Aggie formerly in Hawaii wrote: ↑

March 6th, 2024, 8:04 pm

Hopefully bickerstaff doesn't use tonight as an excuse not to play Merrill. Outside of Grayson allen, there isn't a guy in the league I'd rather be taking 3s than merrill

Ouch! Sam had been in the top ten in 3 point shooting percentage for a while now, but that one game dropped him from 9 to 16. He’ll bounce back.

I just noticed this game was on ESPN and stopped to watch. Merrill playing in crunch time in a 3 point game. I have seen him miss two 3 pointers. He's 2-9 for the game. Pulled with 5 minutes to play.

What does that make him, 2-18 in the last 2 games?

Sam is struggling. Since his 7-11 performance a few games back, Sam is 5 for 30 on three-pointers in his last 5 games, 3 for 24 in the last 4. He slumping.

Yossarian wrote: ↑

March 11th, 2024, 9:59 am

Sam is struggling. Since his 7-11 performance a few games back, Sam is 5 for 30 on three-pointers in his last 5 games, 3 for 24 in the last 4. He slumping.

Followed this up with a 1 for 5. The slump persists (6 for 35).

Yossarian wrote: ↑

March 12th, 2024, 5:56 pm

Yossarian wrote: ↑

March 11th, 2024, 9:59 am

Sam is struggling. Since his 7-11 performance a few games back, Sam is 5 for 30 on three-pointers in his last 5 games, 3 for 24 in the last 4. He slumping.

Followed this up with a 1 for 5. The slump persists (6 for 35).

Sounds like my little league career

Aggie formerly in Hawaii wrote: ↑

March 12th, 2024, 7:55 pm

Yossarian wrote: ↑

March 12th, 2024, 5:56 pm

Yossarian wrote: ↑

March 11th, 2024, 9:59 am

Sam is struggling. Since his 7-11 performance a few games back, Sam is 5 for 30 on three-pointers in his last 5 games, 3 for 24 in the last 4. He slumping.

Followed this up with a 1 for 5. The slump persists (6 for 35).

Sounds like my little league career

Do you count "hits" like my wife for that batting average - a ball put into play is a "hit"?

Yossarian wrote: ↑

March 12th, 2024, 8:11 pm

Aggie formerly in Hawaii wrote: ↑

March 12th, 2024, 7:55 pm

Yossarian wrote: ↑

March 12th, 2024, 5:56 pm

Yossarian wrote: ↑

March 11th, 2024, 9:59 am

Sam is struggling. Since his 7-11 performance a few games back, Sam is 5 for 30 on three-pointers in his last 5 games, 3 for 24 in the last 4. He slumping.

Followed this up with a 1 for 5. The slump persists (6 for 35).

Sounds like my little league career

Do you count "hits" like my wife for that batting average - a ball put into play is a "hit"?

Good game by Sam tonight,

28 mins, 5-10 threes, 2 Rebs, 9 Assists. Highest +/- on the team + 30.

aggieaz wrote: ↑

March 13th, 2024, 8:15 pm

Good game by Sam tonight,

28 mins, 5-10 threes, 2 Rebs, 9 Assists. Highest +/- on the team + 30.

Yeah his best assist game of his career.

Aggie formerly in Hawaii wrote: ↑

March 13th, 2024, 8:20 pm

aggieaz wrote: ↑

March 13th, 2024, 8:15 pm

Good game by Sam tonight,

28 mins, 5-10 threes, 2 Rebs, 9 Assists. Highest +/- on the team + 30.

Yeah his best assist game of his career.

He plays like sh*t when Garland is running the offense. But he and Donavan have good chemistry.

Agreed. Donavon is better for Sam's game and he looks for Sam. Garland doesn't look for Sam nearly as much.

I was worried his one game he started jinxed him when I saw that slump. Glad to see him bounce back last night.

Sam 2 - 5 from three tonight so far. Heard an interesting stat: Sam is second in the league in assist to turnover ration.

Garland just refuses to pass to Merrill, doesn't he?

I agree, it's like he doesn't want him to outshine him.

Queta had 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and one steal in 2 minutes tonight according to the box score

I genuinely am uncertain as to whether Garland is just a ball hog or just doesn’t like Sam. Both could be true I suppose.

Unfortunately Merrill and the cavs playing like the Aggies today.

Nice 5-11 shooting game

Aggie formerly in Hawaii wrote: ↑

March 27th, 2024, 8:58 pm

Nice 5-11 shooting game

He started out 4-4 or 4-5.

Got my tickets for the Jazz-Cavs game on the 2nd! It'd be fun to have a large Aggie contingent there to cheer Sam on. Resale tickets are dirt cheap and it's not like this Jazz team is worth cheering for anyway.

Looks like Sam just beat the Cav's single season record for most 3s made from a bench player: https://www.si.com/nba/cavaliers/clevel ... te-hornets

Sam is lighting it up again right now. 3-4 from 3 in the first half. 10 points in 8 minutes.

Merrill is going to get seriously paid this off-season. Hope he donates a sliver back to USU basketball, but that's up to him.

Aggie formerly in Hawaii wrote: ↑

March 29th, 2024, 7:29 pm

Merrill is going to get seriously paid this off-season. Hope he donates a sliver back to USU basketball, but that's up to him.

He probably does. But he also donates just with his support, visiting the team/coach/school, and being involved in the Blue A Collective.

Aggie formerly in Hawaii wrote: ↑

March 29th, 2024, 7:29 pm

Merrill is going to get seriously paid this off-season. Hope he donates a sliver back to USU basketball, but that's up to him.

I think he still has another year on his contract. Though he could sign a pretty nice extension.

Interesting personnel decisions tonight for the Cavs. Merrill shot well and had good numbers/stats and had 18 points in 24 minutes yesterday. Today he plays 4 minutes. A match-up issue?

Yossarian wrote: ↑

April 4th, 2024, 1:14 am

Interesting personnel decisions tonight for the Cavs. Merrill shot well and had good numbers/stats and had 18 points in 24 minutes yesterday. Today he plays 4 minutes. A match-up issue?

Donovan Mitchell sat out against the Jazz but played against the Suns. That would have opened more minutes for bench players. Apparently Mitchell isn’t playing on consecutive days at this point.

dogie wrote: ↑

April 4th, 2024, 2:12 am

Yossarian wrote: ↑

April 4th, 2024, 1:14 am

Interesting personnel decisions tonight for the Cavs. Merrill shot well and had good numbers/stats and had 18 points in 24 minutes yesterday. Today he plays 4 minutes. A match-up issue?

Donovan Mitchell sat out against the Jazz but played against the Suns. That would have opened more minutes for bench players. Apparently Mitchell isn’t playing on consecutive days at this point.

I don't follow the NBA much other than to check up and see how Sam or Queta did, but I did see a clip somewhere that the Cavs are overloaded in the 2 and 3 spots where Sam plays and when everyone is healthy its really hard to find minutes unless they really went small ball and took out their 4.

As much as he changes the spacing complexion on the floor though while playing pretty solid D it sure seems like the Cavs would benefit in figuring it out. A lot of their fans apparently feel that way.

Sam has been listed on the injured/illness status for a few games now. I saw an article where he had a sore neck. That doesn't seem like something that would keep you out for a couple of weeks. I wonder if the Cavs are establishing their playoff roster and Sam isn't in those plans?

They would be crazy to leave him off the roster.

He'll definitely be on the roster if he is healthy. There's a chance he won't get as many minutes as rotations slim down for the playoffs, but he isn't being cut haha.

Sam gets 16 to 20 mins a game. He was taking a charge from Paul George two games ago and got whiplash and injured his neck. Might play Sunday.