The Trail Blazers, and the promise and peril of 'pretty good'

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by SlyPokerDog, Sep 9, 2016.

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  1. Strenuus

    Strenuus Well-Known Member

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    Dame was hurt last year.
     
    Strenuus, Sep 11, 2016
    #21
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  2. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

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    Given who was really available to be signed by us, I can find no fault with NO's summer moves. He's not paying the LT. He's maximized the talent we could reasonably have on the roster. His prior bets look well placed.

    We have a couple of top tier NBA stars and solid, if not spectacular, players at the other positions. There's every reason to expect growth by some of the younger guys who are well paid now.

    We have the depth to survive a few games missed due to injury - we survived Leonard's loss and did give the defending champs a run for their money.

    Plus we have Stotts and his system that seems to maximize the strengths of the players and he's good at the X and O strategy in game.

    I'm quite happy to root for a team that is going all out to win instead of accepting mediocrity. If we don't win it all, you can't say we didn't give it 110% effort.
     
    Denny Crane, Sep 11, 2016
    #22
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  3. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    Stackpoole's medical staff has done an incredible job with getting guys fixed ahead of schedule...they've also done a good job of resting players like Dame for 7 games so his foot could heal up rather than run him into the ground mid season..I think we have the right approach and before we just lacked depth so starters played too much..the depth now will give guys opportunities to ice a sprain or sit out a game if need be
     
    riverman, Sep 11, 2016
    #23
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  4. gatorpops

    gatorpops Allen Crabb hits winning shot on Nov24 vs Blazers

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    Good Read - the thing that stood out for last years team and holds true for this years team, is, - "THEIR WHOLE WAS BIGGER THAN THE SUM OF IT'S PARTS"
     
    gatorpops, Sep 11, 2016
    #24
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  5. jlprk

    jlprk The ESPN mod is insane.

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    That's all you got to say about this?

    http://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/

    (It gets worse. Try sorting that by any season other than 2016-17.)
     
    jlprk, Sep 11, 2016
    #25
  6. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

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    It gets better if one player is traded. But why not wait until we have to?
     
    Denny Crane, Sep 12, 2016
    #26
  7. jlprk

    jlprk The ESPN mod is insane.

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    With the 3rd-highest payroll, we should have the 3rd-best team in the NBA, not a "pretty good" team. Olshey accomplished nothing special.
     
    jlprk, Sep 12, 2016
    #27
  8. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

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    This third highest payroll thing is a farce. It's a really superficial way of looking at things.

    Wait a year or two until the league normalizes to the new cap. It was just coincidental that we had so many RFAs come up for new contracts in the same year.

    Take next season for example, UTA (currently at 84 mil) will max out Hayward, Gobert, and Favors. George Hill will get over 15 mil/yr. And they still will be paying over 10 mil each to a decrepit Joe Johnson and oft injured Alec Burks. That will bring them to 110 mil for just 6 guys on a mostly mediocre roster.

    UTA is just an example. Minny, BOS, OKC, CHA, etc etc etc will all be in the same boat. MEM committed almost 250 mil to Parsons and Conley alone. This idea that salaries define expectations would be fine were it not for this massive jump in the cap. It distorts the perceptions a bit.
     
    Last edited: Sep 12, 2016
    illmatic99, Sep 12, 2016
    #28
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  9. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

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    With the 3rd highest payroll, we get to grow the team to be the 3rd best team, if not better. With a lower payroll, the team has less of a chance.

    With the lowest payroll, we were a lot better than worst.
     
    Denny Crane, Sep 12, 2016
    #29
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  10. jlprk

    jlprk The ESPN mod is insane.

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    When and if that happens, praise Olshey then, not now.
     
    jlprk, Sep 12, 2016
    #30
  11. Strenuus

    Strenuus Well-Known Member

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    By that logic, the yankees and dodgers should always have the best teams.

    And we should have been worst than Philly... by your logic.
     
    Strenuus, Sep 12, 2016
    #31
  12. BlazerWookee

    BlazerWookee UNTILT THE DAMN PINWHEEL!

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    And what holds true for Mr. and Mrs. HCP is that "HER HOLE IS BIGGER THAN SOME OF HIS PARTS!"
     
    BlazerWookee, Sep 12, 2016
    #32
  13. jlprk

    jlprk The ESPN mod is insane.

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    By the logic of you guys--judging Olshey's giant July giant raises merely on their potential years from now--the Dodgers and Yankees should get the most praise each year of all teams simply because they spend so much. Instead, the Olshey praise should wait till he earns it.
     
    jlprk, Sep 12, 2016
    #33
  14. Strenuus

    Strenuus Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for lumping me in there without even hearing my side of it and just assuming I think that. Really, though, well done.
     
    Strenuus, Sep 12, 2016
    #34
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  15. HailBlazers

    HailBlazers RipCity

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    Chicken Dinner. Man I can't wait for the season to start.
     
    HailBlazers, Sep 12, 2016
    #35
  16. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

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    I'll praise him for giving us the best possible chance, given the circumstances. There's not much more we can ask.

    The guy who writes the checks seems to be fine with it.
     
    Denny Crane, Sep 12, 2016
    #36
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  17. Cippy91

    Cippy91 Habitual Line Stepper

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    Tunchi and you live together or something? I smell pessimism
     
    Cippy91, Sep 12, 2016
    #37
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  18. Denny Crane

    Denny Crane It's not even loaded! Staff Member Administrator

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    Would we be worse off without Turner and Ezeli?

    Durant wasn't coming here. That's not on NO.
     
    Denny Crane, Sep 12, 2016
    #38
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  19. Strenuus

    Strenuus Well-Known Member

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    It's probably some of the same people who think the Aaron Afflalo trade was horrible because they knew Wes, our Iron Man, was going to get hurt.
     
    Strenuus, Sep 12, 2016
    #39
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  20. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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    You're wrong, because timing of free agency played a big part.

    We had many free agents this summer, which meant they got large contracts due to the cap boom. Other teams have guys under contracts based off a lesser salary cap.

    Had AC, Harkless, Meyers, Dame and Turner signed contracts under last year's cap, our payroll wouldn't be top 5. Once other teams have to resign their players, their payroll will catch up too.
     
    BonesJones, Sep 12, 2016
    #40
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