Primary Backups vs. Third Stringers

I think Stotts will experiment with different combinations early in the season and it's going to be very competitive...I think some of the 2nd string guys on your list will have bad games at times early and get some time for the 3rd stringers...I also think Collins is likely to get in foul trouble and either Meyers or Biggie will get a lot of those Ed Davis minutes..probably Biggie gets more Collins minutes early on. By December we'll probably settle down to a 10 man rotation keeping at least one starter on the court...after the allstar break it'll trim down to 9 man rotations and Stotts will have his rotations set...I don't expect the rookies to crack the rotation this season other than garbage time

 

Can I just say again, for the record how pathetically thin our GM left us up front.

Right this second. Without seeing the team on the floor. While I dont like units, per say

Backup
Baldwin
Curry
Trent
Collins
Leonard

3rd
Simons
Stauskus
Turner
Layman
Swanigan

 

Leonard as a third string in his... what year is he in? 7th? And he still gets $10 mil.

Good job, Neil!

 

Me.

 

Yeah Terry usually uses the whole first half of the season to view different combo's.

 

Unfortunately I see us starting the season like this:

Backup
Curry
Stauskas
Turner
Collins
Leonard

3rd
Baldwin
Simons
Layman
Trent
Swanigan

I think Neil is gonna double down on his mistakes.

 

Our talent at the back of our roster is pretty underrated for sure.

And as a believer in both Collins and Simons, those two have a serious chance to change the conversation surrounding this team. Not championship contender but perennial HC west playoff team for the next 5+ years.

 

Yes, this is the way I would see it also. Give Turner a shot with better shooters around him. Give Leonard one (last?) chance to be a player before he becomes MLEC. Collins and Curry are locked in. I also agree Stauskas is the first shooter after Curry off the bench. Would love to see Baldwin step up into the rotation, but unless he has a relentless balance of attacking, defending and hitting the three, he starts behind the new shooters--because Olshey wants to see what it looks like to have ET run the second unit.

 

I think it would be wise to see if any trade value can be built for Meyers before the deadline...if he has an impact...we'd be smart to build on that early and move him at the deadline with some actual value.

 

He always does

 

If ML came in and had positive impact, finally looked to be figuring things out and NO trades hi, I’d have very conflicting emotions about it.
First hurray we finally got rid of that contract.
Second though is oh great we suffer through 6+ years of that then when it finally looks to be paying off here comes our gm to trade him away.
So I guess that’s kind of a no win for NO, but I guess maybe that’s why you don’t out bid your self in contract negotiations.

I get what you’re saying it’s not a bad strategy, just saying That situation is a little conflicting too.

 

He needs a change of scenery....fans booed him for no reason other than entering a game last year...Blazers fans never boo players that I can remember..would be a win win to trade him for a wing or even another big

 

I agree in many ways, but wouldn’t it kind of feel bad to have him finally start coming around just in time for us to trade him?
Believe me I’m not arguing against the idea of trading him.

 

100%

 

Not me. He'll never be anything but a fringe backup. If we get anything of value for him it will be a plus.

 

Fair enough.
If he raises his value enough to be of any value in a trade he’ll have to look like much more than a fringe backup...
No one wants 10m a year for a fringe back up.
I guess in my mind he’d have to play like a legit back up, like some guy who deserves 20 minutes a game.
Again - not trying to argue not to trade him, I’ve been on the bandwagon he needs new scenery and we need that cap space for something else, for a while now.