[ official ] 2016 summer moves

Absolutely not. Hield is a solid prospect but he's not a dynamic player as some make him out to be. He broke out as a super senior - his previous three years were ok but not spectacular. His a/t ratio is also below par - 2apg/3tov. That's abysmal coming from your senior guard with the highest usg% on the roster. Some scouts have compared him to JJ Redick in terms of NBA role.

Hield doesn’t have elite quickness or creativity off the dribble…which isn’t the end of the world, but does make you question how he would fare as a primary option at the next level. He’s probably not a guy an NBA team would want to build its offense around, and he would be better off as more of a role player who spots up off better players….Even as a senior, Hield is still a fairly one-dimensional scorer and he doesn’t look to set up his teammates all that much.

LINK

 

Pretty good synopsis on the status of this year's crop of free agents in this OregonLive article:

http://www.oregonlive.com/nba/index..._playoff_performers_h.html#incart_river_index

I'm beginning to think that Howard and maybe Barnes may be the only significant FAs the Blazers have a legitimate shot at getting this summer.

 

Yep. Its howard. If the interest is mutual you get it done. And i think the interest will be mutual.

 

Most of that made sense. I don't see how the author thinks that other teams won't be offering whiteside as much money as the heat though. I'm pretty sure that's completely ass-backwards, the heat are gonna have a problem trying to pay him.

 

This was one of my three targets from the 2013 draft: Alex Abrines

His stock dropped as he was committed to his Euro club for at least "2-3" seasons. He was an 'intangibles' guy who could shoot but was Will Barton skinny. Dropped to #32, should've went mid-first or late lotto.

He's turning into one of the best guards in Europe and recently won the rising stars trophy- shot a blistering 44% from three in the ACB.

This is the sixth man Neil ought to target. OKC own his rights.

 

I actually wasn't impress with him take some questionable shots and doesn't jump really good so a trade with him in it I will pass.

 

Robert Covington has been made available.

He'd a great addition to the bench. Solid outside shooter. Stotts' type of PF:

 

He's not a PF.

 

Here's a good evaluation of why Philly shouldn't do that. Kind of makes me interested in Noel again. But not for CJ (or Lillard, obvs.) and we haven't got anyone else they'd want.

It's funny: isn't this the exact reverse of what Philly did to GET Noel? Wasn't it Noel they got by trading their well-respected PG Jrue Holiday?

 

Some highlights of one of Howard's best games this season. He doesn't seem to be an athletic freak anymore, but he's very strong inside.

 

Just signed until 2019 with a big buyout (apparently).

Can't say he ever really wowed me. He's very Crabbe-esque. None of that Rudy flair.

 

Right, at 6'9" 215 lbs. and .353 3FG% he's triply redundant with Aminu and Harkless. He shot more threes than Aminu, but at a slightly lower 3FG%. He's the same age as Aminu, and older than Harkless. He's cheap, VERY cheap. The only way I'd go for him is if we decide not to ere-sign Harkless and need a cheap replacement.

BNM

 

A recipe for parsimony if ever I heard one.

 

Who can we get who's just like Andre Iguodala, only about ten years younger? Cuz I want that guy. Apparently they're invaluable once you get somewhere in the playoffs.

 

I'm going to lay this concept out on the table as simply as I can. This is how I see this particular off-season. Based on the progression this team made during the season and their competitiveness (Not results which are skewed due to injuries) this is not a team that we should make a big shakeup with. It is the 3rd of 4th youngest team in the league and most the players still have considerable ceilings for growth. As such we should not be looking to make significant changes to the roster in terms of trading players. If we simply brought back the same team we would be better next year due to additional familiarity, taste of success and natural development. That is not the right decision either though. What we need to be doing is adding to the existing core of this team. This team is built in a similar mold to GS, but there is one significant difference. The role Andrew Bogut plays. A strong physical Center who can play D and affect shots as well as score within 3 feet of the basket. We need to make this addition this summer and then if the season doens't progress we look at making trades at deadline or next summer.

What a lot of you don't want to see is Dwight Howard joining the Blazers is almost the perfect storm of needs for both parties. Several reasons why. Dwight will get the ball more in Terry's system so will be happy, he will draw the defense in to the paint a bit more helping space the floor better for Dame and CJ. People complain that we would need a PF that has range to pair with him... Hello Meyers Leonard is one of if not the best shooting big in the league.

I know people are saying Whiteside this Whiteside that, and I know age is a big key there, but in reality Dwight is used to being on a contender, he carried the Magic to the Finals pretty much on his own. Yeah it's been a few years, but he still has that mind. I don't know that whiteside does.

What about Horford? Horford would fit us just as well, but I'm not sure we fit Horford as well as we fit Howard.

Am I a fan of Dwight Howard? Not particularly, but I do see him as being very likely as we can add him, improve our depth and not have to trade a core piece to make it happen. The question is would he take $27 instead of $30.

 

Fabulous post. I cant disagree. Not a fan of Howard, but we might just be the best pairing for him in the league, and if he brings to the table what he is capable of, he fills almost all of our gaps like you explained. PLUS we keep Leonard in your scenario!!!!

 

Dwight Howard may not be the force he used to be, and not sure if he should be our #1 target, but I do think he'd help the Blazers. Does he want to come in and be apart of a more positive team and play his role? I happier Howard might be a better Howard.

If you look at his advanced stats, his production hasn't really slipped much yet. His rebounding percentage last year is exactly what his career average has been. His block % was 4.1 while his career is 4.4.

He coverted 75% of his shots 0-3 last year, which is good as ever for him.

 

You might get a guy like Iguodala....but 10 years younger might be tough. He went to GS in his 10th year in the league. So he had already been named to the All NBA defensive team. His experience is what has made him so valuable in the playoffs.

 

Pretty much exactly how I'm feeling about him. My first thought was, "Yuck". My second thought was, "Yuck. Hell no!" Then I thought about what the Blazers are missing and Howard is pretty much the prototype of what I'd want...with a few caveats. He's been a total bust his last two stops in LA and Houston. How much of that is on him and how much is just bad fit? That's the big question that Olshey has to answer. There's no doubt the guy is a physical specimen, even with the miles he has on his body. But physical prowess only gets you so far without the mental drive to do something with it. That's the part of the equation that I've always had doubts about with him. I think that in LA and Houston he was in a situation where a dominant shooting guard was the mainstay of the offense and he was relegated to a supporting cast role. I don't think that would be the case in Portland. Dame and CJ are willing passers and Terry is really good at adjusting his offense to take advantage of his players' strengths. A shot blocker who can also score in the paint would be exactly what the team needs. So, Olshey has to make the call on whether Howard is going to get excited and rejuvenate his career in a new setting. The second caveat is health. His back and knees are concerns. The medical staff will have to determine whether the mileage on his chassis is getting too great to be worth the price tag he's going to demand.

 

Just spit balling here, but both Aminu and Harkless saw their 3pt avg increase by almost 100 points from the previous seasons. Weather that's just pure confidence from their coach or style and scheme, or whatever, might not we expect similar results with Covington? His defensive rating was better than his teams defensive rating, if that means anything? It's kinda nice to have a bunch of 6'7"-6'9" guys that can all play in today's NBA. I don't know much about his defense, but if he has quick enough feet, he may be worth a shot?