Ducks Attack Message Board Forum

With how the GSW are constructed, I just don't see the Blazers and most of the Western Conference being all that competitive without doing risky trades to bring in talent or just bide their time by slowly building through the draft and hoping that GS falters.

greenyellow wrote:This is likely the first of several moves to get them below the luxury tax cap and resign Nurkic. Portland still needs to find some other players besides Lillard and McCollum who can hit an outside shot with regularity as all their other SG/SF are absolute brick layers from three.

This is what worries me about Portland being connected with the Carmelo/Houston trade. Crabbe was overpaid, but he did one thing very well and now that's gone, and we will miss that production off the bench. I'm kind of afraid Olshey is going to use that as incentive to bring in Ryan Anderson.

greenyellow wrote:With how the GSW are constructed, I just don't see the Blazers and most of the Western Conference being all that competitive without doing risky trades to bring in talent or just bide their time by slowly building through the draft and hoping that GS falters.

Continue the plan with Nurkic, see what you have in Swanigan and his effect on the 2nd unit plus whatever strides Moe and Vonleh have taken while waiting for the trade deadline seems like the best course of action right now.

Blazers' new Nike uniforms. Not much difference except for the new font, removal of silver outlines from name and numbers, and addition of Rip City to waistband.


They'll be unveiling their 2 alternates at a later date but you can see that one will be red and the other silver or white.

Thurston wrote:Portland trades Allan Crabbe to Brooklyn for some PF who they will waive and stretch. This move saves Paul Allen roughly $40 million in luxury tax.

Makes sense.

Swanigan broke into the starting 5 yesterday against the Clippers, but I don't believe there's been any determination whether or not he or Aminu will start at the 4 once the regular season begins. Stotts may have just been playing with line-ups.

I think it's been a very positive preseason for the Blazers. Nurkic dropped 35 pounds and has noticeably added speed to his game. Evan Turner seems to have a better sense of his role in the offense. Harkless has been very good. Swanigan is ready-made for the rotation, and Collins has looked a lot better than he did in summer league.

The west is so damn strong I don't really Portland finishing higher than 6th-8th, but I do think the team has improved.

Blazers still need to make a move for a solid combo forward. Paul George would have been perfect but just an upgrade over aminu would make a big difference.

Thurston wrote:Swanigan broke into the starting 5 yesterday against the Clippers, but I don't believe there's been any determination whether or not he or Aminu will start at the 4 once the regular season begins. Stotts may have just been playing with line-ups.

I think it's been a very positive preseason for the Blazers. Nurkic dropped 35 pounds and has noticeably added speed to his game. Evan Turner seems to have a better sense of his role in the offense. Harkless has been very good. Swanigan is ready-made for the rotation, and Collins has looked a lot better than he did in summer league.

The west is so damn strong I don't really Portland finishing higher than 6th-8th, but I do think the team has improved.

It could be a matchup thing they do with Aminu/Swan right now since Vonleh is out with an injury. The way he's playing though Swan will log a lot of minutes at the 4 this year and whatever growing pains he and Collins go through will be a lot more fun to watch (and easier to handle) than say the continued project that is Meyers. There's an intensity that the young big's are playing with and in the Raptors game I called Nurk and Swan the Bruise Brothers! It's tough in the West but Portland is getting some guys that are going to ruffle some feathers and piss some teams off and that's a good thing.