Zombie Fire Olshey

There needs to be roster changes as well. But we can fire Stotts now. Then tell Hollins we're gonna hire him in the offseason.

 

Again. I'm not opposed to firing Stotts -- this is at least partly his responsibility, and it's always easier to get rid of a coach than it is to blow up a team -- but what makes you think Lionel Hollins has any answers? The front-court is a shambles. We have two ball-dominant guards who are negative defenders and together form an undersized tandem. Lionel Hollins can't change their deficiencies of talent and size.

 

None of them are the reason the Blazers are struggling--they're just not important enough to overcome the extreme overpays Olshey handed out to Turner, Crabbe and, most egregiously, Leonard.

 

Like I just said...... There needs to be roster changes.....

 

Would we be thinking the same thing if we trade CJ for a star and those guys start contributing more?

Turner and Crabbe are overpays now but will look much better next year. If we do not pay the tax this year, I still do not have a problem with their contracts.

Our problem IMO is CJ and Lillard simply should not be in a starting lineup together. Too many shots between two guys and needs to be supported with defensive studs. This cannot be addressed till the end of the month at earliest.

 

No, but I don't expect them to start contributing significantly more. I think Crabbe and Leonard, while young, are extremely limited players and I don't personally expect that to change much because Crabbe hasn't improved much (by the numbers) over his years in the NBA and Meyers is actually regressing.

Turner has a much broader set of skills but, unfortunately, without a shot, his value takes a major hit and he is what he is--he's not young enough to expect any major changes to his game. As I've said before, he's basically our Shaun Livingston, but makes like 4 times as much.

I don't agree that their contracts will look "much" better next year. They'll look slightly better next year, as the cap bumps up a bit, but they'll still be grossly overpaid. They'll need to improve hugely for their contracts to look like anything but albatrosses, in my opinion.

If you feel that they're going to improve hugely (after a McCollum trade that you expect) then I understand your optimism. I don't see it, though.

Well, we agree about this, mostly due to the defensive issues they create. I'm skeptical that Olshey will deal either Lillard or McCollum, but I'm certainly willing to wait and see.

 

Cho > Olshey

 

This is going to be an interesting next month, or so. Olshey can't just sit on his hands. His job is in jeopardy IMO after he spent all this money in the summer for not much production. There's going to be some moving and shaking, or Olshey can kiss his ass goodbye.

#2 highest salary in the league and we can't beat scrub teams on an East Coast road trip. Its not going to get any easier.

 

Such a small sample size with Cho in Portland. Sounds like he wasn't a YES man and didn't have enough of a dynamic personality to tickle Paul Allen's fancy.

 

I'll start complaining after the trade deadline, or at least after our "targets" start getting traded elsewhere. So far neither has happened.

 

Funny how the mood of this board has changed. People that were giving me shit earlier about Olshey have turned on him!

 

If Allen is going to fire Olshey, let's hope it's well before the draft unlike what happened with KP.

 

Neil be like...



*regular season

 

Early adopters always look a little silly.

 

I've been an Olshey fan until he panicked this offseason and started overpaying guys that he had a crush on.

 

Where is Denny to explain to us how great Neil is and how "any GM worth their salt" would have made these same moves?

 

I think when Neil's time here is eventually up (whenever that is) you are going to hear from a lot of people who are close to or cover the team and those things are not going to be very kind. Over and over I hear muted to almost livid comments about him and how he deals with people, how he doesn't like Portland, how he really wants to be back in a big city (loves LA) and how he has people that cover the team scared for their jobs.

 

A question that has to be asked is whether Paul Allen perhaps told Olshey to re-sign our guys no matter what cost as he was vert emotional in that locker room speech he gave, I am not trying to let Olshey off the hook but do wonder hw much influence PA had?

 

That last bit is interesting. Are you talking reporters or people on the payroll? I guess I'm surprised Woj hasn't done a piece.