一些踪迹开拓者在阳光的山谷中闪耀，其他刚刚被烧伤。
波特兰径丝石在赛季的第二场比赛中脱颖而出，在凤凰太阳下降到凤凰太阳，这是一个没有疑问的游戏。您可以找到Timermay的完整游戏Recap 在这里从游戏预览中完全覆盖到我们游戏2故事流。
在这里有一些东西可以从波特兰的表现中吸取。
团队冒犯
您可能会记得我们一直在说一段时间本赛季的西装队的双方奔跑和蔓延的罪行。当他们抓住对方毫无准备或没有动力的球队时，他们会看起来很漂亮。当防御记得工作和/或当燃烧者无法执行时，那些相同的玩家都会看起来像是通过集体噩梦走。
这个游戏的第一季度是后者的一个主要例子现象。凤凰受控板和速度足以让燃烧器直接突破，消除了跑步篮附近篮子的可能性。卡住在半复古游戏中，燃烧器未能互相屏幕，削减清脆。 Every pass landed in the hand of a covered man. As long as that guy is LaMarcus Aldridge the Blazers can get away with it. But how many shots can Aldridge attempt on his own? Seemingly every non-LaMarcus look in the period was a covered three. The Blazers attempted 11 triples in the opening quarter, making but 2. They got destroyed.
Things looked better as both teams calmed down and experimented with odd lineups. Random was better than predictably bad. Eventually the Blazers managed a more balanced diet of shots. But that first period should be your enduring memory from this game, as it's indicative of Portland's offensive story. When it works, it'll work well. When it doesn't...boy.
The Blazers will have an interesting time solving this riddle as well. The only sure out is to go back to Aldridge isolation sets. They're going to do that, but they don't want to stall the system to get decent shots. They have a couple people who can get by their men initially but no threats to finish at the rim, so the drive is out. If the Blazers can get every player involved in a play to pay attention to detail--screening technique, routes, timing--they could work their way out of this a little. But that requires a precision and commitment we have yet to see...perhaps an impossible demand from brand new players just trying to remember what they're supposed to do.
It's worth noting that screening and cutting are two of the harder things to simulate in practice. You can make the motions and walk the steps precisely, but you can't get that same intensity or push-back from the opponent in a non-game situation. It's not surprising that the best-drawn plans of mice and men often go awry.
Team Defense
If precision and commitment were lacking on the offensive end for this brand-new team, you can imagine what happened on defense tonight. We saw some impressive moments from individuals, some genuine hustle from a couple players. In general, though, the defense was a mess. When schemes are predicated on people moving and they don't (or when they move to the wrong spot) the machine is going to break down quickly. The Suns only scored 12 fast break points for the game but their opportunities were greater than that as Portland's "D" often started behind due to lagging wings. In the middle section of possessions Portland's bigs had trouble keeping their counterparts out of the paint and smaller defenders couldn't rotate fast enough to get a hand in the face of jump shooters. Up until the final part of the game Portland also had trouble securing rebounds. Add this up and you find Phoenix shooting 51% on the evening, 50% from the three-point arc, scoring 48 in the paint, and notching a prodigious 30 assists. You can't pin this on one or two defenders. This team has enough defensive holes that everybody has to stay sharp and help each other all the time. When that doesn't happen...ugh.
Individual Notes
Damian Lillard came back to earth tonight, finding only deep shots early and missing almost all (1-6 from distance for the game). 5 turnovers took the shine off of 5 assists just as 5-13 shooting took the shine off of 15 points. This wasn't a lack of ability as much as lack of familiarity with the situation. His team fell apart around him. He's the point guard. He's supposed to manage this. But this is his second-ever game in the NBA. The collapse took him along for the ride. Eventually he'll be able to stem that tide with more than just covered three-point attempts. Not tonight though.
Two areas could be of more permanent concern. Defense is the first, as Lillard looked bad during significant stretches tonight. We've always known his teammates would have to help him in this area, but he can't need that much help and he's occasionally got to be of service to others. Second, Lillard is one of those guys we mentioned who can get past defenders but he has yet to show finishing ability at the rim. You'll say, "No problem! He can just dish!" If he doesn't threaten with a strong finish defenders will play him for the pass and take away the benefit of his driving altogether. This will be something to keep an eye on. He did get to the line for 4 attempts tonight. If he can draw fouls consistently this concern will be alleviated.
Meyers Leonard started in place of the injured J.J. Hickson tonight. He had a few isolated, brilliant moments: a put-back slam here, a great rebound there, and the occasional really sharp screen. For the most part, though, he was still figuring it out. He looked like he was running through plays instead of playing for effect. Standout portions of his evening included 7 offensive rebounds and 5-8 shooting. Less impressive: 1 defensive rebound and missed assignments.
LaMarcus Aldridge is still tuning up his game. He had a great night on the boards with 10 overall. Portland will need rebounding from every forward and guard this season and Aldridge looks like he's taking that responsibility personally. He shot only 4-13 on the night. Part of that reflects the sparse help he got from his teammates. He still looks a little awkward about his offensive role, however. It's Game 2 of the pre-season so you can't read too much into it, but this is another area to watch. So far this new system looks to be making different demands on Portland's star forward, not just in where and how he's getting his looks but in how he's expected to fit in. He prospered when he was the center of nearly every play Portland ran. That hasn't been the case so far this year. Are the Blazers just practicing new stuff, knowing they can always return to Aldridge isos and the old standby? Or will LaMarcus continue having to adjust to not touching the ball for long and having to depend on everyone else to help him get his offense in?
Nicolas Batum was one of the few Blazers to register a successful first half, the only guy to hit threes early. He ended up with a respectable 14 points in 26 minutes. He also hustled when his teammates were struggling...a rarity tonight. After the initial burst his play leveled out, but then again it was pre-season. On the other hand the Blazers could use a little more than 4 rebounds, 1 block, and 2 turnovers in his stat line.
Wesley Matthews couldn't find the range on his three-pointer (1-4 on the evening), couldn't dribble drive, and couldn't make up for all the cracks in the defense, leading to a generally forgettable game for him.
With only a couple exceptions, Portland's bench ran by a simple rule tonight. The more experienced the player, the more towards their norm they played even as the team was struggling. Jarred Jeffries, Ronnie Price, Adam Morrison, Sasha Pavlovic...these guys have seen NBA action and played like it. That's not to say they were good. Several of them showed better in L.A. on Wednesday than they did tonight. But they didn't fall apart in the face of less-than-ideal circumstances. If anyone crossed that line into looking downright nice, it was Pavlovic...one of the few players to play crisply both ways and hit shots.
Nolan Smith, on the other hand, looked like a fish flopping out of water and still trying to put up every shot it saw. Smith went 3-9 on the evening, though even he had good moments (as his 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals will testify).
Luke Babbitt deserves some mention for his offense. With the pressure off he looked comfortable and hit 3-5, adding 2 rebounds and a steal. He was in with an odd lineup which guarded an odd Phoenix lineup so it's hard to judge his defense much, other than saying it wasn't worse than anybody else's and at times looked decent.
Joel Freeland again showed his Euro experience by using speed and motion to get to good positions and complete plays when he had them. Of particular note are some nice passes he made in the offense, though a couple of post moves and paint stops late also make the bill of reasons Portland fans should like him.
As one would expect in this kind of outing, concerns raised outweighed positive points. However you have to remember that most of this night was within the realm of the average, not just for individuals but for the team as a whole. Most players played about as expected, perhaps a notch or two below because of the lack of cohesiveness. The team itself showed the downside of its normal offense, its collection of skills, and its lack of experience just as we saw the upside in Game 1. The team hasn't changed between Wednesday and now. We just have a broader picture of what we can expect in the coming season, the ups and the downs.
--Dave (blazersub@gmail.com)
关于游戏的进一步思考，查看Dave的分析开拓者的开局很缓慢，他们的投篮命中率只有29%，而太阳则领先8分。然后11。开拓者在进攻端显得很紧张，而太阳则毫无问题地占据了优势。1分之后他们领先14分。
Luke Babbitt opened the second quarter with a three-pointer against Phoenix's bench. Leonard and a hard-working Coby Karl cut the Suns lead back to single digits. When their lead reached 6, Phoenix appreciated the official timeout. It was after that timeout that we all learned, the Suns love uncontested three's. Joel Freeland, getting time with some starters, showed some nice flashes at both ends and helped the Blazers stay within 7 at the half.
The third quarter was a your classic nondescript preseason quarter. Lillard got on the board, and the Blazers kept it within single digits for most of the quarter, but Phoenix made a late run for a 15 point lead.
Damian heated up in the fourth quarter, scoring six straight points to cut the deficit back to single digits. However, just like that, a 7-0 Phoenix run ended any hopes of a Blazer comeback. The young guys kept the final score respectable in garbage time.
The box score is here. Stay tuned for Dave's analysis of tonight's game, and we'll keep you updated with all of the weekend's news. The next game is Monday against the Sacramento Kings. It will not be televised! -- Tim
燃烧器会强大吗？我们会看到一个改进和更新的太阳队吗？我们会通过任何新伤害吗？闲逛并讨论今晚的游戏！
电视： csn nw ， nba tv |收音机： kex |联赛通过：不知道！
通常的规则适用：请不要讨论游戏流，没有咒骂或图片，请互相冷却。
请注意：我们通过季前赛进行Gameayay线程找到最佳格式！如果你有任何想法（除了“除了”除了“糟透了！”当然），请随时在GDT中讨论它，或私下邮寄给我。谢谢！
- tim（blazer.timmay@gmail.com）
围绕波特兰径的有趣问题的Quintet围绕Portland Drain Blazers-Phoenix Suns赛季赛季赛季比赛今晚at 7:00 p.m.
Game 2 of the Portland Trail Blazers' pre-season schedule commences at 7:00 p.m. as the Blazers face the Phoenix Suns at U.S. Airways Center. The game will be telecast locally on CSNNW and nationally on NBA TV.
Faced with a rebuilding project of their own this summer following the departure of franchise guard Steve Nash, the Suns opted to go in a direction diametrically opposed to that of the Blazers. They didn't get their hands on the ultra-chic premium players on the market but they acquired plenty of "best available" veterans to bolster their lineup. Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, Michael Beasley, even the aging Jermaine O'Neal...you know who these guys are. Aggregated they earn around $18 million per year. The Suns are hoping that mid-range contracts for somewhat-above-mid-range players (if things work out) will keep win totals reasonable and fans interested.
In their first pre-season outing against the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix took as many punches as they dished out. They defended well enough on the perimeter but took multiple body blows in the paint from DeMarcus Cousins and company. They grabbed several shopping carts worth of offensive rebounds but gave up just as many. They earned 26 free throw attempts but gave up 34. Their most egregious fault was not getting back in transition, losing 27 fast break points to the Kings. Again a mirror opposite of the fast-yet-untrained Blazers, Phoenix has plenty of experience and skill but one wonders about speed and commitment. It'll be interesting to see which team is able to play to its strengths and/or take away more from the opponent tonight.
The pre-season won't provide any earth-shattering conclusions for either of these teams but here are some things to watch during this game.
1. This will be a nice test for Portland's frontcourt as a whole. Slapping them up against Dwight Howard in Game 1 would have been like testing an egg carton's crush resistance with a dump truck. Phoenix has quality NBA players up and down the big positions but none of them is the kind of dominant matchup that'll break you in two. Marcin Gortat and O'Neal will be interesting covers for Portland's centers...contrasting styles and skills with good size and plenty of know-how. The Blazers need to be able to handle this kind of guy in the middle this season. Center domination for the Suns tonight would be a bad sign for Portland. Keep an eye on how Meyers Leonard responds. Joel Freeland too, if he slides over to center at all.
Scola, Beasley, Jared Dudley, and even young Markieff Morris will provide good, but not overwhelming, tests at forward as well.
2. Damian Lillard...can he repeat his performance from Game 1? He has a couple interesting matchups of his own. He'll need to show he can stay in front of Dragic on defense. He also gets to pit himself against fellow rookie point guard Kendall Marshall. Those matchups should provide him another chance to shine. What will he do with it?
3. How does Portland's depth stack up against the superior depth of the Suns? Can the Blazer reserves make any inroads, or even just hold serve until the starters get back in?
4. If the Suns are willing to let you fast break, can the Blazers take advantage? It's a three-step process: defend, secure the rebound, and run like heck. The Blazers have got the third part down. Los Angeles was a little lackadaisical on the boards the other night. If Phoenix gets tougher, trying to repeat their offensive rebounding performance from their first game, do the Blazers have the will and technique to rip it away from them?
5. What about the bubble forwards? Watching Adam Morrison was interesting on Wednesday. Watching Luke Babbitt was painful. Watching Victor Claver was half fun, half amusing. What will we really see from these guys and who will make the team?
Discuss the possibilities-including your own things to watch for--here. Join us for the GameDay Thread as tip-off approaches!
--Dave (blazersub@gmail.com)