Free Agent Thread

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Scalma, Jul 9, 2021.

  1. blazerkor

    blazerkor Well-Known Member

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    If he's giving it his all... it just isn't good enough after treading water for almost a decade, with a fluke run to the WCF that was proven a fluke when we got swept out. The fact is Neil should have been fired a long time ago so he needs to do a lot more than the status quo and he just hasn't so far this off season. You can put that on the location of the franchise but in public Neil has made that an excuse. In what way does that help the problem? This dumbass shouldn't be reinforcing the supposed prejudice that NBA players have against Portland, he should be selling the idea that it's a great place live and play. The reason why he is giving into that narrative is that he's either tired of getting told no (in which case fire his ass) or he likes it as an excuse for the fact that he just can't land quality free agents (again that should get his ass fired).

    So it doesn't matter to me if he's trying or not, if we don't get significantly better from the moves he makes this off season and early season, he will have cost us Dame. I wish and hope he's fired before Dame goes but any way you cut it the guy shouldn't still be here. That's not hate, he just hasn't done what it takes to have ten years as the GM of our team.
     
  2. blazerkor

    blazerkor Well-Known Member

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    I would not have any more patience. Ten years basically in the exact same place is just completely unacceptable unless that place is in the Finals every year. So even if Dame hadn't put his cards on the table, I wouldn't be giving Olshey the benefit of the doubt because he threw the guy under the bus that he'd been touting as one of the best coaches in the game for 9 years. That's been his big move this off season and it's not enough. Getting a player to re-sign on a good deal and then filling the bench with a bunch of very mediocre bench players is not enough. He has to make a move or moves that show he isn't going to continue to let this team be mired in making the playoffs just to make an early exit.
     
  3. Mr. Robot

    Mr. Robot Well-Known Member

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    theres literally no way he trades cj mccollum unless he gets commitment from dame, its too much of a risk, cause it can happen that dame bolts even if we trade for simmons or siakam and that would mean rebuild

    but if we trade dame, we can still remain playoff team for years and like i said, ownership is good with that

    i believe neil olsheys strategy lays entirely on if dame is willing to commit to this team long term
     
  4. tykendo

    tykendo Don't Tread On PDX

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    I've got to believe the Olympic experience, while ending on a high note, and full of new friendships, showed him what it's like to play on a team with a ball dominant superstar. And i doubt he really enjoyed it that much. He's an Alpha. I don't see him changing that just to get a ring, when ,yes he got the medal but, all the media says (which matters to him) is that Durant won the gold for them. Yes Kevin performed the best offensively, but he also got a ton of shots to stay in rhythm . I don't see Dame going to a team to jock hang to a title. He wants to LEAD a team to the title.
     
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  5. SlyPokerCat

    SlyPokerCat cats rool dogs drool

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    No, it is not. It is his job to improve the team. Obviously Dame is frustrated himself to take it to the media before leaving with Team USA. That interview didn't sound like someone cool with the roster Neil built. Dame talking about us not getting some of the targets we went after didn't make me feel warm and cozy either.

    Neil has had 9 years to built a contender. He hasn't. That deserves criticism. Not acknowledging that shows homerism.
     
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  6. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

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    wonder if there were any incentives in Norm's deal

     
  7. tykendo

    tykendo Don't Tread On PDX

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    They were contending the year Nurk was in Beast Mode. Before the gruesome injury. The additions Neil made at trade deadline, were heralded by the Nat'l Media. Those additions ,Kanter & Hood, paid off. They got to the WCF. In a series, sans Nurk, that they lead in every game a majority of the minutes, only to be unable to finish the Warriors off in each game. If Nurk doesn't get hurt, that team potentially may win it all. That's a contender. So Neil did build a contender. And the Nat'l Media acknowledged as much that year.
     
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  8. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

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    This has been our offseason so far.

    Out:
    - Stotts
    - Melo
    - Kanter
    - Giles
    - Collins
    - RHJ
    - Blevins
    - Leaf


    In:
    - Billups
    - Zeller
    - McLemore
    - Snell
    - Brown III
    - Watford

    Would you say we got better?
     
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  9. Mediocre Man

    Mediocre Man Mr. SportsTwo

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    No
     
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  10. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

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    We lost a lot of scoring and rebounding, and I don't think the defensive upgrades balance that out.

    It's like Neil wants Dame to leave.
     
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  11. damianlillard

    damianlillard Well-Known Member

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    Nope. Even though I believe that Billups will be a better coach than Stotts, we are still relying too much on him to make this miracle run. Our bench is losing the scoring and rebounding advantage. Our defensive “upgrades” are average at best. We gotten smaller. But I will say that I think Simons will have a great year in term of scoring and shooting. And Little has a prime chance of breaking out. He easily can if he can stay healthy and play his game
     
  12. RR7

    RR7 Well-Known Member

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    A lot will obviously depend on Billups. Otherwise, I wouldn't say we necessarily got better, just different.
     
  13. tykendo

    tykendo Don't Tread On PDX

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    I was responding to whether Neil has ever built a contender. For that 1 year, he did. Now i'm not all enamored with what he's done so far, at all. But from what i've read, he has tried. And Dame said as much in his last presser. I'm sure Dame is still frustrated, but maybe not as much at Neil, cause he tried, but the players Dame tried to recruit, and Neil tried to sign, said no. As frustrated as we are in Blazer Nation, i'm sure Dame, Neil & his Staff are more so.
     
  14. SlyPokerCat

    SlyPokerCat cats rool dogs drool

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    We had zero chance against the Warriors. Get real.

    Also, what matters most is how Dame feels. And it is pretty evident we are on borrowed time unless something big happens.
     
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  15. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

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    Dame / Simons
    CJ / McLemore
    Powell / Little / Snell
    Roco / Jones / Brown / Watford
    Nurk / Zeller

    The WCF team (as built, prior to Nurk injury):

    Dame / Curry
    CJ / Turner / Trent
    Harkless / Hood / Layman
    Aminu / Collins / Skal
    Nurk / Kanter

    Our current roster is horribly unbalanced both positionally and skill-wise and no clear talent upgrades over the WCF team (hell, even that starting 5 then, had a ridiculously high net rating, but with a far better bench). This current roster is a play-in team in the west. With injury luck and Chauncey finding his footing, maybe a 5th seed, 47 win team.

    Maybe Olshey is expecting Nas to take a leap, which is possible considering how much better Keldon Johnson got with PT last year. Maybe Nurk balls out in a contract year. Maybe CJ sustains his hot start from last year for longer this year. Maybe Powell re-discovers how to make corner threes. And maybe our bench won't be the defensive sieve it was last year.

    Or maybe.... this roster construction is shit and our FO and ownership are content with being a fringe contender who just gets to the playoffs this year.
     
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  16. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

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    So you agree that this is a cause for concern? Our roster this year is considerably worse from the one that won 53 games made the WCFs.
     
  17. tykendo

    tykendo Don't Tread On PDX

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    Did you watch us with Healthy Nurk against them? They had no answer for him, at all.
     
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  18. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

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    If this is really the final roster, it's clear that Neil is expecting Nas and Simons to take a leap this year. I think that faith is misplaced. Maybe if we had another couple years, but we need to make a MAJOR leap next year. I just don't see it.
     
  19. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

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    they were toying with us when they didn't have durant. it's delusional to think we had any shot against that team even if healthy.
     
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  20. RR7

    RR7 Well-Known Member

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    I have a hard time believing the derozan stuff, when the initial me turn is GS in a "complicated " S&T.
    GS is only 5 million away from the apron when you just include their top 4 contracts. There's no way they could work out a S&T with Oubre.
     

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