"unmitigated disaster if we make the playoffs"

Ive been saying this for a long time. Some people just dont see it or flat out disagree.

 

Lakers: "No, don't Let it go, Let it Tank!"

 

I'm always one is on the fence on this subject. When NO has more assets he's able to do more. There's more than one way to win.

 

True, but don't you think that when young guys like the Blazers are stocked with outperform everybody's expectations, their asset value increases more than what you'd get from a late lottery draft pick?

 

Is there a way to view all the threads you have created? I thought I created a Fez and Nik Appreciation thread? I'm not sure how to search what Ive created to confirm or deny.

 

These threads calling out specific posters need to stop. I don't know if it's just me but I cringe every time I see one. They don't accomplish anything besides generate hostility on both sides.

Nik was a great poster and usually very level headed when supporting his opinions. It sucks that we lost a guy who provided some very insightful commentary just because people decided to rub salt on his face for not drinking the Kool-Aid.

 

Me, too. The 13th or 14th pick in this draft will not have an immediate impact on this team - if ever. Picks in that range are a crap shoot. Many never amount to anything, many eventually become a rotation player (usually after being passed around among multiple teams) and around 5% actually have an impact within their first two or three years. We already have a ton of young guys to develop and there are only so many minutes to go around. The only real value that pick holds is as a trading chip to combine with one of our other young players to bring back a proven vet - and I'm not sure Neil wants to go that route. I think he's more about "value" free agent signings than trading youth for experience.

But, playoff experience is invaluable for a young team on the rise. All young teams must learn to win. They start by beating the teams they should beat at home, progress to protecting home court against other top teams and beating the patsies on the road. To become elite, they must dominate at home, win the games they should win on the road and play .500 ball on the road against the other top teams. Post season experience is a big part of that learning curve.

Remember that 54-win 2008-09 Roy team? They had HCA against HOU and lost Game 1, in Portland by 27 points. The players were completely overwhelmed (collective deer-in-the-headlights stunned) by the whole playoff experience. They had the roster, but not the experience (or coach) to compete with HOU. They surrendered HCA, without a fight, in Game 1 and dug themselves a hole they couldn't climb out of. Even losing in the first round is good experience. Every young team needs to overcome those first time post season jitters.

Compare that team to the 54-win 2013-14 team that upset HOU in the first round. It was Lillard's first post season, but all of Aldridge, Matthews, Lopez and Batum had prior playoff experience, as did Mo Williams (finals with the Cavs) and Dorell Wright (championship with MIA). No deer-in-the-headlight shock and awe this time around.

So, ANY playoff experience is good for a young team, even getting swept in the first round. The post season is a totally different environment - way more intense, but you also need to get used to playing the same team 4 - 7 games in a row, making adjustments and counter adjustments, etc. Plus, at the 5 or 6 seed, I don't think the Blazers get swept. I think they'll win at least two games and get a taste of winning in the post season. Who knows, although they are younger and have less playoff experience than that 2013-14 team, Dame, C.J., Plumlee, Henderson and Aminu have all tasted the post season, so maybe they can pull off a first round upset. It's not out of the realm of possibility and that would be worth way more to this young team than the 13th or 14th pick in the draft.

BNM

 

Absolutely fantastic post. I hope more members read this and then read it again before they post something opposite.

 

Outside of Dame and C.J., Olshey's two biggest assets are a boat load of cap space and a young team on the rise. The way the team outperformed expectations this year makes them much more attractive to potential free agents. LA is still LA, but I can't see a lot of free agents clamoring to join that dumpster fire - at least not anybody that gives a shit about wining and a positive experience.

When you listen to guys like Maurice Harkless, Ed Davis and Al-Farouq Aminu go on and on about how much they love to play here, about the great team chemistry and how much they appreciate the organization and the coach giving them opportunities to succeed, it's a great selling point to other potential free agents. Those guys were all cast aside by their previous teams and they are thriving, and winning, in Portland. Piece together a video of their pro-Portland comments and you have a great PR tool to show other free agents that are choosing between Portland and other destinations.

BNM

 

Yep, like I said, we are all right sometimes and wrong others. No need to gloat when you're right (makes you look like an ass) or rub someone's face in it when they are wrong (makes you look like an even bigger ass). Call out threads that mention a specific poster by name go completely against the spirit of this forum. They are divisive and petty. Argue your points and counterpoints all you want in existing threads in direct response to opposing views you disagree with, but these call out threads need to stop. They serve no productive purpose.

BNM

 

I must have missed something? I didn't see a thread calling anyone specific out? OR am I just lost again? Not that I disagree. I agree, just didnt see it.

 

Read the very first post in this thread. It called out a specific poster by name because he was wrong and disagreed with the OP. He also used that poster's exact words as the title of this thread. I'm disappointed the OP would resort to this tactic as he's been the target of this exact same style of call out thread in the past (and I defended him when he was on the receiving end of a call out thread).

BNM

 

I dont know how I missed that....

Again, Not that I disagree, but IT sure seems pretty tame. Didn't see any negativity. Seems he is simply asking if Nik's thoughts are still valid now, if he still thinks the same and if anyone else agrees?

I didn't see where he put Nik down or anything. If this was the straw that broke the camel's back in him leaving then the skin must be fairly thin. Just sayin. I've liked many of Nik's posts though, so I will miss him.

 

Damn ppl are soft nowadays. Why couldnt he say, "damn i was wrong but glad we beat expectations" how hard is that lol

 

All I know is whenever Nik posted about how obtaining a high draft pick or how Lillard wasn't a super-star (with both valid and well supported arguments) he would get absolutely piled on by everyone here.

IIRC, he even got blasted in a thread he created praising Stotts and the guys. My bet is that is what sent him over the edge. I doubt he ever read this thread.

 

Everybody on our team has playoff experience except the 12th-15th player on our roster. Dame, cj, aminu, hendo, ed davis, etc know what the playoffs are like