Looks like it. What is the answer? The bench is now averaging less than 10 ppg, and scapegoat Nolan Smith didn't even play tonight. Ronnie Price seems like a nice guy, but damn...
There's nothing wrong with the bench. It's full of all kinds of guys ... guys with pulses and everything.
I'm still shocked they kept that stiff Pavlovic over Morrison. At least Ammo could sell a few tickets and maybe score a few points.
Yeah, I don't see the upside or value in Price. His jumper is ugly and can't finish. I guess he's defensive guy and can run a team, but Coby Karl is a better player. So, maybe bring him up and let Nolan Smith backup Matthews at the two. There's at least some offensive potential there. But all in all, a pretty talentless group. Sorta reminds me of the Dixon/Blake era.
Agreed. There might be room for improvement at a couple of starting positions, but at least for now they all appear to belong. I guess the hope is that as the season goes along a few guys will emerge from the heap and show themselves to be at least competent role-players if not pushing the starters for minutes: Leonard, Barton, Freeland, etc. Regardless, Olshey is still going to have his work cut out for him at the trade deadline if he tries to spin straw into gold with some of this dreck. Even this summer is going to be a tall order with all of the holes to fill. Hitting on a high draft pick would help, but he's going to need to find some guys in free agency who can actually play this time around.
this team is set up to fail imo, next year might be time to strike though with draft picks/$$$, they should be able to at least cobble together a few decent bench guys, or push hickson/mathews to the bench with a starter
Ideally, both Matthews and Hickson would be rotation players off of the bench for a Blazer playoff team. The problem is that it will take at least one of them, if not both, to upgrade their starting spots.
That's why I said, after Olshey got Price, that he had reproduced the Clippers. Sure, Stotts could give our subs more minutes, but who's to argue with our .333 record, resulting from overplaying the starters?
The bench--"There's no there, there." I'm ok with what seems to be the fact that this team is set up to fail. It's shitty, but even if Lillard can't win the ROY with a terrible record, I am just glad to see him given the keys to the car while a full rebuilding takes place. There is no Jerry Sloan starting a Milt Palacio while Deron Williams impatiently sits. This is B-Roy and Z-Bo all over again, 'cept our Z-Bo deep down won't mind being second fiddle again. I do worry that this is a slippery slope that could backfire on us if it feels too much like tanking, but having a firmly established upper tier PG in place could do wonders for finally attracting decent free agents. It's funny, but I feel frustrated watching Lillard "trying to get the other guys involved" quite as much as he does. All I know is I love watching his game and that sweet jumper. It feels like we are in good hands, for the future at least.
I agree with this one. But I think the problem was they didn't want to cut anyone under contract. It's a woeful bench. But we're rebuilding.
If it really was the plan to have such a shitty bench, then why sign Freeland and Claver at all? If you leave them in Spain, you have even more cap room. Fill the bench with D-Leaguers. Clearly there is some difference of opinion between the coach and the front office. (Or he's just bringing them along r e a l l y s l o w l y. Hey, maybe it'll be like Faried last year for the Nuggets. He got zero time until injuries later in the year.)
Is this a good thing? Seems like Deron turned out all right. He even made all-rookie, so it's not like it hurt him even then. And I think he's a better point guard because of it. (Also: don't forget the Mighty Keith McLeod.) Combine your two thoughts: maybe the way to improve our bench is to have a steady veteran pass-first type with the starters and have LILLARD anchor the bench. He could play about the same number of minute, but know that he absolutely has the green light when he comes in and we don't have to suffer the first half passivity. Too late for that now, I guess.
Anyone know where to get +/- stats for each of our players for the year are kept? I didn't see it at basketballreference.com
Usually season-long +/- is at 82games.com but I don't know if they've started tracking the new season yet. The question for us should not be "is this the worst bench in the NBA?" It should be "is this the worst bench in the history of the NBA?"
Typical Blazer fans... You guys are just looking for something to complain about. "Our bench sucks, wah, wah, wah". Look, the fact of the matter is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with our bench. Our bench is as sold as they come and easily the equal of any bench in the league. It's the guys who sit on our bench that suck. BNM
