Official 2018-2019 training camp thread

I hope that it is indeed changes. Because Stott's playbook is so boring and predictable. I hope we see something new this year.

 

It used to be the opposite. Some of that is personnel, but it's also a lot of complacency. Back in 2013-14 (the surprising 54-win season when we beat HOU in the first round), we had a much more balanced offense, with a lot more player and ball movement. I remember one time, within the span of less than a month, Nic, Aldridge, Wes and Dame all hit game winners. We were winning close games because the opposing defense never knew who was taking the shot. They had to guard everyone on the floor and not just key on one player going iso.

I miss those days...

BNM

 

Frankly, I think this is mostly a roster situation. I think that's why we saw at the start of last year the Blazers trying to post Nurk a lot to create the in-out threats that the team with Lillard/LMA had. Unfortunately, it did not work which is why the offense went back to guard heavy - because, frankly, I would take both Wes and Nic as reliable offensive threats than anyone not named Lillard/CJ from last year's squad.

I hope that we will see a better Nurk this year, maybe some interior offense from ZCo and better scondary perimeter scoring with Curry/GT3/Simons - which will open the offense a lot.

 

Let me guess what happened here.

 

Meyers improved this time he completely whiffed on defense instead of comitting a foul!

 

Goddamn

Trent is a MAN at 19...

 

#Pedigree

 

Clearly he's ready physically to compete at the NBA level. Hopefully, Stotts gives him a chance. We've only seen him in Summer League and college, but he also seems to be very poised on the court for a teenager. I said it on draft night, I thought he was a steal at 37. I hope he proves me right.

BNM

 

The real take away from that article is he plans to be in the line up on opening night:

“I’ll be back,” Harkless told The Athletic. “I’ll be ready.”

Back, he says, for at least one of the Blazers’ five preseason games. And ready, he says, for the season opener Oct. 18 against the Lakers.

“That’s the plan,” Harkless said.

Coach Terry Stotts said Harkless took part in about a third of the team’s first practice Tuesday, but Harkless said he actually took part in closer to 75 percent of the action. Then, in the team’s second practice later that night, he didn’t sit out once.

“And today, I woke up and felt fine,” Harkless said Wednesday. “So I did the same thing today, and even added more.”

So, I guess that answers the question: "Who is going to play small forward?"

BNM

 

He'll get burn, it's kind of a mandate at this point. Develop internally, or be first round fodder forever.

 

I also think that's why we took BPA at both 24 and 37 in the draft (and I really do believe Simons and Trent Jr. were the best prospects available at those two spots). Don't worry about what position they are going to play, the NBA is becoming more and more positionless. Just load up on the best talent available, develop it and figure out how to best utilize it when the time comes.

BNM

 

Stotts mentioned in his interview today he’s keeping an open mind about rotations and only the starting five plus Evan and Collins have spots locked up. He also mentioned that he’s thought about taking CJ off the second unit entirely. Mentioned Seth, Stauskas, Layman, and Trent as options.

 

Meyer's closed his eyes again duh lol

 

Yes, please!

BNM

 

Yea! get CJ off his duty as backup PG!
And stop playing Dame the entire 1st quarter ffs!

 

I like see Dame and CJ minutes go down at least to about 34 minutes. But I think Stotts will experiment with a straight 2nd second unit in preseason to see how it works. With Harkless out for preseason I think Layman will get first crack at the small forward position.

 

I still don't see why people think Curry should and will only get 14 minutes per game. Most mind boggling thing about this forum lately...

 

He's healthy, better than Baldwin, and we don't underplay good vets to start the season...