I'm mostly quiet about the players on the team as there are others who are much smarter in that regard than I but thought I'd post my Keep or Go thoughts about the current team. Keep: Dame - Duh! Nurkic - Plays pretty consistently and gives us a great post presence. Simons - Want to see how he develops. Don't Care: Aminu - I think of him as a good role player. Not going to knock your socks off and sometimes you question the decisions but plays with effort consistently. Affordable. Leonard - Almost hurts to say it but he has done a decent job this year. Definitely overpaid for his production but is contributing. Collins - Sometimes he looks good. Too often he disappears. I don't think of him ever becoming an impact player anymore - more of an adequate journeyman center/forward. Harkless - Good Hark would be on the keep list, bad Hark on the go list. Whatever. Baldwin - We've seen very little of him but he's shown he can, and will, play defense. I don't think he'll ever be a key cog but seems like with the right situation he could be a decent role player. Go: Stotts - Tired of nothing changing after all these years. He strikes me as the epitome of "Mediocre Man" (sorry MM) - keeps the Blazers middle-of-the-pack but nothing better. Can't adjust to save his life. Turner - Sometimes I think he's doing ok. More generally it is, please, can we get a real PG to run things? McCollum - Sure the guy can score but doesn't seem to have overall game and disappears more often that I'd like. I think he might do better in a different environment but I'd prefer he no longer be our overpaid dribbler/chucker. Swanigan - Just doesn't exhibit any skills that make him a keeper. Decent rebounder but other than that, nothing. Stauskas - seems nice but mostly absent. Curry - Largely strikes me as meh. Trent - What little I've seen makes me think "chucker". Layman - doesn't necessarily do anything bad - doesn't necessarily do anything good either.
I pretty much agree. I will say that I desperately want to see what the group would like with a new Coach. I feel like my opinion of some of the guys, especially the younger ones could change a lot if put in better situations. Though I am kind of done with ET and CJ just about everyone else I'd be curious what it would look like if they had a different coach.
Mine would be... Keep: Dame, Nurk, Simons, and Collins (Haven't given up on him yet) Don't Care: Harkless (Wouldn't hate a salary dump though involving no picks), Baldwin, Curry, Layman, and Trent (I am with you on the chucker part but I think it's a little unfair to judge him since he hasn't played a single meaningful minute) Go: Stotts (Time to try something new), Turner (Get the fuck off the team), CJ (For being friends with Dame they sure don't play off each other well), Swanigan, Stauskas, Leonard, and Aminu (Has trade value this year)
yeah, I agree with Natebishop....it doesn't matter what kind of keep/go list you want executed (insert jokes here), the very first requirement is new management. When the roof is leaking, the foundation crumbling, the windows jamming, the drywall cracking, the lights blinking, all while it's the most expensive house on the block, it's time to fire the architect. His fixes won't be a damn bit better than his original design
Keep: Dame, Collins Don't Care: if they can better balance the team, any of the following players id trade; Nurk, CJ, Harmless, Aminu, Turner, Stauskus, Layman, Baldwin Go: Leonard, Swanigan If they don't get out of first round: Change coach
As much as I like Collins that's kind of thinking is part of the problem. Remember when we didn't want to trade CJ because we wanted to see how he would develop?
KEEP: Dame Nurk Simons (need rookie contract players) GO: Stotts Neil Turner Aminu Curry Steaksauce Don't care about anyone else. They can stay, or trade them if it makes the team better.
This is simple. Get rid of Stotts and Olshey. I especially want to stay away from people that have a system they want to stick with no matter the talent they have.
Dame, Nurk, and Collins(still early, but time to show something NOW!). I'd keep Chief as well. He's a good defender and I think he adds some glue to the team. I feel like he's the Blazers Udonas Haslem(Miami for ever).
Keep: Nurkic, Simons & Layman Go: all else - required for picks to rebuild correctly. Stotts and Olshey especially need to go.
Stay: Damian Lillard: He is our star. Not going anywhere. Needs help. Jusuf Nurkic: A young center with a beomoth prescence. He really should be Portland's number two option. Anfernee Simons: Kid has a bright future. Let's see it unfold here. Zach Collins: He is young and is struggling as of late. He has shown glimpses of what he can be. It is to early to give up on him. Seth Curry: Curry fits well here. He is still fibding himself after a year off from injury, but he is coming into focus. If used right, he can be just what Portland needs off the bench. Don't Care: Al Farouq Aminu: Chief brings effort and energy nearly every game, but he us horribly inconsistent. He misses to many 3's, having more off nights than on. He looks better running the floor and attacking the basket. He helps Portland with rebounds. But, if we can trade him to bring more help and to start Collins, do it. Moe Harkless: Harkless is playing better as of late. The problem is you don't know which one you are going to get. Like Aminu he lacks the consistency Portland needs from him. When he is on though, he is a swiss army knife. Wade Baldwin: Wade is a good defensive player. Portland needs more of that. His offense is questionable and inconsistent. That said he hasn't had much of a cgance to play. Gary Trent Jr: Haven't seen enough of him to gauge his true level of talent. He could be a solid reserve. If he is used as filler in a trade though, I wouldn't be surprised. Jake Layman: Jake should be playing over Turner. He has proved that he can bring energy and effort to the game. I have seen no better cutter on this team. He can also shoot the three, though it has been inconsistent, if he had more playing time, I believe he would provide a much needed prescence off the bench and help the Blazers win more games. Too bad Stotts can't see that. Needs To Go: Evan Turner: He is first on the need to go list because I can't stand him. He comes in and the Blazers immediately start to lose. He is not a good Point Guard, and that is the only thing Portland had left to make the excuse to play him. He can't seem to pass without turning the ball over, he takes questionable shots, and has poor basketball IQ. He doesn't fit the Blazers. He needs to be traded. Until, then Neil needs to admit he has fucked up and bench him. Neil Olshey: Speaking of Neil, he needs to go to. He has had his chance, and has fucked up more than not. He has cost the Blazers 4 years of being stuck in the much by signing Crabbe, Leonard, Turner, and Harkless to long contracts and way overpaying them. His signings and trades have been mostly underwhelming. He isn't fooling anyone with his salesman schtick. It is time for someone else to take the helm. Terry Stotts: Stotts has had many chances. He has been the head coach for going on 7 years. He relies to much on a notecard and lacks court vision. A coach who knows how to win, subs players and adapts based on the flow of the game. He has shown he doesn't have the ability to do this. He uses a bench lineup that doesn't work together. He leaves them in too long. Waits till the Blazers dig a hole too deep to come back from to call a timeout. Terry is a good coach, but he will never be a great one. He won't win any rings with his style of coaching that doesn't respect defense. He needs to go. CJ McCollum: CJ's inconsistency is hurting the Blazers terribly. He overdribbles and throws up contested jumpers. The only thing stopping CJ from becoming a true star is CJ. He is a talented player no doubt. He has nights where he goes off. But, he has many more where he doesn't show up. The best friend duo of Lillard and McCollum is not working. It is time to split them up. A McCollum trade with our pick and other players could be the change the Blazers need. If Neil can get the right deal he should take it. Meyers Leonard: Leonard has gotten better. To escape his past demons he has redubbed himself "The Hammer" an alter ego that has helped him step up his game and sregthen his mentality. However, the parts are all the same. He needs to go. No since in keeping him around. Hopefully he has garned some trade value this season. Caleb Swanigan: The kid has a great story. He is a hard worker, but he doesn't have the talent. Nik Stauskas: Nik is a three point shooter. That is his main function and he is shooting the long ball terribly. He was creating shots for himself and attacking the rim. He looked amazing in the home opener against the Lakers. But, he has fizzled since then. Another underwhlming Olshey signing that hasn't panned out.
Dame and Nurk are the only two players on the roster who share any chemistry. Obviously most of us, myself included, want to keep Dame. If that's the case, Nurk needs to stay. I also think Collins needs a little more time and Simons needs an opportunity to show his potential. Blow the rest up.
