Game Thread 2024-25 GAME #15 - BLAZERS @ THUNDER - NOVEMBER 20, 2024 - 5:00 PM PST - KATU - CHARGE - BV

Not sure I agree with this any longer. Grant is looking like he fits better and he is the veteran presence the team needs.

 

They need to figure out if they want him for the 3 years after this season then. If not then why keep him?

 

Kind of where I'm at right now. The contract is fine. in a couple years it will be even better. He does exactly what he is supposed to do and he is a veteran presence. He doesn't bring drama and is a decent all around guy. He was the one last night to take the shot on Caruso when that needed to happen. He seems fine with the rebuild because he knows he is getting paid. He guards 1-4 and he does it well. Long good defender that can get his own shot.

Grant might be exactly what this team needs right now.

 

I think the Blazers will be a top 5 defense within the next few years, but their offense will be mediocre at best.

 

I see him as a Kiki Vandeweghe type who is older, valuable in the right trade for the right piece, but should probably stay until the kids are on more solid footing. He will not be on this team when it's making pushes into the WCF, but his contribution will be valuable until then.

 

Jerami just needs to buy in, which I suppose he’s kind of doing. It’s sad we had to wait this long for him to actually try and be a team player, but I’ll take it for now.

 

You blame him for not buying in the last two years when the goal was to lose? I don't blame any vet for that.

 

How do you know he didn’t or has not already?
Where are you getting your information from?

 

The offense was so bad with Ayton/Simons that it couldn't get much worse. We're the worst offensive in the NBA by multiple metrics with and without them.

Ayton just isn't a valuable starter.

Simons though was way worse offensively this season than other years. He either has off court stuff bothering him, coaches putting him in bad spots, or just a small sample size funk.

I'd think there is a way to get him back being much more productive on offense. Obviously as you say he'll always have defensive deficiencies.

But what is the point of having Ant pulling this offense up a point or two? He'll be on an expiring contract next summer. We have no need for an extra couple wins from him. If we were a playin team maybe it would be different. He takes the ball out of Scoot/Banton/Sharpe hands. It will be difficult for Chauncey to manage all those minutes and egos. Just better to have Ant go elsewhere and the Blazers focus on younger players/picks.

 

Agreed on Grant, he has seemed to fit better lately. Kinda overpriced for a 3rd option role player but not as opposed to keeping him as I have been in the past.

Ant & Ayton, yeah, would prefer them gone but don't want to take a bad deal to have them gone. Expensive guys to have sit the pine but I think we are a better team if they do.

Perhaps give them some run on the backup team; just not heavy minutes and especially not when it matters.

 

I don't know, after watching our free throw shooting the last few games, having a 92% free throw shooter when the game matters sounds good to me. Especially a clutch free-throw shooter like Simons. No one else on the team comes close. (except Williams and Walker who haven't shot many).

 

The problem with Ant is not his free-throw shooting ability, its the seeming "I'm-like-Dame" complex he has of trying to personally take over a game at the end and then costing us the game. Bad shots, bad decisions.

Nah, rather not have him on the floor a crunch time. Team-begone! This is Ant-Time!

Ick.

 

Need a coach who will actually encourage player and ball movement.

 

We need a front office that will encourage other teams to enable some of our guys to experience player movement.

 

Just for discussions' sake, how is that different than what folks around here, as well as Chauncey, have been asking to see more of out of Sharpe? Last season, Ant was identified by the Blazers as their best player and encouraged to try to take over games. This year, it seems to be Sharpe.

 

Disagree. Ant's been getting Ant shots, he's just been missing. He SHOULD be coming around.

As for end of game, IT'S BILLUPS TELLING ANT TO ISO. That's why it's so exciting to see Sharpe doing it. If Billups tells Ant to iso instead of Sharpe at the end of games with Sharpe back, then Billups needs to go.

 

Not buying that. He does it when he is asked to do it. In the last year, fans have complained that Grant, Ayton, Simons, and even Brogdon have all hogged the ball in crunch time. You need multiple options or the defense will stop it.

This year you have Sharpe and Simons and that is it when you need a basket. Grant IMO is the 3rd option. There is no one else who can do it. Maybe Banton??

And if we are up and the other team is going to intentionally foul, I want the 92% FT shooter on the floor. Everyone else will choke.

 

Straight up. Grant has fit in seamlessly with the youngsters. Anyone still wanting him traded before anyone else isn't seeing what I'm seeing on the court.

 

I agree Grant is the best on the court, but he has far the worst contract or anyone on the team. So that is the reason for him ideally being the first one we try to get rid of.