Most significant potential development (based on media day reports)

Several players commented during interviews today on things they've been working on during the off-season. Of those I caught (and I'll take suggestions for additions of things I missed), which do you think would have the biggest impact on our team if it actually bears out?

As much as I think it is just as important for the others to have the improvements you listed. I think Plums has the easiest road to improvement and I say that based off his FT improvement from last season. ITs easy to practice shooting all day and night, but defensive scheming is much harder. I WANT CJ to be the most improved because we need that D there, but I think Plums will BE the most improved because its the easiest deficiency listed in my opinion.

I think it's pretty even between MOE's 3 pt shooting and Plums mid range - both would be big. Since we have Moe locked in for 4 yrs and Plums is an RFA next summer and going to get paid I hope Moe's 3 pointer is much improved - if he could shoot 36-38% from 3 that would be huge given all the other stuff he can do.

PtldPlatypus said:

Several players commented during interviews today on things they've been working on during the off-season. Of those I caught (and I'll take suggestions for additions of things I missed), which do you think would have the biggest impact on our team if it actually bears out?

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Meyers working on his post play, face up, and pull-up jumper

If all of the above pan out, the most significant development is that the Blazers will be contenders. The homer in me says, "Hell yeah!" The MM in says, "Yeah, right".

STFU, MM. This is media day and hope reigns supreme.

Moe's 3pt shot and Plums' jumper.

I gave my answer in the wrong thread but I'll simplify it and say Mo's shot is more important to the offense than Mason's...I don't want Mason to shoot as much as Mo

I look at the above poll, and each player's improvement as equally important. Looks like each of these players is doing exactly what they need to to make themselves better and in turn the team as a whole.

When considering contracts and cap space, it better be Crabbe. Any word on what Crabbe worked on this off season?

If Moe develops a 3 point shot, and makes half the money of Crabbe, Moe will be a bargain.

If you could only pick one......tough call between Mo and Plums. How good are we talking about for Plums? Just developing any mid range shot or developing a really good one? I voted for Plums as I think a solid mid range shot would make him a different level of player and very valuable to us. (Even if it means he will commanding a bigger contract. )

The one thing that really changes the dynamic of the offense is Plumlee. His man won't be able to cheat off of him to help cover the wings if he's able to hit the mid range at an efficient clip. We will be extremely tough to guard if he's knocking that shot down, and it will help open up the wings and more importantly take pressure off the guards in the pick and roll/pop game.

Moe was already making threes last season and had to be respected out there as he wasn't a liability from outside. So his improved shooting doesn't really change much from an offensive perspective.

Plumlee and Davis improvements together are huge. If Plumlee is hitting the mid range you could put him at the 4 and Davis at the 5 to play a big lineup with chief at the 3, Crabbe at the 2 and Dame playing point.

So much diversity with the team this year. We should be able to really give other teams fits and matchup problems given all these improvements and guys we have brought in and retained.

oldfisherman said:

When considering contracts and cap space, it better be Crabbe. Any word on what Crabbe worked on this off season?

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Drinking like a fish. He saw what it did for Dame's career and decided to follow a similar regiment.

BNM

Moe having a 3 point shot would open up his entire game offensively.
These skills will be more prevalent is Moe has a 3 point shot
-His blow by speed (since defenders will have to close out all the way)
-His downhill athleticism (He'll be able to attack the rim in the halfcourt)
-His okay ball handling
-His ability to finish around the rim

Before, he couldn't get to the rim because defenders would sag off. He couldn't take advantage of his athleticism to get by the defender and get to the rim where he is so great at finishing. His ball handling was never good enough to slice and dice his way past the sagging defender (Evan Turner is a good example of someone who can).

If he's able to shoot at a 36% < clip this year, then Harkless should be our starting SF. He'd instantly be a very versatile 3-and-D guy.

Most 3-and-D guys only have strengths in shooting and defense, and our average everywhere else. Khris Middleton, Wesley Matthews, Courtney Lee, Danny Green, Harrison Barnes, etc.

However, Harkless is the best offensive rebounding small forward in the league. He was in the top 10 in ORPG for small forwards, despite playing only 18 minutes per game (http://www.espn.com/nba/statistics/.../avgOffensiveRebounds/position/small-forwards). On a per 36 basis, he gets a whopping 2.5 Offensive Rebounds Per Game, and nobody comes close to that. In terms of total rebounds per 36, he's borderline top 10 for SFs. What 3-and-D players do you know of are also such great rebounders? Draymond Green is the only one that comes to mind.

So he'd be a 3-and-D player with tremendous rebounding ability, but his unique abilities compared to other 3-and-D guys doesn't end there. There are 2 other things that set him apart from typical 3-and-D players, and that's his SIZE, ATHLETICISM, and DEFENSIVE VERSATILITY.

At 6'9 with a 7'2 wingspan, Harkless has elite size for a SF. That means that he could match up extremely well with Kevin Durant and other big SFs. His size also means he can check most 4s and also weaker 5 men around the league.

Coupled with his elite size, Harkless also has elite athleticism and speed. This allows him to guard most guards around the league as well. His size and wingspan allows him to sag off guards a little more than other defenders, but his quickness means he can still stay with them.

In essence, the 3pt shot makes things a lot easier on Harkless and the team as a whole offensively, and his whole skillset will benefit from defenders having to close out and check his 3pt shot.

To wrap it up, if Harkless can make an Aminu-like jump and shoot around 36% from 3, he would become one of the premier 3-and-D guys in the league because:

He'd be a 3-and-D guy with:
-Elite Rebounding Ability
-Elite Size
-Elite Quickness/Athleticism for his size
-Great finishing ability (66% from 0-2 feet)
-Elite Defensive Versatility (Ability to gurad 4 or 5 positions)

PDXFonz said:

Plumlee and Davis improvements together are huge. If Plumlee is hitting the mid range you could put him at the 4 and Davis at the 5 to play a big lineup with chief at the 3, Crabbe at the 2 and Dame playing point.

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Not to nitpick, but Plumlee is strictly 5 in my opinion. Davis can play both but I think he's more of a 4 than a 5.

BonesJones said:

Not to nitpick, but Plumlee is strictly 5 in my opinion. Davis can play both but I think he's more of a 4 than a 5.

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Why not? He has the athleticism to play the 4 depending on who the opponent is. As long as the other team isn't playing small he is more than capable of playing that position.

PDXFonz said:

Why not? He has the athleticism to play the 4 depending on who the opponent is. As long as the other team isn't playing small he is more than capable of playing that position.

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Because he struggles to contain perimeter players and isn't that quick laterally. Yeah he could defend slower, inside playing 4's but Davis has always done a better job on 4s than 5s and vice versa for Plumlee, as he's solid at defending in the low post and an OK rim protector.

I think Davis and Meyers need to be on the court together for most of the time they play together. Davis as a 4 (which he excels guarding the most) and Meyers at the 5 (where he's a lot better defender). Davis' overall defensive and rebounding prowess fit well with Meyers who's not as solid in those areas. Meyers shooting goes well with Davis' inside game offensively, and both are solid screen setters and popping/rolling options. The other pairing should be Aminu with Plumlee and Ezeli, due to Aminu's ability to shoot from the outside to go with Plumlee's and Ezeli's inside game.

BonesJones said:

Because he struggles to contain perimeter players and isn't that quick laterally. He's a very solid guy at defending in the low post and an OK rim protector. Davis does a better job on the perimeter and struggled defending in the low post last year.

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Nene has logged minutes at PF, do You think he moves slower laterally than him? Again it depends on the matchup. Not gonna play Plums at the 4 against Jabari Parker, Draymond, etc... But he would be fine against guys Aldridge, Blake Griffin, ibaka, Faried, Cody Zeller, etc...

It's close, but I have to go with Plums reliable mid-range jumper.

We have a lot of 3 pt-shooting as it is and it would be incredibly nice if Moe developed a reliable 3-pt shot between 35 to 40%.

I would however say that Eds is the most impressive. That's a shit ton of hard work in one summer to put on that kind of muscle. You can go to the gym every once in a while and work on your shot, but putting on 15 lbs of muscle is a day and night commitment, not just of excercising, but also dieting as well.

There should be no doubting Ed Davis' commitment to success.

PDXFonz said:

Nene has logged minutes at PF, do You think he moves slower laterally than him? Again it depends on the matchup. Not gonna play Plums at the 4 against Jabari Parker, Draymond, etc... But he would be fine against guys Aldridge, Blake Griffin, ibaka, Faried, Cody Zeller, etc...

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Yes, he could play those guys, I'm saying Plumlee is more of a 5 and Davis is more of a 4...

PDXFonz said:

I would however say that Eds is the most impressive. That's a shit ton of hard work in one summer to put on that kind of muscle. You can go to the gym every once in a while and work on your shot, but putting on 15 lbs of muscle is a day and night commitment, not just of excercising, but also dieting as well.

There should be no doubting Ed Davis' commitment to success.

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I'm an Ed Davis fanboi, and I always get a laugh out of the "he put on X pounds of muscle" claims that MB used to give, so I voted for that.

An increase in Hark's 3pt% would be great, and if Plumlee shot a respectable 10' and FT%, we would be improve.

I think you could also add an option for Meyers Leonard being in the right headspace and healthy.

Meyers working on:

knowing where the key is
how to be 7 foot and rebound
defensive positioning in the post

j/k whats the chance of any of that

Ed Davis - 15lbs of muscle, phys ed is gonna bang this season!

Im going with harkless but primarily cause im a huge fan after the effort he put in the playoffs and im pulling for him to be a major contributor.

Montero will be this year's Crabbe story.

Anything that has to do with defense is the most significant development.

Hopefully they've worked on (in order of importance) 1. Defense , 2. Dribbling/Ball Handling 3. Screen Setting .

If they have worked on those things, the whole team, then we will close the gap in skill level up to Golden State. . .

My first thought was to go with 'if' CJ can become a good defender. I went with Moe, though, because I think if he's dangerous from three, it will open up his game, which will add a lethal element to our offense.

The 'pundits' sleep on this team's potential.