Portland Trail Blazers

[Evil Genius II]

taman kad sam napisao da trebamo odustati od ove sezone oni uvezu dvije pobjede, lamarcus zaigra kroz povredu i opet izdominira. covjek je nezaustavljiv

[Lillard]

Ne svidja mi se to, al yebaji ga...
Kad on moze nek igra...

[Evil Genius II]

realno gledano mi u PO ovako istroseni i polomljeni nemamo sta traziti ali ovom borbenom duhu ne mogu a da ne skinem kapu

[Lillard]

Kako glupo izgubljena utakmica, ne znam bogami do cega je, umor, il' sta vec, al' nisam se nadao porazu nikako.. Makar je sudac mogao svirat ono na Batumu u zadnjim sekundama, taman bi imali vremena za zadnji napad, al' ko ga yebe.

Paul odigrao maestralno, nezaustavljiv kad udje u ritam. Batum ga preuzimao, al svejedno. Iako me raduje njegova forma, dize se iz utakmice u utakmice, pogotovo u napadackoj igri.

Ma samo da uzmu HC i da vise pocne PO..

[Evil Genius II]

tesko da cemo doci do HC-a jer smo upravo izgubili od direktnog konkurenta za to paulu je svaka utakmica protiv portlanda potencijalna utakmica karijere, a i to sto smo ekipa koja precesto prosipa vodstva (jutros prokockali +19) nije pomoglo.

bezveze poraz.

eh da, d-wright je slomio ruku (saka je u pitanju)

[Lillard]

Nek se gone u mp3 ako i on bude igrao povrijedjen, a tako se prica. Jbte LA, Batum, sad jos i on da igra takp... Nea sanse, radije daj sansu nekom drugom.

Sto se PO-a tice, sve ovisi o protivniku. Ako budi Clippersi, vjerujem da mogu proc', ali i to ce bit patnja. Ako Spursi nalete, bojim se da ce bit ko lani.

[Evil Genius II]

mah, cudi me da wesa nisu nekako umotali u gips i zavoje i poslali na parket da suta trice u kljucnim momentima

za PO ne znam. prizeljkivao sam clipperse ali ne znam . . .

[blazer13]

zar nije da pobjednik divizije ima prednost domaceg terena u prvom krugu?

[IlCapitano]

Ne, ima garantovano top 4 mjesto, ali opet HC ima neko sa boljim rekordom.

[Lillard]

[youtube][/youtube]

[Evil Genius II]

eh, da se bogdom igra s lakersima svaku noc

[blazer]

ocekivan poraz veceras, vrlo malo raspolozenih
lillard najbolji, meyers dobar u napadu ocajan u obrani
brook izdominirao robina a freeland katastrofalan
ostalo je odradjivanje posla do kraja i nadanje da ce clippersi ostat ispred spursa

[Evil Genius II]

gledao sam ncaa finale, totalno zaboravio na ovu utakmicu ali s obzirom na cinjenicu da nam nisu igrali lma, kaman i nikola nisam ni ocekivao nista spektakularno. iako bi se dalo diskutovati o tome da li se brooklyn mogao dobiti ili ne i sa ovakom postavom, medjutim, poraz je poraz.

[Evil Genius II]

afflalo se povrijedio ne znam koliko je ozbiljna povreda (danas ide na snimanje) ali lamarcus rece kako AAA nije zabrinut pa nije ni on, tako da se necu ni ja brinuti.

vrijeme je da se crabbe vrati u prvu petorku, a CJ neka ostane kao jedan od glavnih impacta sa klupe. kada smo vec kod njega mora se priznati da pametno koristi svoju minutazu. zanimljivo da je u ovom zadnjem periodu bio dvocifren vise utakmica zaredom nego nikola cijelu sezonu.

[blazer]

[quote="Evil Genius II"]afflalo se povrijedio ne znam koliko je ozbiljna povreda (danas ide na snimanje) ali lamarcus rece kako AAA nije zabrinut pa nije ni on, tako da se necu ni ja brinuti.

afflalo je out 1-2 tjedna, sto znaci da ce vjerojatno bit spreman za pocetak playoffa

[Evil Genius II]

srecom nije ozbiljna povreda ali opet . . .

An absence of 1 week would keep Afflalo out of Portland's final 3 regular-season games. A 2-week absence would also cut out the first 2-3 games of the playoffs.

. . . jos jedan u nizu ovosezonskih pehova.

[Evil Genius II]

gasi fransizu, stavi katanac na moda centar i pusti igrace da idu od ovog prokletstva

[Evil Genius II]

DALLAS - In the Trail Blazers' nearly deserted locker room on Saturday, the NBA playoffs started with a steely stare and a sharp tongue.

The eyes belonged to point guard Damian Lillard, and his tongue spit fire bright enough to be seen as far as Beale Street in Memphis.

The subject was his defense. And his impending matchup with Memphis point guard Mike Conley, who was exceptional, if not great, against the Blazers this season.

The pre-series chatter figures to center on how Lillard's defense can't slow Conley. Memphis won all four meetings this season, and Conley played in three of the games, where he averaged 19.0 points, 8.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 51.1 percent from the field. All told, Conley had 26 assists and only two turnovers against Portland.

It was a similar scenario to the beginning of the playoffs last year, when the talk was how Houston point guard Patrick Beverley was Lillard's kryptonite.

"Then what happened?'' Lillard deadpanned, alluding to his rendering Beverley moot by averaging 25.5 points, 6.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds.

Conquering the Beverley myth was one thing; it was done using Lillard's strength, his offense.

But this challenge? One that will test his defense, which even Lillard admits is one of his weaknesses?

That's when Lillard got that look. The same one we've seen after big plays. That focused, determined and no-bluffin' stare.

And the words that followed are what should stir even the biggest doubters of his defense:

"I don't know how much you all pay attention to me and what I do,'' Lillard said coolly. "If there's anything you should know it's I ain't scared or none of that.

"And I ain't going to listen to what someone says about me and be OK with that. I'm going to go show. I show up. If anybody says I don't show up, then I don't know what they have been watching. I will say that: I'm going to show up.''

And with that, Lillard grabbed his bag and left the locker room. Game 1 isn't until Sunday in Memphis, but to Lillard, the NBA playoffs had already started.

**

In an otherwise rapid ascent onto the national scene, the one knock keeping Lillard from joining the point guard elite has been his defense. In Portland especially, Lillard says he hears the criticisms, which seem more like rolling thunder claps than knocks.

Kyrie Irving scored 55 against the Blazers. Steph Curry 45. Chris Paul 41. Russell Westbrook 40. Eric Bledsoe 33.

"Point guards have a big game against us and it's automatically 'He did this to Dame,''' Lillard said. "Like he took me to wing and isolated me and scored every point on me.

"It has become the easy thing to say.''

His defense is a prickly subject inside the Blazers, in part because they want Lillard to be better, but also because their defensive system is designed to funnel ball handlers into areas for contested mid-range jumpers.

"It's very easy to look at the eye test and have an idea what you want to believe,'' assistant David Vanterpool said. "But that doesn't necessarily make it true.''

Vanterpool, who works extensively with Lillard, said he feels Lillard this season has had "slippage" in his defense, because he has lost focus on some possessions. But overall, he says Lillard's fundamentals and anticipation have improved each season.

"When he first came in the league, getting posted up was a big concern, a very huge deal,'' Vanterpool said. "Now, it's not even an option for other teams, no matter who it is.''

Lillard said he has become better at recognizing other team's play calls, thereby allowing him to anticipate plays, and Vanterpool said Lillard has learned how to use angles to beat his man to spots on the floor.

"I've said it before: I don't think I'm the greatest defender,'' Lillard said. "But I do feel I have improved each year. I can still get a lot better, but because I can get better, I don't think people realize that each year I have gotten better.''

**

For Lillard, defense comes down to one concept:

"You either want to do it, or you don't,'' Lillard said.

He says he wants to not only play defense, but become great at it.

How can he do it?

"That guy right there,'' Lillard said, pointing to Vanterpool.

It was last week in Portland after a game, and Vanterpool had come into the locker room to find CJ McCollum. He was on McCollum's hip, in a defensive stance, showing him positioning and hand placement.

"See the conversation he is having now? He's always talking about having our hands active. Tipping balls,'' Lillard said.

This season, Lillard finished with a team-leading 97 steals, 33 more than he had last season. For context, only three Blazers players in the last 11 seasons have recorded 100 steals - Wesley Matthews (twice), Andre Miller and Ruben Patterson.

The challenge for Lillard, Vanterpool points out, is shouldering the immense offensive load the Blazers demand of him, while also having the mental and physical stamina to play lock-down defense.

"You have to want to shut someone down, and I'll tell you, it's (hard). Especially when you have the responsibility to score,'' Vanterpool said. "But I think it's good and important that he accepts that challenge and looks at it like he has to take it as a personal challenge defensively. That's the first step when it comes to getting better.''

Lillard says he has been challenged with the responsibility of being the Blazers' playmaker and second-leading scorer.

"I'm not looking for an excuse or a cop out,'' Lillard said. "But it's hard. It's tough to be a playmaker and have to score points and come off pick and roll and make cuts ... all that stuff is hard to do that then go down here and chase guys. But I take a lot of pride in being able to do that. I understand that my team needs me to do that. That's what it is: it's just something I need to get better at both ends.''

**

In the one game Conley didn't play against the Blazers this season, his replacement, Beno Udrih went 7-for-7 from the field and had 17 points and seven assists.

The Grizzlies are one of the top pick-and-roll teams, with Conley or Udrih playing two-man games with big men Marc Gasol or Zach Randolph.

If the Blazers are going to beat Memphis, they will have to better contain penetration and have quicker reaction from their big men. It will not solely rest on Lillard playing better defense, even though the chatter in Portland figures to hone in on the third-year guard.

"Everybody wants an answer, a solution or some type of resolution to what they perceive to be true,'' Vanterpool said. "But the bottom line is there are four other people on the court. And very rarely when someone scores is it one person's fault. Very rarely. The times when there are isolations, for instance, it's perceived 1-on-1, but it should be 1-on-5.''

Still, Lillard knows that the Blazers defense will have to start with him, at the top, stopping the ball. And with Conley, that's a tough task.

"He's a really good point guard,'' Lillard said. "I think he is really unappreciated in the NBA just with how consistent he is ... I respect him a lot. But I know he is going to try and get rid of me, and I'm going to try and get rid of him.''

To do that, and help carry a team offensively, will be a lot to ask. Last year, Lillard wasn't necessarily taxed on the defensive end by Beverley. This year, Conley figures to test him on both ends.

All the while, Lillard will know the critics will be waiting to pounce. And so too will Vanterpool, who says the two have clashed at times this season over his defense.

"We get into it,'' Vanterpool said. "But the thing I love about him is he is not going to accept mediocrity in any way, and I'm not going to let him accept it. I'll be on his back about it. And he will continue to improve.''

A piercing stare and spit-fire tongue guarantees it.

zanimljivo

[ChrisBoyd]

Koji raspad sistemabaš pred doigravanje , ja mislim da nam je metla od grizlija , al daj bože da grijesim . I ovdje u gradu je takva atmosfera map da nas metla čeka

[Lillard]

Uzas.
Sezona je izgledala jako dobro do povrede Wesa. Otada jensve otislo...
Mozda ce izvuc jednu pobjedu doma kao protiv Spursa lani, tesko nesto vise.