Newly named- Potential Upside Podcast - Ep 1 is now up- now with less Danforth!

Coming off an awful start to the season and a separated shoulder- he was a train wreck. Since then he's above 40% from 3- with more attempts.

His numbers for the past 6 weeks If there's absolutely, unequivocally something Meyers can do- it's knock down shots. I have no doubt in my mind that he can shoot ~40% for the season. I'm not sure what was going on to start the season, but he has since recovered to shoot the lights out.

 

I actually did the math on his shots, but I'm still pulling numbers on "like" players- but the avg distance for a defender is ~5ft. He has the ball in his hands for 1.23 seconds before shooting, and he take shots on avg around the 11 second mark of the 24sec clock. I'm not certain how that all stacks up against other players- so I'm holding judgment until then. But- the fact that he's a big is the reason he gets those shots and in my mind makes it infinitely more valuable. Whether or not the shot is wide open is of no concern too me- I'm more concerned w/whether or not it goes down. If he continues to shoot 40% for the season, no one is really going to care if he misses a few wide open 3's b/c that probably means he's knocking down some contested ones too.

 

Great podcast...I think your point about blocking shots out of bounds being a dumb move was brilliant. Never heard that discussed before on a basketball forum. Great angle and coaching tip

 

It will definitely be interesting to see if the front office does move him- and what the return is. I'll have to go and run back through the last couple years of trades, but I can't remember too many deals that involved moving an RFA.

 

Realistically- what do you see the Blazers getting in return and what goes out?

 

I actually want CJ for Nerlens Noel, for Meyers (plus more) perhaps look to get an SG replacement - like Fournier from Magic
OR

I sure liked what I saw of Kent Bazemore last night and he is a UFA thus coming summer

 

a quick note on Bazemore... I was doing some basic research on Allen Crabbe and this little gem popped up... why go after Bazemore when you've already got one for less $$?

 

[Old man voice] I remember back when ABC used to show an NBA game on Saturday afternoons (and back in them days, that was the only nationally televised game there was). They had a feature at half time where a player would give skills tips, like Pete Maravich showing ball handling drills, or a player showing how to get a half step on a defender and drive to the basket, stuff like that. I still remember Bill Walton talking about shot blocking, and him making a big point about it. He said if you block it out of bounds, the other team just gets another shot, but if you block it and keep it in bounds, your team has a pretty good chance of coming up with the ball. He was very good at it, often corralling the blocked shot himself. Of course, he probably learned it from John Wooden.... [/Old man voice]

 

Less $$$$? FYI Crabbe is RFA this summer and someone will offer him some significant money, so it comes down to who you prefer? Bazemore or Crabbe? What do your metrics say about who is a better fit for us between those two - for now assume they get paid close to the same this summer.

 

with him being an RFA and Bazemore already out there- plus a couple others who fit that mold- teams will have to overpay for Crabbe. That's almost always the case with RFAs - that's the reason that provision was put in place. I'm doing some research on Crabbe over the weekend and then seeing how it all stacks/adds up. But from a cursory look- Crabbe is the better option for a couple reasons: 1) price 2) he's younger 3) room for growth 4) familiar with the system & culture (reasons in no particular order) I'll know a bit more once I take a look at how he stacks up this year and any comparative growth curves

 

maybe just should have called it the <3 Meyers Podcast.

 

EW.

 

why do you keep saying "price"? a ton of teams will have tons of capspace and someone will offer Crabbe likely a similar amount to Bazemore - so lets get that out of the way, yes the Blazers can match but they would still have to pay him whatever the other team offered. As far as growth look what Bazemore has done the past year year especially, sometimes players are late bloomers and he looks to be one.

 

Just because teams have cap space doesn't mean they're going to blow it all this year. Nor does every team need a 3/D SF- and there are other options out there to be had- Batum, Barnes, Parsons, Green, Deng... there's a lot of them out there that have filled that role for a longer period and may be a bit more attractive... so I'm not going to just "get that out of the way..." Yes- I know how RFA works, how often do RFAs change teams? How many RFAs actually sign an offer sheet? It's not all that often. Bazemore has done well, but that's my point- Crabbe is playing well, he's younger and has MORE room for growth potential. Crabbe will get paid, but he won't get paid the same $$$ as the other guys- that's why I said price.

 

How so? Please, explain.

 

I would alsao like to add to thsi... though maybe off topic... that players CAN develop after deveral years in the leauge. For those that think some of our players like Meyers have reached thier peack I have one name. Paul Millsap.

Bounced around mediocrity with several teams for seven years.. Then became a two time all star, looking for his third...

It can happen. Vonleh could break out a couple years from now into an all star.
Crabbe too for that matter...

 

Absolutely- there have been the occasional player or two that makes a jump a bit later- Jimmy Butler is kind of in that mode, as is Draymond. Although they improved probably a bit quicker than what you're talking about- they just both popped into my head. Millsap is actually one of those players who had a very definable skill set- rebounding (led the nation in college) and that skill almost always translates to the NBA. He took it upon himself to add a little something to his game year after year. Interestingly enough, reminds me of another former Jazz player- Wes Matthews. Wes came in as a defender. No 3 & D there- just defense through and through. He added 3pt range over the course of a year and 1/2. Then he worked on his ball handling, next came the evolution in the post game, and finally an off the dribble move that allowed him to get to the rim. Those guys are rare as could be but they're worth their weight in gold. If Meyers developed that type of mentality it would be amazing- but I'm of the belief that you're either born with that other-worldly drive or you're not.

I think you're onto something with Crabbe though. Vonleh, there's just not enough of him yet that I can pin down a skill that gets him on the court night in and night out beyond this year- I'm hopeful, but nothing really jumps out yet.