13-14 Blazers vs. 98-99 Blazers

Matthews has a better PER this season

 

In terms of talent, Rider was definitely the better player...... but he was a certifiable nut job. Wes is one of the reasons why this team plays so hard. He's a great teammate, he works his ass off, and I trust him to put the team before himself. Rider was the guy who claimed they were still hanging people 40 miles down the road.

 

25 games

Rider had a 6-year solid NBA run. I want to see matthews have a 18 PER and score 17+ pts in the playoffs

 

There's a reason why we dumped him for an over-the-hill Smitty. The guy was psycho.

 

I'm not debating whether he was a stable person or a good teammate, but he was the best player in the playoffs, that the OP was referencing, while Matthews is 4th best/most important to our success

 

Just an interesting comparison between JJ and Dorell.



JJ was the far superior defender.

 

Look at the advanced stats of 1998-99 - http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/POR/1999.html

Now look at the current team - http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/POR/2014.html

Rider's PER - 13.7, Matthews PER - 17.6
Damon's PER - 14.7, Damien's PER - 19.1
Walt William's PER - 16.3, Batum's PER - 17.9
Grant's PER - 17.0 - Aldridge's PER - 23.8
SABAS's PER - 20.4, Lopez's PER - 16.6

Bench
Wallace's PER - 16.7, T. Rob's PER - 15.2
Jim Jackson's PER - 13.1, Mo William's PER - 11.2
Augman's PER - 13.0, Wright's PER - 12.3
Greg Anthony's PER - 16.6, No one right now (CJ hopeful)
Cato's PER - 14.5, Freeland's PER - 10.8

Its obvious that the 1998 bench was stronger than ours now, but our starting 5 is light years better than that starting 5.

 

Yes and yes. If you put Anthony and Jackson on our current team, we instantly become so much better.

 

Really not fair to compare these two....

Funny because i just saw JJ on Fox Sports last night and was reminded of how dumb of a play Mike Dunlevy drew up on that play against SA where JJ drove into traffic. It should have been Damon/Sheed/Rider to take that final shot

 

What dick do I have to suck to make this happen?!?!?! Adding Anthony alone would make this team soooooo strong

 

Why? Don't they essentially serve the same role? Scoring off the bench?

 

I meant, the gap between them two is so large its not fair to compare them, not fair to JJ

 

I think this team is a lot more solid fundamentally than that late 90s team. Guys like Nic, Wes and LA have been together for a few years and are really our trio. I have to wonder if some of the guys are too similar though in their game and if we need to diversify with a JR Rider type of Shooting Guard. I think if there was a weak link it would be something along those lines.

Its similar in the fact that I think we'll learn this year and then take the next step a season from now.

All this celebrating and woo woo shit is good and all, but until we get out of the first round in the playoffs it means fuck all.

 

Huh? Damon was a horrible defender as I recall

 

He was the Dirk stopper! How dare you!

 

Not fair to JJ?

 

I like this thinking as its what ive been thinking. We have this group together for another year and a half. What i want to have happen this year is gaining expirience, and then next year, sign an MLE player, maybe make a trade to get another dynamic scorer, and then really go for the title next year.

This year is all gravy.

 

That's what I thought, but his advanced stats kind of surprised me.

 

I think people are forgetting how incredibly fundamental Sabas, Sheed, Anthony, Grant and Augmon all were

 

I don't think anyone is forgetting how good Anthony, Grant, or Augmon was. I haven't seen anyone claim that our bench is anywhere even remotely as good.