Thanks, didn't have a chance to check owed picks. The point is we could easily acquire numerous assets for some of our pieces especially if we are willing to sit back for a few years and eat some bad contacts while we acquire pieces to rebuild around.
I see the point, but we're already the second-youngest team in the league behind PHI. And if we tore the entire thing down for lotto picks, the best we could hope for is a superstar and maybe another all-star caliber player or two. We kind of have the almost-superstar and the all-star caliber player. Players on their rookie contract (especially high lotto picks) generally never lead their teams to championships, so we're taking a 3-5 year pause to just get (hopefully) back to where we are right this second. In my mind, that doesn't make sense. I mean, it seems as if Meyers/Mo were making the vet min and ET was making Ed Davis money (but we were still over the salary cap), people would be loving the fact that we're the highest above .500 that we've been in years and a couple of games out of the 3 seed. We're victims of skewed expectations and nitpicking. Yes, I want to see the roster get better. Yes, we're all kind of used to having GMs that wheel and deal. Yes, it's frustrating seeing other teams get better. But we're in "medicine-taking" mode with Meyers/Mo/ET and we should just enjoy seeing what this team can do. Maybe it's a first-round flameout. Maybe we steal a couple of games in the 2nd round. Maybe we make a miracle rip-off deal. But if you don't like watching this team play every night, I don't think you're going to like watching the 2003-2006 Blazers redux much more.
Here is the problem as I see it; The only way to get to championship level is via the draft, but I have zero faith in Olshey's ability to draft. A team that can't attract free agents has to draft well and often yet Olshey trades a majority of picks and doesn't hit enough on the picks he does keep. Obviously he hit on Lillard, how much of that was the fact Allen fell in love with him is unknown, and on CJ though I never saw a CJ/Lillard backcourt as a good combo. I liked CJ as a 6th man while getting a bigger SG who was a shooter more than a scorer and who also could defend. That plan wouldn't work now because CJ quickly out grew the 6th man spot and deserves to start. I hated the 2017 draft. While I am a huge Zags fan, I did not want Collins at all. He may be a serviceable bigman at some point, but he will never be a guy you trade a pick to move for and draft in the top 10. Swanigan has the heart and toughness to play the game, but lacks the unteachables. Then you lose a draft pick that could have been a Kuzma. Did anyone know he would be the player he has turned into? No, but that is why you use all 3 picks. It is a numbers game and you take a chance on a guy with his abilities (long and athletic). People argue that they didn't have the space for all 3 picks...really? Layman, Connaughton, and Vonleh are locks? For me all are non factors. So for me any rebuilding starts with a real GM who not only knows talent but understands roster structure.
Under normal circumstances I would agree with you here, unfortunately there are a few caveats first the Golden State Warriors as long as they maintain their core 4 in good health they remain the overwhelming title favorites. That really hurts our prospect of building around our current core. The second being our cap situation we spent so much on guys like Leonard and Turner that have hamstrung our flexibility. We did great getting a piece like Nurkic but its rare that teams are willing to dump players with his upside and age. Lastly, while our team defense has been decent this year we severel lack the type of two way players that Golden State or even Houston. Philly has a top 5 defense and they missed a few times during their process. IMO defense wins titles, which is why I would suggest blowing up this core.
Don't worry it looks like Neil based on the rumors is about ruin all of our days by dealing for Deandre Jordan. If we deal Nurkic for Jordan consider this the start of my petition to fire Olshey. Unless he can also dump Turner and Leonard in the process.