Around the NBA: Feb. 2017

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by KeepOnRollin, Feb 1, 2017.

  1. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    Only by being EVEN MORE negative about another team...
     
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  2. Nate

    Nate #itsokaytobewhite #wakandaforever BANNED

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    AC posted a picture of him on vacation. Someone said "you've been on vacation the first 56 games!"

    AC told him to eat a dick :biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2017
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  3. UKRAINEFAN

    UKRAINEFAN Well-Known Member

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    This is Blazer-related, despite all Batum can do, is it enough? Also, have Cho and Buchanan made a lot of mistakes?

    "1. The Hornets
    Everything folks worried about after Charlotte turned down Boston's Godfather offer for the Frank Kaminsky pick has come to bear. The Hornets are 7-19 since just before Christmas, and they have one of the bleakest long-term outlooks in the league. That hurts to say.

    The moment they traded Noah Vonleh for Nic Batum, the Hornets trapped themselves in a dilemma: Either let Batum walk, or pay him close to the max just as the cap would skyrocket -- lifting max deals with it. You could justify the deal. Batum is a very good player in his prime, and Charlotte is not a destination that could bank on luring anyone better.

    Lowe: Howard Beck on Ibaka[/paste:font]
    Zach talks to Bleacher Report's Howard Beck about the Serge Ibaka trade, Kevin Love and his feature story on Thon Maker.



    But it's clear Batum is miscast as a second option next to the dogged and always-improving Kemba Walker. Batum is shooting a career-worst 44 percent on 2s, and an ugly 35 percent out of the pick-and-roll -- with a ghastly turnover rate on the play. Batum has coughed up the ball on 26.5 percent of his pick-and-rolls that have ended Charlotte possessions; among 150 guys who have run at least 50 of those suckers, only five have worse turnover rates, per Synergy.

    You cannot give him the ball and expect him to get a bucket, and holy hell, do the Hornets need a bucket-getter.

    Only about 12 percent of Batum's shots have come in the restricted area, the lowest mark of his career, per Basketball-Reference. He averages just 2.3 drives per game. Only 26 of the 86 guys logging at least 30 minutes per game record fewer drives -- and all but six of those 26 are big men.

    Batum is a gifted all-around player -- a triple-double threat. But the Hornets need more. On too many nights, Walker is their only source of oxygen -- the only guy who can break his man down, get into the lane, and create something. Defenses happily switch across every other position, confident Batum, Kaminsky, Marvin Williams, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist won't do any damage against smaller players.

    Everyone around Walker has plateaued or declined. Williams' 3-point shooting is down after a career year. The MKG leap hasn't happened; smart teams hide plodding power forwards on him, stick quicker wings on Williams, and switch all of Charlotte's buzzing Williams-centric screening action.

    Charlotte compensated early in the season with a heap of free throws, but that well has dried up a bit.

    In the bigger picture, every move Charlotte has made over the past three years has screamed: PLEASE BASKETBALL GODS, LET US WIN 45 GAMES! That's meant turning down four picks, including one of Boston's Brooklyn picks, to draft Kaminsky; going all-in on Batum; flipping last year's No. 22 pick for Marco Belinelli; and most recently, swapping two backup centers on short-term deals for one -- Miles Plumlee -- carrying a long-term eight-figure salary.

    Charlotte could be capped out through 2019. That's hard to do. We all know the defense for the Belinelli swap: picks in the 20s typically return very little, and Belinelli is a proven rotation player. But he's a proven backup who's not moving the needle for a so-so team. He's not Thaddeus Young -- a proven starter for whom Indiana swapped the No. 20 pick in the same draft.

    And for a team with so few long-term building blocks, a 25 percent chance at someone who might matter in five years -- and serve the first four of them on a cheapo rookie contract -- is more valuable than a veteran with a 100 percent chance of being a serviceable reserve today.

    Plumlee is a nice backup center. So is Kaminsky.

    Things will get better. The Hornets really miss Cody Zeller. He's their Patrick Patterson -- a middling stats jack-of-many-trades who makes life easier for everyone around him with vicious screens and relentless rim-running. But a 24-32 team counting on Cody Zeller as a savior is in a dark, dark place.

    Kaminsky will be a different player when his 3-point shot comes around. Steve Clifford is a great coach. Rich Cho and Chad Buchanan, the top dogs in the front office, are smart dudes who will nail a draft pick in the middle of the first round at some point in the next few years.

    In the meantime, Charlotte should resist the temptation to trade another future pick for a 30-something quick fix like Lou Williams. Search out smaller moves, try to rally for the No. 8 spot, and take a swing in the lottery if you don't pull it off.
     
  4. Shaboid

    Shaboid Well-Known Member

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  5. Sarni

    Sarni Well-Known Member

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    Incredible how they turned down that offer for Kaminsky, not to mention the two players who went immediately after him are better than him (in Turner's case it's an absolute world of difference). I mean, Brooklyn's unprotected pick? It was always going to be a high lotto pick.
     
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  6. Pinwheel1

    Pinwheel1 Well-Known Member

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    Ha this needs it's own thread. All you Blazer fans whining all year about how much better we would be with Batum need to read this a few times so it sinks in. The guy views himself as a playmaker. He is above average at it for a SF, but he is not better at it than most guards. So the end result is feast or famine when he tries to run the show. Another player who thinks his role is something more than what it really is.

    I would welcome Nic back if he ever learned that he's a 3 and D guys and little else. But I think one can argue both Crabbe and Harkless are both better at it.
     
  7. Shaboid

    Shaboid Well-Known Member

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    If we every took Batum back, my message to him would simply be:
    [​IMG]
     
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  8. BonesJones

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

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    The writer states Batum can't excel as a 2nd option. Well, we wouldn't need him to be our 2nd option.
     
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  9. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

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    Agreed. Back when we were winning 50+ games a year, he was out 4th option. Seems about right. The problem is, CHO (and Cho), paid him like he's one of the best 2nd options in the entire league. We're not the only small market team that has to overpay to keep our own talent.

    BNM
     
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  10. jlprk

    jlprk The ESPN mod is insane.

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    Batum's ballhogging makes him a net negative, even if he signs for a low salary. He lacks the talent on offense to simultaneously be a playmaker and a scorer. He should just focus on scoring instead of dribbling around trying to set up 4-on-5 scores.
     
  11. Cippy91

    Cippy91 Habitual Line Stepper

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  12. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    OR: Trade for Allen Crabbe!!!!
     
  13. Strenuus

    Strenuus Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

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    Welp, no Paul George for us.
     
  14. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    1. "Its".
    2. The article complains about Batum's lack of scoring given that 3 of the remaining 4 starters can't score. Batum would work great as a better Mo Harkless.
    3. "one can argue". Hmm. One can argue that Elvis is alive and well and hanging out with Tupac, but that doesn't mean one should. Right now Harkless can't do jack better than Batum.
     
  15. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    This seems fair.
    I think it might also help MKG's development if he was given Batum's playmaking role.
     
  16. Dougnsalem

    Dougnsalem not barf

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    1. "its".

    Kinda minor, don't you think?....
     
  17. Pinwheel1

    Pinwheel1 Well-Known Member

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    Yeah I think I can argue that while Harkless is shooting 55% from 2 pt range (with less turnovers) and Nic is shooting only 44% from that same distance, that Harkless is just as good in that role. Even their 3 pt % is close.

    But it is the turnovers that I have the issue with Nic. He likes to be involved with running the offense, and again he is OK compared to most SF's but it doesn't mean he should run the team as much as he does. Obviously they are not too happy about it this year in Charlotte.
     
  18. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    They were fine with it early in the season.
    I don't think the article suggests that he's the problem. Maybe he's overpaid, but he's just not suited to be surrounded by non-scorers.

    I think Nic is basically their Evan Turner - he's nice, but they were hoping for more.

    Nic was always kind of a tease. Talented enough that when he really put it together (like when France plays Spain) he looks awesome, but then is invisible the next game. But I'd still swap Crabbe and Harkless for him.

    Here's Nic vs. Mo this season. Kinda shocked that Mo is only 23!
     
  19. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    It's the camel's nose inside the tent.
     
  20. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    This is news?
     

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