Free Agent Chinanu Onuaku, Cameron Oliver, Gary Payton II agree to Training Camp Deals with Portland

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by BonesJones, Sep 3, 2018.

  1. Chris Craig

    Chris Craig (Blazersland) I'm Your Huckleberry Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    I'm liking Cam Oliver
     
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  2. lawai'a

    lawai'a Well-Known Member

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    as one of those advocating more ball movement/assists, and josef in the high post, i liked very much the passing, vision and willingness to make the extra one displayed by Onuaku in his g league highlights.
     
  3. TorturedBlazerFan

    TorturedBlazerFan Well-Known Member

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    Hey was watching the mailbag video about evan turner, and I had a wanted to make a couple comments. I 'might' trade ET and Simons basically to get rid of ET, even without a deal in place. My reasoning is I think they're better when he's not playing but if he's here apparently they're going to keep playing him. Most of your arguments as to why they shouldn't do that are good ones. I just really think they're better without him. Now simons is interesting and it'd hurt but he's not going to make them better this year either. Just throwing it out there, been watching the video's good stuff.
     
  4. Chris Craig

    Chris Craig (Blazersland) I'm Your Huckleberry Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    ET will be with the Blazers another year. He will become tradeable next season (19-20) when he is expiring. Until then the Blazers are trying to make the best of it. Put a bunch of shooters around him, and let him be the playmaker.
     
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  5. tester551

    tester551 Well-Known Member

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    ET could be tradeable...
    It would have to be an equally bad contract, but hopefully a better fit. I'm thinking someone like Ryan Anderson
     
  6. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    Just because we signed shooters doesn't mean it's wise to start shedding our best defenders....
     
  7. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    I could see why Portland would do it, but not Phoenix. Anderson expires after this season.

    Edit. Nevermind. Was wrong. But he’d still be making less next year than Turner.
     
  8. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    The one team I keep going back to as the only hope, when it comes to trading Turner, is Minnesota.
     
  9. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    If he plays, he makes more than Turner. It's only his guarantee that is less than Turner's salary, and only by three million, and that's only relevant if they waive him.
     
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  10. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    Me too!
     
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  11. blue9

    blue9 Well-Known Member

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    So basically Ed Davis...but not undersized.
     
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  12. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

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    I think Onuaku's upside is a potential Ed Davis type of back up center. His advanced stats from his two years in the G League compare favorably to Ed's two best NBA seasons. Of course, that's against G League competition, but Onuaka is only 21 and Ed didn't reach his full potential until he was 25 - 26 years old.

    I like both Onuaku and Oliver as camp invites. I suspect at least one, and maybe both, are legitimate potential 2-way signings.

    BNM
     
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  13. UKRAINEFAN

    UKRAINEFAN Well-Known Member

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    Two more raw big men with decision making problems; wouldn't it help to have a second big man coach?
     
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  14. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

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    Or even a first one?

    BNM
     
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  15. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    A lot (maybe even most) teams don’t have a specialized big man coach. It’s usually a collective effort. A coach should be able to coach all types of players. Popovich is the main guy off the top of my head with this philosophy.
     
  16. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

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    Yeah, and how's that working for POR? Stotts <> Popovich.

    Name one big man who has shown significant improvement in POR since Kim Hughes was fired, especially on the offensive end. How's Meyer's doing (regressed after Hughes was fired)? How did Vonleh do (never developed a single, repeatable low post move)? How much better did Collins and Swanigan look on the offensive end in their second summer league that their first (Collins still struggled offensively and Swanigan regressed)? Nurk regressed offensively in his first full season in POR. He looked much better during Nurk Fever as an out of shape DEN cast off. I'm not seeing any success stories here, are you?

    Yes, not everyone thinks a dedicated big man coach is required, but when what you're doing isn't working, it's time to try something new. Terry and Neil thought hiring Kim Hughes was a good idea at the time. So, why is a proven dedicated big man coach verboten now, especially when we have a roster full of young big men who continue to struggle, especially on the offensive end?

    In addition to Kim Hughes turning Chris Kaman and DeAndre Jordan into all stars (yeah, I know Jordan didn't become an all star until after Hughes left, but it was Hugh's work with DeAndre Jordan that set the foundation and turned a 2nd round pick into a legitimate NBA starting center), Bob Thorton in MEM turned Marc Gasol, another 2nd round pick, into a multi-time all star, DPOY and one of the best big men in the game. He also helped a veteran Zach Randolph become a more complete player.

    I guess I just don't understand what the downside would be (other than Neil admitting he shouldn't have fired Kim Hughes). No cap hit, no tax hit, you can have an many coaches as you want and pay them whatever you want. So, why not hire a proven big man coach to teach some of our young bigs some solid, dependable low post moves and a few more tricks of the trade. They clearly aren't getting that from the current coaching staff. Our staff has done a GREAT job developing guards, but they have failed miserably when it comes to developing our big men. Time (past time, actually)to try a different approach.

    BNM
     
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  17. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    “Nurk regressed.”

    Where? His stats were almost identical, he just played fewer minutes. His post all star numbers this year were actually superior, on both ends, to his “Nurk fever” run the previous season.

    Zach spent one season in college, as a backup, and turned into a contributor on a playoff squad as a 19 year old. But let me guess, coaches don’t get credit for that right?

    Swanigan barely played, I don’t know how you can come to any sort of conclusion on him. And athletically speaking, maybe he just doesn’t belong in the NBA. Coaches aren’t magicians.

    SUMMER LEAGUE though? That’s your argument? Won’t even entertain that.

    Meyers is mental midget, he’s probably the only one that needed a babysitter.
     
  18. TorturedBlazerFan

    TorturedBlazerFan Well-Known Member

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    Nurk didn’t regress overall but the first of the year we wasn’t good, he came back to form by the end of the year and looked like the same guy they got last year. Ed Davis came to Portland with the same exact skill set he left with. Meyers well he’s Meyers. Plumlee didn’t get better here. Zach might be good someday, and he has contributed on defense but his stats are about as unimpressive as they get, were all hoping he gets better.
    Vonleh has a couple good months with Nurkic last year.

    However I don’t believe since Hughes was fired there’s a single big we can look at and say he’s gotten noticeably better at something during his time here.
     
  19. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    and if Kim Hughes is so good, why is he unemployed?

    Who is the best big man coach in the NBA? Is there one? Can you name him without google?
     
  20. blue9

    blue9 Well-Known Member

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    So rather than naming a big that showed significant improvement, or offering an answer in regards to the downside of a big-man coach, your argument rests on questioning tangential evidence?
    To quote someone: "That’s your argument? Won’t even entertain that."
     

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