Cavs beat writer Sam Amico big fan of Blazers

Yes, but burning our starters out for so many minutes per night because we have no bench is a terrible thing. We'd still need to rely on our starters to provide big minutes and big moments, but we wouldn't need to rely on them each and every game, just for the opportunity to win. When you have a bench, it's much easier for the team to recover from one of the starters having an off-night.

 

i understand, its just not as automatic as some people think. any minutes a bench guy takes are going to be downgrades from our starters, and upgrades from our current bench...to what degree will determine the effectiveness.

just a thought, like i said

 

Apparently this draft has a few shooting guard prospects. I haven't watched one of them, so who knows if they're going to be any good? As for a current NBA player? I don't know to be honest. If Rip Hamilton wasn't 53 I think he'd play well next to Lillard, so if you can find a guy who sort of fits that profile -- a tall order I know -- I'd try to sign or trade for that kind of guy. A definitely less ideal approach, would be to try and get somebody like Tyreke Evans and convince him to be a sixth-man scorer; somebody that comes off the bench with carte blanche to shoot and drive as often as he wants for 20-25 minutes per game ... his lack of outside shooting and ball-dominating ways would be a terrible fit with Lillard though and I'm not sure what kind of teammate he would be after his ruinous run in Sacramento. he might be unsalvageable.

 

I'd be fine with Ellis as a 6th man, but I certainly wouldn't start him over Wes. And Crawford will never play for the Blazers again.
I don't think Lou is available. Seems like PHI really likes him. But I don't pay too much attention, so perhaps I'm wrong here.

I doubt Klay is available. And none of the others should start ahead of Wes. Some of them may be fine bench players (though I'm not too familiar with Henderson - maybe he's worthy as a starter on a Playoff team?).

I thought Nik's suggestion was to find a new starting SG. And looking at the talent around the league I just don't see any viable candidate. Was hoping there might be someone I'm not familiar with.

 

You just need "decent." Not guys that probably should or could be starting for other teams or guys that are going to chafe if they don't get starters minutes.

The ideal is five clear cut starters backed up by three or four solid backups (a point guard or combo guard, a wing and forward-center) and then round out the rest with some aged vets and a couple of young developmental guys. I don't expect the team to ever achieve that ideal, but it's something to shoot for if you want to maximize team chemistry, clarify roles and get the most bang for your buck.

 

As much as I don't like Evans' game, I think this might be our best scenario. I'd take Evans over Ellis as a 6th man, but wouldn't take either of them as a starter.

 

I don't think they necessarily have to take big minutes from the starters (and let's face it.... our starters often go through big droughts, too, so that's an opportunity to rest them).

If we had signed Hibbert (or Asik, or were to sign Pek or someone else), and still had Hickson (though we wouldn't have kept both last year)...... You have a solid 3-man rotation at the 4/5. Then you have a young guy or two trying to fight for PT after that.

As has been said, add a solid 2/3 that can create for himself..... I think we'd be far better.

 

Doesn't have to be a starter necessarily. I mean if you could find a guy that can eclipse Wesley in the draft then awesome, but even if it was just a super-sub, sixth-man, scoring type of guy, that could really bolster a completely anemic bench and give this team another guy who can get his own shot.

 

I think anyone we bring in (outside of a blockbuster trade) would basically be roughly even to Matthews. So they could start or they could come off the bench.

Redick for example is having a slightly better year than Matthews. Not that I would bench Matthews for him necessarily, he would be great coming off the bench.

 

I think Evans would be bomb as a sixth man here in PDX.

 

i actually think tyreke would look good with lillard for 15 mpg or so, and get him some nice open looks off penetration

he is shooting at career highs this year 470/360 and is having the best season since he was a rookie, contract push maybe, but his USG is also at a career low...maybe he is finally figuring it out, ive been keeping an eye on him, and he looks like a different player than the previous scouting report on him

 

i dont disagree, just saw a few people lauding the starters as world beaters come to the hypothesis that a bench would merely add to that, when it would likely detract from the starters stats to an extent

 

You know I actually don't mind Wesley as the starting two guard ... if he's your fifth best starter I think you can live with his deficiencies, because he shoots well on the catch and he plays pretty good defense. But if you keep him as a starter then this team really does need a sixth-man wing scorer that can come in and relieve Lillard and create offense without being setup by somebody else.

 

Jesus, you guys are really starting to talk me into Evans. Does this mean I have to start watching the Kings on league pass? FML.

 

Given that some here want a better starting SG, and it doesn't look likely that the team will find a starting 2, maybe they should start looking for a starting 3. Move Nic to SG. At least that would open up some other opportunities.

That said, I'm not unhappy with Wes as our starting 2.

Go Blazers

 

Word. He might just shine in this environment.

 

Nic is about as prototypical for the small forward position as you are going to get and after that big contract they just gave him, my guess is that they want him to be a three for a long time.

Anyway, I'm not sure the idea is to "replace" Wesley as the starting 2 guard as much as it is to find another wing scorer to play 25-30 minutes a night, so Damian isn't the only guy on this squad who can run a reliable pick and roll or isolation play.

 

This.

I like Wes and what he brings. I've seen people bag on him and suggest we need a different SG, but I don't agree (of course, if Drexler were 20 years younger, or Roy were healthy, you'd take them). I just think we need some more depth at the position, and some scoring off the bench. Whether that person starts and pushes Wes to the bench, or is simply a scorer off the bench..... We just need some depth.

 

FTFY