We had 3 huge weaknesses on defense: Dame, CJ and the coach. Dame has improved immensely towards the end of the sesson (i'm expecting an MVP type season from him) and the coach, thank god, is gone... So we're left with CJ who plays big minutes and is a liability but otherwise it's a big improvement. I think Neil should target a starting SF. Someone like Otto Pofter who could be a bargain if he stays healthy or Pascal Siakam as the Raptors are rebuilding. I would need Siakam AND CJ to contend so Neil would have to be creative with making a package. I have a feeling Neil has something to prove and this will be s busy summer
My feeling is he does not give a monkey about proving anything. CJ, him and Stotts are fat cats. They can do nothing at all and they be good. Olshey just want to make another year of payment (cos why not). As a fanbase we all been scammed badly.
kind of impossible to arrive at any conclusion without knowing who the coach is or what the roster looks like besides that, I remember a whole bunch of declarations prior to this season how this year's team was the best and most talented team in the Stolshey era. It might not have even been top-3
Well, if you go with the theory that admitting there’s a problem is halfway to fixing it, then I guess there’s reason for hope. Changing coaches and going with a bigger emphasis on defense should be a step in the right direction. OTOH, when your GM insists that the roster had nothing to do with the fact that the Blazers finished 29th on defense, and said GM re-signed both Kanter and Melo, and didn’t make a move to ditch CJ, it does give one pause as to how genuine the recognition of the problems is.
Melo and Kanter were a huge part of the defensive problem as well; Melo needs to be gone and Kanter gone or out of the rotation. They need to break up the DameCJ duo. The offense worked great with two way role players such as Powell/Roco/Nurk and Simons offense off the bench. We don't need CJ's offensive skills on Dame's team, its a waste. We need two way contributors up and down the roster to complement Dame.
What I want to see is something we haven't seen enough of.....a starting core with an identity...no more 19 starting lineups before the playoffs looking for chemistry but having a team personality with the same 5 guys who always start providing they are healthy...I think it's been our defensive liability for a long time...your starters should unquestionably be your starters without constantly shaking it up. A defensive string starts with a group that plays together without second guessing where they need the ball or when to double team, etc....and if I'm the new coach, CJ is the six man period....unless he's traded for a two way 2 guard. Ball movement comes with roster confidence. Last time we had that identity was with LA, Wes, Dame, Nico and Rolo
I don't think you appreciate how good an offensive player CJ is. There was talk of trading him for f'ing Aaron Gordon, that's bull. CJ isn't the problem and trading him for an Aaron Gordon type of player isn't the solution. CJ is a legit starter on a chsmpionship team. So is Nurk and obviously Dame. RoCo? Maybe, if you consider J Crowder one and Powell for the Raptors came off the bench. Now if you're asking me who is the Mikael Bridges? The guy to come out of nowhere and be a championship-caliber starter? I say its Otto Porter. Sign him Neil!
The Blazers are not going to surround Dame with top tier talent over the next 3 years unless they do what other contenders have done and eat the luxury tax to pay for all nba players to come here...as it is to stay out of the tax we pay 3 guys and look for blue light specials on aisle 7 to trim the payroll...2nd round pickland...the money is there if they want to swing for the fences...we'll see how much of a priority winning really is this offseason...the Lakers sure flopped relying on 2 superstars to carry a team of role players
what? when has money ever been an issue when trying to bring in top tier talent in Portland? There's still this thing called the CBA. It's not like Jody can legally offer Lebron 100 mil to come here. The only reason to get under the tax line last year is because we can't avoid the tax this year, and being a repeater makes it even more difficult to make moves. We had the highest payroll in the league just one year ago and are consistently in the top 10.
Only if this season goes south and they blow it up. But getting out of the tax in 20-21 made a ton of sense. If we do well next season, the team will go into the repeater. If they fumble out of the first round again, huge changes are coming, and that probably includes trading Dame. Also lux tax is calculated at the end of the season. The Blazers will have until the trade deadline of the 22-23 season to decide whether or not they want to be a repeater team.
I understand that....I forgot about the repeater tax but it seems to me we may have spent as much as other teams under the cap but we were still Kmart shopping ...we overpaid some blue light specials along the way. Meyers and ET, Crabbe, etc...I'm talking about what to do to improve with CJ and Dame eating up a huge chunk of our payroll.....so now we have to pay Norm and next season Nurk....Olshey didn't budget very well since 2016..
when you moving to LA? they may have broken Lebron and AD winning that chip but...I was referencing this year....not last year...they weren't the same team roster wise either...because y'know....money
If we failed this year and won last year I wouldn't call it a failure if it was because they got injured. la sucks. Visited several times, have never liked it. Which is sad cause I always wanted to live in socal. San Diego would be nice.
I think he could be a legit starter on a championship team. As long as he is option #3 and he is paid appropriately so that other money can go to defensive bigs that cover up his defensive shortcomings.
