I'm not talking about this year, I'm looking to next. Both Whiteside and Carmello have expressed interest in staying in Portland. I don't know about you but from where I sit, the feeling is not mutual. When I watch the game with both Carmello and Whiteside in and playing, I see no energy. Carmello gets his points and often rebounds but the offense seems to stop when he gets the ball. The more the season progresses, the more "me" mindset I see out of Carmello. I'd rather have guys with more energy and who are more willing to pass and involve others. Whiteside totally fills the stat sheet and admittedly, without him, this season would have been lost long ago. However, as others have pointed out, while he may get his blocks, otherwise he doesn't strike me as a great defender. Not an active mover just an opportunistic mover and blocker. Likewise, I often don't see energy coming from him when pursuing rebounds, etc. I've seen smaller, more active players, get rebounds too often because he doesn't block out well. He has a good feel for where the ball is going and so gets his share but it could be so much more. Random thoughts on other players: CJ - I actually liked some of what I saw tonight with him more involved in passing but have long not been a fan of the Dame/CJ backcourt but I think CJ might actually be a pretty good 6th man leading the second unit. Using this year's crop of players for example, I'd love to see a Dame/Trent Jr starting combo and a Ant/CJ second unit. If the right opportunity came up, I'd love to trade CJ for a good quality SF or someone good but am not willing to trade him just to see him gone. Trent Jr - I really like his emergence. I feel like he has grown into a rotation player and looks like he can build into a solid, dependable role player - probably not a star but a good solid, hard-working guy you want to have on your team. Ant - With all the hype I kept hearing over the summer, I was expecting, and hoping, for more. If I set aside the hype, I have seen growth from last year and he does show flashes but isn't dependable. I don't know that he'll ever be the kind of star that Olshey seemed to be saying he was going to be, but I think he has potential but to me, still needs another year or two to grow. Nas - I like the energy and growth I've seen. Looking forward to continue watching the growth. Gabriel - I think there is some good potential there. Needs some time to learn and grow but a possibility. Would trade him without batting an eye though. Biggie - Better now than I recall him being but still, on a full-fledged roster, he is highly expendable. Ariza - Like what he brings. Be a great rotation guy to keep around for the right price. Mario - If we can trade him great. If not, play him as little as possible please. Just some random thoughts off the top of my head regarding players we have now. Gramps...
decent thoughts gramps...and any time an old man is accused of decent thoughts instead of dirty ones, he should take it and run. I get accused of decent thoughts about once in a never * Melo? do not want back. Especially don't want Portland to pay him more than a minimum. He has worse shooting efficiency than Turner, but a much higher usage rate. I would say Portland can do better than Melo with a minimum contract; but then I remember that the last minimum deals Olshey gave out went to Tolliver, Hezonja, and Gasol. Yeeeeeesh ************************************ * Whiteside? ok, I've defended Whiteside quite a bit and I think the hollow stats argument against him is rather hollow. Blazers have better opponent FG%'s this season in at-the-rim and in the paint that last season, and Whiteside has been on an island. He is also a rebounding machine and Portland needs that that said, Whiteside is rather paint-bound with poor mobility. Rumor is that Whiteside and Meyers got into a slow-twitch contest in July and we're still waiting for them to complete their first set of moves. Whiteside is kind of a dinosaur the NBA has evolved past that in mind, I think Portland has to cap the most they'd give him; and they have to limit the duration to a 1 year deal or a 2-year deal with either a team option or partial guarantee. I wouldn't want to see anything more than the MLE, and maybe even a little below that *********************************** CJ? I've posted miles of text bad-mouthing CJ, and mostly about his fit with Dame, the inefficient role he plays, and his salary. There's a simple solution but the GM won't consider it ******************************************** Ariza? arguably, he's a little better than Harkless...worse on defense, better at offense...and he may even be a little more consistent, although that's debatable. Looking at free agents though it's hard to imagine Portland doing better than Ariza as a SF-sometimes-PF. And he's a trade-worthy contract which Portland may need ***************************************** you didn't mention Zach? personally, I think he's overrated. He's not a good perimeter defender, or shooter, and he's a poor rebounder. Great at help defense, and plays with energy and attitude. Yet, still a role-player. But we know Olshey has cleared the way for Zach to be the starting PF. He probably can't be worse, overall, than Aminu, but he has a ways to go before he's even as good. Problem is he's going to be RFA in 15 months, and if Olshey follows the pattern he set with Meyers and CJ, he'll give Zach a big extension this summer, which won't have been earned ****************************************** Trent - Simons - Little - Gabriel? I like the potential here, although I'd like it more if there was more length. Blazers can afford to roll the dice on development of these guys, and every team needs that kind of potential in the pipeline. One thing to keep in mind is that Trent will be RFA at the same time Zach is, and that's the same season that the Dame/CJ extensions kick in ******************************************** I'm assuming something that may or may not be true: that being that Jody Allen want's Portland to stay out of the tax next season. That leaves the Blazers a tighter margin, but if they hold the line with Whiteside, make a smart MLE signing, and perhaps a BAE signing they should have decent flexibility under the tax line and that includes the leverage of that 7M TPE biggest problem is that they only have two players on the roster next season over 6'8, and both are injured right now. IMO, that makes the trade of Skal even more questionable but maybe his knee is really bad
12 players under contract, assuming Mario and Hood pick up their options and Olshey decides to retain Biggie and Gabriel. Personally I think Mario will hit free agency, and possibly head back to Europe. Hood is practically a guarantee to return. Gabriel is worth developing. Biggies spot probably depends on what they think of Moses, since neither offer much versatility, or what’s out on the market. There will be some solid centers available that should be had for cheap that are also better players than those two. Two unrestricted free agents in Whiteside and Melo. I think they’ll make a legit effort to bring Whiteside back. Not sure on Melo. He’s not going to start anywhere else, and I’m not sure what his market will be. I’d like him back as long as he’s coming off the bench. In the end, I think only one of the two will return. Olshey loves his draft picks and I trust his ability to find players, so ideally we’d use both our picks. I don’t see any major moves outside of that. This was essentially a redshirt season. Make another run at it next year with some minor changes around the edges.
I'd like to think that CJ would accept becoming a bench player and not see it as a demotion, but I don't see it. Besides which, I'm not even sure it would be a good move - I like bench units that function as a unit with their own identity rather than Vinnie Johnson types (old person reference there). I've got to say I have little love for the team as a team as currently constructed. I want Nurk back and like he was before before I make a final judgment, but we may never get that. Of all the players besides Dame, CJ and Nurk, I like what I've seen out of Little. He's got good hustle and boy do we need that. Other than that: I wouldn't shed much of a tear if none of the others returned (although I might keep tabs on one or two). Quick comment on Trent: he makes even Carmelo look like a willing passer. He makes CJ look like Magic Fucking Johnson. The phrase "blinkers on" doesn't even begin to cover it. He puts the effort in on D, but that doesn't mean he's effective. I once compared him to Wesley. I apologize, Wesley.
I prefer a bench that isn't a unit in and of itself, but is a good collection of mix-and-match players that can fit in with groups of starters. I don't like the idea of subbing out the starting unit en masse--I generally think some starters should be on the floor at all times and the bench should be populated with players who can complement two or three starters. In that type of bench, I could see McCollum being able to work as an off-guard with Lillard or as a "point guard" against bench-heavy opposing units that are weak defensively. McCollum isn't a natural play-maker, but he has enough passing ability to do some basic drive-and-kick. I don't think he'd be happy with a bench role, though, even if he got 30+ minutes per game.
I agree with 100% of this, although when you were talking about selfish Carmello, I was sure you were going to coin CarMEllo (which was actually probably coined when he was in elementary school...).
I can only assume that YOU are the one who is joking, sir. He is not fit to shine the shoes of pre-injury Wesley, who was a legitimately great defender and very good spot up shooter-of-threes.
Or like the Steve Kerr/Bob Meyers Warriors years. Or like the Gregg Popovich Spurs years. You're generally good at being so vague that you have plausible deniability, but the invocation of "Bob Whitsitt" is implying that the team should just get as much talent as possible with no thought to chemistry. While I am a big believer in talent (as is everyone in the NBA), my post had nothing to do with ignoring chemistry. Read it again.
Trents 3PT% this season is higher than any of Matthews seasons in Portland (and it’s only trending up as his % the last two months is even higher) and is often getting the toughest defensive assignment when he’s on the court. And he just turned 21. When Matthews was 21 he was still in college.
Sure, yeah, thanks for being so esoteric. The fact is, Portland ain't a San Fran draw, nor has a Pop coach. We are who we are. When you consider location, and state tax rate, it is what it is. Trader Bob brought better talent because he chase n'er do wells. Oh, and he wasn't a"chemistry major".
I wouldn't say he's better yet, but my opinion on Trent has drastically changed since we drafted him. You were right, I was wrong. My main concern was he'd never be a good defender, but he's proven that wrong and is the only player that seems to have committed himself to truly improving defensively. His shooting reminds me of Wes, and he's even shown flashes of a post-game. But the BIGGEST thing with him is that he's improved a ton in terms of getting his shots within the flow of the offense without killing the flow of the offense or making bad decisions. That was my biggest concern of his offensively, and I like the style of play he's played with this season. Still some room for improvement, but he's made enormous strides in the areas I was concerned about. I have no idea where Rasta is coming from with the "Trent has blinders on"... He doesn't get a ton of touches and doesn't take a ton of dribbles with his touches like C.J. does... He shoots a lot of catch and shoot type of shots and can attack closing defenders and make plays here or there attacking the rim. That style of play doesn't result in a lot of passing opportunities for others (especially since Trent is having a ton of defense thrown his way), but to me it seems like Trent usually makes the right pass when it's there. I feel like if he was foreign, Rasta would love him
that's a fairly useless gauge. The same is true for Dame and Larry Bird and Scottie Pippen and Terry Porter and Bill Walton and Wilt Chamberlain and Steve Nash and Tim Duncan and David Robinson and Dwayne Wade and....well the list is a long one. That doesn't mean Trent will pass those guys and it doesn't mean Trent will pass Matthews. And no, he's nowhere as good as prime Matthews right now
You do realize that Wes hadn't even came close to playing in the NBA at Trent's age don't you. Let's see where Trent is at in a few years first before the comparison.
Matthews prime years were when he was 27-28. Trent will reach his ceiling sooner than that. Matthews is his floor imo.
The thing that set Matthews apart is how hard he worked and how he valued doing the little things. I see the same thing from Trent which is something that I haven't valued in evaluating prospects in the past, but am starting to. It's why I'm high on him now. Young players or college prospects that focus hard on doing the little things are more likely to work harder, and especially work harder at the more fine-tuned and detailed aspects of their game. I wish the rest of the team had the same attitude.
exactly...it's a bad comparison because of the gulf in ages and experience. We know where Matthews ended up. We do not know where Trent will end up. I remember when Martell Webster was 20 and his ceiling was Glen Rice or Michael Finley or Paul Pierce. He missed that ceiling by quite a bit I have some optimism for Trent but Matthews established himself having started 750 games and averaging 32 minutes; Trent has started 4 games and averaged 15 minutes. We need to see Trent produce Matthews-like numbers playing against starters for 25-30 minutes a night before anointing him the equal of Matthews
