Did the Blazer roster improve, get worse, or stay about the same as last season?

We are far enough into this season to have some opinions on our new players. How well did Olshey do last off season?

The team salary this season is more than double last season’s. We all know why, and we all probably agree the Blazers are not twice as good. Let’s leave money out of the player comparisons and only rate talent.

Did the talent level on the Blazer's roster improve, get worse, or stay about the same as last season?

1/3 of the roster was replaced, 5 players.

Cliff Alexander vs Jake Layman
Tim Frazer/Brian Roberts vs. Shabazz Napier.
Gerald Henderson vs. Evan Turner
Chris Kaman vs Festus Ezeli
Louis Montero vs Tim Quarterman

Rate anyway you like. Rate each individual player comparison, and/or as a total group comparison.


Yeah, I thought about making a poll, but came up with too many options. If anyone can help me with ideas on how to make this topic into a poll, we can add one.

 

improved in some areas. Weakened in others. Puts us right about the same.

 

The Blazers didn't get much worse they just didn't get much better. While a lot of the other teams in the West got a lot better. This is what mediocre teams get when they have too many untouchables.

 

Stayed about the same. Only one rotation player changed - Henderson to Turner. There has been some internal improvement (Dame, CJ, Harkless) and some internal regression (Davis, Aminu). But the guys who improved were already really damn good (Dame, CJ) or haven't improved enough (Harkless), so the improvement hasn't had much impact. And the guys who regressed were never that good to begin with.

 

I just looked at those and it reminded me that all we really added was Evan Turner. kind of sad. The rest of those guys are pretty much irrelevant and it's a wash with Henderson and Turner; maybe it's an advantage that Turner can handle the ball, but maybe we would be better if we had got a good second string PG instead of Ezeli. BTW, Jarret Jack is holding workouts for clubs interested.

 

The team talent improved very slightly--Turner is better than the outgoing players. The problem is that price of the roster scaled way out of proportion with the improvement and the team lost the illusory gains of the second half of last season.

 

The amount of improvement (which remains to be seen if they even finish above 44 wins) is minimal compared to the massive increase in cost per win. Not the type of ROI one would expect or even hope for.

Cliff Alexander vs Jake Layman - Layman's career consists of basically one massive outburst in his 1st quarter ever and then 2-3 minutes at a time every since about once a week. I don't think Alexander ever had 17 points in a month let alone a quarter so....Advantage Layman.
Tim Frazer/Brian Roberts vs. Shabazz Napier - We have to remember what bff Timmy was in Portland and not what he has done this year. He was a pass first PG who couldn't really shoot but did a good job of getting teammates involved. I'll skip over Roberts to get to Napier who is almost the opposite of Frazier. He is a shoot first PG who rarely finds teammates even when they are wide open but does have the ability to score. Advantage BFF
Gerald Henderson vs. Evan Turner - The biggest contributors out of this list. Henderson was more of a veteran presence and had some attitude that seems to roll down to the younger players. Turner is a more dimensional player but has been on such the negative side of +/- (getting better) that it's tough to put him ahead of Gerald. Advantage Hend0.
Chris Kaman vs Festus Ezeli - One played very little and was a big locker room presence. One may never play. Advantage Sasquatch
Louis Montero vs Tim Quarterman - Best trash talker on the team and owner of a 1.000% shooting percentage in last year's playoffs versus the guy who so far has outscored #1 pick Ben Simmons 16-0. Advantage Montero

 

The only thing I disagree on is the Hendo/Turner. You are judging the second half of Hendo with the first half of Turner. I believe Turner will far exceed Hendo's second half contributions.

 

Apparently, Ezeli has been a big locker room presence.

 

I fixed that for you. Must have been an auto correct or something.

 

Yes, I have judged it by what is and not on what might happen in the future.

 

The first part of your most was the most correctfully correct thing you've said on this board.

I don't think it's because we have "too many untouchables", more so we didn't land the guys we needed and didn't have an avenue to really improve.

 

Nah, Ezeli seems like a good dude. McCollum was just on edge.

 

But you didn't because right now at this time last year, I don't think Hendo had played as game? He came in injured remember? So far in the two years, Turner has vastly outplayed Hendo cause Hendo hadnt played yet.

 

I agree. Just add flames.

 

Perhaps. I'm accounting for leadership (Adv Henderson) as well as Turner's abysmal +/-. Turner has been better in the last week or so and most people go by 'what have you done for me lately'. I'm just trying to take into account other factors besides just offense.

 

And thats where I think our current Turner is still better than the end of Hendo last year. On D.

 

I'm not saying that the team's payroll shouldn't have increased more than the talent did--some of that was unavoidable for the reason you mention. But the unavoidable fact is that the team is worse off this year than last, because they're only barely more talented (and overall worse, because a lot of players who were overperforming their talent regressed) but are far, far less flexible.

 

So, a very minor advantage to the garbage time players (with the exception of Henderson & Turner) of last year vs this year's team.

Not much difference there. I'd say the upgrade to the team has been in the experience end of the equation, where CJ, Dame, and Plumlee seem to have made improvements to their games. Davis has backslid a bit for some reason. Harkless depends on the night. All-in-all, I'd give a slight edge to this year's squad. Now they just have to show it the remainder of the season.