Tough call but yeah I think I would rather roll the dice with Victor. Yes, Embiid is a sure thing when healthy....but will he continue to be healthy as he gets older? He played in a total of 31 games in his first 3 seasons due to the dreaded foot injury for big men. Lot of weight on those feet. (around 280) He is 10 years older than Wembanyama and yes Victor will eventually have a major injury but I think if they keep his weight down around 230 it could help. Play him at PF except maybe at the end of games.
The athleticism and fluidity of movement is insane with this guy. I've got to keep telling myself that we aren't getting him, so if we do win the lotto it's a happy surprise and if the more likely happens, it's not a disappointment.
Orlando up by more than 20 in the final minutes of the first half. I know it's the NBA and everyone makes a run but it looks like Orlando will handle their business and we'll stay in 5th for now.
I don't think you suffer through the losing that this team has to take chances. I think Shae has played his last game of the season. They would be stupid to keep him active.
Today was a major mistake. We already lost full control of the #5 odds. We're one game from being 8th.
Not true. We have 33 wins, less than Orlando, Indy, or Washington. We control our destiny for sole possession of the 5th slot.
we still have full control over #5. this isn't the playoff race where we need to focuses on losses. look at wins. we have 33. everyone has at least one more than us. as long as we lose out, we get 5.
Copy. So had we lost today, we could've still dropped the Spurs game and been in full control over #5? I'm not sure why I'm supposed to think that us winning helped our odds at finishing 5th.
Copy, that makes sense, I was only looking at the L's. We still lost a game cushion today over Indiana though, right?
That was what I was hoping for and now I really think the team has to shut Shaedon down @inconceivable he is too good on both ends and he gets better every game. He could also get better every training session with Phil Beckner this off-season. I don't think four games will determine how ready he is to contribute to wins next season but if he does what he did tonight and leads this team to more wins we could easily see that 5 spot turn into a split of the odds 5-8 and a few coin flips and some really unlucky pingpong balls away from as low as the 12th pick in the draft. Think about suffering through the BS of this season just to end up with the 12th pick because our team wasn't/isn't smart enough to really put tanking first. I'm actually kind of pissed that we won today. It's bushleague to win the first game after you've been mathematically eliminated from the play-ins.
Winning didn't help. There are 3 teams with only 1 more win (34) than the Trail Blazers (33) , Indiana, Orlando and Washington. If the Trail Blazers lose the rest of the games, @Memphis, @San Antonio, @LA Clippers, home against Golden State, then they are guaranteed ending at 5th from the bottom without a tie. However, it's possible one of these three teams will go winless. If that happens, and the Blazers beat San Antonio, there would be a tie. Remaining schedules Indiana - only 1 likely win --------- Knicks Detroit @Knicks Washington only 1 "certain" win --------------- Bucks @Hawks Miami Houston Orlando - no certain wins ---------- Cleveland Cleveland @brooklyn @MiAmI
Totally disagree, I'd keep starting Shaedon. Kid was in high school last year and needs game reps. Blazers are starting one of the worst rosters in the league, if they win some more than so be it, somebody has to play. They start a 25 year old scrub Skylar Mays with a career 3ppg, he gets 13pt 9ast on 6/9... Most opponents aren't as pathetic as the Wolves.
Actually, Shaedon's defense is still very underwhelming (which it should be at this point; he's 19). Maybe we don't shut him down, but we just don't let him cross halfcourt after a defensive possession? Best of both worlds! He gets more defensive reps while costing us points, but can't "hurt" us with his rapidly improving offensive confidence and assertiveness.
If we win some more then so be it?!? SMFH. So we endured this shit storm of a season just to potentially slip from the 5th spot in the lotto to the 8th because Shae needs to play 4 more games out of what would be 80 this season? I hope Joe has a lot more perspective than you. Risk vs reward man, come on!
100% disagree. The advantage to starting Sharpe in a couple meaningless regular season games does not outweigh the added advantage of getting the #1 pick (or even the trade value of a higher pick). I don't believe the Blazers can tell Sharpe or Billups to lose on purpose, so because they won the Minnesota game, they need to shut Sharpe down until they have a full 1.5 game cushion.
