Anonymous Scouts Takes: PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by SlyPokerDog, Oct 11, 2018.

  1. Rozay

    Rozay Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 15, 2018
    Messages:
    876
    Likes Received:
    350
    Trophy Points:
    63

    Blazers wasted a lot of time around the years they made the playoffs playing the clippers and the 8th seed year the year before last.

    Those two years were huge waste of times
     
  2. BonesJones

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

    Joined:
    May 7, 2015
    Messages:
    44,368
    Likes Received:
    38,405
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Vancouver, WA
    I get it. I'm just sick of cliche and dumb phrases being tossed around that don't even have anything to do with basketball reasons. I've never seen this much pessimism from this forum before a season. We have people claiming that Dame and CJ are at the end of their primes...

    Anyone cam feel that way. Just tired of the media and fans putting a little bit of a damper foe those of us who are excited for the season to start... Moda isn't as loud as it used to be. It's sad.
     
    ripcityboy likes this.
  3. TorturedBlazerFan

    TorturedBlazerFan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2018
    Messages:
    19,824
    Likes Received:
    23,356
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Baby Daddy
    Location:
    Chasing my kids
    I get that. I am really excited, like more than a normal person should be for the start of the season. I know it's kind of a debbie downer, but I just don't feel all that good about the state of the team right now. No Dame and CJ are not at the end of their prime they're basically at the start of it, and I'm so pumped to watch them but in terms of competing for a championship I just don't think they're that well equipped for it.

    I think what we're seeing from the fanbase and the pessimism is a function of yes the Blazers roster, but also just the rosters and 'upside' of the teams at the top obviously GS is literally an allstar team. Houston (may take a dip this year), but teams like Boston and Philly look poised to be really, really good in the coming years. We say we're top 10 and we might be, and yes it's better than being a sacremento fan, or insert like 15 other franchises, but at the same time at least to me it's hard for me to argue that the Blazers are very close to being a true contender too.
     
  4. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2018
    Messages:
    6,909
    Likes Received:
    6,780
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Outsidr Dame/CJ/Nurk; Ed was one of if not our next best player. This was last season and other seasons when he wasn't hurt. We lost him for nothing. His minutes will be played by inferior players this season. Crippling was the word the scout used and I agree.
     
    TorturedBlazerFan likes this.
  5. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 4, 2018
    Messages:
    6,909
    Likes Received:
    6,780
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Yes even LeBron was statistical supperior.at 28 then he is now. If you look at production of NBA players through their careers it doesn't go up after age 28 on average. Now of course there are exceptions and some players plateu for longer... But on average around 28 players effectiveness declines. If we aren't anywhere close to forming a legit contending team as this expected decline starts the franchise needs to explore when to trade CJ and Dame. Again this is not my preference.

    But it's not some long distant problem where 3 years from now we can twiddle our thumbs and start to slowly evaluatimg what to do if we make the same tiny improvements we've made the last 3 years. This team needs to get more legit talent NOW or change it's long term direction.
     
  6. jlprk

    jlprk The ESPN mod is insane.

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2009
    Messages:
    30,059
    Likes Received:
    8,157
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    retired, while you work!
    I cut out 2/3 (changing it from 632 to 197 words).
    ----------------
    I don’t want to say it can’t work in the playoffs but they’ve got some real holes in their lineup, guys who don’t bring much to the table offensively.

    Shabazz Napier was in a lot of their good five-man lineups last year. He really helped them. That’s a big loss. [Losing] Ed Davis [to Brooklyn in free agency] was a crippling loss. It totally messes with their frontcourt rotation.

    If we look ahead for the next three years, I’d rather have Collins than Nurkic. Nurkic isn’t really a rim protector but he showed me something on the defensive end last year. Their defense was top 10 last season because of its discipline, rather than its versatility. That’s another thing that came back to bite them in the postseason.

    CJ McCollum...he’s so crafty that he shifts away from defenders, that it sometimes works against him. He’s not huge on seeking out contact.

    Lillard and McCollum are older and in their prime and almost their whole roster is really, really young. The front office has gone too far towards the youth movement. Their time to win is now.

    Nik Stauskas...Three teams have given up on him. He’s that bad defensively.
     
    TorturedBlazerFan likes this.
  7. Mediocre Man

    Mediocre Man Mr. SportsTwo

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2008
    Messages:
    42,642
    Likes Received:
    24,138
    Trophy Points:
    113
    And get attacked?
     
  8. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2014
    Messages:
    18,866
    Likes Received:
    19,668
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Obviously you needed to. Someone was really really upset by it!
     
    Chris Craig likes this.
  9. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2014
    Messages:
    18,866
    Likes Received:
    19,668
    Trophy Points:
    113
    The truth hurts on whatever side you might be.
     
  10. Pinwheel1

    Pinwheel1 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2008
    Messages:
    21,007
    Likes Received:
    13,564
    Trophy Points:
    113
    From this it sounds like he thinks Collins is a 5 and can be better than Nurk and needs to be on the floor as much as possible.
    Sounds like Neil agreed with him and is why Ed is gone:

    "The tricky thing is whether they use Zach Collins as a four or a five. To me, he’s more of a five, but that’s Nurkic’s spot and he’s a stone-cold five. You can’t use him anywhere else. So that limits Collins to a back-up role, or it forces you to play him at the four with Nurkic, which could make for some spacing issues. I think they need to get Collins on the court as often as he can handle. If we look ahead for the next three years, I’d rather have Collins than Nurkic.
     
  11. jlprk

    jlprk The ESPN mod is insane.

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2009
    Messages:
    30,059
    Likes Received:
    8,157
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    retired, while you work!
    Nurkic is 280 pounds and Collins is 80 pounds. Collins will get injured as soon as he tries to play center seriously.

    The article's only light bulb moment (= clarified my feelings into words) was

    "Their defense was top 10 last season because of its discipline, rather than its versatility."

    I've always thought Stotts' defense is simply high energy, the same as his offensive "system."
     
    Propagandist likes this.
  12. Pinwheel1

    Pinwheel1 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2008
    Messages:
    21,007
    Likes Received:
    13,564
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Collins is now 235. Ed Davis is 245. Yes Zach needs another 10-15 lbs but you don't get hurt from being skinny. You just get pushed around.
     
  13. BLAZINGGIANTS

    BLAZINGGIANTS Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2008
    Messages:
    21,980
    Likes Received:
    14,514
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Aww you know I love you Sly.
     
    SlyPokerDog likes this.
  14. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2008
    Messages:
    31,952
    Likes Received:
    40,229
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Honestly, I don't understand the basis for this statement. What exactly is it that makes Collins preferable?
     
    Propagandist likes this.
  15. Strenuus

    Strenuus Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2013
    Messages:
    48,608
    Likes Received:
    33,632
    Trophy Points:
    113
    What's the moda?
     
    PHXBlazer1 and Chris Craig like this.
  16. Pinwheel1

    Pinwheel1 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2008
    Messages:
    21,007
    Likes Received:
    13,564
    Trophy Points:
    113
    yeah he never did explain why other than he was more of a rim protector. Unless there was more to the statement.
    The big question for me is can Collins replace Ed this year as the back up center?
     
    e_blazer likes this.
  17. hoopsjock

    hoopsjock Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2018
    Messages:
    16,302
    Likes Received:
    26,279
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Business Owner
    Location:
    North Plains
    It's like the Nurk Fever stretch is some mythical run that Nurk can never duplicate. Nevermind that last year his numbers were actually quite similar, especially from January on.

    And the whole rim protection thing??? Nurk doesn't have huge block numbers but that doesn't mean he isn't a rim protector. His rim protection numbers are elite.
     
  18. dviss1

    dviss1 Emcee Referee

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2011
    Messages:
    29,346
    Likes Received:
    27,156
    Trophy Points:
    113
    There's a lot of bullshit in those takes...

    "Nurkic isn’t really a rim protector"

    That's just one line of the many takes that are complete crap.

    Curry is MUCH better than Shabazz. We're not going to miss Shabazz at all...
     
  19. Boob-No-More

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

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2008
    Messages:
    19,094
    Likes Received:
    22,762
    Trophy Points:
    113
    You'd prefer missing the playoffs 13 years in a row, sneaking in as an 8th seed, and then losing your best player and going right back into the lottery? Or maybe 8 lottery picks in 8 years and never winning more than 32 games, losing your one good lottery pick and starting over again?

    Seriously, this whole notion that winning 24 games is better than winning 49 is baffling to me. How many high lottery picks has PHO had recently? Yet they still suck big time.

    Call us a treadmill team, but I enjoyed the fuck our of beating HOU and LAC in the first round. I even enjoyed the first GSW series three years ago. Sure, we lost in 5 games, and everyone knew the 73-win Warriors were going to beat the 44-win Blazers, but it was still a fun series and we led for more minutes than we trailed (unfortunately, they led when it mattered - as expected). I'd much rather enjoy those moments, like Dame's 0.9 series clincher against HOU than be a sad sack franchise like SAC, MIN, PHO, etc. You don't get Dame's 0.9 buzzer beater if you tank.

    BNM
     
  20. Boob-No-More

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

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2008
    Messages:
    19,094
    Likes Received:
    22,762
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I'll miss his Shabazz is the Man Stumptown commercials.

    BNM
     
    Darkwebs, Titan, tiredhunter and 6 others like this.

Share This Page