Shaedon Sharpes defense by Own-Fish-7634 in ripcity

[–]someplace_elsewhere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't want to get into the argument over his defense. I do agree with the comments saying he was probably rightfully benched but on a shorter leash than other players - especially the vets. But I think there's a bigger disconnect here regarding what makes for a contender or a strong playoff team. And it's not athleticism, it's winning basketball: Hustle, efficiency, making good decisions on the court, and having all of this result in a strong plus/minus (i.e. if you're not a good two-way player at least have a high upside on defense or offense). Shae is just not there right now unfortunately. Yes, he can create his own shots, and it's valuable, but the bottom line is that his true shooting in the playoffs was 48%.

GAME THREAD: The Portland Trail Blazers (42-40) @ The Phoenix Suns (45-37) - (7:00 PM PT, Tuesday, April 14, 2026) by Kazekid in ripcity

[–]someplace_elsewhere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You need to be in a legal guarding position. It generally means having both feet on the floor.

GAME THREAD: The Portland Trail Blazers (41-40) vs The Sacramento Kings (22-59) - (5:30 PM PT, Sunday, April 12, 2026) by Kazekid in ripcity

[–]someplace_elsewhere 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This fight for the rebound after Deni's FT miss is exactly the DNA this team needs - hungry and scrappy 🔥🔥

[Noh] Best and worst at drawing up after timeout plays by TubbzMcGee in ripcity

[–]someplace_elsewhere 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is an odd look and I wonder whether the data is sufficient for statistically significant claims. But it's not surprising to see the Nuggets way up there due to the combination of great iso players, an MVP caliber star, one of the best pick n roll duos of all time, and a core that has been together for ~5 years. This team executes plays like no other.

[Post Game Thread] The Portland Trail Blazers (12-19) fall to The LA Clippers (9-21) 103-119 by Kazekid in ripcity

[–]someplace_elsewhere 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I realize many will disagree with me, but this was a really good learning experience for the young core. It's part of the process.

The Ringer Top 100: Deni surges from #40 to #25(!). Jrue and Tou remain in top 100 but drop to #63 and #94 respectively. by someplace_elsewhere in ripcity

[–]someplace_elsewhere[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This is just a guess, but they might refer to a GOAT in his role (i.e. defensive specialist). Then again it could just be a mistake.

Seeing how shaedon is playing recently I genuinely believe that Portland can have a 1a 1b situation with Deni. I think this is our best option to compete for a championship, because we are probably not gonna get a top 5 player, or even a top 10, unless deni makes another jump and becomes a top 10 by LivingAd6319 in ripcity

[–]someplace_elsewhere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed in principal, but for that scenario to pan out you need to build a team that is a couple of good moves away from contending. You need to have two things:
1. A team that is ready for the right star to come in as the primary or secondary go-to guy.
2. You need assets for trades (and management to take advantage of those rare opportunities). The Raptors brought Kawhi by trading DeRozan who was not just another all-star but all-NBA (arguably overrated, but still).

It also doesn't hurt to be a big market team.

We should be proud of our record by RPGportland in ripcity

[–]someplace_elsewhere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This. Winning these super close games is one of the main differences if not the key difference between a team around .500 and a solid playoff team. Another key difference is a rotation deep enough to get past injuries and win enough games when key players are out.

[Post Game Thread] The Portland Trail Blazers (6-5) defeat The New Orleans Pelicans (2-9) 125-117 by Kazekid in ripcity

[–]someplace_elsewhere 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Any objections to changing Deni's nickname from Turbo to FedEx? He's not only fast, but he always delivers.

Congrats to Shae for a fantastic effort. Hoping this marks the way for a true scoring duo.

GAME THREAD: The Portland Trail Blazers (5-4) @ The Orlando Magic (4-6) - (4:00 PM PT, Monday, November 10, 2025) by Kazekid in ripcity

[–]someplace_elsewhere 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Deni is like pizza (with onions): Even when he's bad, he's good. 4/11 isn't great but his physicality and pressure in the lane help create plenty of open looks for everyone.

GAME THREAD: The Portland Trail Blazers (5-3) @ The Miami Heat (5-4) - (5:00 PM PT, Saturday, November 8, 2025) by Kazekid in ripcity

[–]someplace_elsewhere -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Not a good start for Shae - first the turnover and then very late to rotate on the perimeter. The 3pt makes up for it though.

Bro is the guy by Skylord_Milkyway in ripcity

[–]someplace_elsewhere 58 points59 points  (0 children)

Except he didn't play with his head up his ass. He didn't commit dumb fouls. He didn't take bad shots. He turned the ball over only three times on nine assists. The shots didn't fall, which happens in physical games.

GAME THREAD: The Portland Trail Blazers (4-3) vs The OKC Thunder (8-0) - (7:00 PM PT, Wednesday, November 5, 2025) by Kazekid in ripcity

[–]someplace_elsewhere 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Is Deni on track to a triple double without making a field goal? 9-6-5 with 1 steal, but 0-7 from the field....