Blazers 2023-2024 Thread

[Phalanx]

Golly, I sure miss this:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/da ... r-BB1lFzOM

Miss Stephen A making s*** up?

What, like this is the first time Lillard has whined about his unhappiness to someone in the media? Has he demanded a meeting with the owner yet? He's a diva, and his act got tired a long time ago. I used to think it would be funny if he lost to the guy he got traded for (wouldn't be the first time Jrue cleaned his clock), but now it seems unlikely that he will even get that far.

[pudgejeff]

Golly, I sure miss this:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/da ... r-BB1lFzOM

Miss Stephen A making s*** up?

What, like this is the first time Lillard has whined about his unhappiness to someone in the media? Has he demanded a meeting with the owner yet? He's a diva, and his act got tired a long time ago. I used to think it would be funny if he lost to the guy he got traded for (wouldn't be the first time Jrue cleaned his clock), but now it seems unlikely that he will even get that far.

Don't get me wrong, he's definitely been a whiner. But it was very specifically clarified that Stephen A had no inside or additional knowledge. Just him talking to talk like he does.

To be honest it's one of the things that bother's me the most, when there are plenty of real examples of something and then people site something that is weak and flimsy to try and prove the point or pile on. In the end it just ends up weakening the original argument.

[Phalanx]

If the Kings can beat the Warriors here, it's going to secure a pretty decent mid-round pick for the Blazers in the first round. As long as Olshey isn't picking, that has to be a positive. Go Kings.

[alxtw]

I haven't been following college games or g league this year, but been reading analysts write this year's draft is one of the worst in a long time. Is this year's class really that bad? Would suck if its true, being that we will have good draft picks this year.

[pezsez1]

It's "bad" in that there aren't any obvious star talents, but there are plenty of guys who could turn into regular rotation players.

Next year's draft is loaded. I'm hoping everyone has the patience to stay in the tank for one more year.

[Duck07]

It's "bad" in that there aren't any obvious star talents, but there are plenty of guys who could turn into regular rotation players.

Next year's draft is loaded. I'm hoping everyone has the patience to stay in the tank for one more year.

Don't worry, Jody is perfectly content for another year of cashing in while putting out a mediocre team with a bottom 5 head coach.

Currently this is the team next year:

PG: Scoot, Brogdan, Banton
SG: Sharpe, Simons, Rupert
SF: Thybulle, Camara
PF: Grant, Walker, Murray
C: Ayton, Williams, Reath

You're likely drafting someone to take a job from a Forward and to be a backup Center with the 2 first rounders and I think you clearly need to move on from Simons and Grant to give the minutes needed for the younger players and also because they are the best chances at earning a decent trade chip. If you can get something for Ayton/Williams you do it as well.

The problem is that nobody wants to give up picks for next year so you either need to scout a fringe lottery team who thinks that Simons/Grant is the piece to get them over the hump and hope they have a terrible season or else you're likely doing a player swap. As it is, Grant is an expensive player with a long contract, Simons contract isn't bad and Brogdan would have value at the deadline as an expiring contract.

I think picking at #5 lets say is going to give them a chance at a Forward to add to the mix that can also play in a lineup focused around Scoot-Sharpe-Camara-Draft Pick and then you can find another backup Center with your Warriors lotto pick unless you move Simons/Brogdan prior to that.

That certainly is a lineup that could give you a chance at one of the prizes of the 25 draft while possibly building a lineup that may actually one day grow up and compete with a competent head coach.

[buckmarkduck]

At least we have two lottery picks. Two chances to miss

[Phalanx]

Normally, I am all for taking the best player available, especially on a bad team. In this case though, it seems like it isn't actually very clear who the best players are, and I think the players sorely need help in the front court. So if they err, I hope it is in that direction.

I have this nagging feeling about the Blazers that there is not a lot of 'coaching up' happening and that the report from Quick a year ago about how most of the players are unmotivated to improve and win is true. I was really disappointed with Simons and Sharpe this year, and also it seems like we need to lower expectations on Scoot. The best Blazers in the future may be the ones yet to be drafted.

[pezsez1]

The best Blazers in the future may be the ones yet to be drafted.

This is my belief as well.

I'm not as down on Scoot as some others, but I also wasn't as high on him to begin with. His season was interrupted by injuries, but he showed improvement after returning from each absence, so there's that. But I'm still not convinced he'll ever be the kind of three-point shooter that undersized guards need to be to make their presence worthwhile. He could be our long-term starter if he dials in his shot, or he could be our elite sixth man (which all great teams need).

My biggest problem with the team right now is looking at this bunch and trying to see who gets max money. I just don't see two guys on this roster yet who should command that much salary. Ayton has been great -- and contenders will need dominant centers to match up with Denver and eventually San Antonio -- but he doesn't stretch the floor with shooting. Scoot has shown promise, but he doesn't stretch the floor, either. You can't have two max players who don't create spacing for everyone else. That's just a non-starter in today's game. Sharpe is uber-talented, but he lost this season to injury/surgery and we still don't really know who he is.

Most elite teams have lengthy elite players -- and most can stretch the floor with shooting. Portland just doesn't have that yet. Ayton and Scoot (and maybe Sharpe) could very well be permanent fixtures in our long-term core, but I'm convinced that we have yet to draft our best player. It needs to be someone in the frontcourt, and (especially if we roll with Scoot) it needs to be someone who's a knockout shooter. At least one of our max contract players MUST be an elite shooter.

I think the biggest dilemma right now is what to do with Ant. The Blazers should have traded him years ago but didn't, and now he's basically in a Lillard-lite situation where he's too good for a tanking team, and too redundant for our lineup, and not many other teams covet small guards, and it's clear he's going to want out of this situation sooner rather than later. I think time will show that waiting so long to move him was a mistake. I'm less worried about Grant's contract because he's a talented & versatile frontcourt player and someone will eventually want him. But small shooting guards are a dime a dozen and I'm not sure we'd get much in return for Simons at this point.