoe, A Bradley, D Booker, J Crowder, D Bender
Phoenix added veteran two-way players Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder to aggressively push the smallball agenda. Maybe it'll work, maybe they'll be trash. Either way, I'm intrigued.
20. Utah (last season: 40-42, missed playoffs) | Starters: R Rondo, R Hood, G Hayward, M Teletovic, D Favors
After a trying off-season, the Jazz did some serious retooling, trading Gobert away and adding Rondo. I don't know what they're doing, but keeping first-time all-star Hayward is a major coup for a team trying to return to the post-season... eventually.
21. Washington (last season: 35-47, missed playoffs) | Starters: T Evans, B Beal, O Porter, M Morris, M Gortat
John Wall is expected to miss at least half the season recovering from last season's ACL tear. Tyreke Evans may be a borderline competent replacement, but the Wiz may want to consider moving veterans such as Marcin Gortat, and punt this season.
22. Kansas City (last season: 41-41, lost in round 1) | Starters: S Livingston, N Powell, R Gay, A Johnson, I Mahinmi
The expansion Knights drafted a veteran team, and through hard-nosed defense and sheer cussedness, made the post-season in their inaugural season. The addition of Rudy Gay should help their offense, but a team with so little talent is expected to come back down to Earth this season.
23. Dallas (last season: 24-58, missed playoffs) | Starters: L Ball, N Batum, A Iguodala, P Millsap, Nene
Through a bizarre off-season strategy of wheeling and dealing, the Mavs came into the off-season with the first overall pick, and left with Lonzo Ball and a veteran team hoping to sneak into the playoffs. Ball is a major steal, and perhaps Cuban is hoping he can be like fellow Dallas sports star Dak Prescott and lead his team to glory.
24. Orlando (last season: 35-47, missed playoffs) | Starters: F Ntilikina, E Fournier, A Gordon, B Biyombo, N Vucevic
Orlando still has an NBA team?

25. Boston (last season: 39-43, lost in round 1) | Starters: I Thomas, J Brown, J Tatum, K Olynyk, A Horford
An extremely disappointing season saw the Celtics opt to bolster their war chest rather than cash it in. A smart move, as this team is loaded with young talent, while still led by veteran stars Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford. They'll probably be bad this year though.
26. New York (last season: 37-45, missed playoffs) | Starters: D Rose, J Smith, C Anthony, K Porzingis, J Noah
The league's other super-team gave Rose a near-max contract, and brought back two-time NBA champion and former Sixth Man of the Year Earl "J.R." Smith. Unfortunately, Kristaps is the only starter on the right side of thirty.
27. Sacramento (last season: 40-42, missed playoffs) | Starters: L Stephenson, A Afflalo, J Ingles, S Labissiere, D Cousins
Well, they still have Cousins. And Joe Ingles is a nice pick-up. However, Lance Stephenson is their freaking Point Guard! Sacramento is, was, and will always be a dumpster fire. 2002 feels like a century ago.
28. Miami (last season: 24-58, missed playoffs) | Starters: G Dragic, J Richardson, J Winslow, T Jones, H Whiteside
This starting five doesn't look too bad on paper, and they have #3 overall pick Josh Jackson coming off the bench. However, they were godawful last year, and don't appear to be in a hurry to start winning games any time soon.
29. Seattle (last season: 40-42, missed playoffs) | Starters: T Satoransky, J Redick, S Muhammad, J Leuer, M Plumlee
This roster is trash. How did they win 40 games last year?
30. Charlotte (last season: 22-60, missed playoffs) | Starters: K Walker, D Smith, M Kidd-Gilchrist, J Sullinger, T Zeller
They're playing Dennis Smith at the two, but to balance that out, they have Sullinger at the four. Not good.
31. Brooklyn (last season: 24-58, missed playoffs) | Starters: P Mills, J Lamb, H Barnes, K Humphries, B Lopez
When your team is trash, and won't have any first rounders until 2037, building around Harrison Barnes is just what you do.
32. Atlanta (last season: 45-37, lost in round 1) | Starters: J Teague, F Jackson, K Bazemore, S Novak, M Muscala
This might be the worst roster in NBA history.

2017-18 PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERs OPENING NIGHT ROSTER

This is Portland's opening night roster. Can't believe Giles is starting.

PG - Damian Lillard
SG - CJ McCollum
SF - Al-Farouq Aminu
PF - Harry Giles
C - Rudy Gobert
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G/F - Evan Turner
F - Zach Randolph
F/G - Jonathan Simmons
F/C - Noah Vonleh
C - JaVale McGee
G - Shabazz Napier
G - Grayson Allen
C - Thomas Bryant
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G - Ian Clark
F/G - Pat Connaughton
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Re: SWISH | pre-season headlines, power rankings and blazers lineup

Postby Valor on Wed Mar 01, 2017 5:54 pm

Wow, even with the picks it feels like an absolute steal for you, well done on getting Gobert he's a beast (Y) (Y)
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Re: SWISH

Postby Phil89 on Sat Mar 04, 2017 12:11 am

Lamrock wrote:- Lance Stephenson to start at point guard for Kings

And the winner of the "sum up a franchise in one sentence" competition is.. :lol:

Nice season preview. Hopefully Gobert can really put you guys into championship contention.
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Re: SWISH | pre-season headlines, power rankings and blazers lineup

Postby I Hate Mondays on Sat Mar 04, 2017 1:08 am

The moment KD got injured, this storyline showed up in my head. The injury didn't happen at the same part of the season, but damn. That was some coincidence
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Re: SWISH | pre-season headlines, power rankings and blazers lineup

Postby Murat on Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:27 pm

Wow, I enjoyed reading your season preview

I'm looking forward
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Re: SWISH | pre-season headlines, power rankings and blazers lineup

Postby Lamrock on Mon Mar 06, 2017 12:49 pm

Valor, Hell yeah. I love Gobert, he's a beast. He was a beast today IRL.

Phil89, Seriously. They're my match-up in the season opener. Even though they still have Boogie, it should be no problem, right?

I Hate Mondays, Yeah, it'll be really weird if he joins the Clippers this summer. :P

Murat, Always look forward. Never backward.
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Re: SWISH | pre-season headlines, power rankings and blazers lineup

Postby Lamrock on Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:04 pm

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Boogie was a beast tonight. Hard to imagine they'd ever trade him...

Kings Stun Blazers In Thrilling Season Opener
Sacramento 126, Portland 121

In the first half, it appeared that the Trail Blazers' offseason additions had already paid off, as they held the Kings to just 40 points, opening up a double digit lead. Unfortunately for them, Sacramento came out of the break on fire, and that combined with Damian Lillard and Rudy Gobert fouling out, led to the Kings upsetting them in OT.

After dominating the first half, Portland imploded in the third quarter, turning the ball over repeatedly while the Kings scored at will. The McCollum-Gobert pick-and-roll kept them in it with Lillard on the bench due to foul trouble. Unfortunately, Lillard was generally terrible all game, and bricked a pair of ill-advised threes in overtime before fouling out. The Blazers' poor execution on both ends continued to plague them in OT as the Kings walked away with a surprise victory at the Rose Garden to open the season.

The loss can't be pinned on C.J. McCollum however. The fifth year guard scored 41 points, including a midrange jumper to force overtime. However, Portland committed a brutal 21 turnovers in the game, and allowed huge games from DeMarcus Cousins, Skal Labissiere and new Kings starting point guard Lance Stephenson. Despite fouling out, Rudy Gobert had a sensational debut for the Blazers on both ends, while Harry Giles posted a double-double in his NBA debut. Unfortunately, Lillard was just awful. I mean, he was dominated by Lance Stephenson for crying out loud!

Obviously, this is just one game, and no reason for Blazers fans to panic. There's no way Lillard will continue to play this bad, and the play of McCollum and Gobert were seriously encouraging. However, Zach Randolph did seem to be a poor fit with his inability to shoot or defend, He had 4 points and 4 rebounds off the bench, and had a team-worst -17 net rating on the game.

Portland will try to bounce back in their next game, a nationally televised game against… ugh… the Golden State Warriors.

Lance Stephenson: 22 points, 14 assists, 5 steals (Player of the Game)
DeMarcus Cousins: 30 points, 12 rebounds, 4 steals
Skal Labissiere: 16 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 7-8 FG

C.J. McCollum: 41 points, 6 assists, 12-23 FG
Rudy Gobert: 19 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 8-8 FG, 6 fouls
Damian Lillard: 20 points, 9 assists, 7 turnovers, 6 fouls, 8-22 FG

RECORD: 0-1


Blazers' New Uniforms Getting Roasted On Social Media

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What were they thinking?

The Trail Blazers took two L's in their season opener, not only losing to one of the NBA's worst teams at home, but also in debuting their new jerseys. The new jerseys, which had undergone several alterations after leaked designs were panned, were torched on social media. The main criticisms were the goofy number font, and the grey text overlapping the stripes. It's safe to say that the jersey sales charts won't be topped by any Trail Blazers...

How bad was it? Well, even the president had something to say about the new threads:

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Indeed, it has been reported that the Blazers are already looking into new jersey designs for next season. On the bright side, fans were more receptive to the arena being once again known as the Rose Garden, which was previously its name from 1995 to 2013.
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Re: SWISH | season opener vs. sac + everyone loves the new jerseys

Postby Lamrock on Sun Mar 12, 2017 4:33 am

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Lillard >>> Curry

Lillard, Blazers Bounce Back In Win Over Warriors
Portland 116, Golden State 106

A nationally televised home game against the Warriors, the team that knocked them out in each of the last two post-seasons, was just what Portland needed to get the poor taste out of their mouths from the Kings game. Thanks to a sensational 43 point performance from Lillard, the Trail Blazers led wire-to-wire in a dominant performance against their rivals.

Replacing Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and Zaza Pachulia with Doug McDermott, 40 year old Vince Carter and Cristiano Felicio has made the Warriors look a lot more beatable, believe it or not. While Curry and Thompson combined for 64 points, the rest of the Warriors team could do little to keep up with the Blazers' high powered offense. Lillard was on fire in the first half, while Evan Turner and Zach Randolph made key contributions off the bench. McCollum continued his all-star bid with 22 points. Portland led by 16 at intermission, and always seemed to have an answer for the Warriors' runs.

When a Lillard triple gave the Blazers a 17 point lead with 4 minutes to go, Terry Stotts decided to give his bench some run. However, Steve Kerr kept his best players in, and the Portland reserves didn't make themselves any fans, as they saw that lead quickly deplete to eight points. Stotts subbed a couple starters back in, and Lillard drilled the dagger three to put them away for good.

With Lillard playing well and the turnover problem less prevalent, Portland looked pretty dominant. However, matches against the Clippers and Spurs will help paint the picture of the Western Conference this season.

Lillard: 43 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 13-25 FG, 6-13 3pt, 11-12 FT (PotG)
McCollum: 22 points, 8 assists
Turner: 15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists

Curry: 34 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists
Thompson: 30 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists

RECORD: 1-1

Following a home blowout loss to the Grizzlies, the Blazers have caught fire, winning five straight, with three of those wins coming against division rivals. C.J. McCollum and Al-Farouq Aminu have been struggling with their shot, but they have been getting it done due to the team's much improved defense, as well as Damian Lillard's continued excellence.

L Vs. MEM 93-120 - RECORD: 1-2
W @ UTA 102-90 - RECORD: 2-2
W vs. UTA 91-86 - RECORD: 3-2
W @ KC 111-104 - RECORD: 4-2
W @ MIN 110-90 - RECORD: 5-2
W Vs. OKC 98-93 - RECORD: 6-2


Headlines

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Westbrook Out 4-6 Months With Broken Leg
Fire up the tank, boys
Blazers Ride Five Game Winning Streak Heading Into Cavs Matchup
3-0 on the road
New-Look Warriors Off To 3-4 Start
Curry going off tho
Spurs Undefeated Through Six Games
I mean, they are the Spurs after all…
Rookies Fultz, Dennis Smith, Josh Jackson Lead Their Teams In Scoring
What a draft class!
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Re: [6-2] SWISH | sexy new jerseys + vs. golden state + westbrook hurt

Postby Lamrock on Fri Mar 17, 2017 4:46 am

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Zach Randolph is 6'9", and he literally can't dunk...

Blazers Streak Hits 6 With Win In Cleveland
Portland 117, Cleveland 109

On a nationally televised game, the Portland Trail Blazers showed the TNT viewers that they are a legit threat this season, upsetting the champs in Cleveland. What's most notable about the win isn't the win itself, but how they did it. Last season's team won 53 games and made the conference finals thanks to a high-powered offense with sweet long-range shooting. However, with McCollum in a slump, and the team shooting just 7-25 from beyond the arc tonight, it was their dominance on the boards, a major weakness last season, that gave them the win.

Things were close in the first half. While Irving struggled with his shot, LeBron and Kevin Love went to work, leading the Cavs to an eight point lead at the half. In the third period, a run led by the Blazers' second unit + McCollum turned things around. Zach Randolph, who has started to find his role on the team, was a major catalyst, crashing the boards and getting to the line. Sixth man Evan turner also did a little bit of everything, ultimately finishing the game a team-high +18.

The fourth quarter was back-and-forth. Despite truly horrifying shooting stats, Kyrie Irving was a force to be reckoned with in the fourth, hitting and missing some crazy circus shots. Damian Lillard matched him by getting to the line at will, and throwing down some savage dunks. However, it was rookie Harry Giles who made the difference down the stretch, with a couple clutch blocks, as well as a life-ending poster on Tristan Thompson. Blazers end up taking it 117-109, after a high-scoring final period.

With the win, the Blazers have won six straight to improve to 7-2 overall. They remain undefeated on the road, and are second in the West behind the Spurs. Cleveland meanwhile falls to 5-3.

Damian Lillard: 29 points, 5 assists
C.J. McCollum: 24 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
Evan Turner: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, +18

Kyrie Irving: 27 points, 6 assists, 3 steals, 10-30 FG
LeBron James: 26 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds

RECORD: 7-2
Last edited by Lamrock on Thu Mar 23, 2017 4:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [7-2] SWISH | winning streak!

Postby Phil89 on Mon Mar 20, 2017 4:32 pm

That's a pretty great start to the season. How is Gobert fitting in so far?

Poor Westbrook :cry: I guess it's time for Kyle Singler to step up and be the hero that OKC needs him to be.
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Re: [7-2] SWISH | winning streak!

Postby Lamrock on Tue Mar 21, 2017 1:06 am

Yeah, this team is really good. Gobert has been a good fit. He's not putting up gaudy stats (10/10/2 blocks), but his rim protection is a game changer on defense. Giles has been excellent as well.

Injuries are out of control in this game. Both Russ and John Wall are out for pretty much the whole season. :(
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Re: [7-2] SWISH | winning streak!

Postby Lamrock on Wed Mar 22, 2017 12:24 pm

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R.I.P. Yi

Results

W @ DEN 110-94 - RECORD: 8-2
W Vs. CHA 107-105 - RECORD: 9-2
W @ MIA 104-96 - RECORD: 10-2

Portland's win streak hits nine games with a trio of victories. Dwight and the Nuggets were no problem, but the Charlotte Hornets were no pushover. The win streak and undefeated road record was kept intact with a comeback win in Miami, in which Lillard scored 17 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter.


San Antonio @ Portland
On ESPN


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Lillard Carries Blazers to 10th Straight Win
Portland 119, San Antonio 112

In a game that was close from start to finish, the home team Portland prevailed for their tenth straight victory. Damian Lillard was a beast in the win, posting 35 points and 11 assists, while making 7 of his 10 three point attempts. Evan Turner, Harry Giles and Rudy Gobert also had solid performances. Kawhi had 33 and 11 for the Spurs, who fall to second place in the Western Conference standings behind, you guessed it, the Portland Trail Blazers.

Lillard: 35 points, 11 assists, 13-20 FG, 7-10 3pt; Turner: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 8-13 FG
Leonard: 33 points, 11 rebounds; Gasol: 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists

RECORD: 11-2

Results

Portland saw its win streak snapped at 12 games with a loss in Detroit. To make matters worse, Zach Randolph pulled his calf muscle in that game and will be missing 6-8 weeks. Still, the team finishes November with a 14-3 record, good for #1 in the league.

W @ HOU 100-89 - RECORD: 12-2
W @ TOR 110-100 - RECORD: 13-2
L @ DET 94-85 - RECORD: 13-3
W @ MIN 118-111 - RECORD: 14-3
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Re: [14-3] SWISH | blazers keep rolling

Postby Lamrock on Thu Mar 23, 2017 4:25 am

NOVEMBER RECAP

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Portland is the best team in the NBA! After a 14-3 March, the Trail Blazers hold the league's best record, and they're doing it with dominant play on both ends. Damian Lillard is the early favorite for the MVP award, while Harry Giles is enjoying a tremendous start to his career (please stay healthy). Also, Rudy Gobert is providing the rebounding and rim protection that has eluded this team since letting Robin Lopez walk. The Blazers' dominant run includes a 12 game winning streak in which they knocked off some excellent teams, including San Antonio and Cleveland.

Things aren't all rosy in the Rose Garden. People still hate the new jerseys. Zach Randolph suffered a pulled calf muscle just as he started to hit his stride, and will miss a few weeks. Also, C.J. McCollum has struggled mightily with his shot, making less than 40% from the field and 30% from three. Al-Farouq Aminu's shooting has been even worse!

Still, a 67 win pace is nothing to scoff at. Whether they can keep this up remains to be seen, but this Blazers team is looking like a legitimate contender this season.

Headlines

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Rookie of the Year? Try Rookie of the Life

Harry Giles wins West Rookie of the Month
Giles is averaging 13 PPG and 9.8 RPG (leads rookies) for the #1 Blazers

Curry on fire, but Warriors continue to struggle
Two-time MVP averaging 33.7 PPG on 54/48/91

Wolves re-sign Wiggins to 3 year, $68.29M extension
Former #1 overall pick and rookie of the year has been criticized for lack of development

Dennis Smith, Josh Jackson, Markelle Fultz off to hot starts
Nine rookies currently averaging at least 13 PPG

Power Rankings: 1 Portland 2 San Antonio 3 Denver 4 Boston 5 Toronto
Dwight Howard's Nuggets lead the league in net rating at +11.4

STANDINGS

Western Conference (PotM: Stephen Curry | RotM: Harry Giles)

1 Portland 14-3
2 San Antonio 9-5
3 Phoenix 9-6
4 Denver 11-4
5 Houston 10-7
6 LA Clippers 8-7
7 Memphis 7-7
8 Dallas 8-8
LA Lakers 8-9
Golden State 6-8
Seattle 6-10
Minnesota 6-10
Sacramento 6-10
Oklahoma City 5-10
Utah 4-9
Kansas City 5-12

Eastern Conference (PotM: LeBron James | RotM: Dennis Smith)

1 Detroit 11-6
2 Toronto 10-6
3 New Orleans 9-6
4 Cleveland 10-6
5 Boston 10-6
6 Philadelphia 8-5
7 Brooklyn 10-7
8 Indiana 8-6
Chicago 8-7
Milwaukee 8-7
Charlotte 6-8
Miami 6-9
Orlando 6-9
Atlanta 5-9
New York 4-10
Washington 4-13

*Note: The league has shifted back to the 2004-2006 system of awarding division winners top three seeds. Some league execs reportedly regret it already.


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Re: [14-3] SWISH | november recap! are the blazers #1?

Postby Phil89 on Fri Mar 24, 2017 11:02 am

That's a brilliant start to the season.

Weird to see the Warriors hovering around the 8th seed. Hopefully they keep on sucking, so you can avoid them in the first round of the playoffs.
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Re: [14-3] SWISH | november recap! are the blazers #1?

Postby Valor on Sat Mar 25, 2017 6:27 pm

Yeah, (again) im not the biggest fan of your jerseys.

Then again, you're winning so much might as well keep them :lol:
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Re: [14-3] SWISH | november recap! are the blazers #1?

Postby Lamrock on Mon Mar 27, 2017 3:07 pm

The Blazers have started a new winning streak. Portland has now won four straight, defeating the Westbrook-less Thunder, the Orlando Magic, and best of all a blowout win in Oakland.

W Vs. OKC 100-91 - RECORD: 15-3
W @ ORL 111-104 - RECORD: 16-3
@ @ GS 120-101 - RECORD: 17-3


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Blazers Overcome Poor Shooting Night To Beat Rockets
Portland 103, Houston 96

The Portland Trail Blazers are the best team in the NBA. Courtesy of a season-high 48 free throw attempts, the Blazers were able to beat the Rockets despite shooting just 35% from the field.

A nationally televised rematch of their first-round series last season, Portland had already taken the first game of the season series a couple weeks prior, and the 10-8 Rockets came in seeking an upset win. The first half was close throughout - C.J. McCollum's shooting woes have continued, while Ryan Anderson looked like Dirk out there. However, James Harden committed his 3rd and 4th fouls early in the second quarter, and his availability was limited until the fourth.

Portland led by 8 at the half, and while they couldn't quite shake the Rockets, they always seemed to have an answer when Houston pulled within a couple points. Down the stretch, it was Damian Lillard who put it away for the Blazers, drawing Ryan Anderson's sixth foul, hitting a pair of clutch threes, and later sinking the game-clinching free throws to deafening "M-V-P!" chants.

The win improves the Blazers to 18-3, tying their best start in franchise history. Unfortunately, this win was bittersweet, as rookie shooting guard Grayson Allen suffered a broken kneecap in the second quarter, and is expected to be sidelined 2-4 months. Allen has averaged 4 points per game in seven appearances.

Damian Lillard: 28 points, 7 assists
C.J. McCollum: 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3-13 FG, 7-8 FT
Harry Giles: 13 points, 9 rebounds

Ryan Anderson: 25 points, 11 rebounds, 11-23 FG, 6 fouls
James Harden: 25 points, 6 assist, 4 rebounds, 5 fouls

RECORD: 18-3
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Re: [18-3] SWIISH | portland takes on the rockets + grayson goes down

Postby Lamrock on Fri Mar 31, 2017 6:21 am

Results:

W Vs. KC 125-109 - RECORD: 19-3
W Vs. LAL 123-102 - RECORD: 20-3

Two more blow-out wins for the Blazers, who are the first team to 20 wins. Damian Lillard scored a season high 51 points in the Kansas City win.


Headlines

Damian Lillard wins West Player of the Week
Lillard scored a season-high 51 against KC

Noah Vonleh, Blazers Unable to Agree on Extension
Vonleh, who averages 3.6 PPG, wanted $11+ million per year

Denver Wins 12th Straight, Improves to 17-4
Nuggets drawing comparisons to 2004 Pistons

RotY Race: 1. M. Fultz (MIL) 2. J. Jackson (MIA) 3. H. Giles (POR) 4. D. Smith (CHA) 5. J. Tatum (BOS)
Fultz is averaging 20.3 PPG and 7.5 APG for the 13-11 Bucks

New jerseys could come for Blazers very soon
In a move that I believe is unprecedented, Portland might be changing its default uniforms just seven weeks into the season.

Results:

W @ DAL 100-97 - RECORD: 21-3
L @ SAC 105-101 - RECORD: 21-4

The Kings continue to have the Blazers' number, being responsible for two of their four losses this season, and ending their eight-game winning streak. Things got a bit testy late in the fourth. Is there a rivalry brewing?


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ON ESPN: Nuggets (18-4) @ Trail Blazers (21-4)

Denver, winners of thirteen straight, are the hottest team in the league. In a match-up between the top two teams in the NBA, the Nuggets will take on their division rival, and the last team to hand them a defeat, the Portland Trail Blazers.
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Re: [21-4] SWIISH | headlines + blazers keep winning

Postby Valor on Tue Apr 04, 2017 8:52 am

21-4, damn thats impressive. Reckon you can go on a big win streak and challenge 73-9?
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Re: [21-4] SWIISH | headlines + blazers keep winning

Postby Lamrock on Wed Apr 05, 2017 8:09 am

I could see it. The sim engine loves my team this year, and that Giles/Gobert frontcourt is pretty dominant.
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Re: [21-4] SWIISH | headlines + blazers keep winning

Postby Lamrock on Wed Apr 05, 2017 12:50 pm

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Nice jersey, Dame!

Blazers End Nuggets' Winning Streak In Style
Portland 125, Denver 111

Debuting their brand new jerseys following Trump's executive order banning the other ones, the Trail Blazers ended the Nuggets' thirteen game winning streak in a decisive win.

On national TV, this game between the league's top two teams was as hyped as any December match between two mid-market teams. Early on, it looked like the Nuggets would continue their roll, taking advantage of some turnovers by Damian Lillard and dominating on the boards. However, in the second quarter, everything changed. Lillard and McCollum caught fire from beyond the arc, turning an early 12 point deficit into a 7 point halftime lead.

While Mudiay, Dwight and Faried kept Denver in the game, Nikola Jokic was very ineffective all night. On the other end, the Blazers' backcourt continued to bomb away from three, a very promising sign as McCollum has struggled with his shot at times this year. While the Nuggets never quite went away, Portland's incredible 18/28 performance from beyond the arc was too much to overcome, as the Trail Blazers won it, 125-111.

Lillard and McCollum combined for 78 points, including 15-21 shooting from deep. Denver had six players scoring in double digits, but on this night their defense wasn't nearly strong enough to net them the win. Portland remains the league's top team at 22-4. Denver falls to 18-5, still good for the second best record, but would give them the 4 seed, per the off-season rule change.

The new jerseys were met with far more positive reaction than their predecessors. On social media, people praised how they were "pretty much like their old ones", and "not too far out of the box". They will wear their new road jerseys in Thursday's game in Atlanta.

Damian Lillard: 36 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 13-20 FG, 9-12 3pt
C.J. McCollum: 42 points, 5 assists, 14-25 FG, 6-9 3pt, 8-8 FT
Evan Turner: 14 points, 7 assists

Dwight Howard: 18 points, 11 rebounds
Emmanuel Mudiay: 17 points, 13 assists

RECORD: 22-4

Game Results

After defeating the Denver Nuggets, the Trail Blazers have won five more games. Winners of six in a row, they sit at 27-4, on pace for 72 wins, which would be tied for the second best record in NBA history. With this streak, Portlamd has pulled away from the pack, and has become the betting odds favorite to win the 2018 championship.

W @ ATL 103-91 - RECORD: 23-4
W @ KC 126-75 - RECORD: 24-4
W Vs. OKC 102-95 - RECORD: 25-4
W Vs. ORL 101-96 - RECORD: 26-4
W Vs. MIN 112-102 - RECORD: 27-4
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Re: [27-4] SWIISH | new jerseys! + big game in denver

Postby Valor on Wed Apr 05, 2017 1:37 pm

These jerseys look much better, the words "Blazers" could be a bit wider I reckon, looks squeezed right now.

22-4 now, looking good!
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Re: [21-4] SWIISH | headlines + blazers keep winning

Postby Phil89 on Wed Apr 05, 2017 4:38 pm

Always nice when you can end a team's big win streak.

It looks like your off-season moves have worked out brilliantly so far. Whilst on other hand Utah have imploded after trading Gobert :lol:
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Re: [27-4] SWIISH | new jerseys! + big game in denver

Postby Lamrock on Thu Apr 06, 2017 2:02 am

Valor, Yeah, I'll probably tweak them again next season, but they look good for now. It's too bad you can only edit them once a year in myGM, but that's what I get for using the more restrictive mode. I'm fairly happy with these - my main issue with them is that it's hard to read the players' names on the road jerseys (which look just like the home ones but black), but that seems to be the case with most custom jerseys. Oh well.

Phil89, I always seem to build championship contenders by fleecing the competition. :oops: I honestly feel more guilty about getting Harry Giles for Meyers Leonard.

December recap with standings, player stats and (I think) a 2018 mock draft coming up. I have some recaps back-logged, so I'll probably be on that double posting grind for a while as I try to catch up to where I am in the game.
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Re: [27-4] SWIISH | new jerseys! + big game in denver

Postby Valor on Thu Apr 06, 2017 6:24 am

Lamrock wrote:Valor, Yeah, I'll probably tweak them again next season, but they look good for now. It's too bad you can only edit them once a year in myGM, but that's what I get for using the more restrictive mode. I'm fairly happy with these - my main issue with them is that it's hard to read the players' names on the road jerseys (which look just like the home ones but black), but that seems to be the case with most custom jerseys. Oh well.

Dunno if MyGM is the same as MyLeague but the name on the back part is always "locked" into a certain ratio so you have to unlock that first to stretch the names out to read them properly (if that's the problem you are having).
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