Blazers 2022-2023 Thread

[pezsez1]

Maybe Sharpe will get more minutes now. Developing him seems like the only realistic way to improve the team, given the salary situation.

Thankful that someone else sees this.

The KD trade effectively wiped out whatever chance Portland might have had at contention this season. Even with a big trade (such as OG or Siakam) there's no way we solve the Phoenix problem. Plus, once KD left the Eastern Conference, the Raptors suddenly didn't have as much incentive to be sellers before the deadline.

That said, I'm actually pretty happy with Cronin's deadline moves. This roster had too many unremarkable shooting guards and not enough minutes to go around. Now, Shaedon is the pretty clear backup to Anfernee Simons, and that's going to allow him to really develop through the second half of the season.

Developing Sharpe should be the team's top priority right now. Shower that kid with minutes. Whether we end up eventually trading Ant or Dame, there is no path to contention in the immediate future that doesn't have Sharpe as our starting SG.

I do also like that we stockpiled some draft assetts. As we saw today, second-round picks absolutely hold value in acquiring rotation players.

I hope the Blazers play hard, notch some entertaining wins, and land outside the playoffs so we can get a lottery pick. Mostly, though, I just want Shaedon to get ready to take someone ele's job.

[Phalanx]

Just saw the rest of the activity after I posted. Those are some weird trades; not sure what to make of them. Seems like the Blazers are becoming a resting place for players nobody wanted. A couple of them (Reddish and Knox) were even traded for each other not long ago. Are the Blazers tanking, or do they think these guys will help the team win?

It would be nice if a few of these picks could be used for actual young talent on small contracts. That would require some competent talent assessment though, which is far from a guarantee coming from the Blazers.

[pezsez1]

But the play-in tourney is within reach! Why on earth would the Blazers tank with such an amazing draft class just around the corner?

Looks to me like Cronin is gathering assets for a big offseason move. The time to trade Dame would have been this morning with his value at an absolute peak and other teams desperately trying to keep pace with Phoenix. The fact they didn't trade him tells me they won't move him this offseason, either. I really think he's here to stay.

With Dame staying, that means we can't do a full rebuild... but if we could manage to miss the playoffs and get a lottery pick, then we'd suddenly have a nice batch of assets to go after a couple of meaningful players.

I don't think we'll make the playoffs. So many teams ahead of us got better while we actually got slightly worse. Hopefully, Dame realizes that whipping out "Dame Time" down the stretch of the season actually works against his own interests.

This season is effectively over for us from a competitive standpoint. The focus from here on out really should be on player development.

Other thought: I still don't know what to make of the Nurkic situation. It was reported that Cronin told him yesterday or the day before that he wouldn't be traded. It's hard to imagine us being playoff contenders with him as our center. He is way too hot/cold, and he's the only player who doesn't appear to fit with Billups' blue-collar culture.

[Boom]

Multiple teams in the West got better today. The Blazers took a clear step back.

[Phalanx]

Multiple teams in the West got better today. The Blazers took a clear step back.

Meh, the Blazers are in 10th place with a losing record. It's almost a win at this point if they take a 'step back' and improve their lottery position. I'm interested to see if they can salvage any of these scrubs that they got back, but really, the picks are the real trade, and the Blazers need to draft well if they are ever going to get out of this decade-long rut.

Of course, knowing the Blazer management, they will likely turn around and give the picks away for one-year player rentals, as usual.

[pezsez1]

Meh, the Blazers are in 10th place with a losing record. It's almost a win at this point if they take a 'step back' and improve their lottery position.

The Blazers are in a really bizarre position right now.

I agree with what you say above. As a fan, I want the team to work toward a championship, and right now the best way to do that is by tanking and improving lottery positioning. Whether the plan is to surround Dame with talent or trade him and rebuild, tanking is the best path toward maximizing results from either path.

That said, Jason Quick of The Athletic (formerly of The Oregonian) gave an interview no 1080 The Fan yesterday and shared some tidbits I'd not seen reported anywhere else. Quick is a longtime Blazers beat writer who has a ton of journalistic credibility and the kind of organizational access that today's "new media" simply doesn't have. So he's not just pulling stuff out of his ass and throwing it out there for clicks... if he's sharing this, then the concerns are legit.

Copying and pasting from my family Blazers chat:


1. He called this trade deadline an "epic failure" for the Blazers. Said it didn't jive at all with any of the organization's talk about giving Lillard a chance to compete. He actually called it the worst he could ever remember.
2. He said GP2 wasn't happy here and wanted out. (!)
3. Said lots of former players' social media posts have indicated players have been happy to get out of here. (CJ, Nance Jr., Roco, Powell were ones he cited)
4. Said he's heard reports from within the team about a concerning dropoff of professionalism since PA died... such as players bringing their "homies" to the team practice facility at night to hoop it up (while other players are actually trying to work out) and players being habitually late to workouts with no accountability. (He specifically mentioned Sharpe and Keon Johnson.)
5. Said Jerami Grant told him directly that his #1 priority in signing with a new team in the offseason would be "winning." And this is notable because one of Quick's coworkers at The Athletic just recently reported that a Grant return to Detroit this season is possible.)
6. Quick said (based on his knowledge of the team) that it was really important for Cronin to sell GRANT (not so much Lillard) on the idea that the Blazers are on the right track... and that this trade deadline cycle doesn't appear to have done that, especially as most of the Western Conference top-8 teams got noticeably better while we actually took a small step back.


So... with that in mind -- and acknowledging that someone with Quick's access and deeply cultivated sources knows more about the team than we'll ever comprehend -- tanking the rest of the season might end up pushing Grant out the door and ruining any chances to improve anytime soon.

Then again, with all of that in mind, the organization's ownership/management structure doesn't appear to be equipped to competently handle a full rebuild.

The Blazers just seem to be flailing right now with no real plan to get serious about winning.

[Phalanx]

thanks for taking time to post that. Someone noted that several Blazers took time to say goodbye on twitter to Josh Hart, but nobody did so for GP2. It is interesting that Payton came directly from a championship team to the Blazers, and he couldn't wait to get out.

The Blazers need to start over.

[squintsdd]

Jody Allen needs to realize that she has no idea how to be an owner. She needs to sell the team to someone who is willing to put the time and effort in. I'm also not sold that Billups is the answer at coaching. I expected a much more defensive minded team this year. So far I've watched teams score almost at will

And trading Hart for a lottery protected pick is a huge fail in my opinion

[Duck07]

Jody Allen needs to realize that she has no idea how to be an owner. She needs to sell the team to someone who is willing to put the time and effort in. I'm also not sold that Billups is the answer at coaching. I expected a much more defensive minded team this year. So far I've watched teams score almost at will

And trading Hart for a lottery protected pick is a huge fail in my opinion

Jody is not the owner, she's a beneficiary and trustee of the PGA Trust, which is supposed to be working towards dissolution because the PGA Trust is not a business and that's not its purpose.

Vulcan is "waiting" for the "right-time" to sell which is why Phil leaked that stuff last year because he doesn't want to wait for the Auction Company they're using. ("The Broncos have to sell first." "No, now another team has to sell first.")

It's all just various attorney's and their respective entities earning more "billable-hours" while doing absolutely nothing towards selling the teams off.

Even better, now the Gary Payton 2 trade is on the fritz due to his off-season abdominal surgery and Golden State saying they were unaware that the player they let walk in Free Agency because he was injured (and too expensive) is in fact still in discomfort from his injury. So while the humor of this is funny, I find it to also be completely absurd in the larger context too.

[squintsdd]

Jody Allen needs to realize that she has no idea how to be an owner. She needs to sell the team to someone who is willing to put the time and effort in. I'm also not sold that Billups is the answer at coaching. I expected a much more defensive minded team this year. So far I've watched teams score almost at will

And trading Hart for a lottery protected pick is a huge fail in my opinion

Jody is not the owner, she's a beneficiary and trustee of the PGA Trust, which is supposed to be working towards dissolution because the PGA Trust is not a business and that's not its purpose.

Vulcan is "waiting" for the "right-time" to sell which is why Phil leaked that stuff last year because he doesn't want to wait for the Auction Company they're using. ("The Broncos have to sell first." "No, now another team has to sell first.")

It's all just various attorney's and their respective entities earning more "billable-hours" while doing absolutely nothing towards selling the teams off.

Even better, now the Gary Payton 2 trade is on the fritz due to his off-season abdominal surgery and Golden State saying they were unaware that the player they let walk in Free Agency because he was injured (and too expensive) is in fact still in discomfort from his injury. So while the humor of this is funny, I find it to also be completely absurd in the larger context too.

From my understanding she is the majority owner, with the understanding that she is suppose to sell the team. She's essentially a care taker that refuses to take care of the team. She has been using the excuse that she is concerned that a new owner would move the team, but an owner like Phil wouldn't move it, nor does anyone think the NBA would allow it. She is also part owner of Vulcan, and majority owner of the Seahawks. Phil leaked information in an effort to pressure Jody Allen into selling not only the blazers but possibly the Seahawks as well.

[Phalanx]

And trading Hart for a lottery protected pick is a huge fail in my opinion

I kind of agree - the huge fail is in mismanaging the payroll and not having the money to re-sign Hart. As it was though, Hart was leaving with zero compensation in a few months anyway, and a first-round pick for renting him for a few months is a good deal for the Blazers, provided the pick conveys and the Blazers can use it well. The Blazers also get a chance to see if Reddish can be any good. I think it was about the best trade they could make under the circumstances - unless you were hoping for a run in the playoffs this year, which seemed very unlikely.

[Phalanx]

Interesting bit on Blazersedge: Josh Hart takes unsolicited time out of a Knicks presser to say that the Blazers organization is a class act. Wonder if that was in response to Quick's reporting, or maybe Golden State's allegations. I didn't realize Hart was palsy walsies with Jalen Brunson, and watching them fawn over each other in pressers confirms for me that Hart was not going to sign with Portland. Good trade by Cronin.

[greenyellow]

Interesting bit on Blazersedge: Josh Hart takes unsolicited time out of a Knicks presser to say that the Blazers organization is a class act. Wonder if that was in response to Quick's reporting, or maybe Golden State's allegations. I didn't realize Hart was palsy walsies with Jalen Brunson, and watching them fawn over each other in pressers confirms for me that Hart was not going to sign with Portland. Good trade by Cronin.

Him and Brunson played at Villanova together, where they won a national championship in 2016.

[pezsez1]

I'm pretty sure Hart's postgame statement was about the GP accusations since he specifcally mentioned the training room.

I also wonder whether it was meant less as praise of the Blazers and more as a passive swipe at GP2.

NBA drama.

[alxtw]

First time in my life I'll be tuning into a game to watch/cheer for my team to lose. It won't be easy to lose against the spurs, as they also have alot at stake and don't want to move up in standings.